test-drb

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

101090 discussions

by mcguire＠neurotica.com

A friend and I just watched the movie "Seven". I'd seen the movie before, but I hadn't noticed the VAX-11/780 in the background of the computerized fingerprint matching scene. It's obviously not running (no roar in the background) but it was definitely a '780. :-) -Dave -- Dave McGuire "She's a cheek pincher. I have scars." St. Petersburg, FL -Gary Nichols

23 years, 3 months

Cromemco

by rob_gr＠yahoo.com

Mike, When I get a chance I will try to dig out information on the Cromemco, 64KZ memory board. Can not promise I will find anything as we are looking at 15 years. Bob __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com

23 years, 3 months

Oersted Ratings of DC300A and DC600 Tape Cartridges

by aek＠spies.com

an interesting history of the 1/4" tape format can be found here: http://www.cybergenetic.ca/ebook/wrh13.htm

23 years, 3 months

Computers for sale

by JRBrown＠DVECCJAX.med.navy.mil

I have a Kaypro III, 2 Osborne I's and 1 IBM laptop. All three are 10-15 years old and all but 1 of the Osborne's run fine. I would like to sell them but don't know how to go about it. Could you offer some advice. I will be inventorying the software this evening and will be able to answer detail questions tomorrow. I appreciate your assistance. James R. Brown Jrb2000(a)bellsouth.net <mailto:Jrb2000@bellsouth.net> or jrbrown(a)dveccjax.med.navy.mil <mailto:jrbrown@dveccjax.med.navy.mil> Phone after PM is 904-269-3984; cell 904-813-8452

23 years, 3 months

Scripsit for TRS-80 Model 4; bug in program

by bobh＠wolv.tds.net

Did anyone here use Scripsit on the TRS-80 Model 4 and have the problem of long documents getting all garbled? That was a wonderful memory that I had of the "Good Old Days".

23 years, 3 months

Vintage Computer

by mail＠auctionessentials4u.com

Ernest, I was an Engineer at Apple in the late 70's. I have an original Apple II that I put together as my lab bench computer. It has a proto-type Language Card that I designed.( I also have hand written design notes for the board and a second proto card) The system also contains a proto-type Disk controller boot card and 16 sector Disk. I also have a proto-type hand soldered proto-type parallel port that I designed and licensed to Apple. My library contains a ton of software much of which was used as in-house design tools, some with documentation. The system works. Have you any idea how much this may be worth and the best channels to sell it? BTW: I live in Woodinville WA and I believe you are in Seattle. Check out my Bio at: http://www.ipages4u.com/Bio.htm Robert Paratore paratore(a)ipages4u.com 206-353-6666 http://www.ipages4u.com

23 years, 3 months

Sharp PC7000

by formated＠juno.com

The Sharp PC7000 has a nice light blue display with different backlight settings...Dim, Standard, and Bright. A contrast wheel helps fine tune the view. On bright the text is clear and readable.

23 years, 3 months

Power Supply for IBM Aptiva

by rtuttle＠earthlink.net

Robert F. Schaefer: [power supply, FRU 06H2973, P/N 06H2971 has 3.3V, and an extra connector, keyed 3 pin with a latch, 22GA black, white, & red] Do you still have this available? I use my old Aptiva A40 as my network server here at home. The power supply has been failing for a while but as long as you don?t bump it, it seems to work OK. However, Christmas must have done it in. I need a new one. Will be glad to get yours if still available. Thanks, Rick Tuttle Milwaukee

23 years, 3 months

Anyone have any experience replacing a Dallas 1287 with a 128 87?

by Robert_Feldman＠jdedwards.com

There are 3 memory expansion slots. When filled with 4MB modules, the max RAM is 12.6MB. Three hard drives were offered: two 20MB (type 2) and one 40MB (type 22). The difference between the 20MBs was the interleave of 1:1 vs 3:1. The Compaq Service Quick Reference Guide (1992) lists 13 different ROM revisions, from F.2 to K.1 -----Original Message----- From: Ethan Dicks [mailto:erd_6502@yahoo.com] Sent: Wednesday, January 01, 2003 4:51 PM To: cctalk(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Anyone have any experience replacing a Dallas 1287 with a 12887? --- Tothwolf <tothwolf(a)concentric.net> wrote: > Years ago I used to maintain some of these systems... > The memory modules are located center-front of the "laptop", under a > metal shield/cover. Yep. Found those. Full of SRAM, not DRAM, astonishingly enough. > I don't remember how many slots exist, but I think it can > hold 3, maybe 4 modules. Modules were available in 1MB and 4MB sizes. Three. I have three 1MB modules. Didn't know there were 4MB modules. I'm sure I'll never run across any. For DOS usage, 3.6MB is OK. This one has Windows 3.0 on it, but I don't need it for what I'm doing. > The hard drive is a 3.5" form factor IDE drive. Usually, these systems > had a 20MB or 40MB drive, but it would have been possible to upgrade > it to 120-210MB too... Mine has the bog-standard 40MB Connor drive (type 22). Would love to find a set of replacement ROMs for this so I could use oddball drives, but for now, I'm stuck with what I've got. -ethan <snip>

23 years, 3 months

substitute for TI TIL306/307 Display?

