test-drb September 2006

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

200 participants
374 discussions

by jbdigriz990＠yahoo.com

Tony Duell wrote: >>The other major loss is the diagrams on his TI59 calculator page >>(http://xgistor-echo.ath.cx/ti59.htm), again this appears to be unique >>material not available anywhere else. The files there were called >>TI59-Diag+psu-in-eps.zip, TI59-PSU.zip, TI59annotation-8.zip, >>Ti59Diagram0401.zip, ti59-Emu-v11.exe, ti59blokdiagram.jpg, >>ti59corechips.jpg, ti59diagram.jpg, ti59scandiagram.jpg, >>ti59clocktiming.jpg, ti59psu.jpg, ti59cmplx.jpg > > >It's not the same thing, but, being graphically-challenged on this PC, I >made notes of the pinouts of the ICs, etc, from said files by hand in a >notebook. I still have that, and could type in said pinouts (which would >be a great help to anyone trying to recreate the files by >reverse-engineering a TI59 or whatever). > >If the originals don't turn up anywhere, let me know and I'll get typing. > >-tony > I have the following files (the jpg's in the html page): ti59blokdiagram.jpg ti59corechips.jpg ti59diagram.jpg ti59scandiagram.jpg ti59clocktiming.jpg ti59psu.jpg ti59cmplx.jpg I sent Tony a private msg, waiting to hear back from him where to upload them. So I can save you that much typing, anyway :-) jbdigriz ps. Tony Wills, I do not have the files in the ftp download area, including the emulater, however. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

17 years, 7 months

FW: Third round of Diskette Experiments completed (results)

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Hi, I thought some of you might be interested in Pauls experiments. Has anyone here conducted similar experiments? Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk --- Paul Panks <lumberjacks76 at lycos.com> wrote: The third phase of the now infamous '5.25" Diskette Experiments' have been completed. These experiments began back in 2003 and are in their third (and thankfully final) installment. I did the tests this evening and came to some (not surprising) conclusions. Here were the three tests: The Diskette Experiments, Phase III ---------------------------------- The Test Disks -------------- I used three separate test disks, one for each of the three tests. On Track 17-0 through 15-5 was placed a 61 block file (15,419 bytes), Cleve Blakemore's Dark Fortress (typed in from the January 1987 issue of Ahoy! magazine). On Track 19-0 through 22-1 was placed a 61 block file, the same aforementioned Cleve Blakemore game. The desire was to have two reasonably sized programs as the first two programs on disk, occupying an aggregate total of 122 disk blocks. The tests would determine three things about each disk: 1) Could a disk still be read by the disk drive? 2) If so, could the original data (both programs) be read and verified without a single bit error? 3) Thirdly, could the disk then be formatted and a simple read/write performed to it? The results of the tests are as follows, with some surprises: Drunk Disk ---------- The original test was going to be beer (1/2 cup) and water (1/2 cup) for thirty minutes. This test was later modified from using beer to oatmeal (1 package), non-fat dry milk (1/2 cup) and water (three 8 oz. cups), mixed in a bowl, which I then let stand for thirty minutes. The disk was then removed and allowed to quickly dry via a paper towel, wiped gently against both sides. The result was a disk that did not read, as the internal mylar floppy could very barely be moved by force from side to side by this person (more than any of the experiments, the oatmeal, water and dry milk mixture really stuck the disk to the jacket quite solidly). Conclusion: The disk is unreadable due to a physical (non-bit) failure of the disk jacket and internal disk mylar heavily sticking to the jacket itself. The Hot and Cold Affair ----------------------- This test called for putting ice cubes on the front side of the disk, while simultaneously holding the back side of the disk over a stovetop range at Medium heat (held approximately 3/4th of a foot from the surface of the stovetop due to overwhelming heat and potential hand burn considerations). The disk was held over the surface for a period of ten (10) minutes, while carefully juggling the ice cubes on the 1st surface simultaneously. The disk was allowed to cool for a period of 20 minutes, then read. The result was a disk that did not read, as the internal mylar floppy could barely be moved by force from side to side by this person. Conclusion: The disk is unreadable due to a physical (non-bit) failure of the disk jacket and internal disk mylar semi-sticking to the jacket itself. The Walk About -------------- This round of testing required walking on a disk using three separate shoes, using moderate pressure, for a period of 1 minute each. The shoes were: two business dress-style shoes, with small platform-like heels, and golf shoes (non-metal spikes used). The disk was walked on using moderate pressure and substituting each shoe for 20 seconds each, for a total of 1 minute aggregate time. The disk was then immediately read by the disk drive. The result was a disk that did not read, as the internal mylar floppy could barely be moved (though easier than the first experiment) by force from side to side by this person. Conclusion: The disk is unreadable due to a physical (non-bit) failure of the disk jacket and internal disk mylar semi-sticking to the jacket itself. Experiment Phase III Conclusions -------------------------------- The disks were a total loss, as the experiment never progressed beyond the first question asked ("Could a disk still be read by the disk drive ?"). Disks are not impervious to permanent and irreversible physical damage from oatmeal, milk, water, heat ( >= 250 degrees F ), ice cubes, shoes and golf spikes. It is strongly recommended by this person that end users strictly avoid such implements (as described above) when at, near or around a floppy disk or drive. Paul

