test-drb February 2011

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

155 participants
210 discussions

by silent700＠gmail.com

What started out as a novelty search for an old IBM COBOL coding sheet has turned into a serious-ish quest: I am now looking for any original IBM (and other) coding forms so that I might build a collection on our documents site. As for IBM, Google has helped me uncover the part/form # GX28-1464 for the COBOL form, GX09-0011 for FORTRAN and GX21-9279 for Assembler. More useful would be part # GX21-9818, which is listed as "Coding Forms Masters" and may contain these and other forms. If anyone has these and can a) scan them with high quality or b) lend/send them to me for scanning, I'd much appreciate it. Of course, if my Google-fu has failed and they're already out there, pointers to the downloads will do, too. -- jht

13 years, 10 months

Anyone want an IBM/Hitachi 5.25in 2.4MB floppy drive?

by classiccmp＠philpem.me.uk

Hi guys, I'm toying with the idea of importing a couple of Hitachi HFD532EIU 5.25in 2.4MB floppy drives from the USA. Thing is, the postage on these is rather steep -- they won't quite fit into a USPS Small flat-rate box, and the next size up is the $47.50 Medium International flat-rate box (or $65 via Priority Mail in the seller's own box... yeah, right). So here's the question. Given that each drive costs $15, plus $47.50 shipping for all three, would anyone be interested in taking one or two of these drives off my hands for the cost of the drive, plus a contribution towards the original postage fee (the $48)? (I'm also open to offers along the lines of "I have a spare you can have for less money!" -- I only need one drive, and maybe a spare) Thanks, -- Phil. classiccmp at philpem.me.uk http://www.philpem.me.uk/

13 years, 10 months

Historical Computer Society

by david＠classiccomputing.com

On Feb 7, 2011, at 3:46 AM, cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: >> This is a group to become a lot like MARCH (http://www.marchclub.org/) > > We prefer http://www.midatlanticretro.org. OK, sorry, I'll start referencing that URL. >> for the greater Atlanta / southeast US region. A few of us had our first meeting in a restaurant yesterday, so I think that is a good start. > > David, you're probably sick of hearing me repeat this, but I strongly > suggest that you follow MARCH's lead and put something about Atlanta or > at least "Southeast" in your new group name. That would help * local * > people find you, rather than people thinking, "Looks like an interesting > group .... oh wait they're only in some place far away from me." No, I actually agree, and we discussed this in our first meeting on Saturday. One of the names to consider is SEARCH (pretty cool) - S = south E = east A = area R = retro C = computing H = hobbyists That's a lot like MARCH, so you guys don't mind? Best, David Greelish, Computer Historian Classic Computing The Home of Computer History Nostalgia http://www.classiccomputing.com Classic Computing Blog Classic Computing Show video podcast "Stan Veit's History of the Personal Computer" audiobook podcast Retro Computing Roundtable podcast Historical Computer Society Classic Computing Expo 1.0 - planning for sometime late 2011!

