Well, unexpected by me anyway. I've built a data sep circuit
>from that schematic I asked for advice on earlier. Works like
a champ. I tied the circuit into a piece of ribbon cable so
that I could pretty much attach any drive I wanted to try with
it plus still be able to keep my OSI more-or-less unmodified
and use the original drive. The drives I am using are a pair
of Toshiba FDD 5451s. After testing each drive individually,
I attached another IDC card edge connector to my setup and
tried again. Nothing worked! Not only did it not work, it
trashed the diskette I was testing with. Went back to one
at a time and everything worked again. After a good bit of
trying to figure out what was wrong, I discovered that the
+5 volt pin in the power connector I was using for the #2 (B)
drive had pushed out of the nylon plug so that the drive was
unpowered. Having either of the drives unpowered on the cable
caused the other drive to screw up. The two drives cooperate
just fine when both have power. I don't remember ever seeing
this kind of problem before... I seem to remember having unpowered
drives hanging off of cables with no ill effects. I guess that
some of the signals (write gate for instance) must be getting
pulled low by the unpowered unit. Is this normal floppy
behavior and I'm just remembering wrong?
Thanks,
Bill
Heard back from the Goodwill spokeswoman. Obviously she doesn't know much
about our hobby, but she sounded genuinely interested.
Here's what she had to say, as published in this week's Computer Collector
Newsletter...
--------------------------------------------
>> WELCOME TO THE COMPUTER COLLECTOR NEWSLETTER
>> W: http://news.computercollector.com E: news at computercollector.com
>> Vol. 4, #12: March 21, 2005: News/opinion, tidbits, classifieds
>
> This week's issue:
> 1. Goodwill stores
> 2. Custom Apple II games
> 3. Amiga East 2005
> 4. Slide rule retro
>
> ****************************************
> We really want to hear from you! What's unique about your collection?
> What article topics should we explore? What crazy experience did you
> have with a vintage machine, now or when it was new? Please tell us
> what is on your mind at news at computercollector.com.
>
> ****************************************
> NEWS & OPINION
>
> Recently there's been discussion of finding vintage computers at
> Goodwill stores, via the classiccmp.org's cctalk mailing list. How
> can we as collectors ensure that significant items aren't disposed of?
>
> Goodwill Industries International, the umbrella organization for 200
> independent agencies, does not set master policies for the operations
> of its 1,874 stores in the U.S., 75 in Canada, and one online (the
> address is http://www.shopgoodwill.com, but it's up to each store to
> determine which items are posted). About two-thirds of the stores
> accept computers, although there is no master list of which stores
> specifically. The only way to find out is to contact the stores --
> information is at http://locator.goodwill.org and (800)664-6577.
>
> But what can computer collectors do to salvage, say, a pre-release
> prototype of an IBM 5100? "Shop early and shop often" is the approach
> taken by collectors of most sorts, spokeswoman Christine Bragale
> noted. Bargains for computer collectors are especially likely to be
> found at the Goodwill Computer Works stores in Santa Ana, Calif.
> (http://www.ocgoodwill.org/computer_works/index.html) and Austin,
> Texas (http://www.austincomputerworks.org/contact.html) -- the Austin
> location even has its own computer museum slated to re-open in May.
>
> Store managers are generally alert for valuables, at least since
> someone found an original Picasso etching in a $3 throwaway pile a few
> years ago, Bragale said. "The donations attendant who had sorted it
> saw a broken frame and a picture of a nude," hardly something Goodwill
> would normally carry, she explained. Luckily that was noticed in time
> and sold at auction, she said. Vintage computer hobbyists are
> encouraged to volunteer for sorting duty at their local stores.
>
> ***************************************
> BOOKS FROM THE CCN STAFF:
>
> >> Buy your copy of "Collectible Microcomputers" directly from author
> Michael Nadeau: http://www.classictechpub.com. This amazing book
> includes more than 700 computers with details and pricing.
>
> >> "Computer Collector Newsletter's Guide to U.S. Computer Museums,
> 2005 Edition". Booklet examines 21 museums and includes GPS
> coordinates. It costs $6 ($10 for two), with $1 S&H per every two
> copies. PayPal to news at computercollector.com.