17 years, 7 months

Commodore 128s and SX-64

by alvindebord＠mac.com

I have two complete Systems with Manuals, Printers, and quite a bit of software. Don't use them anymore and need to give them a new home. Mike in Ottawa, Ontario suggested I contact you. If you can help me sell these, I would highly appreciate it. I can be contacted at; alandmaedeb at yahoo,com Not sure how long I'll have access to the Mac Mail. Al DeBord, Chillicothe, OH, 45601, USA

17 years, 7 months

Sipke de Wal, xgistor, SC/MP, TI59

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Sipke de Wal, xgistor, SC/MP, TI59 > From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > Date: Fri, 29 Sep 2006 07:44:44 +1200 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >On 9/28/06, Tony Wills <ajwills at paradise.net.nz> wrote: >> >> Re Sipke's xgistor.ath.cx website and his National Semiconductor SC/MP >> (Scamp) CPU emulator, thanks for the replies I've had so far. I've >> collected up many of the files formerly from his site and created an "echo" >> of his site... >> The SC/MP page is now complete (http://xgistor-echo.ath.cx/scmp.htm), but >> I've seen no sign of his SC/MP emulator and would dearly love to see a >> copy. The emulator was in a file called Scmp09.zip 1.3MB > >Thanks for doing this. I did have a look and did not happen to snag a copy >of the emulator in years past, but I probably should have, given that I have >multiple INS8073 systems. The 8073 is extended over the Sc/mpII. The flavor I have is the the isp500 (pmos) and The 8073 which has Nibble BASIC. >Since folks are digging around for SC/MP stuff, does anyone have a >disassembler? I'm trying to dig into some INS8073 firmware and would >rather not a) do it by hand with an instruction set listing, or b) write a >disassembler from scratch. I'd prefer a UNIX-compatible disassembler, >but could use a DOS one if that's all there is out there. Never seen one. The only assembler I'd ran under ISIS. I'd love to get an assembler and a few tools for the 8073 to play with it more outside of basic. Allison

17 years, 7 months

VAX4000 available in UK

by coredump＠gifford.co.uk

I've just been sent this e-mail about a VAX4000 in Luton: > From Jez Higgins <jez at jezuk.co.uk> via accu-general list. > > Just received this from a friend of mine. If anyone's interest, > please contact me offlist. > > -------- Original Message -------- > Subject: 'ere, fancy this? > Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 09:32:47 +0100 (BST) > > Need an answer asap - any interest in a gratis VAX4000 with three > external optical drives? Deadline - I need to know by Sunday night as > disposal is Monday morning. > > ----------------------------------- > > I don't have any further information at the moment. The machine > itself is probably in the Luton area. I'm trying to find out if > it works :) > > Jez I have no more info about this thing than the above. Probably best to reply directly to Jez Higgins, at the e-mail shown. -- John Honniball coredump at gifford.co.uk

17 years, 7 months

OT: You know you've been reading classiccmp too much when...

by mtapley＠swri.edu

All, night before last, I dreamed someone was showing me a piece of circa 1950 or so radio gear, which was so constructed as to *accept* power via a standard 120V wall socket built into its back. The problem with that arrangement is that it implied the existence of a "power adapter cord" with a normal 120V wall plug (with two exposed blades) on either end. As soon as this piece of gear was shown to my dream incarnation, I started yelling "No! NO! That shouldn't exist!" and trying to take a big pair of shears to it to eliminate the safety hazard. I remember the museum curator, or whoever was showing me this, looking displeased just before I woke up, and my wife, looking displeased just after I (and she) woke up. -- Mark Tapley, Dwarf Engineer (I haven't cleared my neighborhood) 210-379-4635

