test-drb December 2012

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

201 participants
280 discussions

by ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk

I am not sure if this is on-topic since the machine involved was sold as a calculaotr. On the other hand, it programs in BASIC, it's getting on for 40 yuears old, and I am thinking of adding a hard disk. Classic computer? The HP9880 is the hard disk (14" platters) for the HP9830 'calculator'. I am slowly gathering the various bits of this system, I would love to get it all working again. As I understnad it, you need : An HP9830 calculator, HP9866 printer Mass Memory ROM module HP11273B 'cable' from the HP9830 to the controller HP11305 disk controller HP11302 cable from the controlelr to the drive HP7900A disk drive (one fixed, oen removeable plater) + PSU (or HP7901, which has only the removeable platter, but has an internal PSU) System tape cassette for the HP9830 Disk packs (of course). Now, The 9830 and 9866 I have, working. The HP11305 controller and both 'cables' (I put that in quotes becase thes cable assembleis have PSBs stuffed with ICs at at elast one end -- the 11273 has over 50 ICs in it) I also have, untested, but I know th PSU is good and the microcde ROMs look OPK (the disassebmyl of the mcirocode makes sense). Since everything else is standard TTL, analogue or RAMs ICs, I think that's reparaiable if necessary. I have the scheamtics and micorocde source for all that. The HP9800e emulator includes a dumo of the Mass Memory ROM, and thus I have it in an EPROM module. That emualtor also has an image of the ssytem and service tapes for the 9880, but as yet I haven'tt figured out the format of the image file or how to get them back onto physicl cassettes. I do have another tape drive mechansim (not HP) which sould be able to produce compatible tapes 'Just' a little matter of figuring out how ot interface it to soemthign and use it. At least I ahve the handbook for said drive, it includes timeing diagrams and schematics. Which leaves the drive and packs. This is the problem, I susepct I do havev a 7900A. Alas it was in a skip (dumpster) and had a 2100A thrown on top of it. The 2100A survived. THe 7900A is more sdubious. The front was samaged when it was gtaken out of the rack too. It's missing the terminator and the little card edge conenctor PCB, but those are easy to make I think. It's going ot need work. I also don't have the PSU for it. This seems ot be 120C AC (not isolated from the mains) for the blower and spindle motros), unregualted +/-24V and regulated +5V, +/-12V. Nothing difficult, but I can see myself speding time and moeny making something and then find the heads will no logner fly. I susepct replacement heads are not exactly common, I wonder if RK05 heads can me made ot fit? According to the HP nanual for the drive, there was a text/service unti for this drive, it conencted ot the side of the backplane. I cna't rememebr the model numebr (HP13219?). Hase anyone ever seen one, or have the manuals for it? And now for the pack. It's the same physicla size as the RK05 pack, but 24 (hard) sectors. Of coruse there's the fixed platter in the 7900A drive with it's own 24 sector hard dsetoy rign nad transducer. I belived the drive will spin up with any pack in it, so I could put a 'scratch' 12 sector RK05 in there to (a) see if the heads will fly and (b) see if I can use the fixed paltter (which will be 24 sector) drom the HP9830. If I get that far, I guess I then take an RK05 pack apart and attempt to put anotehr 12 notches i nthe sector ring. I beleive I then have to re-centre the platter on the hub which will be 'interesting' What if the heads crash? Maybe try to fit RK05 heads (I have some brand new spares here). Maybe try to interface an RK03 or RK05 to the HP contorller. The interface is differnet, but at least the data rate is the same. It woudl take a bit of logic to get it to work, but... If all else fails, make a solid-state repalcement for the drive? I gueess the questions at the momnet are : Anyone know the precise details of the tape image file format for 9800e? Anyone ever manage to fit RK05 heads into an HP7900? Anyone ever managed to cut the ectra sector notches? Anything knwon about the disk service unit for the HP7900? Does anyone have any comments/thoughts. Am I totally crazy for trying to do this? -tony

11 years, 9 months

Seeking information on some Qbus disk/tape controllers: Dilog DQ37, Emulex QT131 and UC07

by ethan.dicks＠gmail.com

Hi, All, I was going through a box of "interesting" cards last night and I came across three cards that I'm looking forward to using: o Dialog DQ37 - an S-box-handle Qbus SCSI controller o Emulex QT131 - a Qbus Pertec tape controller? o Emulex UC07 - a Qbus SCSI controller I found the UC07 manual on Bitsavers, so I'm good there for setup and configuration, but I was curious if anyone knows about different firmware revisions I should be aware of or seek to put on the card (I've owned plenty of Emulex communications controllers, and done plenty of firmware swaps on those, and since they put firmware (ROM chip) upgrade instructions in the manual, it makes me practically expect to have to do something to it). I could not find more than a couple of comments about the QT131, but I'm reasonably certain whatever jumper settings are on there are a) the defaults, and b) just fine. If anyone here has any experience with the QT131 or even better, a manual, that would be appreciated. As for the Dilog DQ37, I can find nothing except 3rd-party resellers offering to sell me one if I click the "give me a quote" button. The ones I have (2) appear to have the single-ended SCSI portion of the board populated and have a large bare patch that, from the component values on the silkscreen, seems to me to be for High Voltage Differential. No biggie. I don't have any HVD drives anyway. I don't own any S-box hardware, so "just plug it in an see what it looks like" is not the preferred method - I'd like to know more before I go further. I'm especially wondering if this is a TMSCP-only controller or if it will do MSCP and/or TMSCP, and if there are any firmware variations I should know about. So... anyone here know about these cards or where to find docs (besides the UC07 docs on Bitsavers)? Thanks, -ethan

