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

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>Isn't SunOS 4.1.4 rather insecure in this day and age? Not to mention >harder to obtain. I would be very careful before putting it on a publically-accessable network, but there's no indication that that will be happening here. A bit more difficult to come by- yes, but wasn't there a discussion here a bit ago about mating the computer with a representative operating system when possible to maintain the period unity?

20 years

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VAXen RULE! (WAS Microkernels)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Segin, now you're trolling. Do you suspect that we can't list the shortcomings of VAX just as easily as the shortcomings of x86? They pulled alot over from the PDP-11 that should have been reimplemented for a 32-bit arch... On the positive side, what is the most perfect computer architecture + implementation people have come across here? Tell us why, especially if it's something like PERQ or Acorn RISC/pc that is not common outside of a limited geographic area.

20 years

4
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IDE doesn't suck! (was: Macs and PCs vs workstations

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: IDE doesn't suck! (was: Macs and PCs vs workstations > From: Roger Merchberger <zmerch-cctalk at 30below.com> > Date: Mon, 07 Aug 2006 10:56:09 -0400 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Rumor has it that Zane H. Healy may have mentioned these words: >>At 4:22 PM -0500 8/5/06, Scott Quinn wrote: >> >>>On the Macs: PIDE is horrible for doing more than one thing at once. Period. Sounds more like a driver problem as in only one task at a time. >> >>Nothing new there, is there any platform where it isn't? > >The IDE interface for my CoCo *Rocks!!!* > >=-= > >Well, you did ask... ;-) > >Laterz, >Roger "Merch" Merchberger > Generally speaking IDE was as good as the hardware hosting it. More often than not, better. At it's worst it was as good as WD1003 and a Fast MFM (quantum D540) Then again, early IDE was exactly that! Z80/10mhz, enhanced CPM(Zrdos) and IDE... Zoom zoom! Allison

20 years

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How CPU's work (was Re: Hi, I'm new...)

by pete＠dunnington.plus.com

On Aug 7 2006, 15:14, Roy J. Tellason wrote: > Well, that one is a 10 MHz part while the 68000 I have is I think an 8 MHz > part, which is a bigger increase than that, but the clock driving the thing > would need to be changed too, and I don't think they have exactly the same > pinout, though it's been a really long time since I looked at that material. They do have the same pinout, and a 68010 is a drop-in replacement for a 68000. Except they stopped making it ages ago, and it's easier to get a 68000 than a 68010. The 68010 fixed the problem of not being able to recover from an interrupted instruction, handles double bus faults correctly, added a few vectors, made the exception vectors relocatable, and fixed the problem that getting back to supervisor mode >from user mode wasn't privileged in the original 68000 (which made a nonsense of any protection schemes). However, it has some other minor differences that mean it may not be 100% software compatible with a 68000, for example the revised exception stack frames. I'd have to dig out some very old course notes to tell you more. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

20 years

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How CPU's work (was Re: Hi, I'm new...)

by technobug＠comcast.net

On Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:41:36 -0400 and Sun, 06 Aug 2006 22:47:23 -0400, Ray Arachelian <ray at arachelian.com> wrote: > Absolutely. The 68000 is an amazing little chip when you compare > it to > the 6800 and 6502's that it evolved itself from. You can sort of > get a > feel from this from this journal: > > It's worth a read to get a feel of the excitement the 68K caused > back in > the day when it was introduced. Some of it is very funny, there's one > issue where the author compares an Intel FPU to the 68000 running > software floating point routines, and guess what, the 68000 > actually ran > FASTER! :-) > > The excitement was for a good part due to the excellent marketing on the part of Motorola. > Tony Duell wrote: >> That very much depends on the CPU. If the CPU is many chips (not a >> single >> package) with microcode in PROMs, there's nothing to stop you >> desoldering >> said PROMs and reading them out. I've done that, then written a >> disassembler for the microode instructions and worked out what was >> going on. >> > True, but you don't find CPU's made of discrete logic these days, > so it > makes it very difficult to get at the microcode. In the early '80s we started development of a process controller and evaluated the 68K as well as the National 32K processor which had been just released. The NS 32K processor was released with a FP unit which we required while Moto didn't get around to getting one to market for another year - the 68K on software just didn't hack it. We went with the NS 32K and were quite pleased with the beast. It was a true 32 bit processor witch came in three flavors: 8 bit, 16 bit, and 32 bit external busses - you could move the code from one to the other with almost no change. The instruction set was extremely orthogonal and close to those of the VAX sans the three operand instructions. The only flaw we noted was that the entire machine state was not saved on interrupt/trap which made a couple of features useless. The floating point processor was not a co-processor ala the 68K, but a external instruction execution module. When the FPU was attached, the FP instructions became active and you worked between internal register pairs. IIRC they also made communication processor that implemented part of the unimplemented instruction set. I played with my own external processor to implement macro instructions that were used to optimize execution time. When Apple was evaluating processors for the Mac, an internal source told me that NS marketing only made a half*** effort to sell the part. Unfortunately NS did their normal thing when it came to processors and shot themselves in the foot (see PACE - both Studebaker and NS screwed those up) by trying to keep it all to themselves. Consequently, there was little third party support for the chip. I believe it to be a better implementation than the 68K. CRC

20 years

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Tape Drive & Tape Archival questions...

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>I'm afriad that you don't understand the issues. To produce an accurate >archive of a tape, one must preserve things such as block sizes, labels, >and filemarks. There are packages to do this, but tar isn't one of them. >While tapes are a one-dimensional medium, there's more variation in >physical structure than encountered on the typical disk. > >Cheers, >Chuck I'm going to be horrably pragmatic here and assert that, while it is nice to have a image of the tape (using either dd or Tapeutils: http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/software/tapeutils), it is more important to have the software on the tape in a useable backup. With the Sun tapes, that means that you can mostly do tar (with the exclusion of the sandalone copy, munix, and miniroot which would need to be dd'd off) and it is better than having the tapes sit around in the garage and fall apart. Tar/cpio created tapes are nice in that the dd'd files can be read with tar -f (or cpio), making them useable as-is. inst-format tapes and wbak/rbak tapes don't have this luxury, so I like to do the extraction to files and "rebinding" into a tardist or disk-file wbak archive so they can be used even if you don't have a tape drive. IOW, both have their uses, but it is infinitely better to have one than to have none.

20 years

2
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Tape Drive & Tape Archival questions...

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>I'm afriad that you don't understand the issues. To produce an accurate >archive of a tape, one must preserve things such as block sizes, labels, >and filemarks. There are packages to do this, but tar isn't one of them. >While tapes are a one-dimensional medium, there's more variation in >physical structure than encountered on the typical disk. > >Cheers, >Chuck I'm going to be horrably pragmatic here and assert that, while it is nice to have a image of the tape (using either dd or Tapeutils: http://www.brouhaha.com/~eric/software/tapeutils), it is more important to have the software on the tape in a useable backup. With the Sun tapes, that means that you can mostly do tar (with the exclusion of the sandalone copy, munix, and miniroot which would need to be dd'd off) and it is better than having the tapes sit around in the garage and fall apart. Tar/cpio created tapes are nice in that the dd'd files can be read with tar -f (or cpio), making them useable as-is. inst-format tapes and wbak/rbak tapes don't have this luxury, so I like to do the extraction to files and "rebinding" into a tardist or disk-file wbak archive so they can be used even if you don't have a tape drive. IOW, both have their uses, but it is infinitely better to have one than to have none.

20 years

1
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Advanced Micro Computers (was How CPU's work (was Re: Hi, I'm new...))

by aek＠bitsavers.org

Anyone remember AMC? A coop venture of AMD and Siemens (and maybe another firm) to push the Z8000 with development tools? I still have a binder full of documentation for their assembler. -- Yup. Have a fair amt of material on bitsavers from Philip Freidin from them, along with some software. Friends back home developed a HVAC control system using the AMC tools, and when I moved to the Bay Area, I met one of the last people who was working on software at AMC.

20 years

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Truth (was: Hi, I'm new...

by technobug＠comcast.net

On Sun, 6 Aug 2006 16:17:48 -0700 (PDT), Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote: > I'm trying to figure out how to make pneumatic (NOT hydraulic) gates. > Once I can build a half adder and full adder with compressed smoke > (no mirrors), THEN I'll be ready to start really learning how > digital electronics works. > All you want to know: <http://www.engnetbase.com/ejournals/books/ book_summary/toc.asp?id=501>. Let us know how it works out :=)) CRC

20 years, 1 month

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Century drive manual, and TVI 925 terminal (separate notes)

by jwstephens＠msm.umr.edu

I have a couple of bits that may be of interest for someone. I have a manual for a Century 8" disk drive, removable that I will be putting in the scan pile. If anyone needs it sooner than later, reply, and I'll get it scanned somehow. I had the drive and may have some of the media around in my piles as well. This is a 2075 or 2120 drive Unfortunately I only have the user manual, but it has quite a bit more info than junky manuals do today, if someone needs the info. There was an SMD adapter, which I believe we had with our units. Also a TVI 925 w/o keyboard on epay, claims it lights up. 5233869793

20 years, 1 month

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Evan's current wishlist

by evan＠snarc.net

If anybody happens to have the following for sale, then please contact me off-list. - Grundy Newbrain (model AD or M) - Teleram T-3000 - Sord IS-11 Consultant - Texas Instruments Compact Computer 40 Thanks, - Evan

20 years, 1 month

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OT: Fluidic computer

by cclist＠sydex.com

Here's the web page of a guy who's built himself a 4-bit water adder: http://alumni.media.mit.edu/~paulo/courses/howmake/mlfabfinalproject.htm

20 years, 1 month

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vintage HP-87 system with additional equipment

by vp＠drexel.edu

david page <daspage at yahoo.com> wrote: > [...]is there a website to find out possible market value and maybe > a buyer? This is what I had acquired: > > Hewlett Packard- HP-87 > [... series 80 stuff ...] I'd say eBay is your best bet. Search for completed auctions which will give you the closing prices. You have to decide whether you want sell the whole thing as one item or separately. The all-in-one will likely fetch less than the items sold separately, but you will save a lot of time (setting up the auctions, dealing with buyers, packaging the stuff, etc.) , plus you will not have any leftover stuff. For more info on the HP-87 and other HP Series 80 computers check: www.series80.org Series 80 manuals, programs, HOWTOs etc. www.hpmuseum.net Australian HP Computer Museum www.hpmuseum.org Museum of HP calculators **vp

20 years, 1 month

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Tape Drive & Tape Archival questions...

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

(1) the tape drive: I fixed my IRIS drive by cleaning off the goo and sliding on a section of some sort of (probably very nice & expensive) tubing I got at Boeing Surplus. Not quite vinyl (matte finish and slightly bluish, more flexable then vinyl), but similar. Get a set of calipers in there and get the O.D. and I.D. needed and let me know. I still have many yards of the stuff. (2) Sun tapes are in TAR format, excepting the first couple, Let me grab my "System Administrator's Guide to Sun Workstations". O.K.- for SunOS 4.0 on QIC: tape: file: name: format: 1 0 boot image 1 1 XDRTOC TOC 1 2 copy image 1 3 mini-root image 1 4 munix image 1 5 munixfs image the rest are TARs, except tape1, file 15 (copyright) and tape2, 0 (boot) 2,1 (XDRTOC) and 2,12 (copyright) Have the whole list if anyone needs it, don't want to choke up cctalk, though I archive twice: once as "dd" files, once as "extracted" files. On TAR tapes, the dd files double as the extracted files, so there is no issue (same with CPIO). Things like IRIS-4D disttapes (distcp) and Apollo Domain tapes (rbak) need to be extracted in order to be readable without rewriting a tape, though. Pay attention when copying older tapes. Sometimes the belt slips and you get some slack that starts to make a snapping or popping noise as it gets pulled taut and goes loose. If you don't catch this, you can tie your tape in knots. A script I use to automate the dd copy follows #! /bin/sh filenum=1 #where the numbers in the filenames start bs=1024 #block size, bigger = faster, smaller=better error handling while [1] do dd if=/dev/nrst0 of=file${filenum} bs=${bs} if [$? != 0] then break fi filenum='expr $filenum + 1' done --------- slightly crude, but works. Replace the /dev/nrst0 with your tape no-rewind device (this is set up for SunOS4 as it stands). Make a directory with the name of the tape, cd to it, run the script, and the tapefiles will be extracted in file1, file2 ... files.

20 years, 1 month

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Radio Electronics Issues looking for a good home

by brain＠jbrain.com

Pretty much 1985 to when they quit (2000) There are some interesting computer and computer-related projects in them. Either way, they're free for shipping to whomever wants. If no one bites, they are hitting the recyling bin. Jim

20 years, 1 month

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Update on Classic Computer Rescue

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Awhile back I asked for help rescuing two large collections of classic computers and other related items and to date we are just $1400 dollars from meeting our goal. The cost of the two trips, one to Nebraska (was KS but items moved for storage) and the other to Georgia is estimated at $3200 total for truck rentals and fuel. I will be paying for my own meals and those that help in each State. I have volunteers in each area that have offered to help load the trucks. So, if I can get just 140 more people to donate $10 then both trips can be made. A partial list of the items can be found at www.houstoncomputermuseum.org and your donation large or small is tax deductible (we are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit). Thanks to all that sent funds in the last few weeks. Thanks for looking.

