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

by cc＠informatik.uni-stuttgart.de

Hi, for those who wonder why our mirror at bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de is outdated: The reason is that the main rsync server is down/unavailable since March, 11. I've already contacted Al several days ago but haven't got any response yet. Christian

9 years, 2 months

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Research info needed.In early days-(60's) develop Blind/ RTTY asn Comp. Output

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Research info needed.In early days-(60's) there was an effort to develop Blind/Deaf Blind Amateur Radio RTTY and computer output utilizing assistive technology with braille output. There were also efforts for computer output devices also. Please respond OFFLIST so we do not clog the reflector. We are seeking more information,materials, and stories (This is a history project for SMECC Communications and Computation Museum) Note I have checked google and other things ALREADY! - I HAVE NOT checked some of the online but restricted access database of publications that may bot be indexed in google so if something looks really great drop it to us. We are primarily looking for material and stories from the 60's and 70s - But before ok! (If there was any?) and after... yes if during the early development phases We have the following questions: - Aside from Ray Morrison, who else was working on this? - Anyone here work with Ray on this or have photos of gear and paperwork? - Although we have some of Ray Morrison's articles, we are looking for other letters, documents hardware, memories of use etc. - ` Are there any Blind / Deaf Blind RTTY or computer users here today that participated in this effort? - Are there any Blind/Deaf Blind CURRENT participants Amateur Radio RTTY or other digital modes with assistive technology producing braille output?? - Anyone use Lee Brody's Deaf Blind Communication terminal hand have a recounting of it or still have an example of the hardware? - Looking for Computer output devices and information, photos, stories etc, by any developer or user from the 60's and 70s primarily but later material will go into the archives on this subject as well. Nowadays there are plenty of things, but way back then... not so much! - Feel free to send me anything you think I should know related to the above topics that I may not have hinted on, but you think I need. Thanks in Advance - Ed Sharpe archivist for SMECC _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org/) E-mail direct at couryhouse at aol.com also please cc info at smecc.org Snail mail to: COURYHOUSE/SMECC Attn. Ed Sharpe - Archivist 5802 W. Palmaire Ave Glendale AZ 85301 USA

9 years, 2 months

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HP 9000/700i 745 Which keyboard ?

by pete＠petelancashire.com

I've read the 745 can use two keyboards. And looking for recommendations One it the same keyboard that goes with the 9000/300, the 46021A/B/C and the other is the "PC-101" C1429A/B (and I think C) Anyone with a 745 ? -pete

9 years, 2 months

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Selling SGI Fuel

by jon＠jonworld.com

I should post to Nekochan but I'm going here 1st. 600Mhz R14K SGI Fuel, 1G of RAM. 16G HDD. I threw in a soundcard that *should* work with IRIX but I'm not 100% sure. IRIX 6.5.30 seems to be loaded. I tried to build/load some of the Nekoware stuff at one point but ran out of time. Size and weight makes shipping prohibitive (unless you're willing to pay.) I'm located in the UK now in OX10 (south of Oxford and north of Reading.) -- -Jon +44 7465 605833

9 years, 2 months

1
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Intel 64 kbyte qbus memory board?

by mattislind＠gmail.com

Does anyone know how to configure the Intel IN-1611 64 k qbus memory board? I seem to be unable to find documentation online. https://imgur.com/a/KBIoJ There a switch block an then also a number of jumper wires.

9 years, 2 months

1
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WTB: DEC Rainbow Expansion Memory

by shadoooo＠gmail.com

Hello, I'm in the pretty same condition, I have a Rainbow 100B without memory expansion. Not sure however, about the correct board number, which would fit the 100B. What should I search for? Thanks Andrea

9 years, 2 months

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Where/who to donate Sun Ultra 10 in UK?

by pete.dodd24＠gmail.com

Dear All, I'm looking for ideas for passing on an old Sun Ultra 10, which I adopted when my old work was going to bin it. I installed Debian, but have the original OS media. Unfortunately, 3 moves and 2 kids later my time to tinker is non-existent, and my partner has made clear this needs to go before another imminent house move. I notice from my last attempt to boot that it now has the NVRAM battery problem, which a quick search tells me may be fixable. Ideally, I would like to hand it over to someone with more time/motivation (for free) rather than sending to the tip, but I'm stuck for ideas. I did get in touch with wildfire systems, who said it isn't economically viable for them even at zero cost. The Ebay market for these things seems more US-centric and registering for an account and dealing with postage is more effort than I would like (I live in Sheffield, UK). Any ideas gratefully received! Thanks, Pete

9 years, 2 months

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Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

by terry＠webweavers.co.nz

>Here's a writeup for those interested: >http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-04-15- adventures-with-an-8-inch-disk-drive-part1.htm One thing in this project puzzled me. Initially when I was testing the drive I tried to format it for 77-tracks. I used the command FORMAT B: /u /T:77 /N:15 . It wouldn't let me. MS-DOS said " "Formatting 1.15M parameters not supported by the drive" After trying a few other things (unsuccessfully) I just tried a straight FORMAT B: /u It then formatted it without complaint? Listening to the head moving, I counted 77 tracks. The last three tracks the clicking stopped. I'm assuming the head just wrote over that final track 3 times. MS-DOS told me I'd formatted for 1.2MB. I'm puzzled why I couldn't format the disk using the /t:77 and /n:15 switches. Did MS-DOS just go by what was in the CMOS. If that's the case, why have those switches at all? Are they just legacy switches for pre-CMOS machines? Anyone know the answer to this? Terry (Tez) > >

9 years, 2 months

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Kennedy 9000 Tape Drives, Terminals and Packs

by earl＠baugh.org

I was helping out someone here locally to dig thru a pile of electronics that he had obtained in helping out a woman clean out her house. Her husband passed away and she wanted the space back. Apparently the husband "somehow" dealt in HW repair. A good number of the items were known broken spares, Shugart 1004 drives (about 36) and a couple tandem floppies. Those he found a new home for. There were a few items that I told him I'd help circulate info on since they are a bit more specialized (I'm just trying to help him liquidate the items, he is surprising the woman who he got it from with a cash gift when this is done) 1) 2 NOS Kennedy 9000 series tape drives. I checked, they look pristine. There was an invoice that says they're Kennedy 9000-3, 4s models. 2) 9 drive packs. marked ATHANA, which may be RK05 packs (I couldn't find any markings on them to indicate what size, etc.) 3) Lastly he has two Visual 50 terminals. This is all in the Atlanta area, so if you have any interest, let me know and I can relay information to him. Obviously the Kennedy drives would cost a bit to ship... Thanks. Earl

9 years, 2 months

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C, STL, primitive languages that live on and on ... Re: Does anyone here know Siemens STL?

by chd＠chdickman.com

There are a lot of smart people here with wide ranging experiences, so I like to ask questions from time to time that get more to philosophy. So "If C is so evil why is it so successful" was one of those questions. The answer I see is that it is the path of least resistance to the most successful outcome in the time horizon of the effort. Or, it gets the job done. Personally, I am stuck in the machine control world where things like symbolic names and type checking are sometimes non-existant. And I wonder why. SIL-3 and PLe with stone knives and bearskins. On Wed, Apr 12, 2017 at 1:48 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > On 04/11/2017 07:03 PM, Charles Dickman via cctalk wrote: >> The Balkanized nature of programming is interesting. > You might find more fertile ground plowing the plctalk.net forum when > your questions relate to the STL/SCL/FBD/LAD/CSF area. I am familiar with STL (and some of the others). My question was not for help. I was trying to present a contrast between the nit-picking the list was doing about C and that fact that a huge amount of mission critical programming is done in languages that are essentially machine code. It was a ham fisted attempt. Don't post after too many high ABV IPA's. > FWIW, "STL" in Siemens-talk is an acronym for "Statement List". Why it > isn't "SL" is anyone's guess. Probably for the same reason that PZD is process data. > --Chuck -chuck

9 years, 2 months

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Got a request for an image of CP/M for Morrow Disk Jockey

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

I got a request through my web site for a CP/M System Boot Disk for the Morrow Disk Jockey DMA Controller Board. Anyone have an image I could make to help this guy out? Thanks BIll

9 years, 2 months

1
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Horrible error in "pdp11 bus handbook"

