>So what, if anything, should appear on the console when you turn on a
>Microvax that has no disks connected ? The little display on the back
>seems to go from '6' to '7' and stay there, or perhaps to 'L'. Which side
>is up?
It should count down from 7 to 3 and wait there for console input, unless
the boot device has been specified -- then it continues counting down
as it accesses the boot disk. If it reaches zero, it will boot.
>Also there are two knobs next to the console port, one is clearly the
>baud rate and the other has three positions, each position is identified
>by a pictograph. The three pictures are
> top - line connected to a triangle (arrow?)
> middle - looks like a face in profile
> bottom - a T inscribed in a circle.
The top one is the normal position. The middle one is for the boot dialog
regarding language and boot device. The bottom one is continuous test.
>Then there is a paddle switch above that whose positions are identified
>with a circle and a dot inside the circle, and another position where the
>dot is outside the circle. Which should it be?
This enables (dot in circle) or disables (dot outside circle) the halt
on break feature. Normal position is dot outside circle, you don't
want someone to halt a time-sharing system when other users are on it.
But if you're the only user (/owner), then you probably want to have
total control... unless you find you accidently hit BREAK too often... :-)
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
>Howdy, I've taken delivery on two MicroVax II's, one is a model 630QY-A2
>and the other is a 630QB-A2, the QY is basically a narrow cabinet and the
>QB is a wide cabinet. Both have 8MB and both have ethernet controllers.
>Both were stripped of drives although one still has a tape unit. (TK50?
>How can I tell?)
Narrow cabinet vs. wide cabinet? Sounds like a BA23 vs. BA123 cabinet.
>1) I'd like to find a disk or two for these (they each have slots for
>four disks of the DU type.) what do I need to look for? Are there size
>limitations?
But with four slots, they both must be BA123 -- by the way, there should
be a total of 5 slots... four horizontal on the right side (with the top
one being the TK50), and one vertical on the left side for the RX50 (but
you can put an RX33 there as well).
What to look for? If you can get an MSCP controller (RQDX1, 2, 3), you'll
need RD series disks. Max of 159 MB. If you have a third-party
interface, probably much larger. I have a machine with 2GB DSSI disks,
and another machine with a 770 MB ESDI disk.
As for TK50, it has one large red switch on the right side and one small
green LED on the left. The TK70 has a smaller switch on the right side
and three LEDs.
>2) Can these things be booted over the network in a pinch? (one has no
>tape drive)
Yes, so long as you have another machine set up to serve the files to
it.
>2b) Do these things have boot roms that are interactive ala ODT? Until I
>get disks is there anyway to verify that they work?
Sure do... and with NVram, you can also establish default settings for
language and boot device.
>3) Would it make sense to combine the memory cards so that I have one
>16MB VAX or should I leave it at two VAXen?
Depends on how many memory cards are in each machine. If that is 8MB
in two cards (4MB each), then no. You'll need larger capacity memory
cards. Max is 16MB in two cards (of 8 MB each).
>4) One has a busextender unit that goes to a non-DEC disk card labelled:
>"Wombat" (its a disk controller of some sort) with tag WQESD 2.8M
>SCD-RQD11/EC
*Very* nice... makes your deal quite a good one...
> a) This is ESDI controller yes?
> b) It has four data connectors so four drives?
> c) Its in a different backplane UNIBUS perhaps? (quad height)
Different bus? If they are BA123s, there should only be one backplane
which is quad high...
>Both machines internally appear to be in very good shape. Anyone have the
> "MicroVAX II 630 QB Technical Manual" ?
Yes... but I don't want to part with it... contact me off list.
>All in all it wasn't a bad deal at $18 each.
Not at all...
Megan Gentry
Former RT-11 Developer
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
| Megan Gentry, EMT/B, PP-ASEL | Internet (work): gentry!zk3.dec.com |
| Unix Support Engineering Group | (home): mbg!world.std.com |
| Compaq Computer Corporation | addresses need '@' in place of '!' |
| 110 Spitbrook Rd. ZK03-2/T43 | URL: http://world.std.com/~mbg/ |
| Nashua, NH 03062 | "pdp-11 programmer - some assembler |
| (603) 884 1055 | required." - mbg |
+--------------------------------+-------------------------------------+
For those still with me here, I'm looking for a used but functional T3000
tape drive. Reply off list please.
Wanted to check with the group for something available first to keep the
business "in the family" :)
Thanks, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.ggw.org/awa
Hi Chuck,
----------
> From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis(a)freegate.com>
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
> Subject: uVax II questions
> Date: Friday, February 26, 1999 3:51 PM
>
> Howdy, I've taken delivery on two MicroVax II's, one is a model 630QY-A2
> and the other is a 630QB-A2, the QY is basically a narrow cabinet and the
> QB is a wide cabinet. Both have 8MB and both have ethernet controllers.
Ethernet is fine ;-)) Most common on the MVII is the DEQNA.
> Both were stripped of drives although one still has a tape unit. (TK50?
