- test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org - classiccmp.org

Service manuals and classis computer Was: Free Linux and OpenOffice

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Tony Duell ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk >Sent 9/1/2008 5:04:06 PM >To: cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: Re: Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't > > I never take delivery on a car until AFTER I have a copy of the FSM > (Factory Service Manual). >You have sense!. Although I suspect I'm one of the few people who >actively uys serivce manuals for cars (and other devices) that I am very >unlikely to ever own. Just for interest. > > I'm in agreement with you there. I like doing CERTAIN things on my own cars. I won't do things like oil changes, because most times, it isn't financially worth the effort. I'd have to buy oil, buy a filter, get the truck up, drain it, then figure out what to do with the old oil, as here you have to pay to dispose of it. Frankly, by the time it's said and done, most times it's cheaper to have someone do it, as someone ALWAYS has a special in my area for $14.99-19.99. Of course, sometimes I'll do it just because i feel like doing it... However, things like brake work, etc, I'll do myself. It's highway robbery what they charge. Last time, they wanted $149.99 parts+labor to change the stinking brake PADS on my pickup! Cost me $30 + about 15-20 minutes for BOTH sides! > > but when does someone get the source code for anything, outside of > open source warez? > (curious what open source stuff TD is using...) > Although we have the source to some of the systems we run that are developed in-house, other systems that we are pretty dependant on, we will negotiate a source code escrow contract, so in the event the company goes belly-up, we aren't completely screwed. I mean, yeah, it'll take a while to get people looking at the code, figuring it out, etc... but at least you have SOME kind of chance! One prime example is Royal Caribbean. They run a property management system named Encore, which originally was named "The Captain," from a company named Encore, which ran on Tandems (I think on Linux now, or will be - most dev systems are under SCO or Linux, and the programming environment is DB/C), and they had a source code escrow agreement. When Encore went under (I think RCI was their only major deal), they basically bought the assets, and got the source out of escrow, and have maintained it in-house ever since. Tony

17 years, 12 months

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eBay: Vintage HP-2115A Computer and Power Supply

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> Curious to see if anyone snags it. J.A.M. did. CHM received a prototype 2114A last week. The interesting news, along with a large set of paper tapes, is a set of blueprints for it, and an external box with nixies that can display A, B, and P.

17 years, 12 months

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about shipping

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

Some people have asked me to catalog and ship stuff from my storage unit. The stuff for which I can do that I list on Ebay (http://myworld.ebay.com/frotz661). A batch of ten items goes up this Tuesday and more will go up in similar volumes in the coming days. What I'm asking people to do is come and cart off mostly documentation that I haven't the time or willpower to catalog and scan. If you see something special sitting alone, make an offer. There are also some large "good lord, what is that?" things that someone might be more interested in than the scrapper would. I'd love it if I can get someone from southern California who, for whatever reason, needs to drive up to the SF area to stop off at my place to get a load for the Computer History Museum. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

17 years, 12 months

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OT: Needed information since the list is slow

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca >Sent 9/2/2008 12:23:59 AM >To: General Discussion GeneralDiscussion@ >Subject: OT: Needed information since the list is slow > >*FOUND READING ON THE NET* > >This ultra modern aluminum foil hat will protect your pet from the brain >scanning rays of the NSA, certain 'auction' websites, fbi.com, and CIA >satellites that are monitoring their little subversive thoughts. You may >not have considered this before, but your lead lined hat is worthless if >your pet can give away your secrets to the very people most dangerous to >you - your government! >But we both know that the government's 'pet mind reading threat' pales >in comparison to the unknown dangers of aliens reading your pet's >brainwaves. The PFHT Special Edition [PFHTSE, pronounced Pfootsie], has >a hydrocarbon-chain lining specially designed to filter the hydrogen >band alien brain scans. This space age material may appear to the >untrained eye to be just plain plastic shopping bag, but your pet will >know the difference. All government and alien I/O is cut off. It's like >a firewall for your pet's brain. > That the same material as in that Mel Gibson movie a few years back, with the aliens? What was it called, Signals, or Signs, or something similar? When his younger brother (or widow's brother - I forgot) put foil hats it on his head, and Mel's kids heads? "Swing Away!" Tony

17 years, 12 months

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Stuff to get rid of in Bakersfield California

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

I have too much crap in my storage units and I need to get rid of one. I thought I'd be able to sell off this stuff on ebay, but I don't think I have the drive to deal with the volume I've amassed. The highlights here are a Macintosh SE, a Northstar Horizon (missing the lid), several 8-inch floppy drives, assorted S100 cards, and lots of documentation. I need to get rid of this stuff in a week and a half. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text. Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing? A: Top-posting. Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

17 years, 12 months

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Osborne items available

by tonym＠compusource.net

For Osborne 1: 2 floppies, setup as A: and B: from factory CRT Mainboard (SD, but I think I have one DD upgrade board) I THINK I also have a front panel or 2 No case or psu available - PSU was bad, and case was in HORRID condition For Osborne Executive: CRT, FDD's, frame, and questionable mainboard for Exec, although 128kb ram card IS good. CRT and Mainboard are questionable, so those 2 can go free+shipping. Might also have the front panel for this... Make an offer that at least covers gas to the post office :) Items are in S. Fla Tony

17 years, 12 months

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Heath/Zenith S/W Docs & Mags Available

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

I have some H/Z Software manuals; they're for the assembler, BASIC-80, etc. Also the manual for the z-80 assembler course, the CP/M 'Introductory guide', and some other stuff, plus a few REMark magazines from the early-mid 80's. Asking postage (should go media mail, no problemo) plus 10%. If there's no interest, this will all be recycled. E-mail me off-list if interested. WOuld prefer to unload all of this at once. Thanks, Jeff ____________________________________________________________ Find the right teaching school to meet your educational needs. Click to learn more. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3njBiBW5OwmMA98olWQ4tRv7C…

17 years, 12 months

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ENIAC vs. ENIAC-on-a-Chip IC implementation

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

>From the excellent book, "The First Computers - History and Architectures," an interesting comparison: "The ENIAC contained 17,468 vacuum tubes, 70,000 resistors, 10,000 capacitors, 7,200 crystal diodes, and 6,000 switches, it had a footprint of about 33 m x 1 m, occupied a room of 170 square meters, dissipated about 140-174 kW and weighed 30 tons. In contrast, he chip realization contains 174,569 transistors, measures 7.4 mm x 5.3 mm (the PGA package measures 3.6 cm by 3.6 cm), dissipates a few Watts (depending on how many units run in parallel and the clock speed), and weighs a few grams. Also, in terms of power requirement the comparison is striking. In addition to the AC power for the heaters of the tubes, the card reader and the card punch, the ENIAC required 78 different DC voltage levels to power 10 different types of vacuum tubes. The power equipment was housed in 7 panels which were separate from the ENIAC?s 40 panels. Special ventilating equipment consisted of an elaborate system of fans and blowers to keep the temperature inside the panels below C. In contrast, the chip needs only one power supply of 5 V (or lower). The clock frequency used in the ENIAC was 100 kHz, while the one on the chip can easily run at 50 MHz or higher." http://www.ese.upenn.edu/~jan/eniacproj.html

17 years, 12 months

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HP64000 System, Books, Software available

by hpjimbondoris123＠dorisland.net

Steve can you ask the person you gave your 64000 to to contact me to see if he would be willing to help me with my 64000 project. jim

17 years, 12 months

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eBay: Vintage HP-2115A Computer and Power Supply

by Tim＠Rikers.org

He wants 4k, which is a lot. That's likely 1$ per word of core. :) I've not seen another listed on eBay ever. Curious to see if anyone snags it. It's likely over when you read this. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130249823073 -- Tim Riker - http://Rikers.org/ - TimR at Debian.org Embedded Linux Technologist - http://eLinux.org/ BZFlag maintainer - http://BZFlag.org/ - for fun! ? ? ????????u poo? ??n??u??s ?no? u? 8-??n s? ? ?

18 years

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PDP-11/40 for sale

by operator＠ocoperations.com

Ashley, Is the PDP 11/40 still for sale. Your internet post was back in February. Richard Van Leer

18 years

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Uses for OpenVMS

by poghlan+cctech＠vms.eurokom.ie

>I've had a VAXstation 4000/60 in my cabinet for well over a year now (had to >renew the license a few days ago). It is running OpenVMS 7.3. > >I can not think of any use for it, other than learning about OpenVMS, but that >is made difficult when I don't know what to do with it... > >So what can be done with an OpenVMS setup these days? > All sorts of stuff. Here are a few varied examples: Most recently, I hacked together some bits of other peoples C code to take a .au sound file and generate a graph of its frequency spectrum in an XWindow. I put this together on an Alpha where my sound card is but I just tried it on a Vaxstation 3100 and it it worked fine there too, a bit slower though. I have the Hercules IBM mainframe emulator running under VMS on my Alphaserver 1000A. That should annoy the DECheads and IBMmers in equal measure :-) Hercules is a medium sized application targeting linux and windows. I can scan documements using a SCSI attached scanner on my VAX 4000/100A and a port of the SANE scanner software and view and archive pictures from a digital camera using an "interesting" method of attaching a compact flash card to my Alpha. Recent versions of VMS including 7.3 provide a unix like runtime environment which makes it possible to port many of the better written open source unix applications and tools. The windowing system is a port of X-Windows so even if you don't have a display attached to your VAX, you can run X-Windows code on your VAX and display it on a remote X server which could be on a PC or Mac for instance. Lots of X applications and games have been ported to VMS and there are ports and native versions of internet applications such as email and news clients and servers, web servers and even web browsers. Unfortunately, a lot of the more bloaded modern code would have problems building or running on a VAX. VAX hardware is out of production for some years now, having been replaced by Alpha and then Itanium processors and VAX systems tend to be limited in processing power, memory etc compared to their successors and to the expectations of more recent code. Also, some features which were later added to Alpha/VMS (such as kernel threads for example) were never backported to VAX/VMS. I like programming in the native VMS environment. I generally use C, Fortran and VAX assembly but lots of other languages are available under the hobbyist license. VMS System service routines and library functions are available equally >from all languages and are in general very well designed and offer great flexibility. The downside is the learning curve can be a bit steep for someone who is not familiar with the VMS way of doing things, which can be quite different >from other operating systems. There is lots of freeware for VMS at http://mvb.saic.com/ which may stimulate further ideas. Also, check out the comp.os.vms newsgroup where lots of VMS people hang out. Regards, Peter.

18 years

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Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't

