test-drb January 2003

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

388 participants
970 discussions

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Toth, At 10:51 PM 12/31/02 -0600, you wrote: >On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, Joe wrote: > >> Does anyone know of another display that can be substituted for the TIL >> 306/307? Here is a data sheet for the 306/307 in case you have a >> question about it, <www.alltronics.com/download/TIL306.pdf>. > >I don't know of an exact replacement offhand, but I thought these were >still in production? Are they? I think mine are about 25 years old. FWIW I went looking for some at a large local surplus store and found one that I think is prototype. It's built out of clear material instead of red and is marked TIXL306 and is date coded 7204 (almost 31 years old!). I went through several boxs and THOUSANDs of displays and only found one standard 306 and the one prototype. How many of these displays are you looking for? I >believe I still have a few in my parts bin... In addition to the one that I found in the store I need three of them. Mine were in sockets and the dissimilar metal corrosion has eaten off at least one leg off of each of mine. Joe > >-Toth >

21 years, 4 months

Anyone have any experience replacing a Dallas 1287 with a 12887?

by erd_6502＠yahoo.com

While attempting to revive a Compaq 286/SLT laptop for use as a front-end for my UP600a programmer, I have found that the battery on the DS1287 has died (no suprise there). What sucks is that even after I run the floppy-based setup utility, after a reboot (not a power-off cycle), the machine forgets what I just set, both the data and time, and the geometry of the A: drive. Seeing as how it thinks there's a 5.25" floppy and it's really a 3.5" high-density drive at the end of the cable, as you can imagine, it won't reliably read disks. So... I have ordered a replacement DS12887 since they no longer make/ship the DS1287. Couple of interesting app notes here: http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/562 http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/2681 What I'm wondering is if anyone on the list has ever replaced a DS1287 with a DS12887. One of the sheets seems to suggest that I'll need an updated BIOS ROM (clearly not available for a 286 laptop) to drive the extra stuff associated with the enhanced century rollover. Alternatively, has anyone here successfully performed surgery on a Dallas module? I have disconnected the battery from a Mostek 48T02 from a SPARC and soldered on an external Lithium cell, but the packaging makes it easy to get access to the battery wires coming down from the top (I even put the battery on a 9V battery snap so it's easier to replace) I haven't heard of anyone doing this for the more sealed Dallas modules. So... anybody else suffer though this? -ethan __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com

21 years, 4 months

Z8000-Fan

by David.Kane＠aph.gov.au

Hi, I always wanted to play with this processor, I just never got the chance. I have a copy of the Zilog "Microcomputer Components - Data Book Feb 1980" and a copy of "Programming the Z8000" (a Sybec book), but that is about as far as I ever got. I was tinkering with the thought of modding the SIMH emulator to include a Z8000 system, but I don't have any details or experience of any real systems. I then though to invent a fictitious S100 system, based on the existing Altair emulation, but with a Z8000 CPU. This could most likely run a CPM8000 system, with the appropriate BDOS changes. But a lot of work would be need to get a set of compilers/cross compilers for the Z8000, either in tracking them down or writing them. I saw recently that BDS C has been put into the public domain with full source, so there might be some avenue there. Still to generate CPM (or MPM) for a fictitious machine would be a mammoth undertaking, I have all the source code needed, just not the compilers. It would require an 8080/Z80 to Z8000 cross assembler (to avoid rewriting all the assembler), a Z8000 PLM compiler, and a Z8000 C compiler. Anyway I am declaring myself an unfulfilled fan of the Z8000 processor family. David Kane -----Original Message----- From: G?nter Mewes [mailto:info@mewesbus.de] Sent: Saturday, 28 December 2002 12:49 AM To: cctech(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Z8000-Fan Hi Mr. Johnston, today I was looking for some Z8000 Fans, to talk about experieces ... Are you interested ? Please, be so kind and send a mail. Guenter Mewes (www.guentermewes.de)