20 years, 1 month

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x86es

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

I recently found a set of Win95 floppies. Yeehaw what fun! __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

20 years, 1 month

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OpenVMS

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

"OpenVMS VAX" - pure bloat. 4 extra keystrokes, 4 extra bytes (unless you have a 7-bit impl, in which case it's one nybble less) and the LMF still calls it VAX-VMS. And my "no more grumping" resolution's already out the window. Faugh.

20 years, 1 month

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Macs and PCs vs workstations

by ethan.dicks＠gmail.com

On 8/6/06, Zane H. Healy <healyzh at aracnet.com> wrote: > At 4:22 PM -0500 8/5/06, Scott Quinn wrote: > >I'll give you Suns, I wasn't thinking clearly. They started going > >downhill about 1998. Hmm... so you put the split at about the A3000/A5000 timeframe? (I was buying $$$$ in Sun equipment for Lucent in 1997 and 1998). > Was it that far back :^( Sadly most of the Suns I have experience > with are U60 vintage or older. At the same time I'd be inclined to > blame the U5 and U10 for when they started going downhill. I'd agree that U5s and U10s are built for the lowest cost possible. I used to use a U5 in 1999 - it did make a nice X-Terminal. Glad I didn't have to compile apps or do real work on it. > Last version of OpenVMS for the VAX is 7.3, 7.3-1 is Alpha only. I > believe the last version of VAX/VMS was 5.5-2H4. Yeah, I'm picking a > couple nits here :^) I've run 6.0 on a uVAX-II with an RD54... it was a *really* tight squeeze, but it did (barely) fit. I thought that VAX/VMS went up through 6.x and stopped at 7.0, or was it 7.1? Can't say for sure without looking it up - since 7.0, I've been running VMS on Alpha hardware. -ethan

20 years, 1 month

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x86es

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> When will the flamewar ever end? Is x86 the magical trolling word around >here? I'm real sorry, I never knew that mentioning x86 systems here >would cause such a dicussion. Really, x86 isn't that bad when you consider that all of its failings are the reason for its triumph: you can get a working computer that does everything that a single-user needs for $600, and it will have decent reliability and capabilities. The disappointment comes in playing mind games to the effect of "well, think what we could have if they just spent a bit more..." That and a disappointment that many "Computer Science/IT" people think that Windows is so great that they won't bother to consider or even learn anything else. I'll try to moderate myself. I don't want to be a grumpy old fart at 28, and it does increase list civility.

20 years, 1 month

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HP3000/922 attemts at booting...a little farther now

by steerex＠mindspring.com

DOH... My bad... I thought it was a hpux system :-( ---------- From: Scott Quinn Sent: Saturday, August 05, 2006 10:36 AM To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: RE: HP3000/922 attemts at booting...a little farther now >At the "ISL>" prompt, enter "hpux -is". This will boot the system into single user mode and automatically log you in as "root". > >------- > >When your in the system, you can change the root password: > >"passwd root" > >Just reboot he system "shutdown -r now" and let it follow the normal boot process. So is MPE that similar to HP-UX? I thought it would be something semi-bizarre so I didn't pursue it at all (also the difficulty of finding a 3k and MPE media). Had it slotted in with OS/400 in the "things that will be a huge headache and very expensive, so don't bother" class...

20 years, 1 month

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rescue?: Toshiba Satellite T2135CS in Atlanta

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Not the oldest, but free and intact, apparently. - John >At 10:45 AM 8/5/2006, you wrote: > >>Hey John, >>I'm sure what I have is not quite the vintage you're looking for but I would hate to have it wind up in a landfill. I was cleaning out my basement and found my first laptop - a Toshiba Satellite T2135CS. I have all the manuals and a full 40 disc set of back-up discs. Do you know anyone who might be interested? >>Steve

20 years, 1 month

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CDs: The Rainbow Books

by jbglaw＠lug-owl.de

Hi! We're all using CDs of different kind (CDs containing data, audio CDs, maybe even some with more interesting formats like those for some old arcade games using the 30 MB of R..W subchannel information, ...) I'm currently trying to gather as much information about the low-level format of CDs as possible. While there's a lot at a first glance, it's all mostly unuseable. Eg. the SCSI MMC-3 draft tells you how to get some of the "interesting" data, but there's of course no reference how to decode the data. I've been looking for the "Rainbow Books" (Red Book describing Audio CDs, ...), but those are quite expensive. Partial information is available through standards of other kind (eg. most of the Red Book became an IEC standard, too), but those are a bit expensive, too. Did you ever come along detailed technical documentation about these little silver beasts that'd allow to hack some nice extraction and refactoring tools? Or do you happen to own one of the books and are willing to hand it over to me for a week? MfG, JBG -- Jan-Benedict Glaw jbglaw at lug-owl.de +49-172-7608481 Signature of: Friends are relatives you make for yourself. the second :

20 years, 1 month

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Microkernels (WAS Re: New to the list)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

The reason I brought up System 10 is that it is the "best" microkernel implementation I have at this point (the other one is a OPENSTEP box, substatntially older). Current Macs share much more with PeeCees than SGI IRISes and Sun SPARCs, so there is most likely a non-insignificant amount of suboptimal hardware that eats processor cycles like a cow eats grass to do things that a better arch. hands off and is done with. I was hoping a OSF/1-DUNIX-Tru64 user would pop in a bit more about that platform (hoping to pick up most of a AS4100 to try it out on soon). It uses the OSF/1 Mach-based system but on well-designed few-compromises hardware.

20 years, 1 month

2
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HP3000/922 attemts at booting...a little farther now

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>At the "ISL>" prompt, enter "hpux -is". This will boot the system into single user mode and automatically log you in as "root". > >------- > >When your in the system, you can change the root password: > >"passwd root" > >Just reboot he system "shutdown -r now" and let it follow the normal boot process. So is MPE that similar to HP-UX? I thought it would be something semi-bizarre so I didn't pursue it at all (also the difficulty of finding a 3k and MPE media). Had it slotted in with OS/400 in the "things that will be a huge headache and very expensive, so don't bother" class...

20 years, 1 month

2
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HP3000/922 attempts at booting...a little further now!

by steerex＠mindspring.com

Bob, Great... When the system is booted in "Single User Mode", you will automatically be logged in as "root". Then you can change the "root" password, restart the system, then and login with full access to everything. The boot process involves three steps. 1.) The "Processor Dependent Code" (BOOT ROM) is run. This is the BOOT ROM on the CPU card. 2.) The PDC reads the PATH from memory and loads the "Initial System Loader" or "ISL" from the disk. 3.) The ISL loads the OS from disk. ------- So... Reboot the system and when given the opportunity "Press Any Key within 10 Seconds.. Blah... Blah... Blah". This interrupts the boot process and allows you to step though it passing parameters as needed. Next, you'll enter the "BOOT PATH" manually. IE "BOOT 4.1.0". When you enter the PATH, the system should prompt "Interact with ISL (Y or N)?". Enter "Y". The system will now read the ISL from the disk and return a prompt to the operator. At the "ISL>" prompt, enter "hpux -is". This will boot the system into single user mode and automatically log you in as "root". ------- When your in the system, you can change the root password: "passwd root" Just reboot he system "shutdown -r now" and let it follow the normal boot process. ---------- From: Bob Brown Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 10:03 PM To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts; HP3000-L at RAVEN.UTC.EDU Subject: RE: HP3000/922 attempts at booting...a little further now! Wow! That helped a LOT! I can now get booted, the OS loads and I get to a login prompt. Any pointers on how to proceed at this point? (to get logged on, find out more about how the system is configured etc)? (I have no info on usernames/passwords on this system). thanks! -Bob

20 years, 1 month

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M9058

by drb＠msu.edu

Anyone know the going price for DEC M9058 (dist board for RQDX3) boards these days? Thanks, De

20 years, 1 month

2
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HP3000/922 attempts at booting...

by steerex＠mindspring.com

>> The system appears to have 2 internal HPIB disks and 2 external HPIB disks (in a separate rack). There are 2 HPIB boards in the chassis and 3 HPIB ports at the bottom of the CPU (below the I/O chassis)...thus I have a potential of 5 places to connect the external HPIB drives to...I'm not sure where to plug 'em in. >> The system has a default primary boot path of 4.1.0.0.0.0 and a secondary of 4.1.3.0.0.0 >> The external drives have ID's of 2 and 4. Hey Bob, I don't own a 922, but I do have several 832s. I think they are fundimentally the same. The BOOT PATH "4.1.0.*.*.*.*" indicates that the system is loooking for a device with address "0" attached to the I/O card "4.1". The PATH "4.1.3.*.*.*.*" indicates that the system is looking for adevice with address "3" attached to the I/O card "4.1". NOTE: The extra 0's are used to access additional disk partitions or parameters. Generally they do not need to be specified. The BOOT PATH could be abbreviated to "4.1.0". Since the external devices are addressed as "4" and "2", they were not used as the PRIMARY or ALTERNATE boot devices. At this point, I would leave them unconnected. Once you get the system working, you can go back and attach the devices to see what is on the disks. OK... The 3 HPIB connectors below the I/O cage are the connections to the internal HPIB devices. The system supports up to 4 internal drives in two chains. So, one HPIB connector goes to each of the two chains and the other connector goes to the internal TAPE DRIVE. The ID plate by the connectors should tell you which connector goes to each chain. You are looking for the chain labeled "0" and "3". At this point, I wouldn't worry about the TAPE drive. Get the disks working first. NOTE: When the system boots, the LEDS on the front panel will tell you how many internal disks there are. If your system has two drives, one of the internal chains has no devices attached. That's probably the case. The two cards in the I/O card cage are the HPIB I/O cards. I don't think there was a "standard" installation so, the BOOT disks could have been attached to either I/O card. I would connect a HPIB cable from one of the I/O cards to one of the connectors below the cage and see if it boots. NOTE: HPIB devices are generally "noisy" when thay are accessed. When the computer is talking to a HPIB disk, it's no secret. NOTE: Don't change the addresses of the HPIB drives and don't move the HPIB I/O card in the cage. The OS will not boot if the PATH has changed. When the OS trys to mount the drives, it will fail because the PATHS are no longer legit. Let me know if this helps. See ya, SteveRob

20 years, 1 month

2
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Alpha C compilers

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Perhaps I'm reading http://h30097.www3.hp.com/noncommercial-unix/ wrong, but the "full suite of development tools" certainly seems as though it would include compilers, although I guess that MBAs play with language often. I know for a positive fact that the VMS program includes compilers (C, C++, FORTRAN, BASIC, MACRO (VAX-MACRO on AXP)

