test-drb

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101090 discussions

RSTS/E has just had its 50th Birthday...

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Paul Koning > RSTS/E of course has a bunch of new stuff in it to deal with mapping, > but the bulk of the code carries over from RSTS-11. I was assuming that the basic intermal environment was sufficiently different that not a lot of the OS-level code could carry over, but I guess not. DId you actually work on RSTS-11 internals (I don't know your exact dates at DEC), or did you just read the source? And speaking of which, are any RSTS-11 sources still extant? I found the RSTS directory on BitSavers, but it seems to have only manuals. Noel

5 years, 10 months

Early 3M Computer Tape Type Numbers

by t.gardner＠computer.org

I'm trying to figure out what were the earliest Type numbers for 3M ?-inch reel-to-reel computer tape As best I can find, 3M began marketing a Type 777 computer tape about 1967. The Type 700 appears to be somewhat later. But 3M sold computer tape directly to at least government customers (e.g. NSA, Social Security) in the 1950s. The also notably OEMed tape to IBM who rebranded it under an IBM label until the late 1960s at which point with the help of Sony IBM began manufacturing its own computer tape. Anyone have any idea of the Type number for 3M computer tapes earlier than Type 777? There might be a place for some of these older Types at the CHM if anyone knows of any still in existence. Tom PS: There is a lot of information on 3M audio tape Type numbers as at http://www.aes.org/aeshc/docs/3mtape/aorprod-cust.pdf but computer tape seems to be an orphan

5 years, 10 months

FW: RSTS/E has just had its 50th Birthday...

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

Please copy cctalk/cctech on any responses to Peter. J From: Peter Dick <peter at balvine.com> Sent: Saturday, June 27, 2020 4:34 PM To: jwest at classiccmp.org Subject: RSTS/E has just had its 50th Birthday... Hi. I stumbled on your wonderful PDP11.ORG website. As I expect you know, RSTS was ?born? on 11th June 1970 as shown when you print DATE$(1%) with Star Date format selected. This means RSTS/E, the Greatest Operating System ever, has just turned 50 years old. We would like to mark this historic moment by collecting a total of 50 memories from those of us who used RSTS/E at some time, obviously the earlier the better. Or if you are still running old Basic Plus code, then the later the better! I will then collate these memories and email them out to everyone who takes part. What memories? It doesn?t matter. Funny / technical / life changing / surprise / show how times have changed / whatever ? Length? It doesn?t matter. Your name will be included but not your email address unless you specifically want it included. Please email contributions to 50years at silverware.co.uk <mailto:50years at silverware.co.uk> Bye/P Peter Dick, ex Chairman DECUS UK RSTS SIG.

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by dave.dunfield＠gmail.com

> The file is empty. Not much I go do except stop trying and advise people to ignore all this. I've just downloaded the file from my site, and it is NOT empty and does work. I did notice a small bug, if you specify names not in it's database it doesn't tell you, and produces no output. I have corrected it. Dave -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal site: http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 10 months

Need HP 9114B PROM 09114-15521 Contents

by cruff＠ruffspot.net

FYI: I've received the PROM image, no need for anyone else to go to the trouble to extract it.

5 years, 10 months

Need HP 9114B PROM 09114-15521 Contents

by cruff＠ruffspot.net

The PROM in my 9114B committed suicide this morning, letting the magic smoke out. It was marked with part number 09114-15521, does anyone happen to have dumped the contents so I can program a new one? Thanks.

5 years, 10 months

Hp 21mx loader rom set

by grant＠klyball.com

Thanks JayI'm am not trying to use DS/1000 just trying to get the 7974 loader going.Grant -------- Original message --------Grant wrote....------------------------Hi all, i am looking for a loader rom set for my 21mx and does not seem tobe around at the usual places, I am hoping to find a leed.Here is what i am in need of.12992L consisting of12992-8001191740-8007091740-8007191740-80072there is a set of 91740 on bit savers but with a suffix of 67-69 ?------------------------Pretty sure I have a binary copy of all known 12992's, the ones I use I justburn out to a set of blanks. The 7974 loader rom uses the boot loaderextension firmware for DS/1000. Are you actually running ds/1000?? I haven'tseen anyone get that up and running.I'll see if I can dig up the bin (or an already burned chipset).J