by tonym＠compusource.net

-----Original Message----- >From: Tony Duell ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk >Sent 8/31/2008 2:07:39 PM >To: cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: Re: Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't > > We run HP, IBM, Sun, Cisco, and Dell hardware, and I > hardly see > ANY of them giving out schematics. > > I doubt Tony has any DELLs, but I'm fairly sure he has some > HP kit ... an HP Laserjet iirc. > >Actually, I have a _lot_ of HP computers, going right back to their first >desktop computer, the Model 30 calculator (HP9830). I have HP calculators >older than that, of course. > >Heck I use an HP handheld calculator all the time. And yes, I have >schematics. Yes, I have the ROM sources. It doesn't bother me that the >latter are often stamped 'NOMAS -- Not Manufacturer Supported -- >Recipient agrees not to contact the manufacturer' I am quite capable of >reading and understanding them on my own. > > > You'll note he said _he_ wouldn't use anything he couldn't > support himself. He's not saying that you should use the > same approach in the office ... that's not where the important > stuff lives! > >_Escatly_.. > >Let's go back to the comment that started this debate. I make no secret >of the fact that I run linux. I considered what was important _to me_ in >an OS : availability of the source code -- not necessarily open-source, a >source license I could afford would be acceptable; the fact that I prefer >a good CLI to a GUI; that it would run the software I need (a C compiler, >TeX/LaTeX, etc) and so on. And I concluded that linux was the best choice >_for me_ so that's what I run. > >Now, I don't think it's the best choice for everyone. Other people have >different requirements and desires, they end up with a different OS that >suits their needs. So? Waht's the problem? > >IT's the same with many other things. I don;'t suppose many people, >buying a new car, would have the same requirement top-of-the-list as my >father did recently. Namely that the official workshop manual had to be >available. But it was important to us. > >-tony The whole debate started, when I simply notified the list, that anyone who ran Windows, and was in school, or knew someone in school, and had an .edu email address, could get an academic copy of Office 2007 Ultimate for $60. After that, all the Linux/Open-Source bigots came out decrying it. OpenOffice was menetioned as being the be-all end-all and being free, and I promptly downloaded it, installed it, and it wouldn't even open 1/3 of the work my wife did last semester. Now, does that mean it sucks? No. Did I say it sucked? No. But the Zealots took it as such, and kept going from there. I never said you couldn't use Linux+OO in school - I am sure MILLIONS already do. I just made the point that it was NOT the right solution for my wife. She is not exactly, um, computer saavy, and has no desire to be, so for my situation, I saw it best to give here Windows+Office, because working 10-12 hours at the office, and then 4 more VPN'd from home, I REALLY didn't want to add to my load... But the bigots INSISTED... I am in TOTAL agreement with what you say - we run many environments at work, and there are MANY instances where Linux is the ideal solution. We currently have about, oh, let's say 12-18 Linux servers at work, (2) of which are hosting semi-large Oracle databases, on the order of about 40GB, and running on HP Proliant DL380 G3's or G4's (depending on age) and either (6) 72GB or 146GB drives in RAID5, again depending on age. They run fine, work fine, kick the SNOT out of equivalent Windows boxes hosting Oracle, and as you pointed out,I have NEVER had a virus/malware/trojan issue to speak of. And we all know that is NOT the case with Windows boxen! As to TCO, well I don't know what you're getting at, as I just pay yearly fees for the M$ True-Up, and the eTrust AV. Comes up to about $785/year for both. Now, workstations are a bit more, and btw, all ours are NOT the same, depending on age, and the property they are at. I still have Compaq Deskpro EN (P3/800-1000) in the enterprise, HP Workstations, multiple versions of Dell SX and GX-series machines, And Dell/IBM Laptops (mostly Dell Latitudes now, D600/D610/D620/D630, as most TPads have been retired). And most times, I don't get a parts-swapping droid when we call HP/IBM/DELL - we usually get overnighted the bad part, so it's back up and running the next day, assuming next day service on that machine, and assuming not the weekend. The only exceptions are the servers, which come with a 3YR warranty, and we pick up the next day, 24x7 support on those. As I said...my first introduction to free *nix was 386BSD in about '94 or so, followed by Linux, although it was still 2 floppies, and then to FreeBSD, which was the next progression of 386BSD - played a little with Minix, but it was a bit closed-in for me - Linux was gathering steam, and developers were getting strongly behind it, which is when I switched over from *BSD to Linux. Things were happening REALLY fast in the Linux world, and were slowing down in *BSD. And then they started the whole *BSD split-offs I figured it was time to switch over for real. Heck, I think I still have quite a few of the older media around, back when Linux was the "In thing" and was being sold retail in Best Buy / Circuit City / etc.. I CLEARLY remember, before affordable WiFi days, the copy of Corel Linux I bought retail, was about the ONLY operating system, that out-of-the-box, would properly run with those RayCom 2MBit wireless cards. Not Windows, and not other Linux distros - I'm talking OOB, here. And I remember loading that on an HP OmniBook of some sort, Pentium 200 or so, as I recall... ps - forgive the formatting, as this is through my Webmail because my work XP laptop is, surprise, running malware / trojan cleaning apps. Tony

18 years

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Wanted: System V Release 4 (Intel) OS

by pitlog＠gmail.com

Hi, I've been looking for a set of floppies or better yet, a 150MB QIC tape for SVR4 for the 486 platform. Not having much luck to date, which surprises me. I would have thought there would be plenty of these laying around. I need one with SCSI drivers, and I also need the development system. Willing to pay a reasonable amount. Thanks, Tom

18 years

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HandyMan for Kaypro

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Allison ajp166 at bellatlantic.net >Sent 8/31/2008 11:23:55 AM >To: cctech at classiccmp.org >Subject: Re: HandyMan for Kaypro > > >Subject: HandyMan for Kaypro > From: "tonym" tonym at compusource.net > Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:02:12 +0000 (GMT) > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" cctalk at classiccmp.org > >I asked a while back on comp.os.cpm, and didn't get much response... > >Anyone remember how to use a HandyMan for the kaypro? >This was an add-in board, piggy-backed between the Z80 and socket, and had a TSR-like pop-up >Borland SideKick wanna-be. > >Trying to find some info, as a K10 I acquired came with a handyMan, and Advent 1MB RAMDisk, >and K4 came with an Advent Clock, RamDisk, ProGraphics board, Personality module, and 5mHz turboboard. > > >Tony > > >I ahve the Advent 1mb ramdisk and handyman with RTC plus the personality card for >the disks on my 4/84. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs to dig out the docs but >I do have them. > >To use handyman I think it was a control key sequency that brings it up. > >Allison > When it gets under eyeball level, I'd appreciate it if you could maybe dig something up. Were there different personality modules? This was in a Kaypro 4, which had all the above mentioned items. It currently is NOT working (strange squiggly horizontal line in the center), and the personality module looks rather simple. This machine also had (2) HH floppies, and a third FH in the bottom. Had a toggle switch with a proper label putinto the front panel for the TurboBoard, and an RCA jack on the back for the ProGraphics module. Very interesting - I'd never seen a ProGraphics board before. I'm going to start taking it apart to see what the issue is, but there are so many solder jumpers, and mini-grabber clips, I will have to take careful note of how everything currently is, before I start troubleshooting. Gotta make sure the mainboard has no issues, first and foremost. Tony

18 years

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Sun Sparc AXi mainboard, Sparc 10 RAM, and other stuff free or cheap

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Cameron Kaiser spectre at floodgap.com >Sent 8/31/2008 11:04:42 AM >To: cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: Re: Sun Sparc AXi mainboard, Sparc 10 RAM,and other stuff free or cheap > > Tony, > > Apple IIC - pretty clean, minimal yellowing, includes PSU, and an original > DOS 3.3 system master, and I can dig up a > few more original disks to go with it $50+shipping. Does work, but the > monitor IIc I had croaked. > > I have a monitor IIc of my own :) if the IIc is not spoken for, I'll grab it. > Let me know. Shipping would be to zip 91941. > >Perhaps I will actually send an offlist message off list one of these days. > OK - Cameron has spoken up first for the Apple IIc, and Jon Auringer spoke up for the Sun stuff. Jon - I assume you wanted ALL the Sun stuff? Or is it just the AXi stuff? It can all ship together if you're taking it all, which in THAT case, ignore the $10 for the S10 RAM it'll be phree :) Cameron - I'll check Tuesday on the IIc shipping for you. The Heath/Zenith Z-100 manuals+disks claimed by Dan Veeneman, assuming Bill Loguidice passes... Tony

18 years

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Ring vs BCD counters for decades

by ed＠ed-thelen.org

Message: 5 Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 15:57:59 -0800 From: Brent Hilpert <hilpert at cs.ubc.ca> Subject: Re: Ring vs BCD counters for decades To: General at invalid.domain, "Discussion at invalid.domain":On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Message-ID: <48B9DE87.7781F95E at cs.ubc.ca> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > William Donzelli wrote: > > Ranging. For fire control, very accurate ranging is very important, as > > it is one of the biggest variables in ballistics equations. Getting > > accurate range data out of the radars was thus extremely important, so > > the range circuits were very precise, and often employed dividers and > > flip flops and such to generate cursor information on the scopes for > > the operators. > Interesting, I didn't know they had gotten that complex with the WWII stuff. > Offhand I would have thought they would have used capacitor / pulse-interval > integration techniques for such calculations in that era rather than digital > counters. Not accurate enough perhaps. > (I do have a picture somewhere from WWII of my dad on a Wehrmacht anti-aircraft > gun that he said was automatically ranged and targetted by radar.) I maintained Nike Antiaircraft Missile systems in the mid 1950s. We used a phantastron circuit http://ed-thelen.org/diagrams.html to generate a pulse to compare with the timing of the received radar pulse from the target. http://ed-thelen.org/ifc_track.html The range tracking circuits compared the timing of the two pulses for operator optional automatic range tracking. This was part of the target range tracking system, which had to be as identical as possible with the missile tracking system to provide accurate voltage information to the analog computer for missile steering - http://ed-thelen.org/computer.html To help calibrate both range systems, we used pulses from a 100 KHz crystal controlled oscillator. "worked good ;-))" (remarkably stable!!)

18 years

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MY REPLY - Re: HandyMan for Kaypro

by FJGJR1＠aol.com

Tony, You want to check with "Sharkonwheels" who posts on _www.vintage-computer.com_ (http://www.vintage-computer.com) . He is very knowledgeable on Kaypros "after" 1983. He uses and has info on Advent products. I am more involved with the 1982 / 1983 versions and post under GADFRAN. My website _www.kayprosts.org_ (http://www.kayprosts.org) may give you some other productive contacts to explore. He may also know of HandyMan. You may want to check just what version of K4 you have. Main large chips on main board will help - e.g. U43 and U47, etc. He will be asking you about them and other aspects. He is very familiar with the K10's. Hope this helps some. Frank In a message dated 8/31/2008 2:08:07 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tonym at compusource.net writes: I asked a while back on comp.os.cpm, and didn't get much response... Anyone remember how to use a HandyMan for the kaypro? This was an add-in board, piggy-backed between the Z80 and socket, and had a TSR-like pop-up Borland SideKick wanna-be. Trying to find some info, as a K10 I acquired came with a handyMan, and Advent 1MB RAMDisk, and K4 came with an Advent Clock, RamDisk, ProGraphics board, Personality module, and 5mHz turboboard. Tony= **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)

18 years

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Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 19:44:30 -0400 From: Ray Arachelian <ray at arachelian.com> Subject: Re: Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't ---------- <snip> >Hey, if you're gonna be hanging out a forum where geeks hang out, >learn the proper geek social skills. <snip> ---------- You could set a fine example yourself if you took a hint from the several posts indicating that most of the rest of us are, if not actually annoyed, at least bored by your ongoing rant, and didn't add another 200+ lines of drivel that we've all heard generically ad nauseam here & elsewhere. But I suppose we are learning a bit about you... m

18 years

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VCF East 5.0 just two weeks away!

by evan＠snarc.net

Now that the list is running again, I want to invite everyone to VCF East 5.0, Sept. 13-14, at the InfoAge Science Center, in Wall, New Jersey. As usual we'll have awesome exhibitors. This year we also have two special events: Vince Briel's replica creation workshop, where you can build a replica of the Apple 1 or the KIM under Vince's guidance, and we'll have a ceremony and tours for the "beta" opening of our computer museum. (We've been in "alpha" for the past two years.) Sign up for Vince's workshop at http://www.vintage.org/2008/east/workshop.php?action=select <http://www.vintage.org/2008/east/workshop.php?action=select&id=104> &id=104. We'll also have some cool guest speakers. Most notably, on Sunday, we have Bill Mauchly. Bill is the son of ENIAC co-inventor John Mauchly. We also have a lesser-known engineer named Watts Humphrey, who wrote the proposal for the military's "MOBIDIC" computer in the 1950s; it was an early example of client-server architecture. And we've got Claude Kagan, who spent 30 years at Western Electric and Bell Labs and who worked to get our museum a first-generation PDP-8. Tickets for one day are $10, both days combined are $15, and anyone younger than 18 is free. Parking's free too. - Evan

18 years

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My reply - Re: Kaypro 2000 Power supply

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: FJGJR1 at aol.com >Sent 8/31/2008 2:29:48 PM >To: cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: My reply - Re: Kaypro 2000 Power supply > >Check _www.vintage-computer.com_ (http://www.vintage-computer.com) and do a >post. > >Also check their links, especially I think it is _www.bitsavers.org_ >(http://www.bitsavers.org) [com?] in Britain. They have free downloadable manuals >for some Kaypros and other computers, which should give you the specs. > >"Sharkonwheels" posts on this site and he is big into a lot of Kaypros, but >not the 2000 I think. > >You can also check my website for other contacts - _www.kayprosts.org_ >(http://www.kayprosts.org) . But I am more into the first Kaypros before 1984. > >Kaypro 2000 certainly was something for its time! > >Good luck! > >Frank > > > > >In a message dated 8/29/2008 12:45:34 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, >christian_liendo at yahoo.com writes: > >Does anyone know the power supply requirements for a Kaypro 2000? > >I got my hands on one and while it's nice and heavy I would like to turn it >on.. > Unfortunately, I don't know if there's any info out there on the K2000. last svc manual I have, is the 1484-F, which covers up the the Kaypro 16 and 286i I'm sure SOMEONE on here has to have one, if not, as Frank suggested, check post a message on vintage-computer.com/vcforum, and I;m pretty sure someone there has one. My interest lies mostly in the CP/M variants, although I have a few K16's, and I *WOULD* like to eventually find a K2000 - those were pretty unique machines! Tony

