test-drb November 2014

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

200 participants
279 discussions

by jacob＠dahl-pind.dk

Given the certain overlap of interests some of you might have seen this, please bare over with me. On the talk of copyright status on TOPS-10/20 on the hecnet maillist, it was hinted at tops-20 where used embedded for routers from XKL, running on reimplemnted pdp10 hardware. <qoute> Unfortunately I do not have much details. I was at the Living Computer Museum and talked with RIch Alderson, who used to work at XKL. And he showed me a newer generation router from XKL, opened up, at LCM. And they use a PDP-10 on a chip, and it was actually running TOPS-20, and I could play around at the EXEC level in there. </quote> Findes it somewhat hard to imagine anyone would take 36bit architectur and build a router around it. But it does seem posible they really do, I visisted ftp://xkl.com/pub/download/ tar xvf DarkStar_v3.0.0.tgz and looking in upgrade-example.txt I sees things as System Processor (XKL-2) 2. XMH-1 (256MW), Testing: SDdAa, on line at LPN o0 Reading 0704 pages 0704000 words read in 36 bit mode .. Its alive! who would have though that -- Jacob Dahl Pind | telefisk.org | fidonet 2:230/38.8

10 years

Whitechapel Computer Works MG-1

by axelsson＠acc.umu.se

Hi! I just got the "Owner Operator Guide" manual for a MG-1 from a friend. I did some searches and found a picture on wikipedia in the article about Whitechapel Computer Works. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whitechapel_Computer_Works ) I also found an evaluation of the MG-1 and several contemporary workstations... http://www.chilton-computing.org.uk/acd/sus/perq_papers/perq_external/p003.… ... but then I drew a blank. It seems like these are really rare systems. Does anyone have a system? Anyone need the manual? The system could still be around so I'm going to dig around at the university a while to see if I can locate it. If Al wants a copy for bitsavers I'll scan it before letting it go. G?ran

10 years

3M "WhisperPrinter" (Trendcom 100) docs?

by derschjo＠gmail.com

Picked this up for nearly nothing at a local recycler, it was too cute to pass up. It's a 3M "WhisperPrinter" (model 1904AA), and it's a small (40 column, 4.5" wide) thermal printer with a serial interface. It appears to work (runs a self-test if you hold the line feed button while powering on) but I don't know what the pinout for the interface on the rear is (it's a 20-pin header). This looks to be a rebadged Trendcom 100 (which I can also find very little technical info about) used on a number of early home computers (Atari, TRS-80, PET). Anyone happen to have a manual for this? Thanks, Josh

10 years

KL-10B in DEC-20 [was RE: Who's rewired their house for this hobby?]

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Phil Budne > I think MIT-MC was a "1080" and only had RH10s. That sounds right. > I think they used a DL10 for PDP11 interfacing (including chaosnet and > some disks) I don't recall anymore, but I think there was only one -11 attached to the DL10 (couldn't they support up to 4?)? And yes, the Tridents (along with, IIRC, some serial lines, and the CHAOSNET) were attached to that -11. > and ran KLDCP (pre RSX20) on the console front end.... Yup. Although it had been hacked locally. After briefly glancing at the sources (see the KLDCP; directory, and IOELEV > in SYSTEM;), it was a real kludge; the IOELEV program ran in _both_ the DL10 -11, and the console -11. (In the latter case, along with KLDCP!!) There was some stuff attached to the console -11 too, apparently; a bunch of serial lines on DH11's. > ISTR a disk farm labeled "Moon's Laundromat" Yes, but I don't think that was on MC. I vaguely recall that it was on a bunch of drives which were mounted in vertical pairs, which must have been CalChomps, which I think must have been the original AI? (IIRC, both ML and DM had DEC RP drives.) Noel

10 years

Still Alive?

by jhfinedp3k＠compsys.to

Still Alive - Test - Please do not respond!!!!!!!!!!!!