How
> can I tell?)
TK50 has a bigger button with a LED in it, TK70 has a small button and
three LED's.
> Here are the questions:
>
> 1) I'd like to find a disk or two for these (they each have slots for
four
> disks of the DU type.) what do I need to look for?
Standard were the RD51/RD52/RD53/RD54 disks. You would be lucky to find
some of these. The controller is RQDX..
The biggest of these disks is the rd54, which is appr. 150MB.
You can buy a SCSI controller for it (appr $1000)
ESDI controllers & disks are the cheapest. (my opinion ;-))
Once again, the controller is expensive, appr. $100-200. Disks are $0-100,
which is appr 70-660MB.
> Are there size limitations?
Budget. ;-))
> 2) Can these things be booted over the network in a pinch? (one has no
tape
> drive)
If you try to use NetBSD, is ok. But you need a host for the files...
In case you don't know, there is a hobbyist VMS out there, no cost. But the
CD is sold out, new one comes in March (?)
So If you like to use VMS, you should aske the group about tapes...
> 2b) Do these things have boot roms that are interactive ala ODT?
a little like ...
> Until I get disks is there anyway to verify that they work?
Netboot.
> 3) Would it make sense to combine the memory cards so that I have one
16MB
> VAX or should I leave it at two VAXen?
What you wrote, is that you have 8 MB on each. If it is one board, you need
the cable & you can use two of them in one system. If you have already two
memory boards in each, bad. Than you got the 4MB boards.
> 4) One has a busextender unit that goes to a non-DEC disk card labelled:
> "Wombat" (its a disk controller of some sort) with tag WQESD 2.8M
> SCD-RQD11/EC
>
> a) This is ESDI controller yes?
Guess so. (You are lucky !!!)
There are other here on this group, who use them.
> b) It has four data connectors so four drives?
> c) Its in a different backplane UNIBUS perhaps? (quad height)
??? Should be all q-bus.
> All in all it wasn't a bad deal at $18 each.
Yes. But you can get them for free already.
cheers,
emanuel
Philip,
I'm posting this to the list so you can't say I didn't do my homework.
I tracked down a 4051 that I saw mentioned on the web and asked about it.
Here's their response:
Greetings Joe,
I have had your e-mail on my to do list for
sometime but the alligators have been chasing me on other chores. Any
how The tek 4051 is about 1976 vintage and it is only recently that we
disposed of them to our surplus place. We had 4051, 4052 ,plotter,
joystick and a printer. I still have all the manuals and microfiche for
them I think.
The address for our surplus unit is <sniped>.
I'm already working on trying to get the manuals and to find out about
their surplus disposal.
Joe
<> > PS: If 'RYRYRYRYRYRYRY....' means anything to you... that is the
<> > kind of gear I've bought from him. :)
Standard TTY test pattern.
RY is the extreme opposite in the machanics of a ASR/KSR33. IF you can
do a string of RYs without error then the reader/punch/printer is good.
The gig is to punch a length of RYs long enough to loop into the reader
and then read it on local. If it's a good machine it will keep punching
RYs and if in need of adjustment or cleaning... the rys get translated
to something else.
Allison
Does anybody know when Hewlett-Packard made the Model 130C oscilloscope?
Its tube based. The serial number is 503-03353.
Any pointers would be appreciated.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Always hasslin' the man.
Coming in 1999: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 02/15/99]
On Wed, 24 Feb 1999, Dave Dameron <ddameron(a)earthlink.net> wrote:
> I did finally find a copy of "Microcomputer Design"
> by Martin by interlibrary loan :). Abebooks, etc never found it. It is
> loaded with 8008 stuff with things like all timing, a 9 chip 8008 system,
> etc. They also sold the "Mike" series of microcomputer boards, but I have
> never seen one except pictures in early Byte's. I also tried to find
> Martin or his company (In Illinois), but no luck.
>
I actually bought a copy of Martin's wonderful book in 1976 (by mail,
directly from Martin Research) for the then-enormous price of $25 (I was a
poor grad student then rather than the poor wage-slave I am now). I have
never seen another copy since in all my years of secondhand book browsing.
It was, I guess, the first microprocessor book I ever acquired. Indeed, I'm
wondering if it was the first-ever practical application manual for
microprocessors published by someone other than the major chip vendors.
Arlen
--
Arlen Michaels amichael(a)nortelnetworks.com
A friend of mine from another (algorithmically-related) List has
the following PDP8 Stuff for y'alls consideration:
A Front Panel
A "single-card core plane"
A Power supply.
A "complete set" of software on DEC paper tape in DEC trays.
Please write to : Don Merz
71333.144(a)compuserve.com
for more info.
I have done much business with Don and have found him to be honest
and fair. He would rather a true PDP8 Collector have a chance at
this, than list it on e-bay.
Drop him a line.
Cheerz
John
PS: If 'RYRYRYRYRYRYRY....' means anything to you... that is the
kind of gear I've bought from him. :)