13 years, 10 months

RFC: DiscFerret configuration files

by classiccmp＠philpem.me.uk

Hi guys, I'm working on the configuration file format for the DiscFerret. As I might have mentioned earlier, this is based on the Lua programming language -- in fact it *is* Lua. To load the config, the DiscFerret tools fire up a Lua virtual machine, compile the config file into bytecode, then run it and pick the config values out of the VM's global state. What this gives you is an absolute ton of flexibility: you can do things like use a FOR loop to generate repeated Drive or Format specs. Something like this: for kv in { "pc35a", "pc35b" } do drivetypes[kv] = {} drivetypes[kv]['friendlyname'] = kv drivetypes[kv]['crossed_cable'] = true end In the DiscFerret implementation, you have two config files: - DriveSpec: these tell the software how to talk to a given drive. Basically, what to do with the I/O lines. - DiscSpec: these tell the software what the parameters of a given disc are. Minimum/maximum track numbers, double stepping required (or not), hard/soft sectored, and so on. ( There are also DecodeSpec files, which MagDAS uses to decode transition data into disc images -- and which I'll document when I've actually designed them! ) Here's an example DriveSpec file: --------------------8<-----------8<---------------------------- --[[ ####################### # DiscFerret Disc Drive Specification File # # PC 3.5in Drives A and B, twisted cable or CBL-01A cable kit ####################### ]] -- DriveSpec version flags drivespec_version = 1.0 -- Drive types recognised by this drivespec drivespec = { pc35a = { -- Passed to Drivespec functions drivetype = "pc35a" -- Shown to user friendlyname = "PC 3.5\", twisted cable (CBL-01A), drive A" -- Default step rate in milliseconds steprate = 3.0 -- Spin-up time in milliseconds spinup = 1000 } pc35b = { drivetype = "pc35b" friendlyname = "PC 3.5\", twisted cable (CBL-01A), drive B" steprate = 3.0 spinup = 1000 } } --[[ Given the drive type, track, head and sector, return a list of output pins which need to be set. Called once per sector on hard-sectored media, once per track on soft-sectored media --]] function getDriveOutputs(drivetype, track, head, sector) pins = 0 -- 3.5in FDD settings are really easy to set up. First start with drive selects. if drivetype == "pc35a" then -- Shugart DS0 = motor enable A, DS2 = drive select A pins = pins or PIN_DS0 or PIN_DS2 else if drivetype == "pc35b" then -- Shugart DS1 = drive select B, MOTEN = motor enable B pins = pins or PIN_DS1 or PIN_MOTEN else error("Unrecognised drive type '" .. drivetype .. "'.") end -- Handle side selection if head == 0 then -- do nothing, Head 0 is PIN_SIDESEL (p32) inactive/floating high else if head == 1 then pins = pins or PIN_SIDESEL else error("Head number " .. head .. " out of range.") end -- That's pretty much it, unless we need to provide TG46 on the DENSITY pin. return pins end --[[ Given the current drive status flags, identify whether the drive is ready for use. ]] function isDriveReady(drivetype, status) -- 3.5in drives don't generally have a working READY output, and we don't give a damn about DISK CHANGE. -- If this were a Winchester drive, we'd be checking READY and SEEK COMPLETE. return true end --------------------8<-----------8<---------------------------- So in about 70 lines of code (a fair few of which are comments), we've added full control support for two 3.5in PC floppy drives connected via a crossed cable. With a few more LOCs we could add support for 8-inch and 5.25-inch drives which require a 'TG46' signal on pin 2, or an 'IN USE' signal to mount the heads or switch on the LED. FormatSpecs are even simpler: --------------------8<-----------8<---------------------------- --[[ ############################# # DiscFerret Format Specification File # # 40/80 track generic, soft sectored ############################# ]] formatspec_version = 1.0 formatspec = { gen40ds = { -- format name friendlyname = "40 track, double-sided, soft-sectored, generic" -- minimum track number mintrack = 0 -- maximum track number maxtrack = 39 -- track stepping -- 1=singlestep, 2=doublestep trackstep = 1 -- minimum head number minhead = 0 -- maximum head number maxhead = 1 -- sectoring; 0=soft-sectored, or number of sectors if hard-sectored sectors = 0 } gen40ds = { -- format name friendlyname = "40 track double-stepped, double-sided, soft-sectored, generic" -- minimum track number mintrack = 0 -- maximum track number maxtrack = 39 -- track stepping -- 1=singlestep, 2=doublestep trackstep = 2 -- minimum head number minhead = 0 -- maximum head number maxhead = 1 -- sectoring; 0=soft-sectored, or number of sectors if hard-sectored sectors = 0 } gen80ds = { -- format name name = "80 track, double-sided, soft-sectored, generic" -- minimum track number mintrack = 0 -- maximum track number maxtrack = 79 -- track stepping -- 1=singlestep, 2=doublestep trackstep = 1 -- minimum head number minhead = 0 -- maximum head number maxhead = 1 -- sectoring; 0=soft-sectored sectors = 0 } } --------------------8<-----------8<---------------------------- In about 60 lines of code, again mostly comments, we've added support for three types of disc. Not bad. You could even go as far as generating all of these in code when the script loads. So on to the point of my message: does anyone have any comments to make on this type of config file format? Is there anything you'd like to see added, or done differently? Thanks, -- Phil. classiccmp at philpem.me.uk http://www.philpem.me.uk/

