Many of the computer systems of the 1960's and and early 70's used the IBM
Selectric typewriter as a console device. A few even used it as a
peripheral (ex. IBM 2741).
The typewriters were not standard office machines. They had a series of
switches indicating status, key strike, end of line, etc. They also had
solenoids on the control bars, and a timing distributor.
I've been looking for one of these modified Selectrics for several months.
Does anyone in this group have one they would be willing to sell or trade?
Or knows where one is available?
Billy
> I own XDS (SDS) Sigma 9 Panel and brought it back to life.
> It was quite an undertaking, as the panel consists of about
> 100 lamps -- and hand wiring all of them took quite a bit of
> labor.
> It now blinks -- in some sort of random "computing" fashion
> -- but is essentially a useless piece of eye-candy when it
> comes to being a useful computer (after all, I don't have
> anything else except the programming console). But I must
> admit, it is a pretty sight watching all those blinkenlights
> flicker on and off :-)
> I also own an SDS 940 programming console -- but I've chosen
> to leave that untouched (a dead soul, if you will).
> -Eric
> P.S. -- I'd post a video of it in action, but I don't own
> a video camera (I'll have to borrow one). I did take a bunch
> of snapshots in succession and piece them together -- kind of
> a kludge -- but you get an idea of what it looks like after
> watching it. Not nearly as nice if it were a smooth video though.
> If anyone is interested, and I can get around to it, I'll post
> a picture or two, and the "piecemeal" video on a website in
> the (maybe near) future.
I put up a few snapshots of my XDS Sigma 9 Console in action, and a
snapshot of my XDS "dead" SDS 940 Console. I chose not to put up the
kludged "snapshot video" of the XDS Sigma 9 Console just because it
really doesn't do justice to what it looks like when it comes to life.
Anyway, if interested, see:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27979878 at N00/
-Eric
Yes - both the consoles pictured were modified Selectrics used as
consoles for the 910 and 920. Which is interesting as SDS went to a
EBCDIC teletype for the Sigma series.
Lee Courtney
Product Line Manager - Linux for Consumer Devices
Wind River
500 Wind River Way
Alameda, California 94501
Office: 510-749-2763
Cell: 650-704-3934
Yahoo IM: charlesleecourtney
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org
> [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Richard
> Sent: Tuesday, December 12, 2006 2:07 PM
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> Cc: Eric Flanzbaum
> Subject: Re: PDP-11/70 Panel brought back to life
>
>
> In article
> <19F49A6EFCA3D849A4C1C46C3566EBF2010A1C00 at ALA-MAIL03.corp.ad.wrs.com>,
> "Courtney, Lee" <Lee.Courtney at windriver.com> writes:
>
> > The Computer History Museum recently acquired a SDS 910, 920, and
> > accepted donation of a SDS 930 (940 predecessor) from
> History San Jose.
> > See pics at
> >
> http://www.flickr.com/photos/lee_courtney/sets/72157594391790915/ and
> > http://www.flickr.com/photos/lee_courtney/sets/72157594391722530/.
>
> Interesting! Is the console typewriter (the red one) a
> modified IBM Selectric?
> --
> "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available
> for download
> <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html>
>
> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>
>
On Sun, 10 Dec 2006 11:44:24 -0500, "Ram Meenakshisundaram"
<RMeenaks at olf.com> wrote:
> How early?? I am specifically looking for any TI C40 and Motorola
> 9600 DSP stuff...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Ram
[...]
>> From: "9000 VAX" <vax9000 at gmail.com>
>>
>> I am wondering whether any member of this mailing list is
>> interested in
>> early DSP chips?
>
> Hi
> I have a developement sdk for the Intel 2920 chip.
> I've played with it a little.
> Dwight
I'm presently attempting to play with a Loughborough Sound Images PCI/
C44S board that has 4 'C44s on it. If my old employer falls into the
season's hype^H^H^H^Hspirit I might be be gifted with the TI
compiler and a distributed OS. I programmed a system with 17 'C40s a
while back and do like the beast. However, I'm still looking for info
on this particular board - any info would be appreciated.
Recently came across my original 'C20 development kit and lit it up
for giggles and grins :=))
CRC
After shelving the silly idea of converting my machine to 220V
( you guys were right, my "native 220V" machine has a big transformer on
the righthand side of the typing unit, and a 115 V motor... ) I still
needed to get them running.
My latest ASR 33 comes out quite nicely after a removal of dried grease
and reoiling and seems to be fully functional, just drops a bit from
time to time when using the keyboard. (i.e. LSB missing )I hope a
cleaning of the keyboard contacts wil take care of that .
My second, older machine however has more severe malfuntioning : it
drops bits every second character, and often generates extra characters,
@ being a favorite.
I assume the error is inside the keyboard, as both units type ascii text
>from a papertape without a hitch.
But what failure mode would cause extra characters from the keyboard ?
Jos
> I've seen two systems (not pure software, but integrated systems)
> that really blew me away years ago. My memories of both are very
> fuzzy. One was an ECAD workstation called Daisy; it was a schematic
> capture system and may have done other things as well. It was
> gorgeous but I didn't see much of its capabilities. I saw this
> around 1985 or thereabouts.
Daisy was one of the first ECAD workstations. Started out as 8086
Multibus up through 386. I never saw the earliest version of the OS. The
later ones were unix-like. Last versions were Intel 386 PC based. Apple
used them before switching to Valid or Mentor, depending on the project.