20 years, 1 month

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Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > > > I figured (as you would) that my harddrive > > > > > > Actually, I might not. My first reaction would > be > > to > > > stick a voltmeter on > > > the power lines. > > > > errr... no voltimeter here, nor do i have a clue > > where to buy one from (or how to use one). > > Note I said 'my first reaction'. I am something of a > hardware type... > > That said, I do feel that if you're going to run a > classic computer (as > opposed to running the software on an emulator), > then you are going to > have to learn a little bit about hardware and do > your own repairs. I make > no secret of the fact that I totally object to > making essentially random > changes (so-called 'board swapping') in the hope t he > machine will work > again. I feel the only way to keep one of these > machines -- in fact any > machine -- working is to make measurements, figure > out what the problem > is, and then correct it. The first 2 stages should > take a lot longer than > the last. If you're spending most of your time > changing parts, you're > probably going about it in the wrong way. > > As regards getting a meter, Maplin Electronics, RS > Components > (http://www.rswww.com) and Farnell > (http://www.farnell.com) all sell > them. Personally, I find the best multimeters > (combined > voltmeter/ammeter/ohmmeter) are made by Fluke, and > that's what I would > buy. Problem is they don't come cheap. > Realistically, you can probably > get away with a much cheaper (and less accurate) > instrument for this sort > of work. > > I have no idea what your background/knowledge is. A > good book on general > electronics is 'The Art of Electronics' by Horrowi tz > and Hill, but that > might be rather advanced for you at this stage. Al as > I don't know any > more introductory books than that. > As far as electronics go, it's practically zero. I know how the CPU works and runs everything , in theory, but I can't program in machine language yet. As for how the CPU and everything else works physically, I don't really know anything, but that is partly why I was keen to sign up to this list. > > > e > > > that to pass too much > > > current, but from my memory of the A500 circui t, > I > > > can't think of any > > > obvious candidate. > > > > > > > Ahem, it's an A600 I own ;) > > Yes, I know. I don't have an A600 circuit diagram. I > am assuming the > basic design, at least around the PSU input > circuitry, is going to be > similar. > Ahh, I see. > > > > > > > > Have you tried running the machine with the > cover > > > off to see what is > > > getting hot? It might be something as simple a s > a > > > leaking decoupling > > > capacitor. > > > > > > > I was planning too, but I had concerns about > > being electricuted (spelling?) as I had never > > If the PSU is external (as I believe it is), then > there are no high > voltages in the computer itself. The PSU outputs > +5V, +12V, and -12V to > the computer. None of those voltages is high enoug h > to give you a shock. > > The most dangerous voltage you are likely to come > across in classic > computing is the mains or a 350V DC voltage produc ed > by directly > rectifying the mains This turns up in what's calle d > 'Switch Mode Power > Supplies' (SMPSUs), and most computer supplies are > of this type. This > voltage is lethal. It's also likely to appear on > metal heatsinks, etc, in > such supplies. Don't work on one of those unless y ou > really know what you > are doing. > Ok... no heat sinks in my A600 :) > Monitors are often claimed to contain lethal > voltages. Well, there's > mains (and most colour monitors use an SMPSU> circ uit, so the hazard I've > just mentioned is there). But the even higher > voltages to the CRT are > generally only able to supply low currents, and ar e > unlikely to be fatal. > Don't take risks, though, 25000V is darn unpleasan t. > No problems there either, as I don't use a monitor. I plug my A600 into my TV via the RF cable. The picture quality is good enough for me. >> snip << > > > > > What would the "leaking decoupling capacitor" > > look like, if that was the cause? > > It will look like any other capacitor. The 'leak' is > an internal > electrical leak (a sort of weak short circuit). > You'd have to find it by > doing electrical tests. > > > > > Which is the capacitor? Anyone know? > > The thing about decoupling capacitors is that they > provide a local source > of energy for the various chips, thus avoiding the > voltage drop due to > the resistance, and more particularly the > inductance, of the supply > connections. Therefore there is one (or more) next > to each chip. And > there's no way _anyone_ can tell you which has > failed without doing more > tests. > Ahhh, ok. > -tony > > > > Probably best you didn't get the 16, as it's > > inferior to the 12! > > Come again? The 16 has a 68000 processor board (as > well as the Z80) and > runs Xenix (along with TRS-DOS and CP/M). The mode l > 12 is a Z80 only, and > runs CP/M and TRS-DOS, although I belive the 68K > board can be added later. > > > The 12 was actually made later than the 16 > > and supports various modes making it > > compatible with 16 and 4 (?) software > > (and hardware?). Infact I think the Model 12 > > I would be very suprised if the Model 12 could use > Model 4 hardware or > software. You certainly can't directly read M4 dis ks > in an M12 (due to > the fact the former uses 5.25" disks, the latter > 8"), for example. > > -tony I'm relatively new to the TRS-80, and can only go by what I have read in the issues of 80 Microcomputing I have. You, on the other hand, clearly are an expert compared to myself. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

OT: Need Unix tech in Springfield, Missouri area

by kelly＠catcorner.org

Jay wrote... > >Chuck wrote... >> Ick. Floppy-tape--slow and unreliable. >> >> Surely the SCO box must be capable (or already have) a SCSI controller to >> hang a DLT or DAT from! > >I only need the floppy tape to get the data across once, speed is not an >issue. > >But moreover, it all depends on what is already built in to the kernel, and >as I recall, SCO has the QIC-80 driver built in by default. That tape drive >on the machine that died may well be QIC-02 and not SCSI. > >Jay I shut off my last SCO Unix box in February. My recollection is that QIC-80 required the FC10, and it was not built into the kernel. You had to at least recompile, and it may have required a special disk from the manufacturer of the FC10 (colorado?). QIC-02 support was easier if you have any of the drive/controller combos around. If they still have a floppy drive, and you tell me the version of the unix (send uname -A), I'll see if I have the TCP/IP install set. If so, I can image it and send it along. It supported a limited number of cards, but the 3c509 was one of them and they are still abundent on the surplus market. Kelly

20 years, 1 month

10
23
0 0

HP Plotter Ink

by healyzh＠aracnet.com

This is probably a bit off-topic, but as it specifically deals with using out-of-date supplies, I'm hoping no one will object and that people here might have some ideas. I've recently inherited a couple of plotter rooms with HP 1055CM and 5500PS plotters. These are the 36" to 42" variety, and the Ink cartridges and Plotter Head/Cleaner packs tend to each cost as much as a home Inkjet printer. I spot checked the supplies earlier this week and discovered that with very few exceptions most of it is out of date, with dates ranging from 2002 through 2006. Does anyone have any idea how safe it is to use old Ink or printhead/cleaner kits? How about any guidelines for when the stuff is to old. Obviously this is not the sort of question I can get a good answer >from HP on, as they're going to simply want to sell me new supplies. Unlike the home inkjets these do not seem to have any time-bombs built into them where they stop working after the date is passed. Thanks, Zane

20 years, 1 month

3
4
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SPAM being let through by the moderators - why?

by javickers＠solutionengineers.com

This is a plea to whoever is allowing SPAM mail to be sent via the cctech list: Please!!! Look at the subject before you hit the "approve" button... if you're not sure if it's SPAM or not, then DEFER it, and (once you've approved those that are definitely OK), look at the text of the posts (click the "show details of all posts" link at the top of the list), and individually allow or discard posts accordingly. I do appreciate that if there's more than about 50 posts - and is basically impossible once the backlog of postings hits 1000+, this can be a right pain in the proverbial; but the whole idea of this moderation thing is to (a) keep stuff on topic, and (b) prevent spam from infesting the list. Cheers, Ade. -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/407 - Release Date: 03/08/2006

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

classiccmp todo/idea list

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

New ClassicCMP website, current development is at http://dev.classiccmp.org --------------------- Home - blurb about classiccmp organization (need to write this text up) About - blurb about the hobby, how rewarding it is, why do it, all about classiccmp and how it can help (need to write this text up) Services - See list of ClassicCMP services below Member Login: This button takes users to a new page where people can log in and manage their membership to classiccmp.org. I'm thinking that all the sub-services (mailing list, etc.) can be managed from one user database. But more importantly, on this page they would get a list of all the services below, and they could check a selection box by each service as to if they want to be automatically emailed when anything in that section changes. Also offer vanity email addresses in the @classiccmp.org domain which forwards to their real email address. -------services-------------- ClassicCMP Knowledgebase This exists at classiccmp.org/kb but the look & feel needs to be matched to the new website style. Users can suggest categories which are added upon moderator approval. Track popularity (most views, last 5 viewed) of each article. Allow users to add to and rate each article. Users can submit articles which are invisible till moderator approval. ClassicCMP Links Database Organized in categories. Users can add links that are invisible until moderator approval. Users can rate links. Autocheck for dead links. Track clicks/popularity on each link. Users can suggest new link categories, which are added upon moderator approval. ClassicCMP Computer Picture Archive A database of classic computer pictures, organized by vendor by machine, searchable. Must allow a mechanism to show a credit if picture came from elsewhere, separate from showing what user uploaded it. Not just cpu pictures, but peripherals (disks, tapes, etc.). Primarily meant to be a archive for identification, not an extensive multipicture set of each system. Same capabilities/structure as the above, users can submit photos pending moderator approval, photo rating, etc. ClassicCMP Computer Books Database A database of book titles that are of interest to collectors. This could be books on collecting, or books on repair, electronics, or anything germane to the hobby. Include the full text of Kevin Stumpf's collecting guide (already have Kevin's approval). Users submit titles, rate books, perhaps contribute a short review, etc. ClassicCMP File Library Basically a web interface to the tons of files on the ClassicCMP server that no one knows about hardly (PROM database, bitsavers mirror, RT11 files, etc. Fully searchable, include a web based window into the local bitsavers files. Allow users to submit keywords for existing files, or submit new files, rate files, moderator approvals,new category suggestion, etc. NOTE: The knowledgebase, links database, picture archive, books database, and file library are identical except for basic skinning/presentation. One well-written module can handle all of the above "under the hood". For the above sections, members have full access. Non-members can only browse, and not rate items, vote, suggest categories, etc. ClassicCMP newsletter Online or via email or both? What's new with the classiccmp website, upcoming events of interest to the hobby, etc. Ebay picture hosting for members Allow ClassicCMP members to upload a limited number of pictures for linking to ebay auctions. Directory of trusted subject-matter experts Provide a list for members to contact of people who are subject-matter experts in specific areas that are willing to be contacted by those with specific needs (legal research, prior art, user questions, contracting/support work, etc.). ClassicCMP Pricelist "MarketWatch" Autotrack closing price of stuff on ebay and other auction sites and show statistics - hi,lo,avg, std. dev, avg time to sell, etc. I've seen this done for synthesizers. ClassicCMP mailing list Policy changes, combining lists, fixing archives, everyone already knows what this service is. #classiccmp channel on IRC List of guidelines, how to access, etc. Events calender Get a feed from ccn? Maybe just upcoming events in the collector community, hamfests, etc. Perhaps the best way to do this is simply let users put entries on the calendar (subject to moderation). ClassicCMP things to see in real life Just let people add places to a list, sort by state (museums, places to buy vintage computer stuff). Make sure to have a link to Evan's book so people can go to his site and buy it. Maybe let people enter notes on places other people have listed. ClassicCMP store Selling t-shirts, mugs, mousepads, calendars, etc. branded with ClassicCMP logo. Proceeds used to cover bandwidth & hardware upgrades on ClassicCMP server. Arbitration A group of appointed moderators will be available to settle disputes among collectors via binding arbitration (for trades, etc.) if the parties are willing to have a dispute/trade arbitrated. I remember two disputes in the last year that this may have helped with. Disposition of collection upon death Not sure if I'd want the liability of this. But perhaps it might fill a need if people want to have a collection dispensed a certain way after death. If they made a person the executor of the collection, that person may be out of the hobby after years, or personality conflicts, etc. But if they specify classiccmp to hold the documents on what to do, classiccmp (which hopefully goes on after me as an organization) can ensure the collectors wishes are followed. Not sure this is even possible to do, but it may merit investigating if this would be a service people would want (and we could provide). ClassicCMP media conversion services Provide a list of people willing to do media/data conversions for various hardware platforms. Users could submit their name, fees, email address (hidden by the site), a submission form for a quote, etc. ClassicCMP Rescue Squad I want to do something just like Bill Yakowenko's CCRS (classic computer rescue squad), where people can list the systems they are interested in and their location and contact info. So people disposing of systems can find a rescue'er (and rescue'er's could find rescue helpers!) close. Bill doesn't seem to be actively maintaining his, and I've tried to ask him before duplicating the effort but I can't get in touch with him. I'm ready to just do it anyway, so there is a continually maintained source of this good info for collectors. Wanted! I want to put up a "wanted" section. I don't want to compete with ebay or the vintage marketplace, so I don't want to track bids or anything. ONLY a place where people can post "I'm looking for this". Then have one item at a time rotate at the top of the home page? That would keep items in peoples mind that are wanted. Voting >From time to time it would be nice to put up questions for voting on, and site members could vote. This could be for mailing list policies, enhancements to classiccmp.org, selection of the classicCMP logo, etc. Leads! Giving a fair shot at "system available" leads. I probably get two emails a month directly to me from companies or individuals looking to dispose of gear. Most of the time, these leads are only given to me, not the list or other lists - so no one knows about them. Most (but not all) of the time I merely post these opportunities to the list and let everyone go after them. This penalizes people who don't read the list every hour. The people wanting to dispose of the gear may not like being contacted by 1000 people. It's just not as fair a process as it could be. So, I want a spot on the list where people can basically see each opportunity I get sent to dispose of classic gear, and enter into a lottery. This would allow gear I get notice of to be more fairly distributed.

20 years, 1 month

8
16
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX (and the B2000)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> Oh yuck. I re-read the service manual carefully and it sort of implies >that the unit has an EVC video connector. I've never seen one, so would >someone who has tell me if it's about the same size as an HD15F? The >picture is a little fuzzy, but it sure _looks_ like an HD15. No, EVC looks like a stretched DVI. 9000/B2000 is FXe, which outputs on a VGA-type HD-15. You're lucky. >Same deal as the SGI, then. Not a big problem, I'm used to gcc/g++! Nope, better: the development tools install and operate. Just consider yourself duty-bound to become a HP 9000 developer and promote the platform if you use them, and everything should be O.K.

