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101090 discussions

Sovier/Russian 132-pin PGA Ceramic IC Packaging

by pbirkel＠gmail.com

In item https://www.ebay.com/itm/265045229011 I am curious as to whether the gold islands on the top-side are functional test-points giving electrical access to the underside pins? Was there a clip designed to attach to the top-side of these chips for use in circuit analysis? Was this design unique to Russian manufacture (I don't recall ever seeing this design previously)? paul

4 years, 9 months

VT340 Emulation

by mark＠matlockfamily.com

One VT340 emulator that works quite well is the VT Lan 40. This was one of the last terminals made by DEC. It ran Windows 3.1 from ROM and used the LK411-AA keyboard (with the round PC keyboard connector) displaying on a Super VGA LCD display (1024 x 768 x 16 colors) It could connect to several (unto 8) systems simultaneously using a DB25 serial, a MMJ serial, then over its ethernet connector: multiple LAT, CTERM (DECnet) and Telnet (TCP/IP) sessions. The session windows allow cut and paste between Windows. The VT340 emulation seems to be perfect displaying Regis and pixels correctly and handling mouse movements correctly in the VT340 mode. Output from Saturn Graph for VMS works great! It also displays APL overstrike characters correctly with VAX APL using the ^D prefix described in the APL documentation. It also handles some escape sequence quirks that RSX KED does that mess up other VT100 emulators. Being able to use a Super VGA display allows a small footprint compared to a real VT340 (for VCF events) and the fact that it uses a real LK411 keyboard is great. The only minor issue is that they are not cheap, but you can buy new-in-thebox old inventory at: http://keyways.com/vtlan40.html You?ll also need a VT411-AA keyboard sold separately and find a Super VGA LCD display. Fortunately the last item can be cheap. I got a good NEC one at a second hand store for $20. One final comment, the two VT Lan 40s I got eventually had a connector between the front power switch and the actual switch break due to a bad choice of plastic by DEC. However, this can easily be repaired with a 1? piece of 1/8? I.D. PVC tubing from the hardware store. Mark Matlock

4 years, 9 months

On compiling. (Was a way off topic subject)

by cclist＠sydex.com

On 6/23/21 1:14 PM, Paul Koning wrote: > I don't remember the details at this point, but I assume the "execute TECO macro" operation in the Stevens PDP-10 TECO compiler is done in that way. And of course these could keep the compiled code around to reuse if the source string hasn't changed. A modern example of this technique is the regex library in Python, which lets you compile a regex string into a compiled regex object for later use, or lets you perform operations using the regex string directly. The latter form caches a string -> compiled regex cache so doing this in a loop still performs reasonably well. Could be the case of "what does "compile" mean?" If the meaning is "reduce to machine language" maybe not. Otherwise, if the meaning is "interpret", then maybe so. Consider this paragraph of the tutorial at http://www.snobol4.org/docs/burks/tutorial/ch7.htm" -------------------------------------------------------- 7.7 RUN-TIME COMPILATION The two functions described below are among the most esoteric features, not just of SNOBOL4, but of all programming languages in existence. While your program is executing, the entire SNOBOL4 compiler is just a function call away. ----------------------------------------------------------- So maybe not rendering into machine code, but something else. --Chuck

4 years, 9 months

Rockwell 65001EAB3

by brain＠jbrain.com

I know it's a long shot, but wondering if anyone might have a Rockwell 65001 EAB3 type IC lying around in a discard pile or otherwise willing to go to a new home.? Here's a pic of one in the Commodore C900 keyboard: https://i.ibb.co/tZ2m68x/IMG-1538.jpg I see one online for sale, but the both the pricing is untenable for a device I don't need to use but just wanted to research and I also don't want to prohibit a known good device from being available if needed. Jim -- Jim Brain brain at jbrain.com www.jbrain.com

4 years, 9 months

ISO: Docs for Mostek MK8009-CA omnibus memory

by derschjo＠gmail.com

Hey all -- Picked up a memory board for my PDP-8/A, it's a Mostek MK8009-CA, currently outfitted with 32KW of memory but with empty pads for another 32KW. Not a ton of documentation on this -- anyone have anything? At minimum, configuration information would be nice, I'd also like to know what it takes to upgrade it to 64KW (apart from 24 more 4116's), so schematics would be excellent. I have this weird idea about extending TSS/8 to use more memory and the advanced features of the KT8-A... - Josh