18 years

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MY REPLY - Re: HandyMan for Kaypro

by tonym＠compusource.net

Frank, I very much appreciate the response - however, *I* am Sharkonwheels on VC! :) I've never run into a HandyMan, though... 'ppreciate the confidence, though! Tony -----Original Message----- From: FJGJR1 at aol.com Sent 8/31/2008 2:23:27 PM To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: MY REPLY - Re: HandyMan for Kaypro Tony, You want to check with "Sharkonwheels" who posts on _www.vintage-computer.com_ (http://www.vintage-computer.com) . He is very knowledgeable on Kaypros "after" 1983. He uses and has info on Advent products. I am more involved with the 1982 / 1983 versions and post under GADFRAN. My website _www.kayprosts.org_ (http://www.kayprosts.org) may give you some other productive contacts to explore. He may also know of HandyMan. You may want to check just what version of K4 you have. Main large chips on main board will help - e.g. U43 and U47, etc. He will be asking you about them and other aspects. He is very familiar with the K10's. Hope this helps some. Frank In a message dated 8/31/2008 2:08:07 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time, tonym at compusource.net writes: I asked a while back on comp.os.cpm, and didn't get much response... Anyone remember how to use a HandyMan for the kaypro? This was an add-in board, piggy-backed between the Z80 and socket, and had a TSR-like pop-up Borland SideKick wanna-be. Trying to find some info, as a K10 I acquired came with a handyMan, and Advent 1MB RAMDisk, and K4 came with an Advent Clock, RamDisk, ProGraphics board, Personality module, and 5mHz turboboard. Tony **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)

18 years

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My reply - Re: Kaypro 2000 Power supply

by FJGJR1＠aol.com

Check _www.vintage-computer.com_ (http://www.vintage-computer.com) and do a post. Also check their links, especially I think it is _www.bitsavers.org_ (http://www.bitsavers.org) [com?] in Britain. They have free downloadable manuals for some Kaypros and other computers, which should give you the specs. "Sharkonwheels" posts on this site and he is big into a lot of Kaypros, but not the 2000 I think. You can also check my website for other contacts - _www.kayprosts.org_ (http://www.kayprosts.org) . But I am more into the first Kaypros before 1984. Kaypro 2000 certainly was something for its time! Good luck! Frank In a message dated 8/29/2008 12:45:34 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, christian_liendo at yahoo.com writes: Does anyone know the power supply requirements for a Kaypro 2000? I got my hands on one and while it's nice and heavy I would like to turn it on.. **************It's only a deal if it's where you want to go. Find your travel deal here. (http://information.travel.aol.com/deals?ncid=aoltrv00050000000047)

18 years

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Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> If you are referring to the schematics for the ASM > (Add-Subtract Mechanism), they are readily available, > although not including the values for the resistors > which determine the logic-gate functions. A scan and my > re-organised versions are accessible at: > > http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~hilpert/e/ABC/asm.html Thanks, that's a really great start. Prior to seeing your reply to my question, I requested an inter-library loan of the book "The Origins of Digital Computers - Selected Papers" which contains the paper which is excerpted on your excellent ABC site. Even though that book now looks like it won't provide the details I'd expected, since I won't be using the same voltages as the original circuits were likely using, the exact component values will be different anyway. I'm not very familiar with vacuum tube circuit design, but I have a PDF copy of the 1952 USAF technical order TO16-1-255 "Basic Theory and Application of Electron Tubes" which looks like it might be sufficient. I've built two different 12AU7 dual triode vacuum tube stereo headphone amps from plans which use much lower and, therefore, safer and easier-to-produce voltages (24 - 60V) than were used historically in such circuits. The required plate voltages for these low-power circuits are produced using simple voltage multipliers attached to commonly available and inexpensive low-voltage transformer secondaries. Since, in the case of digital logic circuits linearity of operation is not a requirement as it is with audio circuits, even lower voltages might be usable although 24 volts seems to be plenty low enough. > I was doing some calculations and experiments with vacuum > tubes a couple of years ago to recreate an ASM, to figure out > what might work for the logic-resistor values (not completed). > It would be nice to know what the original values were. > > If you are referring to the schematics for the entire > machine, I had the same interest when I was working on writing a > simulator (also on the web pages) to confirm some aspects of the > functioning of the machine. I managed to get the simulator > functioning without them, so didn't feel a dire need to get them, > although it would still be interesting to see them. > > Sometime after the sim was accessible on the web, I was contacted > by one of the fellows (Charles Schorb) who had worked on the ABC > reconstruction and I asked him about schematics. His reply: > ... > Schematics are a bit hard to come by. They requested > that I return all my schematics after leaving the project for 'my > real job'. Contact Gary Sleege to see if they have lightened up on > this restriction. > ... > but I haven't pursued it further. That's strange that they'd be so restrictive about the distribution of schematics for a machine that has no current value beyond that of a historical curiosity. I know that there was a legal battle between Mauchly with his ENIAC and Atanasoff with his ABC, but that was decided against Mauchly and claimed that his ENIAC plagiarized concepts used by Atanasoff's ABC which then invalidated Mauchly's earlier patent claim to the first electronic computer. Since Atanasoff won the case 35 years ago, why would they not willingly release all schematics now? Strange. > > but I suspect that since school is not in session, I > > won't soon get a response. > > (Actually, at universities, when school is not in session > can be a good time to contact people as the people are less likely > to be busy with students and teaching responsibilities, at least if > they're not on vacation.) Right you are. I've already received a reply to the effect that he will check with applicable points of contact. I'll let you know the results. Thanks, Bill

18 years

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Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't end in .edu - (was Re: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal)

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Joe Giliberti starbase89 at gmail.com >Sent 8/30/2008 10:37:11 PM >To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: Re: Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn'tend in .edu - (was Re: OT: Microsoft crazy academic >deal) > >To go back to the topic... > >Whoever posted the link to the "Ultimate Steal," Thank You! Just ordered a >copy, as this is my first year in college. > >And more to the off topic argument of what's better: Linux or Windows. In my >opinion, its a moronic argument to have. They are two totally different >animals. Its just a matter of personal preference. > > You're quite welcome - quite a few people have thanked me, and I just passed it along from slickdeals or notebookreview. You gotta dig REAL deep, apparently, to get past the bigots...I know a few people on the list, and when they suggested I join a few months back, I didn't realize what I'd find. Scary - some need to SERIOUSLY unplug, and learn to deal with humans again, because people skills are nowhere to be found! No matter - enjoy, and keep an eye out at that link, as they are supposed to have Vista Ultimate for $65 in a week or two. Oh, and to please the offended, yes linux is free, yes it's wonderful, yes it will do EVERYTHING your heart desires, oh, and yes, it's free.

18 years

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Ring vs BCD counters for decades

by shoppa＠trailing-edge.com

A couple points made in the past day that I can't resist following up on with my contradictory experience: > I think, rather, that that's a good portion of the explanation of why they > were so slow. > Ballpark example, take a 12AU7: the sum of the grid-to-plate and > grid-to-cathode capacitance is around 3 pF. Suppose the network resistance > feeding the grid circuit is 250 KOhm, that's an RC time constant of 0.75uS, > a little better than just 1 MHz. (R can be reduced of course but power > consumption is then on the climb.) > > (Not to say there weren't other reasons they were slow..) In fact, if you build similar flip-flop circuits out of transistors (essentially RTL) you'll end up with very similar counting speeds. The same tricks that speed up transistor flip-flops will speed up tube flip-flops: First you add some "speedup capacitors" to help overcome grid/base capacitance storage effects. Then you start eating away at your component variation/supply voltage variation margins to get extra speed at the cost of hand-picked parts. Then you start thinking about active pull-ups instead of just resistive pullups. Then you go to totem-pole structures. The concept works the same in both tubes and transistors. But until IC's you don't see it used an awful lot because with discretes, totem poles mean more parts. Even into the 80's NMOS and PMOS were still cutting edge and then the chip industry didn't go whole-heartedly into CMOS until the mid-80's. Brent wrote: > And how feasible would it have been to replace those ring counters with 4-bit > binary decade counters to save a lot of tubes? Perhaps it wouldn't have helped > much because of the way the values from each counter were transmitted around > the machine. Binary counters were around by then of course, I'm not sure when > binary counters were first wrapped into decade counters ( by late 40's at > latest). Both BCD counters and ring counters made out of tubes were around before WWII, and of course both were used a lot in WWII radar equipment. The earliest reference I know is Williams, "High Speed Thyratron Automatic Counting", Proc Roy Soc May 1932, mentioned in Electronics, July 1932, p 232. The flip-flop tube count difference is really very very minor: 5 tubes for a Johnson ring counter, 4 tubes for a BCD counter, and the BCD counter takes some cleverness to avoid the use of diodes (in the 50's could've been either vacuum or solid state) for gating. And the ring counter is much more easily decoded into ten digits for display. >From a purity point of view, the ring counter has some huge advantages in glitch-free decoding. But just like 70's TTL implementations, most designers were blissfully unaware of the glitches that messed up many of their circuits :-). Note that a lot of tube decade counters even into the 60's didn't use strict BCD or string ring arrangements, instead they always chose an arrangement that was most easily decoded for the application. Note that even in solid state IC form both schools are thoroughly established: The CMOS 4017 is a ring counter, the TTL 7490 is a BCD counter. Usually the ring counter was used where there was no need for any BCD coding. And the TTL nerds who didn't understand ring counters always used 7490's followed by a 7442 decoder when they wanted 10 decoded outputs, when they should've been using a ring counter to begin with! Tim.

18 years

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Subject: Re: Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

Chuck Guzis wrote: > My first exposure to very-low plate voltage applications > was with a code-practice oscillator built from a circuit in the ARRL > Radio Amateur's Handbook. ISTR it used a 6SN7 that used the > 6.3v from the heater winding as plate voltage. At any rate, it would > drive a pair of earphones. Perhaps someone with a RAH collection > from the 1950's might locate the circuit. Thank you! That's the perfect tube multivibrator lead which allowed me to find these references using "code oscillator" and "6SN7" as search terms: p29, Dec '55: "A Heterodyne Crystal Calibrator AND CODE PRACTICE OSCILLATOR" uses both halves of a 7N7, 6SN7, or 12AU7 (or pairs of many triodes) and two crystals to give marker signals at the DIFFERENCE of the two crystals p41, Jun '52: "...Frequency Standard...Oscillator" uses a 6F6 oscillator, both halves of a 6SN7 as a multivibrator p30, Mar '62: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc and a 12AU7 multivibrator to also give 50 kc markers p33, Jan '65: Uses a 6AQ5 oscillator at 100 kc and a 6AS6 10-kc sub-harmonic generator (no diode and NO inductors!) p34, May '65: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc, a 12AU7 multi- vibrator for 10 kc points, and another 12AU7 All of these and more were found here: http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.radio.amateur.homebrew/2007… Do you recall if the p29, Dec '55 project was the 6.3V plate voltage project you mentioned? The successful use of 6.3V as the plate voltage in a multivibrator using a standard HV tube is extremely encouraging. The lowest voltage used for the audio circuits I've built was 24V which was most likely used to put the tubes in a more linear operating region which wouldn't be necessary with a multivibrator. > While dual (identical) pentodes aren't too common for > you to use the first grid as a space-charge element, > I wonder if one of the sync-separator tubes, such as the > 6BU8 might not do the trick. Single cathode and first grid, > independent 3rd grids and plates. Thanks, that will be an interesting thing to try. > In the 20's and 30's before small-geometry power > tubes became available, "microwave" experimenters would take a > hefty triode and put a high positive voltage on the grid and a > slightly negative voltage on the plate to induce Barkhausen > oscillation. But that has nothing to do with your problem, so > forget that I mentioned But thanks for mentioning it anyway since I'm interested in reading about any unusual operating modes for tubes. Bill

