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

Looking for a VME chassis

by ian_primus＠yahoo.com

Looking for a rackmount VME chassis to rebuild a Sun 3 system. Anyone got anything collecting dust bunnies? -Ian

18 years, 10 months

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That poor system/36

by ballsandy＠msn.com

>> I really want something bigger and something that just screams "I'm >> dimming your lights!". A crimson running off a serial terminal does >> not seem to cut it for me. > >IBM is a different mindset at the mini/mainframe levels than UNIX-type >systems, and hobbyists suffer from the fact that IBM does not court the >hobbyist market. Notice that I did not say it was a worse mindset, just >different, nor did I imply that any company must bend over backwards >for the hobbyist. > >IBM minis are optimized for database, accounting and semi-mainframe >type tasks, too, and there are many pitfalls and booby traps in place >to prevent horrible and unscrupulous people from buying them secondhand >without giving IBM their cut, at least on the AS/400 level. You might >want to look at one of the heftier VAXen or Alphas running VMS- >different from UNIX and bulletproof, but still from within the same >"interactive terminal" mindset. The OpenVMS Hobbyist program and the >availability of free/low cost documentation and help is a big plus >there, too. >A VAX 7000 or AlphaServer 4k series will dim the lights on a branch >circuit, definitely, and if that doesn't cut it you can plug in a >couple of LaserJet IIISIs. Note that dim lights = low voltage = bad >news for extended operation of SMPSUs, though :). > >Be patient: RealityEngines happen. I have always known that IBM never wanted these systems to go to people like us who run them in their basement and yes I do know that the majority of the IBM mainframes were leased out which makes them even harder to find But once in a blue moon a leased system enters the hands of a hobbyist. Yes I also know that mainframes were usually designed for databases and the likes but they can still be fun to play with and you gotta admit it's fun showing off those massive IBM hard drives and then telling your friends how much that massive drive can actually store (20-80 megs if more). There is no way I will look into a DEC. I have absolutely no knowledge on any of their good old systems (I have never even seen one) and I have always loved IBM systems (yes, criticize me). BTW: My Crimson is equipped with a Reality Engine.:) Yes, an S/390 would be really nice (hey, you can even go with linux if you really wanted to) but they seem a a tad too small for me. It also looks too modern IMO. _________________________________________________________________ Express yourself with free Messenger emoticons. Get them today! http://www.freemessengeremoticons.ca/?icid=EMENCA122

18 years, 10 months

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Tax Advice for kit hobby?

by grant＠stockly.com

Is there anyone in here who is qualified to give advice on taxes? I've made a few computer kits and am still deep into the hole. No money made, so no profit. I want to know what to expect I have to do for the tax man. A lot of money has changed hands with no gains for me. I hope I don't owe anyone anything. I've got a few more computer kits on the back burner, but its not worth it to me to continue if there are tax implications. Not trying to get free services, just free advice. : ) Respond off list if you want to help a fellow vintage computer guy. Grant

18 years, 10 months

3
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That poor system/36

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> Yes, an S/390 would be really nice (hey, you can even go with linux if > you really wanted to) but they seem a > a tad too small for me. It also looks too modern IMO. But Linux on a S/390 would be like Linux on a SGI (unless it was in a single LPAR) - it's lacking something. Anyone know what they're using for the front-end laptop or whatever you call it on the zSeries now that OS/2 is gone? Also, anyone know if there's a mirror of the DriverPak Online setup (when IBM says end-of-support they mean it) - I'm trying to get a not-on-topic Compaq Armada PII laptop running with something marginally interesting.

18 years, 10 months

3
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That poor system/36

by ballsandy＠msn.com

>> -I'm 17 and have a wicked case of OCD >> -I like old electronics >> -I use a 5 1/4" floppy drive on a normal basis >> -I like things that have blinkenlites and make cool whirring noises >> -I have passed notes written in hex to a friend in class ("what are >> you doing at lunch?") > >Whoo, will *you* ever fit in here! Well, okay, possibly except for >your age; my feeling is that you're near the young end of our age >distribution. But my feeling is also that nobody will hold that >against you. :) But really, OCD, old electronics, non-3?" floppies, >blinkenlights, knows ASCII in hex...yup, you're home! It's great to know I joined the right mailing list. I wanna spread my knowledge of the good old days of computing on to my children...like a virus. :) >> all that's needed is for someone to contact him and come with a cube van > >> -I'm 17 and have a wicked case of OCD > >Y'know, an old van is going to be fairly cheap for a 17-year-old to insure, >cheaper than most cars... > >Less stuff to go wrong, too. Easier for those of a geeky disposition to fix >when it expires due to hauling around minicomputers. I think you didn't get me. The size of this system will require a Budget/Uhaul truck. People around here call those "Cube vans". You must of thought I meant those commercial minivans that are used by cable companies...and people who make shaggin' wagons. >I have not viewed the lot in a while, but are not the tapes 8809s? >They were the standards on the smaller, cheaper systems, like the >midranges. Not nearly as cool as 3420s. according to this site, the unit is being given away with two IBM 8809 drives. http://www-03.ibm.com/ibm/history/exhibits/rochester/rochester_4018.html yeah they are not 3420's but nothing's perfect. _________________________________________________________________ R U Ready for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.5? Try it today! http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/WindowsLiveMessenger

18 years, 10 months

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That poor system/36

by ballsandy＠msn.com

I have been looking at this poor machine for almost two years now and I'm furious that there is no way for me to rescue it. http://www.vintagecomputermarketplace.com/view.cfm?ad=2372 Only one other person openly admits they own one: that guy who runs the corestore, and he never responds to my emails. http://www.corestore.org/36.htm Grrrr, if shipping was not so expensive and if I didn't live on the other side of the country and above the 49th parallel. >:( It would cost thousands to get that thing back to the safety of the garage and chances are that there are nothing like that over here in Kamloops BC or close to my relative location. I really want something bigger and something that just screams "I'm dimming your lights!". A crimson running off a serial terminal does not seem to cut it for me. _________________________________________________________________ R U Ready for Windows Live Messenger Beta 8.5? Try it today! http://entertainment.sympatico.msn.ca/WindowsLiveMessenger

18 years, 10 months

5
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VAXen at home

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: VAXen at home > From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) > Date: Mon, 15 Oct 2007 23:21:05 +0100 (BST) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > >> > So you want me to start off with a VAX? >> >> Lots of folks on this list have lots of nice things to say about the 11/750. > >Personally, I theink the 11/750 is not the best machine to try to keep >running. The reason is that the CPU is made up of a large-ish number of >custom gate array chips. Even when they were available as spares from DEC >they were very expensive, now they're unobtainanle other than by raiding >other 750s. It's not that bad, lots of spares out there this side of the pond. It's a nice system as it's fast enough to be useful and while a big VAX it's not a huge vax like 780 or 8650. That and there were a fair number of machines kept in service that were supported. >If you have the space (and it's large), try to get am 11/780. I've never >been inside one, but I've read the printset (schematics) and it seems to >be all standard chips. The air handlers and the power will get you. It's a very nice well ordered machine in many ways. >If you don't have the spave, and can stand the lack of speed, consider an >11/730. It's small (1 10.5" high rackmount unit), you can fit the >processor, disk and tape drives into a half-height rack (this was a >standard configuration). It's almost all standard chips, 2901 ALUs, TTL, >non-protected PALs, etc. The only thing is a 730 is hard to expand to run fairly current VMS and it's slow. For that performance you can get a lot of other VAXen. It's up side is for one rack it's small and power consumption is within the realm of a 20A at 120V circuit with some of the smaller single cab version down near 12-13A at 120V. Allison

18 years, 10 months

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question about overseas shipping

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

If something were to be shipped by a countries native po, how would it be handled once it got here? Is there reason to suspect that some independent (private) carrier would handle it once it got to our shores? ____________________________________________________________________________________ Pinpoint customers who are looking for what you sell. http://searchmarketing.yahoo.com/

18 years, 10 months

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Recommended Books to Keep

by marvin＠west.net

I am starting to pare down my book collection (there will be a bunch at VCF!), and am curious what people here think are the best books to keep. Things I don't normally get rid of include original hardware/software manuals, computer history books, etc. unless there are duplicates.

18 years, 10 months

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Fwd: [roys-tech-chat] Fwd: [TekScopes2] Nortex Electronis, Fort Worth, TX is closing.

by rtellason＠verizon.net

Anybody here in Texas? Looks like tons of stuff I could probably use, too, but there's just no way I can do that trip at this point in time... ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: [roys-tech-chat] Fwd: [TekScopes2] Nortex Electronis, Fort Worth, TX is closing. Date: Sunday 14 October 2007 21:29 From: "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at verizon.net> To: roys-tech-chat at yahoogroups.com Oh man... Just lookin' at those pictures! I could have a blast with some of this stuff!!! ---------- Forwarded Message ---------- Subject: [TekScopes2] Nortex Electronis, Fort Worth, TX is closing. Date: Sunday 14 October 2007 20:01 From: J Forster <jfor at quik.com> To: TekScopes2 at yahoogroups.com >From the HP List: -John ******************* Subject: [hp_agilent_equipment] Nortex Electronis, Fort Worth, TX is closing. Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 22:49:58 -0000 From: "eidophor1" <adamours at aol.com> Reply-To: hp_agilent_equipment at yahoogroups.com To: hp_agilent_equipment at yahoogroups.com Hello to the group. I felt the group would like to know that Nortex Electronics in Fort Worth, TX is closing for good. Lewis E. Cearly, the proprietor, passed away on Oct 5th, 2007. Nortex will be open Oct 15th through the 20th so customers can make final purchases. They will be having a final "garage" sale to clear stuff out Thursday through Saturday of that week. There's lots of older test equipment, and plenty of older units for parts. There's a fair amount of older HP and Tektronix gear too. What's left after the sale will be recycled. Here's a link with more information, and the address: http://www.bunkerofdoom.com/nortex/index.html Nortex will be missed. There's nothing else like it in the Dallas / Fort Worth area. Yahoo! Groups Links ------------------------------------------------------- -- 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 Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roys-tech-chat/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/roys-tech-chat/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:roys-tech-chat-digest at yahoogroups.com mailto:roys-tech-chat-fullfeatured at yahoogroups.com <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: roys-tech-chat-unsubscribe at yahoogroups.com <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/ ------------------------------------------------------- -- 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, 10 months

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VAX 11/750 rescued, alas...

by oldcpu2＠rogerwilco.org

[Sorry for the double post...having trouble with my mailer line-wrapping] The gods smiled upon me, and I was chosen to rescue the DEC VAX 11/750 that Richard alerted us too about a month ago. Yesterday I went up to collect it. I think most of us, during a pickup, are mindful of just getting the load onboard and away, and it was the same way for me with this pickup. Besides, the unit was literally stuffed so tightly into the front corner of their storage that there was no way to examine the innards at that location. A few images can be found at: http://www.rogerwilco.org/VAX11-750 Once back on homebase, I finally got a chance to open up the unit. To my horror (it is October, after all), I find just a single board installed in the CPU backplane, and one loose q-bus board! The first is a System Industries 9700-6301 with the following significant chips: Signetics N8X60N, AMD AM9128 (x2), Motorola MCM93L422PC (x4), TI SN74S181N, and about a dozen TI 82S137s with little numbered stickers on each. Otherwise it's loaded with TTL logic chips. There are no headers or other connectors on board, just the backplane fingers. I have no idea what this board is. I openly admit that I'm a complete {non-uVAX | massbus | unibus} novice. The second board is an MCD MLSI PC-11, which I'm guessing may be some kind of dual parallel interface. I'll have to do a little scouting on Bitsavers and Manx to see if I can turn up anything useful. Anyway, sadly, this box is not much more than an empty carcass, without any brains. It clearly was sacrificed to keep other systems alive. Still, I would dearly love to populate the backplane(s) and light this baby up, but I guessing I'll be hard pressed to find anyone with a whole set of spares that I could somehow convince into letting them go. I don't want to lose an opportunity here, and I'm not saying that I have my eye on the local metal recycler just yet, but what am I going to do with an empty chassis?! Now, I should say that the donor was extremely nice, and offered to pass along anything related that eventually turns up as they dig deeper into their massive pile (12' x 15' x 20', literally boxes/cartons/PCs upon boxes/cartons/PCs), but I'm not sure I should hope for much. Am I foolish to ask? Anyone with a spare set of VAX 11/750 modules? - Jared

