On 2012-03-23 08:20, Glen Slick<glen.slick at gmail.com> wrote:
> Are you offering those up in return for something? I have an RA82
> here in the Seattle area that I have never been able to get to spin up
> or do anything at all. I haven't been able to get anything out of the
> diagnostic port. I have found the RA81 service manual online, but not
> the RA82 service manual. It would be interesting to get it working
> just to see it working.
As far as I can remember or figure out, there is very little, if any
differences between an RA81 and an RA82, so the service manual for the
RA81 should work just fine.
I hope you have removed the transport safeties if you try to spin it up.
The diagnostics port is 300 bps, if I remember right. Hitting something
like ^C should get its attention. You might also want/need to have both
port selector buttons off to be allowed to play on the diagnostics port.
I would think the details were in the service manual.
Johnny
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
On 3/21/12 10:00 AM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote:
>
>> > On 03/19/2012 11:53 AM, Kevin Reynolds wrote:
>>> >> Anyone have working RA90 or RA92 disks that they would like to part with?
>>> >> Send me a private response with pricing and availability. I'm in the US.
>> >
>> > I make the same request, in case someone has a bunch. =) I'm interested
>> > in RA8x drives as well.
>> >
I have a couple of RA81s that were working when I got them 13 years ago
(but haven't been powered on since).
Located in the Seattle area.
alan
On 2012-03-22 08:01, Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote:
> I have a couple of bare RA70 drives that I'd like to put into service
> on machines that already have SDI controllers and no SCSI. My present
> plans involve a plain shelf but a properly-fitting enclosure would be
> nice.
The SA72 takes more room than the plan RA70, you know. And you also need
a special cable to the SA72.
But on the other hand, you need a power supply if you use the plain
RA70. But otherwise easily doable.
Pick your poison. :-)
Johnny
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
On 2012-03-22 08:01, "Henk Gooijen"<henk.gooijen at hotmail.com> wrote:
> From: "Johnny Billquist"<bqt at softjar.se>
> Sent: Wednesday, March 21, 2012 9:46 AM
> To:<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: And RA8x too, was Re: RA90 or RA92 disks
>
>> > Hum. Correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't the SA72 the box that holds up to
>> > 4 RA7x drives? Same physical size as one RA90?
>> >
>> > If so, then no, it don't hold 4 RA9x drives. Also, the RA70 works just
>> > fine in it, as do all RA7x drives. RA70 is somewhat unique, though, in
>> > that it was designed to also be usable without any front panel at all. So
>> > there are dip switches on it that can be used to set the unit number.
>> >
>> > Johnny
>> >
>> > --
>> > Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
>> > || on a psychedelic trip
>> > email:bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
>> > pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>
> You may very well be right Johnny.
Of course I'm right. :-)
Why do anyone even doubt that? :-)
> I was just dumping my grey memory cells:-) I did not check the HW.
> Isn't the SA72 a small slim long metal box with a power supply in the
> middle and room for two RA[79]x drive at both ends? At the front side
> at the top is a connector for the small front panel. The width of the front
> is 0.5 of 19" so that two of these fit next to each other in a 19" rack.
> If that's way off, I'd have to check what I actually have ...
No, that's the thing. Yes, the PS is in the middle. It also have a
rather special cable (or two if you want to use both ports) that come
out. I don't know the right terminology here, but it's shaped like the
standard D-sub, but is wider and higher, and have lots of pins. That
cable splits into 4 SDI connectors at the other end.
It only holds RA7x drives. One RA9x drive is the same size as the whole
SA72.
Johnny
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
Spinal Tap?
At 09:16 AM 3/22/2012, you wrote:
>On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 8:43 AM, Dennis Yurichev
><dennis_mailing_lists at conus.info> wrote:
> > Hi.
> >
> > Is there such thing as mockumentary?
> >
> > "A mockumentary (a portmanteau of the words mock and documentary), is a
> > type of film or television show in which fictitious events are presented
> > in documentary format. These productions are often used to analyze or
> > comment on current events and issues by using a fictitious setting, or
> > to parody the documentary form itself.[1] They may be either comedic or
> > dramatic in form, although comedic mockumentaries are more common. A
> > dramatic mockumentary (sometimes referred to as docufiction) should not
> > be confused with docudrama, a fictional genre in which dramatic
> > techniques are combined with documentary elements to depict real events."
