On January 23, Richard W. Schauer wrote:
> I just recently acquired a whole bunch of stuff out of a company's
> basement, including a VAX-11/780, VAX-11/750, 4 RA81's, a TU80, a
> pdp-11/44, 4 RL02's, an RP06, a TS11, and spare parts and printsets
> galore. (Yes, John Foust, the little pdp-11/44 in Milwaukee led to all
> that.) All the equipment was brought up a flight of carpeted stairs by a
> refrigerator dolly and human power, except the RP06 and the 780 where we
> used a come-along and a lifting frame I made. Heavy!
Wow...that's an excellent haul!
-Dave McGuire
I spent an enjoyable weekend dissassembling, cleaning, and re-assembling a
433MP (introduced 1990, so just on-topic). It came from an industrial
environment, and was one of the filthiest computers I've ever seen. I didn't
get any manuals, and there's very little info about these machines on the
Web (Compaq, as usual, pretends these machines never existed), so I was
hoping one of list DECkers could help with a few questions:
- the machine has 2 memory boards, which give a maximum of 32 megs of ECC
RAM, with 40 x 1 meg SIMMs. Can the system use more than 2 memory boards, to
go to 64 megs? Or can the 1 meg SIMMs be replaced by 4 meg SIMMs?
- on powerup, the system BIOS reports 640K of main memory, and 13312K of
extended memory; there are 25 x 1 meg SIMMs installed, so I'm expecting 20
megs after subtracting the ECC SIMMS. Any ideas why the BIOS isn't seeing
all of the available RAM?
- the system has 2 x 486/33 processor cards installed - one base CPU card,
and one CPU/SCSI card. The system can hold up to 4 processor cards; were
there any OSes that could use 4 processors at a time? Is it worth hunting
down two extra CPU cards?
- there's a TZK10-AA tape drive in the system. What tape cartridges does
this drive use?
- the processor cards use Intel 80486 DX chips at 33 Mhz. I dimly recall
that the 80486DX2/66 is a drop in replacement for the 80486DX33. Can I get a
quick speed boost by swapping the processor chips?
- finally, how popular were these machines? They're nicely built and
engineered, but I had never heard of them before I found this one, and the
MicroPDP-11 that I got with it ... but that's another story.
Thanks a lot for any help.
Mark Gregory
Hi,
I'm currently designing and building a 6502-based computer system for my
own use. Right now, everything is done. Except the damn floppy controller. I
read about the Apple floppy controller on the 'net (woz.org) and I would
like to get hold of some schematics. Anyone got any idea where I could get
these? Better yet, anyone mind scanning and e-mailing me it?
Thanks.
--
Phil.
http://www.philpem.f9.co.uk/
philpem(a)bigfoot.com
PGP Key Fingerprint:
1FA6 6C7F A2FD BB15 84BF
4993 2B27 0628 E54E 33B1
Yup, definetly a decent haul... I think my record is 3 Interdata 7/32C's, 3
Perkin-Elmer 3210's, a Perkin-Elmer 3205, 2 Perkin-Elmer 3203's, 5
terminals, 3 tape drives, 16 or so hard disks, some graphics terminal with a
joystick, and an entire pallet of manuals. All together: 14 pallets of
stuff...
Will J
_________________________________________________________________
Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com
At 11:37 AM 1/23/01 -0600, Richard W. Schauer wrote:
>I just recently acquired a whole bunch of stuff out of a company's
>basement, including a VAX-11/780, VAX-11/750, 4 RA81's, a TU80, a
>pdp-11/44, 4 RL02's, an RP06, a TS11, and spare parts and printsets
>galore. (Yes, John Foust, the little pdp-11/44 in Milwaukee led to all
>that.)
Wow, so does this mean you'll deliver the 45 to me? :-)
Congratulations on a great haul!
- John
I have a partially-functional KIM-1 (date code 0378) I'd like to
restore.
(And if anyone has one in good condition to sell, I'm also interested.)
Currently, there are two things wrong, and I'm looking for general
advice on what if anything can be done to fix them:
1. The keypad is pretty flakey. Several keys register erratically,
and when they do, they bounce and report multiple times.
The '0' key is particularly bad in this respect.
The 'PC' key is utterly caved in. But all but the PC key
registers in with varying degrees of retries and effort.
I'm handy with soldering, and could remove the keypad, but
don't have any idea how to clean / fix a keypad, let alone repair
any broken springs, contacts, etc. Can it even be done? Has
anyone here even seen the inside of one of these?
2. The cassette interface doesn't read. It writes fine, the +12 supply
is
showing up where it's expected (pin 8 of LM311) and +11-ish on the
565 PLL, but I have no idea what the "normal" voltages on each pin
are to assist in further troubleshooting. All I'm sure about is that
the
output of the LM311 is not anything like what's expected, and the
trimpot doesn't affect the PLL frequency one iota according to my scope.
Any thoughts on how to tell what section is bad?
Thanks for any ideas out there.
In the meantime, I am thinking of wiring an outboard keypad and hooking
it
to the application connector. Hand-wired, of course. Where else would
you find a 3x7 matrix?
.
It's not labled as such, but there's a Hyperion currently on eBay
with the 'purchase now' option set at $40. It's got the canvas carrying
case as well. It's URL is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1209583008
Again, I have no connection to the seller. Just thought I'd pass
this on since a number of people have mentioned being on the look-out for
this machine.
Jeff
Ok, I have not had any responses on my request to buy a TRS-80 Expansion
Interface serial board. I am really getting desperate now.
