test-drb January 2002

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

303 participants
1201 discussions

by pat＠purdueriots.com

I just got a pair of SSDD 8" Control Data disk drives, and was wondering if anyone had any information about them. Here's the info I can figure out from the drive: 1) Spindle motor has a 3 pin molex connector, is rated 120V, 0.77A at 60Hz 2) 2pin next to a 4pin power connector 'J7' on the logic board 3) 50pin data connector (Can't be scsi, can it?) 4) empty 16pin DIP socket 5) 8 switch DIP switch "Magnetic Peripherals Inc. a subsidiary of CONTROL DATA CORPORATION" label with 120V ratings: Equip. Ident. No. BK8A2A (could be BR8A2A) Series Code 09 Part Number 75744025 Serial Number 127888 Label on opposite side: Flexible Diskette Driver Educational Computer Corp Orlando, Floriday MFG PART NO: 910024000-009 MFG SERIAL NO: 127888 There's a bunch more numbers stamped on the drive pieces, but I'm guessing that they won't be of much use unless I want to build a new drive >from scratch (after getting in a time machine to go back 20-25 years). Thanks for the help! -- Pat

23 years, 3 months

Creating PDF's from scanned image files

by mranalog＠attbi.com

I'm getting closer to a real PDF file!!! <<<<GROUP 4 FAX TIFF>>>>>>> First, here is my notes on converting an JPG image to a G4 TIF image in Windows: ------ Converting to G4 TIF -------------- In Win95/98/NT, path to follow is: Start -> Programs -> Accessories -> Imaging In Win95, the program is called Wang Imaging and is usually found in c:\windows\wangimg.exe. In Win 98, the program is called Kodak Imaging and is usually found in c:\windows\kodakimg.exe. In Win NT, the program is called Wang Imaging and is usually found in c:\Program Files\Windows NT\Accessories\ImageVue\wangimg.exe. Now since I'm running Win98, the following is dealing with Kodak Imaging. After kodakimg.exe starts I load a .JPG file: File -> Open In my example the file is 8.5x11 300dpi 8bit(256 shades) grayscale. Then I copy the file to the scrapbook: Edit -> Copy Page Then I create a NEW image with G4 compression: File -> New *File Type tab - check "TIFF document(TIFF)" *Compression tab - Pull down "Compression" and select "CCITT Group 4 (2d) fax". (This changes the Color tab selection to "Black and White"). *Resolution tab - I set pull down "Resolution" to "300 x 300 dpi". *Size tab - Defaults to 8.5x11 Click "OK" Then I paste the scrapbook image into the NEW image: Edit -> Paste The 8bit gray image is now a bitmap. You can check the image's properties at any time: Page -> Properties Then just save the file: File -> Save As Set the filename and click "Save" --------------------------------------------------- This converted a 2,851KB 8bit JPEG to a 448KB bitmap TIFF file. I can also scan and create multi-page TIFF files with this program. <<<<PDF FILE>>>>>>> Hans turned me onto IMG2PDF for windows (demo version on the Web). But I must have screwed up the installation. It produced a 6 page PDF file but the pages were all blank and the file was 4K in size!! Now I downloaded the demo version of TIF2PDF from the same company (Excel Info Tech, Inc.). The program installed fine and it created a beautiful 6 page PDF file that is 1,669K (Much better that 15MB). The problem is that the demo version inserts "Copyright of Excel Info Tech, Inc." in red across each page of the PDF!!! And for some reason it insert the pages in the order 2,3,4,5,1,6. If I create a three page PDF, it inserts the pages in the order 2,1,3. Regards, --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog Analogrechner, calculateur analogique, calcolatore analogico, analoogrekenaar, komputer analogowy, analog bilgisayar, kampiutere ghiyasi, analoge computer. =========================================