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Toth, At 10:51 PM 12/31/02 -0600, you wrote: >On Tue, 31 Dec 2002, Joe wrote: > >> Does anyone know of another display that can be substituted for the TIL >> 306/307? Here is a data sheet for the 306/307 in case you have a >> question about it, <www.alltronics.com/download/TIL306.pdf>. > >I don't know of an exact replacement offhand, but I thought these were >still in production? Are they? I think mine are about 25 years old. FWIW I went looking for some at a large local surplus store and found one that I think is prototype. It's built out of clear material instead of red and is marked TIXL306 and is date coded 7204 (almost 31 years old!). I went through several boxs and THOUSANDs of displays and only found one standard 306 and the one prototype. How many of these displays are you looking for? I >believe I still have a few in my parts bin... In addition to the one that I found in the store I need three of them. Mine were in sockets and the dissimilar metal corrosion has eaten off at least one leg off of each of mine. Joe > >-Toth >

23 years, 3 months

Anyone have any experience replacing a Dallas 1287 with a 12887?

by erd_6502＠yahoo.com

While attempting to revive a Compaq 286/SLT laptop for use as a front-end for my UP600a programmer, I have found that the battery on the DS1287 has died (no suprise there). What sucks is that even after I run the floppy-based setup utility, after a reboot (not a power-off cycle), the machine forgets what I just set, both the data and time, and the geometry of the A: drive. Seeing as how it thinks there's a 5.25" floppy and it's really a 3.5" high-density drive at the end of the cable, as you can imagine, it won't reliably read disks. So... I have ordered a replacement DS12887 since they no longer make/ship the DS1287. Couple of interesting app notes here: http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/562 http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/2681 What I'm wondering is if anyone on the list has ever replaced a DS1287 with a DS12887. One of the sheets seems to suggest that I'll need an updated BIOS ROM (clearly not available for a 286 laptop) to drive the extra stuff associated with the enhanced century rollover. Alternatively, has anyone here successfully performed surgery on a Dallas module? I have disconnected the battery from a Mostek 48T02 from a SPARC and soldered on an external Lithium cell, but the packaging makes it easy to get access to the battery wires coming down from the top (I even put the battery on a 9V battery snap so it's easier to replace) I haven't heard of anyone doing this for the more sealed Dallas modules. So... anybody else suffer though this? -ethan __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail Plus - Powerful. Affordable. Sign up now. http://mailplus.yahoo.com

23 years, 3 months

Z8000-Fan

by David.Kane＠aph.gov.au

Hi, I always wanted to play with this processor, I just never got the chance. I have a copy of the Zilog "Microcomputer Components - Data Book Feb 1980" and a copy of "Programming the Z8000" (a Sybec book), but that is about as far as I ever got. I was tinkering with the thought of modding the SIMH emulator to include a Z8000 system, but I don't have any details or experience of any real systems. I then though to invent a fictitious S100 system, based on the existing Altair emulation, but with a Z8000 CPU. This could most likely run a CPM8000 system, with the appropriate BDOS changes. But a lot of work would be need to get a set of compilers/cross compilers for the Z8000, either in tracking them down or writing them. I saw recently that BDS C has been put into the public domain with full source, so there might be some avenue there. Still to generate CPM (or MPM) for a fictitious machine would be a mammoth undertaking, I have all the source code needed, just not the compilers. It would require an 8080/Z80 to Z8000 cross assembler (to avoid rewriting all the assembler), a Z8000 PLM compiler, and a Z8000 C compiler. Anyway I am declaring myself an unfulfilled fan of the Z8000 processor family. David Kane -----Original Message----- From: G?nter Mewes [mailto:info@mewesbus.de] Sent: Saturday, 28 December 2002 12:49 AM To: cctech(a)classiccmp.org Subject: Z8000-Fan Hi Mr. Johnston, today I was looking for some Z8000 Fans, to talk about experieces ... Are you interested ? Please, be so kind and send a mail. Guenter Mewes (www.guentermewes.de)