20 years, 1 month

3
2
0 0

Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote: > On 8/3/06, aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk > <aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > Is Gayle a capacitor? If not, what does she do? > > Gayle is one of the custom chips in the A600 - it > handles system > address decoding and the IDE interface. I don't > have an A600 (but > just about every other model of Amiga), so I don't > know if it's a DIP > or a PLCC package chip, but it's a chip, not a > capacitor. > > -ethan What's DIP and PLCC stand for? Are there any visual clues that can help me work out which type it is? Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

3
3
0 0

Relative Value of PGDP-11 CPUs; Was Re: Guys take a look...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- mike perry <sales at azteqcorporation.com> wrote: > Do you still have any KDJ11-EB`s? > > I need some. > > Mike Perry > www.azteqcorporation.com > Just a thought Mike, but you might want to change your clock (if you haven't already). The year on your email was 2002... I only found it by accident (currently have 490 emails in my Inbox!). Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

1
0
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PDP-11/05

by marvin＠rain.org

I'm just curious; I picked up a PDP 11/05 last weekend, but instead of the processor cards laying on their sides, these were standing up. This resulted in a configuration with two other plastic covers (one about 1" high below the standard 11/05 front panel, and the other about 7" above the front panel.) Is this a standard or optional chassis for the 11/05? I also picked up the dual cassette drive (no cassettes or software yet though), so it looks like a nice little system.

20 years, 1 month

4
6
0 0

Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > Ok, here's the full story : > > > > > > I have had my Amiga 600 since 2001 and have > > added a few bits over the years: > > > > - 2.5" 4GB harddrive (I can't remember the > > make and model at the moment) > > > > - 1MB RAM (in trapdoor underneath) > > > > > > I also have a 4MB PCMCIA RAM card which is > > rarely used, and 2 external floppy drives > > (one doesn't work), with only 1 connected up. > > I haven't upgraded any of the kickstart or > > ROM chips, they are the same as when I bought it . > > > > I run WB2.05 (and am happy with it) with > > kickstart 37.300 > > > > I don't know the board revision number off-hand > > but I can find out if required. > > > > > > My harddrive used to power down (powersave?) > > after not being used for say 20/30 mins and > > happily power-up again whenever I tried to > > access the drive (via WB or via AMOS BASIC). > > > > However, around April/May this year the drive > > started to randomly power down and then, > > usually, almost instantly power back up again > > but WB nor AMOS could access the HD. Any > > attempt to do so would freeze WB or AMOS. > > My first comment is that this set-up worked > correctly for almost 5 years. > This means the set-up is capable of working, and > that the fact that it > now doesn't work means something has failed (rathe r > than, say, an > incompatability, or a marginally-rated PSU, or...) > > > I figured (as you would) that my harddrive > > Actually, I might not. My first reaction would be to > stick a voltmeter on > the power lines. errr... no voltimeter here, nor do i have a clue where to buy one from (or how to use one). > > [...] > > > I popped along to www.amiga.org and posted > > my problem up there and peeps then suggested > > it might be a flaky PSU. I got myself an > > A500 "heavy brick" model (AFAIK it's compatible > > Again, since the original PSU worked for a long > time, it would appear it > was adequate. I don't like changing parts of syste ms > that have worked > without a good reason. > I still have the old A600 PSU, I usually keep faulty/suspected faulty parts for spare parts. > > and gives more power if required) by chance > > (I was planning to get another A600 PSU) > > from www.amigadeals.co.uk > > > > Everything appeared to be fixed. However, my > > A600 was running hotter than normal. I have > > always put a plastic pen above the air vent > > bit at the top of the machine (by the F1-F4 keys ) > an > > d it used to always be cold. With this > > new PSU it was warm and the underside of the > > Amiga 600 was hotter than normal. > > > > I posted my concerns to either Amiga.org or > > CAR and then someone suggested that it might > > be a faulty resistor. He claimed that the > > I doubt it very much. If it's the resistor that's > getting too hot, then > it's dissipating too much power. In a constant > voltage set-up (that would > be the most likely), it would have to fall > significantly in value for this > to haeppen. Which is not likely. I suppose a fault y > resistor could upset > the biasing on some other component, and thus caus e > that to pass too much > current, but from my memory of the A500 circuit, I > can't think of any > obvious candidate. > Ahem, it's an A600 I own ;) > Have you tried running the machine with the cover > off to see what is > getting hot? It might be something as simple as a > leaking decoupling > capacitor. > I was planning too, but I had concerns about being electricuted (spelling?) as I had never done that before, and also becuase of the recent hot weather - I have no patience in hot weather and feared running it in the extreme heat would only cause more damage. What would the "leaking decoupling capacitor" look like, if that was the cause? Which is the capacitor? Anyone know? > > > [...] > > > > > My second computer was a TRS-80 Model 1 (my > first, > > > FWIW, was an MK14, yes > > > I still have both). I now have a Model 3 and > Model > > > 4, and several CoCos. > > > And schematics, etc for all of them. > > > > > > -tony > > > > > > > > > > Cool :) Were you ever tempted with the Model > > 16 or 12? > > I wish!. I'd love an Model 16, but they're not at > all common in the UK, > and would not be cheap (or easy) to ship from the > States. In a moment of > madness I did get a CoCo3 sent from the States > (brand new machine, some > 16 years ago), but that was just the > keyboard/processor unit, not a CRT > monitor and drives too. > > -tony > > Probably best you didn't get the 16, as it's inferior to the 12! The 12 was actually made later than the 16 and supports various modes making it compatible with 16 and 4 (?) software (and hardware?). Infact I think the Model 12 was the best of the bunch. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

3
2
0 0

Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> wrote: > On 8/3/06, aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk > <aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > Is Gayle a capacitor? If not, what does she do? > > Gayle is one of the custom chips in the A600 - it > handles system > address decoding and the IDE interface. I don't > have an A600 (but > just about every other model of Amiga), so I don't > know if it's a DIP > or a PLCC package chip, but it's a chip, not a > capacitor. > > -ethan > Thanks for that Ethan Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Drivers and hardware- then vs. now (WAS Re: New to the list)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> I haven't even looked at Vista requirements yet--and probably won't until >Vista's released because MS is making the same claim "You can use XP >drivers on Vista". Haven't checked driver requirements (don't write Windows drivers), but looked at base requirements. You can buy a mid-range PC now that, with upgraded memory, will be able to run the "base" version of Vista. High end P.C.s that you buy now might be able to run the whole thing. 512 MB ram for a minimum, 1GB recommended (AARGH - I didn't get any further) There's something really messed up when a midrange PC won't run software to be released in 6 months (of course, based on past performance, it won't be). >These days they don't get given that, and everyone has to have the >complexity whether they actually want/need it or not... O.K.- intellectual exercise: I'm a PC hardware maker. It costs me $N to make a board. nVidia chips from 2 years ago cost $G, a basic 2-d "accelerated" controller costs a bit less, but doesn't require the fancy assembly hardware (not that that matters much, I probably contract out). Buyers will probably say: "but that one only has 8MB and doesn't to 3-D, why isn't it 1/2 or 1/4 of the price?" and buy the fancy one, because it's "only $10 more" (probably less in reality) and does "so much more" even though (a) they don't need it and (b) the buggy drivers and heat output make it less useable. I sell one framebuffer each to the 120 people who (a) know what's up (b) use PCs and (c) don't just get integrated Intel "Extreme"(SGI should have sued them over that one...) graphics because they work O.K. and you don't have to deal with slipping AGP cards. >Printers are a case in point too - a parallel port does that job just fine, >yet it's hard to find a machine that doesn't have more complicated USB >interfaces on it, and a printer's now expected to use that. It's likely that implementing parallel is now more expensive. Almost everything in USB is in the software driver. If users complain, the companies can promise to "fix it in the next release" which may or may not happen... If it's in firmware, then people will demand that the company fix it under warranty. The older computers that keep getting brought up had long lifetimes. The Mac IIci was introduced in 1989 and sold through 1993 (chose this since it was one model, one company). Companies spent more time designing their machines because they didn't have the "reference implementations" and standard fully-integrated parts suppliers that we have now. Things "just worked" because they were designed together and spent time together, and this showed in firmware and software. You couldn't just flash your PROM, so they had to get things right or it got very expensive very fast. Things were much more expensive to buy, then, too (keep in mind). Nobody spends much time on consumer drivers because you can always make empty promises, and consumers no longer expect things to work. Sad state of affairs (especially when those "fancy 3-d graphics" that are all you can get now come with terrible drivers for anything but Windows (and maybe Mac), and the companies refuse to let anyone else write decent drivers because of "trade secrets" (for Linux it has to be in source, too many variables between kernel, libc, X-server...)

20 years, 1 month

1
0
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Alpha C compilers (WAS Not classic, but free: HP-UX (and the B2000)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

> I jumped the gun and ordered an EVC --> HD15F adapter from HP anyway. >It's enough out-of-the-ordinary to be worth having on hand and the 20-odd >bucks won't kill me. Good to have on hand. If you use it, just remember not to screw it in (on either end) if the system will likely be moved. The construction is quite fragile, and resoldering the connectors is very unpleasant. Best to have one end or the other slip off harmlessly. >Wow, great! I sure wish HP would make the Alpha C/C++ compilers available >gratis. Maybe this is the start of a trend. Not sure what you mean here: Compaq C/C++ for AlphaLinux is free already, and Alpha C/C++ for Tru64 and OpenVMS are both included in the relevant hobbyist programs. IBM xlC/xlC++ and SGI MIPSpro would be very nice (although Apple's contributions to GCC for POWER/PowerPC have made it infinitely better). I saw on USENET a blurb about "repurposing" the included MIPSpro kernel compiler as a general-purpose C compiler with the addition of a few symlinks, and the word on the street is that MIPSpro 7.4 could, ahem, possibly be used for a few times while one is trying to locate the regrettably misplaced license code, with only a nag screen coming up. I'm trying to get into the dev program, though. We'll see what happens.

20 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

Relative Value of PGDP-11 CPUs; Was Re: Guys take a look...

by sales＠azteqcorporation.com

Do you still have any KDJ11-EB`s? I need some. Mike Perry www.azteqcorporation.com

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by Glen.Heiberg＠gijima.com

Just my 2c worth... I received my HPUX CD package today from HP a week and a half after ordering, and I'm in "deepest darkest" Africa. Quite impressive! ______________________________________________ "This email is subject to our email legal notice, to view follow this link ' http://www.gijima.com/other/gijima_disclaimer.html ' To receive the legal notice as a PDF document, send an email to 'service.desk at gijima.com'

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

"Key codes"

by dgy＠DakotaCom.Net

Hi, I've got my Opus PM reinstalled (thanks, Jim!) and am now trying to sort out all of the little configuration details. It supports up to four "sessions" (like ALT-Fx on *BSD's) plus a "DOS" session. They are accessed via hotkeys (e.g., ALT-H, ALT-J, etc.). In order to change the key mappings from their defaults, I need to specify the appropriate "key codes" -- from Appendix G of _The IBM BASIC Manual_. Apparently "48" is ALT-B (verified). But, I haven't been able to sort out the appropriate codes for *other* keys (empirically). Any pointers? I think I have the manual for an old IBM BASIC *compiler* stashed somewhere so perhaps this will be a suitable alternative reference? Thnks! --don

20 years, 1 month

1
1
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Hi, I'm new...

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

I'd see if there was some way to put a voltmeter on the power coming in. If the computer draws more than the supply can put out, the supply voltage will drop. I've never seen a resistor short- I've had several caps short out on me, though. It's evident when that happens, though - there's usually a bang and puff of smoke. I'd expect the smoke if anything shorted out, the components usually aren't rated highly enough to survive a dead short. Usually it's some passive that goes, though.

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

--- Alexandre Souza <alexandre-listas at e-secure.com. br> wrote: > > I would take off the top lid of the computer > > and try to pinpoint where exactly the heat is > > coming from. There could be some components > > that might have shorted out and is causing > > the power supply to output more current. This > > Oh, the "loved" a600... > > These have a very common fault - Capacitors. > They leak and play havoc on > your system. Dunno where you live, but in Brazil i t > is very very very > common. People sez it is because of the (high) > temperatures around. But I'm > 90% sure your problem has to do with caps. > > I'd suggest you another A600 or a 1200 if you > can get one (I had a 600 > and now have a 1200, love that puter!!!). Take a > look at the "amigo" on > www.tabajara-labs.com.br :oD > > See ya > Alexandre Souza > Is Gayle a capacitor? If not, what does she do? Thanks for the advice. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Early Raid (Offtopic)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Fred Cisin wrote: >Since folk at UC Berkeley also can't spell, my license plate frame reads >"UC Berkeley Aluminum". In case I get a British car, I have a spare one >that reads "UC Berkeley Aluminium" Yes, but they can write (a darned good UNIX), so all^h^h^h most is forgiven...