5 years, 10 months

VAX /785 docs

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

This eBait item: https://www.ebay.com/itm/202989416368 has a number of VAX-11/785 manuals, including /785 Hardware User's Guide. A bit outside my scope, but /785 docs are very rare (Bitsvers only has prints) so a VAX person should grab this and then scan them. Noel

5 years, 10 months

Accuracy of IBM Instructional Logic Diagrams

by cube1＠charter.net

As part of my project to create a Field Programmable Gate Array implementation (FPGA) of the IBM 1410 Data Processing System based on Automated Logic Diagrams (ALDs), I decided to look at using the Instructional Logic Diagrams (ILDs) to guide my testing, rather than using the ALDs directly. The ILDs are written completely in ?positive logic?. Going in, I sort of expected a pretty imperfect match ? that the ILDs would not have all the signals, and be somewhat superficial in their treatment of the logic. For the IBM 1410, the circuits were: AND, OR, Inverter, Indicator (Lamp), Single Shot, Latch (Reset/Set), Trigger (Flip Flop) To my surprise I found that the ILDs are *VERY* accurate, and a great testing guide, providing a second view of the logic ? a kind of redundancy check against my entry of ALD data into my system. They are good enough that they have given me considerable confidence that I can use them to help ?fill in the blanks? related to the handful of ALD pages I am missing, and also for some of the IBM 1414 peripheral controllers for which I do not have ALDs. In 1962 IBM published an article in the IEEE Transactions ?Information Processing ? from Engineering Drawing to Manufacture? by R. K. Grim that describes how the data the ended up generated ALDs was entered and the ALDs produced, but it does not mention where the ILDs come from. They are definitely artwork ? not machine generated per se. The article did not address ILDs. I have corresponded with IBM to see if they might have, in their archives, the data from these 1960s era engineering systems, but it seems that they do not (or have lost the pointers to them.) It seems that the SMS automation was first done using an IBM 709, then they later added IBM 7090 and IBM 1401 systems (which of course could not have been there for the original design of the IBM 7090 and 1401, which used the SMS system), using tape files. The article also describes future plans to use a 1301 disk drive attached to an IBM 1410 for remote (tele-processing) access (which was supported by the IBM 1410-PR155 operating system. The accuracy of the ILDs is such that I expect that they evolved along with the design of the machine and entry of the data used for the ALDs. I?d expect that doing it after the fact, from the ALDs, would be quite error prone ? besides the one difference I have found is in the signal names, which do not always exactly match those used in the ALDs, but are close enough that the intent is obvious. But I don?t know the timing: which came first ? the ILDs or the ALDs, or did they perhaps begin together in some form and co-evolve? In summary, it seems to me that one could do a pretty decent positive logic implementation of IBM machines of that era using these ILDs. This was a real eye-opener. If there are any old-time IBMers that read this, I'd love to hear any enlightening information or stories about this process. JRJ

5 years, 10 months

On: raising the semantic level of a program

by sieler＠allegro.com

A friend kindly searched and found an interesting paper from 1973, Programming by semantic refinement <https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/390014.808298> JB Morris - ACM SIGPLAN Notices, 1973 - dl.acm.org. https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/390014.808298 While an interesting paper, it's going the opposite direction (essentially, going from an English language description down to a final programming language). But, using the L1 (highest level language), L2, ..., Ln (lowest level language) concept, I can phrase my concept better ... so ... Most programmers write at, say, the level of L3. They might write something like: mem [foo].head = something My "raising the semantic level" would be: #define HEAD(x). mem [x].head ... HEAD (foo) = something With a fair set of macros like that (HEAD, TAIL, etc), the program is now effectively written in a "new" language, L2 (a higher level language than L1). Being written in L2, the resulting code is more readable to everyone, partially because they aren't continually seeing the implementation of how ".head" / "mem" work/interact. In effect, the programmer has added a feature (linked list handling, perhaps) to L3 ... for that particular program, seemingly extending/raising the level of the language. It's that concept that I thought I saw sometime in the early 1970s :) thanks, Stan

