<>It's a TK50 in an external case with a single 50 pin D-sub connector and
<>no ID switch.
<
< A single connector? A D-sub 50 no less?
<
< Geez... that's downright psychotic. Ok, I'm baffled. Anyone else?
Sounds like a externally mounted TK50 for use with the usual Qbus M7546.
The companion was the externally mounted RD5x for use with the RQDXn and
the matching distribution card. Both are for those that had BA23s and
no place left for a disk or tape.
Allison
At 15:55 08-08-1999 -0400, you wrote:
>Is a TK50-D not a SCSI device? It sure bears only about a fifth of a
>superficial resemblance to one.
Never ran into the 'D' version. The two I've seen that are SCSI are the
TK50Z-FA (for use with VAXStation 2000) and the more generic TK50Z-GA (less
proprietary on the SCSI side than the FA).
>If not what is it used with?
Depends. If you're talking the bare drive with the 26-pin Berg header on
the back, it's a proprietary serial interface which requires the M7546 (or
similar) tape controller. Such were often installed in MicroVAX II and III,
and could also be found on the MicroPDP-11 series.
If you're talking external case with a pair of 50-pinners on the backside,
that could be either an FA or a GA. Such were used with systems like the
VAXStation 3100 series, or anything else that needed a TK50 on SCSI.
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our
own human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
Hello List,
Would anyone like a Tektronics 4113 graphics terminal? It's in
perfect working order, but slightly scuffed here and there. One 8" floppy
drive that works, color monitor that works, and perhaps even the color
printer that goes with it, though I haven't seen that thing recently.
I'm looking for pdp11 stuff, a sun3 framebuffer, cash or a good sob story
in exchange.
It's near Pittsburgh, PA. and it's pretty big, so you'll probably
not want to mess with shipping..
Act fast before I shamelessly pimp it on Ebay...
jake
Forgot to mention, I have a bit of DOC, but haven't read it yet. Perhaps I
can find where the serial port connections are located. Since the thing
doesn't appear to have a UART, I'm curious what it uses. Perhaps it uses a
6522 serial I/O port. It could bit-bang, I guess.
After I've looked the docs/schematics over, I'll know more, which I'll
share, if needed.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony Clifton - Wirehead <wirehead(a)retrocomputing.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 4:09 PM
Subject: Spiffy Little Hamfest Find
>
>Found an AIM-65 at a hamfest today (at the Amana Colonies near
>Cedar Rapids, Iowa) for $1.00. It's got the cheesiest brown,
>plastic case I've ever seen, a cut little printer built in,
>an ascii keyboard, a funky led display and not much else.
>
>I haven't powered it up yet since it seems to want 12 and 24
>volts and I don't have a 24 volt supply handy.
>
>Does anyone have the pinouts for the expansion and application
>connectors on this little guy?
>
>Also, there's a switch that lets you switch between keyboard and
>tty but I see no place to connect a tty, not even a little dual
>inline connector or anything appropriate. Clues?
>
>Thanks...
>
>Anthony Clifton - Wirehead
>
>
The plastic cases were an add-on, but the printer and "funky" LED display
were standard. It's a standard sort of 6502 board, with a 1 MHz processor,
a bit of ram and a bit of ROM, depending on what you put in. I've got two
of them (borrowed) atthe moment, one with a video board and extra prom board
and a prom programmer, and the other without the case, etc, but with all
available ram and rom populated. I believe it's got the assembler and BASIC
in ROM along with a monitor. AFAIK, there's a FORTH available for it as
well, but I'm not a 4th sort of guy.
Joe Rigdon has a couple of these with the BASIC and Assembler ROMs on board.
Maybe you want to pull his chain and see what's really in those ROMs he's
got.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Anthony Clifton - Wirehead <wirehead(a)retrocomputing.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Sunday, August 08, 1999 4:09 PM
Subject: Spiffy Little Hamfest Find
>
>Found an AIM-65 at a hamfest today (at the Amana Colonies near
>Cedar Rapids, Iowa) for $1.00. It's got the cheesiest brown,
>plastic case I've ever seen, a cut little printer built in,
>an ascii keyboard, a funky led display and not much else.
>
>I haven't powered it up yet since it seems to want 12 and 24
>volts and I don't have a 24 volt supply handy.
>
>Does anyone have the pinouts for the expansion and application
>connectors on this little guy?
>
>Also, there's a switch that lets you switch between keyboard and
>tty but I see no place to connect a tty, not even a little dual
>inline connector or anything appropriate. Clues?
>
>Thanks...
>
>Anthony Clifton - Wirehead
>
>
From: "r. 'bear' stricklin" <red(a)bears.org>
> Is a TK50-D not a SCSI device? It sure bears only about a fifth of a
> superficial resemblance to one.
> If not what is it used with?
The -FA and -GA models have a SCSI controller board (TZK50) with the
drive, in the box which is about 12.5 inch (32 cm) wide.
Assuming that the "-D" is the one which is about two-thirds as wide,
it is just the raw drive with its ribbon cable going to a (largely idle)
50-pin D connector (as I recall). It connects to a suitable controler,
such as the Q-bus TQK50 or the UNIBUS TUK50. I believe that it was most
commonly used with big-old UNIBUS machines like the VAX-11/7xx, which
had no convenient place for an internally mounted TK50 drive, whereas
most Q-bus systems did.
Nowadays, the most common use for one is probably as a safe place to
keep a spare drive, in case the drive in one's -FA or -GA fails.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steven M. Schweda (+1) 651-645-9249 (voice, home)
1630 Marshall Avenue #8 (+1) 612-754-2636 (voice, work)
Saint Paul MN 55104-6225 (+1) 612-754-6302 (facsimile, work)
sms(a)antinode.org sms(a)provis.com (work)
<> The one on my s100 board is definatly broke... I wrote the bios!
<
<Are you saying you have an RTC chip that changes the year from 1999 to
<something other than 1900 or 2000? If so, what on earth is the chip?
Very early msm5832 C1979.
What you've missed is many of the early parts and even the Dallas parts
were buggy. This is one of the very early and quite buggy ones!
Allison
In a message dated 8/8/99 2:47:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk writes:
> >
> > I keep all boxes that I get until a better one comes along. John
>
> One other thing to remember. I (like most people here I guess) are
> _terminally_ short of space.
>
> If I had infinite space, I'd keep all the boxes, etc, in case they were
> useful/historically important. As it is, I am not so sure....
>
well, if the boxes are in decent shape, they do stack better. One thing to be
careful of though, is to make sure that insect pests aren't hitching a ride
in an old box you decide to bring in your house.
--
d.b. young team os/2
--> this message printed on recycled disk space
visit the computers of yesteryear at-
http://members.aol.com/suprdave/classiccmp/museum.htm
Hi,
I thought I sent this to the full list but Zane told me that I only sent
it to the auction notification list. So here it is again.
A friend of mine found a DG Nova III in a local scrap yard. He says that
it looks complete and in good shape and that it doesn't look like it's been
rained on yet. He says that it's in two ~ 5' tall cabinets and has a reel
to reel tape drive and four terminals. Anyone want to rescue this? I DO
NOT have room/time/money to rescue and/or to ship it. If you want it, come
and get it. It's located in Sanford, Florida.
Joe