>
> >> Christine Finn's "Artifacts: An archeologist's year in Silicon
> Valley" is the story of the change from farmlands to high-tech. Buy
> it directly from MIT Press at http://tinyurl.com/6rllz (also see
> Christine's blog http://traumwerk.stanford.edu:3455/ChristineFinn/9).
>
> ****************************************
> This week's vintage gaming news from Armchair Arcade
> (http://www.armchairarcade.com):
>
> -- Do you remember Mystery House, the classic Apple II game from
> Sierra? Now you can play custom versions; the details are at
> http://www.armchairarcade.com/aamain/news.php?extend.277.
>
> ****************************************
> TIDBITS
>
> -- Amiga East 2005 will be held May 28-29 at the Marriott Courtyard
> adjacent to New York City's LaGuardia airport. This year is the
> Amiga's 20th anniversary. Tickets are $20 per day or $25 for both
> days. For more information please visit http://tinyurl.com/3nwzr.
>
> -- First I thought the binary wristwatches at ThinkGeek.com were the
> coolest ones around (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/watches/6a17/).
> Then I thought the new PalmOS wristwatch from Fossil took the top
> honor (http://tinyurl.com/5canr). Now I'm into ThinkGeek's slide rule
> watch (http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/watches/74ce/zoom/). How cool
> is this!? Which would you rather have? (And will it run CP/M?)
>
> ****************************************
> CLASSIFIEDS
>
> This week's classifieds are sponsored by the Vintage Computer
> Marketplace at marketplace.vintage.org.
>
> For sale:
> 1. Full Apple III Setup:
> http://vintage-computer.com/vcforum/viewtopic.php?t=1674
> 2. Vic 20 setup:
> http://vintage-computer.com/vcforum/viewtopic.php?t=1671
> 3. Commodore 64 lot:
> http://vintage-computer.com/vcforum/viewtopic.php?t=1668
>
> Wanted:
> 1. Commodore Pet:
> http://www.vintage-computer.com/pet2001.shtml
> 2. Commodore 1084 monitor bezel:
> http://vintage-computer.com/vcforum/viewtopic.php?t=1673
>
> ****************************************
> SPONSORED LINKS:
>
> >> For more buy/sell/trade opportunities, please visit the Vintage
> Computer Forum at www.vintage-computer.com/vcforum.
>
> >> VintageTech provides services such as patent litigation support,
> prior art research, vintage computer consulting, movie and photography
> props, media and data conversion, appraisals, and sales brokering.
> Visit us: www.vintagetech.com.
>
> >> Special thanks to EvenLink LLC for sponsoring our domain name and
> e-mail hosting. Please visit http://www.evenlink.com for details.
>
> ****************************************
> HAPPY VINTAGE COMPUTING!
-----------------------------------------------------
Evan's personal homepage: www.snarc.net
*** Tell your friends about the Computer Collector Newsletter!
- It's free and we'll never send spam or share your email address
- Publishing every Monday(-ish), ask about writing for us
- Mainframes to videogames, hardware and software, we cover it all
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Hi All,
I replaced the UBC today (I found a serviceable spare of the same version in
our works stores, last tested 1994....), and I can now key in a program,
examine it and run it.
I now need to concentrate on the PSU, before I start putting the rest of the
cards back. I must also repair my UBC, in case work decides they want theirs
back (unlikely, but you can never tell with bean counters).
Now a question, I used the light flasher program:
location contents opcode
001000 012700 mov #1,r0
001002 000001
001004 006100 rol r0
001006 000005 reset
001010 000775 br -4
and it will run, however, I don't see the data lights "chase" across the
console. If I single step, the program performs as expected, with the data
lights going across the panel (data switch in "Data Paths" position). Also,
if I run the program and halt it, the light appear at a different data bit
depending on how long I let the program run (I can continue the program and
it will move to a different bitn at the next halt). Am I doing something
stupid, or are the bulbs just too slow to display the data? (I suppose it
could be a function of the power supply fault, but I don't think it would
manifest itself in this way).
