test-drb July 2007

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

189 participants
323 discussions

by alhartman＠yahoo.com

Hi all, I have one of these beasts in my Atari-ST and it's not working. I haven't been able to find the manual for it. If anyone out there has the manual, and can make a copy for me, I'd reimburse the copy fee, postage and send you something for your trouble. Or... If anyone knows any of the principals of Aerco (from Texas if I remember) who can put me in touch with one, who might have the manual would be great! Thanks!! Al Phila, PA

17 years, 5 months

Apricot F1 software needed

by classiccmp＠memory-alpha.org.uk

Hi, > Speaking of Apricots... I've got an F1 I purchased from ebay >and it came with a full set of manuals, but no software. Can >anyone help me out? I gave away almost all of my Apricot collection (and software) some time ago, however you should find something useful over at "www.actapricot.org". TTFN - Pete.

17 years, 5 months

Drum vs. Core

by roger.holmes＠microspot.co.uk

> > Core was available by 1952, most of the big machines after this > date (on this side > of the pond at least) were core based. The IBM 650 was actually one > of the smaller > machines, at least inasmuch as IBM was already making much larger > machines > (the 700 series). Wasn't core memory very expensive in the beginning? It had to be hand assembled, at least in the early days. I think there was a more gradual take up than you suggest. Of course the more expensive machines which used it first saw a huge speed increase over drum main memory. When I was at university (71-74), the college's mainframe still used a drum from program overlays (probably really the virtual memory backing storage, but possibly just dumping and restoring the whole program between time slices. The machine was no slouch, it was serving about a hundred terminals and running a couple of batch streams as well (Maximop and George 2). Mid 1970s I remember seeing a small plastic pot about the size of a 35mm film canister, which was full of about 100,000 unstrung cores, they were tiny! They were used in the Marconi-Elliott 920ATC computer and also in the early Cruise missiles and some torpedoes. Ever wondered why a British submarine used a WW2 type torpedo to sink the big Argentinian Cruiser? My theory is that they were too worried about the modern torpedoes coming back and blowing themselves up, so they used one they trusted to go where it was pointed. Hopefully 25 years on, they've sorted out the terrible guidance system. Not related, but apparently the programmers were in a quandary as to what the program should do after it had issued the order to detonate. Like the old TV series 'Waiting for God'. The first machine which ICT introduced with core memory was in 1962, though physically large, the 1300 was a medium power machine, seen more as a versatile tabulator for accounts rather than scientific work, though it had a structural frame analysis package and even PERT, though I suppose that is just up market accounting in a way. Customers did all sorts of other work on it too, helping to design 'planes and even playing music on the built in speaker. There's a wonderful program called Ghost, only a half a dozen instructions, which uses the variable length of the multiply instruction to make a ghostly sound on the speaker. Its a good test of the CPU too, and can be keyed in through the control panel if need be in a minute or so. Also has drums - each one 12000 words x 48 bits run by a 3/4 horsepower motor and occupying 2ft x 2ft x 5 ft. Compared to the 8GB SDHC card for my 12MP camera which is about an inch by an inch by a sixteenth and stores 100,000 times as much in about 1 / 500,000 times the volume. And the core store is one sixth the capacity of the drum in a greater volume.

17 years, 5 months

[Fwd: Jim Butterfield passes away]

by brain＠jbrain.com

Jim Butterfield of TPUG and PET SW fame, in case anyone is interested: -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Jim Butterfield passes away Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2007 19:51:37 -0400 From: Robert Bernardo <rbernardo at IGLOU.COM> Reply-To: COMMODORE COMPUTERS DISCUSSION <COMMODOR at LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU> To: COMMODOR at LISTSERV.BUFFALO.EDU --- Forwarded message --- I regret to advise the Commodore community that Jim Butterfield has passed away. Jim died at 1:30 AM on June 29 after battling cancer which infected many parts of his body. His family advises that there will not be a funeral as such but a commemoration of Jim's life is planned in the next month or two. At the moment that is all the detail that I have to report. We have all lost a truly wonderful friend and teacher. Ernie Chorny -- Jim Brain, Brain Innovations (X) brain at jbrain.com Dabbling in WWW, Embedded Systems, Old CBM computers, and Good Times! Home: http://www.jbrain.com

17 years, 5 months

Bob Rosenbloom <bobalan@sbcglobal.net>

by brad＠heeltoe.com

Bob Rosenbloom wrote: > >5. DEC RA81 disc drive, with cables. > >6. DEC RL02 cartridge drive, this one may be for parts, it's missing the >door latch parts, > but otherwise looks complete. > >7. DEC PDP/11-44 computer. This has the following boards and came with >the RA81 drive: Just curious, where are you located? (I'm on the east coast) -brad