4 years, 9 months

Early Programming Books

by pbirkel＠gmail.com

I know of two early computer (in the stored program sense) programming books. 1951: Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer (Wilkes, Wheeler, & Gill) 1957: Digital Computer Programming (McCracken) What others were published prior to the McCracken text? Excluded are lecture compendia and symposia proceedings, such as: 1946: Moore School Lectures 1947: Proceedings of a Symposium on Large-Scale Digital Calculating Machinery 1951: Proceedings of a Second Symposium on Large-Scale Digital Calculating Machinery 1953: Faster Than Thought, A Symposium On Digital Computing Machines These were principally about designs for, and experience with, new hardware. I'm curious about texts specifically focused on the act of programming. Were there others prior to McCracken? paul

4 years, 9 months

VT340 Emulation

by cctalk＠gtaylor.tnetconsulting.net

On 6/18/21 5:50 PM, Wayne S via cctech wrote: > We didn't really need Regis graphics so we never tested that out. I'm not sure what the OP's use case is, but if they / you are wanting ReGIS (or Sixel) graphics, XTerm supports (both of) them. Incidentally, I have my XTerm configured to set it's decTerminalID to vt340. -- Grant. . . . unix || die

4 years, 9 months

VT100 colors

by lars＠nocrew.org

Hello, Does anyone know what colors a VT100 is? Most photos online has it looking yellowish, but I expect that's from aging. Some people I have asked claim it was a light cream color. This bitsavers picture has it looking neutral grey: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/terminal/vt100/vt100_wps-8.jpg And the black parts are claimed to be dark brown. I haven't found any color codes in the manuals.

4 years, 9 months

Water Cooling and Hot Climates was RE: IBM 1620; was: Early Programming Books

by dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com

> -----Original Message----- > From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Van Snyder via > cctalk > Sent: 22 June 2021 00:00 > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: Re: IBM 1620; was: Early Programming Books > > On Mon, 2021-06-21 at 17:26 -0400, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: > > > Of course, nowadays, the old R22 systems are being refilled with > > > purified propane, called R290. Cheap, with better thermal > > > properties than R22, but probably not legal when LCM picked up the > 6500. > > > > When cleaning out a 3rd party CDC dealer quite a few years back, he > > remarked that the CDC machines going way back all the way to the 800s > > were fantastically unpicky about how they were cooled. He just used a > > garden hose connected to the building potable water, and if the > > machine under test needed more coolant because it was running warm, it > > just pumped more supply. Heated waste water went down the drain. > > > > This unlike the IBM water machines. > > I was once told that the most valuable guy in a Honeywell 6080 Multics shop > was the plumber. > I don't ever remember the 6080 being water cooled? I Thought Honeywell/GEC was all air cooled. All the L66s (which were from what the Multics machine was developed) were air cooled. I was told the following tale by one of my Honeywell contacts.... ... Apparently the last Shah of Iran owned a Level 66 for the use of his secret police. Apart from the fact that the OS had been modified by Honeywell Italy, and the documentation for this was in Italian which no one on the job understood, and when the OS crashed it was usually in a section of the code with Italian comments, there was also a problem with the power. As the temperature rose the power invariable failed. This was because it was run from a diesel generator that was out in the sun, it over heated and cut out..... ... any way after many complaints the military man in charge came to the Honeywell staff and told them the problem was solved. They of course asked how and were taken to the generator and shown the latest modification. They had fitted a new cap to the radiator with a thermometer in it, as often found on vintage cars. They had painted a read line on the gauge and assigned a soldier to watch it. When the needle got to the line, he blew his whistle and several other soldiers appeared and threw buckets of water over the engine until it cooled down.... I just wonder what they did while waiting for it to overheat...... > > > > -- > > Will Dave G4UGM

4 years, 9 months

VT100 colors

by lars＠nocrew.org

Many replies. Thank you all! I have 3D printed Michael Gardi's VT100 model, and I'll try to find some pleasing colors for painting it. https://hackaday.io/project/177596-23-scale-vt100-terminal-reproduction