10 years

Cyber ECL Wiring

by bpettitx＠comcast.net

Chuck Guzis wrote: "It didn't start with the 170, did it Billy? I remember a nice thick mat of twisted-pair wires on the backplanes of 6000s, as well as in a lot of attached controllers. Taper pin technology." You're right - the 170 was the first use of main frame wire wrap at CDC. I've never seen any other machine that used twisted pair wire wrap. When I left the project, they were trying to defelop a machine to automate the wiring. It was not going well. The earlier 6000, 7000 machines used twited pair with taper pins. Their wire mats were huge, more than 10 inches thick in some places. That was one of the problems they were trying to solve. Billy

10 years

EDSAC lives

by hilpert＠cs.ubc.ca

So, we have the ABC, Colossus, Manchester Baby, and now the EDSAC. Anyone for the ENIAC? Univac I? IAS machine? Whirlwind? How come 3 of the 4 are in Britain? On 2014-Nov-29, at 9:12 PM, John Foust wrote: > The National Museum of Computing unveils EDSAC re-creation: > > http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-30131447

10 years

Who's rewired their house for this hobby?

by kspt.tor＠gmail.com

On 24 November 2014 at 22:40, Holm Tiffe <holm at freibergnet.de> wrote: > I understand that it will be very expensive to change such a "naturally > grown" infrastructure and this is that cause that I wrote that the US > should have changed this long before nowi, where it is really to late to do > that. [upgrading (the US) infrastructure] But I'm wondering about Japan. As was mentioned by someone else earlier, their's an example of how it shouldn't be done. However, as part of that they already have a mix (so they're kind of used to that) of 50Hz and 60Hz depending on where you live.. and they use US (or as close as doesn't matter) plugs. At 100V. The whole system is quite frustrating, and scary to look at as well. Rickety-rackety. Reminds me of underdimensioned old 6V car wiring, with much of the same problems (dimming, heat..). So what I was thinking is that it should, in principle, be possible for Japan to introduce 230V in new areas (and new areas are built constantly), with European plugs not only to make it safer but also to clearly make the distinction. That's something that I believe could work in Japan, people tend to pay attention. I'm not so sure it would work anywhere else. That's something I would like to see. Not only because of my old linear transformer computer gear.. or the impossibility to use my favourite bread machine (doesn't come with an 100V AC motor). 100V isn't particularly energy efficient when it comes to distribution, and Japan needs to become much, much more energy efficient. > Here in germany 1 phase power lines simply don't exist. The entire > infrastructure is build with 3 phases and the phase balancing is made on > every distribution paneel in every house. This is why it isn't a big > problem to get a 3 phase outlet installed somewhere you need it. > Most cables are in the ground, but on the other end of my village here > (1km distance to the next city) there are some overhead lines with at least > two transformers on masts that distribute 3x400V to groups of houses. [3phase] Same in Norway (I'm traveling between Norway and Japan so experience both). Or at least in my town. The whole electricity infrastructure was reworked completely for all of the town some years ago. Everything moved from poles to sub-ground cabling, and 400V 3phase to every house, and taken from there. New houses and old ones are done a bit differently internally though.

10 years

foam in DEC SBB drives, ok to remove?

by nw＠retroComputingTasmania.com

I have some of these DEC SBB module drives, but the foam has gone crumbly, wondering if it is ok to remove the foam and operate without it? http://images.esellerpro.com/2131/I/842/7/100_2665.JPG

10 years

FS: HP 9000 and DEC Alpha machines

by linimon＠lonesome.com

[fwiw, is there a better place for FS/Wanted listings? If there's not some kind of 'commerce' site, should we set one up?] As most of you know, I work for a company that decommisions data centers and resells the equipment (usually eBay but sometimes directly). There are a few things in the triage queue that might be of interest to the list members. If there is interest, I'll approach my boss, otherwise they'll be processed as usual. By default we check eBay for the value before listing anything. At the very least we value it at scrap value. And no, I can't take anything out the back door for cheap :-) They're in business to make money. These will all sell without the hard drives per our contracts with our customers. As for the HP and IBM, I have not yet climbed back all the way into the triage area to get more details. The desktops are accessible to me. Of course all of these are listed subject to prior sale. Reply-To set to me personally, but if you have comments e.g. about appropriateness, please feel free to redirect to the list. I'm a big boy, I can take it :-) mcl 3 * Vaxstation 4000 60 (desktop) 1 * Dec 3000 (desktop) 1 * IBM 3490 EC22 (19" rack full) 1 * HP 9000 Model K360 K-Class 9000 (19" rack full) 5 * Digital Personal Workstation 500au (desktop) 2 * Digital Personal Workstation 600a (desktop) 2 * Compaq XP1000 (desktop, appear similar to above)

10 years

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test-drb November 2014