test-drb March 2016

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

189 participants
229 discussions

by rodsmallwood52＠btinternet.com

Hi Guys A shipment of PDP-8/e (A and B) panels went out to-day. Tracking numbers will be sent to customers on Monday Next up 8/f and 8/m. New orders for PDP-8/e (A and B) , 8/f and 8/m will be accepted when we have free stock. Rod Smallwood

8 years, 9 months

OT: lenses (Was: Front Panels - PDP8 and PDP 11

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Hasselblad did not use tessar. tesar was a good lens but certainly not the hi end ed# In a message dated 3/10/2016 8:01:07 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, mgariboldi at gmail.com writes: 2016-03-10 16:59 GMT+01:00 Zane Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com>: > > > On Mar 9, 2016, at 11:37 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote: > > > > Popular or Modern Photography 20 or 30 years ago had an article on the 10 > > best lens ever made. I think Zeiss made 3 of them, and they were the only > > company with more than one. > > One of my all time favorite lenses is the Hasselblad 80mm f/2.8 Planar C > lens made by Zeiss. Even their low-end Tessar lenses are awesome. > Anything made for Hasselblad could hardly be called 'low-end'. (A bit like a 'low-end' SGI, there was basically never such a thing... certainly not in terms of original cost.) The only truly low-end Carl Zeiss optics are probably the *Pentacon* series, made by the post-WW II Carl Zeiss Jena branch of the GDR. Take a look at the Sony a7 series of bodies, people are using RTS lenses on > them. You can put almost anything on them, and they?re a full frame > sensor. I know that the wider lenses might have some fringing issues at > the edges. Which (affordable) lens *doesn't* have imperfect edges, especially completely analog lenses without any in-camera digital correction. (This can also be done afterwards, if one knows the possible distortion values.) The Sony a7-series aren't exactly cheap. More affordable and rather good, too, are ?4/3 cameras, especially in conjunction with a focal reducer, if the crop is too much of an obstruction. I gain an extra stop of light, on top of reducing the crop, with my M42/Praktica thread mount lenses. My thorium-coated Asahi Pentax Super-Takumar 1.4/50's maximum diaphragm is effectively widened to an impressive ?/1. On top of that I have in-body image stabilization, good high ISO handling and other features, all at the fraction of the cost. On top of that, I can exchange my lenses with my dedicated ?4/3 Super 16 digital film camera. > I?ve started looking seriously at the a7 series, as it would allow me to > use a lot of lenses I have, that I can currently only use on 35mm film > bodies. > Nothing prevents you from using a full frame lens on a smaller (e.g. APS-C) sensor body. The crop isn't always a negative, sometimes it can change a mediocre tele-photo prime into an excellent one. > Since I started shooting more than just Nikon, it?s a lot harder to find > Nikon lenses I really like. The only AF lens I really like is the Nikkor > 50mm f/1.4G, at f/5.6 it can compete with my 50mm Summicron. > At ?/5.6 only? Well, that's rough... - MG

8 years, 9 months

SimH & Panels: new BlinkenBone release

by j_hoppe＠t-online.de

Hi, the BlinkenBone project made much progress last months. ("BlinkenBone" is this "connect physical and simulated panels to SimH" thing). New features: - a PDP-8/I front panel Java simulation. http://retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone/simulated-panels/248-blinkenbone-s… http://retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone/simulated-panels/251-blinkenbone-p… The PDP-8/I SimH extension needs validation against a physical machine. - Oscar Vermeulen's PiDP8 can be connected as panel. http://retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone/blinkenbone-physical-panels/249-pi… - most Java panels can now be 2400 pixels width (monitors keep growing) - Repackaging: Precompiled distributions at https://github.com/j-hoppe/BlinkenBone/releases There are distributions for Win32, Ubuntu 32/64, and RaspberryPi Raspbian. A single distribution contains now all simulations (PDP-11/40, 11/70, PDP-10 KI10 and PDP-8/I). - Ported from SimH 3.8 to v4.x. I'm back! - Sources on GitHub at https://github.com/j-hoppe/BlinkenBone.git Since the BlinkenBone projects expands beyond expectation, the web doc is completely reordered (== trashed?) Not all content is stable yet and links will float, rely on http://retrocmp.com/projects/blinkenbone at the moment. There's also the shortcut www.blinkenbone.com . As always, error feedback is welcome! have fun, Joerg

