Hello all,
I'm looking for some good demonstration/fun software to run on my demo
RSX-11/M+ and RSTS/E systems.
I don't much mind what the software is so anything that can be
provided I'll probably find useful. In particular I'm looking for some
games. If it's of any consequence, I'm using RSX-11/M+ 4.6 BL87 and
RSTS/E 10.1-L.
Also, does anyone know if there's any other archives that have copies
of the RSTS/E and RSX-11 layered products than the Trailing Edge FTP?
(Particularly I'm interesting in getting DEC C on RSX-11/M+, but if I
recall correctly the tape image on the aforementioned archive is
corrupted. Also I'm looking for the WPS package for RSTS/E.)
Thank you to any who respond!
Regards,
Christian
--
Christian M. Gauger-Cosgrove
STCKON08DS0
Contact information available upon request.
I have often thought it would be cool to build a relay calculator, along the lines of Casio's relay calculators that they marketed for a time in the 1950's before it became clear that electronics were the way to go. They even made some scientific and programmable machines, but a basic four-function machine with an accumulating memory register would be enough.
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Museum
http://oldcalculator.com
Sent from my Android phone using TouchDown (www.nitrodesk.com)
I've been bouncing around the idea of building my own relay computer
* I have mostly inspired by the TIM project[1] and Harry Porter's Relay
Computer[2]
* I am looking at having a limited number registers like the 6502 or 6800
* the computer is going to be Harvard architecture based
I wondering have any of use done anything like this?
[1] http://www.northdownfarm.co.uk/rory/tim/
[2] http://web.cecs.pdx.edu/~harry/Relay/
> From: Jacob Ritorto
> My NASA EE buddy recommended working up an appropriate load from
> regular household lightbulbs. They won't light, naturally, but you can
> dial in your load by simply choosing certain wattages and doing the math.
Err, both tungsten and carbon filament incandescents have very different
resistance when hot (lit) and cold. To make it even more, they are of opposite
sign: with tungsten, the resistance increases as it heats up (a nice
stabilizing feedback), and with carbon, it goes the other way. So if you're
not running enough current to light the bulb, you can't use the printed watt
rating; you'll have to use an ohm-meter.
Noel
Mattis Lind from this forum sent me some failed National Semiconductor 74xx
series, plastic encapsulated. These were from an HP 98xx series calculator I
believe. He noticed than when they failed they failed open. I failed myself
to have the local National Semi people interested in looking at them, and I
just did some XRays to find out if something obvious had happened to the
wire bonds. Nothing we could see, but we didn't take enough close ups. I
want to take a look again, and if I don't find anything could send them on
to you if Mattis is OK with it.
Marc
> Darn! That sounded like a good collection. Alas, I know I haven't kept
> every bad IC either (except that one from the PDP-8/E...not really sure
why
> until now, I guess). But if you do find them, I could certainly use them.
On 14/02/15 11:02, Cory Heisterkamp wrote:
> Tom, any reason for choosing the Harvard architecture?
it may have some Modified Harvard architecture
the computer is NOT Stored-program based, it may have a small (128/256
byte) CPU styled cache
> I'm currently in the middle of a relay computer build so I'll toss in
my 2 cents.
> The most important thing I hit on early is to define the instruction set,
> work out a number of potential applications/uses on paper (or excel),
> and step through each instruction to make sure the machine is capable
enough.
> You'll probably discover a number of efficiency improvements you can
make to the hardware while doing so,
> and a few "hardware subroutines" worth adding.
> You can also baseline how long a program will take to run if you
settle on a clock rate, and determine if there's a better way to do it.
> Ultimately, relay computers are SLOW. Don't take 6 cycles to do what
could be accomplished with a couple extra relays and a single pulse.
> Well thought out HW and instructions will pay big dividends when the
soldering iron comes out. -Cory
good point, I am prototyping the computer design in software and
software in 6502 assembly
Sorry, this was accidentally sent before it was completed.
At 04:40 PM 2/13/2015, Tom Sparks wrote:
>I've been bouncing around the idea of building my own relay computer
I built a greatly scaled down version of Simon more than 50 years ago. See Chapter 3 in:
Edmund Callis Berkeley
Giant Brains, or Machines That Think
New York: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 1949; Reprinted New York, Science Editions, Inc., 1961
Available in DejaVu format at:
https://ia600504.us.archive.org/17/items/GiantBrains/giant_brains.djvu
Dale H. Cook, GR / HP Collector, Roanoke/Lynchburg, VA
http://plymouthcolony.net/starcity/radios/index.html
On 14/02/15 09:52, Brent Hilpert wrote:
> On 2015-Feb-13, at 2:56 PM, Tom Sparks wrote:
>> On 14/02/15 08:20, Brent Hilpert wrote:
>>> On 2015-Feb-13, at 1:40 PM, Tom Sparks wrote:
<snipped>
> Just an opinion, but the Zusie / Z3 recreation ref'd by Pontus looks most interesting, if one wants to do an historical design vs. something novel.
my project is a what if?....
"1890 portable telegraph switching computer"
I am limiting myself to 1930's knowledge and ideas because they could
have be discovered early in time, but unpublished/lost/etc
I am welling to use modern versions to reduce the build time
> The Zusie site mentions the Z3 recreation in Germany.
> With a few recreations of the same machine there's the potential to benefit from community software development.
>
> The Zusie fellow sure was fortunate to obtain a large quantity of good relays at scrap prices.
> I've long been interested in building a relay computer but that's one of the stumbling blocks - relays new are so pricey today.
I noticed that with the relays
> Had in mind a physical implementation much like the Zusie, upright front-access 19" relay rack with an LED per relay to show state (and many blinkenlights).
>
