Hi,
[Apologies if this has already been mentioned, I'm a bit behind with my
email.]
On Wed, 21 Jun 2000 Tony Duell wrote:
> > I have a copy of the AMD 2900 databook, which I might try to scan in
> > somewhere (I can photocopy sections out for John if he needs them right
> > away); someone also recently provided me with a scanned version of the
> > Am2901 datasheet, which I can share.
> >
> > You're on your own for a copy of Mick and Brick - it's copyrighted, so I
>
> Well, the 2900 databook is copyrighted as well... Most companies don't seem
> to mind people copying their data sheets (after all, it sells their
> chips!), but it doesn't mean you can scan an post a copy of the databook
> without checking first.
None of the companies concerned is likely to care at all. Though actually
getting many to say so officially might not be easy.
On Fri, 23 Jun 2000 Pat Barron wrote:
> Well, I corresponded with some folks at AMD, and didn't quite get
> everything I wanted, but this might help somebody.
>
> They have approved me making up to 10 copies of the Am2900 databook. My
> plan is to scan it in and turn it into a PDF file. Therefore, I can only
> make copies available to 10 people.
>
> ...
>
> If substantially more than 10 people are interested, I'll go back to them
> and request further permission, but this was all they felt they could let
> me do without running my request through legal review.
There is no need to do this, because 2900 data books/sheets by various
companies including AMD are already available in scanned format (PDF files)
online.
Go to http://www.freetradezone.com/
After registering you can use the Design Center section to browse and download
data sheets and data books for many kinds of current and discontinued devices
(including 2900 series from several manufacturers). They even have some data
books from the 1970s online.
Just enter 2900 or 2901 or whatever in the part number box and click the
search button.
That site is probably a good first place to look if you are after the data
sheet for any discontinued device.
-- Mark
From: Richard Erlacher <richard(a)idcomm.com>
>Look around your lab or work area at home . . . how many of your
homebuilt
>bits of apparatus have "real" legends or printed labels for all the
knobs
>and switches? How many of your projects end up in a box that's screwed
>shut? That's where the truth of the matter lies. Everybody has built a
>thingie or two that never gets past the wirewrap board even though it's
been
>used occasionally for 10-20 years. It often starts out as an immediate
>need, but ends up as a tool.
It's one habit I try to avoid and as a result I do have some boxes that
are
in one case 35 years old, labled, docs and all. At that age I'd have to
have been a child prodigy to be a PHD. I build tools for myself, a few
are
hand wired some wirewrap but neither are a bad thing only an idication of
cost to do a decent 2 or 4 layer board was out of reach. Then again
sloppy
work doesn't last. Call it a do it once and do it right mindset.
Now cabinetry, that eluded me for years how to get truly good looking
boxen
not made of wood with some metal.
>I like my tools "finished", i.e. in a sealed box with external knobs
that
>don't require a screwdriver to operate them. I like to be able to use
them
Drills sharp, wrenches clean and all that are part of completing a
project
as well.
>but that's just what they are: unfinished. If I build a tool to
completion,
>you can bet there's documentation. . . particularly for revisions, and
the
It was documentation, in depth that got me a lot of advanced credit. I
was
designing from the ground up by HS. The information and techniques are
not secret, or hard to learn.
The idea that a PHD is required to do something useful is bogus. It
reeks
of classism and ignores those that out there doing it on far less save
for
one skill not discussed, ability to learn for ones self and apply it to
other
technologies.
>I'm sure there are both types, but my experience has been that the PhD
types
>are often working far outside their own discipline but are able to
handle
>the job because of their experience and training. They understand how
I"ve found that there are many hacks out there too, fond of building
Rube Golbergian crap.
Allison
>in getting it up and running. I want to run VMS on this, not
interested in the version of BSD out there, already have enough
Unix boxen. The main thing I'm missing, besides getting VMS
itself are drives. This system is in the BA123 enclosure and has a
TK50 tape drive. It contains the following boards:
M7606-AC CPU
M7608-BP Memory
M7608-BP Memory
M7546 Tape controller (TK50)
M7516 DELQA (eithernet)
M7516 DELQA (eithernet)... machine was likely used as a router.
M3104 16port serial
M9058 Disk breakout board (used for going from RQDX3
controller to MFMdisks and floppies)
>What all drive options are there and what would people
recommend? What are my options for getting VMS for this? Any
other help or comments appreciated.
Ok, what you need is either a RQDX3 (M7555 hard disk controller board
and a few RD54s or a SCSI card like the CMD200 and RZ56(680mb).
The problem is SCSI controllers generally don't go cheap. Ideally to run
VMS7.2 you need 300mb of disk(s) however smaller is possible.
The SCSI board is convenient as it will allow for a CDrom needed to
install from hobbiest CD. Other wise RRD40 and controller will be needed
or someone that can cut TK50s from the CD.
There is a hobbiest VMS license and even media available (www.decus.org).
I happen to run one of these and they are fine systems for 1987
technology.
Allison
It's time to start thinking about what you're going to exhibit at VCF 4.0.
The deadline for registration is September 20, 2000.
You can register at:
http://www.vintage.org/exhibit.html
Rules for the exhibit competition can be found at:
http://www.vintage.org/cgi-bin/content.pl?id=r00
Strut your classic computer stuff!!!