5 years, 10 months

Restarting Old Amiga's

by healyzh＠avanthar.com

I have the urge to get my Amiga?s back up and running. I?m still trying to find my main Amiga A3000, but have found my A500 and my A600. The problem is, I don?t remember the last time I powered these on. It?s been a long time since I?ve had time. In the case of the A3000, I think it?s been about 17 years. My Atari TT030 has been even longer. :-( Any advice about powering them up? Of course another fun challenge will be to figure out where on earth all my Amiga floppies are. Zane

5 years, 10 months

IDE Hard Drive Question

by w2hx＠w2hx.com

Hi friends, Sorry for the long email that follows: I am working with an old military PC model SAIC V2LC. The PC is a 486 and is from around 1992 give or take a couple of years. Probably 1995 latest. The computer has one 3.5" floppy and a removable IDE hard drive in a removable carrier. It also seems to have a SCSI controller, but I would have to see what that is all about as the BIOS does not show anything about that so it may require a driver that I may be unlikely to find. Some pictures: https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/1.JPG https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/7.JPG https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/9.JPG https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/10.JPG IDE HD and carrier, the hard drive in the carrier is a Conner CFS540A: https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/20200124_094111.jpg https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/20200124_094131.jpg https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/20200124_094115.jpg https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/20200124_094118.jpg https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/20200124_094105.jpg I purchased this SD-IDE converter to replace the failing (failed) hard drive. I got a 40 pin converter because I saw that the conner CFS540A uses 40 pins. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G29TZPS/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00… I received the converter and went to remove the hard drive from the carrier and saw something surprising. It appears that 4 wires from the computer are connected not to the 40 pin IDE connector, but directly to the hard drive in the center piece (is this the motor? Voice coil? I don't know). https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/0625201552.jpg https://w2hx.com/x/SAIC%20V2LC/0625201605.jpg Does ANYONE have any idea what these 4 wires are connected to and why? And anyone give any odds about whether these 4 wires will prevent this IDE-SD converter from working? Any and all suggestions/advice welcome. 73 Eugene W2HX

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by dave.dunfield＠gmail.com

>this tool is really similar to "rdfind", which compares file sizes and >content, independently from file name, and is able to create a list of >correspondence, delete duplicate files, and create symbolic links to the >single instance. >This can work on large amounts of files, even on complex directory tree. Sounds good, don't know that I saw that one (tend not to look too hard as I enjoy creating stuff, and what I do is usually smaller, easier to use - at least for me - and more reliable). Didn't want to go into a lot of detail as this isn't exactly classic computer related.. although I expect a lot of classic collectors are like me and have use for it. Couple things I implemented in DFF which I don't know of in other tools: It uses an "index" file - first attempt just used the output of windows: DIR/S but I found it got big and unworkable fast, and changed from one version of windows to another. DFF creates its own which is small and consistent, having only the DIR names, and file sizes + names. This is normally a temp file, but you can Keep it, just Build it without processing, and process it later. You can also have DFF append to it so you can deal with as complex dir structure as you like, by /BAing it in various places. It can deal with files in arbitrary directory trees on multiple drives quite easily. You can also have it place and END marker in the file, which means that anything you append will be treated differently. Anything before the END marker is scanned and reported as you expect. After the END marker, files are considered as possible duplicates, but not checked and reported separately. And since the "index" file is a text file, you can add to it, change it and retrieve it's content very easily - you don't need special programs provided by the tool maker to do unusual things. Same is true for it's output. You can also have it list: - All files (dups have a dup instance number see below) - Only duplicate files - Only single files - Under each directory, you can get it to list where all the duplicates are (full path) This combined with the END marker makes some fairly powerful things possible. (Show me any files occurring here which are not also occurring there). Each instance of duplication is assigned a unique "duplicate instance" number which is shown next to all files which are part of that "duplicate instance". I thought about an automatic "delete duplicates" feature but didn't implement it as I am organizing a lot of data, much is duplicated, it's final resting place may not be one of the original locations and I want control over how the final archive is organized. Dave -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal site: http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by shadoooo＠gmail.com