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

Just a heads-up that the 1979 edition of the "pdp11 bus handbook" has a very serious editing error in it, in the description of UNIBUS arbitration. On page 38, immediately after step 13 of the NPR Arbitration Sequence ("13. .... SACK must be negated before BBSY may be negated."), it says "A bus master may issue an interrupt command to the interrupt fielding processor." Despite its location in the text, this does __NOT__ apply to the "NPR arbitration sequence" being discussed above. There is an editing error - this text is (or _should be_) separate from the "NPR Arbitration Sequence" section just before it; it belongs with "BR Interrupt Arbitration Sequence" - that header (on pg. 39) was put in the wrong place. The 1975 "peripherals handbook" has very similar text, but it _does_ have a section header after the NPR details (line 13 is identical), and before the start of the (very similar) BR text ("A bus master that has gained control ... through a BRn/BGn arbitration transaction may issue an interrupt command to the processor."). Noel

9 years, 2 months

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Chip in first Apple AirPort WiFi

by t.gardner＠computer.org

Anyone know which Lucent semiconductor device or devices were used in the first Apple AirPort, the Lucent board was " Lucent WaveLAN Silver PC Card" but I'd like to know the devices used. Tom

9 years, 2 months

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Re: Extracting files off “unknown” 8 inch disks. Any thoughts…

by terry＠webweavers.co.nz

Hi, Just an update on this. I still haven't got those 8' floppies of unknown origin to play with but I HAVE made a lot of progress with my own disks. Thanks to everyone who gave me help with this. Here's a writeup for those interested: http://www.classic-computers.org.nz/blog/2017-04-15-adventures-with-an-8-in… Terry (Tez)

9 years, 2 months

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cctech Digest, Vol 34, Issue 15

by bill.gunshannon＠hotmail.com

________________________________________ From: cctech [cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org] on behalf of Tim Mann via cctech [cctech at classiccmp.org] Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2017 8:13 PM To: cctech at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: cctech Digest, Vol 34, Issue 15 Brief comments on a couple of topics... I hadn't heard of the MISE or M3SE before, so I googled. Remarkable projects. It's pretty tempting to get an M3SE to play with on the Model 4P that I bought as a reference platform when I was adding 4P support to xtrs. (I don't have any other physical TRS-80s anymore.) Time continues to be a big problem in the way of doing retrocomputing stuff, though. _____________________________________________ Definitely worth it. It will boot directly from the M3SE making it a lot easier to do stuff. And with the FTP capability I just had an old BASIC program I ran years ago that I wanted to revive. Used FTP to move it back and forth between my Model 1 and a Unix system in order to have a real editor for fixing all the mistakes. Then used FTP to move the program to the 4P to test it out there as well. Never realized the speed difference in the various models until I cold run stuff like this side by side. bill

9 years, 2 months

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cctech Digest, Vol 34, Issue 15

by pete＠pski.net

> On Apr 16, 2017, at 8:13 PM, Tim Mann via cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > I hadn't heard of the MISE or M3SE before, so I googled. Remarkable > projects. It's pretty tempting to get an M3SE to play with on the Model 4P > that I bought as a reference platform when I was adding 4P support to xtrs. > (I don't have any other physical TRS-80s anymore.) Time continues to be a > big problem in the way of doing retrocomputing stuff, though. > Good to hear from you, Tim. Speaking as someone else with the lack of time issue these days, the M3SE makes using the TRS-80 so much simpler and easier that you get to actually spend time using it rather than spending your little spare time getting it working.

9 years, 2 months

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Extra copy of DOS Programmer's Handbook available

by useddec＠gmail.com

Hi Noel, I don't think I need it it but I know someone on the list for about a year that probably does. Let me know the status. Can you call sometime this week? Thanks, Paul

9 years, 2 months

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Program Logic Manual (PLM) for APL\360 or APL.SV?

by spacewar＠gmail.com

Did IBM publish a Program Logic Manual (PLM) for APL\360, APL.SV, or any other APL language implementation, as they did for e.g. their FORTRAN(E) and PL/I(F) compilers?

9 years, 2 months

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Extra copy of DOS Programmer's Handbook available

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

I have an extra copy of: DEC-11-SERA-D Disk Operating System Monitor Programmer's Handbook, February 1971 if anyone has a use for it. Noel

9 years, 2 months

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Harry Huskey, Bob Taylor -- sad news

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Al Kossow > Harry did an oral history at CHM There are also a pair at the Smithsonian: http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC0196_husk730419.pdf http://amhistory.si.edu/archives/AC0196_husk720309.pdf and the CBI did one too, but alas it does not seem to be on-line (it's not in their OH index, and although Google searches for other ones from there turned them up, not this one): Harry D. Huskey, OH-83 Interviewer: Christopher Evans Date of interview: 1976 Anyone have a pointer to it? Noel

9 years, 2 months

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If C is so evil why is it so successful?

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Alfred M. Szmidt > No even the following program: > int main (void) { return 0; } > is guaranteed to work I'm missing something: why not? Noel PS: There probably is something to the sports car analogy, but I'm not going to take a position on that one! :-) Interesting side-question though: is assembler more or less like a sports car than C? :-)

9 years, 2 months

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Looking for PDP-8 G603 "Memory Selector Matrix" boards (or dec T-2052 transformers)

by derschjo＠gmail.com

Hi all -- I recently got insanely lucky and scored a Straight-8 (S/N 14). It made it in nearly one piece from Ohio, but during transit, all of the G603 Memory Selector Matrix boards fell out. It looks like on early revisions, there was no bar in place to hold the boards in (or someone removed the bar from this one, but I see no indications that this was so). So while the rest of the flip chips were secured, I overlooked these in guiding the seller in prepping it for shipping. Two of the boards sustained pretty major damage, about a half a dozen of the little "gum drop" looking transformers (DEC refers to them as T-2052) broke off and most of them fell out and will never be found again. I realize it's a long shot, but does anyone have: - Any spare G603s (working or no, as long as the transformers are there) - Any spare T-2052s (or know of a source) - Any idea what the T-2052 *was* so I can try to replace them. I haven't found much detail as of yet. (The G603 schematic is here: http://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/Eagle/projects/DEC/Gxxx/G603/G603E.p… ) Thanks, all! - Josh

9 years, 2 months

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Silent 700 thermal paper

by chd＠chdickman.com

How long does it last? I have two Silent 700 terminals that have not been used since the mid-80's and a box of thermal paper. Is the thermal paper any good or should I get some more before I try to play with the terminals. Is paper that wide available new and not NOS? I bought some TTY paper and it was NOS and so it is just about to disintegrate before I use it. -chuck

9 years, 2 months

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Harry Huskey, Bob Taylor -- sad news

by cctalk＠snarc.net

Two computer industry pioneers died in the past week. Harry Huskey worked on ENIAC, the Pilot ACE, SWAC, and the Bendix G-15. He was also known for helping overseas universities start their CS programs. Harry was 101. Bob Taylor was an ARPAnet pioneer and Xerox PARC executive. He was 85. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

9 years, 2 months

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Nat Semi 32016 Genix backup floppies available

by elson＠pico-systems.com

As I may have mentioned a while back, I have dug out my backup floppy disks from my National Semiconductor Genix system. In 1984 or so, I built a clone of a Logical Microcomputer 32016 system and copied the OS. I used it for a while, but it was maddeningly slow. This system used a Multibus backplane and a Konan Taisho disk controller, that could handle MFM floppies and hard drives. This backup is >from my copy of the system, and so has a few tidbits of mildly interesting stuff. One thing is I was helping Steve Ciarcia of Circuit Cellar magazine answer his mail, and as this was my only system with 5" floppies, I used it for that. So, this backup probably has some rather amusing replies to the totally INSANE questions he got. One of my favorites was "Steve, can you jot down on the back of an envelope the schematic for an IBM PC so I can hand wire it?" I also wrote a VERY BAD driver for a Versatec printer. It worked, but was insanely inefficient in graphics mode, and took a half hour per page to print. Worked fine in text mode, though. I don't remember what compilers we had on this, obviously C, and maybe Pascal and FORTRAN. Since it worked fine to read and write PC compatible floppies, the floppy format should be easy to read. But, I think this "backup" is a block by block dump of the file system. Notes on the floppies show : cp dc(0,0) on the first, cp dc(0,800) on the second, etc. So, if anyone wants to try to recover the files off this, I'd be glad to donate the set. It appears to be 2 boxes of floppies, 28 in total. I have some more floppies that seem to be the last half of an earlier backup, with less info on how it was written. Thanks, Jon

9 years, 2 months

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MISE and M3SE

by bill.gunshannon＠hotmail.com

Well, now that I know there are TRS-80 afficianados here i wonder if there are any MISE/M3SE experts? I have both running here now and really like them. But, back in the "good ole days" I was priomarily a DOSPLUS user with a little NEWDOS80 once in a while. I was wondering if it is possible to get either or both of these DOSes working with the MISE & M3SE. Any suggestions? bill

9 years, 2 months

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APL and descendants - was Re: If C is so evil why is it so successful?