21 years, 4 months

IBM PCjr needs a new home

by vcf＠siconic.com

Reply directly to: <patriots1959(a)yahoo.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 14:58:34 -0800 (PST) From: Jason <patriots1959(a)yahoo.com> To: donate(a)vintage.org Subject: IBM PCjr Hello! I have a working 1980 IBM PCjr, with 51/4 Floppies of software. If you are interested please reply Thank you, Jason -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

21 years, 4 months

Floppy disk media density/format mismatching

by ian_primus＠yahoo.com

I was hunting around on ebay, and I found this quite by accident. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4610&item=2085201851 It is an auction for some reproduction Apple Lisa system disks. The guy certainly did a good job copying the labels, but I really wonder about the data on them - the disks he used are high density floppies. I always thought that if you format a high density floppy for low density that it will work for a while, then the data will become corrupt due to the different magnetic properties of the media. I know that this is true on 5 1/4 media, I used a high density disk in a Commodore 64 by mistake once, and it didn't work very well. I also remember back when high density 3 1/2" floppies were pretty expensive, I used to buy low density disks and drill holes in the other corner so I could reformat them for high density. It worked just fine, and those disks still work. Can anyone shed any light on the subject? Ian Primus ian_primus(a)yahoo.com

21 years, 4 months

WWII fire control 'computers'

by mranalog＠attbi.com

Jules Richardson asks: > Does anyone know anything about the mechanical fire control computers as used > in second world war for UK coastal defence batteries? Do you know who the manufacturer was? I have started web pages for Ford Instrument, and Arma Corporation. And I have some information on them. I also received this email just last Sunday from David Mindell, Associate Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing at MIT: > ....... You might be interested in my new book, > Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and > Computing before Cybernetics (Johns Hopkins, 2002). > It has a lot of heretofore unkown history of analog > computing, including the Ford Instrument Company, > Sperry, Arma, naval fire control, early Bell Labs > analog electrical computers ("operational amplifiers,") > Philbrick, etc. Even a Librascope computer, not unlike > the one on your page, incorporated into the Mark 56 > radar-controlled gun director. I have not had a chance to see a copy of this book yet. But you might look for a copy of this book, or email the author at mindell at mit dot edu and ask him. --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog =========================================

21 years, 4 months

Hi!/ Sharing the technology/ LK401/ Thanks!

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Dec 31, 13:03, Justin wrote: > > Oops. Sounds like you have an LK450, LK461 or LK471, not an LK401. LK401 > > uses a DEC protocol, the others are PS/2-style keyboards. They're not > > interchangeable, I'm afraid. There should be a label on the underside, > > with three barcodes, the top barcode being the model number. Does it say > > LK401, or something a little different? > > You are the only one to say it speaks DEC and not ps/2 though it has a > ps/2 connector. The circuitboard looks like that of a LK201 when I take > it apart. They all look fairly similar. What I meant is that the ones with PS/2-style plugs normally use PS/2 protocol, and the ones with an RJ11 use a different, proprietary protocol. My PS/2 ones are at work so I can't easily check. The only ones I have here are RJ11 LK401s, from VT420s. > It does have 3 barcodes on the bottom. It isn't made by DEC but in > Mexico by someone My LK401s, one UK layout, one German, both say Made in Mexico but they're still DEC. > But it ways 5.0 VDC, so I guess it must be ps/2 and not dec style since > dec has 12 vdc? Sorry, I can't remember. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

21 years, 4 months

Apollo Guidance Computer was Re: WWII fire control 'computers'

