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SEL 810A running lunar lander

by mooreericnyc＠gmail.com

https://youtu.be/L743MjJthHY I recently got my SEL 810A working. I hope you guys enjoy the video :). -Eric

5 years, 11 months

SEL 810A running lunar lander

by boris＠summitclinic.com

Nice how machines from that era were well made enough to still work. Remember that Lunar Lander game from about 1970. Version I played was written in FOCAL and run on a TSS-8. Should try it out on some kids who think they're great gamers and see how fast they catch on - once we were able to land without crashing we'd see who could come down at lowest speed or have most fuel left over after a successful landing. >https://youtu.be/L743MjJthHY > >I recently got my SEL 810A working. I hope you guys enjoy the video :). > >-Eric

5 years, 11 months

Wanting some help with a PDP-8/a

by Driverless＠protonmail.com

I acquired a non-functional PDP-8/A several months ago and in that time I've replaced all the outwardly damaged parts and have gotten the machine to power on with no issues. However the problem I've been having now that I can't quite seem to pin down is that every time I power the machine the address field is displayed as 07777 and the value field is displayed as 7777. Attempting to change addresses or the value of the address doesn't work as I can enter the value just fine but upon entering the Load Address button it defaults back to being all sevens. I've made sure the pins on the CPU board are set so it should start at address 0, the advanced options are also all turned off and as far as I can tell there's nothing out of the ordinary with the pin settings on the IO board. I'm fairly certain at this point that the issue is with the Programmer's Panel but I'm not 100% sure. I've done some further testing using advice I got from users over at the Vintage Computer Forum and SR and LSR work as intended, I can enter a value into SR and then view it at a later time. Something interesting I did find was while checking over the CPU I was looking at the switches on it and while S1-1 was set as expected S1-7 was also on which is the CPU autostart disabled feature. Upon powering the computer back on after turning S1-7 off both the ADDRS and DISP displays show a single 0. I thought I was on the right track though now the panel doesn't work as if the panel lock was toggle even though it's not, not even the read functions and SR are working. Switching S1-7 back on reverts the problem back to what it was before and far as I know all the voltages on the power supply are correct. Any help would be appreciated, even if it's just a push in the right direction.

5 years, 11 months

Looking for a pair of DEC RL02 drives, working or otherwise

by stephenbuck＠mac.com

Looking for a pair of DEC RL02 drives, working or otherwise, for a PDP-11 restoration destined for a local computer museum in Boulder, Colorado. It's fine if it's not working - I'm happy to try and get it up and running. Thanks! Here's a link to the restoration blog: http://headspinlabs.wordpress.com

5 years, 11 months

Compaq opal 15" monitor

by sales＠elecplus.com

Someone asked for one of these a long time ago. I have one tested and working; needs a good cleaning. Make offer; local pickup only. Cindy Croxton Electronics Plus 1613 Water Street Kerrville, TX 78028 830-370-3239 cell sales at elecplus.com -- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

5 years, 11 months

AT&T PC 6300

by bill.gunshannon＠gmail.com

I have never seen one mentioned but is there anyone here with an interest in these? I found a still sealed copy of the Software Development Set Ver. 2.0. What's it worth? bill

5 years, 11 months

Looking for a pair of DEC RL02 drives, working or otherwise

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Stephen Buck > Looking for a pair of DEC RL02 drives, working or otherwise, for a > PDP-11 restoration destined for a local computer museum Well, there's this: https://www.ebay.com/itm/264277971437 It's an RL01, not an RL02 as you were enquiring after, but RL02's are quite rare now - and the price isn't bad. Noel

5 years, 11 months

PDP-6 fan

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

So I guess someone: https://www.ebay.com/itm/324151272982 is a majot PDP-6 fan.... Noel

5 years, 11 months

Re: Looking for a pair of DEC RL02 drives, working or otherwise

by stephenbuck＠mac.com

Hi Chris, I?m located in Boulder, Colorado. I?m fine with an RL02 that doesn?t work. If it can?t be fixed it can always occupy space in the rack. This is going into a museum and I might end up using an emulated drive behind the scenes for day-to-day use. Steve ?