8 years, 9 months

OT: lenses (Was: Front Panels - PDP8 and PDP 11

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

I saved one hassie from my photo era before the computer business and after USAF I was a commercial photog. I used ELM's for fashon work and had a couple of cms and a SWC wideangle fixed lens one.... I kept one c w/ 80m mm and a 150 mm and a few backs .... things used to be worth a lot but not so anymore... I may take my c over to the university to add to our SMECC museums tools of the journalist display we have there... Better used there than sitting in my desk drawer at the office...I have a kodak/nikon AP early digital camera I need to take over there too. Pretty funny the reason I got a computer in '79 which led to me getting into the computer biz was to keep a database of photos and transparencies I had for stock photo use. The lure of getting back into electronics and the new era of affordable small computers lured me in ! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 3/11/2016 12:07:46 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, healyzh at aracnet.com writes: > On Mar 10, 2016, at 10:05 PM, COURYHOUSE at aol.com wrote: > > I wonder if the tele tessar was a true tessar design or just a use > of 'the name' ? I have seen snipits in google referring to it being a true > telephoto... with a true tessar formula lens IS NOT. I think it?s based on the Tessar, but is something different from what?s in the Hasselblad manual. The cross-section is definitely different. There are apparently at least two Tele-Tessar designs, with different numbers of elements. > ok the norm for the hassleblad was a80 mm f 2.8 planar... > > in the rolliflex the tessar was the entry level lens... the planar the > upgrade. > > my first 'real' camera was a 1933 rolliflex with a f3.5 tessar. not > bad at all but a little soft wide open. > I still have this camera. and the low shutter speeds are a little > slow but OTW rest is fine.. > In HD I bought an argus c3 from my geometry teacher for $8 and > used it a lot more shots per roll and would operate eye level and > had a pretty good split image rangefinder.. the lens was decent too. > > when I went in USAF sold the C# to my brother but kept the > rolliflex ( wish I had saved both! as the argus shot some of my first > press work) adn when in USAF got a SLR. I?ve not been able to justify the cost of a Planar Rolleiflex, though I?d really love one with a nice f/2.8 Planar lens. Both of mine have the 75mm f/3.5 Tessar. The older of my two is from 1936, the newer from about 1958. For me the Rollei is more of a small lightweight travel camera, or shooting for fun, than a serious camera. Sort of a ?getting back to my roots? sort of thing, as I started with a Yashica 44LM TLR. What I really need to do is spend the money and get my Hasselblad?s 80mm f/2.8 Planar C CLA?d, as the shutter on it isn?t accurate (or fast) at any speed. :-( It?s my "serious work" Medium Format camera. Zane