23 years, 3 months

Apple disk -> MSDOS

by mark_k＠totalise.co.uk

Hi, On Tue, 8 Jan 2002 Fred Cisin wrote: > Apple Turnover, and it's even theoretically possible to do it with the > CopyII Option board (if you are willing to write a program comparable to > the Apple OS file system. Same with Catweasel - theoretical possibility, > but significant software needed but not available. See http://www.ece.nwu.edu/~cbachman/apple.html Using a Copy II Option Board (or Deluxe Option Board) and its supplied software you can create an image file of Apple II disks. Then use the program on that page convert to a plain disk image. [About the Option Board (earlier non-ASIC model): I'll volunteer to trace the PCB of one of these as part of an effort to figure out exactly how it works. But I only have Deluxe Option Board here at the moment, which uses an ASIC.] There are free programs (source available) for extracting files from and otherwise manipulating Apple disk images; one is AFID. > If you have an Amiga, and are willing to buy or write significant > software, it can (in theory) do both Apple and PC. Free software already exists on the Amiga for reading Apple disks, and transparently reading and writing MS-DOS disks. For reading Apple disks, use the disk2file program included in this archive (which also includes an Amiga executable of the AFID program): http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/Apple2000v13.readme http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/Apple2000v13.lha Versions 2.04 and later of the Amiga OS come with CrossDOS, which allows PC (and Atari ST) floppies to be accessed transparently. A comparable package which comes with source code is MSH: http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/msh_156.readme http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/msh_156.lha > > I have a CompatiCard I and Uniform, and I still have > > Those will be nice for doing MFM diskettes. No help at all for GCR > (Apple and Commodore). An Amiga with 5.25" drive can also read Commodore 1541-type disks. One free package (which from memory includes source code) requires that the disk motor be slowed down slightly, from 300rpm to about 280 (easy enough on Commodore A1020 5.25" drives, and non-Commodore disks are still readable at that speed). http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/1541.readme http://us.aminet.net/pub/aminet/misc/emu/1541.lha All in all, an old Amiga 500 or whatever costing about US$10 can be a good investment if you need to read "strange" disk formats. An Amiga 5.25" drive should cost about the same or a little more. -- Mark

23 years, 3 months

OT? Apple Stylewriter problems (longish)

by CLeyson＠aol.com

www.rohm.com/products/databook/tr/pdf/2sb1184.pdf for 2SB1243 data sheet. Same device, different package.

23 years, 3 months

Screeching monitor

by alex＠linuxhacker.org

Hi, I've just been having a go at fixing an old Acorn AKF40 monitor (a few months shy of ten years old I'm afraid), which makes a screeching sound and fails to provide any display when powered up. Not having done anything like this before (I generally stick to low voltage digital stuff) I could do with a little advice. I checked for bad connections and dry joints first, then started going around with a multimeter looking for open resistors, shorted caps etc. I soon located a fault- a power resistor with a discoloured area on it which is completely open circuit. It's located somewhere in the switch mode power supply. What do you think this resistor is likely to be for, and is its failure consistent with the symptoms I'm seeing, or should I be looking for other failed parts too? Also, it says on it: 4.7 [ohm symbol] K 7W Would I be right in thinking that that means 4K7 rated to 7W? -- ------------ Alex Holden - http://www.linuxhacker.org ------------ If it doesn't work, you're not hitting it with a big enough hammer

23 years, 3 months

Free: 3B2 OS tapes

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Bill Bradford [mailto:mrbill@mrbill.net] > I've got two QIC tapes here: > Free for the cost of postage. Surely someone has a 3b2 and needs > an OS.. Yep, but my 3B2 has a floppy drive and no tape. :/ Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

23 years, 3 months

Please unsubscribe; I can't

by doc＠mdrconsult.com

Please disregard my post. Apparently screaming loudly at upper-level RoadRunner reps works wonders. We now have a DNS record, and since I can get mail on the mdrconsult account from Yahoo, it looks like they got it done and propagated in less than an hour. Still, overall, inexcusable. Doc

23 years, 3 months

What to do with an empty BA23

by csmith＠amdocs.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: Matt London [mailto:classiccmp@knm.yi.org] > Ahh - I fear I will have to do the same for my gf, but I plan on > emigrating to canada to be with her anyway, so I won't be able to take > most of my kit. When that time comes, I'm sure classiccmp > will be able to > find good homes, unless I have to resort to ePay to get some > money for the > move :&/ Have you tried the "cute, furry animal" trick from the FAQ? :) Regards, Chris Christopher Smith, Perl Developer Amdocs - Champaign, IL /usr/bin/perl -e ' print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n"); '

23 years, 3 months

Prophylactic replacement of electrolytic capacitors?