18 years

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HandyMan for Kaypro

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: HandyMan for Kaypro > From: "tonym" <tonym at compusource.net> > Date: Sun, 31 Aug 2008 06:02:12 +0000 (GMT) > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >I asked a while back on comp.os.cpm, and didn't get much response... > >Anyone remember how to use a HandyMan for the kaypro? >This was an add-in board, piggy-backed between the Z80 and socket, and had a TSR-like pop-up >Borland SideKick wanna-be. > >Trying to find some info, as a K10 I acquired came with a handyMan, and Advent 1MB RAMDisk, >and K4 came with an Advent Clock, RamDisk, ProGraphics board, Personality module, and 5mHz turboboard. > > >Tony I ahve the Advent 1mb ramdisk and handyman with RTC plus the personality card for the disks on my 4/84. Right now I'm up to my eyeballs to dig out the docs but I do have them. To use handyman I think it was a control key sequency that brings it up. Allison

18 years

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Sun Sparc AXi mainboard, Sparc 10 RAM, and other stuff free or cheap

by tonym＠compusource.net

Figured I'd take advantage of the long weekend to go through stuff in the garage. Got a Sun single CPU AXi motherboard, the one they made to build into clone cases. Includes: Mainboard with dongle for kb and mouse, ATX power connector, has I/O panel for ATX case. (2) 64MB Sticks (2) 256MB Sticks (2) processors: 360mHz 501-5148, and a 333mHz 501-5090 Don't think it was ever used, and if it was, it was for a matter of days! Can't guarantee it, but it's cheap enough! Pay shipping + $10 SHOULD fit into a Priority Mail box, so figure around $20 shipped. (3) Sun 501-2273 16MB modules for Sun Sparc 10, Sun barcoded. Free+$10 Priority Mail shipping Apple II Plus - powers up, but a bunch of junk on the screen, but case is pretty flawless last I checked. $50+shipping Apple IIC - pretty clean, minimal yellowing, includes PSU, and an original DOS 3.3 system master, and I can dig up a few more original disks to go with it $50+shipping. Does work, but the monitor IIc I had croaked. Got a stack of manuals, in binders, and some disks, for H/Z Z-100.I BELIEVE Bill Loguidice wanted them, so if he doesn't, available for shipping - Media Mail doable on this, as it's manuals and disks. Shouldn't be more than $10-15 MMail. I'll keep pulling over the weekend.... Tony

18 years

3
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Uses for OpenVMS

by thrashbarg＠kaput.homeunix.org

Hi, I've had a VAXstation 4000/60 in my cabinet for well over a year now (had to renew the license a few days ago). It is running OpenVMS 7.3. I can not think of any use for it, other than learning about OpenVMS, but that is made difficult when I don't know what to do with it... So what can be done with an OpenVMS setup these days? Also, if anyone wants an account they're welcome, just email me. Alexis.

18 years

4
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free: 75-node supercomputer

by bert＠brothom.nl

Hi, I'm looking for a new home for my 75-node pentium pro supercomputer. This came from the university: http://www.cs.vu.nl/das Picture: http://bert.brothom.nl/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.DownloadItem&g2_itemI… Each node has Linux installed. One case contains 3 CPU systems. There are 25 cases, so 75 CPUs. This takes up at least 4 19" cabinets. Contact me if you want to have it. It's free. Regards, Bert

18 years

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Video tour at the MARCH computer museum

by evan＠snarc.net

Hello cctalk'ers. Here at the MARCH computer museum, where we're hosting VCF East in two weeks >from now, we decided to make a short video tour of the first of our four exhibit rooms. The video itself, just like our museum facility, is very much "under construction" .... we'll probably need another two or three "takes" of the video to really have it come out well. Also, most of the computers in this exhibit room DO operate, although they're switched off in the video. So, please watch it, feel free to laugh at my on-camera anxiety, and please visit us in person someday (or Sept. 13-14 for the VCF East!) .... here goes: <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tksMbWfTssU> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tksMbWfTssU And yes, that really is our club-owned Straight-8 in the middle!! -Evan

18 years

2
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HP 64000

by hpjimbondoris123＠dorisland.net

Hello All: I have one of these HP 64000 Development Systems and I am looking for hardware and software for it. I would like to chat with other whom might own one as well. A friend and I have been working on a wikipedia page for the 64000 please check it out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HP_64000 Any help would be greatly Appreciated. Jim

18 years

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HandyMan for Kaypro

by tonym＠compusource.net

I asked a while back on comp.os.cpm, and didn't get much response... Anyone remember how to use a HandyMan for the kaypro? This was an add-in board, piggy-backed between the Z80 and socket, and had a TSR-like pop-up Borland SideKick wanna-be. Trying to find some info, as a K10 I acquired came with a handyMan, and Advent 1MB RAMDisk, and K4 came with an Advent Clock, RamDisk, ProGraphics board, Personality module, and 5mHz turboboard. Tony

18 years

1
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Looking for DTC520 schematic, etc.

by oldcpu2＠rogerwilco.org

Jeff.kaneko said: > How about a replacement controller? > I think I have a couple of these in > cold storage. > > I think this was a SCSI to MFM bridge, > originally made by Xebec or OMTI, or, > I fergit. I think I had some from both > manufacturers. > > I can check stores if you like . . . As far as I know it was a DTC original. I don't know about them being OEMed from anyone else. And I'm pretty sure it only knows how to talk to MFM drives (and floppies). It has the normal edge finger connectors for the floppies and for two ST506/MFM type drives. There are also two unused (in this system) 50-pin headers on the the other side of the board. I'd be very surprised if this was SASI/SCSI, but I have no idea what they are. The computer box connects to this through a single 50-pin ribbon cable that connects to yet another 50-pin header in the central section of the controller. Anyway, if you truly have a real DTC520 floating around in your stash, I'd be glad to hear from you. - Jared > -- J Blaser wrote: >> My old Novell 2010 CP/M computer[1] has suffered a failure >> in the Data Technologies Corp. DTC520 controller. IIRC, >> this controller can support up to 2 MFM/ST506/ST412 drives >> and 4 floppies. In my case it's only hooked up to a single >> Seagate ST-506 (5MB! Woohoo!), and a single Shugart SA450 >> 5-1/4" floppy. Apparently this controller was not too >> uncommon in the day.

18 years

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Any DG MV2000 folks out there?

by cclist＠sydex.com

An old customer has some questions about his still-in-use DG MV2000 (running AOS). Anyone well-versed who's still using one of these care to answer a few speculative questions off-list? Thanks, Chuck

18 years

2
2
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classic Mac sighting

by spectre＠floodgap.com

On the episode of Chuck tonight, which tends to have various Macs anyway such as cheesegrater G5s turned into generic boxen by blocking out the apple, I spotted Chuck repairing a Macintosh IIci (and its power supply) in the supply cage. -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- TRUE HEADLINE: Police To Begin Campaign To Run Down Jaywalkers -------------

18 years

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OT: Gustav

by tonym＠compusource.net

As we all communicate on different lists and forums, the storm is popping up on most of them. Those of you in the path, good luck, and God-speed - this is a REALLY serious looking beast. 150mph winds, and it was over land in Cuba. It's about to trek a couple hundred miles in REALLY warm waters, which isn't good... Living in S. Florida, I know it all too well... Don't wait until the last minute to evacuate, or to prepare. Stay safe, and evacuate if there is even a REMOTE need to. Nothing is worth more than life. Tony

18 years

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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca wrote: > > Well, in case you wanted proper space charge tubes for > > your digital logic experiments. > > > > > The problem with them is HUGE filament current. > Pencil tubes look to be fun to play with, but you never > hear about them cause of the war. > http://home.netcom.com/~wa2ise/ Actually, 24 of the 41 types of space charge tubes had filament currents ranging from only 150 - 200 mA. The 12DL8 had the highest at 550 mA.

18 years

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Free Linux and OpenOffice - even if your email address doesn't

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

On Sat, August 30, 2008 5:11 pm, Tony Duell wrote: >> > Linux $0, *BSD $0, OpenOffice.org $0. And you don't have to be a >> > student or teacher. It's the same price no matter what TLD your email >> > address is behind. >> >> I would disagree with that - nothing is free. My time is worth >> something, >> and unless you are volunteering up your free >> time to support, it ain't free. > > My sanity and stress-level is worth something too. And having had > dealings with the so-called 'support deparetments' of several companies > including M$, I have ocme to the conclusion that it's quicker and cheaper > to support things muself. Although actually, I've found the support from > the authors of free software to be a lot more helpful in solving prolems > (whether caused by a bug in their code or not) than any company I've had > dealings with. I have to agree here. Further, any software that requires THAT much "support" is probably better off being dumped in favor of something better. And a person who consistently requires "support" for software is probably better off finding a new career. Support for free stuff is FAR better and FAR faster than trying to get useful information from minimum-wage nine-to-fivers that staff nearly all support departments nowadays. Thank you, no, I'd rather talk to the guy who WROTE the code...and with free stuff, you can do that. -Dave -- Dave McGuire Port Charlotte, FL

18 years

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OT-ish? McIlroy's "Synthetic English Speech by Rule"

by jzg22＠drexel.edu

(resending, original mail was eaten during list outage) > Replying yet again, a library search lists my university as apparently > having every volume of the Bell Systems Technical Journal on > microfilm, so if it turns out to have been published there I can fetch > it. Matter of fact, I should go check those out anyway... > > John I emailed McIlroy and asked him about this, he said the article was available publicly at either of the two big Bell tech centers back in the 1990s, but both are defunct now. However, he dug up a copy of the article and scanned it (including the errata for it) and posted it on his site: http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~doug/ (actual file link: http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~doug/speak.tar ) I'm still trying in vain to find the source code to or even a binary of his unix 'speak' command, which existed between unix v3 and v6. Only the man pages seem to have survived, as far as I can tell. John A. Wasser at DEC wrote a later semi-replacement command based on the NRL algorithm, and that one I've found. Later, in 1990 or thereabouts, John Bazik hacked 'libspeak', a library of prerecorded phonemes, onto Wasser's program. Even later, (1992), 'rsynth' was created, building on Bazik's work but replacing the prerecorded phonemes with a modified version of Dennis Klatt's old klsyn backend. -- Jonathan Gevaryahu jgevaryahu(@t)hotmail(d0t)com jzg22(@t)drexel(d0t)edu

18 years

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Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by jzg22＠drexel.edu

I have here an old 1955 IBM "Manual of Instruction: Electronics" Publication 'Form 22-6253-0 (12-55: 11M-W)' which has some vacuum-tube based logic circuits in it (mostly simple stuff as the book seems to be at a high-school or undergraduate level and is mostly an overview). However, it doesn't list the resistor values (except for the card punch sorter circuit), and hence has the same issues as the schematics available elsewhere, it would seem. Should I scan it? Its about 100 pages, so it will take a while. -- Jonathan Gevaryahu jgevaryahu(@t)hotmail(d0t)com jzg22(@t)drexel(d0t)edu

18 years

1
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IFF (was Ring vs BCD counters for decades)

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> In a few years - the early 1950s - the IFF sets were SIF encoded, > where each aircraft or ship, when interrogated by a radar, would reply > with an octal pulse code 0000 to 3777. The interrogating radar would > then read the pulses, compare them to the code of the day, and modify > the video to the scopes automatically (AN/UPX-1, AN/APX-25, AN/UPA-24, > for those paying attention) to the operator could call the shots. I > think there are remnants of this ancient system still in use. Aviation transponder squawk codes are the obvious ones, octal, 0 -> 7777

18 years

1
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits > From: "bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca" <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca> > Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 17:57:30 -0600 > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >William Blair wrote: >> Actually, 24 of the 41 types of space charge tubes had filament currents ranging from only 150 - 200 mA. The 12DL8 had the highest at 550 mA. >> >I remember reading somewhere on the web about the high current. I did not dig any more. >As for pencil tubes ... I suspect most of them where for WWII use and the general public did not >know about them till after transistors made their impact. > > Not quite. Tthere were several forms of pencil tubes and the smaller ones were appearing in hearing aids and others small devices just after the war. The ones that were less known were the hyper rugged ones used in the VT fuses and those were mostly secret. I have a dozen or more of the pencil types some fo the 1AD4 class with 1.5V filiments and the other the harder and more rugged types with 6.3V heaters. I"ve built gear around both. Allison

