test-drb October 2001

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

259 participants
770 discussions

by Robert_Feldman＠jdedwards.com

Yes, providing a default ROM monitor program would be useful and simple to implement. The Otrona Attache would go into terminal mode if it couldn't boot the OS. It also provided a set of diagnostic routines that could be run from terminal mode. I agree with you that error messages should be more informative. One problem is that they often just tell you the last of a series of errors. "No ROM Basic" accurately describes the last "error," but it might be more useful to the user to also know that the system got to that point because it couldn't boot from disk. - Bob -----Original Message----- From: ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk [mailto:ard@p850ug1.demon.co.uk] Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 5:43 PM To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Re: IBM ROM BASIC or lack thereof <snip> I wish more manufacturers would put a program in the boot ROM that allows reading and writing to memory, running (machine code) programs and preferably also reading/writing I/O ports (if they're not memory mapped). It makes debugging the machine a lot easier if it can't boot a disk (or if you don't have a bootable disk for the machine, at least you can do something with it. Tiny (or otherwise) BASIC allows one to do this. So does Forth. Or just a little machine code monitor. With ROM space being so cheap these days you'd have thought they could find room for something like this... -tony

23 years, 2 months

6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

The 8271 is a poor choice as it does not do MFM (double density). Either use 8272 or the 1770 you have. The 1770 does not overclock reliably. Allison -----Original Message----- From: Philip Pemberton <philpem(a)bigfoot.com> To: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Friday, October 05, 2001 12:20 PM Subject: 6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd >Hi, > I'm building myself a 6502-based single-board computer, with the aim of >running it off a 4.8V NiMH or NiCad battery pack. But I've got a problem. I >need a programming language for it. Aparrently there were many BASIC >interpreters sold for the Synertek SYM-1 (aka SY-VIM-1), MOS KIM-1 and >Rockwell AIM-65. Anyone know what happened to the companies that produced >these? Ideally I'd like the source code for a 6502 BASIC interpreter, but >binary code would be OK too. The SBC will communicate via a small LCD panel, >RS232 (so I can hook it up to a "dumb terminal") and will have a hexadecimal >keypad and an optional hard drive, too. Anyone care to make any suggestions >(or submit some code)? > >BTW, I also need some info on the Intel 8271 disk controller - I've got two >of these little devils and Intel's datasheet makes absolutely no sense at >all. I've also got a Western Digital WD1770-PH 00-02 that I might be able to >use instead. First of all, which is the better controller? The 8271 or the >1770? Also, is it possible to overclock a 1770 or an 8271 like you can a >1772? >I'd love some schematics and/or some source code. I really don't fancy >disassembling Acorn's 8271 DFS and Watford Electronics' 1770 DFS... > >Thanks. >-- >Phil. >philpem(a)bigfoot.com >http://www.philpem.f9.co.uk/ >

23 years, 2 months

Restoring classic kits we built way-back-when

by mtapley＠swri.edu

Ethan Dicks wrote: >one aspect of classic kit building I have a question for the group >about is, what about stuff that we built ourselves 10+ years ago that >still works, but might need some touch-up. If the solder joint in question meets the following criteria: a) bad enough that fail-open is a credible risk b) in a pathway such that fail-open could cause damage to other components (particularly hard-to-replace ones) I'd say it should be retouched. In any other case, I'd say that the risk of damage, plus the loss of historical value, are convincing arguments to leave it alone. Bottom line, though, is that they are your kits, and whatever you want to do with them is Ok. Good question, though. - Mark

23 years, 2 months

Book on Silicon Valley

by vcf＠vintage.org

A book that the VCF and many computer collectors prominently figure in is coming out on November 1. It's called _Artifacts: An Archaeologist's Year in Silicon Valley_ by Christine Finn. Those of you who have been to a VCF in the past year and a half will recognize her as a recurring speaker. A website has been established for the book at: http://www.artifactsthebook.com/ Tonight is Christine's first book reading at a bookstore in Menlo Park, California. If you are a local and would like to attend, the information is posted to the website above. Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org