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

At SMECC we have a very curious laptop with a little tape drive in it that seems to take small dictation size tapes. The little laptop has a rounded top to it. Mfr name on tip of tongue ... but ... It live in one of the Glass chasses .. wonder how scarce they are? only seen the one... Ed# In a message dated 4/14/2017 8:09:32 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk at classiccmp.org writes: > On Apr 13, 2017, at 7:34 PM, Toby Thain via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > On 2017-04-13 6:54 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: >> ... >> ...or that Iverson language, APL, present on the 5100 and what was >> probably one of the the first microcomputers, the MCM/70. >> >> So, whence APL today? > > Still lives on -- Dyalog, J, K, etc. Recently discovered the #jsoftware channel on Freenode for APL fans. For that matter, APL itself also still exists, the OpenAPL open source implementation for example. Works nicely. paul

9 years, 2 months

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DEC Alphaserver 1000 4/266

by aswood＠t-online.de

Hello all, I'm looking for a DEC Alphaserver 1000 4/266 CPU board. Andreas

9 years, 2 months

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TRS-80 curiosity

by bill.gunshannon＠hotmail.com

So, I just picked up an MISE from Bartlett Labs (cause I really liked the M3SE I had) and decided to revive one of my TRS-80 MOdel I's. In my box of "stuff" I found an interesting ribbon cable the function of which I don't know. It is a 40 pin to 50 pin ribbon cable with a black box connecting them that is labeled TANDY. I know of nothing the Tandy made that used a 50 pin connector other than a hard disk. Could that be what this is for? Anybody ever seen one? I no longer have any Tandy External HD's but then, with things like MISE and FreHD why would one still want one other than for nostalgia. bill

9 years, 2 months

10
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WTB: BYT-8 Computer/Chassis

by systems.glitch＠gmail.com

All, I'm on the virge of making a deal with vintagecomputermuseum on eBay over his BYT-8 he's had up for years. It's still overpriced but I can probably sell the boards out of it and make it a reasonable purchase. I already have a board set so really I just need the empty chassis. Before I commit to buy from him (gag!) does anyone have a BYT-8 they want to sell me? The turnkey or full front panel versions are both acceptable. It can be totally empty, or if you want to sell the cards with it I can pay accordingly. Thanks, Jonathan

9 years, 2 months

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Micral - France

by c.murray.mccullough＠gmail.com

>From earlest days: Here in France and saw a Micral?Now there?s a classic computer. Originated in 1973; 8008 :) :) Happy computing all! Murray :)

9 years, 2 months

2
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Soviet PDP-11/J11 Clones

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Terry Kennedy has recently put up some gorgeous pictures of PDP-11, especially J11, Russian clone chips and Russian clone CPU boards at https://www.glaver.org/blog/?p=959 Great commentary, too! Tim N3QE

9 years, 2 months

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If C is so evil why is it so successful?

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Rod Smallwood > All computer computer languages are only as good or bad as the person > using them. True words. I'd rather work on a program written in assembly language, done by a _really good_ programmer, than a program written in _anything_, done by a bad one. (My classic example: that MOS OS done by Jim Mathis in PDP-11 assembler.) Noel

9 years, 2 months

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LOD bands for MIT CADR

by ams＠gnu.org

Anyone seen or got any?

9 years, 2 months

2
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Micral - France

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

I like the MICRAL 808 computer... if you have never seen one folks check out this link! Ed# http://history-computer.com/ModernComputer/Personal/Micral.html In a message dated 4/12/2017 10:15:49 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk at classiccmp.org writes: >From earlest days: Here in France and saw a Micral?Now there?s a classic computer. Originated in 1973; 8008 :) :) Happy computing all! Murray :)

9 years, 2 months

1
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WTB: DEC Rainbow Expansion Memory

by spereira1952＠comcast.net

I?m looking for expansion memory for my DEC Rainbow. I currently have 128K RAM, and I?d like to have 256K RAM, so I can actually use the Lotus 1-2-3 that I recently purchased (without thinking). Any suggestions? Thanks, smp ? Stephen M. Pereira Bedford, NH 03110 KB1SXE

9 years, 2 months

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Does anyone here know Siemens STL?

by chd＠chdickman.com

9 years, 2 months

5
10
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Another language : SDL

by stefan.skoglund＠agj.net

Anyone with access to a distribution of SDT (Telelogik's SDL programming system) for old era SunOS 4 ? I have a SS10 which is a beggar for SDT (or KEE or Frame.)

9 years, 2 months

3
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If C is so evil why is it so successful?

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: John Wilson > It would have been nice if it had stolen FORTRAN-77's idea of declaring > a variable in the size that you want (I'm talking about INTEGER*2 vs. > INTEGER*4 etc.), instead of just "knowing" what the difference is > between int and long Back in the late 70's, trying to write network code, even before we actually ported anything (but could see it coming in the distance), it became clear that C's type system was pretty worthless. We defined a whole new type system, using syntax of the form 'XXXY', where 'XXX' was the type (unsigned, bit field, etc) and 'Y' was a character giving the length (1, 2, 4, bytes; the machine's native word length - 'w'; etc, etc). So 'bitw' was a bit-field of the machine's native word length, 'unss' was a 16-bit unsigned, etc, etc. So then we had an #include file "pdefs.h" which, depending on the setting of 'cc' -Dxxx command flags (this was before they starting getting set automatically to indicate the machine type) included '11defs.h' or '68defs.h' or whatever the case might be), so there were no #ifdef's in the source files at all. We used this everywhere, and it worked very well indeed. So well that, at one point, on a dare, I moved our real-time OS to a new architecture (the 29K) overnight (really - started at around 5PM one day, and had it running the next day sometime - forget exactly when). Well, I'd already gotten the debugger (written in C in the same style, with a bit of assembler for the low-level operations) running on the 29K, so I knew where all the pot-holes were, but still... Most of the code modules were supposed to be portable .. and they just were. Didn't have to touch it, just compiled for the new machine (so the exact same source compiled for both, no ugly #ifdef's, just compile and go). > if it's not portable then it might as well be assembly and get the > benefits that come with that. Sorry, I don't agree. It _is_ possible to write portable code, but even ignoring that, the benfits of writing in a higher-level language (good control structures, complex expressions, etc, etc) are well worth it. I had the pleasure of working with the best MACRO-11 code I'e ever seen (a real-time OS called 'MOS'), where the guy who wrote it (Jim Mathis) had worked out a sdet of macro definitions that allowed him to define structures (and the PDP-11 had an addressing mode, with a pointer to the base of the structure in a register, that allowed you to access elements) - but even so, it wasn't as good a tool as C. Like I said, control structures, complex expressions etc all make things so much clearer in C - which means they are easier to understand (when in someone else's code), easier to debug, easier to modify, yadda-yadda. Unless I were writing code that I _simply could not do in C_, I would not use assembler. Noel

9 years, 2 months

5
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Does anyone here know Siemens STL?