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Jan 14, 9:45, Jerome Fine wrote: > >Pete Turnbull wrote: > > > >On Jan 13, 21:27, Louis Schulman wrote: > > > Old computer power supplies generally have big old electrolytic > > > capacitors. When these go bad, they can > > > cause real problems, and damage other components. > > > The literature indicates that many of these only have a working life of > > > 2000 hrs., or a shelf life of ten years. > > > Obviously, this will be exceeded in old computers. > > I think you may have lost a digit off the working life, Louis, at least if > > you're referring to the sort of electrolytics found in PSUs :-) > > Jerome Fine replies: > > I was hoping you would answer this question. Thank you! Of all the > hobby users around here, it seems that you have the most experience > with repairs. Oh, I don't know about that, particularly for older equipment there are a few others here who can outdo me, I think . > Now, that lost digit for the working life, I presume you mean that 20,000 > hours is more reasonable? Would that vary if the usage was 24/7 (on all > the time for the whole 20,000 hours) as opposed to being on for 10 hours > continuous once a week on average, i.e. about 50 times a year or 500 > hours a year? 20,000 hours is the top end of the range, really. 2000 is very low, though. No, 24/7 versus several hours on different occasions won't make much difference. Temperature makes a difference, becasue high temperatures make a cap dry out faster, as does the ripple current, because of internal heating (high current or high ESR). > The other MUCH BIGGER question for the stuff most of us tend to work > with is shelf life. That was estimated at 10 years. What is a reasonable > estimate? Also, more specifically, I have a number of BA23/BA123 boxes > which are about the only PSU I am concerned about for the long term. > Most are probably more than ten years old already - as far as shelf life > is concerned. Is a PSU (in general an very specifically a BA23/BA123 > box) more likely to have a longer shelf life of used every so often - any > if so, how often - once a week, month, year, decade? That will make a difference, as electrolytics tend to degrade over time. The insulator is really a thin layer of oxide on the metal foil inside, and if left sitting unused, that may dissolve. Hence the low shelf life. That's why you run long-unused electrolytics at a low voltage for a while, to reform the oxide layer. Running the PSU every so often -- once or twice a year -- will prevent that happening. With a linear supply, running it at low voltage is not too difficult -- if there's no variac handy to reduce the voltage, a low wattage (but mains voltage!) light bulb in series is a good idea. That's not a good idea with switchers, because they just try to draw more current instead, which is often worse. The ideal solution is to remove the caps and run them on a current-limited bench supply, gradually winding it up from a low voltage to the rated voltage of the capacitor. The PSUs in BA23/123 (almost all QBus machines, in fact) are switchers, BTW. > Could shelf life of some PSU also be as long as 30 years? Yes, it could, if stored under optimum conditions (but I confess I'm not sure what "optimum" would mean -- probably not too hot and dry, but not damp either) and started up periodically to make sure the caps reform. However, a blown electrolytic is easy to replace and often not hard to spot, because there's often a bulge or even a hole in the end! Or in extreme cases, an empty can where the capacitor used to be. A few years ago, I needed a non-polar electrolytic to fix an Atari monitor. The nearest equivalent I could find was the same value and voltage but physically much smaller than the original. The ripple current rating wasn't very high, either, but I didn't know what the original was rated for, so I tried it anyway. The monitor ran fine with the case off for about ten minutes, then there was a loud BANG! and small pieces of fluff floated down from the ceiling. Apparently the ripple current rating wasn't high enough :-) I replaced that one with a polyester cap in the end. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

23 years, 3 months

Free Stuff

by charlesleecourtney＠yahoo.com

Hi all, The following are free for local pickup only (Menlo Park CA) FCFS: HP150 (original touchscreen), w/2225 printer (HP-IB, that was a mistake on my part!). Las worked when powered up several years ago. 2xDEC Pro-350s with monitors. Unknown status. 2xHP9000 840s - one with CPU and video only, 2nd with couple I/O cards. Unknown status. Thanks! Lee Courtney __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send FREE video emails in Yahoo! Mail! http://promo.yahoo.com/videomail/

23 years, 3 months

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test-drb January 2002