8 years, 9 months

Options for resurrecting VAX 4000/400 and Vaxstation 3200

by roland.schregle＠gmail.com

Dear all, I have two VAXen that I'd like to resurrect simply for the sake of playing around with The Real Thing[tm] running VMS. Note that I'm completely new to VMS and DEC hardware -- hence the interest! Box #1 is a VAX4000 model 400 with no working CPU (KA-675) and 2x 32Mb RAM, an RF72 (wiped), plus a KZQSA QBUS controller. PSU is good, fans squeal on startup but run silently once spun up. Have VMS installation media in CD. I have two KA-675s for this beast: Board #1 (originally installed) has a failed B-cache (console reports SUBTEST_35_12, DE_B_Cache_diag_mode.LIS) and crashes with an asynchronous write memory failure when booting VMS from CD. Board #2 (DOA from eBay but fully refunded) has a dead DSSI bus 0 controller and crashes on SHOW DEV; I assume that's a write-off. Any chance of identifying the flaky B-cache SRAM on board #1 and replacing it? Alternatively, anyone out there have a KA-675 for sale? Box #2 is a VAXstation 3200 with TK50, and an RD54. PSU and fans ok (and very quiet), ditto CPU. The RD54 is unformatted; I understand this can only be formatted in the field with a VS2000 or with some obscure field diagnostics. There's no SCSI controller, so I can't install from CD. I haven't been able to track down VMS installation media on TK50, and I doubt they'd still be readable anyway. On top of that I have no idea what condition the drive is in, as I have no blank tapes to test with. I've found tape images online but see no way to dump these to TK50 (assuming the drive is ok), unless I get a TZ30. What are my options and chances of success for getting either of these boxes up and running with VMS? A KA-675 and TZ30 can be obtained from resellers, but I hesitate to invest several hundred in something this old purely for the occasional mucking about. I have also considered selling the units (or parts thereof) if nothing gives. Any ideas much appreciated, --GT -- "END OF LINE" [MCP, 1982] "... nowhere in the standards is it specified that 'programs that use a lot of memory may randomly crash at any time for no apparent reason'" [Stackoverflow forum, 2012]

8 years, 9 months

Front Panels - PDP8 and PDP 11

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

""The cameras (they were huge) and the darkend rooms they worked in no longer exist."" These cameras you speak of were wonderful.... I rode a Robetson for part of a summer making halftones and line shots for a print shop in AZ here. In my off time I was allowed to shoot all the old docs and old Eastman Kodak camera catalogs I wanted to and print them up as posters! The lens was a Goerz Red Dot Artar and the sharpest flat field lens I had ever used!! Back to computer panels.... Rod thanks for doing the work to create these! ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 3/2/2016 3:32:48 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, rodsmallwood52 at btinternet.com writes: Hi Guys Having got 8/e (A & B) plus 8/f and 8/m into production its time I made a few comments. The aim has always been to reproduce the original panels using the process DEC used all those years ago. Needless to say we had to go through the learning curve with only photographs, scans and one 8/m original panel to go on. In the interests of origiality I have kept what we used call 'features' as found in the documentation and the sample we had. I'm trying to reproduce the original, not produce an improved or fixed version. The only process deviations I have allowed myself are as follows: 1. The original versions would have been drawn twice full size by hand on matt paper in indian ink. One sheet per colo(u)r would have been requred. They would then have used a process camera to reduce to one to one positive masters on clear acetate film. The cameras (they were huge) and the darkend rooms they worked in no longer exist. I used to do just that in the early '70's but whats weird is where I worked is less than 50 yards >from the silk screen studio doing the work now. Now I use Inkscape and its layers to do the same thing. The screeners have an Epson printer the size of a piano to print my layers in black onto clear film. After that the process is the same as it was. They take a fine meshed cloth streched onto a frame. Its coated (by hand) with a photo sensitive emulsion, when dry it gets exposed through the master using a UV light source. The the parts proteced by black on the master are water soluable and get washed out and hence let the ink through. So one screen per layer is required 2. DEC would have printed the images first and routed or milled the holes using some kind jig later. As long as the hole stayed inside the white line that was deemed to be OK. We drill (laser cut) first and screen afterwards. Regards Rod