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Charles Dickman wrote: > The puzzling (and frustrating) thing about these industrial control > languages is how primitive they are. There is lots of talk about IIoT > and Industry 4.0, but at the bottom much of it is essentially handed > written machine code. Well, I still get to program in ladder logic and deal with real relay control systems every single day at my day job. Ladder logic, most computer guys wouldn't even recognize that as a computer language. Still decades old. At the other end "modern" is the LUA scripting language of the ESP8266. That's almost exactly like the first time I programmed a TRS-80 or Apple II except it has built-in WiFi and it's a lot easier to get at the GPIO pins and it only costs $5. Tim N3QE

9 years, 2 months

1
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GoFundMe for Cap'n Crunch

by shawn-gordon＠cox.net

This is the 2nd or 3rd fundraising campaign for him in the last year. Anonabox did one last year too. On 4/11/2017 10:59 PM, Evan Koblentz via cctalk wrote: > https://www.gofundme.com/crunch-medical-fund > > Help if you can. > > We all owe a debt to John Draper aka the Cap'n. > > > ________________________________ > Evan Koblentz, director > Vintage Computer Federation > a 501(c)3 educational non-profit > > evan at vcfed.org > (646) 546-9999 > > www.vcfed.org > facebook.com/vcfederation > twitter.com/vcfederation >

9 years, 2 months

1
0
0 0

If C is so evil why is it so successful?

by chd＠chdickman.com

9 years, 2 months

7
6
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GoFundMe for Cap'n Crunch

by cctalk＠snarc.net

https://www.gofundme.com/crunch-medical-fund Help if you can. We all owe a debt to John Draper aka the Cap'n. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

9 years, 2 months

1
0
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RTX-2000 processor PC/AT add-in card (any takers?)

by dfnr2＠yahoo.com

I have a Harris RTX-2000 based system control board for a long defunct system.? The board worked when removed more than 20 years ago in the mid 90's.? The RTX-2000 is a stack-based processor designed for running FORTH.? I think it was designed by Phil Koopman based on his graduate work.? The board is a 16-bit ISA board.? It was part of an MRI system that ran a version of MPE forth with a C-to-FORTH compiler (actually a C-like variant) that spits out a 16-bit FORTH variant with some embedded RTX-2000 code. I also have another card with 3 channels of streaming 16-bit digital I/O, with special hardware to implement on-the-fly rotation matrices to the streaming output. I have all the software and drivers as well. and I have written a c-based simulator that can run the FORTH/assembly emitted by the C-to-FORTH compiler (as well as the MRI libraries and hardware.) If anyone wants to tinker with this hardware, or just pull the RTX-2000 chip, I would rather find a good home than toss the boards. Dave

9 years, 2 months

16
33
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IBM AS400 questions

by lyokoboy0＠gmail.com

Alright, it was quite a while back that I picked up my ibm AS400 model 170. I had asked some questions on the list, it was locked with a password and i could not get into the machine. I finally got around to getting into the machine and am at the main menu. Before i do anything, I want to back up the machine. I have a couple of tapes. I am not familiar with os/400 at all, the intention is to backup the machine so in the event of a hardware failure I will be able to reinstall and still have a licenced install. I come from the sgi land, usually from the prom there is the HINV command to give a nice hardware inventory of the machine, is there a similar command in the ibm world? I want to find what options are installed, cpu and memory details, etc. Any advice on what to do from here is much appreciated. I just want to get the thing backed up and rest assured that if the drives fail i can reinstall the os and it have its license. --Devin

9 years, 2 months

5
9
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remember xvscan?

by dave＠661.org

Does anyone remember using xvscan? Does anyone know how to get a hold of it anymore? -- David Griffith dave at 661.org 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?

9 years, 2 months

3
3
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RTX-2000 processor PC/AT add-in card (any takers?)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Sean Conner > I really think it's for *this* reason (the handler() example) that C > doesn't allow nested functions. I wouldn't be sure of that; I would tend to think that nested functions were left out simply because they add complexity, and didn't add enough value to outweigh that complexity. (In ~40 years of programming in C, I have never missed them.) C seems (well, until the standards committees got ahold of it) to have added things as a demonstrated need was felt for them (see DMR's evolution of C paper), and maybe they just never found a need for nested function definitions? I suspect that Ken probably knows; he's not (AFAIK) on the Unix History list (TUHS), but several of his early co-workers (including Stephen Johnson, who did PCC) are, and could relay a question to him, if it were asked over there (if we really want to know). Noel

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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The iAPX 432 and block languages (was Re: RTX-2000 processor PC/AT add-in card (any takers?))

by sieler＠allegro.com

Eric writes: The 432 architects went on to design a RISC processor that eliminated most of the drawbacks of the 432, but still supported object-oriented addressing, type safety, and memory safety, but using 33-bit word with one bit being the tag to differentiate Access Descriptors from data. This became the BiiN machine, which was unsuccessful. And we come full circle. One of the BiiN designers, John VanZandt (may have been from Intel) cut his teeth on the Burrough B6700 at UCSD (tags, descriptors, stack), and was one of the original implementors of UCSD Pascal. At school, he roomed with a FORTH/LISP/APL implementor (me). Small world, sometimes :) Stan

9 years, 2 months

1
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Atlanta and lots more VCF news

by cctalk＠snarc.net

VCF East is done, VCF Southeast is next (April 29-30), VCF West is August 5-6, and this summer we're announcing a NEW edition of the show in an awesome place. :) Southeast will feature former Apple Macintosh exec Andy Hertzfeld and former Tandy exec Don French. I will be there too, but don't let that stop you from going. ;) http://vcfed.org/wp/festivals/otherevents/vintage-computer-festival-southea… ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

9 years, 2 months

1
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VCF East pictures

by vintagecomputer＠bettercomputing.net

Thanks so much to everyone sharing these. ?Ive not renewed my passport in a while and can't get to any of these events in the US so I really appreciate these. ?Maybe someday we can get a 360/VR type tour thing going. Sent from my Samsung device -------- Original message -------- From: Evan Koblentz via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Date: 2017-04-10 12:13 AM (GMT-08:00) To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: VCF East pictures VCF East XII was held March 31-April 2. Around 500 people were there. Adam Michlin's pictures: http://ceos.io/vcf/east/ Dave Riley's pictures: http://oscar.the-rileys.net/VCF%20East%20XII%20Photos/ Dan Roganti's pictures: http://www.rogtronics.net/blog/?page_id=730 Mike Loewen's pictures: http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VCF-East2017/ Herb Johnson's pictures: http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfe12/vcf_east_2017.html ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

9 years, 2 months

3
2
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Another unknown frontpanel

by cc＠informatik.uni-stuttgart.de

Hi, I have another frontpanel, this one is from Plessey Peripheral Systems and must come from a 16 bit system. It's only the board with LEDs and switches. Does anyone know the system this panel comes from? http://computermuseum.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pics/temp/plessey_fp.jpg Christian

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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VCF East pictures

by cctalk＠snarc.net

VCF East XII was held March 31-April 2. Around 500 people were there. Adam Michlin's pictures: http://ceos.io/vcf/east/ Dave Riley's pictures: http://oscar.the-rileys.net/VCF%20East%20XII%20Photos/ Dan Roganti's pictures: http://www.rogtronics.net/blog/?page_id=730 Mike Loewen's pictures: http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VCF-East2017/ Herb Johnson's pictures: http://www.retrotechnology.com/vcfe12/vcf_east_2017.html ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

9 years, 2 months

1
0
0 0

DEC wall plates, cables

by w9gb＠icloud.com

Paul, Are these the "offset clip" RJ-12 6p6c modular jacks? https://www.showmecables.com/dec-rj12-6p6c-modular-plug-flat-cable greg chicago Sent from iPad Air

9 years, 2 months

4
3
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DOS-11/BATCH-11 manuals on Ebay

by mattislind＠gmail.com

http://www.ebay.com/itm/361940854169 One of them does not seems to be at bitsavers. The shipping is way to high to have them shipped to Sweden and scanned. Maybe someone in the US would care to buy and scan it? /Mattis

9 years, 2 months

2
5
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RIP: Daniel Bobrow

by sieler＠allegro.com

Re: > From: Tony Aiuto <tony.aiuto at gmail.com> > Subject: RIP: Daniel Bobrow > > http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary. > aspx?n=daniel-bobrow&pid=184794881 I worked with Danny for about a year, around 1974, sometime after UCSD put its B6700 onto the ARPAnet (we were something like the 35th computer). The AI community needed a BBNLISP with more addressing space than a DEC-10 could provide, so they came to the king of virtual addressing: the Burroughs. We got the contract to implement BBNLISP, and Danny came to oversee. I remember him typing on a terminal, linking UCSD to about 10 other computers on the ARPANET, finally linked back to us ... sending a message to himself. He was demonstrating the lag time each computer added :) IIRC, sometime during the project, BBNLISP was renamed INTERLISP. I still have the wonderful manual, with the great artwork on the cover. Warren Teitelman (the author) doesn't have his name on the cover. But, the bottom portion has a guy is operating a meat grinder, with the input being the letters of "reference manual" in random order, and the output being "reference manual". Danny explained that Warren Teitelman hadn't gotten the joke :) Danny was funny, quick witted, friendly ... RIP. Oh, UCSD LISP? About a week before we released it, DEC (or BBN?) had a breakthrough and increased the addressability of their virtual memory, obviating the need for our version :( Stan Sieler > >

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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DEC wall plates, cables

by useddec＠gmail.com

Your chance to use real DEC wall plates!!! While going through boxes of stuff in the basement, I found a few cases of DEC wall plates and Adirondack Wire and Cable AWC8100-14-W cables, both sealed in factory bags. There is no H # on the wall plates,but I recall seeing them in DEC sales catalog The cables look like RJ11 and I'll try to open one and measure it tomorrow. Contact me off list if you are interested in making an offer. Shipping from 61853, and as many as you want $10 S&H in US.

