test-drb January 2005

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

254 participants
551 discussions

Possible to speed up I/O subsystem of 5150?

by trixter＠oldskool.org

I have a few IBM model 5150s that I use to code entries for programming competitions and I'd like to try to speed up the hard disk in any way possible. (If you're curious what my last project was, check out http://www.pouet.net/prod.php?which=13722 to download and try it out -- it displays full-screen full-motion color video with sync'd sound -- yes, on a 4.77MHz 8088, no fooling). I've been looking for any way to speed up the hard disk subsystem (currently WD1002 with Seagate ST225) and I simply can't get more than 130KB/s out of the darn thing... so: - Is there any MFM/RLL 8-bit ISA controller that can read disks at their full 1:1 interleave? If so, where can I get one? 3:1 is the best I've been able to get using the above MFM combination. I haven't tried RLL yet because I don't have any RLL controllers. - If not, do such things exist as 8-bit ISA IDE controllers? I have lots of "little" IDE drives (320MB and 540MB models) that I could hook up. I attempted not one but TWO 8-bit Plus hardcards (both 40MB models), thinking that the embedded drive/controller combo would be better, but my experience with Plus Hardcards (even the 16-bit 120MB versions) is that, after about 8 years, the damn EEPROM forgets everything and it doesn't boot (no BIOS, get a 1701 "controller error"). So I couldn't get either of them to work. (As a result I have 4 Plus hardcards that I am *this close* to throwing away, unless someone has an idea of reviving them :-) Any advice? Or should I just try to find an EMS board and cache my data instead? (Speaking of which, does anyone have a LIM EMS board for sale/trade? Can't seem to find one of those either.) -- Jim Leonard (trixter(a)oldskool.org) http://www.oldskool.org/ Want to help an ambitious games project? http://www.mobygames.com/ Or check out some trippy MindCandy at http://www.mindcandydvd.com/

19 years, 7 months

Olivetti Programma 101 manual online

by dave04a＠dunfield.com

At 14:43 06/01/2005 -0500, you wrote: >Hi guys, > >Several people asked me for copies of the Olivetti Programma 101 >manual - I have scanned the better of the two manuals that I have, >and placed the scan at: > > http://www.dunfield.com/pub/olpro101.pdf > >Regards, >Dave Btw - just in case it is not obvious - the last two pages of the scan are NOT from the manual - these are scans of the two different "programming worksheet" pads that I have. Regards, Dave -- dave04a (at) Dave Dunfield dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com com Collector of vintage computing equipment: http://www.parse.com/~ddunfield/museum/index.html

19 years, 7 months

have an extra UDA-50 board set?

by brad＠heeltoe.com

Hi Does anyone have a working UDA-50 board set with the "over the top" jumpers they would be willing to part with? (or while I'm asking, an RA-81 HDA? :-) (this is a unibus disk controller for the non-dec folks) i have one in my vax and I'd like to have another for my 11/44. -brad

19 years, 7 months

Olivetti Programma 101 manual online

by dave04a＠dunfield.com

Hi guys, Several people asked me for copies of the Olivetti Programma 101 manual - I have scanned the better of the two manuals that I have, and placed the scan at: http://www.dunfield.com/pub/olpro101.pdf Regards, Dave -- dave04a (at) Dave Dunfield dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com com Vintage computing equipment collector. http://www.parse.com/~ddunfield/museum/index.html

19 years, 7 months

Importing binary files without removable storage nor non-bundled software (was: TKermitFTP

by dwight.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "Tom Jennings" <tomj(a)wps.com> > >>> "Binary reads from a device are not >>> allowed" is the message at 8753 in DR-DOS 3.41. > >On Wed, 5 Jan 2005, Vintage Computer Festival wrote: > >> The question I haven't seen answered yet is, "Well, why the hell not???" > >The real answer is: there is no out-of-band signalling, so one of >the 128 in-band symbols (SUB, 26 decimal) is chosen to mean "END >OF FILE". It's borrowed from CP/M-80; I don't know where DR got >it; it seems un-DEC-ish. > >("Out of band" signalling is, for RS-232 et al, the hardware >handshake lines. No one likes them, everyone complains like >babies, so they have essentially been deprecated.) > Hi In the past when I wanted a non-block binary transfer, I often had some value that I used as an escape character. I'd choose a low frequency value to improve throughput. It is simple, If you want to send a command value, you send the escape character, first. If you just wanted the escape character, you'd send it twice. For 8 bit data, you had 255 commands. EOF could be one of those. It makes a simple protocol that is easy to implement in code. Dwight

19 years, 7 months

XXDP listings available

by GOOI＠oce.nl

Hello PDP-11 addicts :~) I finished the scan of some 130+ XXDP listings into PDF's. Al has provided the webspace on bitsavers at www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/XXDP If you are looking for a specific XXDP, bitsavers is great, but if you want to have them all in your collection you might consider asking me in a private e-mail. All XXDP listings are totalling your download to approx 670 Mb ... For a small fee, depending the shipping costs, I could burn a CD-ROM ... -- that is, if nobody objects to this approach -- kind regards, - Henk, PA8PDP.

