test-drb December 2005

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

235 participants
580 discussions

Oldest machine (was: Re: Good haul of old pc stuph)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

I have my two RS/6000s where the property tags are an added bonus - Intel. Not much history there, but I enjoy indulging my computer elitism with a mental remark of "even Intel needs to use a real architecture to get things done".

18 years, 9 months

Oldest serial number (was: Oldest machine (was: Re: Good haulofold pc stuph))

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Oldest serial number (was: Oldest machine (was: Re: Good haulofold pc stuph)) > From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> > Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 19:51:46 -0700 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > > >In article <Pine.SUN.4.20.0512192140490.7258-100000 at osfn.org>, > William Donzelli <aw288 at osfn.org> writes: > >> > Lately I've been wondering if anyone attempts to collect >> > mass-manufactured memorabilia by trying to get the lowest serial >> > number. >> > >> > For instance, I have an Atari 800 serial #388801. >> > >> > Has anyone done a wiki/database type web page where everyone can enter >> > the serial #s of their common computers? >> >> This is mostly a pointless excercise, sorry to report. Serial numbers are >> notoriously non-sequential. [...] > >I'm not asserting that serial number #288801 would be "more valuable" >than my serial number of 388801, but it can still be fun to try and >get a lower serial number with mass-produced parts. > >As you say, there is no real correlation between the serial number and >its provenance, but not everything in collecting has to do with >provenance or market value.... >-- Nope missed one. One issue for me is how can I use it or incoperate other systems parts. Think in terms or builing a period roadster using exclusively period parts. To me a basic plain NS* is a fun box. Then I start thinking but with a Compupro 85/88 dual cpu, and MPX1 slave cpu and M-drive ramdisk it's more interesting as that is what would someone might have done then if they had a liberal budget back then. I don't have the budgest but I have several boxes of S100 cards from then. So why not do now what I wished I could have done then. Allison

18 years, 9 months

Partially-bad chips; was: repairing early HP calcs

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Partially-bad chips; was: repairing early HP calcs > From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> > Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:52:21 -0800 > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >On 12/20/2005 at 12:15 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote: > >>I remember a UK company called Bi-Pak. They bought up defective ICs, >>tested them [1], and sold them. They did sell things like TTL quad-gate >>packages with only 3 good gates. Problem was, as we all found, those 3 >>gates quickly failed in use. Polypaks was the place here. No bargan as usually a package with one bad gate developed other problems over time. >Back in the days when DRAM was precious, Intel had some "8Kx1" DRAMs that >were really "half good" 16K parts. You used the "-x" digit to determine >which half to use. I don't know if these were in general circulation, but >the sales engineers were passing them out to customers working on designs. >I may still have one or two kicking around that I found actually had 16K >worth of usable bits, providing they weren't run too fast. I used to have a full set of half good 64ks, likely still do. >And there was bubble memory with a flaw map. That was normal. It had extra tracks for that reason. I must have 8 of the BMs and two working BPK72 boards. There was no such thing as a flawless BM apparently. >Aren't some (or all) high-density DRAMs now made with extra rows and colums >to improve yields? Used to be so, don't know about it now. Allison

18 years, 9 months

morphed to TTL part number history, was: IBM PLAYING CARDS

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: morphed to TTL part number history, was: IBM PLAYING CARDS > From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> > Date: Mon, 19 Dec 2005 17:56:55 -0800 > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >On 12/20/2005 at 12:10 AM ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk wrote: > >>I recently bought a second-hand Philips 'upright' reel-to-reel tape >>recorder, and found a schematic glued to the inside of the case. At one >>time this was quite common on consumer electronic devices I believe. > >Not at all uncommon on radios and TVs using vacuum tubes (valves). Very >useful. But then early PC's sometimes included schematics in their >end-user documentation. Two I know of at least, IBM XT and the Tandy HX1000. Very nice docs at that. Allison

18 years, 9 months

Fw: Deck of IBM PLAYING CARDS GOES FOR $325

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Fw: Deck of IBM PLAYING CARDS GOES FOR $325 > From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> > Date: Sun, 18 Dec 2005 00:22:58 -0800 > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >On 12/17/2005 at 10:37 PM woodelf wrote: > >sites. >>I downloaded some motorola application notes from bitsavers. >>Wow they sure had a lot of different types of TTL. I wonder how only >>the 74xx became the only TTL used today? > >I think the short answer is "second sources"--you had at least 4 big >players, TI, National, Moto and Fairchild all producing 7400-series logic. >Some of the earlier TTL (Moto 400/500-series) had mid-line (pins 4 and10) >power supplies, which turned out to be not as convienient for PCB layout. >And, although it's largely forgotten, 7400 TTL shares a fair number of >pinouts with the older DTL circuits. > >By the time LSTTL was out, everyone had pretty much standardized on the >74xx line. > I can still find 74h, 74F, 74S, 74hct, 74c, 74hc nevermining what I have on hand. It was interesting, useful and a PAIN. It sometimes made a huge differnce if you subbed a S04 where there was an LS04. Allison

18 years, 9 months

Kenbak-1 on Ebay

by john＠jducommun.com

I have in my possesion a Kenbak1 in good condition. Powers on, light up. Satnding offer is 8000. Would you happen to know of anyone interested in giving more for this item? Thank You John Ducommun

18 years, 9 months

Paging Peter Pachla

by jim＠g1jbg.co.uk

Peter could you please contact me off list re your items for re-homing. Regards Jim Beacon. Please see our website the " Vintage Communication Pages" at WWW.G1JBG.CO.UK

18 years, 9 months

Teletype 43 manual

by CPUMECH＠aol.com

Charlie, I also e-mailed you about the 33 ASR covers. Try Dataterm Inc.- Woburn, MA. They have the 43 manuals also.

18 years, 9 months

Archiving Software

by dwight.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "Jules Richardson" <julesrichardsonuk at yahoo.co.uk> > >Tony Duell wrote: >> Most (if not all) of us here realise the value of proper technical >> documentation, schematics, source listings, etc. It therefore surpises me >> that people write programs to support classic computers and _don't_ >> release the source code. Ditto for stuff for amateur radio (which >> according to my license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy', >> it's a lot easier to learn about how something works if you have the >> sourc code for the programs involved.... > >Yep, but I suppose it only needs for you to get burned once for it to put you >off trying again. > >And given Dave's statement about NDAs, the source *is* there if someone wants >to port it to another system or use it to enhance their own copy - it's just >not publicly available to everyone via the website. > > >cheers > >Jules Hi I usually release my source code but I still get email requesting the source code. I even include readme's at times telling one how to rebuild things ( often as important as source code ). I still get messages asking for my source code. Go figure! Dwight

18 years, 9 months

CUBIX/6809 updates

by ken＠seefried.com

From: dave04a at dunfield.com > I have a 6809 based STD card - not from Fujitsu... IIRC something beginning > with 'D' - if anyone is interested, I'll dig it out and get the name. I have a 6809 STD-Bus card as well; it's also packed up right now. I've also got an mc68010 card running, and have seen several mc68000 and at least one 68020 cards. It's reall not difficult to interface to STD-Bus...nothing more complicated than some TTL and a PAL or two. Ken

18 years, 9 months

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test-drb December 2005