test-drb October 2005

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

264 participants
655 discussions

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

I had a rescue set up in northwest arkansas. Then the owner got in a car accident and was out of action for months. Now the family is working with me to finish off picking up the collection. But now that I'm talking to the family, they are telling me a far different story about the size of the collection. I was planning on going down this weekend to pick it up in a 14seat van (sans seats). However, I've just been informed that the computers and docs and such is approximately 7 foot tall by 10 foot by 12 foot. This is unlikely to fit, and I'm not sure I can do two trips (due to wifes surgery coming up, very soon I won't be able to go out for a few days for a few months). Of course, the family wants the stuff gone "now". Anyone able to help with pickup, storage, etc.? If so, please email me off-list. The collection is a very complete collection of most known home computers back to pre-dos IBM machines with all software & docs. Do I really even want this... *sigh* Kind regards, Jay West

19 years, 1 month

11/782 (was: Any own an 11/725...?)

by bqt＠Update.UU.SE

On Sun, 23 Oct 2005, Sridhar Ayengar <ploopster at gmail.com> wrote: > Johnny Billquist wrote: > > But the hardware I still keep around is much more interesting... :-) > > Sometime in the future, I wouldn't mind trying to put an 11/782 > together. Anyone know where I might be able to find some information > about the interconnect hardware? There basically isn't any (hardware, that is). The 11/782 was not an SMP design. It was two CPUs with shared memory, where one CPU acted as a slave to the other. All I/O was on the primary CPU as well. The second CPU was just a computing resource. I haven't (yet) found any references to any interconnect hardware apart >from the dual-ported memory boxes. Maybe someone else knows some more details? Appearantly, it wasn't much faster than a normal 11/780 either, so some of the machines appearantly got split up into two separate 11/780s instead. Johnny Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt at update.uu.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

19 years, 1 month

Fan for DEC H7861 power supply?

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Fan for DEC H7861 power supply? > From: David Betz <dbetz at xlisper.mv.com> > Date: Sun, 23 Oct 2005 14:55:07 -0400 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >I found a replacement fan for the H7861. It is the same size and same >wattage but it has only three blades instead of the five that the >original had. Is this likely to produce enough air flow to prevent >the system from frying itself? Or should I keep looking for a five >blade fan? > I'd use it for testing and try to find the right one. Allison

19 years, 1 month

FPGA VAX update

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: FPGA VAX update > From: Johnny Billquist <bqt at Update.UU.SE> > Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2005 15:38:27 +0200 (CEST) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >On Tue, 25 Oct 2005, Ken Seefried <ken at seefried.com> wrote: > >> From: Johnny Billquist <bqt at Update.UU.SE> >> > I think I have the documentation for the microcode for >> > the different engines, and I also have the binary microcode >> > files... >> >> Do you have the microcode files for the 11/730? > >Might still have the TU58 tapes around, yes. No TU58 drive to read them, >though. I must be thee rare one that maintaines TU58s for use. > >> The Am2901 VHDL (and other formats) is freely availible and well >> understood and fits several to an FPGA (even small ones covered by free >> tools). The rest of the logic on an 11/730 CPU isn't that terrible >> complicated. Given access to the microcode, I'd imagine it would be a >> reasonable project to whip up an ersatz 11/730, validate that it works >> correctly, then proceed to optimize and otherwise improve the design >> (add in pipelining, test, add in FPU, test, add in cache, test, migrate >> to faster FPGA family, test). Iterative, rather than shooting the moon >> first run. > >Maybe. I think that there is probably a lot more logic outside the 2901 >than inside... We're still talking several boards of logic here... I doubt >all of that is microcode memory, 2901s and 74xx series stuff. :-) Bet on it as the 2901 only provides 16 registers and I think VAX had more. It's also a slow device. >> You could even short-cut some of the FPGA work. I don't recall what >> the microsequencer looks like on the 11/730, but if it's the usual >> Am29{09,10,11}, there is at least one shop that still (as of at least >> last year) makes an 8 x Am2901 + sequencer single chip ASIC that runs at >> something like 20MHz. Or you can find NOS for the IDT 49c402 that is 4 >> x Am2901s. >> >> This way of thinking won't result in the fastest VAX possible, but I >> venture it has a better chance of resulting in an actual working VAX. > >It might be a possiblity. Not that I'll do it. But if someone really >wanted this to happen, it's one possibility. Might be easier to talk with >someone who still have an 11/730 running, to read his tapes though. Not I. I must ahve at least 16 2901C and 2911 and they are not that pretty without a lot of glue. More correctly, for some archetectures it's ugly and for some a very easy set of peices to use. The biggest problem is multiplexed external busses and that does impact design and speed. Allison