17 years, 5 months

VTL Listing Altair 680

by grant＠stockly.com

I just typed up the listing for VTL but I'm missing a few lines. I need to know what line #179, #239, and #529. I'd like to know the entire line. If anyone has access to the VTL manual I would love to get the missing lines. : ) I will provide the EPROM set to anyone interested for cost. This is what I have so far. There are probably some mistakes but I can't ever finish without the missing lines. Grant FC00: 8E 00 F1 4F CE FE FB 8D 42 4F 97 4A 97 4B BD FE | GS FC10: A3 24 3B 8D 24 27 E9 8D 65 27 E5 EE 00 DF 4A DE | GS FC20: 42 08 08 08 8D 13 27 0D DE 42 EE 00 9C 4A 27 05 | GS FC30: 08 DF 46 20 E2 8D 5A 20 E0 DF 72 BD FD EC 08 A6 | GS FC40: 00 8D 03 DE 4A 39 81 22 26 4E 08 7E FD 75 DF 74 | GS FC50: 97 4A D7 4B DE 4A 26 69 CE 01 08 9C 50 27 BA DF | GS FC60: 42 A6 00 E6 01 BD FD 20 DE 42 08 08 BD FD 58 BD | GS FC70: FE F2 20 E7 DE 42 08 08 6D 00 26 FB 08 39 CE 01 | GS FC80: 08 DF 42 9C 50 27 10 A6 01 90 4B A6 00 92 4A 24 | GS FC90: 04 20 EC 86 FF 39 BD FD 80 37 36 DE 72 BD | GS FCA0: FD FF 32 C1 24 26 04 33 7E FF 81 C0 3F 27 70 5C | GS FCB0: 33 26 01 3F A7 00 E7 01 DB 52 99 53 97 52 D7 53 | GS FCC0: 39 8D BB 27 18 EE 00 9C 4A 26 12 8D A7 9E 42 9C | GS FCD0: 50 27 08 A6 00 36 08 31 31 20 F4 9F 50 DE 74 C6 | GS FCE0: 03 6D 00 27 31 5C 08 6D 00 26 FA 4F DB 51 99 50 | GS FCF0: 97 3C D7 3D D0 59 92 58 24 22 DE 50 9E 3C 9F 50 | GS FD00: 08 09 E6 00 37 9C 42 26 F8 9E 4A AF 00 9E 74 34 | GS FD10: 08 33 E7 01 26 FA 83 00 F1 7E FC 09 7E FC 00 33 | GS FD20: CE 00 82 DF 6C CE FE 5B DF 6E EE 00 DF 70 CE 00 | GS FD30: 70 BD FE 65 36 DE 6C 96 69 8B 30 A7 00 08 DF 6C | GS FD40: DE 6E 32 08 08 6D 01 26 DF CE 00 81 63 05 03 E6 | GS FD50: 00 C1 30 27 F9 73 00 86 4F 97 87 E6 00 08 D1 87 | GS FD60: 27 05 BD FF 81 20 F4 BD FF 24 24 5B 8D 04 C1 03 | GS FD70: 27 AA 7E FF 00 8D E2 A6 00 81 3B 27 5D 7E FE F2 | GS FD80: 8D 46 36 A6 00 27 02 81 29 32 27 4E 8D 04 DE 64 | GS FD90: 20 F0 36 37 A6 00 36 03 8D 2E 97 6A D7 6B DF 64 | GS FDA0: CE 00 6A 32 33 81 2A 26 6E 32 97 68 D7 69 69 10 | GS FDB0: D7 66 4F 5F 74 00 68 76 00 69 24 02 8D 5E 68 01 | GS FDC0: 69 00 7A 00 66 26 ED 39 BD FE A5 24 0E C1 EF 26 | GS FDD0: 0B DF 76 BD FE D6 8D A8 DE 76 08 39 C1 24 26 05 | GS FDE0: 8D 90 4F 08 39 C1 28 26 03 08 20 94 8D 11 A6 00 | GS FDF0: E6 01 DE 70 39 8D 89 58 49 DB 51 99 50 20 0E 36 | GS FE00: 00 08 37 C1 3A 27 EE 4F C4 3F CB 02 58 DF 70 97 | GS FE10: 6C D7 6D DE 6C 33 39 81 2B 26 06 32 EB 01 A9 00 | GS FE20: 39 81 2D 26 06 32 E0 01 A2 00 39 81 2F 26 0C 32 | GS FE30: 8D 33 97 4E D7 4F 96 68 D6 69 39 80 3D 26 0C 32 | GS FE40: 8D E4 26 03 5D 27 02 C6 FF 20 0D 4A 32 27 07 8D | GS FE50: D5 59 4F C4 01 39 8D F7 53 20 F7 27 10 03 E8 00 | GS FE60: 64 00 0A 00 01 7F 00 66 7C 00 66 63 01 69 00 24 | GS FE70: F7 66 00 66 01 7F 00 68 7F 00 69 8D A9 24 04 8D | GS FE80: 9B 0C 9C 0D 79 00 69 79 00 68 7A 00 66 27 12 64 | GS FE90: 00 66 01 20 E6 E6 00 C1 3A 2A 04 C1 30 2C 02 0D | GS FEA0: 39 0C 39 8D 31 8D EE 25 F9 4F 5F EB 00 89 00 C0 | GS FEB0: 30 82 00*87?66*D7 67 08 37 8D DA 33 25 E3 58 49 | GS FEC0: 58 49 DB 67 99 66 58 49 20 E1 C1 40 27 06 08 8C | GS FED0: 00 4A 26 08 8D 1C CE 00 02 09 27 F8 BD FF 00 E7 | GS FEE0: 87 C1 5F 27 F4 C1 0D 28 F3 26 DF 6F 87 CE 00 33 | GS FEF0: 20 04 C6 0D 8D 02 C6 0A 7E FF 31 0D 0A 4F 4B 00 | GS