18 years, 10 months

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Taken: AT 286 motherboard with mathco

by dm561＠torfree.net

>Date: Sun, 14 Oct 2007 08:53:06 -0600 >From: "e.stiebler" <emu at e-bbes.com> >Subject: Re: Taken: AT 286 motherboard with mathco >I think people worked/played more with the computer more back then. >Meaning wrote utilities, improved stuff, changed something, and were >proud if it. Really??? Have you browsed the Internet lately and seen the amount of software & mods out there, and the just wild and crazy things that people are doing with their PCs? Seems to me there are a heck of a lot *more* people writing utilities, improving stuff etc. today, and far more complex and sophisticated stuff at that (especially since there's so much more room for improvement ;-). Perhaps the *percentage* of computer owners who dug into the hard/software was higher then, but most of the time you *had to*, whereas today most of it is done for fun and enjoyment, as well as pride of accomplishment. And I think you're ignoring the business users of then and now; for them and probably for most people computers are after all just a tool to do some specific task(s). Although many of us like Tony are interested in and enjoy poking around in the innards of cameras, clocks, computers etc., most "normal" people just want to take pictures, know the time and send an e-mail or two. m

18 years, 10 months

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VAX 11/750 rescued, alas...

by RodSmallwood＠mail.ediconsulting.co.uk

Hi Fear not all is not lost. There's tons of modules around but not that many cabs. In the picture of the Qbus board it appears to be sitting on the module config diagram. As it is pre printed and not filled in by hand its probably a standard system. That will give you a list of the boards. Note of caution do not try to turn it on. The power supplies will need some work. You need to reform/replace any electrolytics. The case will clean up well and you can start off by getting the PSU's working and getting the list of modules together. Disk drives would have been in another rack I think. Rod Smallwood The DECcollector -----Original Message----- From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of J Blaser Sent: 06 October 2007 02:10 To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: VAX 11/750 rescued, alas... [Sorry for the double post...having trouble with my mailer line-wrapping] The gods smiled upon me, and I was chosen to rescue the DEC VAX 11/750 that Richard alerted us too about a month ago. Yesterday I went up to collect it. I think most of us, during a pickup, are mindful of just getting the load onboard and away, and it was the same way for me with this pickup. Besides, the unit was literally stuffed so tightly into the front corner of their storage that there was no way to examine the innards at that location. A few images can be found at: http://www.rogerwilco.org/VAX11-750 Once back on homebase, I finally got a chance to open up the unit. To my horror (it is October, after all), I find just a single board installed in the CPU backplane, and one loose q-bus board! The first is a System Industries 9700-6301 with the following significant chips: Signetics N8X60N, AMD AM9128 (x2), Motorola MCM93L422PC (x4), TI SN74S181N, and about a dozen TI 82S137s with little numbered stickers on each. Otherwise it's loaded with TTL logic chips. There are no headers or other connectors on board, just the backplane fingers. I have no idea what this board is. I openly admit that I'm a complete {non-uVAX | massbus | unibus} novice. The second board is an MCD MLSI PC-11, which I'm guessing may be some kind of dual parallel interface. I'll have to do a little scouting on Bitsavers and Manx to see if I can turn up anything useful. Anyway, sadly, this box is not much more than an empty carcass, without any brains. It clearly was sacrificed to keep other systems alive. Still, I would dearly love to populate the backplane(s) and light this baby up, but I guessing I'll be hard pressed to find anyone with a whole set of spares that I could somehow convince into letting them go. I don't want to lose an opportunity here, and I'm not saying that I have my eye on the local metal recycler just yet, but what am I going to do with an empty chassis?! Now, I should say that the donor was extremely nice, and offered to pass along anything related that eventually turns up as they dig deeper into their massive pile (12' x 15' x 20', literally boxes/cartons/PCs upon boxes/cartons/PCs), but I'm not sure I should hope for much. Am I foolish to ask? Anyone with a spare set of VAX 11/750 modules? - Jared

18 years, 10 months

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I've gone too far

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Roy wrote: > On Saturday 13 October 2007 17:45, Tony Duell wrote: >>> This morning my wife complained to me that every time she opened a >>> door >>> to a cupboard something with qwerty written on it falls out !!! >>> oops >> >> Oh that's easy to solve. Change all your keyboards to the Dvorak >> (?spel) >> layout. > > I've seen assorted setups to change one's keyboard layout to that in > software, > but darn it, if I'm going there I want the keycaps too! Which I've > *never* > seen on anything... Get a Model M (or other decent keyboard), pop 'em off and reshuffle. The letter keys are generally interchangeable, the only problem would be a cheap keyboard that won't let them go gracefully.

18 years, 10 months

4
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Cromemco (was Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files)

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 21:00:18 -0400 From: "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at verizon.net> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files <much snippage> >That's more than I've got in there. It's a ZPU, 64KB ram card, I *think* >that 64FDC, and an I/O card, not real sure but I think maybe it's the >PRI... Your basic single-user CDOS system, although I suspect that's a 16FDC. I assume it's a System 3, or perhaps a Z-2? Either way, lots of room in there for expansion ;-) <snip> >No CDOS handy, I'm not even sure what I got for disks with that box, though >I did get some, the problem with the drive having done some physical damage >to the one that was in it. Somewhere around here I have a box of 8" >floppies, but that would include what came with this system and also what >came with the Imsai, at least, plus probably some stuff that folks have >sent my way over the years. Dave D has various images on his excellent site - also see below. If you're having trouble with the 8" drive(s) and haven't gotten around to making the cable for a 3 1/2" substitute, add a 7812 or use an old PC supply and temporarily hook up a 5 1/4" drive; the FDC handles both. >I'm not sure if I even have CP/M specific to that box. Several people have configured CP/M for the Cromemco configuration; Barry Watzman for one, if I'm not mistaken. >Mostly I was looking for what sort of hardware capabilities would be needed... You've got the basic hardware except for a 7812 or equivalent for the 5.25 (and 3.5" if 12V - see below) drives; the rest is software ;-) <snip> >> Any version of Cromix (Cromemco's early Z80 and 68000 pseudo-UNIX) can >> read/write any version of CDOS or Cromix disk (floppies, that is; hard >> disks are a different story). >I'd love to get some info on that software, particularly if I can ever get my >hands on a DPU card to stick in there. If/when you do, it's certainly out there. Several sites have extensive collections of Cromemco software and manuals; one of the most complete is Marcus' site: http://maben.homeip.net/static/S100/cromemco (Also see Herb Johnson's & Howard Harte's sites). To run Z80 Cromix, all you'd need is another 64K; to run 68K Cromix/+ you'd need at least a 68000 DPU and 256K would be nice. <snip> >Around the time I got that box I remember trying for some info and being told >that the company wasn't doing anything but making 68K boxes for some >specialized applications any more. In the last years they'd become part of Dynatech, who had been using Cromemco boxes for their TV weather systems and didn't seem particularly interested in the computer business beyond supporting their own applications (they apparently also owned Fuzz-Buster BTW). The European company that's still around today is Cromemco in name only, having moved into UNIX software long ago. >> Cromix+ and UNIX both read/write UNIX format disks; anything else that >> Cromix+ could handle was transferred to UNIX via a shared HD partition. >What's a "unix format disk"? Actually their name is "Uniform style floppy" and it's a format compatible with both Cromix and UNIX (and without the pesky SD first track or Disk ID). >> Anything else would indeed require some custom programming; the FDC >> controller cards were reasonably well documented. >That's mostly what I was looking for, if the common FDC chips back in those >days were likely to be sufficient to handle a wide variety of "stuff" out there. Well, hard sector disks might still be a problem... >> If the main CPU was a 680x0 instead of a Z80 then Z80 & CP/M software was >> run either on a dual (Z80/68000) DPU card or, if there was only a 680x0 CPU >> then it was run on the Z80 on an I/O card such as the IOP I/O processor or >> the Octart 8-port RS-232 card, if available. >I saw the sheet on the IOP in my book just now, but don't know about that >other one. Why would they stick a processor on an 8-port serial card? Not relevant or supported in single-user CDOS (which used ordinary TUART 4-port serial and PRI 2-port parallel cards), but running a multi-user sort-of-UNIX on a 4MHz Z80 wasn't exactly blindingly fast, especially on the slow hard disks of the day. If the main CPU also had to directly service all those UARTS it probably would grind to a halt so they handled serial I/O with coprocessors (IOP & Octart), which later could also run Z80 user software in between I/O requests when there wasn't a Z80 on the main processor board any longer. The IOP is only the I/O *processor* BTW; there can be up to 4 installed, and each can control up to 4 Quadart 4-port serial cards for a maximum of 16 ports; that'd keep a single Z80 so busy it wouldn't have much time to actually run those users' programs ;-). The Octart is a coprocessor and 8 ports combined, and a system could have up to 4 for a total of 32 ports; although in practice you wouldn't have that many users you could have I/O devices on all of those ports (I have in fact had Cromemco systems installed with more than 32 terminals, although they were not all unique "users"). >> Their first hard disks were 11MB 8" IMI drives using a WDI controller; they >> were superseded by 5 & 20 MB 5" IMI drives requiring a WDI-II. Then came >> MFM disks using an STDC controller and SMD drives & controller, and finally >> ESDI and SCSI drives using the ESDC controller. >Rigging up some sort of mounting hardware and finding 12V power for some of >the 3.5" HDs I have kicking around here should be an interesting >exercise. :-) You'd need it for 5.25 drives for sure, but many 3.5" drives actually only require 5V which you already have for the 8" drive. >I have nothing around for a controller, but given the choice I'd rather go >with SCSI if possible. SCSI wasn't supported until pretty late in the game and you'd need fairly late versions of cards & OS; definitely not an option with your setup. >> The floppy controller also supported the small tape drives while the larger >> tapes required the ESDC controller, and there was also a controller and OS >> support for 9-track mag tape. >Hmm. Indeed... Can't help any with the Bigboard, alas. Good luck! mike

18 years, 10 months

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Underclock a Pentium/Overdrive/486

by grant＠stockly.com

I'm wondering about underclocking a pentium. I've read about running Windows XP on a Pentium Overdrive underclocked to 8MHz with 20MB RAM. I was curious if anyone in here knew enough about the design of an early pentium or 486 to say if its possible to go lower, like 2MHz. For a joke I thought it would be fun to have an intel machine running XP or Vista at an Altair paced clock speed. XP took 30 minutes to boot at 8MHz, so I imagine a bare bones Vista would take a few hours at 2MHz, that is if Vista would even run on a Pentium... To me this is kind of like the project where someone booted Mac OS X on a 25MHz Centris 650 using a PPC emulator. Except most likely faster. : ) Maybe I'm just looking for something to carry me through the Alaskan winter. : ) Any thoughts? My first one is to set the jumpers as low as they would go and then start changing the onboard crystals/oscillators. Chances are the BIOS would still report 8MHz to windows and the screen shot wouldn't look as cool? I have already overclocked the Kenbak-1 500%, and underclocked it 800%. Time to move on to bigger and better things. Grant

18 years, 10 months

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Electronics Parts Stores near Seattle

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> > One of the last part stores in the Seattle area, Alphatronics, has move > moved a few blocks to 1035 Andover Park East in Tukwila WA. > http://www.alphatronics-usa.com/ > > Glad to hear that- I was a bit in shock when I rolled up about a month ago and there was a trucking company where they used to be. For the mail-order set who doesn't have a parts store nearby, how do you work things out (reference-wise, other than the usual databooks?). Especially for test equipment and things like that (now that we're loosing Boeing, there I knew that the equipment was used but reasonably good quality).