5 years, 11 months

DIGI-COMP 1 enhanced (Joerg Hoppe)

by j_hoppe＠t-online.de

/Hi Michael, />>/I added a motor drive to my DIGI-COMP I, and wrote 4 web pages about />>/that device. />>//>>/See http://www.retrocmp.com/articles/digi-comp-1/ />>/or just the video https://youtu.be/D6GgxXRJXnw / > That is very cool! > The RICM has a DIGI-COMP, but we have not done much with it other than put > it on display. > > -- > Michael Thompson I attached the Arduino firmware and the "Bill Of Materials" with all 3D print files to http://www.retrocmp.com/articles/digi-comp-1/305-digi-comp-1-show-case-proj… So if you like ... kind regards, Joerg

5 years, 11 months

DIGI-COMP 1 enhanced

by j_hoppe＠t-online.de

Hi, > It it possible to get parts for a Digicomp? Mine needs some springs and > the thing that connects the clock to the whatever. I used rubber bands instead of springs. The article about 3D print DIY https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1477209 contains instructions how to bend the wire crank. regards, Joerg ?> >/I added a motor drive to my DIGI-COMP I, and wrote 4 web pages about /> >/that device. /> >//> >/See http://www.retrocmp.com/articles/digi-comp-1/ /> >//> >/or just the video https://youtu.be/D6GgxXRJXnw /> >//

5 years, 11 months

Odd punched cards

by mhs.stein＠gmail.com

If I said 'EPT' anywhere I apologize; I'm talking about PPT (Punched Paper Tape) and EPCs (Edge Punched Cards). Here's a description of a series 'L' system, the successor to the 'E' series, containing "The reader could be used for loading programs faster. It could also be used for accessing user data from punched paper tape or from edge-punched cards." http://www.picklesnet.com/burroughs/descriptions/bltc.htm And pictures of the PPT/EPC perforator and reader (unfortunately the perf picture seems to link to the reader so you don't get a full-sized picture) : http://www.picklesnet.com/burroughs/gallery/bpgltc.htm- A great (downloadable) book full of pictures and specifications of computers of that era is "A Third Survey of Domestic Electronic Digital Computing Systems" (one of a series): https://books.google.ca/books?id=fZg8yAEACAAJ&dq=a+third+survey&hl=en&sa=X&… See P.179 for a well tricked out E101. Unfortunately people tend to dismiss this class of systems as 'only' accounting machines, largely because of their integrated keyboards and printer carriages based on the earlier electro-mechanical machines for operator familiarity, so there's little information and discussion about them. But they are definitely 'true' computers using the same technology as contemporary general-purpose systems, core memory, disk drives, etc., and as technology advanced IC memory, high-speed dot-matrix printers etc., and, in the latest models, multiple high-speed cassette drive systems used the same way as the big brother tape drives and almost as much fun to watch in action. Sorry for going a little OT; I'll do some digging for those cards... mike ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Van Peborgh" <peter at vanpeborgh.eu> To: "'Mike Stein'" <mhs.stein at gmail.com> Sent: Saturday, May 09, 2020 6:27 AM Subject: RE: Odd punched cards > M, > > An intriguing email. Also leaves me with more questions... And longings! > > My [PVP: ] comments are in your email below. > > Vintage computers forever! Many thanks, > > P > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Stein <mhs.stein at gmail.com> > Sent: 08 May 2020 16:45 > To: Peter Van Peborgh <peter at vanpeborgh.eu> > Subject: Re: Odd punched cards > > The systems that I'm familiar with that used EPCs were Burroughs 'E' series > accounting computers; the readers and perforators handled both PPT and EPCs > and the cards were a sort of random-access PPT. > > [PVP: ] I am having problems finding info on these two types of cards: EPT > and EPC. Can you point me in the right direction? > > If you were preparing an invoice, for example, you might have a set of cards > for the customer name and address and another (possibly different colour) > set for the line items; you'd enter the quantities and it would be printed > and punched out on PPT for the accounting functions. > > Still have some cards and the perfs and readers somewhere; must play with > them one day... > > [PVP: ] This is cruelty to animals! Is there ANY way you could dig up some > of these EPC and EPT cards for my collection/display? Talk to me about > postage, etc... > > > m > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Peter Van Peborgh" <peter at vanpeborgh.eu> > To: "'Mike Stein'" <mhs.stein at gmail.com> > Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2020 3:45 PM > Subject: RE: Odd punched cards > > >> Mike, >> >> 96-column cards I have, thank you. >> >> I used edge-punched cards to record scientific papers' details when I was >> doing research. Did any get used with computers, do you know? >> >> Many thanks, >> >> peter >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Mike Stein <mhs.stein at gmail.com> >> Sent: 23 April 2020 19:17 >> To: Peter Van Peborgh <peter at vanpeborgh.eu>; General Discussion: On-Topic >> Posts <cctech at classiccmp.org> >> Subject: Re: Odd punched cards >> >> How about 96 column and EPC (Edge Punched) Cards? >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Peter Van Peborgh via cctech" <cctech at classiccmp.org> >> To: <cctech at classiccmp.org> >> Sent: Thursday, April 23, 2020 2:03 PM >> Subject: Odd punched cards >> >> >>> Guys, >>> >>> I got a positive response about the Port-A-Punch cards so no longer any >> need >>> to respond to this one. Very encouraging. >>> >>> Still looking for Jacquard cards and original Hollerith cards. Hope >> springs >>> eternal. >>> >>> peter >>> >>> || | | | | | | | | >>> Peter Van Peborgh >>> 62 St Mary's Rise >>> Writhlington Radstock >>> Somerset BA3 3PD >>> UK >>> 01761 439 234 >>> >>> "Our times are in God's wise and loving hands" >>> >>> || | | | | | | | | >>> >>> >> >

