----- Original Message -----
From: <geoffrob(a)stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au (Geoff Roberts)>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Subject: Re: History of Computing exam question
>> 4) 1940 ?
>> Enigma - Electromechanical state machine. Colossus wouldn't have
>> been built without it.
> Hmmm, possibly true, though not for the reason you state. The success
> against Enigma using 'cracking' machines led to the idea of building
> Colussus to crack the "Fish" machines.
I'd forgotten about the "fish" cyphers "Tunny" and "Salmon". Thanks for the
reminder. Your're right about the Bombes. The Poles were way ahead of
anyone else and didn't get very much recognition for their work.
>> 13) 1968/9
>> The Apollo guidance computer - Helped get man to the moon.
> Are we talking about the ones on the ground or the ones in the spacecraft?
> If the spacecraft, was the one in the LEM the same machine? Anyone got any
> info on it? Any examples survive?
I meant the ones in the spacecraft. They were major landmarks in terms
of reliability both in terms of hardware and software. They were all digital
whereas most guidance computers from that era were analogue. As for
info on these machines, I just did a search, and google threw up 1800
matches ! Try the NASA website
http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/pao/History/computers/Part1.html
I don't expect one will ever appear on ebay but there must be a few left
in various museums.
Chris Leyson
As far as I can tell, IMI originally used a proprietary interface but when IBM
came into the game they switched over to ST506 and IMI drives were in fact
put into some AT's; same HDA but a different PCB. I have various versions of
the 5014/5018/5021drives and have in fact switched boards back & forth.
And yes, the drive clock signals were used for data transfer, at least by
Cromemco; once the appropriate sector was located, data was clocked
into/out of a shift register by the SysClk signal from the drive.
m
-----------------Original Message----------------
Date: Sat, 1 Dec 2001 10:28:45 -0700
From: "Richard Erlacher" <edick(a)idcomm.com>
Subject: Re: HD Controllers - S-100 & Corvus Omninet
I had a couple of IMI drives back in the '80's and find, from my doc's that they
were, in fact, ST506 compatible. I wonder if the drives you're seeing in your
brocheure are earlier than that.
The 8" Quantum drives all provided a clock on the data cable, that could be used
to recover data. I'm not exactly sure how this was intended to be used, but
several controllers for 8" drives relied on it, not having a PLL on board. The
Shugart drives apparently didn't provide this clock.
Dick
Thanks for the interesting info, Frank. I thought that Corvus had
used these drives because I've got Corvus ads from old Bytes and
they certainly do look like these 7710's; not much else looks
like these babies. But although I've seen a reference to ANSI X3T9,
I gather that the interface was proprietary to IMI.
Don't need the docs for the interface, but thanks for mentioning
that you've got some; I've got a manual for the controller from the
good old days when manuals actually told you something, as well
as calibration notes for the drives, and am about to check out the
drives before I get rid of them. I was just curious if the controllers
are of any use for any other drives since I have more controllers
than drives.
If you want the Corvus board, send me a note off list & let me know
where you are.
mike
-------------------Original Message----------------
Date: 01 Dec 2001 00:08:00 -0800
From: Frank McConnell <fmc(a)reanimators.org>
Subject: Re: HD Controllers - S-100 & Corvus Omninet
M H Stein <mhstein(a)usa.net> wrote:
> Does anybody know anything about the HD interface bus Cromemco used
> with their early IMI drives <snip>
Yes, Corvus used these drives. I'd expect Onyx did too; the story is
that the VC who funded IMI also funded Onyx and Corvus so that IMI
would have customers. It's interesting to know that Cromemco used
them too.
I'm sitting here looking at a photocopy of a data sheet of sorts for
the IMI 7710, and it does provide some description of the interface.
25 signals on a 34-line bus. I suspect it's somewhere between "more
than I want to type" and "less than you need to know to use the
drive", because I can't quite figure out how you would transfer a
block of data to the drive from what's printed here.
> Finally, I also have a Corvus S-100 board; looks like it might be a
> host adapter for a disk drive of some sort. Only markings are
> Corvus S-100, 8008 REV K, copyright 1980; 11 TTL chips & a 34 pin
> header. Anybody know what it is and/or want it?
Yes, that's the Corvus hard disk interface for S-100, p/n
8010-08008-00. I could be interested in it.
- -Frank McConnell
In a message dated 11/30/01 10:55:19 PM Pacific Standard Time, celt(a)chisp.net
writes:
> Traf-O-Data automatic traffic measuring device - Microsoft's first piece
> of hardware
>
I would like to know more about this? What, When, Why, What happened to it?
Paxton
Astoria, OR
ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
> U23 is still a TTL type (a 3-state buffer, not a counter, now), so data
> on it is trivial to find.
Yes, it was the difference in number that suggested a difference in
function and that is why I thought I should bring attention to it.
Not being a hardware guy, I don't have that (number, function) map
cached in my brain.
> I don't recognise U3, though. I guess it was made by UMC. How many pins
> does it have?
Eight. mark_k (who started this thread) told me it is a data separator.
-Frank McConnell
Hi,
I just got an Atari 4160STE (case only) - does anyone know
details about the history of this machine? Some sources say
that it was a developer version of the Atari 1040STE ...
http://www.old-computers.com/museum/computer.asp?c=272
BTW: Is there a complete list of all Atari 16Bit computers
that were sold? As far as I kown at least these models
were sold - because I own them :)
I own:
Atari 260 ST
Atari 520 ST
Atari 520 STM (boxed)
Atari 520+ ST
Atari 520 STFM
Atari 1040 STF
Atari 1040 STFM
Atari Mega ST-1
Atari Mega ST-2
Atari 520 STE
Atari 1040 STE
Atari MEGA STE
Atari Falcon 030
Atari ATW 800
Atari ST Book
I know but don't own:
Atari Stacy
Atari TT
Atari Mega ST-4
Stefan.
www.HomeComputer.de
Thought I'd offer up my ultraII before eBaying it. Just
upgraded to a HiNote 233.
Digital HiNote UltraII
model LTS5150
Win98, 150mhz cpu
32mb ram
1.4gb hard drive
floppy drive dock
6xCD mobilemedia dock
i/o expansion dock
ac adapter
NOTE: battery does not hold charge
$85, shipping included
No docs or software other than the loaded os. The only flaw im aware
of, about 1 of every 10 bootups it stops at the end. Always fixed with
a reboot. Don't recall this happening when I was running w95.
see at:
http://www.hal-pc.org/~nicko/hinote.jpg
-nick
"Richard Erlacher" <edick(a)idcomm.com> wrote:
> I had a couple of IMI drives back in the '80's and find, from my
> doc's that they were, in fact, ST506 compatible. I wonder if the
> drives you're seeing in your brocheure are earlier than that.
I believe they are. The photocopied brochure pages are stapled to
photocopied pages from a 7710 disc drive specification manual, and
those latter pages are dated 1/79 and 5/79.
-Frank McConnell