18 years, 10 months

1
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Infant mortality and longevity of DVD media?

by Watzman＠neo.rr.com

RE: " I doubt that I will use up the spindle at less than a dozen blanks a year before dual layer media and drives become standard " Become? Dual layer drives became standard about 2 years ago. I doubt you can buy a burner which is not dual layer. ALL readers have been dual layer since day 1, because most commercial DVDs (e.g. movies and TV shows) are dual layer (but factory pressed media rather than burned media). On the other hand, I doubt that dual layer DVD will ever outsell single layer DVD. It is FAR more expensive (almost 10x), it offers LESS THAN twice the capacity (8GB vs. 4.7GB) and it is very likely to be FAR less reliable. I use dual layer because I need to for some of my work, but I don't like it. I have never had a problem, but I know how it works and I don't trust it. I consider it to be a miracle that it works at all. The current standard for drives is "burn everything", all formats, both CD & DVD, + and -, single and dual layer, for about $40. I still believe that Pioneer makes the best drives, but Pioneer doesn't support "lightscribe" (the ability to "burn" a graphic label on the label side of the media), so I have two DVD burner drives in my machine, a Pioneer and a Samsung (which I think is the second best brand, and which does support Lightscribe). My next move, probably in about 2 years, will be to Blu-Ray, but right now it's still [WAY] too expensive.

18 years, 10 months

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Purchase: DEC PDP11/93 (Whole Machine)

by spoon_813＠hotmail.com

Hello, I want to purchase DEC PDP11/93 (1). Can I get a quote from you? If it is in stock, please reply me. What does it include? I mean how is the configuration? Thank you very much Regard Beijing KSD Electron Technical Service Center _________________________________________________________________ ????? MSN ?????????? http://mobile.msn.com.cn/

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

Latest find

by quapla＠xs4all.nl

The company I work for had some stuff to dump. I'ts from a Kent PLC system and I took the cpu & drive box. CPU box containd a KDJ11-A, an MXV11-A, a DILOG DQ614, a 8 port serial line interfaxe, and a M7549 DMA interface. The drive box contained a RD52 & an Ampex disk. The CPU box also contained 2 Tandon TM-828 slimline 8" floppy drives. Eventually there is more PDP stuff to come :) Ed

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Looking for DOMAIN kbd

by paco.linux＠gmail.com

Hi all: I have a HP Apollo 425e and I want to run DOMAIN in it, but for this I need this type of keyboard. Has somebody a spare keyboard? Thanks

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Electronics Parts Stores near Seattle

by swtpc6800＠comcast.net

One of the last part stores in the Seattle area, Alphatronics, has move moved a few blocks to 1035 Andover Park East in Tukwila WA. http://www.alphatronics-usa.com/ I when there today to buy parts for a replica of the first MITS product. A Model Rocket Tracking Light from 1969. They had all of the parts on the shelf. I hope to have this built for Vintage Computer Festival in November. I have a copy of the article on DigiBarn http://www.digibarn.com/collections/devices/MITS-Model-Rockets-Tracking-Lig… Thank to Marvin Johnston for giving me some G pattern Vectorbord. Alphatronics had some nice S-100 prototype boards on sale. There is a box of various prototype boards on the floor near the cash register. Michael Holley www.swtpc.com/mholley

18 years, 10 months

1
0
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That poor system/36

by ballsandy＠msn.com

> > I have been looking at this poor machine for almost two years now and I'm furious that there is no way for me to rescue it. > > Big S/36s are not all that rare. Look, and you will find one on the > West Coast. Do not delay, as I can see them mostly drying up in a few > years. > > > Only one other person openly admits they own one: that guy who runs the corestore, and he never responds to my emails. > > I will admit to having one, but I am not overly proud of it. I think I > can honestly say it is the least liked machine in my collection. > > -- > Will Well it's great to hear of another person who owns one. Why is it the least liked? The design? Well if they are quite common, people out here really don't want to part with them or their first thought is scrap it and then look for people willing to take it. I have been putting out wanted calls for these older mainframe systems for years now and I have never had one reply to any of them. It really make you think your search is hopeless I have always had a strong determination. It took years for me to get my first deskside and I never gave up. _________________________________________________________________ Send a smile, make someone laugh, have some fun! Start now! http://www.freemessengeremoticons.ca/?icid=EMENCA122

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

TEACO Floppy Drive Tester

by snhirsch＠gmail.com

I picked up this unit today at the NEAR-Fest swap meet in Deerfield, NH. Does anyone know anything about it? It has connectors for 5-1/4" and 8" drives and looks useful. It's a Model 4077, if that helps. Steve --

18 years, 10 months

1
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firmware updates [WAS Vintage computer photogallery - Time Magazine]

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Jules writes: > I suppose real computers have a separate service processor for this > kind of > thing, so it's easy to put things right even if something does go > wrong (plus > of course the update can *only* be done from the service processor - > not from > some rogue code running on the main CPU) Not a service processor, but Alpha has a built in "failsafe loader" that allows you to rewrite the console firmware if something happens. It also has hardware lockdown of the PROM. I don't think I'd consider a separate service processor always a good thing, though - I've just been looking at the docs for the Sun E10k and if you loose the SSP you're pretty much hosed unless you can get Sun to make a new one up that matches your machine. Aren't IBM mainframes and their ThinkPads in roughly the same boat? There, though, I think it's easier to recover if you have a backup - I got the feeling that the E10k's unit was somehow hardware-locked to that machine.

18 years, 10 months

1
0
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SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion

by dm561＠torfree.net

-------------Original Message: Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:13:39 -0600 From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> Subject: Re: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion <snip> Given all the conflicting information and personal anecdotes that people swear by ("turning on a VT100 will destructively read the ROM") that others have not experienced, the conflicting warnings and advice have lead me to the conclusion of just generally ignoring all such warnings and advice from this list. ------------Reply: It's getting harder and harder to find any wheat in the chaff on this list; no doubt in part due to the fact that some of the people who used to contribute good hard info got tired of wasting time scrolling through the irrelevant stuff and left. Even Tony who has so often contributed valuable information seems to be spending more of his time preaching and arguing his various gospels lately... m

18 years, 10 months

3
4
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Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

------------Original Message: Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 16:43:03 -0400 From: "Roy J. Tellason" <rtellason at verizon.net> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files On Friday 12 October 2007 03:23, M H Stein wrote: <snip> > > Want to copy your SDSS 8" disk to a DDDS 5" one? No problem. > Friend or business partner has some data on SDSS 5" disks that you > want on DDDS 8"? Just pop in the disks and copy away; add some > software and you can even copy to/from MS-DOS disks if you must. > Run Z80 CDOS/CP/M Wordstar on your 68000 Cromix+ CS-400? > No sweat (although a different issue). Process your old CDOS data > files with your UNIX software? Not much harder. > > It all just looks different from today's PC-centric perspective. So what sort of hardware does it take to be able to do stuff like that? I know my Bigboard II has both sizes of floppy drive connectors, though I think there's a jumper change involved to deal with different data rates IIRC. And there might be some potential for that board that's in my Cromemco, as well. I'm sure that a lot of my CP/M boxes have controller chips that are much more capable than the pc-centric stuff is, too. And how would the OS have to handle this? Some serious BIOS hacking? ---------Reply: The simple answer for a Cromemco box is a minimum configuration of a DPU, 16/64FDC, 128KB of memory and optionally a hard disk & controller. (You'd need somewhat more to run UNIX). AFAIK, as far as Cromemco systems go (assuming a 16FDC controller or later, and soft-sector disks): CDOS can read/write any one of the 8 (10?)possible CDOS formats and 8"SSSD CP/M (which, essentially being the first floppy "standard", was a more-or-less universal distribution medium for software such as WordStar, SuperCalc etc). Third-party software was available to handle other formats, and there were also custom versions of CP/M configured for a Z80 Cromemco. CDOS itself is a clone of an early 1.x version of CP/M, which Cromemco licenced >from DRI and enhanced somewhat with some additional calls, and it can run most CP/M software (at least early pre-2.x versions). Any version of Cromix (Cromemco's early Z80 and 68000 pseudo-UNIX) can read/write any version of CDOS or Cromix disk (floppies, that is; hard disks are a different story). Third-party software (e.g. CsCopy) can read/write MSDOS disks but requires Cromix+ (and a 680x0 CPU) which was the current Cromix version when the PC became commonplace. Cromix+ and UNIX both read/write UNIX format disks; anything else that Cromix+ could handle was transferred to UNIX via a shared HD partition. Anything else would indeed require some custom programming; the FDC controller cards were reasonably well documented. If the main CPU was a 680x0 instead of a Z80 then Z80 & CP/M software was run either on a dual (Z80/68000) DPU card or, if there was only a 680x0 CPU then it was run on the Z80 on an I/O card such as the IOP I/O processor or the Octart 8-port RS-232 card, if available. Their first hard disks were 11MB 8" IMI drives using a WDI controller; they were superseded by 5 & 20 MB 5" IMI drives requiring a WDI-II. Then came MFM disks using an STDC controller and SMD drives & controller, and finally ESDI and SCSI drives using the ESDC controller. The floppy controller also supported the small tape drives while the larger tapes required the ESDC controller, and there was also a controller and OS support for 9-track mag tape. mike

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

2816s

by glen.slick＠gmail.com

On 10/12/07, Roy J. Tellason <rtellason at verizon.net> wrote: > > Speaking of which, I have a tube or so of 2816s around, and would appreciate > it if you guys could point me toward any materials on the 'net that'd give me > some ideas as to how you use those things... > > -- Here's a datasheet on how the Atmel AT28C16 works: http://www.atmel.com/dyn/resources/prod_documents/doc0540.pdf

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Check the dates on your OLS PSUs - some of the early ones were defective and could catch fire. I would think that Boeing would have had them swapped out, but if it's an older Onyx (R4400 at 200MHz or below probably) it might have been pulled from service before the recall.

18 years, 10 months

11
13
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Looking for an H3600-SA CPU bulkhead panel for a KA650/KA655 in a BA213

by glen.slick＠gmail.com

Anyone got a spare H3600-SA CPU bulkhead panel for a KA650/KA655 in a BA213? I recently picked up a VAXServer 3600 which has the KA650 board but is missing the H3600-SA CPU bulkhead panel and I would like to acquire one.

