test-drb May 2007

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

235 participants
483 discussions

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

I didn't know the 'bus took cartridges. How many different kinds were there? Besides the Peanut, the only other PC I'm aware of that used them was the Mindset. Currently I'm missing a huge mega box of docs and stuph for the 'set, and I'm about ready to burst out in tears. ____________________________________________________________________________________ We won't tell. Get more on shows you hate to love (and love to hate): Yahoo! TV's Guilty Pleasures list. http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/265

17 years, 7 months

A twist on emulation...

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

The links do not works from here. I get an operation timed out error. Allison > >Subject: A twist on emulation... > From: "Graham Toal" <gtoal at gtoal.com> > Date: Mon, 14 May 2007 14:18:26 -0500 > To: cctech at classiccmp.org > >I took a pdp15 compiler and a pdp15 emulator this weekend and >hacked them together in a way such that the compiler outputs >what looks like a windows executable that you can simply run >like a normal DOS (x86 DOS, not the other one) command-line >program. The emulator is embedded in the .EXE along with the >pdp15 code. > >It lets you have the experience of writing in an early 1970's >language for the PDP15 much as if you'd been on the machine >itself, but without the hassle of managing an emulator. > >The language is an early version of Imp, which predates the >more common Imp77 or Imp80 versions; in fact it is actually >much closer to the original Atlas Autocode than it is to the >final versions of Imp. A significant feature of the language is >that it allows embedded PDP15 assembly language. > >Unfortunately I don't have a document describing the early language, >though I do have a few example programs you could look at to >pick it up from. > >The windows-ported binary of the compiler is here: > > http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/windows_port/ > >see the readme.txt for manual installation instructions. > >I'll put up the source of the system and some working example imp15 >source files in a day or two. > >meanwhile related files are: > >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/EMULATOR.txt >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/CompilerOutput.htm > >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/hdcomp-emul.i15.html >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/takeon.i15.html >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/gram.txt > >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/IMP15SYS.TXT > >a trivial hello world program looks like this: > >%begin > %print %text 'Welcome to the 1970''s!' >%end %of %programme > >save it as hello.i15 and then execute these commands: > >imp15 hello >link15 hello >hello > >Here are some more example programs; they're not likely to compile >or run, they're just for looking at to learn the language: > >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/hal/7502/hal7502.i15 >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/hal/interdata/hal70.i15 >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/edit15.txt >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/decode.txt > >The original pdp15 operating system (not needed for this compiler) >is here: >http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/ > >The operating system was basically a run-time environment for >the Imp compiler. > >Graham

17 years, 7 months

The Last of The Line

by RodSmallwood＠mail.ediconsulting.co.uk

Ah Ha ... Thanks and the memory card would be a ???? Rod -----Original Message----- From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Roger Ivie Sent: 14 May 2007 21:02 To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only Subject: RE: The Last of The Line On Mon, 14 May 2007, Rod Smallwood wrote: > When preserving something you go for the best example you can find. > Even so in this case there was no choice involved. I want to keep as > original as I can a a PDP-11 from the era when I was working with them. > Speed is not an issue and a slower (but working)DEC KDJ11 board would > satisfy my criteria for originality. I've never met an 11/94, so I'm no expert. My understanding of the situation was the 11/94 was built when it became possible to put all of the memory on the CPU board. The 11/84 used a CPU board without memory. The memory was in the slots between the CPU board and the UNIBUS adapter, communicating with the CPU board using a private memory interconnect protocol. I don't recall whether there was an additional ribbon cable across the top, like the MicroVAX II. I'm pretty certain (but, have been wrong before) that the KDJ11-BB would be the 11/83 or 11/84 CPU; they used the same CPU board, differing in the backplane and whether the UNIBUS adapter was present. -- roger ivie rivie at ridgenet.net

17 years, 7 months

Lonely Mac..

by robert＠irrelevant.com

I'm mainly a BBC Micro person, but thanks to the local freecycle list, i'm now up to two Apple Macintosh II base units - latest is a IIsi. Unfortunately those are all I've got .. no monitors, no keyboards, no mice. nothing.. These are ADB mouse/kb, so not something I have already.. I've never used a Mac before .. so... has anybody, preferably in the UK, got any spare peripherals going cheep/free so I can at least test them, see what all the fuss was about :-) Cheers, Rob

17 years, 7 months

A local computer history group for my area . . .

by dgreelish＠mac.com

>From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> >Yeah... the definition of "old" tends to be quite subjective, as in >"prior to what was current when _I_ got started with foo." > >I tend to think of "old" as 100% TTL designs, i.e. - >pre-microprocessor, but that's because I got my start with the 6502 >and 1802, then later came upon M-series DEC logic-based machines (like >the PDP-8/L). Well, what I'm trying to do is essentially create a mini VCF that meets each month, so at least for now, the rules are pretty loose. I'll see how many show up this Saturday, then in a month and so on. There is a much smaller potential pool of members on a local level, but I have hopes! Go north-east Florida, we can do it. I'll just mostly stick to the ten year rule for now. I just hope to have a lot of fun and see and "play" with some cool machines I haven't seen that much, or at all. Perhaps a swap meet twice a year would be great too. Best, David David Greelish classiccomputing.com The Classic Computing Podcast Home of Computer History Nostalgia Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer Audio Book Podcast

17 years, 7 months

A twist on emulation...