Thanks
Jim.
Please see our website the " Vintage Communication Pages" at WWW.G1JBG.CO.UK
I threw together some *really* quick pages about my Tek XD88 at:
http://www.patooie.com/comps/tek/index.html
I *think* it's all legal HTML and all the links work. No guarantee about
typos though, it was late when I wrote most of the text :-)
Off-list comments about any rendering issues are welcome (particularly
Firefox / IE users), as I've only got Opera here to test with. I suspect
I'll maybe need to incorporate stylesheet stuff so that fonts will
render reasonably consistently across platforms / browsers.
Coincidentally, I found a pile of "What's new in Computing" magazines at
the weekend from the late 80's / early 90's - I've found a few little
snippets about the XD88 line there which I'll have to scan in and
incorporate.
cheers
J.
I've got a 4 slot Neo Geo cabinet that is starting to act flaky.
It's always had problems if I put to many new games (I'm guessing the
higher bit games take more power), and now I've seen the video freak
out a couple times in the last week. The first time it looked like
it was rolling (I rushed over and turned it off so am not totally
sure. This last time I was playing a game and it shifted left and
jaggy, but then when I finished the game it popped back to normal,
and seems to have stayed that way for a while.
Anyone have any ideas? I'm suspecting it's either the powersupply,
or possibly the 4-slot motherboard.
Zane
--
--
| Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator |
| healyzh at aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast |
| | Classic Computer Collector |
+----------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, |
| PDP-10 Emulation and Zane's Computer Museum. |
| http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |
I need some advice on finding a few expendables:
* non-lint swabs for cleaning hard disk heads. I've googled a
bunch of likely suspects, intended for the electronics industry,
of appropriate size, but does anyone use such a thing you've found
to be suitable, before I leap into the terrifying unknown (all of
$9.95's worth)? Obviiously to be dunked in 99% isopropyl.
* "Rotron Filtercoat". Sticky aerosol goo you spray onto aluminum
mesh filters to trap dust. My lab is really dusty. The rack has a
nice airbox at the bottom with noisy fan. Any suggestions as to a
replacement for this long-lost product or workalike?
Hi ,
Thanks for your answer.
I should now have a disk with the system and PIP (I don't know whether it
would boot though, I haven't tested it yet)
Anyway I was looking at how I could use PIP to transfer the data but I only
managed to find some examples
Using the AUX: connector which I think is CP/M 3 (+) and not 2.2 which is
the version on the 820.
Do you know more on how I can use the PIP command ?
Thanks.
-----Original Message-----
From: Dwight K. Elvey [mailto:dwight.elvey at amd.com]
Sent: 16 March 2005 23:04
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Cc: Sarno, Giuseppe [MOP:GM15:EXCH]
Subject: Re: Xerox 820 documentation.
>From: "Giuseppe Sarno" <gsarno at nortel.com>
>
>Hi I own an Old Xerox 820 machine,
>Can anyone help to find documentation for it ?
>Also is there a way to download programs onto it using the
>serial/parallel port ?
>
>I have seen some info at
>http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2002-September/002642.html
><http://www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/2002-September/002642.html>
>but I couldn't find more.
>
>Thanks.
>
Hi
You didn't mention if you have a disk that boots and
has PIP under CP/M on it. If you do, you can transfer information as ASCII
like a BASIC source program or even transfer .COM files by first converting
them to .HEX files and then using DDT on the 820 to move them to .COM files.
If you are attempting to bootstrap with no disk, you'll have to check with
others. One may be able to do it if it has a built in debug monitor. Of
course, on can always write some of ones own code and replace one of the
internal EPROMs. It is not as impossible as it sounds. You just have to
explore a little. Dwight
>$355 with 15 bids and 20
>hours remaining. The pics aren't loading for me, but the description says
>it is near mint condition. I could see it getting up to $500 before it
>closes, but $2000... I'd be surprised.
Oh yeah, and one sold last week on ebay (no drives, not tested) for
$182... so IF the guy really has an untested unit he is able to sell for
$2000... he is one lucky SOB.
-chris
<http://www.mythtech.net>