23 years, 3 months

IBM PCjr needs a new home

by vcf＠siconic.com

Reply directly to: <patriots1959(a)yahoo.com> ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 1 Jan 2003 14:58:34 -0800 (PST) From: Jason <patriots1959(a)yahoo.com> To: donate(a)vintage.org Subject: IBM PCjr Hello! I have a working 1980 IBM PCjr, with 51/4 Floppies of software. If you are interested please reply Thank you, Jason -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org * Old computing resources for business and academia at www.VintageTech.com *

23 years, 3 months

Floppy disk media density/format mismatching

by ian_primus＠yahoo.com

I was hunting around on ebay, and I found this quite by accident. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/ eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4610&item=2085201851 It is an auction for some reproduction Apple Lisa system disks. The guy certainly did a good job copying the labels, but I really wonder about the data on them - the disks he used are high density floppies. I always thought that if you format a high density floppy for low density that it will work for a while, then the data will become corrupt due to the different magnetic properties of the media. I know that this is true on 5 1/4 media, I used a high density disk in a Commodore 64 by mistake once, and it didn't work very well. I also remember back when high density 3 1/2" floppies were pretty expensive, I used to buy low density disks and drill holes in the other corner so I could reformat them for high density. It worked just fine, and those disks still work. Can anyone shed any light on the subject? Ian Primus ian_primus(a)yahoo.com

23 years, 3 months

WWII fire control 'computers'

by mranalog＠attbi.com

Jules Richardson asks: > Does anyone know anything about the mechanical fire control computers as used > in second world war for UK coastal defence batteries? Do you know who the manufacturer was? I have started web pages for Ford Instrument, and Arma Corporation. And I have some information on them. I also received this email just last Sunday from David Mindell, Associate Professor of the History of Engineering and Manufacturing at MIT: > ....... You might be interested in my new book, > Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and > Computing before Cybernetics (Johns Hopkins, 2002). > It has a lot of heretofore unkown history of analog > computing, including the Ford Instrument Company, > Sperry, Arma, naval fire control, early Bell Labs > analog electrical computers ("operational amplifiers,") > Philbrick, etc. Even a Librascope computer, not unlike > the one on your page, incorporated into the Mark 56 > radar-controlled gun director. I have not had a chance to see a copy of this book yet. But you might look for a copy of this book, or email the author at mindell at mit dot edu and ask him. --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog =========================================

23 years, 3 months

Hi!/ Sharing the technology/ LK401/ Thanks!

by pete＠dunnington.u-net.com

On Dec 31, 13:03, Justin wrote: > > Oops. Sounds like you have an LK450, LK461 or LK471, not an LK401. LK401 > > uses a DEC protocol, the others are PS/2-style keyboards. They're not > > interchangeable, I'm afraid. There should be a label on the underside, > > with three barcodes, the top barcode being the model number. Does it say > > LK401, or something a little different? > > You are the only one to say it speaks DEC and not ps/2 though it has a > ps/2 connector. The circuitboard looks like that of a LK201 when I take > it apart. They all look fairly similar. What I meant is that the ones with PS/2-style plugs normally use PS/2 protocol, and the ones with an RJ11 use a different, proprietary protocol. My PS/2 ones are at work so I can't easily check. The only ones I have here are RJ11 LK401s, from VT420s. > It does have 3 barcodes on the bottom. It isn't made by DEC but in > Mexico by someone My LK401s, one UK layout, one German, both say Made in Mexico but they're still DEC. > But it ways 5.0 VDC, so I guess it must be ps/2 and not dec style since > dec has 12 vdc? Sorry, I can't remember. -- Pete Peter Turnbull Network Manager University of York

23 years, 3 months

Apollo Guidance Computer was Re: WWII fire control 'computers'