18 years

1
0
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tube logic

by rdawson16＠hotmail.com

I think I replied to the bounces link I wanted to share this guy with you, that has a nixie all in tubes: http://www.jogis-roehrenbude.de/Leserbriefe/Bruegmann-Digital-Roehren-Clock… a couple of flip flops is my starting project. I will do a spice/pspice simulation too - re-enter these schematics in Cadence Concept HDL BTW, go to linear tech for a fee spice unlimited. Dont ask me for the URL, its like asking for URL to NASA Randy _________________________________________________________________ Talk to your Yahoo! Friends via Windows Live Messenger. Find out how. http://www.windowslive.com/explore/messenger?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_messenger_ya…

18 years

2
1
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book offer

by rtellason＠verizon.net

>From a conversation elsewhere, where he'd expressed some interest in this machine: > > I remember us touching on that machine once before, in offlist emails. > > I'd mentioned a book I had, and after that was digging in boxes looking > > for it. > > > > Turns out the silly thing is sitting out on a bookshelf, imagine > > that! :-) > > > > It's "Programming the IBM 1130" by J. K. Hughes. If you want it or > > know of someone who does, let's talk... > > I have it! I scoured Alibris looking for anything related to the IBM 1130 > and bought everything I could find. Hughes' book is very good. FWIW, there > is a copy at Alibris (used book seller) for $20.00 Maybe you can get a few > bucks for it. > > Richard Anybody care to offer me a few bucks for this? I can use all the help I can get, beyond shipping costs... -- Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" - Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin

18 years

2
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

William Donzelli wrote: > I have exactly one 12U7 in stock. I have a few 12K5s, as > well. I've now got a number of different dual triode tubes to try from a local electronics shop that has a large collection of tubes from former TV and radio repairmen. $1 each and they have a B&K 707 tube tester to test them on. > One thought about using space charge tubes for logic - they > might end up being slow as molasses. >From a message above, it looks like even a 6.3V plate voltage on a standard (not low voltage) dual triode tube will work and I'm after a visibly slow (a few Hz at most) multivibrator anyway with a binary counter circuit attached.

18 years

3
3
0 0

Looking for DTC520 schematic, etc.

by jeff.kaneko＠juno.com

How about a replacement controller? I think I have a couple of these in cold storage. I think this was a SCSI to MFM bridge, originally made by Xebec or OMTI, or, I fergit. I think I had some from both manufacturers. I can check stores if you like . . . Jeff -- J Blaser <oldcpu2 at rogerwilco.org> wrote: [Repost, now that the list is back up... (Thanks, Jay!)] My old Novell 2010 CP/M computer[1] has suffered a failure in the Data Technologies Corp. DTC520 controller. IIRC, this controller can support up to 2 MFM/ST506/ST412 drives and 4 floppies. In my case it's only hooked up to a single Seagate ST-506 (5MB! Woohoo!), and a single Shugart SA450 5-1/4" floppy. Apparently this controller was not too uncommon in the day. In my case, the DTC520 is installed in the disk subsystem that's separate from the main terminal/computer, and they no longer will talk to each other. The problem seems to be related to the section that handles the IO between this controller and the CPU box. I've replaced one chip (74LS33) that was showing some serious corrosion on the pins/legs, thinking that maybe some of that had migrated into the IC die itself, but no change in behavior. It's still indicating a screwy logic level on one of the gates, but it must be coming in on the inputs. I need a schematic to help me trace the signals. I can't locate anything online. Does anyone have anything that could help me out...schematics, technical description, etc.? Many thanks. - Jared [1] Before there was Novell, Inc., the networking software company, there was Novell Data Systems (NDS), c. 1979. They had the big idea of creating a "Data Management Computer" (DMC) around a 68000, which acted as a micro-mini-mainframe for up to 24 intelligent terminals. While this project never really got off the drawing board, around 1980 NDS added (yet) another CPU to their intelligent terminal and stuck CP/M 2.2 on it. They sold a handful of these (I ended up with one) in an effort to generate a little cash flow while the 'real' project of the DMC was still in works. In the end, it was all a little too late and NDS collapsed in the latter half of 1982. It was at this point that Ray Noorda was recruited to revive the company, and in January 1983, Novell, Inc. was (re)born with the focus of networking primarily IBM PCs. The DMC, by the way, ended up becoming a file server (as opposed to Corvus', 3Com's, et al, 'disk (slice) server' technology) and the rest is history. Later, around 1988, Novell, Inc. dropped all hardware products to focus exclusively on their NetWare software. ____________________________________________________________ Save time with Cable Internet. Click here http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3mDL6LyJj9bvQ6kMSZ9kulwFP…

18 years

1
0
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits > From: William Blair <wbblair3 at yahoo.com> > Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:58:29 -0700 (PDT) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >William Donzelli wrote: > >> I have exactly one 12U7 in stock. I have a few 12K5s, as >> well. > >I've now got a number of different dual triode tubes to try from a local electronics shop that has a large collection of tubes from former TV and radio repairmen. $1 each and they have a B&K 707 tube tester to test them on. > >> One thought about using space charge tubes for logic - they >> might end up being slow as molasses. > >>From a message above, it looks like even a 6.3V plate voltage on a standard (not low voltage) dual triode tube will work and I'm after a visibly slow (a few Hz at most) multivibrator anyway with a binary counter circuit attached. Most all of the space charge tubes were optimized for 12V plates. IF you can run 12V to 25V range you limit yourself less as even generic 12AX7s, 12ATs and 12AU7s perform serviceably there. Allison

18 years

1
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Subject: Re: Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Subject: Re: Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits > From: William Blair <wbblair3 at yahoo.com> > Date: Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:42:53 -0700 (PDT) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >Chuck Guzis wrote: > >> My first exposure to very-low plate voltage applications >> was with a code-practice oscillator built from a circuit in the ARRL >> Radio Amateur's Handbook. ISTR it used a 6SN7 that used the >> 6.3v from the heater winding as plate voltage. At any rate, it would >> drive a pair of earphones. Perhaps someone with a RAH collection >> from the 1950's might locate the circuit. > >Thank you! That's the perfect tube multivibrator lead which allowed me to find these references using "code oscillator" and "6SN7" as search terms: > >p29, Dec '55: "A Heterodyne Crystal Calibrator AND CODE PRACTICE >OSCILLATOR" uses both halves of a 7N7, 6SN7, or 12AU7 (or pairs of many triodes) and two crystals to give marker signals at the DIFFERENCE of the two crystals > >p41, Jun '52: "...Frequency Standard...Oscillator" uses a 6F6 >oscillator, both halves of a 6SN7 as a multivibrator > >p30, Mar '62: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc and a 12AU7 >multivibrator to also give 50 kc markers > >p33, Jan '65: Uses a 6AQ5 oscillator at 100 kc and a 6AS6 10-kc >sub-harmonic generator (no diode and NO inductors!) > >p34, May '65: Uses a 6AU6 oscillator at 100 kc, a 12AU7 multi- >vibrator for 10 kc points, and another 12AU7 > >All of these and more were found here: > >http://newsgroups.derkeiler.com/Archive/Rec/rec.radio.amateur.homebrew/2007… > >Do you recall if the p29, Dec '55 project was the 6.3V plate voltage project you mentioned? > >The successful use of 6.3V as the plate voltage in a multivibrator using a standard HV tube is extremely encouraging. The lowest voltage used for the audio circuits I've built was 24V which was most likely used to put the tubes in a more linear operating region which wouldn't be necessary with a multivibrator. > >> While dual (identical) pentodes aren't too common for >> you to use the first grid as a space-charge element, >> I wonder if one of the sync-separator tubes, such as the >> 6BU8 might not do the trick. Single cathode and first grid, >> independent 3rd grids and plates. > >Thanks, that will be an interesting thing to try. > >> In the 20's and 30's before small-geometry power >> tubes became available, "microwave" experimenters would take a >> hefty triode and put a high positive voltage on the grid and a >> slightly negative voltage on the plate to induce Barkhausen >> oscillation. But that has nothing to do with your problem, so >> forget that I mentioned > >But thanks for mentioning it anyway since I'm interested in reading about any unusual operating modes for tubes. > >Bill I just got finished builting a recieving converter and used 12V as Plate voltage with good success using standard 12BA6 for RF amp, mixer and osc functions as I couldn't find my supply of 12EK7s. The 12BA6 nominally is speced at 150V for plate. The assumption is that triode tube are required for logic is also false. If the goal is to stay away from scary voltages I'd suggest 22.5, 45 or 67V as they are easy to obtain and most any tube performs resonably in that range. Running below 12V is harder and narrows ones choices. Allison

18 years

1
0
0 0

Looking for DTC520 schematic, etc.

by oldcpu2＠rogerwilco.org

[Repost, now that the list is back up... (Thanks, Jay!)] My old Novell 2010 CP/M computer[1] has suffered a failure in the Data Technologies Corp. DTC520 controller. IIRC, this controller can support up to 2 MFM/ST506/ST412 drives and 4 floppies. In my case it's only hooked up to a single Seagate ST-506 (5MB! Woohoo!), and a single Shugart SA450 5-1/4" floppy. Apparently this controller was not too uncommon in the day. In my case, the DTC520 is installed in the disk subsystem that's separate from the main terminal/computer, and they no longer will talk to each other. The problem seems to be related to the section that handles the IO between this controller and the CPU box. I've replaced one chip (74LS33) that was showing some serious corrosion on the pins/legs, thinking that maybe some of that had migrated into the IC die itself, but no change in behavior. It's still indicating a screwy logic level on one of the gates, but it must be coming in on the inputs. I need a schematic to help me trace the signals. I can't locate anything online. Does anyone have anything that could help me out...schematics, technical description, etc.? Many thanks. - Jared [1] Before there was Novell, Inc., the networking software company, there was Novell Data Systems (NDS), c. 1979. They had the big idea of creating a "Data Management Computer" (DMC) around a 68000, which acted as a micro-mini-mainframe for up to 24 intelligent terminals. While this project never really got off the drawing board, around 1980 NDS added (yet) another CPU to their intelligent terminal and stuck CP/M 2.2 on it. They sold a handful of these (I ended up with one) in an effort to generate a little cash flow while the 'real' project of the DMC was still in works. In the end, it was all a little too late and NDS collapsed in the latter half of 1982. It was at this point that Ray Noorda was recruited to revive the company, and in January 1983, Novell, Inc. was (re)born with the focus of networking primarily IBM PCs. The DMC, by the way, ended up becoming a file server (as opposed to Corvus', 3Com's, et al, 'disk (slice) server' technology) and the rest is history. Later, around 1988, Novell, Inc. dropped all hardware products to focus exclusively on their NetWare software.

