All,
I'm interested in getting my hands on the subject hardware and software.
I have some very rare and interesting Corvus items to offer in trade.
Not into Corvus? I also have an extensive collection of Apple 2 software
and hardware. If you can help, or know who can, please contact me
privately.
TIA,
Steve
--
Hi folks,
I just dug my old Osborne OCC1 (1st model, in the beige vacuum-formed ABS
case), only to find all is not well. Actually, "finding" all is not well is
a bit of a white lie - I already knew it was in trouble, from when I last
tried to boot it about 2 years ago...
Unfortunately, the intervening 2 years have failed to fix the problem, which
is that the video seems to have no horizontal hold.
It took a few goes, but eventually it booted from a CP/M disk; with
scrambled video. The links below are to a picture & two versions of the same
video (16 seconds of special-effects laden trickery...):
PIC: The startup screen in scrambled fashion:
http://www.solutionengineer.com/ozzie/occ1_prb.jpg
VID: Booting to CP/M:
MOV format (4mb): http://www.solutionengineer.com/ozzie/occ1_prb.mov
MPEG2 format (9mb):
http://www.solutionengineer.com/ozzie/occ1_prb.mpg
Please excuse the camera wobble on the movie... The constant high-pitch
whine is, I think, the image stabiliser in my camera working away.
Now.... If I pull the termination block off the External Video connector,
the screen goes out (as one would expect); push it back on & the screen
comes back on with the display as steady as a rock -- unfortunately, it's
crashed the computer... From this, I deduce that it must be something in the
mainboard electronics that's failed (a cap, maybe?), rather than something
in the monitor unit.
Any ideas where to start looking? I have an oscilloscope (albeit I've
forgotten how to use it, and am not 100% sure where the probes are), and a
multimeter... beyond that, not a lot.
I've tried cleaning the contacts to the monitor, and around the Ext Vid.
termination block; and I've wiggled the three cable connectors to the
mainboard a few times to clean them up. I've also popped each of the three
socketed chips in & out a couple of time to clean the legs up. Finally, I
soldered the contrast knob back together - one of the legs had broken.
Basically, everything works except for the shaky video. Sometimes you see a
whole page full of 1s, or 0s; essentially, it's all a bit random. Bad
connection somewhere, perhaps, or maybe a failing chip?
Cheers!
Ade.
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG.
Version: 7.5.524 / Virus Database: 269.23.16/1431 - Release Date: 13/05/2008
19:55
----------Original Message:
Date: Tue, 20 May 2008 10:28:11 -0600
From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com>
Subject: Re: Capacitor values for original PET power supply?
In article <20080520111556.GD1028 at usap.gov>,
Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at usap.gov> writes:
> The memory board looks interesting - any idea what was meant to go
> in the cartridge slots?
I wonder if it isn't a memory board scavenged out of some other piece
of hardware and simply hacked to appear as more memory in the PET?
--
----------Reply:
I think if that were the case, the interface to the PET expansion connector
would be a lot messier than what looks like a straight-across ribbon cable
with just a transition board to connect to the old-style edge connector, so
it does look like it's specifically for the PET, presumably with optional
different transition boards for the different PET connectors.
An interesting board indeed; what could those slots be for? I don't think
C64 carts would work very well in a PET...
m
That part of the Corestore collection which remains in the UK is finally moving!
Most will be put in a shipping container and taken to the USA, some will be remaining in the UK at a different location. But there may not be room for everything, so some items may need rescuing.
The first item on the list for probable disposal is the Convex C220 supercomputer... I rescued it myself around 12 years ago, it's been untouched since then: http://www.corestore.org/convex.htm
Complete, with manuals and software. If I'm honest I'm probably not going to have time or, especially, space for it, so first offer of a good home takes it. If no offers are received, it may sadly end up scrapped. If the will is there but time is a problem it can probably remain in Cambridge for a couple of weeks. RSVP by email, ASAP.
Thanks!
Mike
http://www.corestore.org
_________________________________________________________________
Keep your kids safer online with Windows Live Family Safety.
http://www.windowslive.com/family_safety/overview.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Re…
If anyone's interested I have an Altos-III terminal with keyboard (slightly
yellowed) and manual available. There's a fault in the PSU and it isn't
bringing up the logic board power properly, and so far I haven't gotten
around to
messing with it.
Free pickup as-is, Renton, WA.
If you have something to trade you'd probably be able to persuade me to make
fixing it a priority.
Also I have a Diablo 620 daisy-wheel printer with multiple print wheels,
spare ribbons, and manual. works, best offer accepted.
Also in the free pile:
HP AdvanceStack "Switching Hub" for 10BaseT (it's a hub, not a switch).
Includes management module
Cartridge for Canon LBP-SX printer engine (LaserJet II/many LaserWriter IIs),
also a used-working fuser assembly for the SX engine
Sun Type-4 keyboards (no cables)
SBUS parallel cards
CG6's
a XENIX-compatible Pentium-233 machine (used to run XENIX at a dental office)
a Sun Aurora-II chassis and PSU - put a fast 1/2 height CD-ROM in your
SPARCstation!
Xyplex MAXserver terminal server cards and
baa-daa-bum
a Xyplex X-25 bridge card! Infuriate yourself or buy for your closest
enemies! Can even supply a MX3k or MX5k chassis for the above 2 things if you
want.
Sun 3/200 boardset (CPU and RAM, 24 or 32MB worth). Needs chassis and a PROM
chip.
Sun 501-1153 VME -> IPI-2
Sun VME "SCSI-II" (not that SCSI-II, it's SCSI-I) card in either a X/X60
carrier (no external port) or a carrier with an external DD50 SCSI-port.
Sun Xylogics-450 Multibus SMD controller in a Sun VTM adaptor. Can be removed
>from the VTM as well.
AT-101 keyboards, many of them.
Possibly a RS/6000 3CT as well. It has GXT150M graphics, sound.
**************
Get trade secrets for amazing burgers. Watch "Cooking with
Tyler Florence" on AOL Food.
(http://food.aol.com/tyler-florence?video=4&
?NCID=aolfod00030000000002)
Does anyone here have any pointers on getting a decent used oscilloscope?
The intended use is for fiddling with classic computers and assorted
homebrewed projects (like synthesizers and geiger counters)
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
On Wed, 21 May 2008, Robert Jarratt wrote:
> Have you tried contacting the BCS Computer Conservation Society? I have
> forwarded your email to them just in case.
I forget if it's been mentioned here, but Slashdot had a story a few days
ago about how Bletchley Park was having money troubles and is danger of
closing...
--
David Griffith
dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu
A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?
-----------Original Message:
Date: Wed, 21 May 2008 12:42:58 +0000
From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at usap.gov>
Subject: Re: Capacitor values for original PET power supply?
<snip>
Between subroutines past $9800, and some tables referenced
earlier, and a complete lack of a reasonable end of the code,
I'd say that's only the half of it.
It was common to stuff code in 2K or 4K chunks between $9000
and $BFFF... the hex files, though, seem to only describe
2K chunks. Are your ROMs all 2K and some haven't been copied
yet?
-ethan
-----------------------Reply:
Looks like there are only three, but it might be interesting to know what
the other labels say (and confirm the EPROM sizes).
Computhink also made other add-ons, including a disk drive IIRC, so those
PCB slots are probably for things like the disk interface, etc.
You might be able to track down someone through old archives who has (had)
the manual for it.
m
m