by mranalog＠attbi.com

While trying to find more information about the book "Between Human and Machine: Feedback, Control, and Computing before Cybernetics" that I mentioned earlier, I came across a streaming video clip (little over an hour long) of professor Mindell discussing his book: http://web.mit.edu/mitworld/content/authors/mindell.html click on "View->>" A very interesting listen. Towards the end of the clip he mentions that his next project will involve the evolution of virtual environments starting with flight simulators in the 1930, through Apollo, to the internet today. I also noticed during my search that he is the point of contact about the Apollo Guidance Computer for the "History of Recent Science & Technology" web site at MIT - http://hrst.mit.edu/ Anyway, since some people here have been asking for more information on the AGC, I thought I would mention that the "History of Recent Science & Technology" web site has a great library of PDF documents on the AGC at http://hrst.mit.edu/groups/apollo/bibliography/q-and-a.tcl?topic_id=11&topi… I glanced through some of the files. Many of them are quite large. The first file, "Apollo Guidance and Navigation Lunar Module Student Study Guide" seems to be a very detailed manual on the workings of the computer, including a list of machine instructions. "Demonstration of the AGC" is a video clip of the computer being operated. "Astronauts' Guidance and Navigation Course Notes" is a introduction to functioning of the whole Apollo Guidance and Navigation System. And the file "Luminary 131" (which is a 637MB 1742 page PDF file that took me 2 hours to download at 90kps!!!) is entitled "Apollo Luminary 131 (1C) Program Source Code Listing "19 Dec 1969 NOTE: This listing contains the flight program for the Lunar Module as created by MIT's Draper Lab for the Apollo 13/14 moon missions" And many many more.. --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward @ home in Poulsbo, WA Analog Computer Online Museum and History Center http://dcoward.best.vwh.net/analog =========================================

23 years, 3 months

Floppy disk media density/format mismatching

by cb＠mythtech.net

>I >always thought that if you format a high density floppy for low density >that it will work for a while, then the data will become corrupt due to >the different magnetic properties of the media. In my experience this is true. A long while back, at work we had a client that kept sending us boxes of blank HD 3.5 disks for use on PCs. We never needed them (sent all the data va modem), and some at my office kept taking them and formatting them as 800k in our Macs (SE's and Pluses at the time). None of them lasted more than a few weeks and a few dozen read/writes. They generated read/write errors fairly quickly, and always ended up loosing data. Some wouldn't even take a format. I can't imagine them being much better for a 400k disk (which was really a single sided 800k disk as far as Apple was concerned... but don't be fooled into thinking a 400k disk is safe to format as 800k... I have many many disks that went bad doing that as well... I can only assume that only one side of the media was tested as good in manufacturing). I had even worse experiences with punching a hole in a DD 3.5 disk and formatting for 1.44 (I even have one of those hole punchers sold for just this purpose). I think of the bunch that I tried (I think it was a pack of 25), only something like 5 even took the format, and those 5 failed almost on their first use... that was a total disaster of an experiment (I bought the puncher and a pack of disks specifically to avoid the higher HD cost... it was after this failure that I looked up info on the disks and learned WHY this wouldn't work, then I was amazed at the fact that a company sold a punch tool for it... but like PT Barnum says...) -chris <http://www.mythtech.net>

23 years, 3 months

Free Wang PC in MD

by owad＠applefritter.com

This Wang sounds like it's been well taken care of. Email Bob <james917(a)earthlink.net>. Bob's original messages (with HTML stripped): ---------- I have a top of the line Wang computer complete with keyboard, monitor, and daisywheel printer. I have numerous wheels and about a dozen tapes for the printer. Our local authorities have scheduled a pickup for obsolete and unwanted electronic and computer equipment on 13 January 2003. My wife insists I get rid of 'all' unused electronic gear, and I hate to see my Wang in a landfill. Do you know anyone who would want it? If so, please forward this message. I'm located in Salisbury, MD, and my e-mail address is <james917(a)earthlink.net>. ---------- Happy New Year, Tom. Re my Wang: I do not find a model number but Wang's literature calls it a Professional Computer. It was made in 1986 and bears a serial no. PG3397. Its dimensions are: 26x16x5 inches. The printer 's dimensions are 22x16x5. It is primarily a word processing device, and Wang's Integrated Word Processing reference guide calls it version 2.5. Other literature (Installation guide) refers to PC 300/33C series. The computer is NOT IBM compatible. I have lots of descriptive literature and instruction manuals. Further, If anyone is interested in getting this computer and associated equipment, and realizing Salisbury is in a somewhat remote area, I would be willing to meet with a prospective owner in Easton, MD., or, depending on weather, at one end of the Bay bridge. Further than that I'm unwilling to drive. I'm going on 87 years of age, and not as adventure-some as I was several years ago. I hope you can find someone who wants this device. I had lots of fun with it, and I certainly don't want to see it end up in a land-fill. Once more, Have a good 2003. Sincerely, Bob ----------

23 years, 3 months

A better new year

by lgwalker＠mts.net

For a better new year, all that has to be done is make pretzels a couple of centimeters thicker. Most all the world will be delighted. A war-free year to all. Lawrence May you get halfway to heaven, before Satan learns you're dead or 3/4s of the way to the bar before your wife finds you've gone out. lgwalker(a)mts.net bigwalk_ca(a)yahoo.com

23 years, 3 months

substitute for TI TIL306/307 Display?