18 years, 10 months

3
2
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

---------Original Message: Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:09:22 -0700 (PDT) From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> Subject: RE: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files > >Now that 22Disk and the rest of the tools have been exonerated, we can > >concentrate on ways to read the hard to read sectors - a ubiquitous > >problem with Cromemco disks. On Fri, 12 Oct 2007, M H Stein wrote: > Admittedly a problem when trying to read their disks with today's crippled > controllers, but their use of a common SD Track 0 meant that without any > . . . > It all just looks different from today's PC-centric perspective. No complaint about the idea of minimal first sector. The specific problem that I was referring to is the incompatability with trying to read Cromemco diskettes using an NEC 765 type controller, which needs a larger index gap, resulting problems reading the first sector of each track. ------------Reply: Tell me about it; went through 7 mobo/fdcs while trying to help Dave D; although some could write OK (which was all I really needed to recreate his images), I never did find one that could *read* using IMD or Uniform. Slowed down the drive, which sometimes helps, but still no good reads. That's why I keep at least one Cromemco system up & running; much easier to go the other way and copy to MSDOS disks on the Cromemco (or transfer files the old-fashioned RS-232 way). Nevertheless, just wanted to point out that their format wasn't quite such a dumb/bad thing as it seems from a PC POV; just too bad IBM picked the 765 instead of the 1793. BTW, that disk ID in track 0 is not *required*; if it's not found, the controller defaults to (stays in) SD/SS mode (although that doesn't mean that CDOS will be able to read your particular flavour of CP/M disk unless it's the IBM 8" "standard"). mike

18 years, 10 months

5
10
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OS-9 sector sizes

by julesrichardsonuk＠yahoo.co.uk

Anyone know if OS-9 is guaranteed to use a certain sector size when resident on a hard disk? Or is it implementation-specific? ta J.

18 years, 10 months

4
4
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 16:11:55 -0700 (PDT) From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files >>> The blame was always hung on the disk compression, since that was what >>> people NOTICED being different; but the compression was NOT the problem. >On Thu, 11 Oct 2007, Jules Richardson wrote: >> Smartdrv was purely a disk cache, wasn't it? >Yes. But MICROS~1 was completely clueless what the risks were and how to >deal with them for WRITE caching (what happens if the power goes off, or a >disk error occurs before the cached stuff gets written?) Well, in all fairness if the power goes off just before or during a disk write I don't see how you could avoid problems without a battery backup or similar. >> The compression was something >> else... umm... doublespace? >Therein hangs a bizarre tale of conflict and betrayal between MICROS~1 and >Stac Electronics (billg said, "I'm having a bad day", when the court >awarded damages), and the differences between DOS 6.20, 6.21, 6.22. Not one of his finest moments fer sure... >>> Ah, the good old days. >> And then Windows came along... >Has anybody explained to Al Gore about how Windoze is the primary cause of >global warming? I KNEW IT! MICROSOFT IS RESPONSIBLE FOR GLOBAL WARMING! Now, how many ways are they going to make money out of it.... m

18 years, 10 months

4
3
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

>Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 13:05:52 -0700 (PDT) >From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> >Subject: RE: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files <snip> >Now that 22Disk and the rest of the tools have been exonerated, we can >concentrate on ways to read the hard to read sectors - a ubiquitous >problem with Cromemco disks. ----------- Admittedly a problem when trying to read their disks with today's crippled controllers, but their use of a common SD Track 0 meant that without any configuration changes the OS could concurrently and transparently read a mix of at least 8 different types of disks; not many systems of that day could do that. Want to copy your SDSS 8" disk to a DDDS 5" one? No problem. Friend or business partner has some data on SDSS 5" disks that you want on DDDS 8"? Just pop in the disks and copy away; add some software and you can even copy to/from MS-DOS disks if you must. Run Z80 CDOS/CP/M Wordstar on your 68000 Cromix+ CS-400? No sweat (although a different issue). Process your old CDOS data files with your UNIX software? Not much harder. It all just looks different from today's PC-centric perspective. mike

18 years, 10 months

3
2
0 0

data tape audio file archive

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

It seems that an audio file of the Sinclair tape will load fine. Now then, is there an archive of data tape audio files somewhere? Will I have to start one myself? -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Vintage computer photogallery - Time Magazine

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1670168_1461055,00.html Nice. I'm going to have to buy that book. Here are some "Dinosaur Sightings: 1970s Computers": http://www.news.com/2300-1042_3-6213000-1.html?tag=ne.gall.pg ____________________________________________________________________________________ Catch up on fall's hot new shows on Yahoo! TV. Watch previews, get listings, and more! http://tv.yahoo.com/collections/3658

18 years, 10 months

1
0
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Tony - was: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion

by dm561＠torfree.net

Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 08:06:36 -0600 From: Richard <legalize at xmission.com> Subject: Re: Tony - was: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion >In article <01C80C7E.C6F95220 at mandr71>, > M H Stein <dm561 at torfree.net> writes: >> [...] why waste any of it on preaching to the choir or the unenlightened >> foolish ones, as the case may be... >LOL, as if those are the only two choices. -- It sometimes sounds like they are, at least in Tony's view... m

18 years, 10 months

3
2
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Compaticard 1 manual needed

by dm561＠torfree.net

Does anyone have (or can point me to) a scanned copy of the manual for a MicroSolutions Compaticard I by any chance? Also the drivers, in case the ones I have are for another version? Can't find mine and only found the IV on the 'Web. Would be much appreciated; TIA mike

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

Purchase: DEC PDP11/93(whole system)

by spoon_813＠hotmail.com

Hello Paul Anderson, I want to purchase DEC PDP11/93 (1). Can I get a quote from you? If it is in stock, please reply me. What does it include? I mean how is the configuration? If it is 2MB how much? If it is 4MB how much? Thank you very much Regard Beijing KSD Electron Technical Service Center _________________________________________________________________ ????? MSN ?????????? http://mobile.msn.com.cn/

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Tony - was: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion

by dm561＠torfree.net

-------------Original Message: Date: Fri, 12 Oct 2007 00:16:58 +0100 (BST) From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) Subject: Re: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion > Even Tony who has so often contributed valuable information seems > to be spending more of his time preaching and arguing his various > gospels lately... Although I read every message that appears here, I've found few threads recently that I can really contribute to. Of the current threads, I have no real knoweldge of RSX, I've never used CDOS (and I know little of disk imaging programs), and so on. Now, get a good hardware/repair thread going, nand it'll be difficult to stop me ;-) -tony -----------------Reply: True enough; most threads don't interest me either, and your comprehensive contributions on the hardware side (and occasionally even software) are greatly appreciated; thank you for giving us as much time on those as you do. However, by now we're all pretty well acquainted with your philosophy of hardware ownership, maintenance and repair, not only of computers but automobiles, cameras, watches & clocks, machine tools etc. as well. Life is short and there are so many things that need your restoring & repair skills; why waste any of it on preaching to the choir or the unenlightened foolish ones, as the case may be... mike

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

VCF Lodging

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

I wanted to get this out ASAP for those travelling in from out of the area... VCF LODGING OPTIONS!! http://www.vintage.org/2007/main/lodging.php The Residence Inn ($119) is minor luxury, the Holiday Inn ($99) is recently renovated (I am told). For those on a budget, use the internet to find a budget hotel or motel in the area. Rates are definitely higher than they've ever been for VCF, mostly due to normal inflation trends (it ain't cheap out here). If you can find something clean and nearby for under $80 then let me know and I'll add it to the lodging page. More on VCFX in the newsletter coming out by this weekend. -- 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, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

-----------Original Message: Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 08:39:00 -0700 From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files Looking at the first diskette image, it ppears that it's been corrupted somehow (the second one is fine). Take a look at cylinder 1, side 0, sector 1. Near the beginning of the directory we see the entries for two files, FRAME1.MAP, FRAME1.PIX (2 extents) <snip> -----------Reply: That's what I see: the first and third image have cross-linked files but the second one looks OK; the question is whether the disks themselves have a problem or whether Dave's IMD program got confused. The first image seems to start on sector 2 and wrap around; however, the third does start on sector1 but has errors nevertheless. mike

18 years, 10 months

7
17
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

------------Original Message: Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:40:11 -0700 From: "Chuck Guzis" <cclist at sydex.com> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files On 11 Oct 2007 at 13:51, M H Stein wrote: > That's what I see: the first and third image have cross-linked files > but the second one looks OK; the question is whether the disks > themselves have a problem or whether Dave's IMD program got > confused. The first image seems to start on sector 2 and wrap > around; however, the third does start on sector1 but has errors > nevertheless. (Disclaimer: I haven't looked at the third image yet) But it's not TeleDisk or ImageDisk that's messed up. Note that in the first disk, the cross-linking/double-allocation entries are contained in the same physical sector. I'll grab a gander at the third disk later today when I have a chance. Cheers, Chuck ----------------Reply: Yes, as usual I pressed Send before completely reading your message; obviously the problem is on the disks themselves. I'm kicking myself because I had looked at the directory entries before I started but didn't notice the duplicate pointers (see, your eyes aren't nearly as bad as mine). And it didn't occur to me that neither CDOS nor Cromix would complain until I finally ran STAT; I just assumed the the disks must be good and the problem lay in the transfer. Live & learn - never assume anything. mike

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

---------------Original Message: Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:58:08 -0700 (PDT) From: Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Message-ID: <20071011105050.V71651 at shell.lmi.net> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII > > CDOS had one or more bytes in the first physical sector of the disk to > > identify which format. There ARE multiple (user modifications?) variant > > formats that may have the same ID byte(s)! On Thu, 11 Oct 2007, Dave Dunfield wrote: > Anyone have more info on this? - One of my main problems is determining > exactly what format these disks are in. It might be stored in the first sector, or it might be known only to the OS. On a functioning CP/M 2.x? machine, STAT DSK: gives some of the parameters. > Does each entry represent a cluster? Yes, each of the numbers in the block list represents a "cluster" (which is the MICROS~1 word for a block) Each OS company seems to have had their own unique word (like "standards") for an allocation unit. Remember that CP/M calls a 128 byte record a "sector" disunirregardless of how many there are in each physical sector. -----------------Reply: On a Cromemco disk (including HDs) at offset 0070H there are 6 bytes that indicate CDOS or Cromix format, Single or Double density and S/D sided, and these are all options in the format (init) program. This is why track 0 is formatted as the lowest common denominator (SD) for all floppies, so that the controller can start with a known format and then decide how to handle the rest of the disk. Hard disks indicate type (IMI/MFM) instead of SD/DD & SS/DS. The first (dummy) directory entry of a CDOS floppy contains the 8 character disk ID, the date it was formatted and the number of directory entries. The remaining parameters (disk size, interleave vector table, etc. are stored in the BIOS the same as CP/M AFAIK; hard disks keep size &c on the disk (along with partition & alternate track tables) so that you can swap disks without reconfiguring anything. mike

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files

by dm561＠torfree.net

------------Original Message: Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 10:22:38 -0700 (PDT) From: Roger Ivie <rivie at ridgenet.net> Subject: Re: Extracting CDOS and CP/M) files To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Message-ID: <Pine.NEB.4.63.0710111021560.5479 at stench.no.domain> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII; format=flowed On Thu, 11 Oct 2007, Dave Dunfield wrote: > > Does each entry represent a cluster? The CDOS manual does have tables > relating physical sectors to clusters, which can be represented with an > 8-bit value. These are listed for "large disks" and "small disks", although > it's not clear where a DSDD 5.25" disk fits (it's large for a 5.25, > small compared to 8") - I'm guessing the "small disks" means any 5.25, > but I'd love to be corrected if anyone knows differently. In CP/M, each entry represents a cluster and "small disk" means "has fewer than 256 clusters". -- roger ivie rivie at ridgenet.net ------------Reply: In Cromemco-speak, (S)mall usually means 5 1/4 and (L)arge=8" m

