test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

Building up the 8E system, questions - advice - partsRequest

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jay West > All the original slides I've ever seen for BA11-K boxes are the > "cantilever" slides, what allow you to tilt the unit up 90 degrees once > it is extended. Right; there are actually two different types I've seen of those rotating slides, and in both, the rotating mechanism is part of the 'inner' slide (i.e. the part that bolts to the BA11 box). The older one (seen on BA11-D's, too) uses a T-shaped pull to release the rotate lock; the newer has an L-shaped release pull. All three (the non-rotating, and both rotating 'inners') use _basically_ the same 'outer' slide (i.e. the part that bolts to the rack); the outer-most slide (the 'outer' actually contains two parts, an outer and a middle) is about 3-1/2" wide. (There's an even wider 'outer' slide, but I forget what it goes to.) I said 'basically' since the three different versions do include various interlocks to prevent pulling the unit out of the slides, and some of the 'outers', although they are the same size, are not actually compatible with all the different 'inners', because their interlocks differ (although you could probably mod one to fit another without too much work). > So were the slides typically sold with the RK05 also "cantilever/tilt"? Not that I've ever seen. > Is that helpful for servicing an RK05 (never worked on one yet)? Not that I can think of - there are a few components on the bottom (e.g. the absolute filter), but most stuff is on the top. And the drive is so heavy, with all the weight at one end, that I wouldn't want to rotate one anyway! Although the BA11-K weighs a ton, too, and its weight is similarly concentrated at one end. Which may be why they changed the rotating fixture; the early one might not have been good at holding that much weight. Noel

9 years, 9 months

Building up the 8E system, questions - advice - partsRequest

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jay West > I need to rack the RK05 and the TU56. On the RK05 - does anyone have a > spare set of slides or can I definitely just use RL02 slides (which I > have lots of)? All the RK05's I've ever seen used the wide slides that DEC used on their older -11's. So if you have a spare set of e.g. BA11-K slides, you can use them to 'hang' the RK05. The company that made those slides for DEC is still in business, and still sells similar slides; I toyed with the idea of buying a set, and seeing if they were compatible (maybe only on the bolt-hole level, not on the slide insertion level, from the pictures), but the cost (~$200, IIRC) dissuaded me so far. All the RL02's I've seen use the later, narrower slides. Maybe there's some way to attach an RL02-type inner to RK05, but without trying it, I couldn't say. > I have the wide grey inner slides on the RK05 but no outers and I > noticed just one of the inner slides has a gold L-catch release on it > so I'm wondering if there's anything special about RK05 slides. That gold L-catch doesn't ring a bell for me. Maybe your RK05 has different slides on it from most of them? Picture(s)? AFAIK the wide grey inner slides on most RK05's are stock; I just checked, and a BA11-K outer slide fit it just fine. (I can check some other types, e.g. -11/10N, if there is any use to that.) Noel

9 years, 9 months

How to route Phase II

by paulkoning＠comcast.net

Thanks to help from Timothe Litt, I have Phase II support, including just enough "intercept" support to be useable, working in my Python router (svn://akdesign.dyndns.org/pydecnet/trunk/pydecnet). Tested it with a KS-10 TOPS-20 setup. I had it do NFT from a DECnet/E system two hops away. Worked correctly including the handling of the text (ASCII) data. It doesn't do all that is required for intercept nodes -- tracking NSP connections so it can disconnect them if the path goes away. Also, Phase II NSP does not do packet timeout and retransmit, so if a packet is lost on the path to the destination, the connection is wedged. I may end up doing a bit more than standard intercept operation and do timeout/retransmit on behalf of the end system. That's cheating, of course, but why not? Anyway, this may help those who have Phase II systems. Comments and feedback and bug reports appreciated. paul

9 years, 9 months

Cables

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jim S > Anyone have a source for IDC cables / supplies? I'm in need of some 40, > 50 and various other cables and connectors. If you're talking about the standard .1" double-row connectors on flat cables, the _parts_ for them (connectors and cables) are quite easy to find (most suppliers such a Mouser, Jameco, etc have them, and you can also find them on eBait); buy some, and make up your own cables. They're dirt cheap that way. (Just use a vice to press the connectors onto the cable; you don't need to buy the special crimping tool.) Noel

9 years, 9 months

Mobile Web Site Technology to Revive Old Browers

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

I noticed today that web sites that are screen width responsive and device independent are also "responsive" to really old browsers like Netscape 2.0 running on a Windows 3.11 box. The whole push to make web sites mobile friendly has had the unintended consequence of making Windows 3.11 web browsing a little more practical than before. The only issue I found is with javascript, one has best results if turned off entirely. Sites load pretty quick as a lot of the overhead if not transmitted by the server, perceiving the download is to a mobile or limited device. If you get the chance and run an older browser on an older OS my site is a pretty good example of a modern site design that works in Windows 3.11 / Netscape or Alpha / Mosaic etc. Bill -- @ BillDeg: Web: vintagecomputer.net Twitter: @billdeg <https://twitter.com/billdeg> Youtube: @billdeg <https://www.youtube.com/user/billdeg> Unauthorized Bio <http://www.vintagecomputer.net/readme.cfm>

