> -----Original Message-----
> From: Eric Smith [mailto:eric@brouhaha.com]
> > Might it be some kind of embedded CPU?
> It might well contain a CPU.
Well, Ok, that's more what I meant, actually.
> > What does it do,
> It converts electrical energy into heat. Aside from that, it's
> hard to say.
I'll have to remember to use that, next time it's appropriate ;)
> Maybe the manufacturer of the system containing the chip might, but
> it's pretty unlikely.
I think that's out of the question, since it's embedded deep in
another non-computer-related thing that hasn't been made since the
late 80's.
> This is why it's much more interesting to deal with OLD computers.
I agree, but my aim is to either re-program this thing, or replace
the embedded computer completely with something that does work in a
well documented way.
It will require interpreting some (simple, open/closed and possibly
some "timed pulse" kind of things) signals from other equipment,
interpreting the signals, and displaying the results on a pair of
matrix displays. One is possibly twenty-something by twenty-something,
the other 8 or so by maybe 64. Of course, I've also thought about
replacing the matrix screens with an LCD of higher resolution.
The thing is, I'd rather see about just writing new code for it,
but to do that, I need to figure out just what I'm looking at.
Another related question is, assuming that this were an embedded
ASIC from that era, what could I hope to find inside? Might it
have its own internal PROM to store the program? (In which case,
I'd need to find a replacement, or use a different chip...)
Chris (who has less than sufficient experience with embedded
computers)
Christopher Smith, Perl Developer
Amdocs - Champaign, IL
"Confutatis maledictus, flammis acribus addictus, voca me cum
benedictis. Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritunt quasi
cinis, gere curarn mei finis." -Requiem
I've noticed that my MV3100's SCSI host ID's are set to 6 - I thought
this odd, as host ID's are usually 7. Are all MV3100's set to 6, or is
mine unique? Anyway, I thought since my PC's host ID is 7, I could
connect my SCSI tape drive to both systems. So I ran a cable from one
connector on the back to my PC, and a cable from the other connector to
my MV3100. I figure it's a properly terminated chain, as each host
controller is terminated (I know the PC is, I assume the MV3100 is).
It *seems* to work OK. But can anyone tell me for sure if this is
"legal"? I'm sure I'm looking for trouble if I try to use the same tape
drive from both systems at the same time, but as long as I don't do
that, is this an okay setup? It would sure beat changing cables every
time I want to move the tape drive from one system to the other.
- Bob
I noticed that downloads of the ISO images for RT11 & RSX freeware from Tim
Shoppa's website are slowwwwwwwww.
I'm not sure if he has a really slow internet connection, or if he (or his
ISP) is throttling bandwidth (I suspect the latter). To provide for faster
downloads to anyone who wants it, I am copying the RT11 & RSX freeware ISO
cd images to www.classiccmp.org/PDP11
They should be up there sometime tomorrow morning, don't download them from
me before then or you're likely to get a partial image. And you can bet
you'll get more than 14kbps from my servers :)
Also, if you only want portions of the freeware CD's rather than the entire
ISO image, the entire contents are already at that URL in natural (non-ISO)
form to download individually.
Jay West
I went by a surplus place today and found the remains of a DG Nova 4x that they'd already scrapped. Further searching revealed a 4x that they hadn't gotten to yet. I grabbed it, the floppy drives (8") from both units and the front panels from both and the CPU and a couple of other cards from the first unit. I did leave behind the hard drives (that may have been a mistake). Does anyone have info on these?
Joe
I think Bank-One and OCLC also had some research resources commited to the
early interactive cable project.
I recall we used to have some proto-types of set top boxes with an
interactive cable banking function somewhere in the penthouse. Mid to late
70's - I think we trashed 'em.
Some of the upper management was interested in interactive communicatoin
>from homes - but it became obvious that it was difficult to incorporate with
our library based mission.
So our research was based on cable broadband network technology study - but
I remember we had proto-type boxes - which also had a banking sponsor.
Larry Truthan - Digest Subscriber
>On the
>front is a plastic 'cone' (really a truncated rectangular pyramid). You
>hold the front side of that against the monitor screen and press the
>shutter release.
Sounds like the thing the insurance company upstairs uses for
photographing VIN numbers thru the windshield of a car
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>
At local thrift last night I got a Apple IIgs that had a ELINA fan and
20 meg harddrive combo mounted were the normal power supply goes. Also
inside was a AE TRANSWARP GS card, AE VULCAN controller card for the HD,
and a AE RAMKEEPER card with 2 Apple ram cards mounted to it. There was
a dryfit A200 ext battery Sonnenscheen with it also that works with the
Ram card? The cables, mouse, and keyboard also came with it and all or
$12.21. I will have to go down to the shop and get a monitor to test it
with.
At the Goodwill I got a Radio Shack Electronic TV Scoreboard in the box
without manuals:-(
At another thrift I got a Genesis 32X unit for $3.93, Actimate Arthur by
Microsoft, A new unopened package from Teledyne with a early Data
Processing Symbols Template.
There several other goodies but they are too new to list.
Can anyone tell me anything about this chip?
Again, it's a Motorola chip, which is marked "zc93124cp"
Might it be some kind of embedded CPU?
What does it do, and where do I find more information
about it?
Chris
Christopher Smith, Perl Developer
Amdocs - Champaign, IL
"Confutatis maledictus, flammis acribus addictus, voca me cum
benedictis. Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritunt quasi
cinis, gere curarn mei finis." -Requiem
I know this is just under the 10yr rule, but it's pretty close, so please
bear with me...
OK, I've got the SCSI drives from the 55L mounted in the case, hooked up a
terminal *and* keyboard, and this is what the LED display shows:
120
124
400
When 400 is displayed, the led next to the power switch goes off, the
rs-232 port no longer has output voltage, and the machine just sits there.
No playing with the reset button or smashing of keys on the keyboard or
terminal will wake it up.
Anyone have any ideas?
The config is:
2-1 Ethernet card
1-9 Video card
4-4 Single-ended scsi-2 card
128MB RAM
CDROM drive
floppy drive
2x2GB hard drives (3.5" HH) which seemed to at least spin up in the 55L.
-- Pat
