test-drb March 2002

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

292 participants
932 discussions

Anything special about converting VAX 11/780 to single phase?

by gunther＠aurora.regenstrief.org

Hi, just to be sure, I would simply put all three phases on the same single phase. Are there any problems with that? The VAX 6000 is much pickier, but the VAX 11 and everything having the simple power distribution box should be fine, right? thanks, -Gunther -- Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D. gschadow(a)regenstrief.org Medical Information Scientist Regenstrief Institute for Health Care Adjunct Assistant Professor Indiana University School of Medicine tel:1(317)630-7960 http://aurora.regenstrief.org

22 years, 7 months

Almost on topic - Cassette I/O

by bfranchuk＠jetnet.ab.ca

I am building a FPGA ( Field programmable gate array ) computer in the style of the early computers that had a front panel and TTY for I/O. While I don't have have a front panel working the Hardware serial bootstrap does work on my prototype. Since I have a few LOGIC cells left in my FPGA to play with I was thinking adding a cassette interface. Does anybody know of schematics on the web that I can get ideas from. Ben Franchuk. -- Standard Disclaimer : 97% speculation 2% bad grammar 1% facts. "Pre-historic Cpu's" http://www.jetnet.ab.ca/users/bfranchuk Now with schematics.

22 years, 8 months

Diablo 3200

by vcf＠siconic.com

On Mon, 14 May 2001, George Leo Rachor Jr. wrote: > Stay of execution on this Diablo 3200..... > > We have bought a bit of time as my wife has convinced them not to hack it > up until I get to see this critter. Cool! > Obviously we have no software for the machine and I'm assuming you don't > either. Actually, I do. I got the original OS disks as well as a bunch of floppies with various bits of accounting type software and useless data. > The computer recycler has agreed not to remove the original components > until it can be determined if the box is usuable in some rudimentry > function as is. (They were going to gut the original components and > replace the guts with something more modern). Silly. Were they planning to use the same CRT and keyboard? I don't know how. If all they wanted was a nice desk for a computer then maybe they should go to Office Depot? > Now the challenge is to find software that might boot the machine up. I can make copies for you. Mine supposedly boots. Here is a picture of mine. http://www.siconic.com/computers/Diablo%203200.jpg Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org

22 years, 8 months

Getting Unix to run on a PDP-11/34

by hans＠Huebner.ORG

Hi, this weekend, we have been unsuccessful trying to get one of the ancient Unix versions (V6 or V7) to run on a PDP-11/34. The plan is to have an ancient PDP-11 on the VCFe in Munich running a proper version of Unix. THe machine has two RK05 drives, RX01 floppy and a TS03 tape drive. Our first problem is that we have been unable to find or make up a TS03 bootstrap. We considered using RT-11 to transfer disk images to RK05 drives, but we could not figure out how to get the image straight to the disk without having to store it in an intermediate file and writing a RT-11 program to access the disk sector-by-sector. We have a lot of hardware at our disposal, so we took a Emulex TC12 Pertec tape controller from a 11/44 (the 11/44 would also be nice as demonstration CPU, but it has a SMD disk controller for which we have no drives). Not having any documentation on the TC12 we just put it into the 11/34, but it did not work (bus error LED lit). So we're kind of stuck. Any ideas, hints or pointers (especially to a TC12 print set) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Hans -- finger hans(a)huebner.org for details

22 years, 8 months

"New" PDP-8

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 15:06:04 -0500 Dave McGuire <mcguire(a)neurotica.com> writes: > On March 30, Loboyko Steve wrote: > > Well, no, it isn't. Because the cost of getting a PCB > > made is less than the cost of a good electronics > > technician, I think it started to die in the late > > 80's. And, of course, its practically impossible to WW > > BGA chips, etc. > > Not commonly used, or not the "latest greatest thing"? I know of > several small outfits that do lots of wire-wrapping. And I mean > *lots*. Well yes, as a matter of fact, there are still many applications where WW is really the best way to go. As a good example, bed-of- nails test fixtures are typically wirewrapped. At the last company where I was employed, I watched a re-work girl wire up such a fixture (maybe 300 points or so) *BY HAND*, using a manual wirewrap tool. I brought in my squeeze-to-wrap wirewrap tool, and showed her how to use it. This pleased her quite a bit (not to mention her supervisor). For 500 connections or more, I'd a brung in my electric wirewrap GUN. Jeff ________________________________________________________________ GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/web/.