4 years, 9 months

Early Programming Books

by paul＠mcjones.org

1955: An Introduction to Automatic Computers (Ned Chapin <https://www.csueastbay.edu/oaa/files/docs/memorial/memorialchapin.pdf>) I have the second edition ? copyright 1963. Chapter 8 is ?Elements of Programming? with a fully-worked out assembly language example for a hypothetical machine. > Date: Sun, 20 Jun 2021 04:43:58 -0400 > From: "Paul Birkel" <pbirkel at gmail.com <mailto:pbirkel at gmail.com>> > > I know of two early computer (in the stored program sense) programming > books. > > 1951: Preparation of Programs for an Electronic Digital Computer > (Wilkes, Wheeler, & Gill) > > 1957: Digital Computer Programming (McCracken) > > What others were published prior to the McCracken text?

4 years, 9 months

Who has a working Terak?

by jfoust＠threedee.com

One of the original UCSD Pascal team contacted me, asking if any of my Teraks are still working. Sadly, they don't. I seem to remember hearing on the list that someone had re-capped and re-socketed their Terak, and that it's working. He wants to get video of an original, working Terak to demonstrate the UCSD Pascal menu system. He wants to show how the UCSD Pascal menu system could've influenced Apple's menus on the Lisa. Yes, I pointed out that you can run it under emulation. - John

4 years, 9 months

Wanted: IBM 2671 docs and IBM stuff

by alsilisk＠icloud.com

Dear All, Recently I received an IBM 2671 paper tape reader and have been slowly restoring it. However I've hit a bit of a brick wall because no service docs are known. If you are sitting on some please do let me know. I am also looking for other bits of IBM mainframe/midrange stuff to restore so if anybody is looking to sell some, please PM me as well. I am in south England. Thanks, Al

4 years, 9 months

Wanted: Hp Display Tube 5083-1551

by holm＠freibergnet.de

hi all, a friend of mine (Hartmut) is restoring desktop- and pocketcaluculators as a hobby. Lately he got an HP9100B on his desk with a bad display tube (the getters are white) but is otherwise in a good shape. Is here possibly someone that has such an display Tube to sell? Kind Regards from Germany, Holm -- Technik Service u. Handel Tiffe, www.tsht.de, Holm Tiffe, Goethestrasse 15, 09569 Oederan, USt-Id: DE253710583 info at tsht.de Fax +49 37292 709779 Tel +49 37292 709778 Mobil: 0172 8790 741

4 years, 9 months

MITS 300/55 Business System

by jfoust＠threedee.com

Fellow wants to unload it, located in Lansing, MI USA. 80 meg HD. https://www.reddit.com/r/vintagecomputing/comments/o2qggk/altair_8800a_with… - John

4 years, 9 months

VT340 Emulation

by dave.g4ugm＠gmail.com

Its been a while but Attachate software generally only needed special hardware for stuff like 5250 twinax, 3270 co-ax, and various SDLC connections. This page might help check which versions support regis but they perhaps don't go back to the really old versions... https://support.microfocus.com/kb/doc.php?id=7021488 Dave G4UGM > -----Original Message----- > From: cctech <cctech-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Wayne S via > cctech > Sent: 19 June 2021 00:50 > To: Douglas Taylor <dj.taylor4 at comcast.net>; General Discussion: On-Topic > Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org> > Subject: Re: VT340 Emulation > > We tried to use Reflection 240 on IBM PS/2 machines circa 1990. IIRC, it > installed easily w/o needing special drivers. > For the most part it worked as advertised. We didn't really need Regis > graphics so we never tested that out. It's problem was that it was really slow > on PCs, much slower than a real VT240 terminal. We were trying to use Dec's > "all in one" office automation to do word processing and spreadsheets. It's > slowness caused us to abandon it and just use word perfect and lotus 123 > instead. FYI, There are reflection manuals on the wayback machine for > reference. > > > Wayne > > > > On Jun 18, 2021, at 12:51 PM, Douglas Taylor via cctech > <cctech at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > Right, according to the few notes I've seen on the packages currently for > sale on ebay. > > > > I hesitate to buy because I picked up a similar piece of software, Smarterm > 240, which seemed to do the desired emulation. It was old software for DOS, > but I have an old DOS machine I use for PUTR I thought I could install it on and > be up and running. It didn't turn out that way because Smarterm wanted a > particular video card and driver (which I didn't have, of course). I didn't find > that out until I got the package open and tried installing it. > > > > I don't know if the Reflection software has any restrictions like that. The > versions I see for sale are for Win3.1 and such, not exactly the heyday of plug > and play. I was hoping to get some guidance from someone who has used > the Reflection software on what the actual hardware/software requirements > are. > > > > On a side note, emulating a Tektronix 4010 is apparently free and high > quality (see github). It is the DEC graphics terminals that no one has > produced an open source emulation software for, so that's why I am asking > this question. > > Doug > > > >> On 6/18/2021 1:16 PM, Bill Degnan wrote: > >> Reflection 4 should do that, right? > >> Bill > >> > >> On Fri, Jun 18, 2021 at 1:15 PM Douglas Taylor via cctech > <cctech at classiccmp.org <mailto:cctech at classiccmp.org>> wrote: > >> > >> Does anyone have experience with the Reflection software that will > >> emulate a DEC VT340 color graphics terminal? > >