17 years, 7 months

Data I/O Model 29 info?

by dave06a＠dunfield.com

Anyone on the list intimately familier with the Data I/O 29A and/or 29B device programmers? Went for a "last hurrah" today at a surplus shop which is closing it's doors - what started as a simple inquiry about a logicpak module I saw on the shelf ended in me taking home a boatload of modules, adapters and other 29x "bits". Which has spawned a few Q's... Dave -- dave06a (at) Dave Dunfield dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com com Collector of vintage computing equipment: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/index.html

17 years, 7 months

OT(ish): Need 4 Gig RAM for your HP9000?

by zmerch-cctalk＠30below.com

Under 10 years old I'd guess, but hopefully I won't get lambasted due to the "kewlness" factor... Dunno if it's a "great" deal or anything, I know nada about HP9K systems, but if you just hafta have 4 Gig of RAM in yours... http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=140009204616 Laterz, Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- Roger "Merch" Merchberger | Anarchy doesn't scale well. -- Me zmerch at 30below.com. | SysAdmin, Iceberg Computers

17 years, 7 months

Paper tape Utilities/Images

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Paper tape Utilities/Images > From: "Dave Dunfield" <dave06a at dunfield.com> > Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 05:49:15 -0500 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >> Dave wrote..... >> > I have posted the utilities I created to read paper tapes to my site in >> > the Software/Images section (near the bottom of the main page): >> ...snip... PTR/PTC ...snip... >> >> Dave.... have you considered supporting serially attached paper tape >> reader/punches instead of just parallel devices? > >Hi Jay, > >I'd be happy to ... but I don't have a serial reader, so I need info on >the details of the interface (does it just send the raw serial stream as >read from the tape or is there some protocol around it). Dave, Most of the serial PTR/PTP I used were not unlike the ASR33, The only protocal was the usual; start and stop bits of serial comms. So for every byte read by the reader you got a byte in serial form. It's just a stream of chars (7 or 8bit) as punched on the tape. Reminder, leader on most of those will be read as zeros so the average tape will have a long line of zeros preceeding the content. There was one I'd used (deep memory test ca1977) that used the CTS line on the serial output to a corospnding line on the serial input (both for punch and reader) as hardware flow control (their manual called it hardware restraint). For that case CTS gated read(send bytes) no read and for the punch case CTS gated the hosts ability to send the next byte until the punch was ready for the next character. This was only needed for slow (read case) hosts that could not accept the 300cps read or a fast (relative) host that could over run the 75cps punch. Oddly enough the unit (punch reader was Remex with custom third party board) only had 4800 baud serial rate! Only saw one like it and the closest Remex model was parallel only. That's the hardware.. The tapes them selves could be Intel hex format, Moto S records, binary, ASCI text or some vendors format (relocatable binary or hex in some cases). Never minding DEC BIN and RIM formats. The oddest and is old Intel BNPF! FYI: for those not familiar that was a ROM submission format and Xasm output format. Each byte was recorded on Ptape as example: 11000011 C3h BPPNNNNPPF (yes 10 chars on tape!) 00000000 00h BNNNNNNNNF 00010000 10h BNNNPNNNNF The small advanatage is human readable. It was self cehcking at the char level as anything other than BNPF was invalid. I was wasy to do a simple reader needed only to sense three holes (sprocket and two bits) to discern if the character was B,N,P or F making it very easy to serialize. I had to do that back in '74 as a lab EE for a controller (8008 based) project. Allison

17 years, 7 months

cctalk Digest, Vol 37, Issue 55

by gkaufman＠the-planet.org

From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > By 'out', I assume you mean towards higher numbered tracks -- that is > with the head closer to the spindle. Yup, sorry - typically the worse errors are after track 50ish. > I can see no obvious reason why you'd get more errors on inner tracks if > the alignment was off. The errors would be on all tracks I would think. > Unless your leadscrew is so warn that the head is not properly postiioned > (I have _never_ seen that happen). > > A worn/dirty head might give more errors on the inner tracks where the > bit density is higher (shorter tracks), though > Thanks, all very good thoughts! - Gary

17 years, 7 months

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test-drb September 2006