<If they are labeled "CompacTape", yes. I'm not sure if the CompacTape II
<will work in a TK-50 drive, but I've been told they will. You can not us
<Compact III's or IV's (not that you would want to even used they are VER
<spendy).
CompactTapeII is not usable as it's for tk70 and is different oxide. The
II tapes are the same size though. TK50 tapes can be read in tk70 but
not the reverse.
<Oh, and they are light grey.
of course.
Allison
It certainly seems to have a load of memory chips in it! But I didn't
<really try to tally the total amount.
the base board has 2mb and there are two daughter boards one for the
network (has 7990 lance chip) and the otehr is more memory.
<Do you have a wiretable from the 60-pin to hard and floppy connectors?
Iff the top of my head no, it's not that complex though. finding the 60
pin connector is the challenge. It's then broken down to the 34pin for
the floppy, 43pin for the HD and the 22pin for the HD.
<That 15-pin CRT/keyboard/mouse sounds an awful lot like the Rainbow
<setup. Could I be so lucky?
Maybe, I forget the cable and monitor used. there were both color and
monochrome. The cable for the rainbow may not be useable! I don't have
graphic consoles for mine so cables and tubes are a dim memory.
<Heh heh! Hope they are not the nuisance that house flies are!
Not likely, but fun.
This will help with the monitor command the VS2000 is a subset of the
vs3100 that would come later.
DEPOSIT [{ /B | /W | /L}] [{ /P | /V | /I }] [/G] [/U] [/N:<n>]
[{ <addr> | <sym> | + | - | * | @ } [<datum>]]
EXAMINE [{ /B | /W | /L}] [{ /P | /V | /I }] [/G] [/U] [/N:<n>]
[{ <addr> | <sym> | + | - | * | @ }]
BOOT [/[R5:]<bflg>] <ddau>:
TEST <n> [<m>]
BOOT command
Syntax:
BOOT [/[R5:]<bflg>] <ddau>:
ddau - device in VMS/VMB column listed in 'SHOW DEV' command
R5: - ???
bflg - ???
Bootstraps from and submits control to the loaded program retrieved from
device 'ddau'
DEPOSIT command
Syntax:
DEPOSIT [{ /B | /W | /L}] [{ /P | /V | /I }] [/G] [/U] [/N:<n>]
[{ <addr> | <sym> | + | - | * | @ } [<datum>]]
Writes argument(s) to memory
/B - byte (8 bit)
/W - word (16 bit)
/L - long (32 bit)
/P - ???
/V - ???
/I - I registers (0x00-0x13) what are they for ???
/G - G registers (0x00-0x0f) what are they for ???
/U - ???
/N:<n> - number of entries (bytes/words/longs)
<addr> - memory address (hexidecimal)
<sym> - ???
+ - increments pointer by byte/word/long
- - decrements pointer by byte/word/long
* - ???
@ - ???
<datum> - that which is written to memory determined by above
args
EXAMINE command
Syntax:
EXAMINE [{ /B | /W | /L}] [{ /P | /V | /I }] [/G] [/U] [/N:<n>]
[{ <addr> | <sym> | + | - | * | @ }]
Examines memory contents
/B - byte (8 bit)
/W - word (16 bit)
/L - long (32 bit)
/P - ???
/V - ???
/I - I registers (0x00-0x13) what are they for???
/G - G registers (0x00-0x0f) what are they for???
/U - ???
/N:<n> - number of entries (bytes/words/longs)
<addr> - memory address (hexidecimal)
<sym> - ???
+ - increment pointer by 1=byte, 2=word, 3=long
- - decrement pointer by 1=byte, 2=word, 3=long
* - ???
@ - ???
TEST commands
Syntax:
TEST <n>
n - number in decimal 00-99
Function:
Performs peripheral tests
00 - system exerciser
50 - Disply config in criptic form (the third column is informative)
51 - set default boot device
52 - set boot flags
53 - set default recover action (boot)
54 - set keyboard language
61 - screen of "E" used for monitor checking (monochrome)
62 - white screen (monochrome monitor)
70 - format drive installed (floppy ot hard)
71 - diskette or HD verifier
81 - screen of "E" for color monitor
82 - white screen for color monitor
87 - 8 color bars for color monitor
88 - 8 gray scale bars for comor or monochrome
Allison
<Sounds like a Maxtor 2190 clone.
usually says maxtor on the top and 2190 on the side.