20 years, 1 month

1
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Early RAID

by kelly＠catcorner.org

> > Cray was also mumbling about parallel arrays of cheap > drives about then, > > but I don't think the word "RAID" was mentioned. IIRC, > Cray was mostly > > interested on how throughput could be improved by striping. > > Certainly RAID was around before 1985 - it was just RAD. Disks were > not inexpensive back then. > This may not be old enough for the OP, but... Around 1987 or so we were setting up a SCO box on an ALR 386 machine. There was a software product that allowed for striped arrays of SCSI disks with a parity drive in that environment. I want to say it was called something like Paladin, but I can find no reference on it. Didn't work with the Fujitsu drives we had. Kept hosing the superblock due to cache writeback issues. Kelly

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Radio Electronics Issues looking for a good home

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

Ill give them a warm nuturing hove...uh home if no one else takes them. --- cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org <philpem at dsl.pipex.com> wrote: > Jim Brain wrote: > > Pretty much 1985 to when they quit (2000) There are some interesting > > computer and computer-related projects in them. Either way, they're > > free for shipping to whomever wants. If no one bites, they are hitting > > the recyling bin. > > How much to ship to the UK? > > Thanks. > -- > Phil. | Kitsune: Acorn RiscPC SA202 64M+6G ViewFinder > philpem at dsl.pipex.com | Cheetah: Athlon64 3200+ A8VDeluxeV2 512M+100G > http://www.philpem.me.uk/ | Tiger: Toshiba SatPro4600 Celeron700 256M+40G __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

20 years, 1 month

1
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vintage HP-87 system with additional equipment

by daspage＠yahoo.com

Hello, I got your email off of your website and I was hoping that you could help me The company I work for here in the great northern state of Maine decided to clean out the server room one day and was going to throw away a great piece of computing history so I rescued and took it home I had done some research and I know there is some demand for this type of computer among collectors . is there a website to find out possible market value and maybe a buyer? This is what I had acquired: Hewlett Packard- HP-87 HP82909A-128k Memory Module HP82929A-Programmable ROM Module HP82936A-ROM Drawer w/ six (6) ?ROM chips?(?) 1. Plotter ROM-Rev. A 2. I/O ROM- Rev. A 3. Advanced Programming ROM 1- Rev. B 4. Advanced Programming ROM 2- Rev. B 5. Electronic Disc ROM- Rev. A 6. Assembler ROM- Rev. A HP82939A-Serial Interface HP9121-Dual 3-1/4? Floppy Drive HP82905B-Printer (Dot Matrix, I believe) Ten (10) Floppy Disks, (to be named later if needed) Pocket Guide Instructions... File folder w/ original invoice for parts of the system and misc. paperwork.. The HP-87 works well, I plugged it in and was able to type commands, nothing too complicated .i didn?t test the floppy drive or the printer yet I need another power cord which I can dig up system is clean, though slightly (very slightly) discolored from age Please let me know if you have any resources for me to follow up on I have considered posting it on Ebay, but I would like to get more info on it before i do anything in the meantime, I will check it out and see what it can do! Thanks for your time and effort, D. Page Bath, Maine daspage at yahoo.com --------------------------------- Yahoo! Messenger with Voice. Make PC-to-Phone Calls to the US (and 30+ countries) for 2?/min or less.

20 years, 1 month

1
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Early RAID

by Steve＠OceanRobots.net

Hi, Posted a few days ago looking for early, circa 1987 implementations of RAID beyond RAID0 and RAID1. In my research, I've come across a fellow named Jan Janku, who proposed some advanced ideas in 1986. Does anyone know of him or where I might contact him? TIA for any response, steve

20 years, 1 month

4
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VERSAbus

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Hi Jules, --- Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk at yahoo.co.uk > wrote: > >> snip << > cheers > > Jules > > -- > A. Because it destroys the natural flow of > conversation. > Q. What's wrong with top posting ? > hehe, I couldn't agree with you more. Unfortunately those peeps that use Mycrosaft Outlook (or other PC email software) are forced to do so. Thankfully, I'm not on PC (I'm on my Sega Dreamcast) and usually either bottom post, or inbetween post :) Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX (and the B2000)

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

www.openpa.net is your friend. Don't have anything that new; a C180 will run standard kbd/mouse and perepherals just fine. What graphics do you have? HP jumped on the next big thing, the EVC connector, really fast. I don't think anybody else did. Finding an adaptor can be fun-. The newer FX5/FX10s I believe have DVI, though. The apps disk does appear to contain cc and cxx. Don't know if they have fixed license policies in place or if you just are asked nicely to get a license from HP. To do that, you either (a) get a commercial software product for HP-UX developed or (b) you send them a check for about $900. HP-UX does have all headers, so GCC is an option if you have cycles to burn (don't even think of using anything less than GCC 3.3 - it seems to, um, "pessimize" programs on RISC architectures) I'll play around with the C180 and check out the apps- I have more disk space there (wohoo! 6GB!)

20 years, 1 month

4
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Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Sorry, forgot a few things. --- aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk wrote: > > Hi Tony, > > > --- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > > >> snip << > > > > > > > I won't bore you with it's specs (unless anyon e > > > wants me too :) ), but I have a problem in > > > that it's possible a resistor may have become > > > faulty (looooonng story). With all this talk > > > > Why do you suspect a resistor? That's one of the > > least likely components > > to fail. What esactly has happened to the machin e, > > and what's the fault. > > There are many very knowledgeable hardware types > > here, but none of us are > > mind-readers :-) And if you've done something > > stupid, like cut the wrong > > resisotr when doing an upgrade, tell us _now_, n ot > > after we've spent > > several hours with the schematics and 'scope... > > Ok, here's the full story : > > > I have had my Amiga 600 since 2001 and have > added a few bits over the years: > > - 2.5" 4GB harddrive (I can't remember the > make and model at the moment) > > - 1MB RAM (in trapdoor underneath) > > > I also have a 4MB PCMCIA RAM card which is > rarely used, and 2 external floppy drives > (one doesn't work), with only 1 connected up. > I haven't upgraded any of the kickstart or > ROM chips, they are the same as when I bought it. > > I run WB2.05 (and am happy with it) with > kickstart 37.300 > > I don't know the board revision number off-hand > but I can find out if required. > > > My harddrive used to power down (powersave?) > after not being used for say 20/30 mins and > happily power-up again whenever I tried to > access the drive (via WB or via AMOS BASIC). > > However, around April/May this year the drive > started to randomly power down and then, > usually, almost instantly power back up again > but WB nor AMOS could access the HD. Any > attempt to do so would freeze WB or AMOS. > > I figured (as you would) that my harddrive > was playing up, so I copied all the important > files to 26 floppy disks (fun!) - 880K each, > you see. > A mate (Scuzz, who owns the > http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com website > and the equivalent yahoo group), and die-hard > retro (especially Amiga) enthusiast offered > to use my HD as a slave and copy the files, (a whole host of software had been copied >from floppies to the HD, including Octamed 5 and loads of instrument samples, aswell as loads of images for playing with in the future) > as best he could, to his PC and burn them > to a CD for me. > > In the meantime I got myself another HD, > which happened to be the same make as my > last one, with WB3 on it (it has a Locale folder, > files I didn't see on WB2 and a 68040.Lib file). > This new HD has exactly the same problem :( > > I popped along to www.amiga.org and posted > my problem up there and peeps then suggested > it might be a flaky PSU. I got myself an > A500 "heavy brick" model (AFAIK it's compatible > and gives more power if required) by chance > (I was planning to get another A600 PSU) > from www.amigadeals.co.uk > > Everything appeared to be fixed. However, my > A600 was running hotter than normal. I have > always put a plastic pen above the air vent > bit at the top of the machine (by the F1-F4 keys) an > d it used to always be cold. With this > new PSU it was warm and the underside of the > Amiga 600 was hotter than normal. > > I posted my concerns to either Amiga.org or > CAR and then someone suggested that it might > be a faulty resistor. He claimed that the > A600 PSU didn't have enough power to supply > the machine with a faulty resistor (thus > causing the HD to shutdown temporaily) and > that the A500 PSU did, and the extra draw from > the board (caused by the faulty resistor) > could be sustained by the A500 PSU, thus > causing the extra heat. > (I could look up what he said and quote it > tomorrow, if it helps?) > > > Phew! > > I hope that all makes sense. > Forgot to add: Scuzz hasn't had any problems with my original HD on his A600. and here's the reason I thought it might be a resistor: " The different PSU would not cause overheating inside the A600. Since the PSU is located separately, the heat it dissipates would be outside of the machine. Even though the PSU is capable of supplying more power, it will only output the power that is needed. I would take off the top lid of the computer and try to pinpoint where exactly the heat is coming from. There could be some components that might have shorted out and is causing the power supply to output more current. This could actually be your original problem. The old A600 PSU probably wasn't able to handle this current draw but the more powerful A500 PSU could. If something shorted out (like a resistor) it would cause other components to heat up and that might be what your seeing. Amiga install any fuses in the computer I have no clue. Wouldn't have cost that much extra." Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

3
2
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Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Hi Tony, --- Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote: > > > > > > Hi, > > > > I tried to post this last night, but used the > > wrong address (cctalk at classiccomp.org)! > > > > > > > > > > I'm new! > > Welcome to the list! > Thanks >> snip << > > > > I won't bore you with it's specs (unless anyone > > wants me too :) ), but I have a problem in > > that it's possible a resistor may have become > > faulty (looooonng story). With all this talk > > Why do you suspect a resistor? That's one of the > least likely components > to fail. What esactly has happened to the machine, > and what's the fault. > There are many very knowledgeable hardware types > here, but none of us are > mind-readers :-) And if you've done something > stupid, like cut the wrong > resisotr when doing an upgrade, tell us _now_, not > after we've spent > several hours with the schematics and 'scope... Ok, here's the full story : I have had my Amiga 600 since 2001 and have added a few bits over the years: - 2.5" 4GB harddrive (I can't remember the make and model at the moment) - 1MB RAM (in trapdoor underneath) I also have a 4MB PCMCIA RAM card which is rarely used, and 2 external floppy drives (one doesn't work), with only 1 connected up. I haven't upgraded any of the kickstart or ROM chips, they are the same as when I bought it. I run WB2.05 (and am happy with it) with kickstart 37.300 I don't know the board revision number off-hand but I can find out if required. My harddrive used to power down (powersave?) after not being used for say 20/30 mins and happily power-up again whenever I tried to access the drive (via WB or via AMOS BASIC). However, around April/May this year the drive started to randomly power down and then, usually, almost instantly power back up again but WB nor AMOS could access the HD. Any attempt to do so would freeze WB or AMOS. I figured (as you would) that my harddrive was playing up, so I copied all the important files to 26 floppy disks (fun!) - 880K each, you see. A mate (Scuzz, who owns the http://www.commodore-amiga-retro.com website and the equivalent yahoo group), and die-hard retro (especially Amiga) enthusiast offered to use my HD as a slave and copy the files, as best he could, to his PC and burn them to a CD for me. In the meantime I got myself another HD, which happened to be the same make as my last one, with WB3 on it (it has a Locale folder, files I didn't see on WB2 and a 68040.Lib file). This new HD has exactly the same problem :( I popped along to www.amiga.org and posted my problem up there and peeps then suggested it might be a flaky PSU. I got myself an A500 "heavy brick" model (AFAIK it's compatible and gives more power if required) by chance (I was planning to get another A600 PSU) >from www.amigadeals.co.uk Everything appeared to be fixed. However, my A600 was running hotter than normal. I have always put a plastic pen above the air vent bit at the top of the machine (by the F1-F4 keys) an d it used to always be cold. With this new PSU it was warm and the underside of the Amiga 600 was hotter than normal. I posted my concerns to either Amiga.org or CAR and then someone suggested that it might be a faulty resistor. He claimed that the A600 PSU didn't have enough power to supply the machine with a faulty resistor (thus causing the HD to shutdown temporaily) and that the A500 PSU did, and the extra draw from the board (caused by the faulty resistor) could be sustained by the A500 PSU, thus causing the extra heat. (I could look up what he said and quote it tomorrow, if it helps?) Phew! I hope that all makes sense. >> snip << > [...] > > > I also have recently started becoming > > interested in the TRS-80. I currently have 30 > > My second computer was a TRS-80 Model 1 (my first, > FWIW, was an MK14, yes > I still have both). I now have a Model 3 and Model > 4, and several CoCos. > And schematics, etc for all of them. > > -tony > > Cool :) Were you ever tempted with the Model 16 or 12? Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
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VERSAbus

by julesrichardsonuk＠yahoo.co.uk

Did anyone other than Motorola use VERSAbus in their products? I get the impression that a few companies bought into the standard, but I'm not sure if it had morphed into VME before anyone seriously used it. (I picked up a Motorola 68000 SBC earlier that has a VERSAbus interface on it, hence the interest) cheers Jules -- A. Because it destroys the natural flow of conversation. Q. What's wrong with top posting ?

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by steerex＠mindspring.com

Hey guys, OK... I went to the site and completed the application. At one point during the "signup" process, the server choked and could not complete the process. I never did recieve a "comfirmation" screen or a DOWNLOAD / CD option . I did however receive an email with a "software delivery receipt" including the download key. When I went to the URL, I was given an option to download the app. I'm using dialup so downloading is not an option. Do I have to complete a different request or will the CD's automatically be sent? Thanks, SteveRob

20 years, 1 month

1
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by steerex＠mindspring.com

Scott, If you haven't found 10.20 for 800's yet, let me know. I'm sure I have an extra set *somewhere. See ya, SteveRob steerex[at]mindspring[dot]com ---------- From: Scott Quinn Sent: Friday, July 28, 2006 3:03 PM To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Not classic, but free: HP-UX They don't skimp, either - I was expecting HP-UX 11i base, but they send out the Mission Critical OE. I've got it going for a trial install in the G70. It's clicking along just fine so far. I think when I'm done I'll investigate HP-UX 10.20 for 800s (if I can find it), perhaps a bit faster on the old hardware. Other option would be the base 11i. For now, I'm throwing the kitchen sink at it to see what happens (other than running out of disk space - 4GB (binary) isn't quite enough for everything... Question for the HP 9000/800 people - what is the eqivalent of the VAX "break to console" function (either terminal-break or panel halt+halt)? (or the Sun L1-A) on these old beasts? It takes quite a long time to bring up the PDC console from power-on.