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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IBM System/32 and System/3 Manuals available

by curiousmarc3＠gmail.com

Jay Herde, a viewer of my YouTube channel, contacted me to say that he has the following available that he would like to get rid of: IBM System/3 Disk Concepts and Planning Guide. IBM System/3 RPG II Disk File Processing Programmer's Guide. IBM System/3 Models 8 and 10 Disk System Control Programming Reference Manual. IBM System/32 Operator Training Student Text. IBM System/32 Displayed Messages Guide. He should be cc'ed above but I am not sure if his email we will make it through. Contact me off list if you are interested and I'll put you in touch with him. Marc

9 years, 2 months

1
0
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New Jonathan Coulton text adventure/classic terminal music video

by tshoppa＠wmata.com

Yes, I know the video was made by using ?retro-terminal? software http://www.secretgeometry.com/apps/cathode/?<http://www.secretgeometry.com/apps/cathode/> on modern hardware, but the spirit of the Infocom games is still there : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TvVNxqosZ7s The spot halfway through where the screen matches the lyrics is really cool. I seem to recall the Infocom games could ?pace? with realtime delays in the text scrolling but that may be mis-remembering things. Tim.

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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SimH PDP-8 simulator plays music

by kylevowen＠gmail.com

I suspected that I could somehow get some music out of the SimH PDP-8 simulator for a while now, if I could only make it run real time and toggle a GPIO pin fast enough say, on a Raspberry Pi. That may still be doable in the future, but I also had a suspicion that I could generate music not in real time. I finally got around to trying out my idea last night. A few lines were added to pdp8_cpu.c to spit out the elapsed instruction cycles every time a CAF instruction is executed, the default "noise" instruction in the MUSIC.PA program. That's all I did to the simulator. I then ran MUSIC with a given .MU file and watched as many integers are spit out onto the screen. These were copied and pasted into a new text file and saved. The rest of it is in a single C program that I cobbled together. It reads in this new text file and generates a series of pulses as an array of floats. Each interval is about 1.93 microseconds, which I calculated to be the average number of pulses for the music program to be "in tune" with A=440 Hz, plus or minus. This value is subject to change, particularly as the notes get higher in frequency, but only by perhaps 6% or so from my experiments. One detail to note is that per the recommendation of the MUSIC.PA manual, these pulses are extended to roughly 6 microseconds, or three time intervals in my program. This array of floats is then downsampled use libsamplerate to 44.1 kHz (from 1/1.93 microseconds, or roughly 520 kHz) and output to a canonical WAV file, 16-bit single channel. What do you know, it worked! Here's a sample: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_urDcyluX9c My code can be found here, for those interested: https://github.com/drovak/music Presumably, this technique could be used to generate music from any given computer simulator. Thanks, Kyle

9 years, 2 months

5
6
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DOS-11/BATCH-11 manuals on Ebay

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Mattis Lind > One of them does not seems to be at bitsavers. That's on my list of items to get. I have a page-feed scanner, so will easily be able to scan this (although I'll have to get some instruction on exactly what incantation to use to Acrobat to turn the TIFF's into a PDF; apparently "PDF/A", supposedly for archival purposes, is apparently not in fact desirable for that). Noel

9 years, 2 months

1
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Microcomputer and misc for sale

by lyokoboy0＠gmail.com

Many people have been asking for details on the Hp gear. Here are some pictures of everything. https://postimg.org/gallery/wdgbt8lm/ I have powered up the machine and it boots up to hp basic. I never fired up any of the external drive enclosures or the printer. If someone wants to tell me how to test the external drives, I am more than willing to do so to verify that they are in working order. I have gotten several inquiries on the HP gear. Not sure how to handle many people wanting the same gear, now that i have some pictures up showing the model numbers, ill see if people are still interested and what they are willing to offer. --Devin

9 years, 2 months

2
2
0 0

DEC PDP-14 Programmable Controller simulator

by chd＠chdickman.com

I have written a PDP-14 simulator using the simh framework. Paired with a PDP-8 simulator as a front end it passes all the DEC diagnostics. A pointless effort, perhaps, because there isn't much that can be done with it without connecting it to something to control. In the course of research, I saw that there was an option to replace the braided core ROM that was standard, with a R/W core memory. It used a 4k memory module from the PDP-11 (MM11-E) with a special interface module in the PDP-14. I can find no documentation for the interface other than the wire-wrap list for the slot in the PDP-14 that it went into. From the signals available I have not been able to reverse engineer the instructions used to write the core or any detail really on how it might have been used. The option was MM14-A consisting of an interface (M7407), memory (MM11-E), chassis, and power supply. If anybody is still reading, I would be very interested in ANY information about it. -chuck

9 years, 2 months

4
4
0 0

TRS-80 file extensions

by trash80＠internode.on.net

I've been trying to put together a list of file extensions (and a one liner about that file extension) used by TRS-80's (including all the XZ-80 machines, CoCo's, the 8" machines, pocket computers, the 100's. MC-10's etc). Google has been my friend but has only turned up a few answers. I was wondering if anyone has seen something more comprehensive or even has something more comprehensive. Thank you!! Kevin Parker P: 0418 815 527

9 years, 2 months

1
0
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Univac I memory tank

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Dwight Kelvey > I need on of those. I think it belongs in a museum, actually. Provided they can make it work, of course! :-) I wonder how many working delay line main memories are left in the world? Noel PS: Sorry about the previous mostly-duplicate message; I hit the 'interrupt' key and it did the wrong thing.

9 years, 2 months

10
11
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KDJ11-B PDP 11/73 getting stuck in Exit standalone mode diag #56

by Mark＠Misty.com

Hi, I picked up an empty 4x8 Q-bus chassis at VCF-East this year. It's labelled "USDC CSS-823 Processor System" on the outside. It's not a DEC backplane, but the chassis is light aluminum, smaller and in some ways nicer than my pile of BA23s. It includes a switching power supply, LTC and q-bus termination, and I confirmed it's wired for Q22. I was hoping to transplant an 11/83 into it, since it will fit more comfortably in my work area. It has lit DCON/RUN/LTC/HALT buttons on the front pane. The etching on the backplane says something like "MDB Systems, Inc. East Orange, CA 92665" Unfortunately, I discovered slots are all wired Q22/Q22, no top ABCD (Q22/CD) PMI slots like a BA23. So, not good for an 11/83 CPU wired for PMI on slots C-D. So, I was hoping I could get my KDJ11-B (quad-wide 11/73) running in it. Upon power up or reset I get "Testing in progress. Please wait" on the serial console, and the LEDs get stuck on test 56. CTRL-C doesn't do anything yet, and my only options seem to be to hit reset, or if I hit the run/stop toggle, I can reset to the ODT prompt. This is with either just the KDJ11-B in the top slot, or with the addition of a suitably configured MSV11-QA in the next slot. If I turn off the LTC on the front panel, I get the expected Error 61 M8190 clock error, PC and register values, and options to re-run once or loop on test, so I know the LTC is working. I confirmed the KDJ11-B works fine in a BA23, getting past test 56. I also tried an 11/53 CPU here in the ABAB backplane and that gets past the self tests into dialog mode, but I really would like to get the KDJ11-B working in this chassis. I do see that a couple traces to the KDJ11-B C-D slots besides the Grant Continuity connections. I assume since the KDJ11-B has those Grant Continuity connections on slots C-D, it can run in a qbus/qbus Q22/Q22 quad Q-bus slot. I noticed the FP "RUN" lamp never comes on (and is not burned out), but maybe that's normal -- monitoring something on the bus that doesn't happen during power on self test. Does anyone here have suggestions about next steps in diagnosing this? https://archive.org/stream/bitsavers_decpdp1111aintNov86_5833755/EK-1184A-M… ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4.10.18 Exit Standalone Mode (Test 56) In the 22-bit mode, the exit standalone mode is checked by using the guaranteed timeout address of 17 760 000 to verify that the timeout logic works without hanging up the CPU. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- Mark G. Thomas (Mark at Misty.com), KC3DRE

