Hi all,
I picked up a Compupro 816 computer yesterday and an external drive unit
with a hard drive and an 8" floppy drive. I haven't brought it home yet so
I haven't taken more than a quick look at it. Can anyone tell be about the
computer and drive? What CPU, speed, etc. What kind of operating system it
uses, etc. I don't see a keyboard or video connectors so I assume it needs
a terminal to talk to it. Does any have a pinout of the serial port so I
can make a terminal cable. What size is the hard and floppy drives, does
the floppy drive use hard sectored disks, etc etc, etc. I noticed that
there are connectors for both a 5.25" and an 8" floppy drives and another
for a hard drive on the back of the CPU box. Does anyone have a manual or
the OS software for one of these?
Joe
<The first thing to try is to charge a large electrolytic capacitor
<(say 10000-100000 uF) to about 20V. Now discharge it through the faulty
<cell. If you are lucky, the cell voltage will rise, at which point charge
<the cell as above.
This is the beast bet as cells fail with internal shorts and the cap will
dump enough energy to open them without cooking the cell.
<What you do is use a current limited PSU of about 10V and 8A. 'Blip' it
<across the cell for a fraction of a second - just tap the wires on.
This is ok if the cell is hard starting, I don't recommend it. The better
approach is the LARGE cap charged to 12-20V and follow with 1/4 the cell
capacity for a few minutes (NOT LONGER).
<I have seen one article which suggests doing the same thing with a car
<battery as the power supply. DON'T!!! . The current is far too high, and
<the NiCd is likely to explode.
Extremely dangerous.
<manufacturers used standard-sized cells, so it is possible to rebuild old
<battery packs.
Often far cheaper than a new one.
Allison
<been watching when recharging a cell treated with the capacitor zap method
<and seeing it's voltage go from about 1.3 Volts back to zero again,
<sometimes with a faint ping if about completely recharged. Other cells
<become leaky electrically so they can be charged, but self discharge in a
they are all bad and really the trick is temporary. I have tried this and
sometimes it works for packs that have sat too much unused. First get
the cells to take a charge, then discharge at .2 to .6 capacity and then
recharge. The trick is to stop the discharge before any cell falls below
1.1v. Some packs after a few cycles start to work normally again.
Then again tabbed cells for replacement use run from ~$1.50 to $4 depending
on size (not at radio shack, they charge 3x that!). So replacing the cells
(as a set) is the best bet.
My PX-8 uses 4 1.2ah sub C cells that I can get for under 10$ total and
the internal 4 cell 110ma sub AA the whole pack for usually under 5$.
Allison
Howdy, I've got a DEC Option Module Guide (~1500 pages, 1991 vintage) that
I'm willing to trade for a set of three PDP-11 boards (2 x M8044-Dx, 1 x
RKV21) these are two 32KW memory cards and an RX02 interface card. Email me
off list if you're interested.
--Chuck
Hi,
I used to have a camera like that and the trick I used for highly reflactive
objects that still needed extra lighting was to tape a piece of velum papre
in front of the flash to diffuse and soften the light.
Francois
>The second picture shows the inside of the I/O expansion chassis (sorry
>about the glare...this stupid camera doesn't have an option to turn off
>the flash correctly, or stupid me forgot how to do it right).
The method that I use to open up old NiCd's is with an old knife and a
propane torch.
The knife is an old snap-off utility knife (with a metal insert in the
plastic handle). I turn on the torch, open the knife as far as it'll go
(about 2 1/2"), and heat it over the torch until it is red hot. I then melt
through the seam of the battery pack (or the middle, if I can't find a
seam). To fasten the pack back together, I just use a soldering iron and
"spot weld" it back together at the corners. This makes it easier to take
apart the next time the cells need replaced.
--
-Jason Willgruber
(roblwill(a)usaor.net)
ICQ#: 1730318
<http://members.tripod.com/general_1>
-----Original Message-----
From: Francois <fauradon(a)mn.mediaone.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: Breathing new life in laptop batteries
>Hi,
>Thanks for all the info. Apparently there are no reliable way to bring
their
>youth back, I would like to have a reliable laptop with a battery that last
>more than 30 min. I found a Zenith z-star 433 VLp (500 Mb hd, 12 M RAM and
>color display and the Zenith J-Mouse!!!) that I'd like to use while away
>from home. The batery I got seem to work for a while. Also it has four
>contacts does this means that it provide mutiple voltages or is there some
>kind of charge sense signal? I haven't brought the battery to the bench yet
>(no room on or near the bench:).