I saw parts of a Calay at a surplus place in the mid 90's. There was
also Racal/Redac PCB layout systems. I think I still have the packs from
one of these. It ran RSX11 on an SMS disc controller.
Most of the small stand-alone systems disappeared once IBM PC ECAD
systems developed. There were one or two companies selling CAD tools
into the Macintosh market, but they were pretty awful. There was one
system that was popular for schematic capture on Macs that was used
internally at Apple up through the late 90s.
DEC used a schematic capture system from Stanford through the 70's and
early 80's (SUDS, Stanford University Drawing System). The MIT CADR was
designed using this as well.
Are you asking only about chip design software, or are you including
circuit design software?
IBM had proprietary schematic editing, automated layout, automated
manufacturing, etc in the early 1960's if not earlier. Simulation too
if I remember correctly. The schematics were printed on line printers
and were (are) called Automated Logic Diagrams (ALD). See e.g.
http://www.research.ibm.com/journal/rd/082/ibmrd0802F.pdfhttp://ed-thelen.org/1401Project/ALDs-fromAustralia.html
There is more detail in http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/pdf/ibm/logic
Data entry was originally text based. When the 2250 graphic display
unit became available around 1967, IBM moved from text-based ALD
editing to graphical. See e.g.
http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=805397
It would be pretty wonderful if all of THAT code was still around.
Could run
it under simulation.
Brian
>> Have you seen the prices of just a single seat of that kind of
>> software?
>
> Yes, but I hadn't thought about licensing, that's a good point.
>
> I wonder if these companies even keep around a piece of their history
> or if its lost forever?
Look at the company you work for.
Does E&S have copies of everything that they have produced?
The rest of the world is no different. Once a product is no longer a
source of revenue, it is disposed of. If it is archived, the chances of
anyone getting access to it outside the company is vanishingly small.
I've imaged the first of (many) RK05 packs. Here's what I've done so
far (these were done first because they were either cleaned or because
they were still sealed in the *original* DEC shipping boxes):
* PDP-11 F-77/RSX V4.0 (DEC Distribution media)
* RMS-11 V1.8/RSX-11M V3.2 (DEC Distribution media)
* RSX-11M V3.2 AUTOPATCH 1/2 (DEC Distribution media)
* RSX-11M V3.2 AUTOPATCH 2/2 (DEC Distribution media)
* RT11 V4.0 MUBASIC V2 (handwritten label)
* XXDP RKDP PKG #1 (handwritten label)
I'll be putting these up on my website in the next few days (the images
will have been gzip'd to save space and reduce bandwidth).
To wet your appetites, here are some of the other "high" value packs
(these are all DEC Distribution media unless otherwise noted):
* EDU-DECAL (DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CA1 AUTHOR LANGUAGE SYSTEM)
* RSTS V6C RK System 1 of 3 (handwritten)
* RMS-11K/RSX-11M V1.5
* DECNET-11M/S V3.1 1/2
* XXDP Diags RKDP PKG #2 (handwritten)
* CVZZDU0 LSI-11 DKDP+ DIAG PKG
* DECNET-11M/S V3.1 2/2
* RSX-11M AUTO-PATCH REV-D
* RSX11S V2.1
* CTS-300/DIS V1
* SORT-11 V01
* XXDP RKDP DIAG PKG 1
* XXDP RKDP DIAG PKG 2
* XXDP RKDP DIAG PKG 3
* F4/IAS-RSX V2.2
* DECNET-11M/S V2.0 1/2
* RSX11M V3.1 MCRSRC
* RSX11M V3.1 FCPDMP
* MUMPS V04 (handwritten)
* F4-PLUS/RSX V3.0
* DIBOL-11 SOURCE RELEASE 4 (Typed label)
* RSX-11M V3.2 EXC SRC BIN
* COBOL/RSX11M/IAS V4
* COBOL/RSX11M/IAS V3.1 BIN
* DECNET-11M/S V3.1 NET 1/2
I have to clean each of these packs before I image them since they
weren't kept in the original shipping boxes. I also have 170+
additional packs that have all handwritten labels, but weren't as
interesting as what I've already listed. Cleaning a pack takes about 20
minutes (including disassembly and reassembly) so don't expect these to
be done quickly.
Except for the two packs that I've cleaned myself (above), I'm not sure
if the contents of the packs match what the labels indicate. I've also
discovered that DEC distribution packs (at least the ones I've read so
far) only format the first 202 cylinders (vs a max of 203 cylinders).
--
TTFN - Guy
I've got a stack of 8mm (doesn't mention a size, a mix of Verbatim data
tapes, and Sony and Fuji video tapes), 4mm DDS1 (both 60M and 90M), and
DLT3 tapes at work which we're getting set to throw away... the DDS/8mm
tapes have some data on them, and will be degaussed... the DLT3's are
unused, from several years ago.
Asking $2/tape plus shipping. I've got 50-100 of each available. If I
don't hear anything by mid next week, they'll be thrown in the trash.
Also, if anyone needs DLT or LTO tape cases (or 8mm or 4mm, assuming the
tapes aren't sold), let me know. We've got a bunch of empty cases that
are going in the trash for those as well.
Pat
--
Purdue University Research Computing --- http://www.rcac.purdue.edu/
The Computer Refuge --- http://computer-refuge.org