by gtoal＠gtoal.com

I took a pdp15 compiler and a pdp15 emulator this weekend and hacked them together in a way such that the compiler outputs what looks like a windows executable that you can simply run like a normal DOS (x86 DOS, not the other one) command-line program. The emulator is embedded in the .EXE along with the pdp15 code. It lets you have the experience of writing in an early 1970's language for the PDP15 much as if you'd been on the machine itself, but without the hassle of managing an emulator. The language is an early version of Imp, which predates the more common Imp77 or Imp80 versions; in fact it is actually much closer to the original Atlas Autocode than it is to the final versions of Imp. A significant feature of the language is that it allows embedded PDP15 assembly language. Unfortunately I don't have a document describing the early language, though I do have a few example programs you could look at to pick it up from. The windows-ported binary of the compiler is here: http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/windows_port/ see the readme.txt for manual installation instructions. I'll put up the source of the system and some working example imp15 source files in a day or two. meanwhile related files are: http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/EMULATOR.txt http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/CompilerOutput.htm http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/hdcomp-emul.i15.html http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/takeon.i15.html http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/gram.txt http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/imp-pdp15/IMP15SYS.TXT a trivial hello world program looks like this: %begin %print %text 'Welcome to the 1970''s!' %end %of %programme save it as hello.i15 and then execute these commands: imp15 hello link15 hello hello Here are some more example programs; they're not likely to compile or run, they're just for looking at to learn the language: http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/hal/7502/hal7502.i15 http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/languages/hal/interdata/hal70.i15 http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/edit15.txt http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/decode.txt The original pdp15 operating system (not needed for this compiler) is here: http://history.dcs.ed.ac.uk/archive/os/pdp915/ The operating system was basically a run-time environment for the Imp compiler. Graham

17 years, 7 months

A local computer history group for my area . . .

by RodSmallwood＠mail.ediconsulting.co.uk

Well now let me see now I left School for College in 1964. My major subjects were Industrial Electronics and Computing. We were taken to Harwell Research centre to see 'The' Computer. It was an ICL 1900 series system. It took up three floors of a substantial building. Input on the top floor (80col Cards and papertape). Processing and storage on the middle floor and output on the ground floor. Had to be that way or the vibration from the line printers would have shaken the building to pieces. I remember it was called Atlas and even had an operating system called George III. So that's just over 40 years ago. In computer terms certainly vintage if not veteran. Rod Smallwood -----Original Message----- From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Ethan Dicks Sent: 14 May 2007 16:39 To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts Subject: Re: A local computer history group for my area . . . On 5/14/07, Gordon JC Pearce <gordon at gjcp.net> wrote: > Funny, I don't think my PDP-11 is *that* old. It seems to date from > around 1986. I can't call a computer that was built while I was doing > my 'O' grades "old", I just can't... Yeah... the definition of "old" tends to be quite subjective, as in "prior to what was current when _I_ got started with foo." I tend to think of "old" as 100% TTL designs, i.e. - pre-microprocessor, but that's because I got my start with the 6502 and 1802, then later came upon M-series DEC logic-based machines (like the PDP-8/L). -ethan

17 years, 7 months

Subject: Re: Manuals being scanned

by gtoal＠gtoal.com

>> >Google is particularly bad about fetching documents over and over >> >again. >> >> mmm... any evidence they are using OCR to index pdf's? >> >> of all the places I'd *like* them to OCR, it's bitsavers. >> >> in fact, mmmmm, I'd like to connect the two dots. bitsavers >> + google (and, and/all mit, standford, cmu, ... software archives) >> >> something to start mentioning at various fund raising >> cocktail parties :-) > > To be clear - the problem is that Google consumes bandwidth by > repeatedly downloading static documents, verses downloading dynamic > content whose index status might be new or dirty? Guys, if you want bitkeeper OCR'd, have you tried just *asking* Google if they'd do it? They are scanning and OCR'ing huge amounts of paper all the time, working with various libraries. As far as I know, they're doing this for free, because they want all the world's data... It wouldn't hurt to ask... anyone have any contacts at Google? Also, the Internet Archive will accept a DVD by mail of your archives if spidering is too expensive. I gave them a DVD of the Edinburgh Computer History Project last year. (Not sure if the contents are visible online anywhere, but at least they're in the archives and reasonably safe against me trashing my hard drive again...) G

17 years, 7 months

hp 9153c

by mikep＠triadcomputer.com

Hi Phillip, My company TRIAD sells HP legacy and other IT hardware. I came across your name going through some old User Group threads. Do you still require legacy HP or other IT hardware quotes? TRIAD offers expert techs in HP, Cisco, IBM and Liebert and we'd like to be a vendor for you if appropriate. Cheers, Mike Mike Pisciotta Hardware Sales TRIAD Computer Connection Office: 425-402-1700 Cell: 831-566-9270 Fax: 425-402-1777 mikep at triadcomputer.com

17 years, 7 months

Wanted: National Semi VS100 (phoneme generator?) info

by wh.sudbrink＠verizon.net

I went ahead and reverse engineered the TTL on the NETRONICS ELECTRIC MOUTH, so I have a good idea of the addresses, etc. that it uses. The main component on the board is the above mentioned VS100, a 40-pin chip that seems to be (along with 4 ROMs) the heart of the board. Anybody have any info on this guy? Thanks, Bill No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.0/803 - Release Date: 5/13/2007 12:17 PM

17 years, 7 months

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test-drb May 2007