>Also the pack seems to be sealed pretty good, any elegant way to open it up
>and reclose it without too much damage?
>Thanks
>Francois
>
>PS: I actually got 3 of these laptops and built two from the set of parts
>and two of the batteries are totally shot: they get very hot when I try to
>charge them and of course no juice is coming out. I can practice on one of
>the dead ones.
>
>>> >This is the beast bet as cells fail with internal shorts and the cap
>will
>>> >dump enough energy to open them without cooking the cell.
>>> >
>>> Yes, but many times in my experience another short appears shortly. I
>have
>>
>>Unfortunately, that's right :-( I would never depend on a cell that I'd
>>repaired by this method.
>
>
>
I've been saving a couple of the 1050 chips, in that ultra-rare JECED 'C'
package for use as high-tech cuff-links to go with my i8008 tie-tack. I
surely liked that package better than the stupid, Stupid, STUPID one they
used for a number of 68-pin wonders including the 8018x and 80286. Of
course I could use a more up-to-date part, but why . . .
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 4:36 PM
Subject: Re: WD Chipset info (Was: Listserve Traffic)
>>
<snip>
>
>And others, like the 1050 SMD controller chip.
>
>-tony
>
I took two digital photos of my NEC PC-8001 expansion chassis. My
previous description of the unit was incorrect. The disk drives are
housed in a totally separate chassis. The actual expansion chassis
contains a slotted backplane so that expansion cards may be added to the
PC-8001.
The first picture shows the dual disk drive cabinet atop the 8012A I/O
Unit.
http://www.siconic.com/crap/8001exp1.jpg
The second picture shows the inside of the I/O expansion chassis (sorry
about the glare...this stupid camera doesn't have an option to turn off
the flash correctly, or stupid me forgot how to do it right). You can see
a RAM card plugged into the lower slot.
http://www.siconic.com/crap/8001exp2.jpg
The I/O unit has an external connector that the PC-8001 plugs into. It
has a second connector that plugs into the disk drive unit.
Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar(a)siconic.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't rub the lamp if you don't want the genie to come out.
Coming this October 2-3: Vintage Computer Festival 3.0!
See http://www.vintage.org/vcf for details!
[Last web site update: 04/03/99]
Guys:
Is it just my imagination, or has traffic on this Mailing
List gone like, *way* down? I used to get upwards of 60+
messages a day, now I'm only getting less than half that.
????
Jeff
___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
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A couple of things . . . first of all, the WD1100 came well before the 1010
which preceded the 2010 by about a year. All the information you need about
either of these chips is contained in the datasheet/appnote set published by
WD for their WD100x-0x series of controllers. Careful, now, because the
earlier controllers were different, i.e. the WD1000-55 came before the
WD1000-05. The '-55 was the one with the WD 5-chip chipset with various
designations, but accompanied by the 8X300 microcontroller.
There's a 1010 on nearly every one of the early PC/XT and PC/AT controllers.
The designation for one of the PC/XT controllers which was quite well
documented, was WD1002-WX2. There's nothing mysterious about these
controllers. They are dirt simple to program, to wit, I programmed the
things myself instead of having someone else do it. The device has a
"register file" which you must completely rewrite each time you issue a
command and it has a buffer which you must fill before writing and empty
after reading data and before checking status. The board has its own
counters which trigger the operation in question once you've performed the
requisite number of reads and writes. The 1015, by the way, is an 8041 (2)
with Western's code in it.
I have several different versions of this chip's application chipset, so
it's not easy to see what's what. One thing's for sure, though, and that's
that the 1010 definitely replaced the 5-chip set used on the 8X300-based
controllers.
The 2010 is an enhanced, error-correction-support-capable version of the
1010. It works more or less the same in other respects, but has a longer
correction code which makes it capable of more than just complaining there's
been an error.
I'll look around to see if I have anything beyond an old data book from
Western. I once kept all these devices' data sheets as though my life
depended on it, which it once did, more or less, . . . at least my diet . .
. , so I may actually still have them.