Hello, this tool is really similar to "rdfind", which compares file sizes and content, independently from file name, and is able to create a list of correspondence, delete duplicate files, and create symbolic links to the single instance. This can work on large amounts of files, even on complex directory tree. Andrea

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by dave.dunfield＠gmail.com

Sorry, can't respond easily because I read the list on the web, can't deal with the flood of email from it, and can't respond via the web interface. >I'm not clear on what "duplicate" really means. Perhaps you can clarify >things for me. > >Duplicate in name and/or size? >Duplicate in content? > >There are lots of duplicate file finders for Windows and some of them >are quite sophisticated, being able to compare the content of files with >different encodings and provide "almost the same" type of information. Duplicate means exact duplicate size and contect, name does not matter. (I copied lots of stuff around, sometimes renaming it and want to find all the dups). Yeah, lots of nifty tools, but I needed one where I could easily control what it looks and and process it's results (text files). Also had to deal with VERY large sets of data (terabytes) and do it all in a fairly reasonable time. So I just wrote one. I'm a bit unusual that way - tend to write stuff that does exactly what I need instead of trying to use something that sort of comes close but often also does a lot I don't want. >Downloading http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com/dos/sw/ddw2020.zip >gets flagged by Windows Defender on Windows 10 Pro (1909) >as "Worm:Win32/Spybot". Not for me, it's something I compiled from my own source myself, is packed with UPX - maybe Windows Def doesn't like that but it raises no alarms on the Win7 Pro system I'm testing on. Have no control of Windows Defender .. just one of many reasons I don't use Windows much. Not the first time good clean code of my own has triggered false alarms. FWIW, I just downloaded DDW2020.ZIP from the site, and it exactly matches my original one. Contents also exactly match my original files, here is a DIR listing: Directory of R:\DDW2020 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 3,255 DDW2020.TXT 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 23,584 DFF.EXE 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 23,584 EDT.EXE 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 31,907 EDT.TXT 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 6,688 FDF.EXE 2020-06-24 09:08 PM 9,760 VLT.EXE 6 File(s) 98,778 bytes Note, Windows did warn me that this file is not commonly downloaded and wanted to "discard" it, but I used "Keep" - no defender or antivirus alarms triggered. Dave PS: Noticed and fixed the spelling of "Download" - may need to reload to see due to browser cache. -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal site: http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 10 months

Future of cctalk/cctech

by aek＠bitsavers.org

With Jay retiring, what are the hosting plans for these mailing lists?

5 years, 10 months

Tri-Data Cartrifile parts/interfaces/tapes?

by derschjo＠gmail.com

Hi all -- I picked up a Tri-Data Cartrifile 4096 at VCF West last year and since I'm suddenly going to have more time on my hands, I thought it'd be fun to see if I can get it running again. The Cartrifile is a tape drive that uses cartridges containing continuous-loop 1/4" tape in various lengths, much like 8-track tape though in slightly different packaging and with a fixed head. 10ips, 600bpi. (There's a brochure on Bitsavers at http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/tridata/Tri-Data_4096_Brochure_Feb69.pdf) The unit I have has a PDP-8 compatible interface, though I only have the cabling and rear-bulkhead for posibus systems. (My 8/I is currently negibus, so some work will need to be done there.) It's in pretty decent shape and I think I should be able to get it to work again. I also have a stack of cartridges and it remains to be seen how they hold up. If they're anything like 8-track tapes, the EOT marker will probably fall off and the tape ends will need to be reconnected as well :). At minimum I hope to be able to recover the data off the tapes I have. Curious if anyone out there has one of these, has any spare parts, or interface parts (there was at one point an Omnibus interface available, and having the negibus interface would be extremely handy.) Thanks as always, Josh

5 years, 10 months

Zaiaz 933 Clipper board

by plamenspam＠afterpeople.com

Hello, Recently acquired such board and would like to ask if someone has any documentation or/and software for it. Regards, Plamen

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 10:41 AM 6/25/2020, Dave Dunfield via cctalk wrote: >I originally wrote it for my own use, but it has proven SO useful that I took >a little time to clean it up and post it at my personal site.: Downloading http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com/dos/sw/ddw2020.zip gets flagged by Windows Defender on Windows 10 Pro (1909) as "Worm:Win32/Spybot". - John