23 years, 2 months

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On October 5, Brian Knittel wrote: > > I believe the first voice-coil drvie in that family was the ST-4096, > > but I'm not positive of that. That was one nice drive. > > A nice drive? You must have gotten the one that worked. I ran > into 5 or 6 of them, and after a couple of months, every one of > them failed, as did their warranty replacements. I only found > one that ended up being useful for several years (as a door stop). > > They sounded like chain saws. Hmm, interesting. I installed about two dozen of them in customer machines with no problems. They were all relatively close together time-wise; I suppose I got lucky and scored a batch from a good production run. -Dave -- Dave McGuire Laurel, MD

23 years, 2 months

need some advice on some VAX boards ...

by brian＠quarterbyte.com

> I believe the first voice-coil drvie in that family was the ST-4096, > but I'm not positive of that. That was one nice drive. A nice drive? You must have gotten the one that worked. I ran into 5 or 6 of them, and after a couple of months, every one of them failed, as did their warranty replacements. I only found one that ended up being useful for several years (as a door stop). They sounded like chain saws. brian =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- _| _| _| Brian Knittel / Quarterbyte Systems, Inc. _| _| _| Tel: 1-510-559-7930 Fax: 1-510-525-6889 _| _| _| Email: brian(a)quarterbyte.com _| _| _| http://www.quarterbyte.com

23 years, 2 months

6502 BASIC or Assembler and Intel 8271/WDC 1770 info req'd

by Lee.Davison＠merlincommunications.com

Ideally I'd like the source code for a 6502 BASIC interpreter, but binary code would be OK too. Phil, go see http://www.geocities.com/leeedavison/ . You'll find what you want there. Lee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---- This email is intended only for the above named addressee(s). The information contained in this email may contain information which is confidential. The views expressed in this email are personal to the sender and do not in any way reflect the views of the company. If you have received this email and you are not a named addressee please delete it from your system and contact Merlin Communications International IT Department on +44 20 7344 5888. _____________________________________________________________________ This message has been checked for all known viruses by Star Internet delivered through the MessageLabs Virus Scanning Service. For further information visit http://www.star.net.uk/stats.asp or alternatively call Star Internet for details on the Virus Scanning Service.

23 years, 2 months

AIX

by vance＠ikickass.org

Hi. Anyone have AIX 1.x disks for PS/2 around anywhere? Peace... Sridhar

23 years, 2 months

TECO manuals

by IVIE＠cc.usu.edu

>> Anybody know of any online TECO manuals? I've got a set of >> DECsystem-10 TECO manuals that I'll scan if they dont already >> exist online.... > >I'm not aware of any TECO manuals online, and I'm almost positive that there >aren't any DECsystem-10 TECO manuals online. These would be a great >addition. There's a bunch of TECO stuff over at http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/teco/ but I don't think there's a TECO-10 manual. There is, however, a TECO-6 manual at http://www.enteract.com/~enf/lore/teco/teco-64.html What I'm looking for is a piece of software called "Video TECO". It's a fairly nice (from my limited perspective) full-screen TECO in C that I used for some time under Ultrix. I still have a printout of the manual somewhere, but I seem to have lost my copy of the sources and haven't been able to find a site online containing it. Roger Ivie ivie(a)cc.usu.edu

23 years, 2 months

Z80 or 68K Xinu source?

by ncherry＠home.com

Does any one have the source code to Xinu for the Z80 (prefered) or the 68K? I'm working on Circuit Cellar's HCS II (10 in Jan a now Open Sorce :-) and I'd like to take advantage of Xinu and Zilog's newer Z80 derivatives. Thanks -- Linux Home Automation Neil Cherry ncherry(a)home.net http://members.home.net/ncherry (Text only) http://linuxha.sourceforge.net/ (SourceForge) http://hcs.sourceforge.net/ (HCS II)

23 years, 2 months

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test-drb October 2001