test-drb December 2001

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

243 participants
1096 discussions

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

From: One Without Reason <vance(a)ikickass.org> > >> Well for one the PDP-6 was a 36 bit machine that predated the PDP10. >> The PDP-7 was an 18bitter, and unix was devoped on it because they had >> one and not many other good reasons. > >So what? The fact that UNIX was developed on it is in itself a historic >fact. The fact that unix was not developed on 36 bit. And the 18bit machines were somewhat different from the 36bitters. Oh, and while they were both DEC K&R happed to have access to the PDP-7. Allison

22 years, 7 months

Central Point Option Board (earlier non-ASIC version) chips

by mark_k＠totalise.co.uk

Hi, This is quite urgent. Can someone who has the earlier version of the Central Point Option Board (also known as Copy II PC Option Board) please type up the part numbers of all chips on the card? Or scan the card at a decent resolution so all chip markings are legible. I want to get datasheets for as many of the ICs on the card as possible. Assuming some are not just simple TTL chips, the best place to look for these would be the FreeTradeZone web site. As mentioned a few days ago, that will no longer be accessible for free in a few days time. (I don't have an older Option Board yet. I want to get info on the ICs it uses for a possible future reverse-engineering effort, to figure out how the card works, and allow low-level disk-imaging software to be written.) -- Mark

22 years, 7 months

PDP-9 lives

by hansp＠aconit.org

I am very happy to be able to announce that the PDP-9 that we have been working on for quite some time finally began talking to the world again today. We had gotten memory and processor operational, then had to fix a memory fault which developed. TTY I/O posed some problems but finally today it spoke and we could reply. We ran the only two test routines we have on paper tape: the extended memory test and the TTY test. There appears to be some issue with the TTY since part 1 test halts after a while with PC=22, no mention of that in the test writeup! TTY test part 2 runs without error. Anyways, we plan on completeing checkout on this system, fix a couple of burnt our indicator bulbs and get the punch up before starting on the second system we have. That one has a dual dectapes, then we can read the 100 or so tapes trhat came with the system, and run some real software ;-) I'd be interested in knowing the status of other pdp-9's. Regards -- hbp for ACONIT, Grenoble France

22 years, 7 months

History of Computing exam question

by lance＠costanzo.net

At 12:08 PM 11/30/01 -0600, you wrote: >I would add: HP2000 timeshare system..widely used, often provided the >first exposure to computers that got many of us started in the field. My first intro to "real" computers: IBM's ITF (interactive terminal facility) timeshare system that ran on the 360/370 mainframes. Not widely used (I heard it was 10 installations worldwide), but must have been a huge development effort on the part of IBM. A scaled down locked down (but I did figure out how to crash it) TSO with Basic and PL/I programming langs. Changed my life, possibly for the worse, 25+ years ago. Hmm... Others I'd put on the list from personal experience: IBM/360 Early HP3000 (series I,II,III) PDP-11 Apple II IBM PC 5150

22 years, 7 months

Sun Optical mouse pad anyone?

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On December 1, jkunz(a)unixag-kl.fh-kl.de wrote: > > Type 4 mice require a different optical pad than type 5. > I found that the type of pad does not matter. Type 3 definitely requires a different pad from type 4...got frustrated by this many, many times while outfitting the early Digex offices with diskless Sun3/50, 3/60, & 3/140 machines as X terminals using Xkernel. -Dave -- Dave McGuire St. Petersburg, FL

22 years, 7 months

DEC Infoserver 150

by vance＠ikickass.org

Hi folks. I got a few questions. First, is there anything that makes this box different from a plain-vanilla VAXserver 3100? Second, does anyone have the software for this bad boy? Third, will the software run on a regular VAXserver 3100? Fourth, what does the software consist of? Peace... Sridhar

22 years, 7 months

HD Controllers - S-100 & Corvus Omninet

by fmc＠reanimators.org

M H Stein <mhstein(a)usa.net> wrote: > Does anybody know anything about the HD interface bus Cromemco used > with their early IMI drives (7012 - 8" with transparent cover, 5007, > 5018 & 5021 5 1/2") and the WDI/WDI-II controllers? I'm just curious > if the same interface was used in any other systems (single 34 pin > header, 7 units max, differential servo clock supplied by drive, so > it doesn't look like SA1000). 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. > Interesting aside: when Cromemco finally went the ST506 route with the > STDC controller, they made a replacement HD board available to convert the > IMI 5 1/2" drives to a standard ST506 interface. Neat! > 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

22 years, 7 months

PDP-8/E questions

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Dec 1, 0:20, Mike Cruse wrote: > Pete Turnbull wrote: > >In that case, I exercise my right to change my mind, and I think they > >probably are the right way round. The air blown out of the PSU isn't very > >warm, but it will presumably be warmer when I put lots of cards in and give > >it more of a load. > > > The fans are blowing the right way. The filter was usually mount over > the vents on > the right side of the case if installed. That way when the filter foam > finally hydrolized > it got sucked into the case, just like RK05 drives... And most other mchines. Of course :-) > Don't worry, once you get a few cards in the machine you'll get plenty > of heat pumping out the left side. Got any spares so I can check? ;-) I'm looking for a TD8-E and an RX8-E in particular... -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

22 years, 7 months

DEC Infoserver 150

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On December 1, One Without Reason wrote: > Hi folks. I got a few questions. First, is there anything that makes > this box different from a plain-vanilla VAXserver 3100? Second, does > anyone have the software for this bad boy? Third, will the software run > on a regular VAXserver 3100? Fourth, what does the software consist of? I've got the software, Sridhar...I will hook you up as soon as I get it unpacked. Dunno about the VS3100/IS150 comparison offhand, but I know they're very similar...might be the same board with different ROMs or something. -Dave -- Dave McGuire St. Petersburg, FL

22 years, 7 months

History of Computing exam question

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

Well for one the PDP-6 was a 36 bit machine that predated the PDP10. The PDP-7 was an 18bitter, and unix was devoped on it because they had one and not many other good reasons. Allison -----Original Message----- From: One Without Reason <vance(a)ikickass.org> To: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> Cc: classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Date: Friday, November 30, 2001 12:31 PM Subject: Re: History of Computing exam question > >I'm curious, Tony? Why the PDP-6 and not the PDP-7? Sure, the PDP-6 was >used in AI development, but UNIX was written on a PDP-7. > >Peace... Sridhar > >On Thu, 29 Nov 2001, Tony Duell wrote: > >> Here's my list. It's a bit disorganised, and doubtless some of the >> machines shouldn't really be there, but anyway. I am going to assume that >> this wonderful technology that can grab any machine from the past can >> also recreate a machine from the blueprints, even if it was never >> actually made. That way I can have the first machine on my list : >> <SNIP!> >

22 years, 7 months

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test-drb December 2001