Sellam International Man of Intrigue and Danger
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Looking for a six in a pile of nines...
VCF 4.0 is September 30-October 1
San Jose Convention Center, San Jose, California
See http://www.vintage.org for details!
I picked up a MicroVAX II today, thanks Nick, and need some help
in getting it up and running. I want to run VMS on this, not
interested in the version of BSD out there, already have enough
Unix boxen. The main thing I'm missing, besides getting VMS
itself are drives. This system is in the BA123 enclosure and has a
TK50 tape drive. It contains the following boards:
M7606-AC
M7608-BP
M7608-BP
M7546
M7516
M7516
M3104
M9058
What all drive options are there and what would people
recommend? What are my options for getting VMS for this? Any
other help or comments appreciated.
Thanks.
-----
David Williams - Computer Packrat
dlw(a)trailingedge.com
http://www.trailingedge.com
> > Was this the film that established that:
> >
> > 1) electrons are blue
> > 2) protons are red
> > 3) neutrons are green
> >
>
> Surely a glance at just about any 'scope screen, or indeed the IBM 5151
> monitor I'm using a the moment, would convince you that electrons are, in
> fact, green. After all, they leave a green image on the screen.
>
> QED
Hmm... then what subatomic particle does my amber-tubed Wyse 50 use?
I do happen to know it's *not* a plasma display... ;-)
Speaking of which: anybody know where I could find an old Plato terminal?
-dq
> From: "FBA" <fauradon(a)mn.mediaone.net>
> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, June 28, 2000 9:07 AM
> Subject: Time spent Looking VS time spent "Playing"
>
>
> > How much time do you devote searching for old machines?
>
Quite a bit, bot "old machines" per se, but classic computng related materials.
> > How much time "Playing" (fixing, using etc...) these machines?
>
> I've been trying to fit in more time playing with the C128. How many hours
> a week, I can't precisely say. But I probably spend as much time playing
> per week as I do looking, if not more....
This last year has been pretty miserable for me, my BBS (runs on a
Commodore 64, which is my most active "classic activity") was literally
down for months and ignored for a year. Tax return time did bring it
back to life with a high speed modem and 20mghz accellerator, but it is
still in need of programmatic overhaul to use the accellerator and my
network feeds aree still stranded in Washington... :P Also my (classic
computing) web pages needs updating (usually reserved for holidays but I
will have to wait on that too).
But I have collected lots of stuff to play with later (how many of us
say that and know we have too much "stuff" and not enough "later"...) I
hope in august to have available time to put more life into my classics...
I must protest on the concentration of the aquiring of computers, I have
had time to divide up my hobby into several categories (where the
"collecting computers" bit is actually kinda small):
Collecting
Computers
Hardware (peripherals, etc)
Software
Computer Books and Magazines
Computing Ephemera (ads, reciepts, pins, t-shirts, games, toys, etc.)
Researching
(see books, magazines, above...)
Reading Technical Information via Internet
Contacting People related to classic computing
Documenting
Web Pages
Articles
Presentations
Promoting
Posting/responding in newsgroups, Maillists (like this one)
Also web Ppge
Running a Classic BBS or Classic Display
Rambling on about how bad off the world is without good computer
education in schools...
(as in usage, programming, electonics, not just CAI)
From: Eric Smith <eric(a)brouhaha.com>
>Tony wrote:
>> Surely a glance at just about any 'scope screen, or indeed the IBM
5151
>> monitor I'm using a the moment, would convince you that electrons are,
in
>> fact, green. After all, they leave a green image on the screen.
>>
>> QED
>
>Sorry to burst your bubble, but that proves that electrons are purple!
Only if they are very bright and you stare at them. ;)
Besides all this electrons and holes stuff is bull. Anyone who has
worked
with electrical or electronics knows smoke is the powering force. The
proof
is when the smoke escapes, equipment stops working. ;)
Allison
>From what I recall, it actually got pretty close until someone stood up to
>point out the stupidity of it all, whence it quickly died.
I'm sorry, I guess I've been living in an alternate reality... since
when did anyone getting up in congress/senate/whatever beauracratic
organization you want to name and stating the stupidity of something
ever *reliably* prevent it from passing?
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg KB1FCA |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
> On Sat, 1 Jul 2000, Douglas Quebbeman wrote:
> [someone srote about carbon tetrachloride:]
> > > Secret stash. Radio Shack dumped their cleaner/degreaser
> stock and I
> > bought
> > > it (at least from one store) I've been metering it out ever since.
> >
> > <Doug, his face green with envy>
>
> Not sure if this is still the case, but, while the sale of it was
> prohibited to individuals, companies could still buy it from
> mail-order electronics supply places. To get it all one need(ed)(s)
> is/was to manufacture a company name (e.g., like one does to get into
> an electronics trade show and get those free pit-beef sandwitches,
> etc. along with lots of freebies like samples and databooks), or, if
> they want a federal ID number, just start a corporation and do nothing
> with it but use it to make it easier to buy things from the bizdroids
> that don't like to sell to individuals. :-) :-) :-)
>
> There's more than one way to skin a bureaucrat!
Well, until they recently came up with a replacement for Halon,
you could still go to a local small airport/air park and buy
Halon extinguishers "for your plane".
:-)