<> Back to that SCSI -- the SCSI in the MicroVAX 2000 was for use only
<> with the TK50Z-FA tape drive, a 95MB cartridge tape system which looks
<> almost exactly like today's fancy DLT tapes (It's DLT's grandfather,
<> pretty much). TK50 is an extremely common format for older (early to
<Is that the 4" square (about) tape cartridge that i see a lot of
<occasionally?
Yes and you want one as they store 95 meg and it's a sorta default
smallvax tape. The TK50z-fa is a second box the same size as the one you
have. If you can find a external storage box (yep, another bix just like
that one) you have the full storage boat.
<No, but there are a 50-pin and a 60-pin header on the motherboard that
<are not presently used.
the 60 pin is the MFM-HD/Floppy connector and the 50 pin is a vaild pinout
for a 50 pin scsi.
<The VMS VAXcluster is not an option, but the netboot may be.
Also check out www.decus.org as you can get a license for VMS free. The
real trick is media as Montgar.com has the CDROM with VMS5.4 through V6.1
and a bunch of other stuff for 30$. Usually you can get someone to crack
the cdrom (it's DEC VMS files not PC compatable) to TK50. The alternate
is if someone has a VS2000 or MicrovaxII they can put the OS directly on
the rd54 and you can plug it in. Ultrix can often be found on old
machines as well if your into unix.
Allison
On Jun 22, 22:05, Zane H. Healy wrote:
> >Is that the 4" square (about) tape cartridge that i see a lot of
> >occasionally?
>
> If they are labeled "CompacTape", yes. I'm not sure if the CompacTape
II's
> will work in a TK-50 drive, but I've been told they will.
No, but the other way round (CompacTape/TK50 in a CompacTapeII/TK70 drive)
works.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Dept. of Computer Science
University of York
Hi Allison:
May I have few blank disks from you too...?? I live in Hong Kong, and I
discover that I never can find 8" disks in my location! :( If so, I would
pay the shipping... :)
Yours,
Ken Yaksa
> I have about two xerox paper boxes of 8" floppies. this is several
> hundred floppies.
>
> Box one is the entire sigm and cpmug volumes and they are readable.
>
> Box two is mostly blanks or believed to be.
>
> Local pick up or shipping would be small quantities of disks so they can
> be packed in plastic disk boxes.
>
> If there is no interest I intend to dump these as it's filling the
garage.
>
> Also I have another box load that have programs (orginal disks) of the
> likes of deadline, planetffall, Aventure and more.
Just to be different, I accidentally sent this to Hans instead of the
list last night. ;-)
P.
______________________________ Forward Header __________________________________
Subject: Re[6]: What is the first computer?
Author: Philip Belben at PowerTech2
Date: 22/06/98 18:17
>> Was the Z3 like the Z4 in using old 35mm cine film for punched tape?
>> (don't try and read it with an optical reader!!!!)
>
> Never heard of opto-mechanics ? *g*
>
> In fact all early Zuse computers used old cine tapes.
> Z1, Z2, Z3, Z4.
Opto mechanics? Fine. That is, fine if you want your data to be
logically OR'd with the picture recorded on the film...
>> Irony of the week: the
>> Pascal calculator in the London Science Museum is a decimal model. That
>> in the Deutches Museum is a Pounds, Shillings and Pence model. :-)
>
> Afaik they also own a decimal one, but Pounds, Shillings and Pence
> ar _way_way_way_ more exotic :) - It gets a lot more attention than
> 'just' decimal calculaters, althrough the difference are only some
> of the wheels.
:-) IIRC, marked Livres, Solz, and Deniers. What's Solz an
abbreviation of? Solides? I thought shillings were Sous!
(off topic) I've always thought the single European currency should be
called a Pound because there's a word for it in almost all European
languages - Pfund, Livre, Lira, Peso(?) etc. Dollar would do as well, I
suppose (Thaler?). Or even Ecu (Escudo?). But Euro?!?!?!?
> Ich denke, also bin ich, also gut
> HRK
What does "HRK" mean? I apologise for taking it as your initials - our
mail software strips off the header and you have to go and look for
things like the Sender's name or address. (The quotation is Descartes,
isn't it?)
Philip.
< Saturday at the local swapmeet, I picked up a MicroVAX 2000. It is a
< neat little package, but now that I have it what can I do with it? And
< how do I do it?
IT's a vax and runs VMS(fits on a RD53 or 54), Ultrix(fits on rd53 or 54)
and sorta runs NETBSD(?).
If you put a terminal on the DB9 (ground pin 8 to 9) it will use a
standard terminal (9600, 8,n,1). The Test 50 command will display ram
installed and other data about the system.