18 years

1
0
0 0

Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by ed＠ed-thelen.org

> Message: 8 > Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:47:07 -0800 > From: Brent Hilpert <hilpert at cs.ubc.ca> > Subject: Re: Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits? > To: General at invalid.domain, "Discussion at invalid.domain":On-Topic and > Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Message-ID: <48B86E5B.C9A63D91 at cs.ubc.ca> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii > > William Donzelli wrote: >> >> > I think, rather, that that's a good portion of the explanation of why they >> > were so slow. >> > Ballpark example, take a 12AU7: the sum of the grid-to-plate and >> > grid-to-cathode capacitance is around 3 pF. Suppose the network resistance >> > feeding the grid circuit is 250 KOhm, that's an RC time constant of 0.75uS, >> > a little better than just 1 MHz. (R can be reduced of course but power >> > consumption is then on the climb.) >> >> Well, OK, i could buy that, but from what I have seen from the >> circuits and construction of tube logic circuits is that the 3 pF is >> not much compared to all the stray capacitance kicking around due to >> construction techniques. > > I'd say point-to-point wiring becomes problematic when you start getting going > into the higher shortwave / low VHF, and granted it becomes an issue in a > physically large system, but it may not be bad as you might think. The 10MHz > stage of the HP 524 counter is done with 'rats-nest' point to point wiring with > components on tag boards separated by wires from the tube sockets, even for the > grid circuits. The key was they went to high-frequency pentodes instead of > duo-triodes, low-R circuits, diode clamps, 1% resistors: hi-speed was > 'possible' but very expensive to accomplish. > Looking up the plate to grid Direct Interelectrode Capacitance, grid to plate is 1.5 pf However , the Miller effect makes that quite interesting - depending on the effective stage gain, the effective capacity is increased by the effective stage gain - which is a big frequency limiting (and stability) factor - basically why pentodes and tetrodes were developed, (reduce the Miller effect and move the cut-off frequency up a way. The grid to plate capacitance (and the accompaning Miller effect) make trying to get stability in a tuned plate, tuned grid circuit "interesting". (Interesting enough with proper tetrodes ;-)) I ain't a curcuits guy, but remember stuff, the wrong stuff - Ed Thelen

18 years

1
0
0 0

HUGE amount of documentation - FREE

by timdeaton＠yahoo.com

I have documentation on terminals, monitors, motherboards, add-in cards and all kinds of stuff I collected over 20 years of systems integration work (1977-1997). FAR too much to list or categorize. About 300# I do not want to see it go to waste. Anyone who will make a good home for it can have it at no cost other than you have to come get it or arrange to have it picked up. Located in Shelbyville, Indiana (Indianapolis SMSA) PLEASE come get this and give it a good home. I am long retired and need my basement office space! I have already give away TRUCKLOADS of hardware and software...all that remains is this documentation. Tim Deaton

18 years

1
0
0 0

HUGE amount of documentation - FREE

by timdeaton＠yahoo.com

I have documentation on terminals, monitors, motherboards, add-in cards and all kinds of stuff I collected over 20 years of systems integration work (1977-1997). FAR too much to list or categorize. About 300# I do not want to see it go to waste. Anyone who will make a good home for it can have it at no cost other than you have to come get it or arrange to have it picked up. Located in Shelbyville, Indiana (Indianapolis SMSA) PLEASE come get this and give it a good home. I am long retired and need my basement office space! I have already give away TRUCKLOADS of hardware and software...all that remains is this documentation. Tim Deaton

18 years

1
0
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

William Donzelli wrote: > I have exactly one 12U7 in stock. I have a few > 12K5s, as well. > > > > I've now got a number of different dual triode > tubes to try from a local electronics shop that has a large > collection of tubes from former TV and radio repairmen. $1 > each and they have a B&K 707 tube tester to test them > on. > > Well, in case you wanted proper space charge tubes for your > digital logic experiments. Oh, now I understand, thanks. Well, there were a few space charge tubes in their $1 bin and they had six of the coveted (for audio) and relatively rare new old stock 6GM8s in their new tube section that they sold me for $3.75 each (they didn't know what they had) which was their cost in the 70s. They were trying to clear out their extensive new tube inventory of types that they hadn't sold for quite some time. With a car radio tube like the 6GM8 that is now of interest primarily to tube audio hobbyists, I can see why they hadn't sold one in a _long_ time.

18 years

1
0
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Unusual altair front panel...

by cctalk＠solivant.com

>> Bill Sudbrink wrote: >>> >>> I've never seen an altair with a front panel like >>> the one on ebay item #160276656912. Has anyone else? >>> Is is located close to where I work and I'm thinking >>> of asking the seller if I can stop by and have a look. >>> If it's nothing unusual, I won't bother. >> >> Nobody has an opinion on this??? Or is everybody about to >> snipe the auction? >> > I think it is interesting... > > Looks to me like an original Altair that was styled in what I call the > third generation of Altairs.. Which included the version with a simplified > front panel. > > George Rachor > Hillsboro, Oregon > If you look closely at some of the internal pictures, you'll notice that the card support rails are unusual for an 8800, too. Geoff Harrison.

18 years

3
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Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

Chuck Guzis wrote: > Were these the special "space charge" tubes? > e.g. 12J8, 12U7, 12DK7, 12DL8, 12CX6, 12DE8, 12CN5, 12BL6, 12DS7, > 12AC6, 12AD6, 12AE6, 12AE7, 12AF6, 12AJ6 or 12AL8 (I've probably > left out a few)? Yes, that's some of them. There were 41 types.

18 years

1
0
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

Over time, I've seen an occasional link here to an on-line copy of some 50's or early 60's electronic hobbyist magazine describing a binary project of one kind or another using vacuum tubes. If you have such a link or know of any bibliographical references to such articles that might be useful in obtaining a hard copy of the applicable articles via library-based research and inter-library loans, please post it here. I have in the past found plenty of relay-based logic circuits on-line but am having a really tough time finding any binary tube circuits with component values. If there's enough material submitted to justify it, I might start a web page on this topic or, at least, a blog that links to the relevant materials on-line. Thanks.

18 years

5
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Has anyone ever tried to make 1960s-type incandescent digital displays?

by ethan.dicks＠usap.gov

Hi, All, I was recently watching "Goldfinger" and oggling the countdown timer on the bomb. I don't think I've ever seen that type of display technology up close, but in principle, it shouldn't be hard to replicate. <http://www.vintagecalculators.com/html/calculator_displays.html#Incandescent> I was thinking that some sort of modern CNC would make short work of the digit faces - just CAD up some outlines and bang out a few sheets. Alternately, a pantographic sign engraver might do the trick, with suitable templates whipped up either by hand on on a CNC. The compact design for the type marked "KGM M4" looks intriguing as well - a few slits cut in an aluminum back, and a simple PCB layout for the bulbs (though I must confess I was contemplating white LEDs rather than bulbs for a variety of reasons, including longer life and simpler drive circuits). As for driving it, I was thinking about something like a '145 O.C. decimal decoder (as found in Commodore PET keyboard circuits and KIM-1 memory decoder and LED decoder circuits) per display. They aren't particulalty expensive, and all you'd have to do is pipe in 4 bits and let the '145 do all the work. Nixies and other contemporary (and now faded) display technologies are cool, but any of the glass-envelope types aren't exactly feasible to reproduce in a home workshop. -ethan -- Ethan Dicks, A-333-S Current South Pole Weather at 29-Aug-2008 at 02:50 Z South Pole Station PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -88.6 F (-67.0 C) Windchill -131.7 F (-90.9 C) APO AP 96598 Wind 12.2 kts Grid 56 Barometer 657.5 mb (11489 ft) Ethan.Dicks at usap.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html

18 years

8
8
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cctech Digest, Vol 60, Issue 47 - govliq: 12 HP 7907A disk drives

by jondjohnston＠hotmail.com

------------------------------ Message: 25 Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 13:20:56 -0600 From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> Subject: govliq: 12 HP 7907A disk drives (Ogden, UT) To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Message-ID: <E1KZ9Wi-0008Iw-9U at shell.xmission.com> LOT (20) DISK DRIVES TO INCLUDE: (12) HP 7907A DISK DRIVE UNIT LR28576 (1) MEGA DRIVE ENTERPRISE 8 FIXED/ REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE UNIT (7) PANASONIC KXL-RW21A PORTABLE CD-R/ RW DRIVE FOR USB INTERFACE 6X WRITE/ 4X REWRITE SPEED <http://cgi.govliquidation.com/auction/view?auctionId=1903614&convertTo=USD> As before, if anyone wants these, I'm willing to pick them up from govliq and help you with packing and shipping. ____________________________________________________________________________ _____________ Richard - wow, what a big help for you to pick up, especially with us being so far away. Thanks. We are extremely keen to obtain 3 of the 7907A and would be happy to pay $100 each plus shipping (we would ship to Ca). Anyone else interested in going in on this? Cheers, Jon. www.hpmuseum.net.

18 years

1
0
0 0

Unusual altair front panel...

by wh.sudbrink＠verizon.net

I've never seen an altair with a front panel like the one on ebay item #160276656912. Has anyone else? Is is located close to where I work and I'm thinking of asking the seller if I can stop by and have a look. If it's nothing unusual, I won't bother. Bill Sudbrink

18 years

4
5
0 0

free: 2 old imacs + G3 w/o a hard disk; Boston area

by brad＠heeltoe.com

[I'm not sure if this ever got out during the black out] I have 2 old imacs (blue and purple) and an G3 imac (clear and blue) I want to give away. The imacs work and have disks. The are a little scuffed up but in reasonable condition. The G3 (300mhz) works but has no hard disk (it's just an ide). It's in good condition. I think I have most of the original paperwork for it. No keyboards or mice or power cords. Would anyone like them? I'd rather not toss them. I am in the Boston area. -brad

18 years

4
3
0 0

Intel 31014 Chip?

by marvin＠west.net

This is a duplicate, but it appears the first post got lost when the listserver went down. I've got an Intel 31014 chip, but can't find any information about it on the web. The 31 first two numbers imply it is a RAM chip, but that is about all I can guess. Maybe it is one of those $5K RARE chips :). A picture is at http://www.west.net/~marvin/i-31014.jpg. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!

18 years

3
2
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

Chuck Guzis wrote: > Just before transistors began to be used in auto radios, "space > charge" tubes made a brief appearance, running their plates and > heaters from the 12v battery. No vibrator supply. Some of the > earliest transistor designs used a transistor only in the audio > output stage, among them the Delco "Wonder Bar" models. > Jeff Duntemann has a nice page on this stuff, along with datasheets: > http://www.duntemann.com/12vtubes/12vtubesindex.htm Yes, I found that excellent site back when I was playing with low-voltage tube headphone amps and I have a copy of the Tube Collector Magazine "Car Tubes" article cited there. However, the tube amps I built from modern plans were ones that used common dual triodes like the 12AU7 but with _very_ low plate voltages. The reason for this is the scarcity and, as a result, expense of the low-voltage "car tube" types most useful for audio amps and, unfortunately, logic circuits (12U7, 6GM8). If for some reason I can't get any of the most common and cheapest high B+ dual triode tubes to work in a logic circuit at low plate voltages, then I'll have to go with something like the dual diode, single triode "space charge" car tubes that aren't in demand by audio enthusiasts making them much more readily available and much cheaper. A functional hobbyist demonstration of tube logic that's cheap and uses low voltages is my goal.

18 years

4
3
0 0

cctech Digest, Vol 60, Issue 46

by michaelgreen42＠comcast.net

Hey Josh long time no talk. I'd be willing to take the TRS-80 stuff from you. ------------------------------ Message: 5 Date: Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:29:20 -0700 From: Josh Dersch <derschjo at msu.edu> Subject: Free stuff! To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Message-ID: <48B7A550.2090308 at msu.edu> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed Well, now that the mailing list is back up I can list some stuff I need to get rid of :). Local pick-up in the Seattle area, only -- please. (Most of this stuff would be so expensive to ship it wouldn't be worth it anyway...) I'm willing to drive a bit to meet someone halfway if necessary. - IBM PS/2 model 25. In good shape but does not power up. Color screen, some manner of hard disk installed. - TRS-80 Model 12. Kind of rough, but with a little work it'll clean up. Runs, but power supply needs some work (was running fine while I was testing it but a cap let out the "magic smoke" and I haven't had a chance to recap it.). Has card cage expansion but no cards. Dual 8" floppy. - 5 boxes of TRS-80 Model II/12/16/6000 documentation. I bit off more than I could chew when I took this in, I hope someone can use this... all manner of manuals, if you're interested I can give you a list. - A Wang word processing terminal (I can't seem to find a model # on it). Heaviest terminal in the world. Powers up and beeps but that's about all I can get it to do. - Cipher M995S 9-track drive. Works. 1600 & 6250bpi, SCSI interface. Desktop enclosure. Heavy :). Josh ------------------------------

18 years

1
0
0 0

Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by gerhard.kreuzer＠liftoff.at

Hi, to make use of my spice tool set was indeed the first idea, but I dont have enough time yet so I didnt answer. Its no problem, there are still models for tubes available and its not to hard to make new models for the originally used tubes. The schematic is quite simple, maybe you can remember the first logic chips available where made in so called RTL (restistor Transistor logic), which is exactly the same as the ASM do, only the levels are shifted. Because of the problems with the resistor networks, the so called TTL chips are developed, which replaces some resistors by transistors. I am shure there is enough information out. Once you have seen how RTL works, you will easily find out how ASM works. Sorry, that I am short?with time, but I am very interested on this project and as I can spare some hours, i will join, if possible. With best regards Gerhard

18 years

3
4
0 0

Apple II - AppleSoft Code Sample SIN curve in hi-res mode

by billdeg＠degnanco.com

Is it possible on an Apple II using hi-res mode to draw a nice tight sin wave?...and if so Does anyone have a code snippet example? If HPLOT is used only to draw straight lines, how does one draw curves in hi-res mode using an Apple II AppleSoft BASIC? I will continue to search the typical places. If anyone knows of a magazine with an example, I may have it too. Bill

18 years

3
2
0 0

TI-99/4A items to be listed for sale

by ygehrich＠yahoo.com

Sometime in the next couple of weeks I will be listing a large number of TI-99/4A items for sale. Before I advertise the items elsewhere is there anyone here looking for any TI-99/4A hardware, software, manuals? Let me know at ygehrich at yahoo.com and I'll see if I have what you are looking for.