17 years, 5 months

HP FAB boards

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

Would anyone happen to have a spare FAB board or two for the 21MX/1000 boxes? One of mine is physically damaged and I'd like to keep that particular box running. I'll gladly trade or buy for one.... Jay West

17 years, 5 months

Telephony switches - is there anyone out there collecting these?

by classiccmp＠memory-alpha.org.uk

Hi, > I have a couple of the old GPO [1] Modem 2B units.... Brings back memories....the 2B was my first modem back in '85. Lots of fun, but not as convenient as one which responds to Hayes "AT" commands. I may still have some documentation somewhere if it's any use to you? TTFN - Pete.

17 years, 5 months

What are the really unusual or weird computers?

by classiccmp＠memory-alpha.org.uk

Hi, >>....The earlier assertion that it was miles away from an IBM PC >>just isn't true.... Oh, but it is....just take a look at the Apricot Technical Reference manual. > Thinking about it more, my statement about peripherals might be >stretching it. I don't *recall* any problems with 3rd party >peripherals like modems and whatnot.... Well, the Apricots had a bog standard RS232 connector and the printer interface was standard "Centronics" (though it used a female Centronics connector rather than a DB-25 as many other machines used). Also, since the thing didn't have an ISA bus, any internal expansion options would be designed specifically for the "Apricot bus" and have the appropriate drivers.... >....The F1 doesn't look like it has compatible connectors for standard IBM >PC peripherals, but ISTR that the Xi *did* have ISA slots.... No, the "F" series machines use the same "Apricot" expansion bus as the earlier PC & Xi and the later Xen series. The first Apricot machine to have an ISA bus inside was the "Xen-i", which was also Apricot's first (mostly) IBM compatible machine. >....The F1 wasn't intended to be expanded very much.... That's because the "F" series machines were primarily intended to be "home" machines. TTFN - Pete.

17 years, 5 months

Modem 13A

by ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk

I also came across that Modem 13A that I mentioned a few days ago, the one that's a plinth under a normal 746 telephone. The phone part is pretty normal, apart from having 2 buttons on top, in front of the handset rest, labelled 'TELE' and 'DATA'. They are interlocked so that presing one releases the other, and both are released buy the heandset rest. The 'TELE' button operates a microswitch, the connections of which go nowhere, the 'DATA' buttom operates a multi-pole changeover switch, again most of the contacts aren't used. The rest of the phone is what I'd expect in a rotary-dial 746. The base of the plinth comes off by 4 captive screws. Inside is a PCB, component side down (so you can see the components when the base is removed), also hald in by a further 4 captive screws. There are 8 wires >from the modem PCB up into the phone sectionm and a label inside the base seems to indicate that 2 of them are used to externally power the modem (it can be line-powered) -- these wires go to 2 otherwise unused terminals on a terminal strip, 4 of the wires are to be linked in 2 pairs (again done on said terminal strip) and the remaining 2 wires go to the line (presumably via that DATA switch. There are 4 terminals on the PCB that go to a cable that comes out the back. The label gives the 'CCITT circuit numbers' for each terminal, I've not looked them up yet, but they're going to be normal RS232 signals. The PCB contians a number of discrete transistors, a number of 8-lead TO99 cansm which I susepct (from the part number and connections) to be 748 op-amps and a single 14 pin DIL device, which might be something like a 7403 (???) And a lot of pot-core inductors and strange-value poiystyrene capacitors, presumably for filtering. -tony

17 years, 5 months

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test-drb July 2007