test-drb January 2009

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

218 participants
340 discussions

Language-specific CPUs was Re: uIEC/SD == AWESOME!

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Language-specific CPUs was Re: uIEC/SD == AWESOME! > From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> > Date: Wed, 31 Dec 2008 13:27:08 -0800 (PST) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >> (Interesting question, though - I wonder what a CPU might look like where you >> could just throw C source code at it, for instance :) > >Well, there *was* the AT&T Hobbit: > > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AT%26T_Hobbit > >Not quite that, but still optimized for C, allegedly. Never worked with >the architecture myself. > C was written for or about the PDP-11. Just about all the C addressing modes and basic OPs are native for pdp11 addressing and many instructions. Then we have the WD Pascal Microengine that basically was the implementation of P-code in microcode. There are machines that are coded for forth primitives directly. I believe somewhere there was or is a a Java engine. Memory says there was a Wang machine that directly executed Basic. Generally it was not uncommon but most were lost to time. Allison >-- >------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- > Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com >-- Immigration is the sincerest form of flattery. -- Jack Paar ----------------

15 years, 3 months

I scanned some stuff

by silent700＠gmail.com

I have started up a document archive made up of stuff I've had sitting around the house and storage that needs to go. Here it is: http://chiclassiccomp.org/docs/ I'm trying to make sure I don't waste time by scanning stuff that's already out there. Consequently, I'm probably also scanning things no one will ever want. But hey, archiving is archiving. I'm starting with ringbound docs I don't have to destroy to scan, or things I didn't consider all that valuable. Stuff that I don't destroy or recycle will be sold or (more likely) given away. Top of that pile right now is the Atari 400/800 BASIC Reference Guide and the 410 Operator's Guide. They are free for the cost of shipping from 60074. They are together in a lovely "Atari Home Computers" ring binder and not all that light. Enjoy, and more to come! -j -- silent700.blogspot.com Retrocomputing and collecting in the Chicago area: http://chiclassiccomp.org

15 years, 3 months

Video pinouts for Sony SMC-70G

by derschjo＠mail.msu.edu

Just acquired one of these bad boys and I've found very little info on it -- it appears to have two video out connectors -- a 25-pin D-sub labeled "RGB Multi Out" and an 8-pin DIN labeled "B/W Multi Out." Anyone know the pinouts of these? Any ideas what kind of monitor I can expect to use with this machine? Anyone have manuals/software archived? I've found an image of a CP/M boot disk at http://ahm.ath.cx/smc70/, but that's about it. Thanks! Josh

15 years, 3 months

Video pinouts for Sony SMC-70G

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

it don't got MSX roms, no. --- On Sat, 1/3/09, Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> wrote: From: Cameron Kaiser <spectre at floodgap.com> Subject: Re: Video pinouts for Sony SMC-70G To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Date: Saturday, January 3, 2009, 10:50 AM > > Just acquired one of these bad boys and I've found very little info on > > it -- it appears to have two video out connectors -- a 25-pin D-sub > > labeled "RGB Multi Out" and an 8-pin DIN labeled "B/W Multi Out." > > Anyone know the pinouts of these?? Any ideas what kind of monitor I can > > expect to use with this machine? > >? ???Interesting machine...looks like a MSX compatible! What sound/video > processor it uses? It isn't, I'm pretty sure. I don't know a great deal about it, but I saw one at VCF East and the exhibitor made pains to point out it is NOT one of the Sony HitBit-type machines (which are their nominal MSX compatiboxen). -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- ? Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- If you want divine justice, die. -- Nick Seldon ----------------------------