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

FS: MMJ plugs & cables

by tothwolf＠concentric.net

I've just purchased 2000pcs of Tyco Electronics/AMP 5-555237-1 MMJ plugs as a last-time buy since these are being discontinued by Tyco. If anyone needs some plugs or a cord made, now is the time to get in touch with me. Those plugs should get here in a couple of weeks (possibly sooner), but I still have 2-3 dozen or so on hand that I can use for making cables in the meantime. Even with the discount I got when buying that many connectors at once, it was still a very significant investment of money, so anything I can sell now to help offset that cost would be a good thing. I've also gotten my hands on another spool of DEC H8240 DECconnect cord, so those who wanted some cables made with genuine DEC wire should also get in touch with me now. I still have a small amount of ivory colored cord on hand (probably 30-40ft) as well if anyone wants a few cables made from that. I've mainly been offering the 10ft cables on eBay for $10.00 + postage, but I can make them any length required for $1.00/ft plus $1.00 for two connectors. I still have a limited number of other misc DEC MMJ serial adapters in addition to the stock of new H8571-J adapters that I mentioned previously. If you need something specific, drop me a note and I'll see if I have it. I also found that I currently have 10 used (but good condition) H8571-J adapters that I'll let go for $20.00 each since a few folks expressed an interest in those. I never imagined I'd get this involved with making cables as a "hobby", but I don't turn a profit on these (I've gone in the hole on this stuff in a huge way over the last couple of months), so I certainly can't call it a business :)

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

TI 990 architecture

by billdeg＠degnanco.com

> > I can't state so categorically but my understanding is that they were very > much the same. > Going back to a conversation of a few weeks ago, when we were > developing/running Verex/Thoth at UBC ca 1980 it was on a 990/10. The next > major step in the project was to develop a distributed kernel for multiple > processors. To this end, 3 bare single board computers based on the 9900 > chip > were ordered and received from TI. Something makes me think they were > called > "990/5"s. I remember making up a front panel for the 3 of them with reset > buttons and a few status LEDs to go in the rack with the /10. The idea, of > course, was to use the 9900s because we already had the compilers,etc. > generating code for the 990/10. > Here are some pics of possibly a related system that I posted a while ago. http://vintagecomputer.net/ti/TI-990-101/ Bill D

18 years, 10 months

2
2
0 0

Setting up a VAXstation

by RodSmallwood＠mail.ediconsulting.co.uk

If you are in the UK then Black Box stock MMJ cables. Rod -----Original Message----- From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Tony Duell Sent: 02 October 2007 21:12 To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Setting up a VAXstation > > Making an MMJ cable is a piece of cake. Just take the retention clip > off of the RJ11 at the end of a phone cord. Crimp an RJ45 on the > other Rememeber the OP (and I) are in the UK. The standard telephone connector over here is not an RJ11 or snythig like that. > end with the proper wires heading to the proper pins, and use a Cisco > RJ45->DE9 adapter. Having had to try to get wires into the right holes on an RJ45 connector, I would _much_ rather solder up a D connector. -tony

18 years, 10 months

25
79
0 0

HD46505 CRT controller chips

by paul.haley1＠ntlworld.com

Hi its a long shot now the post was in 2001 , but I need a Hd46505 chip !! best regards paul Haley

18 years, 10 months

5
6
0 0

Advice on moving Arcade Cabinet

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

We live in a 2nd floor apartment, and are getting ready to put our Neo Geo 4-Slot into storage. I'm wondering if anyone has any advice on this. We are thinking a refrigerator dolly, along with a U-Haul truck that will allow it to stand up during transport. Does this sound about right? How many people does something like this take to get down the stairs? It took 3 people to get it up the stairs when we bought it a few years ago. Zane -- | Zane H. Healy | UNIX Systems Administrator | | healyzh at aracnet.com (primary) | OpenVMS Enthusiast | | MONK::HEALYZH (DECnet) | Classic Computer Collector | +----------------------------------+----------------------------+ | Empire of the Petal Throne and Traveller Role Playing, | | PDP-10 Emulation and Zane's Computer Museum. | | http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/ |

18 years, 10 months

8
9
0 0

The use of Plexiglas for mounting PCBs

by rcini＠optonline.net

All: I want to use a sheet of Plexiglas to make a case for my KIM-1. Fabrication isn?t a problem, but I wanted to open it up for discussion about any static electricity issues. Should I be concerned about using Plexi for this project or what recommendations do y?all have for mitigating the possibility of damage. Thanks. Rich -- Rich Cini Collector of Classic Computers Build Master and lead engineer, Altair32 Emulator http://www.altair32.com http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/~rcini/classiccmp

18 years, 10 months

2
2
0 0

Emulex SMD controller subsystem with drives on Ebay

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Jim s wrote: > On the east coast, or I'd buy it. > 220158695883 He also has a small pile of VT100's. I remember back in the 1990's I stacked an 8x8 (64) array of VT100's on the back wall of my garage, and that was just the working ones! If you alternate forward/backwards it takes some skill to get as high as 8 tall :-). I guess I found a home for them, 'cause I didn't drag them all along in the next move! Tim.

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Extracting CDOS files

by dave06a＠dunfield.com

Hi Guys, I've been approached by an artist who has many 5.25" Cromemco CDOS disks containing artwork from early in her career the she would like to recover. She has already made arrangements with the supplier of the original software to convert the files to something she can use on a modern PC, however she needs the files extracted from the CDOS disks. As there are several hundred disks, I would really like to find a PC based solution which I can automate. So far I can have tried the shareware version of 22disk, which can list the directory, however it reports multiple linked sectors in two of the three sample disks I am looking at, and also gets unrecoverable errors on sector 1 of every track (sector 1 on Cromemco disk is problematic with a PC - I've already got the drive slowed slightly, which allows ImageDisk to read and recreate the entire disk. So I have access to all of the sector data, but no way to feed it to 22disk. I've also tried Uniform, however it gets an unrecoverable error on any attempt to access the disk - in fact the error comes at the moment the drive selects, so I don't believe it's even trying, possibly because the P200 PC in my imaging station is "Way too fast" for software timing loops etc. So I am left with the option to extract the files from the ImageDisk images - what I need are technical details on the CDOS file system. CDOS is "CP/M compatible", does anyone know if the file system is identical - if not, can anyone point me at technical details. If yes, can anyone point me at a good description of the CP/M file system (It's been years since I needed to dig deeply into it). Anyone got source code ('C' preferred) for extracting files from CP/M? I have found sector->cluster mapping tables in the back of the CDOS manual, which hopefully will help sort out the XLT issues etc. Any other assistance/suggestions/pointers etc. would be most welcome. Regards, Dave -- dave06a (at) Dave Dunfield dunfield (dot) Firmware development services & tools: www.dunfield.com com Collector of vintage computing equipment: http://www.classiccmp.org/dunfield/index.html

18 years, 10 months

6
20
0 0

Emulex SMD controller subsystem with drives on Ebay

by jwstephens＠msm.umr.edu

On the east coast, or I'd buy it. Jim 220158695883

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Unused Collections (was: Re: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phaseconversion)

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Unused Collections (was: Re: SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phaseconversion) > From: "Ensor" <classiccmp at memory-alpha.org.uk> > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 02:44:12 +0100 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Hi, > > > You are getting dangerously close to one of the great > >revelations of collecting life: > > > > Most collectors do not do anything with their > > collections. > > > > Nearly all of us are on this constant drive to get new items, > >chase them down, acquire them - then put them in the pile. 5 > >percent of the pile gets used and played with 95 percent of the > >time.... > >Never a truer word said.... Generally I have to agree. That said I'm the throwback here I guess. Of the 45 or so machines I have they are grouped by how I use them. Some like the 6800D1 and SC/MP very rarely see power. Others like my IMP48 and COSMACELF are small and don't need a terminal so its out and played with. the PDP-8, PDP11s and microVAX are all out and accessable. Same for the DECmateIII and several of the CP/M machines. Now there are machines I don't use but are occasionally brought out to insure run. I also have a small group maybe 5 systems that haven't run in 5 years as their status is "second copy" which is a working system but not intended for regular use. If there is one constant it is there are systems in that group that see power often and are part of my prefered tools to do various things. The fact that those tools are a bit retro is less important than they work and any bugs are well known. Allison

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS > From: "Sergio Pedraja" <spedraja at gmail.com> > Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:56:57 +0200 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Hello. > >As the subject say, I'm searching for one working MFM (not RQDx, better >something like the Andromeda UDC) or ESDI QBUS controller plus cables to use >with one PDP-11/23 PLUS. The ESDI would be a better choice because I have >one 300 Mb HD and one 700 Mb HD, both of full-height (in the terms used with >old PeeCee's). I'm perplexed. The RQDXn controllers are MFM and Floppy. Best shot is late firmware RQDX3 as it does RX33 and most all MFM drives. Its also easier to find. Allison > >I have too a couple of RX33 floppies but no controller for them. I would >appreciate to obtain one. > >Finally, I am thinking in use one old PC enclosure for disks and floppies. >Someone has did it ? Results ? > >Can contact privately with offers. > >Thanks and Greetings >Sergio

18 years, 10 months

5
6
0 0

DEC RSX-11

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: DEC RSX-11 > From: Holger Veit <holger.veit at iais.fraunhofer.de> > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 09:48:20 +0200 > To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only <cctech at classiccmp.org> > >Allison schrieb: >- some of the resident libraries are missing/not INStalled (because on > that turn-key application there were not required) Exactly the case. >Was [7,*] also privileged? I am not sure anymore after several years. >The point may be though that >the password file is actually owned by [1,2] - in this case you might >not be able modify it from [7,21]. It was sufficient to perform ACNTRES actions. >>> http://www.computer.museum.uq.edu.au/RSX-11M%20Version%204.2%20Manual%20Set… >>> for one set. >>> >> >> Very helpful, save for Acrobat say the files are corrupt for any of the more >> useful ones and crashes for manuals over 25MB. >> >> >I had downloaded them, as well as the ones at John Dundas's site, and >did not find corruptions. The files >at the Australian computer museum are large, though; the first thing I >did was to compress them with an >Adobe Acrobat. There it should have been detected if they were corrupt. Firefox was used to do the download. My Adobe says files are corrupt and when it attempts to repair the system bluescreens (NT4/sp6 NO MS web apps). The smaller files, those around or under 10mb seem fine. >So I guess its you having some transfer problem. May be the case but ??>? Or Acrobat reader V5.05 is broken. >> I'm not sure anything useful other than a "Pregen"ned system is on >> the disk as I havent found any languages. >> >> >Hmmm, to sysgen a new system, the installation set is required. One >indicator you might have sysgen stuff >on the system is the presence of some [200,200]SYSGEN*.CMD scripts, and >the current configuration >should be in [200,200]SYSSAVED.CMD;* Not there. [200,200] is mostly empty and the supporting directories are as well. There are less than 12000 blocks used on a RD52(~64000 blocks). Allison

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

DEC RSX-11

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: DEC RSX-11 > From: "e.stiebler" <emu at e-bbes.com> > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 07:16:42 -0600 > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Allison wrote: >> HALP! >> The RD52 has RXS11 and boots. > >Hello Allison, >PLEASE tell us to which version it boots ;-) RSX-11M PLUS V2.1 BL15 256KW system: "PREGEN" However the system is minimal and best described as built to run a specific application. All of the required files to build a more complete system are not there. I does boot and and shutdown without complaining. There are no languages and the only editor is a bare bones line oriented EDI. Looked exciting for a while. I'll likely remove the disk and install another to preserve what I have and run RT-11 on the new media. Allison

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Indigo 2 - no video.

by trasz＠FreeBSD.org

I just got a "teal" SGI Indigo 2. Problem is, I get no graphics output. When I turn it on, the LEDs on keyboard flash once, the LED on the I2 turns on, after two seconds turns off, then turns on again and stays turned on. I hear the boot tune. Monitor is SGI 20E21, connected via 13W3 cable, but it gets no signal (or at least no sync) from the machine. Manual says something about "dissonant piano chord" - how is it supposed to sound like? One thing I've verified that without graphics card the chord sounds the same. NumLock LED on the keyboard does not light when i press that key. Is there some way to reset the NVRAM or something like this? Note that there are no SCSI disks installed - the bays are empty. -- If you cut off my head, what would I say? Me and my head, or me and my body?