I don't need to keep the board so if anyone is willing to lend or even
RENT me one then that would be fine.
$$$
Please reply to <sellam(a)vintage.org>.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 08:57:30 -0800
> From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)mcmanis.com>
> Subject: Re: Intel ???? rescued, weekend finds
>
> This is "The ICEBox" an in-circuit emulator for Intel
> processors. It is a
> great way to bring up new designs and defeat copy protection
> schemes :-)
I've got a similar beast manufactured by Amtron. It's a 386PC with a
specialized interface card that you plug these bloody huge and heavy boxes
into that you must piggyback over a CPU or something. It came with pods for
8086, 8088, 286, 386SX, 386DX, 486 and 68K chips. Haven't powered it up yet,
and some of the pods have never been taken out of their rather large boxes.
No docs though.
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 18:17:44 -0500
> From: Jeff Hellige <jhellige(a)earthlink.net>
> Subject: Re: Machines I'm looking for...
>
> According to an ex-Commodore engineer I used to correspond
> with, they were one and the same thing, as Commodore never did
Have you still got his details? Could you ask him about the European P500?
:)
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 23:02:00 -0500
> From: Gene Ehrich <gehrich(a)tampabay.rr.com>
> Subject: TI Expansion Unit
>
> I have the following that I am selling for an acquaintance.
>
> Let me know if you know anyone who is interested.
>
> Texas Instruments Home Computer Peripheral Expansion System
> Model No. PHP1200 in Original Box
>
> Never used
<puts hand up>. I'm interested but I guess I'm in the wrong country :(
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 23:40:04 -0500 (EST)
> From: "r. 'bear' stricklin" <red(a)bears.org>
> Subject: Re: Windes ME
>
> And the N9000 Communicator uses a pair of 80386 CPUs. The 9110 uses an
> 80486. I know, I was there. (:
Does it? Ooo - I've got a 9110 right next to me ATM, but it looks a bit dead
:(
> Date: Mon, 22 Jan 2001 23:26:14 -0700
> From: "Mark Gregory" <gregorym(a)cadvision.com>
> Subject: applicationDEC 433MP
>
> - - the machine has 2 memory boards, which give a maximum of
> 32 megs of ECC
> RAM, with 40 x 1 meg SIMMs. Can the system use more than 2
> memory boards, to
> go to 64 megs? Or can the 1 meg SIMMs be replaced by 4 meg SIMMs?
These things top out at 16mb and only report 14mb available......
> there any OSes that could use 4 processors at a time? Is it
> worth hunting down two extra CPU cards?
The only OS to use the dual CPU was a SMP version of SCO U**x 3.x, but I
could never see the point of a dual CPU machine with so little RAM
available!
> - - there's a TZK10-AA tape drive in the system. What tape
> cartridges does this drive use?
Off the top of my head I can't remember, so I'll go downstairs and get the
DEC bumf for it.
> engineered, but I had never heard of them before I found this
> one, and the
> MicroPDP-11 that I got with it ... but that's another story.
We only ever sold 1 (the mini version) to a local college to run some
financials on, we used one internally for SCO development (ack - what a
terrible OS), another one ended up with NT on it as a server and it ended
its days as a humble fax server - the other one ended up with Winduhs 95 on
running as a Quake server :o))
I think they were eclipsed 'cos that was around the time the PC market
started exploding.....
> Date: Tue, 23 Jan 2001 01:16:55 -0700
> From: "Richard Erlacher" <edick(a)idcomm.com>
> Subject: Re: KIM-1 restoration advice sought
>
> switch matrix to match what's on the KIM. I've built memory
> circuits, etc,
> for the KIM, but never paid much attention to the KIM itself,
> hence, I can't
> remember anything specific about the keypad, except that it
Do you know anything about memory modules for the KIM made by "The
Computerist"? My Kim's got one and I was told it's also an EPROM blower....
Ross:
> Thanks for the offer, but unfortunately I don't think it
> has anything like standard parts. Everything about it looks
> custom-molded to fit the
> unusual key shape (curved keytops with painted legends and
> smoothly-rounded key edges), unusual key layout (slide switch
> + two independent buttons and 3 x 7 matrix of scanned buttons).
>
> The way it's put together suggests to me a very well-designed
> custom keypad that would only make sense if sold in the
> thousands.
>
> Of course, as always, I could be wrong. :)
I think that the keypad for the KIM is actually from one of the CBM
calculators of the day since they'll have had one or two lying around!
Certainly from a looks point of view its identical to the keypad on one of
my non-scientific calcs from around '76/'77, both layout and power switch
are the same.
Back on me head :o)
--
Adrian Graham MCSE/ASE/MCP
C CAT Limited
Gubbins: http://www.ccat.co.uk (work)
<http://www.snakebiteandblack.co.uk> (home)
<http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk> (The Online Computer Museum)
0/0
eBay's prices for HP 95LX's are ridiculous. It doesn't have to be the 1MB
model but I need another one to do some hardware hacking on. Does anyone
have a source for these, or would be willing to sell?
Also, I came up with an Aquarius 4K memory pack this weekend. Seems to
be in good condition. If anyone's after one of these, let me know and we'll
work out something.
--
----------------------------- personal page: http://www.armory.com/~spectre/ --
Cameron Kaiser, Point Loma Nazarene University * ckaiser(a)stockholm.ptloma.edu
-- The optimum committee has no members. -- Norman Augustine ------------------