11 years, 9 months

Need pen for Dauphin DTR-1

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

Has anyone got a pen for the Dauphin DTR-1 they are willing to sell? Please reply to me directly if you do. Thanks! -- Sellam Ismail VintageTech ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintagetech.com Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap...The truth is always simple.

11 years, 9 months

Paying work: Read a 9-track VAX tape in So. Cal.

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Not in CA at all, but I have a working CDC Keystone drive and an interface to a PC. I recently hacked up a program to read any 1600 (PE) or 6250 (GCR) tape to a binary file. There is a c program that will then read VMS Backup tapes, and I have it running here and have read in a couple of my old backups. I can also unpack some standard tape formats such as ANSI-D. I'd be willing to try this. But, I have had problems with old tapes that have been stored in bad conditions like attics or something. The oxide just peels off the tape like it was a Scotch tape or something, making a horrible sound. I'm in the St. Louis, MO area. Jon

11 years, 9 months

10K ECL

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

> > From: Pat Fitzpatrick <pjfitzpatrick207 at gmail.com> > Date: Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:15:54 -0600 > Subject: 10K ECL > Hi Folks, > > As part of my ongoing attempt to de-clutter my life, I am purging my > antique IC collection. I have a whole pile of 10K ECL chips left over from > a project a number of years back and am wondering if anyone has any use for > such. If so, let me know and I'll make a list. I KNOW I'll never use them > again. > > Thanks, > Pat > Depending on the part numbers, the Living Computer Museum might be able use some to keep their KL10 systems running. -- Michael Thompson

11 years, 9 months

Paying work: Read a 9-track VAX tape in So. Cal.

by cclist＠sydex.com

I have a customer in southern California who needs a 9-track tape from a VAX read and transcribed to something readable by modern equipment. I could do it, but it's not worth the hassle for a single tape for me. Anyone in the area want to give it a try? This is a paying job, not charity. If so, contact me with your details and I'll put you in touch. --Chuck

11 years, 9 months

Don Maslin's archive...

by geneb＠deltasoft.com

The whole file is now available at: http://www.retroarchive.org/maslin/maslin_archive.zip When time allows I'll break the disk and ROM image collections down by vendor and get new pages created for them. Many thanks to Al for recovering this! g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://www.scarletdme.org - Get it _today_!

11 years, 9 months

VCF Archive Fund Raiser Sale (Follow Up)