9 years, 2 months

3
3
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Info Needed: DATARAM DR-111 PDP-11 Unibus 16KW Core Memory

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Steven Malikoff > I've scanned the full version of this manual that comprises the > installation guide, description, system specifications, theory of > operation, timing chart, full schematic and manifest. Oh, wow! You get the Documentation Preservation Gold Star! A needed, and useful, manual. Thanks very much for doing this. Noel

9 years, 2 months

1
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Info Needed: DATARAM DR-111 PDP-11 Unibus 16KW Core Memory

by steven＠malikoff.com

Systems Glitch said > Looking for any information and/or documentation on DATARAM DR-111 (assembly > 61101) 16Kx16 core memory boards for the Unibus. I've got four in unknown > condition, one with a clearly destroyed 8T37. > I have a large format scanner with ADF and can digitize print sets if necessary. > Thanks, > Jonathan For anyone else that may be interested, I've scanned the full version of this manual that comprises the installation guide, description, system specifications, theory of operation, timing chart, full schematic and manifest. I believe there is a DR-111 document floating around that is the installation guide only, hence the reason for this new scan. You can find it at http://web.aanet.com.au/~malikoff/pdp11/DATARAM_DR-111_core_memory_board.pdf It's about 6Mb. I have a stack of other docs to be done from my road trip to recover the FOX 2/10 last year, including the PDP-11/15 print set. Steve.

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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Old manuals (Univac, IBM, Burroughs, Teletype)

by dave＠babcock-family.org

Hello Todd, I am a volunteer at the Computer History Museum. I led the museum's full restoration of an IBM 1620 several years ago (http://s3data.computerhistory.org/core/core-2001-03.pdf). I am currently leading a new effort, the /IBM 1620 Jr./, to create an operational, hands-on exhibit using a real IBM 1620 front panel driven by a Raspberry Pi. As part of that effort, I'm writing a new, cycle-level simulator. The existing simulators, like SimH, are instruction-level and cannot drive the front panel. The simulator work could greatly benefit from the IBM 1620 & 1622 manuals and system diagrams that you have. I'd be happy to pay for any shipping costs. When this project is complete, the manuals will be donated to the museum to add to their collection of IBM 1620 documents. Thanks, Dave Babcock

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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Microcomputer and misc for sale

by lyokoboy0＠gmail.com

Looking to make some space so i can work on some of the bigger gear i have sitting around here. All this stuff was stored in a climate controlled environment. I pick up interesting things whenever i can, be it at the scrapyard, flea markets, etc, that is where most of this came from. I worked in a computer shop for a while, a lot came from customers too, You would be supersized what people would drag in.Fix it up... interest fades, and then it starts looking like a museum. 3-4 commodore 64's. many 1541 disk drives, documentation, software. Datassete in tattered box. trs 80 coco - bent corner, works Vic20 1525 graphics plotter / printer. apple IIc - works - keyboard sticks sometimes commodore 64 1702 monitor zenith portable / luggable, complete, second drive sticks/ jams. Boots to dos. Boxed copy of ms dos 6.22 upgrade boxed borland C++ boxed masm like new in box tandy 1400 FD computer. excellent shape. Will not power on >from wall jack, tapped into the 6v battery lead and it works fine, some kind of power jack issue. charging jack works intermittantly. Atari portfolio commmodore amiga 500 with keyboard. Never bothered with it. Has scsi controller, no hard drive. Ordered a floppy to boot it to workbench, it did so. God knows where that floppy is now though... Hp 9000 desktop with related peripherals. boots to hp basic. External enclosure, hard drive and floppy drive External enclosure, dual floppy drive. keyboard Tiny inkjet printer (all the above gear is uses HPIB connection. Plan was to get this all wired into my logic analyzer and other bench instruments, never bothered) This list may be updated in the next week or so as i find more, feel free to ask questions or inquire on pricing. Not looking to strike it rich, but not just giving it away either. Im shifting my focus to mainly DEC and SGI gear. I love picking up the microcomputer stuff, but i just do not need that many machines. I have a nice commodore 64, that should be enough for now. That all being said, if anyone has a vax 780 for sale in florida..... --Devin

9 years, 2 months

1
0
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KDJ11-B PDP 11/73 getting stuck in Exit standalone mode diag #56

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Glen Slick > the Q22/Q22 backplane is not good for an 11/83 CPU ... M8190 boards and > both have PMI signals on the CD half of the CPU board. So I seem to recall hearing tales of PMI cards emitting smoke when plugged into a Q/Q/ backplane. That doesn't seem to have happened here: >> I confirmed the KDJ11-B works fine in a BA23, getting past test 56. So I wondered if his off-brand backplane didn't have +12V or -12V wired up - whatever it is that causes the damage. So I compared a list of PMI pins with a QBUS pinout, trying to see if it was the +12V or 12V that would be the problem. However, I don't see any PMI pins that conflict? (Well, some of them are ground, or +5V, but will that harm bus driver TTL?) Here's my list of PMI pins: CB1 PSSEL CD1 PUBMEM CE1 PBCYC CF1 PUBSYS CH1 PHBPAR CJ1 PSBFUL CK1 PLBPAR CM1 PRDSTB CP1 PBLKM CR1 PBSY CV1 PUBTMO DB1 PWTSTB DC1 PBYT DD1 PMAPE Anyone have any idea which pin(s) is the issue, when plugging a PMI card into a Q/Q slot? Noel

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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Bernie Appel, ‘Mr. RadioShack, ’ Dies ushered in TRS 80

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Bernie Appel, ?Mr. RadioShack,? Dies http://www.twice.com/news/people/bernie-appel-mr-radioshack-dies-85/64710 Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org)

9 years, 2 months

3
2
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Need help with a rescue need Chico / Paradise, California (can someone pick-up and hold?)

by ian.finder＠gmail.com

If anyone would be willing to rescue and hold a small-ish (large desktop) machine near there for later pickup by me this summer, it would be much appreciated. I can pay you a small fee either in beer or American currency. Please let me know if you're willing to help coordinate a rescue. -- Ian Finder (206) 395-MIPS ian.finder at gmail.com

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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Fwd: from reddit

by pete＠petelancashire.com

https://www.reddit.com/r/retrobattlestations/comments/63b8bm/so_i_bought_an… No association etc with the person -pete

9 years, 2 months

2
2
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Old manuals (Univac, IBM, Burroughs, Teletype)

by tpisek＠pobox.com

Spring cleaning has unearthed manuals I no longer need (not clear if I ever needed them ... ). Here's the list: Univac an/uyk-7 theory & diagrams Univac federal systems Technical Bulletins (1973) IBM 1620&1622 CE manuals & complete system diagrams (vol 1,2, & 3) IBM 3031 theory of ops diagrams (vol 1-5) IBM 129 card punch CE & ald diagrams IBM 3275 ald diagrams (2 vols) Burroughs Global Memory schematics & flow diagrams Teletype 33 teletypewriter (ksr & asr) technical manuals and parts list --- Todd

9 years, 2 months

2
1
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interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades https://www.wired.com/2017/04/russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades/?mbi d=nl_4317_p3&CNDID=42833909 enjoy! Ed#

9 years, 2 months

5
8
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More tapes - This time all Tektronix 405x series

by pete＠petelancashire.com

https://goo.gl/photos/m91e3UPSvN6tHUaS7

9 years, 2 months

2
5
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Supercomputers, fishing for information

by iamcamiel＠gmail.com

I'm making arrangements to have four (mini-)supercomputers from the 1980's shipped to me. In the mean time, I'm trying to find out what I can about these systems, so this is a fishing expedition. The systems are: * Convex C1-XP * Convex C1-XL * Intel iPSC/860 * Ardent Titan Pictures of these can be found on my website, at http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/collection/27-odd/76-four-supercomputers (click on the thumbnails to see a larger version) I'd like to get in touch with anyone who knows anything about these machines, as well as anyone who may have documentation, but I also have two specific questions: - Can anyone identify the tape drives shown in the pictures? I believe the one in the Intel iPSC/860 is an Exabyte 8mm one, but the ones used on the Convex and the Ardent are a mystery to me. - Does anyone know what the SRM (System Resource Manager) for the iPSC/860 physically looks like? Does it look like a PC, and does it say Intel on the front? Reason I'm asking is that I'm getting these out of an estate, and I need to tell them what to look for. Thanks, Camiel.