8 years, 9 months

OT: lenses (Was: Front Panels - PDP8 and PDP 11

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Paul - My darkroom became a storage room! still have the monster 5x7 durst enlarger w/ vacuum easel that I had since the 70s. what a beast! then I have small 2x3 omega to pull strips of negatives though to print. yea the digital stuff was a game changer indeed... I do not know about the contax rts lenses fitting new bodys.. they were nice lenses, It would be good to use them! Ed# In a message dated 3/10/2016 12:41:11 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, useddec at gmail.com writes: I also don't know if I will ever use my darkroom again, and have Omega D2, other enlargers, print washers and dyers, etc that I don't need. On Thu, Mar 10, 2016 at 1:37 AM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote: > Popular or Modern Photography 20 or 30 years ago had an article on the 10 > best lens ever made. I think Zeiss made 3 of them, and they were the only > company with more than one. > > I know there are a lot of great optics out there, but I still love Zeiss. > I have several Zeiss cameras, binoculars, microscopes, etc. > > With everything going digital, and various health problems, I haven't > touched my Contax RTSs in years. I was planning on buying a digital body to > use my optics, but they never released one. > > If anyone knows of a good digital body that will adapt to RTS optics, > please let me know. > > Paul > > On Wed, Mar 9, 2016 at 7:25 PM, Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote: > >> posters! The lens was a Goerz Red Dot Artar and the sharpest flat >>>> field lens >>>> >>> On Wed, 9 Mar 2016, Rod Smallwood wrote: >> >>> Thanks,, >>> Our cam was fitted with a high grade Ziess lens that cost a fortune >>> even then, >>> >> >> Zeiss made a lot of lenses, some of which were great. >> Goerz made a few of the greatest lenses ever made. >> >> For personal use, I'm looking for Leitz Summicron in all focal lengths, >> and Nikkor 105mm that was made in mid 1960s. >> And, if I can ever get a 4x5 digital back, I want a Goerz Dagor. >> All out of my price range. >> >> >> >

8 years, 9 months

Xerox: MFM emulator: disk images available

by tmfdmike＠gmail.com

I've been hacking Xerox recently and using Dave's excellent MFM emulator. I'm making two working bootable images available. One is Lisp - the 'Lyric' distribution. It boots and works and appears complete and useful but I haven't explored Lisp enough to grok it. The other is a clean install of Viewpoint 3.1 with document editor and a few assorted utilities and games - and terminal emulators. Both come with readme files and configuration info. They can be picked up at: http://corestore.org/vpemu.zip and http://corestore.org/lispemu.zip With a following wind I may get other Xerox disk images up in the not too distant future - Star; 8010 and 8090 servers for starters. Maybe a Medley Lisp system. I'd be interested in hosting any other useful images for disk emulation - not just Dave's and not just Xerox - SCSI2SD etc. too - that anyone feels like contributing. Enjoy! Mike http://www.corestore.org 'No greater love hath a man than he lay down his life for his brother. Not for millions, not for glory, not for fame. For one person, in the dark, where no one will ever know or see.'

8 years, 9 months

Speaking of card cages...

by cramcram＠gmail.com

Has anyone ever reproduced the card guides used in the 8/A chassis? I assume these are identical to those used in PDP-11s as well. My are beyond brittle. Thanks, Marc

8 years, 9 months

QSIC update

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Henk Gooijen >> He's now starting in on interrupt cycles; once those work, he >> effectively has emulation of a minimal small RK > sounds very good - nice progress! Interrupts are now working, and as of yesterday (when I finally managed to get all the bugs out of my diagnostic - we can't use the DEC ones since it doesn't yet emulate a full RK drive) it will sit and read and write blocks as long as we let it, interrupting after each transfer. I'm about to upgrade the diagnostic to test more features, such as multi-block transfers, etc. Dave is about to start work on SD card support. > When you get to it, that will be a fast swap drive ;-) Indeed! It seems to transfer a complete sector in about 600 usec, when running a 'disk' in RAM - it's only even that 'slow' because for some reason, which Dave is investigating, the CPU (an 11/73) seems to take about 1usec to do a DMA grant after the previous cycle, even when it and the QBUS are idle (the CPU is in a WAIT instruction while the transfer is happening, with my diagnostic). Each individual word seems to take about 900 nsec; not great, but not bad. Dave's going to look at that in some detail, too. And of course there are zero seek and rotational delays, so it will be pretty zoomy (although of course the SD 'disk' will also have that characteristic, but we don't yet know if the SD will support the full QBUS bandwidth, the way the RAM certainly will). But even if it is that fast, it's still probably worth having the RAM disk, because it will avoid putting write cycles on the SD card memory. (I myself plan to put /tmp, and pipes, on a RAM disk, for just that reason. In V6 Unix, at least, a system call to move pipes off the root disk is one line of code... :-) Noel

8 years, 9 months

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test-drb March 2016