19 years, 7 months

SGI IR Onyx Boards...

by lbickley＠bickleywest.com

I'd like to obtain the following spares for my SGI Onyx IR system. If you have any or all of the boards below available, please contact me off list. SGI Part No. Description -------------------------------------------------- 030-0683-004 RM6-16 raster manager (16Mb TRAM) 030-0684-004 RM6-64 raster manager (64Mb TRAM) 030-0681-003 GE12-4 geometry engine Cheers, Lyle -- Lyle Bickley Bickley Consulting West Inc. http://bickleywest.com "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"

19 years, 7 months

RTL Logic

by swtpc6800＠comcast.net

I have acquired some Don Lancaster designs that use RTL logic and I am looking for spare parts. The MC789 hex inverter is used in all of them and I have 2 chips. Does anyone have a reasonable source for the MC789, I can get all I want for $20 a chip. I also have 2 MC799 buffers that are use in the Microlab. I have found two each of these (MC725, MC778, MC785, MC792, MC853, MC855) that I will part with. SWTPC Digital Logic Microlab http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Apr1970/PE_Apr1970.htm Early SWTPC keyboard http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/PopularElectronics/Apr1974/PE_Apr1974.htm I think that Don Lancaster's TIC TAC TOE machine from 1971 is a very clever design. It uses 5 ICs and 60 diodes to play the game. I may build one. http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/RadioElectronics/Dec1971/RE_Dec1971.htm Michael Holley www.swtpc.com/mholley

19 years, 7 months

Alloy S100-interfaced QIC tape drive available

by ddl-cctech＠danlan.com

This consists of an IDXCS-100T S-100 controller and a D6410 tape drive. Also programming manual and CP/M-86 software. It is pretty heavy. As usual, price is $0 plus shipping or you pick up in Gloucester, MA. Dan Lanciani ddl(a)danlan.*com

19 years, 7 months

Importing binary files without removable storage nor non-bundled software (was: TKermitFTP

by melamy＠earthlink.net

if they allowed it, then they had to support it... It was easier to prevent it then deal with the untold support calls because people didn't know what they were doing. Connecting machines by RS232 was never easy in the early days. I worked for Applied Microsystems and had to connect emulators to a variety of computer systems in the 80s and every one was a pain. Imagine IBM tech support dealing with that too. As for Traveling Software, seeing how I worked for them for five years, I don't recall any buyout attempts from Microsoft. Traveling did go through hard times and it still around but not as they were back in the 90s. They could never get the LapLink name associated with Traveling Software and they finally changed the company name to LapLink. They made a great remote control product that was more reliable that PC Anywhere, but LapLink was a file transfer utility and the recognition as another form of product was never successful. As for the last topic, my comment stands. I really don't care where MS gets stuff. They have unfortunately destroyed a lot of companies along the way by assimilation or outright destruction. -----Original Message----- From: Vintage Computer Festival <vcf(a)siconic.com> Sent: Jan 6, 2005 3:05 PM To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk(a)classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Importing binary files without removable storage nor non-bundled software (was: TKermitFTP On Thu, 6 Jan 2005, Steve Thatcher wrote: > the only reason Microsoft would not add binary transfer capability as an > integral part of early DOS is that the people that needed it were in a > small minority. It made no business sense to include features that they > believed that most people really didn't need. Later in DOS, they did What? It seems to me they had to do more programming work to prevent binary copying to the serial port. > include a basic file transfer capability over a cable. Probably more out > of pressure because people used products like LapLink and complained > that they had to buy something instead of having it built in. It was Actually, it was because Laplink showed there was a market for such a product, and in true MS style they probably tried to buy LL, were rebuffed, and then came up with their own (inferior) built-in version to try to suck the life out of Traveling Software and make them go bankrupt. It didn't work in this (rare) case. > I have long held the concept that Microsoft has always been a 90% > solution and the remaining 10% are the opportunities for outside > companies. More like 10% original work and 90% acquisitions/destruction-by-co-optation of other companies. (I sense the possibility of another thread of MS bashing coming on...) -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival

19 years, 7 months

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test-drb January 2005