20 years, 1 month

1
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OT: Need Unix tech in Springfield, Missouri area

by kelly＠catcorner.org

> Didn't installing TCP/IP require one of the infamous 'pink cards' which > would also require a phone-in activation? > > Jay The one I have uses the "Yellow Card" method, and just needs two long obscure codes. Contact me off list if these are of interest. Kelly

20 years, 1 month

1
0
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imsai 8080 power switch

by lee＠geekdot.com

Hello Dwight > Please try at least one of two experiments. Either actually measure > with an inductive load or do a simulation. For a transformer, zero > cross is the worst time to start. Why? What do you expect to happen? At zero crossing there is no volts and no current will flow. The current will start to increase as the voltage increases and continue to do so until the next zero cross point. > Don't confuse steady state action with the first cycle. The response > is not the same. Agreed. At the first cycle there is no energy stored in the inductor so switching it on at zero cross gives a circuit with no stored energy. > With an inductive load, this is at 90 degees, or peak > voltage. This is also the best time to turn it on. If you turn on an inductor at peak voltage you will get a magnetization offset that may take many cycles (approx LR) to decay. This gives a peak current that is much greater that that from switching on at the zero cross point and is clearly not the best point to turn it on. Lee.

20 years, 1 month

2
2
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OT: Need Unix tech in Springfield, Missouri area

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

Sorry for the OT posting, but I figure I'd find some qualified Unix techs here. I have a client in the Springfield, Missouri area that needs to get some data off of a very old SCO unix box. The box is not interconnected with anything else, and the only means to get data off--an old Irwin 60MB tape drive, went bad. I figure there would be a simple way to get the data off the hard disk, by either mounting it into a Linux box or adding an external drive to the SCO box via SCSI (though I'm not sure if it has a SCSI interface...in fact I know next to nothing about the box currently). If anyone is interested in this project, please e-mail me directly (I won't see any responses to the list). Time is of the essence, so please reply soon. P.S. VCF 9.0 is November 4-5. Web page going up today. -- 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 ]

20 years, 1 month

6
8
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OT: Purina Diet

by ken＠seefried.com

> Date: Tue, 01 Aug 2006 17:35:56 > From: "Joe R." <rigdonj at cfl.rr.com> > > Purina Diet > I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my Labrador > retriever and was in line to check out. A woman behind me asked > if I had a dog? On impulse, I told her that no, I was starting The > Purina Diet again http://www.angryman.ca/monkey.html P.S. - Sorry to feed the OT thread...

20 years, 1 month

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OT: Purina Diet

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Subject: Purina Diet Purina Diet I was in Wal-Mart buying a large bag of Purina for my Labrador retriever and was in line to check out. A woman behind me asked if I had a dog? On impulse, I told her that no, I was starting The Purina Diet again, although I probably shouldn't because I'd ended up in the hospital last time. But that I'd lost 50 pounds before I awakened in an intensive care ward with tubes coming out of most of my orifices and IV's in both arms. I told her that it was essentially a perfect diet and that the way that it works is to load your pants pockets with Purina nuggets and simply eat one or two every time you feel hungry & that the food is nutritionally complete so I was going to try it again. I have to mention here that practically everyone in the line was by now enthralled with my story. Horrified, she asked if I'd been poisoned. I told her no, that I'd been sitting in the street licking my butt when a car hit me .

20 years, 1 month

4
3
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Lobo's Max-80

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Hi all, Basically, I bought a bunch (40) of 80 Microcomputing magazines which are in pretty much mint condition. Every so often I type up interesting articles and post them to a couple of groups I am a member of. Since I am new here, I don't know whether this is allowed or not. If not, just let me know. A long read, but quite an interesting one. I was trying to keep this short, but I ended up typing up most of the article! Source: Page 122, 80 Microcomputing #42 (July 1983) - a Wayne Green Publication. Ignoring the adverts, the full length article about Lobo's (or Lobo Drives International, to give it it's full name) Max-80 computer is 4 pages long and is written by R.A. Langevin. I have attempted to give a summary of all the interesting bits. Read on.... Lobo Systems' Max-80 is an 8-bit microcomputer that supports LDOS and CP/M; has an impressive array of storage options, including floppy and hard disks; serial input/output; and both serial and parallel printer ports. In terms of versatility and performance per dollar, it's unquestionably a best buy in todays marketplace. The system is a natural upgrade for [TRS-80] Model I owners since it offers CP/M while preserving their investment in disk drives and in much of their software. It is also completely at home in a business environment. Not everyone, however, will appreciate this computer. Serious game players will find they can't use self-booting disks in the machine [what the?!]. In addition, although Model I graphics are supported and limited graphics are available in the CP/M mode, the Max-80 cannot presently display full-screen, high resolution graphics, a deficiency that makes it unsuitable for some business uses. The Max-80 is basically a single-board computer housed, with it's power supply, in an attractive, ivory coloured plastic case mounted on a steel baseplate. It complies with the radiation limits established by the FCC for Class A computing devices. Although this standard states that operation of complying equipment is likely to cause interference in residential areas, I have not encountered problems even with a television in the same room. The Max-80 is 17.5 inches wide and 10 inches deep. The top of the machine is 2 inches off the table top at the front and slopes gently upward [like my Amiga 600] to 3.5 inches at the top of the keyboard. The rear of the case holds a line fuse and all the connectors and switches [sounds familiar]. The internal power supply operates off 110-115 volts AC and is efficient enough so that a fan isn't necessary to keep the electronics cool [computers needed fans back then?]. The entire computer requires only 28 watts. Even after hours of continous operation, the case is never warm to the touch. The reset button is safely located at the rear of the machine. Except for an optional 64K bank of memory, the Max-80 is complete as it comes out of the box. There are no extra boards for disk interfaces, serial I/O, or video electronics. As a result, the machines original cost is its only cost. The machine is available with LDOS 5.1 and CP/M 2.2; much of the available [TRS-80] Model I and Model III software are supported as is 8-bit CP/M software. This combination of operating systems provides access to a larger software base than that of most competing machines. - CPU: Z80B @ 5.07 MHz (faster than TRS-80 I, II ,III & 12 and the Softcard Apple) - Realtime clock (years, months, days, hours and seconds, all accessible by software) with internal rechargeable battery - Keyboard features a 10-key numeric pad, 4 programmable function keys and a cursor- control block that includes a clear key. All ASCII keys are supported by auto repeat and the entire keyboard is fully debounced. - RAM supplied by one (or two) banks of 64K each, provided by 8 (or 16) Texas Instruments TMS 4164-20 chips. - Only 1 ROM which contains a small bootstrap loader that disables once the system boots. As a result, the modified LDOS supplied with the system loads the bottom 12K of RAM with the code that resides in ROM on Tandy or LNW [who?] machines. Consequently, currently available self-booting disks don't operate on the Max-80. - Separate gold plated card edges for connecting 5 inch and 8 inch floppy drives (both supporting single and double density, aswell as single and double-sided, disks) and are supported by the built-in controller in both TRS-80 and CP/M modes. A slide switch mounted adjacent to the 5 inch disk connector controls pin 32, permitting it to select drive 4 or, alternatively, to act as the side-select signal when using double-sided drives. Track counts of 35, 40, 77 and 80 are supported on 5 inch disks and the standard 77 tracks on 8 inch disks. - A hard disk interface is also included in the Max-80 and is available on a 50-pin, gold-plated card edge on the rear of the machine. This Shugart Associates Standard Interface (SASI) is designed to be used with an external controller. Both of the computers operating systems are presently configured to use Lobo Systems' Universal Controller and do not support other controllers without modification. - Maximum of 4 drives with LDOS, or 8 drives with CP/M. Since so many disk options are available they have included a DIP (Dual In-line Package) switch is provided on the rear of the case so you can boot from either a 5 inch (or 8 inch) floppy, 5 inch (or 8 inch) hard disk or a 5 inch (or 8 inch) floppy connected via the universal controller. (If you have the extra 64K of memory installed, it's possible to set up a ninth RAM: drive with 1K of directory space and 63K of storage space) - 5 inch disks can be formatted in Lobo's single or double-sided, double density format or in Osbourne, Xerox 820 or Omikron single density, single sided formats - 8 inch disks can be formatted in IBM single sided, single density and double sided, single or double density formats. - Serial I/O is provided from 2 independently programmable RS-232 interfaces (provided by a Z80 SIO chip, rather than a UART chip as in Tandy's machines) accessible through DB-25 connectors on the rear of the case. Either interface supports all standard baud rates up to 19,200 and can be used to drive a serial printer. - Parallel printer output is available via a standard Centronics interface, with a slide switch adjacent to the port which permits grounding or ungrounding pin 27 to adapt to printers (like the Epsom MX-80) that interpret a grounded pin 27 as a request to generate a line feed after each carriage return. - Video output is via a RCA phono jack and drives any monitor that accepts 1 volt composite video from a 75 ohm source and provides 15,750 Hz horizontal and 60Hz vetical sync frequencies. Lobo recommends a monitor bandwidth extending from DC to atleast 12 MHz to obtain good detail in the display, This is especially important in the CP/M mode, where the normal display is 80 characters by 25 lines. You can select a 40 character by 25 line display with a function key. In the TRS-80 mode, the display is a compatible 64 or 32 characters by 16 lines. - Standard TRS-80 Model I graphics are supported by the LDOS operating system - the extended graphics of the [TRS-80[ Model III are not. In the CP/M mode you can display up to 192 user-defined shapes. The first 128 shapes are limited to shapes that can be defined in the top half of a 8x16 pixel rectangle (and in normal use are used to display the ASCII character set). The remaining 64 shapes can be defined in a full 8x16 pixel rectangle. Max-80 with just 64K and CP/M 2.2 - $820 LDOS 5.1 - $69 64K RAM expansion - $95 Amdek Video 300 Green Screen 12" Monitor - $175 Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Hi, I'm new...

by aliensrcooluk＠yahoo.co.uk

Hi, I tried to post this last night, but used the wrong address (cctalk at classiccomp.org)! I'm new! I'm Andrew, 26, from the UK and since 2001 have developed a healthy interest in the Amiga after getting an Amiga 600. I won't bore you with it's specs (unless anyone wants me too :) ), but I have a problem in that it's possible a resistor may have become faulty (looooonng story). With all this talk of PCB's etc. I was wondering if anyone here had any advice (or experience) in replacing a resistor (if it's possible)? I use my Amiga for fun and for developing my own games (via AMOS BASIC and then compiling them) and music (thanks to Teijo Kinnunens Octamed 5). I also have recently started becoming interested in the TRS-80. I currently have 30 issues of 80 Microcomputing (#20 to #50) which I bought off a guy from Ebay Australia and they are pretty much in mint condition. Great for reading and learning about retro computers (not just the TRS-80) :) Thanks for listening and I hope to learn alot about retro computers in the coming years. Regards, Andrew B aliensrcooluk at yahoo.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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OT: Need Unix tech in Springfield

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>I belive Unixware partition support is in (make menuconfig) File Systems -> >Partition Types -> PC BIOS -> Unixware slices support, and filesystem >support is under Miscellaneous -> System V/Xenix/V7/Coherent file system >support. Yes, UnixWare is (pretty straight SysV.4, [SCO's marketing would be quick to point out that it is now SysVr5 because they say so] decended in a right true line from AT&T System V release 4 through USL and Novell), but my impression was that the system in question was SCO UNIX, an entirely different beast (bears more in common with XENIX). SCO UNIX begat their OpenServer line.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
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OT: It's hazardous here in Florida!

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Check this out! <http://community-2.webtv.net/karenlprince/AMUSTSEE/index.html>

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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OT: Need Unix tech in Springfield, Missouri area

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Aah- SCO UNIX, how fun. Have a XENIX box that I was trying to do the same thing with. SCO's partition table (DIVVY) is not read by Linux or indeed any other UNIX but SCO. Furthermore, SCO is one of those lovely companies for which headers are a part of the optional development environment, and TCP/IP is another add-on (how do they stay in business whan put against xBSD/Linux? the FUD about IP doesn't work against BSD- been there, done that, adjudicated non-infringing). The best way to get information off of one of these systems is to TAR an archive out to a raw hard disk. Then you can untar it on another UNIX system. UUCP could also work - haven't tried that route.