9 years, 9 months

Pdp-10 emulation

by tmv713＠cryptolab.net

Hi people? I've installed SIMH on my computer and I want to get around with the emulator for the pdp-10; it was a beautiful machine and the ancestor of the GNU project, so is quite charming. I have no idea on how to begin using it. Is the first time in my life that I get in touch with something related to old computing. I want to know where I can get software, TECO and adventure to mess around (because of the importance of both); and, very importantly, how to get this software running in the emulator. I've been searching about the software and it's quite easy to get. Hope my question doesn't bother people, thanks :) Tedd Vazquez. -- -----BEGIN GEEK CODE BLOCK----- Version: 3.1 GC/CS/CM/CC/E/ED/FA/H/IT/LS/L/MC/M/MU/PA/P/S/SS/TW/AT d--(-)@ s: a? C++++>$ UBLC(++++)>$ P+>+$ L++++>$ E+++>$ W+++>$ N+ !o K+++++ w---() !O !M !V PS++(+++) PE+++ Y+(++) PGP+(++) t+(++) !5 X+(++) R tv+ b++++>$ DI++(+++) D+ G++ e* h* !r z? ------END GEEK CODE BLOCK------

9 years, 9 months

1950s TV computers

by cclist＠sydex.com

I've been having fun looking at TV programs that I watched when the family had a 17" monochrome RCA set. At any rate, here's one such about a guy who gets shocked by a computer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-pfWhehSB4 Note that, about 3:20 in, the guy doing the troubleshooting on the system pulls a faulty tube and gives it to his companion for replacement. "12AY7" is what he says, but hands the other guy an octal tube--the 12AY7 is a 9-pin sub-miniature. (TV had goofs even then). Other than the IBM Model B electric typewriters, there doesn't seem to be much to see. From 1955. Here's another one from 1956: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33OFJEWUgQE This involves a mechanical translating machine that's been adapted to diagnose and prescribe treatment for diseases. There, you can see the same IBM typewriters, as well a couple of keypunches (IBM 024/6?) and bunches of tape drives that I don't recognize. "Memory coils", anyone? The strange thing is that years later, I met up with a fellow who had worked with Gerald Salton on the nascent SMART system that, I believe, eventually morphed into MEDLARS. Stuff from a time when men wore hats and women wore dresses. --Chuck

9 years, 9 months

Random VGA question: 160x200 "high color" mode?

by r_a_feldman＠hotmail.com

>Message: 12 >Date: Tue, 1 Mar 2016 19:30:27 -0800 >From: Josh Dersch <derschjo at gmail.com> >Subject: Random VGA question: 160x200 "high color" mode? > >Awhile back a "pre-alpha" version of the PC classic "DOOM" was unearthed >(dated Feb 28, 1993), and it claims to support a "high color" VGA mode. >From the README.TXT: > > "Use High-color DAC (160 x200, but great color!) > (Only newer VGA cards have this-if it looks OK, ya got it) > (This may--okay, will--REALLY screw up the playscreen's > graphics. Just look at the neat colors and don't worry.)" > >I've tried it on a number of machines (from the 386 era to a modern PC) >and they all just end up showing garbage when this mode is enabled. I >cannot for the life of me find a reference to this mode existing >anywhere, but I assume it must have worked on *some* SVGA chipset of the >era since ID programmed in support for it. I'm guessing it was cut >because nothing else supported it (and because 160x200 must have looked >awful, even with lots of colors...) > >Does this odd video mode ring any bells with anyone out there? Any idea >what hardware to look for that might support it? At this point I'm more >curious about the actual hardware than getting this pre-alpha to run >with it... > >- Josh Try sending a message to Jim Leonard (trixter at oldskool.org). He has done a lot of work with old PC graphics modes and might know about this mode. Bob

9 years, 9 months

Unix System V rel 1 on pdp-11?

by ed＠groenenberg.net

Hi. When looking for Unix distro's for rhe PDP-11, I did find information of how to make a System II using a Unix version 7 as it's base. I also came across some hits about the existence of System 5 Release 1 for the PDP-11 (basically intended to be only for the 45 & 70). On www.archive.org I did find both the System II and System 5 user manuals, and the S5 manuals does mention the 11/70. So, did it indeed exists and if so, is there someone who can help me maybe with an image to run under SIMH? Regards, Ed -- Ik email, dus ik besta.

9 years, 9 months

Front Panels - PDP8 and PDP 11

by rodsmallwood52＠btinternet.com

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

9 years, 9 months

Jump to page:

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016

2015

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2002

2001

2000

1999

1998

1997

test-drb