test-drb August 1999

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

161 participants
565 discussions

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

Guys: There's a VAX 11/750 that will soon be parted out. If there are any tid-bits of this thing you want, please LMK via private e-mail. (Don't ask for the whole thing, it's the size of a small refrigerator, and weighs just as much). Jeff ___________________________________________________________________ Get the Internet just the way you want it. Free software, free e-mail, and free Internet access for a month! Try Juno Web: http://dl.www.juno.com/dynoget/tagj.

25 years, 4 months

Dell "Oldest PC" winner on zdnet

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> Is this the same Computer museum that parted out some PDP monsters <> for saleable souveniers? <> <> Allison <> < <I have a hazy recollection of that event, but I don't think(?) it is the <same one. This one exists in conjunction with Coleman College - computer <training. < I'm happy to hear that. TCM does not rank high on my list of, things to do to historical items. Preserving history, understanding it is very difficult and an active wholsale destruction of any machine for money is the same as tomb raiding for gold. Allison

25 years, 4 months

FW: PDP11 documentation and test code on paper tape

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>>>DEC PDP-11/20 DR11-C Engineering Drawings > 11/20 print sets!! AGH!! He's trying to confuse us: the DR11-C is *not* an 11/20. I think he has the DR11-C (M786+M105+M7821) print set, which is far, far way from an 11/20 (KA11) print set. -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

25 years, 4 months

Re. imsai 2

by edick＠idcomm.com

Sooner or later, someone will bring in a TI "Speak-N-Spell" which was one of the most important mass-produced electronic toys of the '70's. Once they become rare enough that they bring a good price, lots of plastic-packaged electronics will appear, right along with those Ming-dynasty vases. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, August 21, 1999 12:37 PM Subject: Re: Re. imsai 2 >> > I think that it's a load of crap. Old computers for the masses. Ruins it >> > for the rest of us. Next thing you know, the Antiques Road Show will have an >> > "antique computer" eposode. >> >> Um, from what I heard, someone on the Roadshow said within the last year >> that computers will become the next hot collectable. Someone locally here >> told me that (I didn't see the show myself). So it's too late for fear, >> move straight on ahead to loathing. > >Certainly on the UK version of the programme, somebody brought along a >Sinclair calculator, and one of the 'experts' said that these machines >were becoming ever more collectable. I've never seen any electronic >equipment on the programme apart from that, though. > >-tony >

25 years, 4 months

Q-Bus Codar Clock

by edick＠idcomm.com

If I'm not mistaken, this one was built for us when I was with Martin Marietta, working on a JPL project to militarize uVAX-II hardware in our customized packaging. It works with VMS, and I doubt there was little else done with it in conjunction with our project. I worked on other parts of the system (rotating memory), but that company, located in Longmont, CO, I believe, may still be in business. Codar built the customized backplanes for us to use in our portable and extreme-temperature tolerant boxes, along with a few other odds & ends. I once was called upon to rectify a problem with one of their switch panels, which I did with a resistor array (a minor oversight). Dick -----Original Message----- From: Zane H. Healy <healyzh(a)aracnet.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Saturday, August 21, 1999 11:19 AM Subject: Q-Bus Codar Clock >While digging through my spares a couple days I came across a very >interesting looking card. > >CODAR TECHNOLOGY INC. > >MODEL 120 CALENDAR CLOCK >ASM 951-1200 REV B >COPYRIGHT 1987 MADE IN USA > >Does anyone have any information on this card, and what OS's it can be used >with. Does it require special software? > > Zane >| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Adminstrator | >| healyzh(a)aracnet.com (primary) | Linux Enthusiast | >| healyzh(a)holonet.net (alternate) | Classic Computer Collector | >+----------------------------------+----------------------------+ >| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | >| and Zane's Computer Museum. | >| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |

25 years, 4 months

Hacker tea (was Re: Late Nights and Caffeine)

by edick＠idcomm.com

So . . . Linux will use the parallel port to turn on the coffee maker, but who'll fetch, measure, mix, and grind the beans? When does it clean out the coffee pot and put the old coffee in the house-plants? What about the filter? Hmmmm? Dick -----Original Message----- From: John Foust <jfoust(a)threedee.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Tuesday, August 17, 1999 8:43 AM Subject: Re: Hacker tea (was Re: Late Nights and Caffeine) >At 11:05 PM 8/16/99 -0400, LordTyran wrote: >> >>As stupid/crazy/cool as it seems, there is a Linux-Coffeemaker-HOWTO. >>Tells you how to use an SCR or a relay to hook up your coffee makes to >>your parallel port, add a /dev/coffeemaker entry (basically a ln to >>/dev/parX) and add a cron daemon entry to make your coffee each morning. > >X-10 stuff is more flexible and probably less expensive. I jumped >for the $6 promo news-ertised on Slashdot a few weeks ago, and have >been sorely tempted to buy more, so I guess the plan worked. The >offer is still up there. > >What? No one's going to stand up and defend the ice-cold can of >Diet Mountain Dew? > >- John >

25 years, 4 months

HP2100 core memory problems

by jlwest＠tseinc.com

Well, once again I come to the well for knowledge.....:) Seeking advice from those up on core memory I'm kinda lost on checking out the memory in my HP 2100. I have two 2100's, each with four 8K boards or 32k per machine. I had lots of parity errors so I lined up all eight 8K boards on the bench and reconfigured the memory controller for 8K total rather than 32K (test one board at a time). I put in one of the boards and ran a small memory test (not a diag tape, but a core memory test from the CE guide via the front panel).The core test has three "controlling" locations, one location for the first address to test, one for the last address, and then how many cycles per memory location. A cycle is defined as writing all zeros, read, and compare - then writing all ones, read, and compare all on a single location. Here's the symptoms. The full test of 8K takes about 2 hours (with a cycle of 3). On different boards it gets to different locations before the parity error halt. So far mostly at the middle or end, I don't recall it ever parity halting towards the beginning. I'll get a parity error halt on say location 012336 for example. I then manually go to the failing location and try storing different values in the location and reading them back out (all via the front panel). Most of the time this gives a parity error like you would expect. But - many times it doesn't. Then just for kicks I restart the diagnostic a few locations lower (like 012320 in this example) than the failing location. It fails right away usually (like location 012322), quite a few cells before the location which originally failed. This causes me great confusion, because it's actually now failing on addresses which previously tested OK just a few minutes ago on the previous test pass. Every 8K board I have exhibits this problem, but all at different locations. Supposedly both machines worked fine before they were put in storage 20 years ago, so these weren't picked up out of a junk heap or anything. Cosmetically they're beautiful inside and out. I've also tried switching the XY driver boards, the memory controller, etc. etc. but I can't seem to get anything stable enough to start intelligently swapping parts when every combination is bad. In case it matters, each 8K board is 17 bits per word (1 parity plus 16 data bits). Also, it isn't a complete failure - I've keyed in many other programs from the front panel and read in paper tapes (a suite of I/O tests and such) that all run fine so I know the system is somewhat coherent. I've checked the power supply for the memory cage and it's supposed to be 20 volts - my VOM came up with 20.48 ISTR, which is probably close enough I would think. Can anyone suggest a course of action or possible culprits in this situation? I suspect I can't see the forest for the trees anymore :) Thanks! Jay West