20 years, 1 month

6
7
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

The bundle does come with a complete development environment (C, C++, SoftBench) on the Apps CDs. No mention of trial, and SoftBench works o.k. Of course, since HP is giving you the developer discount, you should feel obligated to share anything you build :->.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
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Data General Books available

by jim＠g1jbg.co.uk

Hi, I have the following DG books available, they appear to relate to an early medical scanner: Interface Designers Manual for Nova and Eclipse line computers I/O Tester for Eclipse Processor, Part A I/O Tester for Eclipse Processor, Part B Nova 3 Exerciser Test Eclipse Microword Flow Chart Nova 3 Multi-Programming Rel Eclipse Basic Instruction ROMS and Decoding Scintron 3 Diagnostic Software Scinticamera Detector Head Scintron 3 Service Manual Appendix The whole lot weighs 3.5KG, and is available for the cost of postage, or collect from Chesham, Bucks, UK, or Heathrow Airport area. Jim. Please see our website: www.g1jbg.co.uk

20 years, 1 month

1
1
0 0

Help contacting the Rhode Island Computer Museum / Merle Pierce?

by evan＠snarc.net

My email to Merle (at258 at osfn.org) just bounced. Message said there's no user by that name. It's very important that I reach Merle or someone at the RICM. Anyone here on cctalk...? Or anyone who knows how to reach him / them? Thanks. - Evan

20 years, 1 month

1
1
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HP 9000 Pascal 3.2 : HFS on HP9133L

by walkerpa＠ihug.co.nz

> That would be me. I've been completely consumed for the past three months > putting the Computer History Museum's software collection together. What I > have pdf'ed is at bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/ > > I need to get this stuff back to Joe ASAP. Hi Al, Thanks for the heads-up! And a fanstastic reference site. A clarification regarding the pascal 3.0 / 3.1 / 3.2 software which I'm looking for, it is HP Pascal for HP 9000 Series 200/300 machines. And is anyone able to clarify whether the latest version was 3.5, as queried by Bernd Kopriva in an earlier post? Regards, Peter -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/404 - Release Date: 31-07-2006

20 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

intel multibus ram documents needed

by jclang＠notms.net

I have a couple of multibus RAM boards I'm looking for jumper info or schematics. There's not much on the boards to identify the model the first board: 62KB dram board multibus 1 16 bit data path the only marking (other than "INTEL") is PWA142779-006 The second board: 256KB dram board multibus 1 16 bit data path the original marking was PWA143156-045 this is struck out with black marker and the number 133292-002 is written over it. (this board may have been upgraded some time in its life) I suspect both boards were part of an Intel MDS. (there was an ICE in the pile that I wasn't able to save) joe lang

20 years, 1 month

3
3
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imsai 8080 power switch

by lee＠geekdot.com

> One thing you should know about zero crossing. You don't want to use > a zero cross relay on a highly inductuve load( the IMSAI might qualify > as highly inductive because of the large core used ). You want a peak > switching. Zero cross is the worst place to turn on an inductive load > and results in the highest current surge. This may even saturate the > core and cause a peak several times the normal running current. That's just wrong. A loaded transformer isn't an inductive load, it's mostly the same type of load as what is loading the secondary. Zero crossing is the best place to turn on nearly any load, it may not be the best place to turn off some loads but for on it is usually best. If you turn on an inductive load at the zero crossing zero current will flow. There will be no surge. Unless there is a serious fault, and even then it is unlikely, you won't saturate the core of a transformer regardless of how you switch it on. Lee.

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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Last version of HP Pascal for the 200

by aek＠bitsavers.org

I don't think I've seen anything later than 3.2. The 3.2 ref manual was from 1989. http://www.techsoft.de/htbasic/products.htm Still sells it, their part number is 98617R. I suppose if someone were curious enough, they could ask what rev that is.

20 years, 1 month

1
1
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Not classic, but free: HP-UX

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

They don't skimp, either - I was expecting HP-UX 11i base, but they send out the Mission Critical OE. I've got it going for a trial install in the G70. It's clicking along just fine so far. I think when I'm done I'll investigate HP-UX 10.20 for 800s (if I can find it), perhaps a bit faster on the old hardware. Other option would be the base 11i. For now, I'm throwing the kitchen sink at it to see what happens (other than running out of disk space - 4GB (binary) isn't quite enough for everything... Question for the HP 9000/800 people - what is the eqivalent of the VAX "break to console" function (either terminal-break or panel halt+halt)? (or the Sun L1-A) on these old beasts? It takes quite a long time to bring up the PDC console from power-on.

20 years, 1 month

5
4
0 0

toner transfer circuit board etching

by trag＠io.com

>Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 11:13:46 -0700 (PDT) >From: Chris M <chrism3667 at yahoo.com> >by any chance does anyone use this method, and would >be willing to small *even* number of sheets? The one >place I know of that sells it has a $50 minimum order >(Halted). Or maybe someone knows of a place with fewer restrictions. Digi-Key has it for $14.95 for ten sheets,but they have a $25 minimum. However, if you order the GreenTRF at the same time, it should push you pretty close to the $25. For those folks who've had poor results with TT, did you seal the toner with TRF before etching? And did you use a laminator or an iron to transfer the toner image? I'm slowly working my way up to trying this method myself, and am really hoping for better results than I've read about here. But don't expect them, unless I'm doing something different than others who have tried it. The attraction is, that while the circuit board houses just don't get much cheaper than $4 - $5 per board for small boards, the TT can get down to $.50 - $.75 each by my calculations. Of course, if 75% of them must be discarded... Jeff Walther

20 years, 1 month

5
8
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Very strange Atari Printer

by cclist＠sydex.com

Whilst browing Yahoo! auctions, I came across this Atari 825 printer: http://auctions.yahoo.com/i:Atari%20825%20printer:5025875 Problem is, I can't figure out how it works. Where do you plug it in? :) Cheers, Chuck

20 years, 1 month

9
14
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HP3000/922

by bbrown＠harpercollege.edu

I just acquired an HP3000/922 (thanks Rob!) Is there anywhere that I can find documentation on the h/w? Is it possible to get MPE install media that would install on this system (in case I want to do a fresh-install)? thanks! -Bob -- bbrown at harpercollege.edu #### #### Bob Brown - KB9LFR Harper Community College ## ## ## Systems Administrator Palatine IL USA #### #### Saved by grace

20 years, 1 month

2
1
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toner transfer circuit board etching

by trag＠io.com

>Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 19:07:00 -0400 >From: Dave McGuire <mcguire at neurotica.com> > >Tim Shoppa wrote: >> For me, far higher yield for double-sided PCB's >> comes from ordering boards over the >> internet. Generally you have to use (gasp!) a modern PC with >> Windows software, but other than that the experience is wonderful. > > GASP...I'm sorry to say this Tim, but this is SO untrue. The >majority of the Internet-based PCB fab houses accept Gerber-format >files...and while you *can* generate those with a legacy Windows PC, I >can't come up with any good reason why someone would want to. I do it >with Solaris on UltraSPARC all the time, for both commercial and hobby >projects. Commercial EDA software for modern platforms is hellatiously >expensive, but even that is unnecessary nowadays. I use two free >packages: gEDA for schematic capture and PCB for circuit board layout. >They also work nicely under MacOS X. I regularly do fine-pitch surface >mount designs with this software. For $200 one can get Osmond PCB for the Mac. It runs on 68K, PPC Classic, and OSX. Until earlier this year it was in beta and available free for testing. I completed two designs while Osmond was in beta which were exported to Gerber and sent out for production. It worked great. I'd do it again, but for my current designs, I just don't want to spend as much per board. Anyway, to avoid digressing too much, the point is, I agree. PCB design can be done affordably on platforms other than a Windows based machine. *Most* (virtually all) PCB fabs expect gerber files, not a proprietary file format generated by their in house software. However, perhaps what Tim meant is that to get some of the great deals available, one goes to the PCB fab which provides in-house software, and to run that software you need a reasonably up to date windows machine. This is certainly true for PCB Express or 4PCB or whatever they're called. Jeff Walther

20 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

DEC Alpha equipment in DFW

by alexeyt＠freeshell.org

I'm reposting this with the permission of the author. Please contact cseiler at sdf.lonestar.org directly. === I've got a handful of DEC/Alpha equipment as part of an estate. I need to get rid of it, and I'd hate to see this stuff just get disposed of. I'd like to sell it cheap to an SDFer in the DFW area. Or anyone knows dealers in the area who work with this stuff and might be interested in buying, I'd appreciate a referral in their direction. First up is a DEC Digital VRCX1-WA 21-inch monitor. This is a great monitor. I'd even use it myself, but it's a huge CRT monitor that I just don't have the deskspace for. Manufactured 1997. Bought used in 2002 for $145. Works good. Would like to get $50 for it. Also have Digital Server 3000 50mhz Alpha 128MB. Unknown hard drive. He bought it with 4.5Gb SCSI, but I think he may have upgraded it. I don't know enough about the monitor this thing boots up into, but an Alpha person can contact me if they're interested and tell me how to figure it out, maybe. DEC Alphastation 400 4/233 with 256MB RAM. Have not even started this one up. DEC Personal Workstatioin 433au. Unknown RAM, appears to have no hard drive. HP SureStore DAT24 tape drive. I installed NetBSD on the Digital Server 3000 and got it to work just fine several months ago, but now can't remember how I did it. Need room, and don't have the time to fiddle anymore. The estate needs the money. So, if I could get $45 a piece for the computers and $50.00 for the monitor, I'd be really happy. It would be great if someone could take them all off my hands. I live in Denton, so I could meet someone halfway in Dallas, Ft Worth, or McKinney, etc. Money is not the huge priority, but I'd prefer not to have to ship them as it would involve a lot of boxing up and packaging and whatnot. So I'd rather sell them to someone in driving distance, even if it's for a small amount. The amounts aren't hard and fast, and I'd definitely consider a considerable discount if someone took it all of my hands in one batch.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

toner transfer circuit board etching

by wbblair3＠yahoo.com

> Message: 5 > Date: Sun, 30 Jul 2006 11:13:46 -0700 (PDT) > From: Chris M <chrism3667 at yahoo.com> > Subject: toner transfer circuit board etching > To: talk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > Message-ID: <20060730181346.50833.qmail at web61021.mail.yahoo.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=iso-8859-1 > > by any chance does anyone use this method, and would > be willing to small *even* number of sheets? The one > place I know of that sells it has a $50 minimum order > (Halted). Or maybe someone knows of a place with fewer restrictions. Here's an excellent news group that'll tell you everything you need to know about homebrew PCBs: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Homebrew_PCBs/ It really is a fantastic resource on this topic because it has so many active members who are experts on the subject and highly experienced. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

imsai 8080 power switch

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

If I'm reading things right, the Imsai 8080 directly switches AC power through the front panel power switch. Can someone suggest a relay circuit to remove the need to run so much power through the front panel? -- 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?

20 years, 1 month

9
10
0 0

large data transfert (write) to SDRAM at fixed frequency

by pm.boyer＠wanadoo.fr

Hi ! I am new in electronic. I want to make an analog acquisition board with an ARM microcontroler ( Samsung S3C44B0x 66MHz) with a 8Mbytes SDRAM and an A/D converter( Analog AD775 ). The sampling rate of the A/D converter is at 30Mhz, and i would like to connect its digital output to the S3c44b0x data bus by using the DMA of the uC. Data sent by the ADC will be wrote to the SDRAM by using the DMA of uC. But the number of sampling can be very large, and the acquisition/transfert occur at a fixed rate (30 Mhz). The acquisition time and transfert to SDRAM can be more than 64ms (refresh time cycle of SDRAM). So, my question is : ?is the internal refresh cycle of SDRAM can disturb the data writing by the DMA to the SDRAM ? The ADC send data to the SDRAM through the DMA at a fixed rate during may be 1 or 2 second, and is this process can be stopped/disturbed by the internal refresh process of SDRAM ? If yes, is there a solution, to manage the two process ( fixed acquisition and SDRAM refresh cycle) ? Thank you very much. -- ------------------------------ M. BOYER Pierre-Marie Hameau de Biranques 34380 Notre Dame de Londres Tel : 04.67.55.09.17 ------------------------------