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

Folks, Forgive me, I do not follow the CC list so I didn't realize some comments and questions had arisen from my recent announcement of a fund raiser sale. First, as some bright fellows have already made clear, this is simply an offer to sell certain select items from what I have referred to as the "VCF Archives" unofficially since about the beginning (of the VCF). I am offering only duplicate machines for which I don't have an obvious need and that would be better off in someone else's hands in exchange for funds to secure the rest of the collection. There are only so many Altairs, Sol-20s and Cromemcos that a collection needs. As to the circumstances that have brought me to this point, that telling will have to wait for another day. It's a long story that would explain why I have been hibernating from the VCF for several years now (something I didn't initially intend to do but that became necessary over time). Most people wouldn't be prepared for it anyway, as it represents a departure from the person I was in this community for so long. Note, I did not say I am departing the community (not that I haven't had only a peripheral participation for the last several years) but that the person you all once knew has moved on. My interest in vintage computers remains, but it is an interest that has necessarily had to be put on the back burner while the universe imposes its will on me and I faithfully abide. This current operation is a winding down of Phase I of a life's work that will resume at the proper temporal markers. I will address some comments made in the original thread that are deserving of an answer. I invented the Vintage Computer Festival as a result of a discussion that I initiated on this list in the spring of 1997. Since then it has sprouted several sister events, including VCF East (presently the largest VCF event), VCF Midwest, VCF Southwest, VCF Southeast (just formed, produced by David Greelish of Historically Brewed fame), VCF Europa (Munich), and VCF UK. All of these events (except for the European events, which operate autonomously) can be accessed through the VCF portal (http://vintage.org) (historical note: remember when everyone was trying to create a "portal" to the internet in the early days? :) The main VCF held 10 regular events from 1997-2007 (skipping 2001, where the event was scheduled the week of 9/11). At the peak of the series we had about 600 attendees, and attendance for the last 3 shows was in excess of 500 visitors each. Ten is a good number. It is completion, and a new beginning. I had intended to take a hiatus from the VCF for a year. I was talked out of it on the condition that those who did the talking would be around the following year to contribute to the production of the event, as I no longer was willing to carry the full load of producing it (which is a failure of mine to properly delegate). No serious effort was mounted, as this was 2008, a financial collapse was imminent, and I had my hands full with other matters. I took my hiatus as intended. One year turned into 2, then 3, and now 5. The VCF is not done, but I believe I just may be with it, at least for now, other than a cursory hand in maintaining the website to support the sister events, and the main event, in the event someone finally comes forward to pick up and run with it. Quite frankly I became bored with the format. Don't get me wrong, the VCF is still a fun event no matter which one you attend, because it's all about old computers and old friends, and whenever those two combine then Good Times are had. But I wanted to do something fresh, something new, something absolutely mind-blowing. I was hoping to startup again in 2011, but it was not to be. Now, I'm looking to pass on the mantle to some sucker^H^H^H^H^H^Hambitious devotee who doesn't mind losing up to 3 months out of their life every year to continue producing the event. To clear up some misconceptions about the "Vintage Computer Festival" as an entity: - the VCF is not a corporate non-profit entity; - the VCF has never been a corporate non-profit entity; - I once considered attaining corporate "non profit" status for the VCF but instinctively decided against it, a decision that has proven its wisdom over time; - the VCF will likely never be a corporate non-profit entity; - if you consider the finances (revenue/expenses) of the VCF event in total, it probably did run as a "not for profit" all those years; it can be a profitable event, but it cetainly wasn't for the first 4 years; - while the "VCF Archives" is the unofficial name for my collection, it is in fact my personal collection, in the same way that the VCF is my event; it is all just my property that I offer to others for use through the VCF events and private arrangements; the fact is the collection has always been open to hobbyists at little or no charge throughout the years, and I have done well renting my services and pieces from the collection to various commercial interests over the past dozen years, including law firms and film production companies; - any improprieties suggested as a result of any of this are ignorant speculation. I believe that covers everything. Thanks to all those who have responded to my initial inquiry. Forgive me for not responding until today but I will be addressing each inquiry this morning. New inquiries are still welcome. I will also be posting specific items for sale to the list (I don't use eBay) and will eventually be relaunching the Vintage Computer Marketplace to conduct regular auctions of both my and others' vintage computer items. Lastly, I am not soliciting donations, but if someone feels compelled then I will not refuse it right now. I would consider any amount to be a blessing. Please contact me privately. I will follow this thread in case any further response is required. As always, I can be reached directly through private e-mail. Thanks! -- Sellam Ismail VintageTech ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintagetech.com Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap...The truth is always simple.

11 years, 9 months

Small joke

by lproven＠gmail.com

On 10 December 2012 16:16, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote: > At 3:18 PM +0000 12/10/12, Liam Proven wrote: >> >> Happy DEC-10! >> >> (Bemused? Check the date...) > > Where is the joke? It's DEC-10 Day! That's not a joke! 36-bits Forever! :?) -- Liam Proven ? Profile: http://lproven.livejournal.com/profile Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? GMail/G+/Twitter/Flickr/Facebook: lproven MSN: lproven at hotmail.com ? Skype/AIM/Yahoo/LinkedIn: liamproven Tel: +44 20-8685-0498 ? Cell: +44 7939-087884

11 years, 9 months

Piecing together an HP9880 (Tony Duell)

by colineby＠isallthat.com

Spot on. The video in question is part of a bulk donation from an HP training centre. Its one of approximately 150 such titles in the TNMOC archive. They were distributed on U-matic and later VHS. Nearly all, even our UK-based set, are NTSC encoded. We have a little side project to dub them down to digital as a good 50% or more of this stock suffer from sticky tape syndrome. Even with periodic baking, the material is under threat of decay. I should note here, the TNMOC material was not donated with broadcast rights attached, but simply as a research resource. We don't have blanket coverage to YouTube the lot at present. All access will therefore have to treated as a normal research request. I'll happily relay all research requests back to the museum, though, and facilitate. Meanwhile, if any of you have the right contacts with HP to provide blanket YouTube publication rights please put them onto me and I'll try and get something sorted with our trustees. --Colin Steve Lafferty <steve at tronola.com> wrote: >At 05:53 PM 12/10/2012, you wrote: >>> I find that last statement farily hard ot beleive. The HP9880 awas >>> introduced in 1974, video tape recording, while possible, was not common >>> then. Are we talking about the same machine? > >--- HP had an early and innovative television operation. They used it to offer an extensive library of training programs to customers, as well as their own personnel. If I recall correctly, it helped communicate the "HP Way" to their far-flung divisions, around the World. In the 1972 catalog, they already had a whole library of video tape training programs. A photo there shows what looks like a Sony 1/2" reel-to-reel video recorder, like the ones which I remember seeing in my college days. Of course, the original Hewlett Packard company was very different from the modern day HP computer company. Much of the original operation was spun off as Agilent Technologies in 1999. No doubt, that is where the ghosts of Bill and Dave prefer to hang out, these days :) > >Sorry to go on about this side-topic but their innovative commitment to television content production is one of the (many) things which always struck me as making HP special. > >Steve L. > >

11 years, 9 months

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test-drb December 2012