by mranalog＠attbi.com

While trying to find more information about the book "Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics" that I mentioned earlier, I came across a streaming video clip (little over an hour long) of professor Mindell discussing his book: http://web.mit.edu/mitworld/content/authors/mindell.html click on "View->>" A very interesting listen. Towards the end of the clip he mentions that his next project will involve the evolution of virtual environments starting with flight simulators in the 1930, through Apollo, to the internet today. I also noticed during my search that he is the point of contact about the Apollo Guidance Computer for the "History of Recent Science & Technology" web site at MIT - http://hrst.mit.edu/ Anyway, since some people here have been asking for more information on the AGC, I thought I would mention that the "History of Recent Science & Technology" web site has a great library of PDF documents on the AGC at http://hrst.mit.edu/groups/apollo/bibliography/q-and-a.tcl?topic_id=11&topi… I glanced through some of the files. Many of them are quite large. The first file, "Apollo Guidance and Navigation Lunar Module Student Study Guide" seems to be a very detailed manual on the workings of the computer, including a list of machine instructions. "Demonstration of the AGC" is a video clip of the computer being operated. "Astronauts' Guidance and Navigation Course Notes" is a introduction to functioning of the whole Apollo Guidance and Navigation System. And the file "Luminary 131" (which is a 637MB 1742 page PDF file that took me 2 hours to download at 90kps!!!) is entitled "Apollo Luminary 131 (1C) Program Source Code Listing "19 Dec 1969 NOTE: This listing contains the flight program for the Lunar Module as created by MIT's Draper Lab for the Apollo 13/14 moon missions" And many many more.. --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog =========================================

21 years, 4 months

Floppy disk media density/format mismatching

by cb＠mythtech.net

>I >always thought that if you format a high density floppy for low density >that it will work for a while, then the data will become corrupt due to >the different magnetic properties of the media. In my experience this is true. A long while back, at work we had a client that kept sending us boxes of blank HD 3.5 disks for use on PCs. We never needed them (sent all the data va modem), and some at my office kept taking them and formatting them as 800k in our Macs (SE's and Pluses at the time). None of them lasted more than a few weeks and a few dozen read/writes. They generated read/write errors fairly quickly, and always ended up loosing data. Some wouldn't even take a format. I can't imagine them being much better for a 400k disk (which was really a single sided 800k disk as far as Apple was concerned... but don't be fooled into thinking a 400k disk is safe to format as 800k... I have many many disks that went bad doing that as well... I can only assume that only one side of the media was tested as good in manufacturing). I had even worse experiences with punching a hole in a DD 3.5 disk and formatting for 1.44 (I even have one of those hole punchers sold for just this purpose). I think of the bunch that I tried (I think it was a pack of 25), only something like 5 even took the format, and those 5 failed almost on their first use... that was a total disaster of an experiment (I bought the puncher and a pack of disks specifically to avoid the higher HD cost... it was after this failure that I looked up info on the disks and learned WHY this wouldn't work, then I was amazed at the fact that a company sold a punch tool for it... but like PT Barnum says...) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

21 years, 4 months

Free Wang PC in MD

by owad＠applefritter.com

This Wang sounds like it's been well taken care of. Email Bob <james917(a)earthlink.net>. Bob's original messages (with HTML stripped): ---------- I have a top of the line Wang computer complete with keyboard, monitor, and daisywheel printer. I have numerous wheels and about a dozen tapes for the printer. Our local authorities have scheduled a pickup for obsolete and unwanted electronic and computer equipment on 13 January 2003. My wife insists I get rid of 'all' unused electronic gear, and I hate to see my Wang in a landfill. Do you know anyone who would want it? If so, please forward this message. I'm located in Salisbury, MD, and my e-mail address is <james917(a)earthlink.net>. ---------- Happy New Year, Tom. Re my Wang: I do not find a model number but Wang's literature calls it a Professional Computer. It was made in 1986 and bears a serial no. PG3397. Its dimensions are: 26x16x5 inches. The printer 's dimensions are 22x16x5. It is primarily a word processing device, and Wang's Integrated Word Processing reference guide calls it version 2.5. Other literature (Installation guide) refers to PC 300/33C series. The computer is NOT IBM compatible. I have lots of descriptive literature and instruction manuals. Further, If anyone is interested in getting this computer and associated equipment, and realizing Salisbury is in a somewhat remote area, I would be willing to meet with a prospective owner in Easton, MD., or, depending on weather, at one end of the Bay bridge. Further than that I'm unwilling to drive. I'm going on 87 years of age, and not as adventure-some as I was several years ago. I hope you can find someone who wants this device. I had lots of fun with it, and I certainly don't want to see it end up in a land-fill. Once more, Have a good 2003. Sincerely, Bob ----------

21 years, 4 months

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test-drb January 2003