18 years

2
1
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

IBM's Selective Sequence Electronic Calculator (SSEC) 305 page patent: http://new.scribd.com/doc/4963230/Selective-Sequence-Electronic-Calculator-…

18 years

1
0
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

William Donzelli wrote: > > Unfortunately, according to the TOC available at the link below, it doesn't have anything specific > > about tube logic circuits, but it certainly does look like a goldmine of electron tube technical data: > > > > http://www.pmillett.com/Books/intro_RDH4.pdf > > You will likely have more luck finding stuff in the trade rags and > Proceedings of the era. Actually, in the category of data that I have easy, web-based access to, I'm finding that I'm having the best luck with patent searches. As I find interesting ones, I'll post the links. I plan to put them all at scribd.com to provide one-stop (free) shopping. To start, here's the link to the 207 page ENIAC patent: http://www.scribd.com/doc/4960983/ENIAC-Patent-US3120606 If anyone knows of patents likely to have good tube or relay logic circuit descriptions within them, please give me the patent numbers and I'll post the patents as PDFs on scribd.

18 years

1
0
0 0

Discussion List Netiquette, Was: WTB: DEC PC04 Paper Tape Reader/Punch

by mardy＠voysys.com

On Aug 19, 2008, at 12:44 PM, Chuck Guzis wrote: > On 19 Aug 2008 at 11:45, Marden P. Marshall wrote: > >> Guys, two words "thread hijacking" > > Sorry, I was curious about the subject and thought to ask some > questions about the current line of discussion. I'll keep my > inquiring mind to myself in the future (fat chance). > > Cheers, > Chuck > > If the current line of discussion does not match the subject line, then the message thread has been hijacked. It is discourteous and disrupting to other members of the community who might be trying to follow the original subject. How would you feel if you had started a new subject only to later see the discussion taken in a different, unrelated direction. -Mardy

18 years

15
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ACCRC blog: It Ain't Dead Yet

by pdp11＠saccade.com

The ACCRC (Alameda County Computer Resource Center) has started a blog showcasing some of the more unusual equipment they get turned in for recycling: http://deadmeatmarketing.blogspot.com/ The about column says "Anyone with ideas about how to put this stuff to good use please leave a comment." My brief perusal turned up a Wang 600, a wire(!) audio recorder, and an WWII O-Scope. Actually, I think I still have a scope just like that at my Mom's house.... Cheers, jp http://www.saccade.com

18 years

1
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Free stuff!

by derschjo＠msu.edu

Well, now that the mailing list is back up I can list some stuff I need to get rid of :). Local pick-up in the Seattle area, only -- please. (Most of this stuff would be so expensive to ship it wouldn't be worth it anyway...) I'm willing to drive a bit to meet someone halfway if necessary. - IBM PS/2 model 25. In good shape but does not power up. Color screen, some manner of hard disk installed. - TRS-80 Model 12. Kind of rough, but with a little work it'll clean up. Runs, but power supply needs some work (was running fine while I was testing it but a cap let out the "magic smoke" and I haven't had a chance to recap it.). Has card cage expansion but no cards. Dual 8" floppy. - 5 boxes of TRS-80 Model II/12/16/6000 documentation. I bit off more than I could chew when I took this in, I hope someone can use this... all manner of manuals, if you're interested I can give you a list. - A Wang word processing terminal (I can't seem to find a model # on it). Heaviest terminal in the world. Powers up and beeps but that's about all I can get it to do. - Cipher M995S 9-track drive. Works. 1600 & 6250bpi, SCSI interface. Desktop enclosure. Heavy :). Josh

18 years

1
0
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Terak 8510 system on eBay (# 300248208909)

by classiccmp＠crash.com

It's listed for $199 plus shipping for the main unit, an 8512 additional 8" floppy, and an 8532-1 monitor. Includes keyboard, some floppies, and some manuals. It's been discussed here before, but in brief: Significant LSI-11 based system with bitmapped graphics, perhaps best known for it's use as a platform for the UCSD p-System. No connection to the seller. Was tempted, but can't really justify it given some other upcoming expenses. But they sound like pretty neat systems to mess about with... See http://www.threedee.com/jcm/terak/ for details and other links. --S.

18 years

9
12
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OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by korpela＠ssl.berkeley.edu

Funny, but OpenOffice is still free. Eric On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 4:42 PM, tonym <tonym at compusource.net> wrote: > Office Ultimate Edition for $59.95. This has > everything in it, I think retail is like $500-600.

18 years

10
14
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PDP 11/45 multi processor systems

by jim＠g1jbg.co.uk

Hi all, whilst reading my 11/45 processor manual the other night, I came across the statement that, if Unibus A and B are separated, Unibus B can be used for inter-processor links, so long as one of the connected devices is a Unibus controller. Does anyone have any experience of this configuration, and if so, what operating system was used. Finally, is there any reason why I couldn't link the Unibus in my 11/44 to Unibus B in my 11/45, assuming I had some software that could take advantage of it. Jim.

18 years

4
3
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First Northern Germany DECnet Party

by hoelscher-kirchbrak＠freenet.de

First Northern Germany DECnet Party, who wants to join? Who wants to install, configure, network, cluster or program ALPHAs, MIPSen, VAXen and PDPs just for fun together with 10 to 20 other DEC enthusiasts for a day or two? We want to join everything running on DEC hardware or talking DECnet, including simulators (e.g. simh). Beginners are welcome! Everyone brings along his computers and together we will build something really nice! Maybe there will even be some VAXstations to lend for the event. If there are enough persons willing to participate I will arrange a large room and other things needed ... Beside the activities mentioned above there are further things planned: - Barbecue - Hardware/Software/Manuals Swap - Talk, Discussions, Helping each other, ... A possible date would be the weekend 18./19.10.08. The location will be in the "Weserbergland" a little south of the town of Hameln. Details will follow when I know more! Please let me know if you would like to come! Ulli The VAXorcist P.S. I really do not know how many persons might be interested, but as a precaution I want you to know that I will limit the number of participants to a maximum of 20.

18 years

10
17
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OT: PC keyboards

by jules.richardson99＠gmail.com

Hey all, I'm soliciting ideas for a (full-size) PC keyboard to go with my laptop (which one of the dogs saw fit to trample) - which unfortunately means it has to be USB (spit!) I don't want to spend an utter fortune (it's just a keyboard, after all), but nor do I want some sort of "dead flesh" monstrosity (which seems to be *everything* I've tried in real stores so far). I used to find the old PC XT keyboards a little too 'clicky', but on the other hand everything I've tried since seems a bit too spongy. Maybe someone does a USB to PC-AT or PS/2 converter unit, which would allow me to connect an older keyboard? Ideally I really don't want 'Windows' keys or other stupid extra keys (email / web etc., or all the other crud modern manufacturers seem to like including) - I'll take them if I have to (and if I can them pull them out and fill in the holes, even better :) Any recommendations from the list? (off-list if needed; I don't want to jam the list with modern PC chat!) cheers Jules

18 years

20
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Book offer

by rtellason＠verizon.net

I have sitting here in front of me a book, "Assembler for COBOL Programmers", by one Hank Murphy. "MVS" and "VM" also appear on the cover. Copyright date is 1991. ISBN and other whatnot or more details available on request. I have *no* interest in this at all. Cover my postage and maybe a little extra would be nice, and you can take it off my hands. Feel free to forward this post to other places where there might be some interest... -- Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein, "The Puppet Masters" - Information is more dangerous than cannon to a society ruled by lies. --James M Dakin

18 years

8
14
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> I found some on Bitsavers. There are MANY others (Bendix G15, and WISC for example). I have been trying to dig out these sorts of things from the CHM archives as I can find them, since there is much less information available on the actual implementation details available on how first generation computers were actually built. They were often very careful to minimize the number of active devices, since tubes are big and consume lots of power. This also helps explain why so many machines performed arithmetic serially.

18 years

3
4
0 0

Stellar GS-1000 Graphics Computer

by tom＠arlglobal.com

Hello, I came across a post you made from 2005 about a Stellar GS-1000 that you were giving away. I've been collecting vintage machines that I've encountered over the years and I'm curious if you disposed of it or by some rare chance you still have it. Thanks! -Tom

18 years

1
0
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> I found some on Bitsavers. > > "Illiac design techniques" (under univOfIllinoisUrbana/illiac/ILLIAC) > describes the basic logic elements, which are then just hooked > together as building blocks (And, Or, Not, and flip-flop). Those are very useful. Thanks. > Under ibm/sage there's a documents list -- only one of the documents > is actually there but a lot more are listed, including circuit > diagrams.? Maybe those are available... The two I?d _really_ love to see even if they didn?t have info I could actually use are: 31P2-2FSQ7-142 Maintenance Techniques and Procedures of Central Computer for AN/FSQ-7, Combat Direction Central 31P2-2FSQ7-212 Schematics for Central Computer of AN/FSQ-7, Combat Direction Central Unfortunately, they aren?t on Bitsavers. I wonder if these were classified TOs.

18 years

3
3
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> I'm not about to dig mine out and paw through it, but I think the > "bible" of tube design, the "Radiotron Designer's Handbook" might be > a bit too early to provide guidance on logic circuits.? Anyone know > offhand? Unfortunately, according to the TOC available at the link below, it doesn?t have anything specific about tube logic circuits, but it certainly does look like a goldmine of electron tube technical data: http://www.pmillett.com/Books/intro_RDH4.pdf

18 years

2
1
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> There are MANY others (Bendix G15, and WISC for example). Thanks. I found some complete circuits for the G15 there, but I haven?t found the circuits for many of the logic gate symbols used in most of the Bendix diagrams. The WISC thesis contains no diagrams whatsoever which is interesting considering its content. I guess the author didn?t like to draw. ;-)

18 years

1
0
0 0

Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> DIY digital projects using vacuum tubes were extremely rare, mostly > due to cost. I think you?ve probably hit the main problem there. Tube receivers, transmitters, audio amps, etc., actually did something useful to justify their expense whereas affordable logic circuits would have only been technical novelties with no practical use.

18 years

1
0
0 0

More ETH Lilith goodies available

by julianskidmore＠yahoo.com

bfranchuk wrote: > I want to cry out ... Real hardware I want It. > Can new bit slice version of the hardware be built? The real problem is building an authentic Lilith with today's hardware. For example, I can't yet track down a supplier of a 2901 - AMD don't make them, Signetics don't, Cypress semiconductor don't seem to. Does anyone still make them? So, then you're left with 3 choices: * Build a Lilith out of TTL. * Build a Lilith using an FPGA. * Build it using a Microcontroller. The TTL solution is crazy - even ETH didn't have to do that. The FPGA solution isn't bad, you could probably do it with a smallish FPGA to handle the micromachine and some Flash chips for the Microprogram (2x8-bitx128K would have sufficient bandwidth). But it won't feel very authentic looking at a single chip with 200+ pins. So you might as well do a firmware emulation using a humble MCU. An Arm-based one would be fast enough and could drive a display in real-time. > Also did any of the 'Wirth' languages have plans > for 32 bit data and adresses? Yes. The Ceres-1, 2 and 3 workstations were 32-bit. Personally I find 16-bit more interesting, more of a challenge. And it's surprising how hard it would be to create a 16-bit self-hosted computer today. 16-bit compilers seem to be MIA or too big to be run on a 16-bit CPU. Even Bill-Buzbee's Magic-1 doesn't self-host. That's one of the other interesting features of Lilith, its Modula-2 compiler is powerful enough to develop entire systems and it *can* self-host. In theory you could expand a Lilith to cope with, say, 16Mb of code, just by extending its base registers (F, G, L, H etc) to 256b boundaries (that wouldn't help much with data access though, since Lilith shares a single 64KW address space amongst all processes and programs). -cheers from Julz @P

18 years

1
0
0 0

UI (Was: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Fred Cisin cisin at xenosoft.com >Sent 8/20/2008 9:48:12 PM >To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts cctalk at classiccmp.org >Subject: UI (Was: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal> > >On Wed, 20 Aug 2008, David Griffith wrote: > Around that time just to prove that "Bob" was a piece of junk, someone > created "Bubba". As I recall, it seemed to work better than the Microsoft > product. I think this is it: > http://www.crummy.com/warren/files/picks/bubba.zip > >Thank you for the topic drift! > >Is that the same one as: >http://techrepublic.com.com/5208-13624-0.html?forumID=102&threadID=269221&m… > > I dunno - calling Bob a UI is kinda' insulting to UI's - that was just a POS. Does anyone actually KNOW of anyone who bought it? Tony

18 years

9
16
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Wanted: vacuum tube logic circuits

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

William Blair asks: > I have in the past found plenty of relay-based logic circuits on-line > but am having a really tough time finding any binary tube circuits with component values. The HP AC-4 counter modules (each can do a decade and they are occasionally re-wired to do other count sequences) came in several different speed grades, with different component values to accomodate the speed requirements. Different speeds had different DC biases and speedup capacitors and in some cases slightly different logic configs. (Yes, I believe that "speedup capacitor" is indeed the technical term). They use 5963's or 6211's which are computer/industrial-rated 12AU7's (constructed using materials to avoid cathode poisoning if biased off for a long time). They were designed to be true modules and have good interface descriptions. I have used 12AU7 SPICE models floating around the net to play with component selection etc. and the HP schematics are pretty optimal in design. I've built them from scratch on breadboards and they really do work. The HP units are cool because they use neon bulbs as both display decoders and as display elements. Berkeley Nucleonics and others built very similar modules. Some schematics and really good technical manuals on the web for these counters: http://www.hparchive.com/Manuals/HP-AC-4A-4B-Manual.pdf http://www.cs.ubc.ca/~hilpert/e/edte/HP520/index.html http://www.nixiebunny.com/hpac4/index.html Tim.