5 years, 10 months

A tool many of you may make find useful!

by dave.dunfield＠gmail.com

Hi, Don't know if anyone is interested, but I'd guess that a lot of you like me have collected a big pile of digital "stuff" over the years, and also if like me, it may have gotten away from you a bit with a lot of duplication etc. Having some spare time, I've been organizing my collected documentation, software, drivers and other files. As part of this process I wrote "Duplicate File Finder", a WIn32/64 tool which can look at a VERY large file collection (can even be across many drives etc.) and produce a nice summary of what is duplicated and where all the duplicates are. I originally wrote it for my own use, but it has proven SO useful that I took a little time to clean it up and post it at my personal site.: http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com If this sounds useful, have a look and grab the program. Hopefully it will be as useful to you as it has to me. Dave -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Personal site: http://dunfield.maknonsolutions.com ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

5 years, 10 months

The Old Calculator Museum - Oregon

by peter＠vanpeborgh.eu

Guys, I seem to have lost contact with Rick Bensene of that museum for the last 10 days. Can anyone tell me if he is ok? Many thanks, peter

5 years, 10 months

PDP-11 tape question

by cclist＠sydex.com

I've been processing some PDP-11 9 track (800 NRZI) tapes and run across something that I don't recognize. Every file on the tape consists of a number of 512 byte blocks (okay, that's normal) but at the head of each file, there's a short block of 14 bytes. Usually, a short record like this is discarded as "noise" on many mainframe tape systems, but here it's consistently present. Here's what one of the records looks like: 15 34 fe 51 fe 76 01 01 00 00 01 80 10 00 Doesn't seem like a file name in RAD50 format, so I'm puzzled. Inquiring minds want to know... Thanks, Chuck

5 years, 10 months

Changing the number of file headers on an RSX volume

by cz＠alembic.crystel.com

So I'm working on this RSX11M+ system here and while working I ran myself out of file headers. Using the HOME /MXF command I was able to increase the number of headers, but only up to 4090. or so. Trying to go to 4100 gave me an error saying there were not enough system blocks or something. Currently I have 830 headers, but that's not enough in the long term. The volume has 541,944 blocks total, with 150655 in use. This is a system I generated on a smaller disk, then copied to the pdp11, then backed up with BRU MU0:=DU0: then restored to a larger blank disk. I guess the question is can I extend the number of blocks without having to re-init the system disk? I suppose I could flatten it by taking the system down to single user (shutdown, then p to start with the volume dismounted, mount the volume /for, then BRU mu0:=du0:), then format the volume with a really big assed MXF value, then restoring the tape, but would that flatten the volume info? Or do I need to just man up, put a second ESDI drive on this monster, copy the files to the second drive then format the first (big) volume right, copy the files with PIP, and do a VMR again to write the boot block? Or is there a better way to backup and restore the volume without doing an image backup using /for? Been a long time since I've done this stuff. Thanks! C

5 years, 10 months

PDP8 KV graphics PCB design

by roelof_klaas＠yahoo.com

I found somewhat fascinating pictures in a PDP8 small computer handbook. It is a KV graphics system. According to the book it was used to design new computer circuit boards. So I got very curious to that KV system. I found a maintenance manual about the system. It even had a joystick! I wonder if any of that PCB software has been rescued? Regards, Roland https://ibb.co/WVKCfMz https://ibb.co/TvYpP2v https://ibb.co/6mSZkdh

5 years, 10 months

IBM vacuum tubes

by decguy＠songdog.eskimo.com

While going through my assortment of old vacuum tubes looking for audio treasures, I found a handful of IBM branded ones. Mostly 5965, but there's one 5963 mixed in. These are dual triodes with the same pinout as common small-signal audio tubes such as 12AX7/7025/ECC83, but characteristics closer to 12AT7 or 12AU7. My RCA Receiving Tube Manual says they're designed to withstand being held in cutoff for long periods of time, and mentions digital applications. Anyone know what kind of IBM machine these would have been used in?

5 years, 10 months

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test-drb