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

cctalk Digest, Vol 50, Issue 35

by feldman.r＠comcast.net

> Message: 8 > Date: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 11:06:49 -0400 > From: "Richard A. Cini" > Subject: The use of Plexiglas for mounting PCBs > > All: > > I want to use a sheet of Plexiglas to make a case for my KIM-1. > Fabrication isn't a problem, but I wanted to open it up for discussion about > any static electricity issues. Should I be concerned about using Plexi for > this project or what recommendations do y'all have for mitigating the > possibility of damage. > > Thanks. > > Rich You might have trouble with electrical interference from the computer getting out and affecting other devices. I had that problem with a PC clone I put in a plywood case. It interfered with an open-frame monitor I had on top of the case until I put metal screening under the case lid. Bob

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

TSX on RL02 pack?

by charlesmorris＠hughes.net

On Thu, 11 Oct 2007 12:01:24 -0500 (CDT), you wrote: >> I tried to boot from the pack but >> instead it came up in RT11SJ. What have I got here? >TSX doesn't boot from "bare metal". It requires RT-11 there to boot. Once >RT-11 boots, then you run TSX. At that point, TSX replaces most all of RT-11 >with itself - I don't think it leaves much of RT11 if any (in memory) after >it loads. > >So... after RT-11 boots, do "R TSX" > >To modify accounts... "R TSAUTH" > >Jay West Thanks, Jay! I did that and TSX-Plus Version 5.0 started right up. It executes several small .com files and then put up a big splash screen on the VT220 for "DBL/RT11/TSX by mumble mumble Corporation" or something like that, but freezes halfway through it and won't do anything until reboot. Now I just need to download a TSX+ manual and figure out how to remove/modify the startup files. Is this disk something the list is interested in, or is it easy to find a working TSX image elsewhere? (Regardless, I'm going to preserve the disk since it's another OS to play with). -Charles

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

The use of Plexiglas for mounting PCBs

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Rich writes: > I want to use a sheet of Plexiglas to make a case for my KIM-1. > Fabrication isn?t a problem, but I wanted to open it up for discussion about > any static electricity issues. Should I be concerned about using Plexi for > this project or what recommendations do y?all have for mitigating the > possibility of damage. The biggest problem, IMHO, of plexiglass is that static buildup attracts dust to the case :-). That said, there are anti-static sprays and "static-dissipative" and "anti-static" acrylic sheets available if you're worried about either ESD damage or just all the dust! I don't think it's sold by Rohm directly so you might want to use "acrylic" rather than "Plexiglas" in google searches. McMaster-Carr is a great place to get the stuff if you don't have a local plastic shop that stocks it. (I used to have a really really good platic shop in my neighborhood, but it got bought out by a national chain and now the retail side sucks rocks.) Tim.

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Indigo 2 - "NESTED EXCEPTION" at boot.

by trasz＠FreeBSD.org

The following error is sent via serial port #1 during Indigo 2 boot, just after boot tune: Exception: <vector=Normal> Status register: 0x30044803<CU1,CU0,CH,IM7,IM4,IPL=???,MODE=KERNEL,EXL,IE> Cause register: 0x8000c000<BD,CE=0,IP8,IP7,EXC=INT> Exception PC: 0x9fc368f8, Exception RA: 0x9fc368d8 Interrupt exception Bus Error ? Local I/O interrupt register 0: 0x4 <SCSI1> Local I/O interrupt register 2: 0xc8 <EISA,SLOT0,SLOT1> Saved user regs in hex (&gpda 0xa8740e48, &_regs 0xa8741048): arg: a8740000 20 20 12 tmp: a8740000 1f a8000000 8000000 a8746f78 0 ffffffff 4 sve: a8740000 c12dc13a 0 c0f9138a 0 c0edd9c9 0 bf077b8a t8 a8740000 t9 c0dcea58 at 0 NESTED EXCEPTION #1 at EPC: 9fc24020; first exception at PC: 9fc368f8 Any idea what to do about this? What can be the reason, bad memory, bad planar or CPU? -- If you cut off my head, what would I say? Me and my head, or me and my body?

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

DEC RSX-11

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

HALP! I just decided to attack a micro-11 system I had not attendded to. Good news is it's pristine and complete: BA23, 11/23BH, 512k (M8057), DEQNA, RQDX2(late firmware). The RD52 has RXS11 and boots. It's been a long time since I used RSX and longer since I've administered it. So some procedures for doing things I need to know or a pointer to. TO shut down I do? TO change admin password how, and which account again? If I add a 8line mux (DHV or DZV) what the procedure to get system to install and recognise it. On line DOCs to refresh memory from? I'm most comfortable with VMS, Ultrix and RT-11 but never bothered with RSX for a home system. Allison

18 years, 10 months

5
4
0 0

repairing a Dec frontpanel

by quapla＠xs4all.nl

Hi All, I have a PDP-11/45 and the frontpanel unfortunately has 2 spots where the matt finish is gone. Is there a way to make those 2 areas to look original again? Thanks, Ed

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

seeking ms/pc dos 1.x

by billdeg＠degnanco.com

>Can someone point me to somewhere I can find bootable disk images for >MS/PC DOS 1.x? I found vetusware.com, but the quality is spotty and >frequently uses obscure compression programs. >-- >David Griffith >dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu > >------------------------------ http://www.vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=60

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

DEC RSX-11

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: DEC RSX-11 > From: Holger Veit <holger.veit at iais.fraunhofer.de> > Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 13:19:57 +0200 > To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only <cctech at classiccmp.org> > >Ethan Dicks schrieb: >> On 10/9/07, Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net> wrote: >> >It is probably @[1,2]SHUTUP.CMD, or better RUN $SHUTUP >> RUN $SHUTUP That works. >>> TO change admin password how, and which account again? >>> >RUN $ACNT >and then modify the UIC [1,2]. It's "run $acntres" on this beastie. However any attempt to modify the accounts or add accounts causes a illegal instruction trap and return to prompt. Could it be the files are protected? I did insure the disk write protect was disabled and working. >Basically, any account [1,x] is privileged, so you might create a new >account in this range before >fiddling with the old one and maybe accidentally disabling it (happened >to experience this myself :-)) Fortunately when the system boots the startup.cmd also logs in account 7,21. >> >http://www.computer.museum.uq.edu.au/RSX-11M%20Version%204.2%20Manual%20Set… >for one set. Very helpful, save for Acrobat say the files are corrupt for any of the more useful ones and crashes for manuals over 25MB. I'm not sure anything useful other than a "Pregen"ned system is on the disk as I havent found any languages. Allison

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

cctalk Digest, Vol 50, Issue 33

by dm561＠torfree.net

-------------Original message: Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 14:30:36 -0700 (PDT) From: David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> Subject: seeking ms/pc dos 1.x To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Message-ID: <Pine.GSO.4.55.0710101428510.14275 at helios.cs.csubak.edu> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII Can someone point me to somewhere I can find bootable disk images for MS/PC DOS 1.x? I found vetusware.com, but the quality is spotty and frequently uses obscure compression programs. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu ------------Reply: If you have no luck elsewhere, drop me a line off-list & I'll try to dig one out for ya (if I can find it and it's still readable). mike

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

can anybody use this?

by rtellason＠verizon.net

While looking for something else (ain't that always the way of it? :-) I came across this box... Apparently an Olicom OC2132, it's a microchannel ethernet adapter. This is in the original box, and there's some software and documentation in there as well. I looked at the card and there are AUI and RJ45 connectors and some LED indicators on the metal bracket. I have no microchannel hardware, having divested myself of the last of it a while back, and no plans to get into any in the forseeable future. If you can use this, feel free to drop me a line offlist, and make me an offer. -- 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, 10 months

1
0
0 0

TSX on RL02 pack?

by charlesmorris＠hughes.net

While playing with my 11/23+, on one of my spare RL02 packs, I found some interesting files. The disk has 982 files (lots off .XSB extensions, whatever those are) and perhaps more interestingly the following: TSKMON.NEW, TSKMON.SAV, TSX.NEW, TSX.SAV, TSXMOD.NEW, TSXSPL.TSX, TSXSWP.TSX, TSXUCL.SAV. Now I know nothing about TSX but do those filenames sound like it might be that operating system? I tried to boot from the pack but instead it came up in RT11SJ. What have I got here? thanks Charles

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

Sun 3/280

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

I have a rackmount Sun-3/280, pretty loaded up, that I would like to move out. I think I have a SPARC board for it as well, to turn it into a 4/280. No disk, but I think the interface card is there, along with a few others. The thing is a cube, a little under a 20 inches on a side or so. I have the front panel. I think it even has a 1/4 inch tape drive in the front. The last time I powered it up, it passed its memory test OK, but that was almost 10 years ago (!). -- Will in 10512

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

DEC RSX-11

by bqt＠softjar.se

Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net> skrev: Did I hear someone say "RSX"? :-) > HALP! > > I just decided to attack a micro-11 system I had not attendded to. > Good news is it's pristine and complete: > > BA23, 11/23BH, 512k (M8057), DEQNA, RQDX2(late firmware). > > The RD52 has RXS11 and boots. > > It's been a long time since I used RSX and longer since > I've administered it. So some procedures for doing things > I need to know or a pointer to. > > TO shut down I do? "RUN SHUTUP" usually does it, since by default SHUTUP is installed in the system. If it isn't, "RUN $SHUTUP" will do the same deal. As others mentioned, LB:[1,2]SHUTUP.CMD is invoked as a part of the shutup procedure, and shouldn't be invoked by hand. > TO change admin password how, and which account again? "RUN ACNT" if ACNT is installed. Otherwise "RUN $ACNT" will do it. The "SET PASSWORD" command is something that only exists in RSX-11M-PLUS, but if so, then it works just as fine from MCR as from DCL by default. ACNT is the general account management program. From a privileged terminal, you can change any account. In 11M, you can only change your own password with ACNT. In 11M-PLUS, ACNT is not usable by non-prived terminals. And there isn't any explicit admin account in RSX. The closest would be [1,54], if it exists. It does by default, which is why I mention it. But there are no problems with just deleting that account if you want to. Any account with a group number <= 10 is a privileged account. What this means is that when logged in, the terminal will have the PRIV bit set. Other users will have it cleared. Most things go on the terminal info bit when checking for privs. Run ACNT, and you can list all accounts, and see which exists with privs. > If I add a 8line mux (DHV or DZV) what the procedure to get > system to install and recognise it. Phew, big question. In short, you have two ways: 1) Do a full sysgen, which includes all the devices you want, and you'll have it. This will take a couple of hours, and literally hundreds of questions. A manual is almost neccesary. 2) Just build the device driver and load it. This requires that your system have been generated with loadable device drivers. You still need to figure out how to build the device driver. There are commands scripts that do these things, but they expect to be called as a part of SYSGEN, so doing it by hand will require some hands on fiddling. If you want a device driver to be abailable each time you boot, you need to add it to the system image you're booting. That is done by VMR. VMR is done as a part of SYSGEN as well, but if you build stuff yourself, you'll have to either add them in VMR as well, or load them at boot time in the startup script. > On line DOCs to refresh memory from? I think I saw that SRI now have some RSX manuals online, and of course, we also have bitsavers. There is a whole manual just on the SYSGEN process. Read it. :-) > I'm most comfortable with VMS, Ultrix and RT-11 but never > bothered with RSX for a home system. VMS knowledge can be of some help, but not much of anything else. RSX is so much fun. Welcome to the asylum. :-) Johnny -- Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus || on a psychedelic trip email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

SGI Onyx - Three Phase to Two Phase conversion

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> > Check the dates on your OLS PSUs - some of the early ones were >> defective and could catch fire. > >I love it when people toss out stuff like this without any specifics >(what dates?). > >The way people constantly warn of this and that on this list makes >you afraid to plug anything in and ever turn it on, which is a waste. I would like to give specifics, but not having been blessed with machines >from the SGI Advanced Systems Division I don't have specifics- only general information that I've picked up that this is a real and serious problem that I don't want anyone to find out about first-hand.