15 years, 3 months

ACS Altos 3068

by afra＠aurigae.demon.co.uk

jeff.kaneko at juno.com wrote: > WHat's the approximate vintage of this machine? > I'm asking because many early designs (pre 1988, About the 1986-88 time frame. > or so) used non-standard 'SCSI like' interfaces > to talk to ST-506 or ESDI drives. Well the machine's drives are ST-506 MFM drives controled by a WD2010, though oddly with 16 sec/trk rather than the more normal 17, that most PC MFM interfaces used. It also has a QIC-02 60M tape drive, and a 1.2M Floppy. > The Adaptec ACB-4000 was such a device, for example. > It was marketed as a SCSI bridge, but in reality it > was closer to SASI. OMTI made similar boards, > and you could almost never sub one for the other > because of different implementations of SCSI. Yeah I have an external disk box for the RM-186 that as I believe a Xybec SASI to ST-506 board in it, I tried getting that to talk to a moden controler and it would not, though I have recently discovered that Adaptec SCSI cards don't seem to like really old drive like this which may have been part of the problem in that case. > I saying all of this because if this is true, then > attaching a modern SCSI drive will get you nowhere. Indeed, though it is labeled as SCSI on the back of the machine, and I remeber there being a similar looking SCSI chip in there to the ones in the Sun-3 systems I used to own. Cheers. Phill. -- Phill Harvey-Smith, Programmer, Hardware hacker, and general eccentric ! "You can twist perceptions, but reality won't budge" -- Rush.

15 years, 3 months

Suggestions for VT103?

by derschjo＠mail.msu.edu

Hey all -- Picked up a DEC VT103 with an empty cardcage and I'm trying to decide what manner of Qbus based system to put in it... I understand it's possible to upgrade the backplane to 22 bits -- how is this done? I currently have a MicroVax 1 CPU, an 11/23 half-height CPU, a few misc serial cards and the like, and a nice Emulex ESDI controller in my box of spares... I'm worried about power consumption, though. Anyone else hacked together a system like this and have any recommendations for hardware/software? Thanks! Josh

15 years, 3 months

More ID questions: Centronics 503 printer

by IanK＠vulcan.com

I've had this printer for a while, but I've never found a reference to it in any literature. It bears the legend 'Centronics 503' on the front. It's a wide carriage tractor-feed character printer on a pedestal stand, and actually works pretty well. It's that slightly-orange yellow that I remember Data General being fond of for a while. One of the other things about it: I have a full case of ribbons for it. I've been unable to find a cross-reference that might tell me if there is any other printer that takes these. Any suggestions? -- Ian UNIX is user friendly. It's just selective about who its friends are. Ian S. King, Vintage Systems Engineer Vulcan, Inc. http://www.pdpplanet.org

15 years, 3 months

ID'ing Q-Bus cards.

by andrew＠smokebelch.org

I have a PDP11/53, which on inspection contains 2x M7651: - One cabled to a same-sized card made by Logica and marked 3490/300 - One cabled to a double-sized card marked 3350/304 (assuming Logica) Both these cards appear to be SCSI controllers, but does anyone know any more about them? And I'm wondering if there might be some hoops to jump through in their use, E.g. only support certain drives or require a patched O/S. Looks like one of these M7651/SCSI controller pairs is going to have to go, in order to make room for ethernet... Regards, Andrew -- Andrew Back a at smokebelch.org

15 years, 3 months

AMI S2350 USRT datasheet?

by chrise＠pobox.com

Does anyone happen to have a datasheet or scans from a databook for the AMI S2350 USRT? This is a synchronous receiver/transmitter that was used in several floppy controllers-- including the Heath H17/H88-1 and a PERCOM SS-50 bus (for SWTPC 6800) system that I have. I cannot find any documents for this beast online. I also tried contacting ON Semiconductor who now own AMI but they claim to be unable to find said datasheet. It should be circa 1979, 1980 I believe... if anyone has an AMI databook >from that period. Thanks. Chris -- Chris Elmquist mailto:chrise at pobox.com

15 years, 3 months

shades of Zune: the Apple Newton 2010 problem

by spectre＠floodgap.com

Just in time for the New Year, except with some warning, that Newton OS 2.x will go brown and down just like the Zunes did. However, N2K isn't until 2010. Anyone a Newton hacker who wants to try to fix the now provably b0rk3d solution? Some posts of note: http://myapplenewton.blogspot.com/search/label/2010%20bug -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- A good pun is its own reword. ----------------------------------------------

15 years, 3 months

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test-drb January 2009