Western abruptly quit sending out data on the chips when they went from
supplier to competitor for those of us in the controller business. That
was, I believe, in about 1984.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: Jeffrey l Kaneko <jeff.kaneko(a)juno.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 10:26 AM
Subject: WD Chipset info (Was: Listserve Traffic)
>Guys:
>
>Well, actually, my concern was that maybe I'm not getting all of
>my mail (either that, of I've pissed off alot of people, and don't
>know why).
>
>Anyways, does anybody out there have a 'long form' spec/application
>sheet for the WD-2010 or the WD-1010 HDC chip? There is a 'short'
>(read: Incomplete) sheet in the old 1983 catalog, but it is missing
>some information.
>
>ALso, if someone has info on HDC devices made by WD after 1983
>(the WD-1100 comes to mind, for example), that would be appreciated
>also. Let me know what you got, and I will be happy to pay for
>postage & duplication (your $6.50 is in the mail Joe! :^) ).
>
>WD devices are as common as fleas on a dog, but docs seem to be
>rather scarce.
>
>Thanks!
>
>
>Jeff
>
>
>On Fri, 7 May 1999 15:05:58 +0100 Philip.Belben(a)pgen.com writes:
>>
>>
>> > Is it just my imagination, or has traffic on this Mailing
>> > List gone like, *way* down? I used to get upwards of 60+
>> > messages a day, now I'm only getting less than half that.
>>
>>
>> If you want more messages, here's another :-)
>>
>> In fact, I am still getting around 60 messages a day from Classiccmp
>> at the
>> moment, but this is a lot easier to cope with than the 100+ we had a
>> week or two
>> ago. Especially since my boss doesn't like me reading them in work
>> time (he's
>> off with a bad back today...)
>>
>> Philip.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>___________________________________________________________________
>You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
>Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
>or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
I would appreciate knowing of a few auction and classified ad
sites where I can pick up stuff for my Atari's, Commodores, etc.
You are really a helpful group of people. Maybe my little puters
will stay alive afterall. Thanks!
Stephanie sring(a)uslink.net
>Is it possible to make a bootable floppy for a VAXStation 2000 or is the
>system too large for the disk?
A VMS installation is way too large for a single floppy, of course.
I think a VMS distribution or backup onto floppies is about as cruel
as the Wagner ring cycle on 45's! But if you're into self-abuse
and huge piles of floppy disks, it is possible.
>If it is possible, what is the procedure?
It is possible, of course. Boot VMS, log in as the system manager,
and do a @SYS$UPDATE:STABACKIT to build the standalone backup tool
on floppies. You can then do a backup of the system disk onto floppies
(preferably using the STABACKIT kit you just generated to test your
copy of standalone backup). But if at all possible, get a tape drive!
--
Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com
Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/
7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917
Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927
Guys:
Well, actually, my concern was that maybe I'm not getting all of
my mail (either that, of I've pissed off alot of people, and don't
know why).
Anyways, does anybody out there have a 'long form' spec/application
sheet for the WD-2010 or the WD-1010 HDC chip? There is a 'short'
(read: Incomplete) sheet in the old 1983 catalog, but it is missing
some information.
ALso, if someone has info on HDC devices made by WD after 1983
(the WD-1100 comes to mind, for example), that would be appreciated
also. Let me know what you got, and I will be happy to pay for
postage & duplication (your $6.50 is in the mail Joe! :^) ).
WD devices are as common as fleas on a dog, but docs seem to be
rather scarce.
Thanks!
Jeff
On Fri, 7 May 1999 15:05:58 +0100 Philip.Belben(a)pgen.com writes:
>
>
> > Is it just my imagination, or has traffic on this Mailing
> > List gone like, *way* down? I used to get upwards of 60+
> > messages a day, now I'm only getting less than half that.
>
>
> If you want more messages, here's another :-)
>
> In fact, I am still getting around 60 messages a day from Classiccmp
> at the
> moment, but this is a lot easier to cope with than the 100+ we had a
> week or two
> ago. Especially since my boss doesn't like me reading them in work
> time (he's
> off with a bad back today...)
>
> Philip.
>
>
>
>
>
___________________________________________________________________
You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail.
Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html
or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
Hi all,
I know we already had a discussion on that topic but I can't remember what
was said since I was not too interested at the time.
Some of you mentioned that it was possible to restore "dead" batteries from
laptop. The ones in question are NiCads and very much dead as far as I can
tell.