VMS and ultrix runs fairly well in 4 or more meg of ram NetBSD wants 8
or more, 14mb is max.
< This one is a Model 625NT-AA, and comes without harddisk. It appears
IT has a hard and a floppy controller on the board (the 60 pin connector).
The biggest drive it knows is the RD54 (maxtor 2990) at 159mb. It can
also format hard disks and DEC floppies rx50 <400kb dual 5.25> or RX33
<1.2mb, 5.25>.
< that there is a resistor board installed to provide a load comparable
< to the drive on the power supply. According to a rather sketchy spec
< sheet that I d/l'd from DEC, it can handle a maximum 318mb local disk.
< Based on the 53C80 chip installed, I presume that the drive should be
< SCSI.
The 318mb of local disk is 2 RD54s.
The 50 pin internal connecter is indeed SCSI... but the only device usable
is an oddball version of the TK50 tape that has the ODD scsi
bridge board. Reason for oddball, BOOT ROMS do not talk std SCSI
nor do they boot anything other than Eithernet (BNC), Floppy, HARD disk
or TK50 tape on the scsi BUS. It will not boot a SCSI disk. It can use
a SCSI disk IF you supply your own driver.
< At the rear of the machine are three sub-D connectors, one each 25-pin,
< 15-pin, and 9-pin. What are their functions? The 15 and 9 are
< presently encumbered by a plugin box that has three RJ45(?) connectors.
< Network link?
25 pin is modem. 15 pin is CRT/keyboard/mouse, 9pin is serial printer
or console. The MMJ adaptor bring out the serial printer, mouse and
keyboard lines to RS423 serial lines for terminals (ala dec vt320).
That MMJ adaptor is removeable (two screws). Network is on the AUI or
BNC connector and is eithernet (10base2).
They are common as house flies and as small vaxen go pretty useful and fun
to run as they really don't use much power.
Allison
One of our fellow collectors 'down under' is apparently seeking a
VS3100 or similar.
If you can help, please contact him directly.
Thanks in advance. Attachment follows.
-=-=- <snip> -=-=-
From: <>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec
Subject: vaxstation wanted
NNTP-Posting-Host: 139.134.95.117
Message-ID: <358e6062.0(a)139.134.5.33>
Date: 22 Jun 98 13:47:14 GMT
Lines: 9
Path:
blushng.jps.net!news.eli.net!news-out.internetmci.com!newsfeed.internetmci.com!139.130.250.2!intgwpad.nntp.telstra.net!nsw.nntp.telstra.net!139.134.5.33!139.134.95.117
I am after a used vaxstation 3100 or 4000 model.
Must be working. Also TLZ06 DAT drive wanted.
Has anyone got one for sale in Sydney, Australia area.
Email me at GADTECH(a)bigpond.com.au
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Sysop, The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272)
http://table.jps.net/~kyrrin -- also kyrrin [A-t] Jps {D=o=t} Net
Spam is bad. Spam is theft of service. Spam wastes resources. Don't spam, period.
I am a WASHINGTON STATE resident. Spam charged $500.00 per incident per Chapter 19 RCW.
> Not exactly, the SCSI port is only for a tape drive, a TK50Z (an early
> ancestor to modern DLT drives).
Gerhard Moeller has hacked together a SCSI driver for the beast. You'll
still need an MFM drive to boot from, though. He posts fairly frequently
on comp.sys.dec or comp.os.vms, so it shouldn't be difficult to track
him down with dejanews.
> A uVAX 2000 uses MFM drives, either a
> Microplis 1325/DEC RD53 (70MB) or a Maxtor 2190/DEC RD54 (159MB). In
> order to load VMS you really need the RD54, 70MB is too small.
Unless, of course, you install something like MicroVMS 4.5, which was
current when the thing came out. I've installed 7.1 on an 40MB drive,
but it was painful and it occasionally spontaneously crashes. Using
Gerhard's driver, I have a nice little package containing a 40MB drive
and a TZ30 tape drive to take on travel. I did have to do some metalwork
hacking to get the TZ30 in; there's a cable that wanders around outside
the 5.25" form factor.
> The HD
> controller is the 40 pin SMC chip on the motherboard. Oddball MFM
> format, not compatible with WD HDCs,
Well, technically, the format itself is compatible. The 2000 just adds
some extra information to control bad block replacement. The PC doesn't
know about the extra information and, consequently, doesn't add it.
Roger Ivie
ivie(a)cc.usu.edu