25 years, 4 months

Re. imsai 2

by rcini＠msn.com

On Thu, 19 Aug 1999 12:29:34 -0500, Jeffrey l Kaneko <jeff.kaneko(a)juno.com> wrote: >I had several conversations with Tom Fischer over the last {snip} >>Not to mention recent E-Bay prices. Amen to that. The recent prices are certainly an incentive for one to try his hand again. > And, could the "mainframe" actually cost that much?? > Switches: 22@$5=$110. PS=$50. Backplane=$75. Sheetmetal=$250. >FP=$100. Maybe I have a warped idea of what this stuff costs, but I was >expecting a lower number. >>I dunno, your price breakdown sounds alright to me. Mebbe he >>figured that these are 'hand crafted' hence have some kinda snob >>appeal. As Tim mentioned, my PS number is low. I was figuring on the included ATX PeeCee power supply. I'd bet the transformer alone in the old IMSAIs was *at least* the $50. I also agree with the snob appeal, although I don't know if it would be the "hand-made" part, or alternatively, about "it was made by the same guy who made the old ones." > I have some old S100 cards to play around with, but I only > have a non-working Northstar Horizon. So, I would be Tom's target > audience. I would prefer a kit, though, since I have the skill level > and interest to assemble one myself. >>Well that was the whole point, wasn't it, eh? You built it yourself >>because you a) Had more time than money or b) That's the only way >>you could get it. I dunno about you, but I certainly fell into the >>'more time than money' category (and *still* couldn't afford it). >> >>I believe his target audience has 'more money than {time | brains}'. >>I dunno Rich, I always figured you as a pretty smart guy. Maybe >>on a budget, too. Would be better just to buy the 'unique' bits, >>and piece one together yourself (utilizing the PSU of your choice). Thanks for the compliment :-) I wasn't focused on computers when the original IMSAI was available. I was about , dunno, maybe 11. So, I certainly didn't have the money. I did have time, though. Now, I have much less time and more money, but I'd still prefer to build my own. $$$ are always a concern, but the deal with my wife is what ever I make from freelance computer writing, I can use for my hobby. Sweet deal, huh?? A custom PS would be nice (I've always liked building power supplies). I wouldn't be opposed to piecing a system together myself, but by the time you piece together the HTF parts (such as the FP, the backplane, and the case), you have 70% of the unit. I think that an unassembled kit for $599 would be OK. >>BTW, what's wrong with your Horizon (just curious)? Don't really know. I have no info on some of the boards, so I don't know if the jumpers are set for the right addresses. I also can't verify that the backplane serial ports work, or even if the on-board ports work or floppy controller works. Power supply is good, though :). Basically I'm in the dark. I gave up last year because I started to renovate the basement. Now that that's done, this winter, I'll probably start fiddling with it again. Somewhere around here, I have a list of my boards I can send you. Most of the boards are Vector Graphics (ZCB, RAM, ROM), though. > Conclusion: although I want an IMSAI badly, I don't think > that I'm prepared to spend $1k for an out-of-the-box non-functional > machine. >>Ah yes, as I suspected, you're way too smart to be drawn into this >>'Techno chic' marketing shtick. That's all it is: chic. This guy's >>just trying to 'make hay while the sun shines'. I think that it's a load of crap. Old computers for the masses. Ruins it for the rest of us. Next thing you know, the Antiques Road Show will have an "antique computer" eposode. > If I were buying an "old" non-functional IMSAI, at least I could > restore it to functioning status. I wouldn't pay $1k for that one, > either. >>True, although this would be the way to go, assuming the price is >>right. Even if you just have a pile of old boards, as i said before, >>just get the 'unique' stuff, then fill in the gaps with off-the-shelf >>items. That's essentially what we did in the old days. This would be my ideal project. Just as long as the FP fascia is intact, I think that I could handle everything else. I have a huge box of random S100 cards just waiting for a working home... ----------------------------------- [ Rich Cini/WUGNET [ ClubWin!/CW7 [ MCP Windows 95/Windows Networking [ Collector of "classic" computers [ http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp/ <---------------------------- reply separator

25 years, 4 months

Comments? Proper way to (un)subscribe CLASSICCMP

by jon＠techniche.com

Can someone refresh my memory as to the proper procedure to subscribe & unsubscribe from this list? I need a break to catch up on my e-mail !! Thanks, Jon

25 years, 4 months

Hacker tea (was Re: Late Nights and Caffeine)

by max82＠surfree.com

Brian L. Stuart wrote: > And bringing it full circle, Brazil is the name of the latest > research OS at Bell Labs from the same folks who brought you > UNIX. They seem to take great pride in naming systems with > names that make marketing cringe. The predecessor to Brazil > was Plan 9 after the infamous sci-fi movie Plan 9 From Outer > Space. Any data on this BrazilOS?

25 years, 4 months

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test-drb August 1999