> > http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mockumentary
> >
> > It could be a fake manual for non-existent computer/computer device or
> > non-existent software written for fun.
>
>
>sure. Anyone remember the Rutles?
>
>Kelly
726 . [Temper] Man is a rational animal who
always loses his temper when called upon to act
according with the dictates of reason. --Oscar Wilde
NEW: a50mhzham at gmail.com ? N9QQB (amateur radio)
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? Registered Linux User 385531
>
> Pertec is a pretty simple interface with handshake lines. I would
> imagine you shouldn't have much trouble. An FPGA may be overkill
> (certainly harder to work with 5v); you may find it even easier to
> just use a microcontroller. My Cipher F880 runs on just a Z80
> internally, nothing fancier than that.
>
My understanding of the protocol is the drive sets the speed it spits
out bytes,
and that it can be up to 1 Mbyte/sec. There is no handshaking, the read
data
is just clocked out as the feels like. I don't see how a Z80 can keep up
with that unless your formatter runs a lot slower. In theory, GCR data
coming off the drive at 75 IPS can flow in bursts up to 480,000 byte/sec.
(GCR actually records 6400 9-bit characters/inch, the 6250 refers to
the equivalent data byte density after the ECC redundancy data is removed.)
Your F880 is of course a slower drive and maybe 800/1600 only, so the
data rate can be much lower.
I have a product that uses a Xilinx FPGA connected through
the PC parallel port in EPP mode, and have used it as a development
board for several oddball projects, and so a good deal of code reuse
makes this an easier path for me. The only extra job is I have to add
a buffer SRAM to my board as the on-FPGA memory is not enough
to hold the largest tape block permitted.
Jon
> From:?Richard <legalize at xmission.com>
> Date:?Tue, 20 Mar 2012 13:46:57 -0600
> Subject:?Re: Computer Graphics Museum collection pics
>
> In article <CAH1BU=_x5QzbjxP5__ZROP2xyAx6Nqmyjm=UMD37cn9YRAavQA at mail.gmail.com>,
> ? ?Michael Thompson <michael.99.thompson at gmail.com> writes:
>
>> >> I didn't see any Calcomp System 25 Workstations in your collection.
>> >> The RICM has LOTS of them.
>
>> > From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com>
>> > I wasn't aware of these systems. [...]
>> > This seems to be a workstation introduced in 1984. ?What kind of
>> > graphics environment did it have? ?1984 is too early for X11 and also
>> > I think too early for X10.
>>
>> The page for the Calcomps is here:
>> http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/calcomp-system-25
>>
>> The RICM has LOTs of documentation on the systems, but have not
>> powered one on yet.
>
> It seems the graphics was on a dedicated display peripheral and a text
> screen was used for input and program interaction.
>
> Are you involved with the RICM? ?I'd be interested to know what
> happens to these systems.
I am a volunteer at the RICM. The Calcomp systems are not in any
danger of being scraped.
Maybe you should come for a visit and get some of them running?
--
Michael Thompson
The 50th Norbreck Amateur Radio, Electronics and Computing Exhibition will
be held at the Norbreck Castle Hotel Exhibition Centre on Queens Promenade,
North Shore, Blackpool, FY2 9AA. Doors will open at 10.30 and 10:15 for
those with disabilities. Admission will be ?5 (under 14s free).
http://www.narsa.org.uk/
As NARSA is an association of clubs any Computer Club is welcome to
affiliate @ ?15 for which they get two tables at the exhibition, three
exhibitors tickets and a share in any profits. A few trade tables still
available, see
http://www.narsa.org.uk/blackpool-rally/trade-bookings/
for details. (note if you get in quick you can still be squeezed into the
stand list)
It is mainly a radio show but there is always lots of computer gear on sale,
much of it Vintage. Last year there were MAC Classics and BBC "B"s for sale.
Dave Wade G4UGM
Illegitimi Non Carborundum
I've got a pdp8/e that I'm getting ready to sell but first I need to replace
3 of the toggles on the front. (not the actual switch, just the plastic.)
Does anyone know where I can get some of these? I have the 3 pieces that
need to replaced, it's just that the "nibs" are broken.
Thomas Restivo
Technical Assurance Resources, Inc.