22 years, 8 months

SCSI options for PDP 11/23

by tom＠sba.miami.edu

After my recent RX02 problems, I've decided I'd like to add a SCSI controller in my 11/23, and keep my programs on a hard disk. What Q-bus controllers will work with RT-11? What's the minimum version of RT-11 that I can get by with? Can I use any disk, or does it have to be something in particular? Thanks, Tom

22 years, 8 months

Apple II 13-sector disks

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Feb 26, 8:50, Sellam Ismail wrote: > On Tue, 26 Feb 2002, Paul R. Santa-Maria wrote: > > > I have received a box of old Apple II disks including a bunch of 13-sector > > disks. It would be quicker if I could directly boot these disks instead > > of using BOOT13 or the Basics disk. Does anyone here still have the > > 13-sector boot PROMs for the Disk II controller card? These are small > > 256-byte PROMs; can anyone here burn them if I cannot find originals? > > I've been searching for years and I don't think I've ever even seen a > 13-sector disk controller. Just about everybody updated their old > 13-sector boot controller when the 16-sector version came out. > > I think I may actually have the 13-sector boot PROMs but where they are I > wouldn't know. > > Here's an idea: boot trace the BOOT13 disk and grab the code from it. > It's most likely just the old 13-sector disk controller PROM code. > Alternatively, if you have a copy of the original Apple disk/DOS manual > you'll find the 13-sector PROM code there. Take this code and burn it > into a PROM and swap it with the correct PROM on the 16-sector controller > and it should work. As Sellam implies, it's only the boot PROM (P5) you need to change, not the state machine PROM (P6). I have a card somewhere with BOTH sets, switch selectable, but I haven't seen it for a while. The oher way to use the 13-sector disks is to make converted copies with MUFFIN. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

22 years, 8 months

Soldering and other skills (was Re: QL-Quality (Was: ZX-81 Question))

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On March 31, John Chris Wren wrote: > It's true. The mercury was used to stiffen the brims. Chronic hat wearers > also had problems. So does anyone have any idea how much lead is present in the vapors produced by soldering? I know (for our kind of stuff, anyway) the smoke is mostly flux and crap, but is there much lead in there? I solder a *lot*, especially lately...I'm wondering if I should be concerned. -Dave -- Dave McGuire "...it's leaving me this unpleasant, St. Petersburg, FL damp feeling on my shorts..." -Sridhar

22 years, 8 months

ZX81 and 6116

by acme_ent＠bellsouth.net

> From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> > > The text refers to 2x2114 or a 4118 installed in the UK version and a > > 2K option for export - possibly there are 2 versions of the board? > > OK, I've pulled my ZX81 apart. The PCB claims to be 'Issue 1'. I have never seen any board marked "Issue 2." Did it exist? > So, fit L2 if you install a 6116 (A10 on pin 19). Fit L1 if you install a > 4118 (I am not sure what pin 19 is, I can't find a 4118 data sheet, but > at least one schematic I have calls it 'E', presumably an active high > enable signal). Fit either or no links if you install 2 * 2114s. Never > fit both links, or you'll short A10 to the +5V rail. Today I checked out about two dozen ZX81/TS1000s. They've been piling up in a box and today I finally got to them. Here's what I found: All of the 1K boards had two 2114s and no jumper installed. All but one of the 2K boards had a single 2016 and L2 was installed. One 2K board had a 6116 and L2 was installed. The board was operational and appeared unmodified. I replaced a socketed 2016 on a working board with the 6116 pulled from the above-mentioned board, and the board still worked. So I think it's safe to say that L2 is required for a single-RAM-chip board, and that a 6116 is a drop-in replacement for a 2016. Never did see a 4118. Perhaps the use of it would change things, jumper-wise. Glen 0/0

22 years, 8 months

DEC field veterans: what's KA64A's self test #21?

by Antonio.Carlini＠riverstonenet.com

> Gunther Schadow wrote: > >do you know what the KA64A's self test #21 is? I have two of these >boards that just won't come up, they both stop at > >#123456789 0123456789 01 After an extensive trawl of the manuals, I think I've found something. This is, as you have said, failing test 21. This is Backup Tag Store Parity Error Test. Not a happy CPU, I would guess. I have no idea how repairable this is. To verify (for sure) you should have the yellow LED off (self-test failed) and the red LEDs below that reading OFF, ON, OFF, OFF, OFF, OFF, ON (which is 21 in BCD - no, I don't know why!) >system self test and get me to a console prompt, I get the error >that these two boards didn't get to console mode. What could be >wrong here? They almost certainly need the tender care of a soldering iron and a new chip or two. I have no schematics for these (I doubt that anyone other than the DEC repair centres ever did have these). Antonio

22 years, 8 months

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test-drb March 2002