Any info appreciated
Thanks
Francois
---------------------------------
Note: New e-address: fauradon(a)mn.mediaone.net
Visit the oh so neglected (but recently moved) sanctuary at:
people.mn.mediaone.net/fauradon
> Is it just my imagination, or has traffic on this Mailing
> List gone like, *way* down? I used to get upwards of 60+
> messages a day, now I'm only getting less than half that.
If you want more messages, here's another :-)
In fact, I am still getting around 60 messages a day from Classiccmp at the
moment, but this is a lot easier to cope with than the 100+ we had a week or two
ago. Especially since my boss doesn't like me reading them in work time (he's
off with a bad back today...)
Philip.
The HP 700 series were/are graphical workstations. They are virtually
identical to the 800 series (the business servers) except they were
repackaged for the workstation market. Unix (HP-UX) OS. PA-RISC cpu's. Parts
of the 700 series might still be in production. Getting a power supply from
a scrap/surplus dealer wouldn't be all that easy, but not impossible. You
can probably still buy a power supply for it from HP.
Jay West
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Lane <kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu>
Date: Friday, May 07, 1999 9:18 AM
Subject: HP700?
> I don't know how 'classic' this one is just yet, but...
>
> I came across a partly gutted HP700IL at my local used place yesterday. It
>was missing its power supply, but still had the CPU card. I took a look,
>and it looks like the heat sink was actually bolted to the CPU chip (a la
>the DEC Alphas).
>
> Is the unit worth grabbing? It looked kind of slick. How hard would it be
>to find a power module?
>
>Thanks...
>
>
>-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
>Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
>http://www.bluefeathertech.com
>Amateur Radio:(WD6EOS) E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
>SysOp: The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272, 253-639-9905)
>"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
>human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
>
On Thursday, May 06, 1999 9:43 PM, allisonp(a)world.std.com
[SMTP:allisonp@world.std.com] wrote:
> They are roughly 50mils x 11 mils x 15mils. Cross section of the
> doughnut is rectangular at 15x11 mils. The reason for such rough
> measurements is my vernier is only good to .001" and I'd need
> somthing fancier to be more accurate. By eyeball the 8e cores are
> smaller!
According to Pugh's "IBM's 360 and Early 370 Computers", in 1963 IBM was
manufacturing both 30x50 mil and 19x32 mil cores (inside diameter x outside
diameter). Allison's measurements match up with the larger size.
According to the book, the IBM 7080 and 7094 used the smaller size. Thus,
these cores were probably intended for either the 1401, or the 7090 if any of
these were still in production in 1963.
Does anyone out there have a 1401, or a 1401 core stack?
Something I hadn't read of before: the 7090's core planes were immersed in oil
to help with heat dissipation. I wonder whether there was a sticker on the
machine (right underneath "Trained Service Personel Only"): "Change oil every
six months or 100,000 punched cards".
Another interesting point: The defect ratio of cores that reached the plane
wiring stage was 1 out of 8,000. This sounds incredibly high, but IBM's core
manufacturing facilities were state of the art. Imagine the difference between
the process control used then, and current integrated circuit fabrication
techniques!
> A simple core frame would be 8x8 (64 bits) and use a 4 wire system as
> that simplifies the select, inhibit and sense hardware. I'd likely go
> with late 70s level TTL and transistors to drive these and to sense the
> outputs I don't know if I'll use transistors (1968 or earlier designs)
> or
> comparator chips (aka 1540, 710, 711) will be used. They would also be
> consistant with 1970s technology.
I'd very much like to see your schematics, once you're happy with them. Better
late than never to learn about appropriate circuit designs.
----
John Dykstra jdykstra(a)nortelnetworks.com
Principal Software Architect voice: ESN 454-1604
Enterprise Solutions fax: ESN 667-8549
I don't know how 'classic' this one is just yet, but...
I came across a partly gutted HP700IL at my local used place yesterday. It
was missing its power supply, but still had the CPU card. I took a look,
and it looks like the heat sink was actually bolted to the CPU chip (a la
the DEC Alphas).
Is the unit worth grabbing? It looked kind of slick. How hard would it be
to find a power module?
Thanks...
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio:(WD6EOS) E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
SysOp: The Dragon's Cave (Fido 1:343/272, 253-639-9905)
"Our science can only describe an object, event, or living thing in our own
human terms. It cannot, in any way, define any of them..."
At 06:48 PM 5/6/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Where are you located and how much are they?
They're in Orlando Florida. He has six of them and I expect he'll take
$100 each plus shipping. Call Don at (407) 260-9109.