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

Terak simulator

by g-wright＠att.net

I beleive I have some of the boards to these at home. Which roms ??? I thought there was a lot of them ??? OIf someone still needs them, contact me off list and I will did them out. - Jerry Jerry Wright g-wright at att.net -------------- Original message ---------------------- From: John Foust <jfoust at threedee.com> > > At 12:45 PM 10/10/2007, you wrote: > >> The other long-standing to-do item would be to create > >> extensions for one of the PDP-11 emulators to match the Terak's hardware. > > > >http://sourceforge.net/projects/bk-terak-emu/ > > "Emulator of the LSI-11 based Soviet home microcomputers of the > Elektronika BK-0010 family and of the Terak-8510/a (planned, > need ROM/binaries to proceed). Linux, SDL." > > I did hear from Leo in 2004. He said "From what I can gather, BK > is a somewhat cutdown Terak - without the hardware text mode and, originally, > with a tape recorder interface, therefore with a significant part of the > memory devoted to the BIOS, character generator and Basic or Focal ROM." > > He needed a ROM image, which I couldn't provide - lacking a functioning > Terak or a ROM reader. I'd be glad to lend some ROMs if someone's up > for the task. > > - John >

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS

by hoelscher-kirchbrak＠freenet.de

Sergio, I made good experience with the SRQD11 Controller for ST506 (=MFM) disks made by the Australian Webster Computer Corporation. It can interface one disk (genuine DEC RDs or any other MFMs) to your PDP-11 or MicroVAX without any additional boards or panels. Mine has been running as well in my PDP-11/03 [RT-11] as in my MicroVAX I [VMS], which is VERY picky about disk controllers. Another good choice would be an Emulex QD21 for ESDI disks or even an Emulex UC07 for SCSI disks (if you find one). Ulli

18 years, 10 months

2
1
0 0

seeking ms/pc dos 1.x

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

Can someone point me to somewhere I can find bootable disk images for MS/PC DOS 1.x? I found vetusware.com, but the quality is spotty and frequently uses obscure compression programs. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu

18 years, 10 months

1
0
0 0

100TPI floppy disk drives

by dm561＠torfree.net

------------Original Message: Date: Tue, 9 Oct 2007 20:21:53 -0400 From: "Andrew Lynch" <lynchaj at yahoo.com> Subject: 100TPI floppy disk drives Hi, I recently bought this S-100 chassis with four Vector Graphic boards. Based on what I gathered from searches, the Vector Graphic system uses 100TPI floppy disk drives. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:1 1&Item=320164273848 Will anyone confirm which disk drives are compatible with the Vector Graphic floppy disk controller? I believe those 100TPI drives such as the Tandon TM-100-4M. There are probably others from Micropolis as well so if you know of some please include them in a response. In addition, I would like to extend the Catweasel hard sector decoder software concept to the Vector Graphic 16 sector 5.25" hard sector floppy disks. I have written Catweasel floppy disk decoder software for the NorthStar which now seems to be working pretty good. Also, the Catweasel Heath project is coming along although not as far along as the Catweasel NorthStar software. It can make images of Heath SSSD floppy disks. Does anyone have some 100TPI floppy disk drives they would be willing to sell? I think I will need at least two or three drives total so even if you have only a single drive you can part with, I would appreciate an offer. Thanks! Andrew Lynch ----------------Reply: FWIW, my Vector MZ has a pair of Micropolis 1016-II drives which AFAIK are SS 77Trk 100TPI drives, with a Vector Graphics Disk Controller marked FD CONTROL B MICROPOLIS. However, I believe Vector Graphic used different drives in some later models, even soft sector in some if I'm not mistaken. mike

18 years, 10 months

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Terak simulator

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> The other long-standing to-do item would be to create > extensions for one of the PDP-11 emulators to match the Terak's hardware. http://sourceforge.net/projects/bk-terak-emu/

18 years, 10 months

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Terak simulator

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> Terak or a ROM reader. I'd be glad to lend some ROMs if someone's up > for the task. > I'm happy to read 'em.. There is a file called TERAK.ROM dated Nov 2004 in the distribution. I had thought he had told me he had the Terak simulation working.

18 years, 10 months

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AED (was PDP-11 graphics products)

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> Years ago, I had an AED 767, which I suppose was a cross between a > graphics subsystem and a graphics terminal. > Has anyone else worked on those? I worked at AED from 84 - 86 and was the architect of the AED 1280, which was their last graphics terminal. The 767 is a modification of the AED 512 which used 64k instead of 16k DRAMs and 4x the frame buffer space. The original designers of the 512 did their own version called the Jupiter 7. It has a 6502 processor and an RS232 or 'AED' (parallel intf, the same as the AED 3100 floppy ctlr) parallel interface. I still have most of the docs/firmware for these. AED terminals were popular with chip designers. The Berkeley CAD tools suite supported them, as well as VTI.

18 years, 10 months

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choosing a 360k FDD

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: choosing a 360k FDD > From: David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> > Date: Mon, 08 Oct 2007 20:05:29 -0700 (PDT) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > > >So, I'm faced with a bunch of 360k floppy drives. One of them I will put >in my main desktop machine for replicating floppies for, say, my C64, >Kaypro, etc. What should I look for when choosing such a drive? The best >specimen I have right now was taken from a Morrow Micro-Decision. >According to the tag, it's a "TEC FB-503". Can someone tell me something >about this? > >By the way, I have an IBM-branded full-height Tandon that I will trade for >the "ideal" half-height. > >-- >David Griffith >dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu I have a collection of drive but my go to drives are the TEAC 55B for 360K, and 55FG for 720k/1.2M. Allison

18 years, 10 months

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IBM PC Network Adapter 6450213 for shipping?

by earl＠baugh.org

I've found (in the slowly shrinking pile I'm trying to distribute) an IBM PC Network Adapter identified by what I believe is the part number 6450213 I've got the original box (from 1985 looks like) and driver disks and manuals. Doesn't look like this has ever been used. 8 Bit card, with a coax connector (it includes the coax cable). Not sure exactly what kind of network it would connect to... but I definitely have no need for it. Before I toss it in the scrapper, figured I'd see if anybody was interested in it for the price of shipping... (it also has a diagnostics for IBM Personal Computer AT, Hardware Reference Library Diagnostics, and IBM PC XT compatibility test diskettes...) Earl

18 years, 10 months

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DEC RSX-11

by RodSmallwood＠mail.ediconsulting.co.uk

>The RD52 has RXS11 and boots. Perhaps a matching fur hat and pink handbag to go with the boots!! Rod Smallwood -----Original Message----- From: cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of John A. Dundas III Sent: 10 October 2007 16:25 To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts Subject: Re: DEC RSX-11 At 1:50 PM -0400 10/9/07, Allison wrote: >HALP! > >I just decided to attack a micro-11 system I had not attendded to. >Good news is it's pristine and complete: > > BA23, 11/23BH, 512k (M8057), DEQNA, RQDX2(late firmware). > >The RD52 has RXS11 and boots. What version? >It's been a long time since I used RSX and longer since I've >administered it. So some procedures for doing things I need to know or >a pointer to. > >TO shut down I do? >RUN $SHUTUP >from a privileged account. LB:[1,2]SHUTUP.CMD can be edited to include local shutdown tasks. It is invoked as part of $SHUTUP.TSK. >TO change admin password how, and which account again? If this is a version of RSX that has DCL installed, use SET PASSWORD. Otherwise >RUN $ACNT >If I add a 8line mux (DHV or DZV) what the procedure to get system to >install and recognise it. Either VMR or @[200,200]SYSGEN; no longer remember under what circumstances you could "just" VMR. >On line DOCs to refresh memory from? I've assembled some of mine, Al's, and others at <http://dundas-mac.caltech.edu/~dundas/retro/DEC%20Docs/RSX/> John

18 years, 10 months

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PDP-11 graphics products

by legalize＠xmission.com

Does anyone have a comprehensive list of graphics products (UNIBUS or Q-BUS) for the PDP-11 family of minicomputers? Please don't list terminals with graphics capability, that's not what I'm after. Thanks! -- "The Direct3D Graphics Pipeline" -- DirectX 9 draft available for download <http://www.xmission.com/~legalize/book/download/index.html> Legalize Adulthood! <http://blogs.xmission.com/legalize/>

18 years, 10 months

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100TPI floppy disk drives

by lynchaj＠yahoo.com

Hi, I recently bought this S-100 chassis with four Vector Graphic boards. Based on what I gathered from searches, the Vector Graphic system uses 100TPI floppy disk drives. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSAA:US:1 1&Item=320164273848 Will anyone confirm which disk drives are compatible with the Vector Graphic floppy disk controller? I believe those 100TPI drives such as the Tandon TM-100-4M. There are probably others from Micropolis as well so if you know of some please include them in a response. In addition, I would like to extend the Catweasel hard sector decoder software concept to the Vector Graphic 16 sector 5.25" hard sector floppy disks. I have written Catweasel floppy disk decoder software for the NorthStar which now seems to be working pretty good. Also, the Catweasel Heath project is coming along although not as far along as the Catweasel NorthStar software. It can make images of Heath SSSD floppy disks. Does anyone have some 100TPI floppy disk drives they would be willing to sell? I think I will need at least two or three drives total so even if you have only a single drive you can part with, I would appreciate an offer. Thanks! Andrew Lynch

18 years, 10 months

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PDP-11 graphics products

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: PDP-11 graphics products > From: "Zane H. Healy" <healyzh at aracnet.com> > Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 12:21:52 -0700 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >At 1:02 PM -0600 10/9/07, Richard wrote: >>Does anyone have a comprehensive list of graphics products (UNIBUS or >>Q-BUS) for the PDP-11 family of minicomputers? >> >>Please don't list terminals with graphics capability, that's not what >>I'm after. > >I'm not aware of such a list, I believe there are only about 3-6 >"video cards". I've a 3rd party card that was used in a Cameca >Microprobe (Electron Microscope). The DEC cards were/are popular in >spectrum analyzers, and a lot of those are still in service in labs. > >Zane Ones I know of are the QVSS, QDSS and the Matrox cards for QBus but versions for unibus may exist. I do have a video/graphics card for Qbus but no info or vendor name but I can say it's NOT DEC or Matrox. Allison

18 years, 10 months

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Advice on moving Arcade Cabinet

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> Quoth Ian > But, of course, in an ideal world, all this would be > much easier. First consider a stairwell with a 45 > degree incline, and a spherical arcade machine.... Ideal world? I'm thinking Sisyphus here...