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Does anyone know of another display that can be substituted for the TIL 306/307? Here is a data sheet for the 306/307 in case you have a question about it, <www.alltronics.com/download/TIL306.pdf>. Joe

23 years, 3 months

Section 9? (HP 1000 power supply)

by glenslick＠hotmail.com

That is good information to know. I never had a plug to look at and check the resister inside. I think I was told 880 ohms, but that doesn't appear to be a standard resister value while 820 ohms is a standard value. Now that I know the real value to use I will build a real plug instead of just using some test clips and a trimpot for now. -Glen >Here I sit looking at a little black square 3x3 plug, HP p/n >12991-60002 (stamped in white ink on one side of the hood). > >Inside the hood (visible through the hole in the back) there is only a >1/4W resistor connected to pins 4 and 6, which matches Glen's >description. Bands are gray, red, brown, gold. Hmm, 820 ohms? >Measures as 823 ohms on my cheap digital multimeter. > >-Frank McConnell _________________________________________________________________ Protect your PC - get McAfee.com VirusScan Online http://clinic.mcafee.com/clinic/ibuy/campaign.asp?cid=3963

23 years, 3 months

Section 9? (HP 1000 power supply)

by fmc＠reanimators.org

"Glen S" <glenslick(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > But someone else on the list told me that something like an 880ohm resister > across the left most and right most terminals of the middle row of the > battery connector input would trigger the power supply to power up all of > the way. That did the trick for the HP 1000 / 2117F that I have. Here I sit looking at a little black square 3x3 plug, HP p/n 12991-60002 (stamped in white ink on one side of the hood). Inside the hood (visible through the hole in the back) there is only a 1/4W resistor connected to pins 4 and 6, which matches Glen's description. Bands are gray, red, brown, gold. Hmm, 820 ohms? Measures as 823 ohms on my cheap digital multimeter. -Frank McConnell

23 years, 3 months

Section 9?

by jimw＠agora.rdrop.com

Ok, a tad cryptic. <G> I've found the .pdf version of the HP 1000/M/E/F Engineering Docs, but every copy I've been able to access is missing section 9 (still can't keep track of the Roman Numerals they mark the sections with) which covers the power supply. There seems something a tad 'twinky' with mine, tho I seem to recall at one point someone had directed me to a jumper/resistor that needed to be installed at the 'Battery Input' connector on the rear to wake something up, but of course now that I'm working on it I can't find anything... Help??? -jim --- jimw(a)agora.rdrop.com The Computer Garage - http://www.rdrop.com/~jimw

23 years, 3 months

Anyone have any experience replacing a Dallas 1287 with a 12887?

by dwightk.elvey＠amd.com

>From: "Ethan Dicks" <erd_6502(a)yahoo.com> > > >While attempting to revive a Compaq 286/SLT laptop for use as a >front-end for my UP600a programmer, I have found that the battery >on the DS1287 has died (no suprise there). What sucks is that >even after I run the floppy-based setup utility, after a reboot >(not a power-off cycle), the machine forgets what I just set, >both the data and time, and the geometry of the A: drive. Seeing >as how it thinks there's a 5.25" floppy and it's really a 3.5" >high-density drive at the end of the cable, as you can imagine, >it won't reliably read disks. > >So... I have ordered a replacement DS12887 since they no longer make/ship >the DS1287. Couple of interesting app notes here: > > http://www.maxim-ic.com/appnotes.cfm/appnote_number/562 > http://www.maxim-ic.com/quick_view2.cfm/qv_pk/2681 > >What I'm wondering is if anyone on the list has ever replaced a DS1287 >with a DS12887. One of the sheets seems to suggest that I'll need >an updated BIOS ROM (clearly not available for a 286 laptop) to drive >the extra stuff associated with the enhanced century rollover. > >Alternatively, has anyone here successfully performed surgery on a Dallas >module? I have disconnected the battery from a Mostek 48T02 from a SPARC >and soldered on an external Lithium cell, but the packaging makes it easy >to get access to the battery wires coming down from the top (I even put >the battery on a 9V battery snap so it's easier to replace) I haven't >heard of anyone doing this for the more sealed Dallas modules. > >So... anybody else suffer though this? > >-ethan > > Hi In a search of the news groups, I found an article by a fellow that had done surgery on a number of different modules. One thing that seemed to be constant was that they put the battery in a number of different locations within these types of devices. If I was going to hack mine, I first take it to a printed circuit building shop. These guys usually have a small X-ray machine for inspecting solder joints. With one of these, you can locate where the vital parts of the chip are. You can then use a Dremel to grind into it and connect an external 3V cell. Dwight

23 years, 3 months

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test-drb