Don is the same guy that has the rack mount PCs. I've written up a bit
about them and posted it at "www.intellistar.net/~rigdonj/don-ad.htm".
That a look if you're interested. The boxs for the Apples are not the same
as the one for the PCs. I expect he'll take $125 for one of them with a
single CPU card (486-100), 4Mb Ram, a VGA video card, a 520 Mb hard drive
and a floppy drive. He has a lot of neat data acquision and control cards
for them and some of the cases have dual computers in them.
BTW the Apples have a keylock on the front to turn them off and on with.
Don doesn't have the keys. I popped the switch portion off of the lock on
one of them and turned the switch shaft with a pair of pliars. If you got
one, you can do the same or replace the lock/switch or have a key made.
Joe
>
>George
>
>> I found some strange looking rack mount boxs in a salvage place today.
>> They're marked AuudioVision 90. I opened one up and found that it has an
>> Apple Mac Quadra 950 built into it. I rounded up a monitor (but no
>> keyboard) and fired one up. It boots to MacOS then asks for a password.
>> Is there anyway to get around the password other than reinstalling
>> everything?
>> There are six of them available. Is anyone interested in them? They have
>> a
>> huge non-apple power supply, and at least one floppy and one hard drive
>> and all the regular Nu-Bus (?) slots. Another that I opened had two hard
>> drives.
>>
>> Joe
>>
>
>
>
--- Marvin <marvin(a)rain.org> wrote:
>
> As it is really getting close now, just curious how many people on this list
> will be at Dayton Hamvention.
I'm hoping to go (I live in Columbus), but I also have another thing going
on at the same time in Western PA (near Butler). :-(
If I can go, I'd be very interested in a get-together.
-ethan
_________________________________________________________
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Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
Greetings,
I've managed to transfer the contents of CURSOR Magazine (for the PET)
cassettes #1 to #8 to my Amiga.
Cassette #2 is incomplete due to damage to one program. Is there already an
archive of Cursor Magazine cassettes? Does anyone have the program "RACE"
>from Cursor #2?
--
Doug Spence
ds_spenc(a)alcor.concordia.ca
http://alcor.concordia.ca/~ds_spenc/
John said:
> Does you have a reference on how to build an oscillator or counter out
> of neon lamps?
Here is the zip file that put up a couple of months ago.
It contains 22 scanned pages of glow lamp logic circuits.
The zip file is 1.6 MB.
http://www.best.com/~dcoward/LAMP.ZIP
I hope this helps,
--Doug
====================================================
Doug Coward dcoward(a)pressstart.com (work)
Sr. Software Eng. mranalog(a)home.com (home)
Press Start Inc. http://www.pressstart.com
Sunnyvale,CA
====================================================
Mike wrote:
>> Perhaps a
>> smaller array, but with LARGE cores where the magnetic state could have
>> some visual indicators.
>How would that work? Would you have an LED for each bit or something?
Get a little bit away from magnetic storage, and you can use neon
lamps as storage elements which are self-illuminating :-).
Neon lamps - when powered by DC - have a nice memory property: They
take about 90VDC to light up, but after they light up they'll stay on
until the voltage drops below 60VDC or so. Only problems are:
1. The thresholds can vary greatly from unit to unit.
2. The thresholds will vary depending on ambient light, as well.
Property 2 above can be used to build oscillators out of pairs
of neons, as a matter of fact...
Tim.
At 10:25 PM 5/5/99 -0700, Sellam Ismail wrote:
>
>Yeah, then I spray-painted it neon pink because I didn't
like the original
>color. Core memory is cool.
No way. It wouldn't be Art until you made it into a dress,
as a
commentary on the way technology has shaped our lives.
- John
This is too much like what actually happened to me.
A few years ago I learned that someone had an IMSAI
8080 they wanted to get rid of, in a city 150 miles
>from where I live.
I was willing to make the trip to go and rescue it.
But when I finally got in touch with the owner by phone,
they said "I wish you had gotten ahold of us sooner!
We just gave it to an artist who wanted to use it
for a collage."
I can still imagine that front panel plastered in
bright-colored goo, along with a bunch of other
techno-junk, hanging on some wall in humiliation!
--- Mark Metzler
VON NEUMANN MACHINES
Online Computer History Bookstore/Museum
http://home.pacbell.net/mmetzler/vnm.html
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