13 years, 10 months

VS8000

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Pontus writes: > On Sun, Feb 06, 2011 at 09:43:42PM -0800, Roger Ivie wrote: >> Nice little boxes. >Does CHM have one? Wouldn't it be better for CHM to concentrate on the truly innovative boxes that re-invented computation as we know it or defined the industry for extended periods, rather than the oddball historical footnotes? I mean as a DEC fan I understand the sweetness of a VS8000 as the odd man out (a personal workstation with BI!), but it hardly seems important in painting the broad strokes of the industry. Heck, BI in itself is nothing more than an oddball historical footnote looking backwards, I mean, there was very little third-party stuff Made for BI (present company excepted). You wouldn't know it by the front page of the Digital Review at the time! Oh Charlie Matco loved the leaks. Tim.

13 years, 10 months

OT: high powered amps (ben)

by jonas＠otter.se

> > Try here for the on line version. > http://www.tubebooks.org/ > > > Jonas > > > Ben. > PS. A GM-70 ( $90 ) might substitute for V1505. > Thanks! You just saved my weekend ;-) Jonas

13 years, 10 months

VS8000 (was Re: Big PDP-11 pile on Ebay)

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

>A previous employer had two "MicroVAX 8000s"; we got them without the >graphics hardware. > >One was supplied to us by DEC, for whom we did some VAXBI work. We also >had a couple of 3rd party interfaces we designed. > >The other we bought from E&S when they were getting out of the business. > >Nice little boxes. >-- >roger ivie >rivie at ridgenet.net I have one without the graphics that was used for VAXELN develpment. I am looking for a KDB50 cable assembly that plugs onto the backplane so I can install a RA71 disk. I could also use a T1031 KFBTA RD disk controller and cables. -- Michael Thompson

13 years, 10 months

OT: american vs european 220 (Tony Duell)

by jonas＠otter.se

> Some good PDF doc's from that era. Happy digging. > http://www.pmillett.com/index.html > Ben. Thanks! Jonas

13 years, 10 months

OT: american vs european 220 (Tony Duell)

by jonas＠otter.se

> >Hmmm... All I will say is that I maintained my father's Citroen car for >13 years. I therefore have a great love of (some) French engineering. > >IIRC the Pascaline was French.... > >-tony And just in case anybody misunderstands, I hold French engineering in great esteem. They are brilliant in many ways, but do tend to be rather careless about personal safety. I really love France. Including their railways. And Cavaill?-Coll organs. Jonas

13 years, 10 months

OT: american vs european 220 (Tony Duell)

by jonas＠otter.se

> >Hmmm... All I will say is that I maintained my father's Citroen car for >13 years. I therefore have a great love of (some) French engineering. > >IIRC the Pascaline was French.... > >-tony > Ah, but there is French engineering and French domestic wiring (and French bricoleurs...) I agree that Citroens are wonderful, I had the opportunity of test driving a DS19 (or Pallas 21 or something probably) when I was 19 or thereabouts, on a French gravel road full of potholes. Absolutely fantastic suspension... French domestic wiring, on the other hand... :-O I remember getting a shock from a light switch, in my French godmother's house in a village in Charente-Maritime (same place I drove the Citroen). There was a fuseholder in the switch and the cover was broken and I happened to touch the bare metal. And I also had a look at the wiring in her Paris apartment. The previous tenant had "improved" it, using lots of "sparadrap" (sticking-plaster) to connect the extra wires... A wonder the place hadn't burst into flames. French domestic wiring is more like doll's house wiring. Flimsy 2-pin plugs where you connect the wires by jamming the bared ends under the pins, which screw into the plastic body of the plug. And so on. A Swedish inspector would probably have a heart attack merely from looking at it. Jonas

13 years, 10 months

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test-drb February 2011