A couple Altair questions:
Question 1 - has anyone seen/created an adapter for the
37-pin d-sub connector for the Altair floppy drive to the
later standard 5.25" floppy interface. I use the term
"standard" rather loosely, but am refering to the 34-pin
connector used by the TRS-80, Heathkit, and numerous
other machines of the late 70's. This "standard" with
a couple changes became the PC's 5.25" interface. It
doesn't look too tough, and I have a basic design in
mind, by why re-invent the wheel if I don't have to?
Question 2 - where can I find some blank hard-sectored
32-sector 8" floppies?
Eric
I thought I'd post a few pictures of my IBM emulation setup. While it's not
complete, it is functioning.
There is a PC box running unix with the hercules emulator on it. This box
has RJ45 ethernet to wireless for the home network. Also a temporary PC
monitor & keyboard (to be replaced with a rackmount 1U lcd/kbd unit soon as
I can find one cheap). Of course, it's just not the same unless you're
running a real IBM 3270 style terminal... so... the PC also has a token ring
card that is connected to a 8223 MAU via type 1 cables. Also connected to
the 8223 is an IBM 3174 establishment controller (dual floppies, 9mb ram,
token ring - config C). Then connected to the 3174 is an IBM 3197 color
display station. Yup, I know it's been done before, but I wanted to do it
too :)
I'm still working on the code that lets my real HP2000/Access TimeShared
BASIC submit COBOL, FTN, BAL, PL/1, etc. jobs to the emulated IBM 370 setup
and get it's output and/or datasets back to the HP. Fun stuff.
I'm also going to try and set up a printer on the 3174 at some point as
well. I had a nice rack picked out for this hercules setup, but decided on a
different rack. Next step is to get all the stuff you see in the pics
rackmounted along with 1/2 tape drive & add SCSI controller to the herc PC.
Anyways, pictures can be seen at : http://www.ezwind.net/jwest/ibm/
MOST of the pics are clear this time :)
Jay
For anyone who is interested, I have posted some photos of the
ADDS Mentor 2000 machine to my site.
It's in the "Other" section... There's an easy to find link under
"New/Updated" near the top of the page.
I've also scanned the documents that I have for it and made
them available as well.
Enjoy,
Dave
--
dave06a (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
Was surfing the web when I came across this documentary on ARPAnet -
features some of the founders, including Davies, Licklider, Heart, and
Khan.
http://xrl.us/kg7y is a redirect to the download - it's on Google Video
- this is an AVI file.
Cute sightings include a PDP-10, and several seconds of a PDP-10 doing
what appears to be a host list dump, with machines like MIT-AI and
MIT-MULTICS appearing. If it was alphabetical, and all-inclusive, this
documentary was made before 1973, as the NORSAR TIP wasn't on the list.
-toresbe :)
Ok - so this particular system wasn't all that secure!
Armed with the info that Jim told me regarding 'END' being "return
to the command prompt" (I had previously thought it ment "end
debugger and continue where you left off") ... I did this:
- Logged into the BACKUP account - got to the menu of
backup commands.
- Hit BREAK - Got me to the '!' debugger prompt.
- Entered 'END' - Got me to the '>' TCL prompt
- Tried LISTVERBS ... This list was much larger than
the one I got from GAMES ... Nearly 300 commands.
Many of them look "systemish" - I'm guessing at this
point that BACKUP may be a privileged account -
makes sense since it would need to access "everything"
in order to back it up)
- Noticed that one of the commands listed is: PASSWORD
- Typed: PASSWORD
System responded with 'Account name?'
- Typed: SYSPROG
System responded with 'New password?' :-)
- Typed 'DAVE'
And returned to the TCL prompt.
.. Sure enough, I can now logon to SYSPROG with
the password 'DAVE'.
Yee - Haw!
Next step is to see if I can backup the system...
Some Q's:
(Keep in mind that I have very little actual info on
Pick system administration and commands - please
be verbose):
- What is the best way to backup the entire system
so that it can be restored?
- From what I have determined, this system can boot
from tape ... Is there a way to make a backup that
is "bootable" (ie: I can boot from the tape and restore
the system). If not, how can I make a bootable tape
that can be used to restore another backup.
[As you might guess, what I am trying to accomplish
is to insure that the system can restored in the event
of a catastrophic failure (either hard-drive or me
screwing something up beyond a functional state).
- Do I need to "format" tapes before using them?
- Is there a way to write to and verify (ie: test) the
tape system?
- Other suggestions/advice welcomed.
Dave
--
dave06a (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
Hi Kelly I will be up on Fri. if that is OK my phone # 610.488.0212 or cell:
903.520.5474 or I will call you if I had your number.
Thanks, Al DePermentier
I was somewhat shocked to find out that my TopMax
EPROM programmer doesn't handle the vintage 2708
1k x 8 EPROM. A very interesting little EPROM
the 2708. It requires +5, -5, and 12v.
Anyway, any advice out there for working with
these old little beasties? I'd like to first
read one, but eventually program them. Or
maybe I should program the 2716 and substitute
them (with appropriate bent-up pins)? Maybe,
too, I could read them after telling my TopMax
it is a 2716 and (again) bending up a few pins,
or maybe using a pulled-pin socket.
The 2708's are found in an S100 EPROM card
in my newly acquired Altair.
Eric
Anybody ever seen one of these before?
http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/1102/041500219xn.jpghttp://img221.imageshack.us/img221/2051/041500256wc.jpghttp://img523.imageshack.us/img523/6451/041500242dq.jpg
This is a LED message display controlled by a R6502-11 microcontroller board.
The keyboard is from a Cosmac ELF, modified to run on power supplied from the uC
board. Connectors are a bit flakey, seems to work but for the input.
Unfortunately it's an ASCII keyboard connection, while I was hoping for it to be
just rs232. Unfortunately this makes it a bit difficult to use for my
application, unless I replace the board with a more modern microcontroller.
Still doubting what to do about that a bit.
greetings,
Michiel
At this point, I don't know what the space numbers are, but I'll post them as
soon as I know. If we have enough interest, maybe we can set up a dinner either
Friday or Saturday night.
I have some classic computer related (heavier) stuff here that some people on
the list were (are?) interested in, and I can bring that stuff and meet at the
Hamvention. I *really* dislike packing up heavier things, and some of it is
almost not worth the price of shipping. I can post some of the stuff to VCM
(http://www.vintagecomputermarketplace.com/) and just bring it with me to save
on shipping (AND my great dislike of packing larger, heavier things.)
OT - If anyone is into ARDF, there may be an event at Dayton again. The first
time I was there (1999), I (along with several others) gave a talk at the
foxhunting forum on ARDF and what it was like to "compete" at the world
championships. And after the talk, most of my time was spent checking out the
fabulous parking lot vendors ... I was in heaven :).
> > Just curious, is anyone on the list going to the Dayton Hamvention? I
> > bought two selling spots, one to park, the other for "stuff" :).
>
> I'll be there. Post your space numbers so folks can look you up.
>
> > 1) find classic computer related stuff, and 2) sell ARDF (Amateur
> > Radio Direction Finding) related stuff
>
> Hey, double temptation! No fair!
>
> De