4 years, 9 months

Vintage Computer Museum eBay Sales

by organlists1＠sonic.net

It seems at least on the first page of their listings, $899.99 is a favorite asking price? https://www.ebay.com/str/vintagecomputermuseumservices?_trksid=p2047675.l256 3 Don Resor

4 years, 9 months

IBM Logic IC equivalency information needed

by santo.nucifora＠gmail.com

I am currently working on an IBM 5100 that has some issues. I know for certain that the 5100 has a bad graphics controller card so I need to dig into component level replacements for those ICs I can replace. I have a list of logic chip equivalents to the IBM part numbers that are written on the chips but I don't think it's 100% accurate because IBM part number 1582601 comes back as 74151 "DATA SEL/MUX" but when I use one of those cheap logic chip testers (that is surprisingly accurate), it comes back as a 74157. For the record, if I test a 74151, it comes back as a 74151 so the tester is correct. I just want to make sure the table I have is accurate and that the tester is not 100% accurate or if that chip has failed and tests like a 74157 in it's state. This is the current list I am using that I got from somewhere but I don't recall where: https://vintagecomputer.ca/ibm-vintage-logic-chip-equivalency-list/ Does anyone have an IBM logic chip equivalency table for 74 series logic chips? Any help is much appreciated. Santo

4 years, 9 months

PDP-11/05 (was: PDP-11/05 microcode dump?)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Tom Uban > it has the early version M7261E Control Logic & Microprogram board and > the later version M7260 Data Paths board Ah, I'm glad someone found all that stuff I wrote up there useful. As always, I _think_ I got it all transcribed correctly, but do be on the lookout for errors! > it seems like an older/newer combination, but maybe that was common. I > would not have guessed that the four possible combinations would all > work together, but maybe they do? I honestly don't know. As far as I can tell, the DEC documentation doesn't even _mention_ the two different board generations; perhaps a sign that they are functionally interchangeable? (Although even the section on baud rate, in both DEC-11-HKDBB-A-D and EK-KD11B-MM-001, 4.11, doesn't even mention the early board. So maybe the manual just ignores the earlier version completely?) I don't have an /05 up and running at the moment, or I'd check all 4 and see if they all work. > Presently, the machine sometimes runs relatively well and other times > it does not. What are the failure symptoms? (It's almost certainly going to take a 'scope to fix it; I expect you have one?) I'd start by monitoring the CPU clock, and make sure it's running when the failure happens. (Note that the front console is handled by the microcode, so if the microcode isn't running, the machine will be totally dead. EK-KD11B-MM-001 has a good description of how that works.) > my initial messing with KM11 boards, reveals that I can step the > microcode with a KM11 in either the #1 or #2 position, but when two > KM11s are installed at the same time, they do not function properly > together. Is this expected or do I have an issue there too? Not sure. EK-KD11B-MM-001 (available at: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/1105/EK-KD11B-MM-001_Jan75.pdf and definitely something you need) says, at pg. 5-6 "KM11 switches have the same function in slots KM-1 and KM-2", and on 5-7 "permits the user who has only one KM11 to plug into either KM-1 or KM-2". So that _sounds_ like you should be able to plug two in together. The first indicates that the switches, the only input to the KD11-B from the KM11, are wired in parallel, and the only other thing on the KM11 are the lights, outputs. And why mention "user who has only one KM11", if having two is no use because one can't use two at once? Noel