9 years, 2 months

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interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-d...

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Awesome David! now I know what to look for! I like things with a story for our museum displays... the original one always best but next to it is 'one like it' example We do not have Tim Berners-Lee's NeXT cube... but we have one like it! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 4/3/2017 8:20:04 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, davidkcollins2 at gmail.com writes: It's an HP9000 E55. The HP Computer Museum even has one in our collection! David Collins Curator www.hpmusuem.net David Collins Client Engagement Manager Dimension Data Tel: +61 3 9626 0593 Mob: +61 424 785 131 e-mail: david.collins at dimensiondata.com (Sent from out of office) On 4 Apr 2017, at 9:23 am, Cameron Kaiser via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: >> interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - >> russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades > > I'm trying to identify the specific unit. It looks like an early PA-RISC, > but even the enlargement doesn't show the model number clearly. > >> https://www.wired.com/2017/04/russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades/ > > -- > ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- > Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com > -- Please dispose of this message in the usual manner. -- Mission: Impossible -

9 years, 2 months

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RIP Dr. Kan Yabumoto

by cctalk＠ibm51xx.net

Hello All: I am not sure if this is "vintage" enough. However, Dr Kan Yabumoto (1948-2017) passed away after a long illness on 03-31-17. He was involved in the computer industry for many years after being a chemical engineer. He designed and programmed "Mad Planets", one of the "1001 Video Games You Must Play Before You Die". However, in this group though he may be better known for his work at his company Pixelab. Pixelab produced DatMan, XXCopy, and XXClone. I had the good fortune to become friends with Kan while seeking support for XXCopy. He was an intelligent and caring man and he will be missed. -Ali

9 years, 2 months

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interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades

by jfehlinger＠comcast.net

Ed Sharpe wrote: > I'm trying to identify the specific unit. It looks like an early PA-RISC, > but even the enlargement doesn't show the model number clearly. The case matches HP-9000 Series 800 (F-class server) -- one of the lower-end models (807, F10; 817, F20; 837, F30). All based on PA-7000 32-bit CPU (PA-RISC version 1.1a, introduced 1991). http://muuseum.at.mt.ut.ee/kogu/077.html http://www.openpa.net/systems/hp-9000_series-800_nova.html http://www.openpa.net/pa-risc_processor_pa-7000.html PDFs of "Owner?s Guide to the HP 9000 8x7S Family" (1991) and "CE Handbook Series 9x7 and Model 8x7S Family" (1992) are downloadable via links at http://www.openpa.net/systems/hp-9000_series-800_nova.html .

9 years, 2 months

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Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

by dave＠661.org

I'm down to the last few P112 boards for sale and am pondering another run of them because demand is steady. One of the biggest challenges for the last run was getting the QFP-packaged 100-pin chips[1] in a state such that the pick-and-place robot wouldn't throw a fit about slight differences in lead position. The stuffing house insisted that I send them new chips. Pulls, though they looked perfectly okay to me, were not acceptable. Does anyone here know anything about pick-and-place robots using pulled 100-pin QFPs, particularly a stuffing house that can work with such chips and not screw up? [1] The now-obsolete super-io chips -- David Griffith dave at 661.org 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?

9 years, 2 months

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interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-d...

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

due to it's infamy....I think we need one like it for the museums's collection! Ed# _www.smecc.org_ (http://www.smecc.org) In a message dated 4/3/2017 4:23:47 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, spectre at floodgap.com writes: > interesting... hp-9000 in the news! - > russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades I'm trying to identify the specific unit. It looks like an early PA-RISC, but even the enlargement doesn't show the model number clearly. > https://www.wired.com/2017/04/russian-hackers-used-backdoor-two-decades/ -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- Please dispose of this message in the usual manner. -- Mission: Impossible -

9 years, 2 months

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Intellivision reset switch

by Richard.Sheppard＠telus.com

> I'm guessing it was a blob of foam, which has deteriorated, but maybe it > was a metal spring, or a piece of u-shaped plastic etc. May depend on the model, but mine has a spring under the plastic reset button in the top of the case and one of those metal domed tactile switches on the PCB. Richard Sheppard

9 years, 2 months

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HISTORY OF COMPUTER DESIGN: THE MOST INNOVATIVE AND UNCONVENTIONAL PCS EVER MADE

by lproven＠gmail.com

This series of articles focuses mainly on physical design, of cases and so on, but there are some technical details in the articles too. Note that this is the landing page -- at the bottom of the page are links to other articles in the Inexhibit series, such as the Holborn 9100 and Olivetti Programma 101. https://www.inexhibit.com/specials/history-of-computer-design-the-most-inno… -- Liam Proven ? Profile: https://about.me/liamproven Email: lproven at cix.co.uk ? Google Mail/Talk/Plus: lproven at gmail.com Twitter/Facebook/Flickr: lproven ? Skype/LinkedIn/AIM/Yahoo: liamproven UK: +44 7939-087884 ? ?R/WhatsApp/Telegram/Signal: +420 702 829 053

9 years, 2 months

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Cleaning RK05 packs (Was: LGP-30 Memory Drum Update)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Klemens Krause > We clean our RK05 disks in a very robust way: with cheap burning spirit > and paper towels. ... We rubbed away thick black traces from occasional > head crashes and we never removed the oxide coating with this torture. I am about to get a large batch of RK05 packs, so I am interested in the details of this. First, what is 'burning spirit'? (I assume this is a straight translation into English of some German term, but not knowing German... :-) After poking around with Google for a while (hampered no little by the fact that it's the name of a band, and also a term in World of Warcraft :-), it seems like it might be acetone? Noel

9 years, 2 months

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Got a Sun 2/120, ISO Sun 2/3 monitor, Sun 2 keyboard, Sun 2 mouse

by ian.finder＠gmail.com

Hi folks! I recently acquired a functional Sun 2/120. The framebuffer I have is switchable between TTL and ECL, so I can use either an Sun 2 or Sun 3 monitor, which I am looking for. I am also looking for a keyboard and mouse. If anyone on list has any of these items and would be willing to sell them to me, please contact me. I plan to completely restore the system. Thanks, - Ian -- Ian Finder (206) 395-MIPS ian.finder at gmail.com

9 years, 2 months

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Reparando um Vectrex

by alexandre.tabajara＠gmail.com

Oba, post novo no blog! / New post on blog http://tabajara-labs.blogspot.com.br/2017/03/consertando-um-vectrex-com-um-… ---

9 years, 2 months

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Test message - what happened NOW to the mail system?

by hachti＠hachti.de

Hi, I just saw that mails from some people now arrive as desired (real sender, reply-to list), but some (e.g. myself) are still mangled with "xxx via cctalk" - did I miss a setting? Confused... Philipp

9 years, 2 months

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Intellivision reset switch

by jules.richardson99＠gmail.com

Can anyone who's been inside an Intellivision confirm that there's supposed to be a little foam disc beneath the reset switch plate? I picked a system with a box of cartridges up earlier, half expecting the machine to be dead (I was figuring it was going to be a blob of easily-dead-after-so-many-years custom logic inside, but it's more like a "real computer" in nature). It *was* dead, but the [initial, at least] issue seems to be that the reset switch consists of a metal plate which is supposed to make contact with the PCB when pressed - and presumably is held away from the PCB by something when at rest. Except that there's no "something" in this machine - with the machine the right way up, the plate is free to contact the PCB, holding it in permanent reset. I'm guessing it was a blob of foam, which has deteriorated, but maybe it was a metal spring, or a piece of u-shaped plastic etc. cheers Jules