18 years

2
1
0 0

Power One SPF4 series PS?

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

Does anyone here have a Power One switching power supply of the SPF4 series that I might talk them out of? This is a big, 1+kW power supply that's about the size of a couple of phone books stacked atop one another. It'll have a long model number starting with SPF4; the other numbers indicate what output modules are installed. I don't care about the output modules; my "base" unit is badly fried. Thanks, -Dave -- Dave McGuire Port Charlotte, FL

18 years

1
0
0 0

software collecting (Was: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal)

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu >Sent 8/21/2008 2:13:41 AM >To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts cctalk at classiccmp.org >Cc: General at mail.mobygames.com >Subject: Re: UI (Was: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal > >It's not amazing to me. I've sold a fair number of still-shrinked CP/M >packages. > > Even NOT shrinked CP/M fetches... I sold an extra complete set of original Osborne Executive disks, in binder, for about $90 on fleaBay a while back. Tony

18 years

3
2
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OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by tonym＠compusource.net

>-----Original Message----- >From: Sridhar Ayengar ploopster at gmail.com >Sent 8/21/2008 11:27:00 AM >To: General Discussion GeneralDiscussion@ >Subject: Re: OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal > >tonym wrote: > Not to be a jerk about it, but welcome to the Internet. People > swear, just like they do in real life. If your mom doesn't want you > to hear those words, set up an email filter or something. Hell, he > even censored himself, but you still felt the need to complain? > > I do agree that this topic is just fine on the list; it's not like > we have these sort of threads every day, and some people could find > this information (about the Academic Alliance and other things) > useful. > > Actually, if you read the messages in correct order, you will see > that *I* was the one that censored it in my response. > >I'm not a prude, but that really is unnecessary. I'd like to think >we're a little more civilized. > >*plonk* > >Peace... Sridhar > Oh, wow - I am SO impressed. You're only a day late, and a dollar short

18 years

1
0
0 0

More ETH Lilith goodies available

by julianskidmore＠yahoo.com

Jos Dreesen wrote: > My "simple" Linux/X11 version is still not running... My 'simple' MCode interpreter doesn't compile yet (at least I haven't tried to compile it). It's complete apart from the Blitting ops, but it's basically a straight translation from the M2P interpreter. :-) Nevertheless, I think your emulator is more ambitious than what I'd do, I only want to emulate at the MCode level. I think that's true to the spirit of Lilith, it's an abstract machine so the microarchitecture would have changed with future versions. > Is your C-code available somewhere ? I'll send you the file once it compiles, is that OK? You're welcome to host it on your ftp site. > Some more interesting facts : > 1 No hierarchical filesystem, > 2 dodgy & very noisy diskdrive, > 3 4 big & loud fans, > 4 apple-II compatible floppy disk with a 9600 bd serial access > 5 keytronics keyboard with those damned foampads > 6 problematic 4116's ( 128 of them ) > 7 asynchroneous access to the memory by graphics hardware > 8 instruction fetch unit and CPU etc. etc I've been aware of the Filesystem issue - if I were to implement a MCU-baesd PocketLilith I'd redo the filesystem to support directories and a useful disk size - 256Mb? (64K * 4K blocks). Otherwise, not having used one, I didn't know they were so temperamental. Going back to the whole Modula-2 / Lilith theme for the moment. For me, it really is all interesting. Let me take you back to my University days in the UK: 1986 - 1989. At the time we were taught Pascal and C as the main languages (with some 68000 assembler) and had the use of 512K Macs, 1Mb Mac Plusses and some brand-new Mac IIs. We missed out on object-orientation, but in our 3rd year, 1st year Students were being taught Modula-2, a 'big-boys' language, using an early version of MacMeth. But we never knew about Lilith; so we didn't know that Modula-2 wasn't just a conventional language hosted on a graphical computer, but a self-hosted universal systems language integrated with an early graphical computer. So, despite the weaknesses of the platform, the ambition of Lilith/Modula-2 is a real revelation. -cheers from Julz @P

18 years

11
14
0 0

TSS/8 (was Closed vs. open source timeline.)

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> I believe > that TSS-8 and PS/8 were distributed as source, though OS/8 may > have had an extra license fee. A TSS/8 customer received a listing of the monitor which was customized for their machine. Very few sites received machine-readable sources. UWM was unusual since we made SO many mods that they were able to get the sources and the source to TSS/8 BASIC.

18 years

1
0
0 0

Users groups (was Closed vs. open source timeline)

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> Just to mention, IIRC, SHARE, the IBM user group, which I believe was intended > both for sharing software amongst members and presenting a coordinated front of > members to IBM, was started back in the late 50's, or very early 60's IBM had SHARE and GUIDE, for scientific and commercial users. SHARE was formed in 1955. Every large computer maker had a user's group, with differing restrictions on program redistribution. Many of the groups were run by the computer companies themselves, and had restrictions on who could join. Individual programs were published in a catalog with a modest charge to cover copying costs (though it would add up very quickly if you wanted ALL the programs). Groups like ACM maintained a collection of algorithms. For a few years in the 70's, ACM actually published a book of all available non-commercial software. I can't think of any organization that was a large-scale clearinghouse/repository for different vendor's unencumbered software until archives began to spring up in the late 70's. The result of this is very little early software has survived, because as computer companies disappeared, no one saved the bits. As someone else has mentioned, the actual distribution restrictions varied. The use of copyright as a mechanism to force source code to remain available is a relatively modern invention (early 80's) by FSF/RMS. Before that, it either was placed in the Public Domain, or was copyrighted with varying restrictions. The rules for copyright have changed over the past 50 years, so there are programs which have gone into the Public Domain even though they were published with a copyright notice. "Closed" sources are generally considered proprietary, unpublished works. The earliest versions of UNIX, for example, carry no copyrights or other notices, but were considered proprietary, unpublished works.

18 years

1
0
0 0

OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by korpela＠ssl.berkeley.edu

On Wed, Aug 20, 2008 at 10:52 PM, tonym <tonym at compusource.net> wrote: > > Funniest, is that "feature" makes it unusable at, oh, 9 out of 10 universities in this country, and countless > numbers of businesses. I know I couldn't use it at work - it wouldn't open hardly anything. > I guess I'm also at one of the 1 in 10 where you can use OpenOffice. And it's not my problem if the place you work has a brain-dead gotta-have-the-latest-version-of-office IT policy. Every time you send a document in Office 2007 format you are forcing the person you send it to consider upgrading as well. Ever wonder if that's why Microsoft offers these cheap copies? But then again when I use Bessel functions in a spreadsheet, people who are still using Office 2000 can't read it because they don't have Bessel functions. I suppose I should bend over backwards to maintain compatibility and write my own Bessel function macros. But if I can save things in Office 2000 format with OpenOffice, couldn't the idiots using Office 2007 do the same thing? In other words, when someone sends you something in Office 2007 format, do the same fscking thing you would if you were running Office 2003, tell them you don't have Office 2007 and don't intend to buy it. Tell them to send you an earlier format or a PDF for FSM sake. I typically don't do business with companies that insist on sending me things in incompatible formats. When it comes to incompatible formats you can be part of the problem or part of the solution.

18 years

1
0
0 0

OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

Are people still having a shitfit when someone uses a "curse" word? Fucking-A, grow up already. -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

18 years

2
1
0 0

Schematics of Atanasoff-Berry Computer logic circuits?

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> I'm not very familiar with vacuum tube circuit design, but I > have a PDF copy of the 1952 USAF technical order TO16-1-255 > "Basic Theory and Application of Electron Tubes" which looks > like it might be sufficient. > > Is that on line, or could you post it? I found it on an excellent vacuum tube resource page intended for audio amp builders, but I can't find that specific page right now nor will a google search for that title and with filetype:pdf result in proper hits, so I've uploaded the 16.6MB pdf here: http://tinyurl.com/5dh946 You can review the entire document on-line. Just click on the tiny "download" icon above the preview to download it. You've got to register to download from this site, but it's free, doesn't result in any spam and is well worth it. I've found lots of interesting tech stuff there over time. > Logic circuits are DC coupled, though, unlike audio > amplifiers. So the shift in operating point from the plate > voltage change (or, for that matter, from a change in vacuum tube > type, if you're doing that) probably means you'd have to change all > the coupling resistors. Man, do I know that now. I posted my comment before I'd fully digested the ABC web page. A multi-stage direct coupled vacuum tube circuit. Fun.

18 years

1
0
0 0

OT: Microsoft crazy academic deal

by tonym＠compusource.net

>Not to be a jerk about it, but welcome to the Internet. People swear, >just like they do in real life. If your mom doesn't want you to hear >those words, set up an email filter or something. Hell, he even >censored himself, but you still felt the need to complain? > >I do agree that this topic is just fine on the list; it's not like we >have these sort of threads every day, and some people could find this >information (about the Academic Alliance and other things) useful. > >John "Potty Mouth" Floren >-- >Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn > > Actually, if you read the messages in correct order, you will see that *I* was the one that censored it in my response. I'm not a prude, but that really is unnecessary. I'd like to think we're a little more civilized. Speaking vocally, it may have an effect, but spelling it out in words really looks rather ignorant and uneducated. I'm not going to keep with this thread, just like I didn't respond to his immature response, but I wanted to make sure you were aware that it was I that censored it with *'s. 'nuff said Tony

18 years

2
1
0 0

Free DECMATE (now gone)

by ken.rauhala＠nokia.com

I posted this yesterday to this list, the system is now with a new owner, saved from the dump!! ken

18 years

1
0
0 0

IBM LPFK reverse engineering

by classiccmp＠philpem.me.uk

I've just been playing around with the LPFK again. In loopback mode, it seems to actively send data out of the 8051's serial port, then loop it back through. I've caught it sending data at 9600 Baud, apparently 8 bit data with a parity bit: Keys numbered left to right, top to bottom: Key Binary data #11 S_0101_0000_1 #14 S_1011_0000_0 Format: StartBit_D0-D3_D4-D7_Parity It appears that keys are numbered from zero, odd parity. Of course this doesn't really help with the "active" mode. I suspect the loopback switch is being used to toggle a GPIO, and redirect TXD to RXD somewhere. In "active" mode, sending a serial BREAK causes the LPFK to reset itself. Sending "SFFFFFFFF" followed by an LF causes the LEDs to blink once, then shut off. I don't think there's much that can be done with the LPFK without desoldering the 8051 chip and reading out the program. Catch is, the chip has probably had its encryption table programmed, and probably the lock bits as well... -- Phil. classiccmp at philpem.me.uk http://www.philpem.me.uk/

18 years

14
34
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