18 years, 10 months

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PDP-11 graphics products

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 11:22 PM 10/9/2007, you wrote: >Yep, I remember finding your page when I saw a Terak on ebay a year or >so ago. Even though I don't know much about them, it's in my top-5 >wanted items list. Must be the unique-factor. Same goes for the >Symbolics machines :) There was a Terak on eBay!? Wow. Never saw that. What did it go for? I have four or five 8510/a's and matching monitors, plus a box or two of parts, as well as a rare hard drive. I know another fellow from my old days in the computer graphics business who has a slightly larger pile as well as a color Terak or two. I have a lot of other computers that I'd give away before I'd give away these, just on the theory that you should pick one system and specialize, as well as my baby-duck affection for having used them in college approximately 53 million years ago. When they asked me to bring a working Terak to the 25-year UCSD Pascal reunion a few years ago, I was sad to discover that my last working unit no longer powered-on. When I get around to it, I'll need to figure out why. The other long-standing to-do item would be to create extensions for one of the PDP-11 emulators to match the Terak's hardware. - John

18 years, 10 months

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Sinclair Power Pack 1 tape contents

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

I think I've sucessfully digitized the Timex Sinclair 1000 Power Pack 1 (2K RAM) tape. Would someone with a Sinclair and a tape player please check my result? Please email me privately so I can give you the correct URL. I don't want random people hammering my connection. -- 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?

18 years, 10 months

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DEC RSX-11

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: DEC RSX-11 > From: "Ethan Dicks" <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> > Date: Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:46:06 +0200 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >On 10/9/07, Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net> wrote: >> HALP! >> >> I just decided to attack a micro-11 system... >> >> It's been a long time since I used RSX and longer since >> I've administered it. So some procedures for doing things >> I need to know or a pointer to. >> >> TO shut down I do? > >IIRC, from an account with privs, it _might_ be... > >@[1,4]SHUTUP.CMD > >.... or something quite similar. > >> TO change admin password how, and which account again? > >It's been a long time, and I've worked with a variety of early-1980s >versions of RSX, but the account, at least, is probably [1,4]. >Unfortunately, I can't recall what program you have to invoke to >twiddle passwords and privs. It might even be dependent on exactly >what version of RSX you have, if it's an old one (not all that likely, >though, if it's a MicroPDP. It would be more likely on an 11/34, >say). > >> If I add a 8line mux (DHV or DZV) what the procedure to get >> system to install and recognise it. > >IIRC, you'll have to do some type of SYSGEN - lots of questions to >answer, then several hours as your wee little F-11 spins its wheels >and builds a new system. I haven't done a sysgen in over 20 years, so >hopefully someone else with fresher experience can speak up. > >> On line DOCs to refresh memory from? > >I don't know of any, and I wasn't able to Google any. :-/ > >-ethan Thanks, Thats a start, I found docs on bitsavers. Some however appear broken as I down load them and mid way my system crashes. First thats rare and unusual for this crate. The other is there is no clear reason why. May be that some are >50mb in size and something is broken. I'll try FTP rather than firefox and see. Allison

18 years, 10 months

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PDP-11 graphics products

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: PDP-11 graphics products > From: "William Donzelli" <wdonzelli at gmail.com> > Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:23:08 -0400 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >> UNIBUS: VT30, VS100 (wasn't X developed on this?) > >I think it was developed on a VAXstation 2000? I don't think so, as my memory of X predates VAXstation2000. >A long time ago I had a Unibus color vector graphics board from some >third party. I remember it had some really weird coax connectors for >output signals. I may have a few of the Qbus versions, Need to dig them out. Allison > >No amount of truth serum will be able to dig up any facts from >my head, however. > >-- >Will

18 years, 10 months

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PDP-11 graphics products

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 09:34 PM 10/9/2007, you wrote: >I know naught of its specs, but what of the Terak system, which I >believe was 11-based? The original Terak 8510/a was 320 x 240 mono square pixels with hardware smooth pan and scroll, and downloadable character sets. My rarely updated Terak page: http://www.threedee.com/jcm/terak/index.html There were subsequent Terak models that I believe doubled the resolution and added color, but I don't know much about those models. - John

18 years, 10 months

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reforming capacitor tutorial/walkthrough

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> With new hardware, it may be impossible to secure proper documentation > and it may be difficult to impossible to decipher what's happening > inside of such tiny chips. Not completely on-topic, but a recent acquisition by the school had a schematic in the so-called "user's manual" that dutifully showed all the interconnections to the black-box ASICs and the 2 or 3 transistors (and handful of passives). All in a 4" square area.

18 years, 10 months

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Extracting CDOS files

by lynchaj＠yahoo.com

[snip] > >Masking out pin 8 (Index) on the 34-pin connector has no effect, I >still get: > >Error reading diskette B: (Cyl 1, Side 1, Sect 1) >Sector not found > >This sector DOES exist, both ImageDisk and TeleDisk can read it fine, >however no amount of "Retry" will convice 22disk to read it. Dave, Have you considered using the Tim Mann software (cw2dmk) and the Catweasel? That would pull up whatever information is on the disk and you could use it to diagnose what is wrong with the disk. It won't decode the CDOS file format but it will give you the sector headers and the raw sector data. If you send me a disk, I will return it with a raw disk Catweasel image >from cw2dmk. Best of luck with your project. Andrew Lynch

18 years, 10 months

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1541-III group buy?

by ethan.dicks＠gmail.com

On 10/7/07, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote: > I have been looking into the parts needed to build one of these. Not > even including the price of the PCB or MMC/SD card, it isn't exactly > cheap. It looks like it will cost about $64.00 just for the parts. See below... > It is also worth noting that most of these parts are surface mount. Indeed. > I've done up a web page showing the price breakdown when ordering the > parts from Newark, as they are a US arm of Farnell. > http://www.aracnet.com/~healyzh/commodore/1541-III.html It also > includes the Manufacturer and Newark part numbers. Nice work. I do notice that you've listed two MCUs, a PIC 18F252 and a PIC 18F2620. Presumably, the design takes one _or_ the other, not both. Also, it looks to me like those 0.1" (2.54mm) jumpers is a bit high - $0.25 each, min q. 10. Other killers are the $15 handling fee (presumably because the order value isn't up to their minimum value - $50?), the RL73K2BR33JTD resistor (1 required, min q. 10 @ ~$2), and various min quantity orders. What might make more fiscal sense, to me, at least, would be to order enough parts to build two, rather than one. More of the teeny parts would be used up for zero additional expense, plus the order might cross the min-order threshold and avoid the $15 service fee. Of course, if it were _my_ order, I'd find some MCUs or other parts to round up my own order, just because I'd rather have $15 worth of additional components than pay a $15 fee that gets me nothing substantial. Thanks for laying everything out in a very plain and clear fashion. It's a great starting point, especially for those who might have to order every single part to build a kit (I see large numbers of things I'd pull from my own stores). -ethan

18 years, 10 months

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Olivettie Programma 101

by wmaddox＠pacbell.net

There's what appears to be a very nice Olivetti Programma 101 up on eBay, with a little over a day to go and no bids. It's in the Netherlands. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=8801280590&sspagename=AD… The Programma 101 was a very advanced programmable calculator, introduced in 1965. Discrete transistors, delay-line memory, magnetic card I/O. I've exchanged a little bit of email with the seller. He says its been in storage for a long time, and a couple of rubber belts inside have turned gooey, but looks to be complete and in otherwise good shape. If you want a little bit of discrete-transistor goodness, I doubt you can find it in any smaller package than this (Ok, so a 9100A/B has both discrete transistors *and* core memory, but the Programma 101 was earlier.) I don't have any relation to the seller, I just decided that I wasn't going to bid on this, so I'd make sure the list saw the listing -- this is a very desirable machine and I figure someone, maybe one of the UK folks, would go for it. --Bill

18 years, 10 months

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MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS > From: "Glen Slick" <glen.slick at gmail.com> > Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 11:55:21 -0700 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts Only" <cctech at classiccmp.org> > >On 10/9/07, Allison <ajp166 at bellatlantic.net> wrote: >> The only MSCP boards I've used that didn't require breakout were >> SCSI. >> > >I have at least three Q-bus MSCP ESDI controllers that have standard >20-pin & 34-pin IDC header ESDI connectors, no breakout required. >Emulex QD21, Dilog DQ696, Sigma SDC-RQD11. They are hard disk only >though, so maybe in general controllers with floppy support do require >breakout adapters. That may be the difference as all of my MSCP with RQDXn replacements need a breakout or a funky cable to do it. I do not have anything for ESDI. Allison >I also have an Andromeda ESDC Q-Bus ESDI controller which I haven't >been able to use yet as I am lacking documentation on how to configure >it. Anyone have a manual? I don't see any Andromeda manuals at all >on bitsavers. > >-Glen

18 years, 10 months

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VT100 flyback / geometry

by cc＠corti-net.de

Does anyone happen to know the exact part number of the flyback transformer in the DEC VT100 terminal? The VT100 in question has the 'DEC' type video board, not the 'Ball' type. Is there a matching HR-Diemen or equivalent part number? Oh, and questions concerning another VT100: What may cause a bad geometry of the picture on a VT100 (slight trapezoid and pincushion; Philips CRT)? The only adjustable magnets are the two sets of rings on the neck, one for the position and one for the focus (it's a magnetically focused CRT as most monitors are). Christian

18 years, 10 months

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choosing a 360k FDD

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

So, I'm faced with a bunch of 360k floppy drives. One of them I will put in my main desktop machine for replicating floppies for, say, my C64, Kaypro, etc. What should I look for when choosing such a drive? The best specimen I have right now was taken from a Morrow Micro-Decision. According to the tag, it's a "TEC FB-503". Can someone tell me something about this? By the way, I have an IBM-branded full-height Tandon that I will trade for the "ideal" half-height. -- David Griffith dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu

18 years, 10 months

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MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: MFM or ESDI QBUS controller for one PDP-11/23 PLUS > From: "Sergio Pedraja" <spedraja at gmail.com> > Date: Tue, 09 Oct 2007 08:57:56 +0200 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Hi, Allison. > >I'm perplexed. The RQDXn controllers are MFM and Floppy. Best shot >> is late firmware RQDX3 as it does RX33 and most all MFM drives. Its >> also easier to find. >> >> >At least as I can remember, the RQDx3 needs an internal distribution > panel. I'm searching for ONE single board. Understood. Most of the nonDEC FM/EDSI boards still require a distribution pannel as they were targeting DEC systems. At a minimum you need to make a hybrid cable to use them with one drive. How can you tell? Simple, if the board is said to do FM/EDSI and has only a 50pin connector a breakout board (distribution pannel) is required. Most do. I have several differnt examples of nonDEC MSCP controllers for floppy and hard disks and they all like the 50pin cable to breakout. There may be some that do not I don't have one. Actually there are several possible distribution or breakout boards. They primarily serve to translate the 50pin RQDX cable to the more typical cables used for floppy and FN/EDSI disks. One is the distribution pannel used in the BA23 and its only connectors and wires so easily duplicated. Its function is to take the 50pin cable from the RQDXn (or nonDEC MSCP) and route them to the 34pin connector for floppy and the 26/34 pin cables used for MFM. It is located in back of the drive bay of the BA23 and can be used outside of BA23. The second is the M9058 used in the BA123 and that is a dual width Qbus board that can support 1 floppy and 3 hard disks. It's Qbus but only takes power for running the local buffers and extended device select plus providing the interconnect point for the ready/writelock switch pannel. While it appears complex it's really trivial and is better described as a breakout board. If You get a M9058 it is not required to install it on the Qbus, only provide it with needed power if that is mechanically more suitable. The reason for that is while it's dual width it's thick due to the presence of many connectors. The M9058 is typically located outside the BA123 backplane cage nearest the disk bays for easy cable routing. There is a third board RQDXE that is for use mostly in BA23s for extending the RQDXn outside the case for additional drives. Its of limited utility as breakout/distribution. I know this from fitting two half height HD + RX33 in ba23 and also putting RQDX3 in BA11S with RX33 and 3 RD52s. Hope this helps. The only MSCP boards I've used that didn't require breakout were SCSI. Allison

18 years, 10 months

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