9 years, 2 months

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IBM RT PC card.

by mattislind＠gmail.com

This card is sitting in a IBM RT PC. http://i.imgur.com/Adqnxr3.jpg?1 What kind of card is it? The WD1935 seems to be a SDLC chip. I cannot find any reference to the numbers P/N 6247874 (bottom layer etch) or the number on the sticker on the backside: 6247871G001 It is connected to an IBM marked dongle which has 4 BNC connectors. Is it a 3278-3279 emulation board? /Mattis

9 years, 2 months

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New HP42s clone almost available

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

Good hear it stood the test of time! As an HP PC dealer in the 80s into early 90s we ha a calculator contract with HP also and... we sold the heck out of them! Is it the only one of the 10 series calcs that stayed in production? I have a set of the special demo versions that were mounted on a descriptive plaque that had been in the PHX HP Corp demo center... when they redid that they knew I Hoarded stuff and sent them over. For some of the 10 series that were still being used we had them on the display floor the others went into the the suites next to the business in the historical display. Ed# In a message dated 4/2/2017 8:50:16 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk at classiccmp.org writes: On Sun, 2 Apr 2017, Ed via cctalk wrote: > That is an undertaking indeed! I had not seen this.... Ed# > Someone said the 12c was still being made? The 12c never went out of production. It has been continuously updated. A lot of bankers, insurance people, etc still rely on them. -- David Griffith dave at 661.org 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?

9 years, 2 months

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New HP42s clone almost available

by COURYHOUSE＠aol.com

That is an undertaking indeed! I had not seen this.... Ed# Someone said the 12c was still being made? In a message dated 4/2/2017 9:00:53 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk at classiccmp.org writes: A few months ago I had a prototype of this 42S clone in my hands. It looked and felt very promising! I?ll will buy one when it will be available. For those of you who are interested, please follow the discussions on hpmuseum.org <http://hpmuseum.org/> forum. Jurgen > Am 10.03.2017 um 16:34 schrieb David Griffith via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org>: > > > There's a Swiss guy who's made a name for himself by producing working replicas of classic HP calculators. See https://www.swissmicros.com/. I recently discovered his post on Youtube a video showing off an enhanced replica of my favorite HP calculator, the HP42s. This one is called the DM42. Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LK7JotR728 > > -- > David Griffith > dave at 661.org > > 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?

9 years, 2 months

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RIP: Daniel Bobrow

by tony.aiuto＠gmail.com

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=daniel-bobrow&pid=… I think Ken Thompson paid him the greatest tribute in his Turing Award paper. *"I suspect that Daniel Bobrow would be here instead of me if he could not afford a PDP-10 and had had to "settle" for a PDP-11. * https://www.ece.cmu.edu/~ganger/712.fall02/papers/p761-thompson.pdf

9 years, 2 months

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New HP42s clone almost available

by dave＠661.org

There's a Swiss guy who's made a name for himself by producing working replicas of classic HP calculators. See https://www.swissmicros.com/. I recently discovered his post on Youtube a video showing off an enhanced replica of my favorite HP calculator, the HP42s. This one is called the DM42. Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LK7JotR728 -- David Griffith dave at 661.org 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?

9 years, 2 months

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OT: PCI Ethernet or USB 2.0 ethernet?

by w2hx＠w2hx.com

Friends, I have an instrument that has an intel motherboard with 400 MHz FSB PCI (not PCI-e). It has a 100 mbps Ethernet card and it would be very useful to get faster networking. The chassis of this instrument is such that I cannot fit a traditional PCI 1GB Ethernet card (I've tried). So I will have to go wifi (which I can make fit because I can remotely locate the wifi antenna). I have 802.11ac both 2.4 and 5 GHz available. While it certainly won't get as good a throughput as a dedicate GB Ethernet card, this is my only option. The question is, whether you think I would be better off using PCI wifi card or a USB-wifi adapter. I should mention the USB on this instrument is USB 2.0, the spec for which claims up to 480 Mbps. Anyone have an opinion which might get me better results? The wifi infrastructure is one constant in this scenario, just looking to see pci- or usb-based wifi card. Since this is wildly off topic, please respond to me directly so as not to bother everyone else :) W2hx at w2hx.com<mailto:W2hx at w2hx.com> Thanks Eugene

9 years, 2 months

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Trip to CHM - Hotel/Restaurant Advice

by barythrin＠gmail.com

I thought the Vintage Computer festival west link might have recommended hotels but I couldn't find anything for you. I did a similar trip but needed to be quite a few hours south for my actual destination. I didn't find a very cheap hotel either, and the under $100 one I did find near long Beach was quite underwhelming. The type my wife wouldn't have let us stay at. What I did find more useful was a super small rental car for $98 that did give me much more freedom to get around a few sites (and Weird Stuff). ?It was highly recommended not to sleep in the car though so best luck. I explored airbnb but it seems to mirror closely to hotel prices and a surprisingly large amount want a 2 day stay. But CHM is definitely a fun trip. I have a quite large collection for home computing so I wasn't sure how long I'd stay occupied but between the demos and tours and just perusing I definitely could have enjoyed more than the afternoon I spent. Best recommendations were ubering or rental car then get a hotel in your price range but don't worry as much about location. Or get one near the train.

9 years, 2 months

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Apple 1, Commodore 65, Enigma Machine, Inventor of C++

by barythrin＠gmail.com

-------- Original message --------From: Christian Corti via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Date: 3/29/17 3:29 AM (GMT-06:00) To: Evan Koblentz <cctalk at snarc.net> >On Tue, 28 Mar 2017, Evan Koblentz wrote: >> "What do an Apple 1, Commodore 65, >>Enigma Machine, and the inventor of C++ >> all have in common?" >They're just overestimated pieces of junk ;-)?>(and C++, not its inventor) >[duck...] Said to most of us about our hobby and collections? We're supposed to be challenging that battle, mate. Not feeding it ;-)

9 years, 2 months

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Trip to CHM - Hotel/Restaurant Advice

by rickb＠bensene.com

Hello, all, In mid-June, I am planning a trip to Mountain View for two days to visit the Computer History Museum. I plan on flying out of Portland early AM on June 14, checking into hotel, then heading straight to the museum for the day. I will go back to the hotel for the evening, and return to the museum on the 15th, and stay into early afternoon, and then check out of the hotel and head to the airport to return home. I haven't been to CHM before, and am looking forward to spending an extended period of time there. What I'm asking for is help/recommendations in terms of a good hotel to stay at that is relatively close to the museum. I don't want to be in a luxury hotel, nor do I want to be in a dive. I'd also like to be in a place that has a restaurant relatively close by (preferably within walking distance) that I could get some decent meals (breakfast/dinner) while I'm there. Unless this is a topic of general interest to the group, it'd probably be best to reply to me directly rather than post responses to the list. Many thanks, -Rick -- Rick Bensene The Old Calculator Museum http://oldcalculatormuseum.com

9 years, 2 months

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WTB: DEC VR241 or HP 6000 670H (or 670XP)

by spectre＠floodgap.com

I'm looking for two items: A VR241 to use with my DEC 380 as a colour head (even better if you have the cable and a spare LK201, since I'm down to my last working keyboard). The VR201 isn't cutting it anymore and I don't think I can use my VR260 with this. An HP 6000 670H hard disk (the big one for the 300 series). XP even better, but I've done just fine with an H. Please include what price you're asking. Thanks! -- ------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ -- Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser at floodgap.com -- Communism doesn't work because people like to own stuff. -- Frank Zappa ----

9 years, 2 months

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Cross-talk square-wave?

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Brent Hilpert > I don't have a full enough picture of the circuit and circumstances to > provide a definitive suggestion but, some principles: > ... > It's not clear C-coupling is what's going on here (the wave shape looks > pretty sharp for what I understand of the circuit/layout). Thanks for taking the time for that detailed message. I suspect, however, that Jon Elson has nailed it (thanks Jon :-); if that's what's happening, it explains why we couldn't understand what the devil was going on! > (You've mentioned both 470K and 270K for the R, could make a difference > to the analysis). Yeah, that was just a typo; going from memory. Noel

9 years, 2 months

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