20 years, 1 month

3
3
0 0

large data transfert (write) to SDRAM at fixed frequency

by ajp166＠bellatlantic.net

> >Subject: Re: large data transfert (write) to SDRAM at fixed frequency > From: Pierre-Marie BOYER <pm.boyer at wanadoo.fr> > Date: Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:45:27 +0200 > To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> > >Le Dimanche 30 Juillet 2006 18:19, jim stephens a ?crit?: >> Pierre-Marie BOYER wrote: >> >> >Hi ! >> > >> >The ADC send data to the SDRAM through the DMA at a fixed rate during >> >may be 1 or 2 second, and is this process >> >can be stopped/disturbed by the internal refresh process of SDRAM ? >> > >> >If yes, is there a solution, to manage the two process ( fixed >> >acquisition and SDRAM refresh cycle) ? >> > >> >Thank you very much. >> > >> > >> > >> If you are only collecting ADC data at that rate, can you use an I/O mapped >> device instead of DMA, and just poll and read the data? Or are you saying >> that the ADC data will start up and run at some rate approaching the memory >> cycle time for 1 to 2 seconds? >> > No, ADC data run at a fixed frequency (30 MHz) during several seconds, >so data, from the ADC, must be writen to the sdram at rate one byte every 0,03 usec, >during several seconds. >( ADC hasn't buffer). >But what happend when the SDRAM enter in its refresh cycle, which occurs every 64ms ? > >Tanks > >P.M.B. > Maybe this will help... Refresh is the periodic reading of all rows of a Dram. If you were to do a bulk write and the number of bytes written exceed the number of rows in the DRAM then refresh or not you will have refreshed the ram. Nominally refresh is handled in two ways bulk, doing all the rows in one long pass every so many mS as required by the devices. The better and more common technique is to interleave refresh in between accesses such that you will have accomplished refresh of all rows in the required time. My, $.02 is if your running an ADC at 30mhz and the system has SDRAM you still only using a fraction of the bandwidth and refresh is not an issue. Since your writing nearly (30mhz*2sec-60Mbytes) 60mbytes of data you will refresh the ram nearly 31.25 times in two seconds, likely more than enough to satisfy refresh. Allison

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Very strange Atari Printer

by bpope＠wordstock.com

> Whilst browing Yahoo! auctions, I came across this Atari 825 printer: > > http://auctions.yahoo.com/i:Atari%20825%20printer:5025875 > > Problem is, I can't figure out how it works. Where do you plug it in? > > :) Well, it does have gold umm... connectors so that has to be good! Cheers, Bryan

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Software needed for Nicolet FTIR

by dj.taylor＠starpower.net

Like the majority of you who participate here I love to tinker with old stuff. I have managed to buy a used Nicolet model 210 FTIR system complete with PCI interface card and cable. These instruments fascinate me because they depend on a combination of computers, electronics, optics, lasers and precision mechanical movement to perform their function. When I got it home it didn't work because the laser power supply was not getting the 12V needed to power it up, when I corrected that and plugged it back in the instrument went into a 'maintenance' type of mode with the moving mirror scanning in a free run mode. The internal infrared source appeared to be working also since it put out a soft orange glow. This instrument and the software for it are not supported by Nicolet - now Thermo Electron - because it is so old. It is from 1993, and I am looking for someone who has the G-Series bench driver and OMNIC version 6.0 or below. I'm asking the classicmp group for help since I think someone out there might help me along. When I spoke to the Nicolet rep he told me that he also had a machine at home [what a hobby!] so he could identify with me, however my machine was retired and I needed to get an old version of Omnic and the g-series bench driver, and it would have to run on Windows 98 or earlier, but Nicolet wouldn't sell it to me. So, if anyone out there knows of some laboratory/chemistry type who may have old versions of OMNIC laying around and no longer need them have them get in touch with me. Thanks Doug

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Mac 128K board

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

Anyone here have a working Mac 128K motherboard available? I have an old machine here with some strange memory problems that I really do not want to invest any more time into. -- Will

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

transcribing old docs

by dgriffi＠cs.csubak.edu

I'm transcribing the docs for a Radio Shack PT-210 printing terminal because I don't see it online anywhere and I just recently acquired a photocopy. This manual has a fair number of typos and a peculiar capitalization scheme which is typical of writing from the 1700s. Here's an example: [begin quote] If you set the PT-210 to Half Duplex and the Host is echoing the character, you will see two of each character on the Paper -- one character will be from the PT-210 and the other echoed from the Host. [end quote] So, is it a Good Idea to correct stuff like this? Should I be concerned about maintaining the page numbering? -- 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?

20 years, 1 month

5
6
0 0

RGB & LCD...

by brad＠heeltoe.com

(sounds like a stevie wonder song, "r-g-b...and l-c-d..." (ugg, clearly I've had too much coffee). I have an old computer from the '80s and it has a frame buffer with RGB+S (sync) output on classic BNC connectors. Back in the day I'd go find a suitable (unbearably heavy) RGB monitor and 4 coax cables and connect the two. But I find myself without any RBG monitors these days. But I do have a bunch of new-ish LCD monitors which seem quite happy to sync up to pretty much anything. So, can I just (somehow) connect the RBG+S signals to a mondern LCD? Has anyone tried this? I haven't even thought about it electrically so this may be thinking out loud. Most of these lcd monitors seem to have VGA signals. I did once have a DW13 to RBG/BNC connector. And I think I have a DW13 to VGA adapter... Is that the right way to go? I don't know anything about the frame buffer in this thing. I suspect it's some sort of 640x480x8 device. I can do some digging. (it's a Symbolics 3630 lisp machine in case you are wondering, a so called "g-machine", where they put the original 3600 into a small number of FPGAs). Any advise appreciated... -brad

20 years, 1 month

5
6
0 0

HP 9000 Pascal 3.2 : HFS on HP9133L

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> You refer to sending all of your HP docs to Al for scanning. I don't > know who Al is; please can you provide the link to his site. That would be me. I've been completely consumed for the past three months putting the Computer History Museum's software collection together. What I have pdf'ed is at bitsavers.org/pdf/hp/ I need to get this stuff back to Joe ASAP.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

TI 990 with disks, manuals, software

by aek＠bitsavers.org

> Is there any interest in a TI 990 system complete I'd like to, but it's too far away. Keys should probably get it for the museum in Houston.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

HP 9000 Pascal 3.2 : HFS on HP9133L

by walkerpa＠ihug.co.nz

Hi Joe, First of all, I am enjoying the discussions coming from cctech. It's encouraging to know that there are others out there with the collecting and preserving attitude. In answer to Bernd Kopriva's comments: >Another issue : is it possible to boot from the floppy within the 9133 ? I can only boot from another >9122 that is connected, but not with the 9133 build in drive, later it's possible to use it normally My understanding is that with bootrom 3, or later, it should be possible to boot from any HP-IB attached storage device. That's probably provided the system booted then provides support for additional drive types which can be loaded as required. This is the situation with Basic 3.0, and later, where the system file SYSTEM_BA3 doesn't know about Amigo or CS80 devices, but the necessary BIN files can be loaded immediately after booting (by the bootrom). Pascal has to have the support available, but should boot I think. Your comment about checking the disk format is also very valid. It took me a while to realise that the floppy in my 9153C drive was HD floppy compatible! That's after having it in storage for many years. I am getting back into this stuff which is where I started all those years ago. Two questions: 1. You refer to sending all of your HP docs to Al for scanning. I don't know who Al is; please can you provide the link to his site. 2. Did you find your pascal install version? I have version 2.0 and 3.0. Unfortunately, I've lost the 'IO' file from the 3.0 version (disk read error), which leaves me unable to compile. So I'm looking for that. Did I have a backup? No. Have I learnt a lesson??????? Have I now made copies of the other disks (640k format)? Regards, Peter -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.1.394 / Virus Database: 268.10.5/403 - Release Date: 28-07-2006

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Early RAID history; circa 1987

by Steve＠OceanRobots.net

Hi, I'm researching early RAID, circa 1987. Interested in applications beyond RAID 0. Have heard that Polymorphic Systems had RAID boxes; perhaps model 88XX or similar? Any information is appreciated. Steve

20 years, 1 month

2
1
0 0

HP 9000 G70

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

>BTW, the text is supposed to get displayed on the 25th line >(the "status line"). If you don't have an HP compatible terminal, >or emulator, you can get a free one for Windows at Aha! that explains all the garbage characters and why it doesn't seem to put in <CR> when I'm in CM. Currently running on a WY-150+. Seems to work O.K. once it's bootstrapped. Guess I'll keep my eye out for a HP 700 terminal (or maybe not, I have the Wyse doubling for my VAX). Perhaps I'll try the HP emulator (if it runs under WINE) first to see if it's "worth it" to have a HP terminal.

20 years, 1 month

1
0
0 0

Double emails

by paul0926＠comcast.net

Is anyone else receiving double emails? I'm not sure when it started, but I get two of everything now. Paul

20 years, 1 month

3
3
0 0

Classic computers sighting (article)

by tpeters＠mixcom.com

Classic computers sighting: on the TechRepublic web site: http://nl.com.com/view_online_newsletter.jsp?list_id=e101 Dinosaur sightings: Vintage computers from the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s Whether it was a Honeywell 400, Altair 8800, Timex Sinclair, Radio Shack TRS-80, or Commodore 64, IT pros usually remember their first computer. But nothing lasts forever. State-of-the-art hardware eventually becomes obsolete and fades into computer history. The following galleries contain photos of the outdated computers that fill museums, supply closets, storage lockers, and techie basements everywhere. See the machines that defined the information age and the hardware that made them run. Featured galleries Inside the first personal computer: Kenbak-1 The Kenbak-1 is considered by many to be the world's first "Personal Computer." Erik Klein, vintage computer collector and Webmaster of Vintage-Computer.com, takes you inside his Kenbak-1. Inside the Altair 8800 vintage computer If not the first home computer, Ed Roberts' Altair 8800 was definitely the first successful one. Watch as Erik Klein, vintage computer collector and Webmaster of Vintage-Computer.com, restores one of these classic machines. Dinosaur Sightings: Computers from 1980-1983 The 1980s was a decade when cool cops patrolled the streets of Miami and Reaganomics drove US fiscal policy. It was also the decade when PCs went mainstream. This gallery showcases several 1980-1983 machines from Steven Stengel's vintage computer collection. Dinosaur Sightings: Computers from 1984-1989 As the year of George Orwell's totalitarian future passed us by, PC technology took tremendous steps forward-including the first GUI. This gallery showcases several 1984-1989 machines from Steven Stengel's collection. Dinosaur Sightings: Computers from the 1970s During the disco days of the 1970s, personal computers moved out of the electronic hobbyist's garage or basement and into the office, classroom, and family den. This gallery showcases several 1970-era machines from Steven Stengel's vintage computer collection. Inside the Commodore Pet 2001 vintage computer The Commodore PET 2001 was the first fully integrated computer from Commodore. Erik Klein, vintage computer collector and Webmaster of Vintage-Computer.com, shows you the hardware that makes the Commodore PET 2001 run. Dinosaur sightings: Old-school computer hardware As giant lizards once roamed our planet, so did mammoth machines once balance our checkbooks. From ENIAC to RadioShack's TRS-80, this gallery contains photos of the outdated computer hardware. Dinosaur Sightings 2 From a Honeywell 400 to an Atari 800, TechRepublic members share their favorite photos of old-school computer equipment is this second edition of our Dinosaur Sightings photo gallery. Dinosaur Sightings 3 From an IBM 5251 Display Station to a Commodore SX-64, TechRepublic members share 16 new photos of old-school computer equipment in this third edition of our Dinosaur Sightings photo gallery. Dinosaur Sightings: SPARCstation Collection Take a walk down Sun's memory lane, with John Dunn's collection of 17 different SPARCstation machines. More galleries More creative uses for dead computer equipment IT departments and end users often donate, recycle, or trash obsolete computer equipment. But more often than ever before, individuals are using dead computer hardware in creative and interesting ways. Worst tech in Q2 2006 Like with a bad movie that achieves cult status because it's just that bad, we love to hate something about these unlucky 13 products and downloadable duds from the past three months. A trip down HP's memory lane In 1960, when Hewlett-Packard built offices, the facility was state of the art and evoked the new frontier. Now, it's a nostalgic reminder of a time when people smoked in their offices and nearly every available surface was covered with simulated wood paneling. [Commentary] Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes >from bad judgement. --... ...-- -.. . -. ----. --.- --.- -... tpeters at nospam.mixcom.com (remove "nospam") N9QQB (amateur radio) "HEY YOU" (loud shouting) WEB ADDRESS http//www.mixweb.com/tpeters 43? 7' 17.2" N by 88? 6' 28.9" W, Elevation 815', Grid Square EN53wc WAN/LAN/Telcom Analyst, Tech Writer, MCP, CCNA, Registered Linux User 385531

20 years, 1 month

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toner transfer circuit board etching

by chrism3667＠yahoo.com

what if you drill your holes first? Would that at all alleviate the problems experienced with a double sided etch? I figure I could lay out a copy of the artwork, dimple each hole with an awl or whatever, then drill , which will hopefully facilitate accurate placement of the transfer sheets. Farming out is likely to be expensive I guess on a very small quantity. The board is about 7.5 inches square (Radio Electronics 80188 robot brain). __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com

20 years, 1 month

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11i on NOVA hardware

by compoobah＠valleyimplants.com

Good news is in- HP-UX 11i v1 (Sept 2005 version, the one that currently ships) will run on NOVA class PA-RISC hardware (9000/887 G70). Do yourself a favor and don't try to install using the factory shipped (2x) CD-ROM, though. You need to do the manual install, and you need huge quantities of disk space (I had to trim the default install to fit it on 4GB). Speed is acceptable with dual CPUs and 768 MB RAM, don't know what it would be like on other systems.

20 years, 1 month

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