I've seen plenty of complaints (here and elsewhere) about TK50
cartridges being very difficult to read these days.
I'm trying to read TK85-K (DLT III) cartridges and I'm experiencing
problems. I've had tapes ripped (although I've found that data
elsewhere). So now I'm being particularly careful. If the drive asks for
a cleaning tape, I run through a cleaning cycle until it is happy and
then I try to load the tape again. However, by the time I've mounted the
tape, the drive "Cleaning Required" light is on again. This happens
repeatedly, I run a cleaning pass or two and then I get a green light. I
might even get as far as loading the tape without and issue, but by the
time the tape is mounted, the "Cleaning Required" light is on.
So is this likely to be sticky shed? Is the DLT III formulation known to
have the same issues? Does baking help? (Not that I'm set up to do that,
but I'm in no rush ...)
I suppose that it is possible that my cleaning tape is worn out and now
past its sell by date. Has anyone cleaned a TZ87 or TZ88 head
successfully? It doesn't seem to be terribly accessible, and I'm not
sure what I can dismantle without wrecking the alignment.
Anyone got any useful suggestions?
Antonio
--
Antonio Carlini
antonio at acarlini.com
Something in another recent thread about LISP machines got me wondering:
how many early graphical systems are well emulated (or emulated at all)? I
know that there are more or less functional emulations of Alto, Star, and
Lisa out there, but what about the various LISP machines or the early
workstations (Sun 68K, Apollo, etc) Also, assuming that there are emulators
for some of these systems out there, has any software to run on them and
been archived?
Mike
I am trying to figure out if it is possible to repair a Osborne 1 keyboard.
The keyboard is made by "Oak Switch Systems" and the type is FTM or "Full
Travel Membrane".
The problem I am seeing is that 3 keys ("h", "j" and "y") are permanently
pressed.
I did some experiments with the "h" key.
I measured about 20 ohm across the matrix pins for the "h" key.
I pulled off the "h" key keycap and the white plastic plunger with the both
large and small spring - no change in resistance.
I cleaned the now exposed membrane using Isopropyl alcohol - no change in
resistance.
I applied moderate heat using an electric hair dryer to both sides of the
area around the "h" key - no change in resistance.
I then used a lab power supply set to current limit hoping to zap whatever
is causing the partial short (20 ohm). I slowly increased the voltage and
current limit in short bursts until I hit 100 mA before I gave up the
experiment not wanting to destroy the two flex PCBs feeding into the
membrane. They did get warm but not hot.
I have run out of ideas of what else to try. I still measure 20 ohm across
the two keyboard matrix pins associated with the "h" key.
Has anyone got experience repairing or restoring this type of membrane
keyboard mechanism used in the Osborne 1 and probably in other keyboards
too?
Here are some good and detailed photos of keyboard mechanism:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/123564336 at N03/sets/72157644113347562/
Thanks
Tom Hunter
> From: Lars Brinkhoff
> it was AI rather than MC. As I'm sure you know, AI had the Rubin 10-11
> interface
Really? (I expect you're correct, mind.) I just remember one day MC wasn't
running as normal, and I was told it was because CHEOPS was in some
tournament, and MC had been taken offline so that it could focus on the game.
So I assumed CHEOPS was connected to MC (and had indeed wondered why/how, when
I wrote that message, with the Rubin interface being on AI).
> communicating over Chaosnet. At least, that's how I interpret the code
> in MacHack.
Again, probably right. It was pretty early, but I guess the CHAOSNET was
already running then. My guess is that AI didn't do much but act as a
communication node between CHEOPS and MC, for that.
> There is some debate over whether the CONS had a display of its own, and
> if so whether it could draw to a bitmap. Do you remember?
Not explicily, but I would tend to guess 'no'; I would tend to guess that they
were still in the mindset where it was a specialized co-processor, like
CHEOPS. I certainly don't recall a 'CONS display' in the room where the first
CADR display was; but that doesn't mean much. (Actually, I'm not positive
there was a CADR display in there the night I recall Moon trying to get it
running; for sure a Knight TV console, and he may have been using it to run
something on it to poke at the CADR.)
> they have a hard time pinpointing a birthdate for the CADR. Do you have
> a recollection when, even what year, the first boot attempt was?
Sorry, no; it only stuck in my memory because I was later taken at having
beeen there for the early CADR work; I think that night I only barely knew
what a CADR was. (I was kind of amused that Moon's audience that night was
someone from LCS... :-) I mean, it was pretty early, but I have no idea of
even what year it was.
Noel
I?m looking for a piece of software called Omni-Ware for VMS or UNIX , by a Nashua company called Logicraft.
I?ve just received the pieces to build a Logicraft PC (286 motherboard with custom BIOS and a special network card that emulates the keyboard, mouse, CGA video card and hard disk). I also received the documentation for the VAX/VMS version of the software, but I?m now looking for the accompanying software for VMS or UNIX. The idea is to install this software on a workstation, and connect it to the Omni-Ware PC. The PC then boots off a disk image stored on the workstation, with input and output in an X-Windows window. Logicraft apparently supplied disk images with DOS, Xenix, OS/2 or MS Windows installed.
I?m really hoping someone has a copy of this software still lying around somewhere.
Cheers,
Camiel
> From: Lars Brinkhoff
> There are emulators for the CADR Lisp machine ... There's no emulators
> for the CONS, but I claim it would be interesting to attempt one.
I'm not sure CONS ever ran as a stand-alone system; I suspect (but don't
recall for sure; RG, TK or Moon or someone could confirm one way or the
other) that it ran as a loosely-coupled co-processor to MC, the way the Chess
Machine did.
The CONS and the Chess Machine were both in the same room; 906-907 or
so:
https://gunkies.org/wiki/File:9th_floor_techsquare.png
When the first CADR was built, its console was in the room next door (in the
higher-numbered room direction); I remember watching over Moon's shouulder
the night they first tried to boot it.
Noel
I managed to take some pictures of our Tektronix Smalltalk machines today:
https://multicores.org/pictures/Tektronix_440x/
Both 4404s are identical, including the firmware versions in the EPROMs.
The 4406 is a bit harder to disassemble, this will take some more time.
All of the photos inside this directory are released into the public domain
(and I should get a tripod and better lighting...).
Trying to get our ancient EPROM programmer to work now...
-- Michael
Is there anyone on-list with experience setting-up a Searchlight (or similar) BBS? I have mine up and running with multiple dial-up nodes (for a hopeful future VCF demonstration) but I?m having problems with setting up the file areas properly. If someone could drop me a note off-list, I?d appreciate it. Thanks!
Rich
http://www.classiccmp.org/cini
Long Island S100 User?s Group
Get Outlook<https://aka.ms/qtex0l> for iOS
I re mn ember? GEm5 as a guide ran under dos .? .
Ed#
On Friday, September 18, 2020 Paul Koning via cctalk <paulkoning at comcast.net; cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> On Sep 17, 2020, at 10:18 PM, Michael Kerpan via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> Something in another recent thread about LISP machines got me wondering:
> how many early graphical systems are well emulated (or emulated at all)? I
> know that there are more or less functional emulations of Alto, Star, and
> Lisa out there, but what about the various LISP machines or the early
> workstations (Sun 68K, Apollo, etc) Also, assuming that there are emulators
> for some of these systems out there, has any software to run on them and
> been archived?
>
> Mike
One system that could be considered a GUI, or at least the beginnings of one, is the PLATO system.? Emulations of that are alive and well, in particular the system described at cyber1.org.
??? paul