4 years, 10 months

Sun 3/60 Up for Grabs

by john＠ziaspace.com

> I'm moving and I need to clean out a few things. > > I have a Sun 3/60 with no keyboard/mount/monitor/hard drive - just the > pizza box. It net booted NetBSD, but that was many years ago so YRMV. > > Free for pick-up only in Queen Creek, AZ. Is this still available? This is the kind of hardware I'd like to help preserve. Thanks, John Klos

4 years, 10 months

Sun 3/60 Up for Grabs

by david＠thecoolbears.org

I'm moving and I need to clean out a few things. I have a Sun 3/60 with no keyboard/mount/monitor/hard drive - just the pizza box. It net booted NetBSD, but that was many years ago so YRMV. Free for pick-up only in Queen Creek, AZ.

4 years, 10 months

Large Scale Systems Museum

by mloewen＠cpumagic.scol.pa.us

https://www.mact.io/ Hi folks! We've been away from Facebook for awhile, but we've been staying busy here. Now that things are starting to get back to normal from the disruption of Covid19, we're doing tours again, and we're getting our volunteer work days rolling again, restoring more and more vintage systems for you to enjoy. However, we're in a bit of a pickle, and we need your help. Our main floor air conditioning system has died, and is beyond repair. It's a 40-year-old power hungry system anyway, so it really just needs to be replaced. We have a quote in-hand from a local, reputable A/C contractor for a brand new, ultra-efficient system, and we're trying to raise funds for it, about $8500. We're already about halfway there from recent private donations. If we're unable to get the rest of the way there, we'll have no choice but to close for the summer. As an all-volunteer, donation-funded nonprofit educational organization, we depend on your support to keep doing what we do. Please help us if you can. We accept donations via PayPal to donations at mact.io, or via check/money order made out to Museum of Applied Computer Technology, mailed to the museum at 924 4th Avenue, New Kensington, PA 15068. Any overage will be put toward our utility bills and other operating expenses. LSSM/MACT is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Thank you, -Dave McGuire President/Curator, LSSM/MACT

4 years, 10 months

Memorex Telex IDE 711186669587 ISA controller

by w9gb＠icloud.com

The recently acquired a Memorex Telex IDE ISA controller (early 1990s), number 711186669587 , that has an unpopulated floppy / tape controller area on the board. The board has 34-pin internal header and DC-37 for external drive. I would like to populate those missing components on the PC board. I could reverse engineer the design, and ?fill in blanks? of the likely floppy/tape controller. The PLCC package (44-pin) is likely a late model chipset (tape/floppy). A schematic, parts list, or manual would shorten the effort for this board. Greg chicago

4 years, 10 months

Disk drives, keypunch offered in SF bay area:

by cclist＠sydex.com

This fellow-s been posting on VCF; thus far, he's offered a pair of Perkin-Elmer disk drives and a USB-modified 029 keypunch. Stuff is pickup-ony by July 8. The drives: https://sfbay.craigslist.org/pen/sop/d/los-altos-perkin-elmer-interdata-vt2… --Chuck

4 years, 10 months

Anyone need a 10 tape Compaq DLT drive with changer cart?

by cz＠alembic.crystel.com

Hi! Dragged out my old Compaq DAT tape drive and although it powers up some of the rubber wheels have turned to goo. Since I don't have any reason to fix it I thought I'd offer it here for shipping. Compaq 3000 series, this is a 199527-003, rebadged HP tape changer. It got a 10 tape capacity changer cartridge, powers up, moves the tape cart, however throws an error 40 because the rubber is gone. One of the wheels is liquid but intact so you can probably measure the OD to install a spare. Anyone want it? Or it goes in the recycling. CZ

4 years, 10 months

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