19 years, 1 month

FPGA VAX update

by msokolov＠ivan.Harhan.ORG

Brad Parker <brad at heeltoe.com> wrote: > it's good to fight the good fight, but in the end you'll need to fit > your design into either X or A's part (I'd pick X) and you'll need to > use their tools to do it, which mean you'll use widows if it's something > of a small/reasonable design or unix if it's bigger. No, fortunately I won't have to use Losedows. In the absolute worst case, i.e., if I can't find a free open source solution, and I can't convince anyone to let me have a pirate copy of their Xilinx Foundation CD, I would just have to fork over some $$$ for a legal copy of the full version and order one for, say, Solaris instead of Losedows and get a used SS5 just to run it. Still better than descending to Losedows. Or if I go the Altera route, I may be able to get a version of A's fucking Quartus for Linux/x86 through the company I currently consult for, and then pirate it. (I don't see how one can effectively enforce copyprotection under Linux.) > I like the idea of holding out for something that will work in the PD > but I'm not sure you can do that today. What we need to find out is whether that reverse-engineered project to generate Altera SOFs by open source means that my coworker told me about really exists or if he was hallucinating. This question was the main point of my original post and it still stands. > At some point you need to find > out if your design will "fit" into a particular part and you need to use > the right tool to find out. If the project I referred to in the previous paragraph exists, it would be the right tool. > We're talking "pre-synopsis" right now, but at some point you'll have to > graduate to "real tools". The REAL tools are the free-as-in-speech open source ones. > As you know, the size of your design dictates what tools you'll need to use. I don't see what does size have to do with it. If a tool can compile a traffic controller, it can compile a full CISC CPU. > I'm going to guess that an entire vax dictates a certain footprint. Aside from the issue of tools, the FPGA that seems to have the closest size and feature set to the needs of my current VAX project is the Cyclone II family from A. MS

19 years, 1 month

FlashManager 2000

by kyrrin＠bluefeathertech.com

Hi, group, I've been making some progress on getting this mysterious Intel PCMCIA FLASH card I've got to where I can read it. I've discovered, so far, that Intel sold their FLASH card business to another company some years ago (Centennial Technologies). Shortly after that, Centennial went up in a metaphorical ball of flames, and a company called Smart Modular Technology, based in Fremont, CA, bought them up. Up until a few years ago, SMT made available a free utility called 'Flash Manager 2000.' Said utility could read both Intel linear FLASH cards and Centennial's. I've been in contact with SMT, and they tell me that Flash Manager is "discontinued and no longer available," a position that strikes me as odd at best for what was a free utility. So... My search comes right back here. Does anyone happen to have a copy of Flash Manager? Still seeking... Thanks much. -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Bruce Lane, Owner & Head Hardware Heavy, Blue Feather Technologies -- http://www.bluefeathertech.com kyrrin (at) bluefeathertech do/t c=o=m "If Salvador Dali had owned a computer, would it have been equipped with surreal ports?"

19 years, 1 month

Does anyone have a Radio Shack Electronics Learning Lab?

by john.miramonti＠hypertherm.com

Hi, I was your email regarding the Radio Shack Electronic LearningLab. I picked one up for my daughter, but it came without the manuals. I'm trying to get a copy. You mentioned "...The PDF file on the RS web site doesn't list things in enough detail...". I've been trying to download the PDF manual, but the upgraded web site apparently doesn't have it. Could you email me a copy? Or could I arrange to get a copy of your manuals? I could trade you a detailed list of components, with part numbers, catalog numbers, etc. Thanks, John Miramonti John.Miramonti at attglobal.net

19 years, 1 month

Homebrew newsgroups / forums?

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Homebrew newsgroups / forums? > From: gtulloch at shaw.ca > Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 22:45:40 -0500 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Hi all: > >I'm building a Z80 based computer as a stepper motor controller, and it >would be nice if there was a homebrew newsgroup to ask questions on since >I don't think this is the group to do so - any recommendations? > >Yes, I know I'm 30 years behind the curve, and yes, I know a >microcontroller would save me some time, but where's the fun in that? > >Regards, > Gord Well the Z80 is still current. Still being made and used. However, to use it for stepper control is a lot of CPU for trivial task. With that aside, thre are plenty here that know the Z80 well. Allison

19 years, 1 month

CCAG show postponed until Dec. 4

by news＠computercollector.com

Classic Computing & Gaming show was supposed to be this weekend but is postponed: http://www.ccagshow.com/ Is anyone planning to go? I could use a correspondent for the newsletter! Please contact me OFF-LIST if you're interested in writing about this event. ----------------------------------------- Evan Koblentz's personal homepage: http://www.snarc.net Computer Collector Newsletter: http://news.computercollector.com Mid-Atlantic Retro Computing Hobbyists & Museum: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/midatlanticretro/

19 years, 1 month

FlashManager 2000

by r_a_feldman＠hotmail.com

Bruce, Take a look at http://www.teampctechnology.com/product_detail.php?id=298 and http://www.smartm.com/product/m_tech.cfm#1 for information that might be useful (though you might already know about the second company). There is a program called CardWizard 2000 (retail price $70) that might work for you, at http://www.systemsoft.com/l-2/l-3/products-cardwizard2000.htm Bob Message: 11 Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2005 06:51:33 -0700 From: "Bruce Lane" <kyrrin at bluefeathertech.com> Subject: FlashManager 2000 To: cctech at classiccmp.org Message-ID: <200510240651330626.11E2D64F at 192.168.42.129> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Hi, group, I've been making some progress on getting this mysterious Intel PCMCIA FLASH card I've got to where I can read it. I've discovered, so far, that Intel sold their FLASH card business to another company some years ago (Centennial Technologies). Shortly after that, Centennial went up in a metaphorical ball of flames, and a company called Smart Modular Technology, based in Fremont, CA, bought them up. Up until a few years ago, SMT made available a free utility called 'Flash Manager 2000.' Said utility could read both Intel linear FLASH cards and Centennial's. <snip>

19 years, 1 month

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test-drb October 2005