5 years, 11 months

Odd book

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Dwight Kelvey > There was a fellow that made a relay logic that could play tic tac toe What's with these new-fangled devices using _electricity_ anyway? :-) In high school, my math teacher (I think it was) used a couple of matchboxes and some beads to create a TTT device; he 'programmed' it by playing against it, and when the device lost a game, he pulled out the bead that indicated the device's previous move, so it could never make that losing move again. Pretty impressive, I thought... Noel

5 years, 11 months

MicroVAX 3100 Model 95 Ripple

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

Hello, I have recently been trying to improve the ripple on the output of my MicroVAX 3100 Model 95 PSU because occasionally it would fry a memory module. I replaced a bunch of capacitors, some of which had started to leak. However, the ripple does not seem much better. There is a scope trace here: https://rjarratt.files.wordpress.com/2020/05/microvax-3100-model-95-psu-ripp le-after-re-capping.png Ch1 is the 12V output and Ch2 is the 5V output. I had an old RD53 connected as a dummy load. It is possible that the memory was breaking because of occasional spikes that are worse, but I don't know. Does that seem OK? Thanks Rob

5 years, 11 months

DIGI-COMP 1 enhanced

by j_hoppe＠t-online.de

Guys, I added a motor drive to my DIGI-COMP I, and wrote 4 web pages about that device. See http://www.retrocmp.com/articles/digi-comp-1/ or just the video https://youtu.be/D6GgxXRJXnw best regards, Joerg

5 years, 11 months

Facit N4000 Schematic

by ard.p850ug1＠gmail.com

>From time to time there are posts here about the Facit N4000 paper tape punch/reader unit. The one that looks like a Facit 4070 with a tape reader on the front (in fact the punch mechanism is much the same as that in the 4070). I have reverse-engineered mine and traced out the schematics. Of course it's one of my hand-drawn ones but I think it's mostly legible. If anyone wants it I am happy to send out a copy (but as ever I'd rather send it out once and have somebody else pass it on) -tony

5 years, 11 months

Odd book

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

So, I've come across an odd book that might interest some here: "Achieving Accuray: A Legacy of Computers and Missiles", by Marshall William McMurray. The first couple of chapters merely re-tell the story of earliest computers (pre-elecronic and electronic), up through the IBM 701, Elliott 401, NCR 304, SAGE, CDC 6600, IBM 7090, etc. Competent, but nothing special. Then it gets interesting, though. Chapter 4 is "Small Magnetic Drum Computers of the 1950s", and it covers a bunch of machines I'd never heard of: JAINCOMP B-1 (!), MONROBOT III (!!), CADAC 101, 102 (!!!) and on and on. Chapter 5 is "Real-Time Control Computers", and it covers a long group of machines: ALWAC I, II, III; Univac Athena; Autonetics Verdan D9A-L; Librascope C-141 to name but a few. Pure gold, this chapter and the one before - retrieved a lot of machines from the memory hole. Chapter 6 is "NASA Control Computers", and it covers the usual suspects: IBM ASC 15, IBM LVDC, IBM GDC, Librascope Centaur, AGC, IBM 4Pi. Some of these are covered elseshere, but it's nice to have them all in one place. Chapter 7 is "Late-Model High Speed Supercomputers", with quite a range: starting with Cray 1, Sun, SGI, then the various ASCI array multi-processor systems at LLNL, etc. It then moved over to missiles, and goes through a similar progression, starting early, with some details of WWII era stuff (e.g.Hs 293's), then a chapter on V-1's amd V-2's and their derivatives. More chapters on "Early US Missile Programs", NAA's inertialguidance work and its applications up through Polaris, Titans, etc. Then more on later US missiles and their guidance systems, such as Minuteman, Trident and MX. A lengthy Chapter 13 is "Soviet and Russian Land-Based Missile Systems", which doesn't have quite the detail of the US chapters (in which the authot was personally involved), but is still novel. Another chapter then finishes with Soiet/Russian naval missiles. A very unusual and off-beat work. Noel

5 years, 11 months

DIGI-COMP 1 enhanced (Joerg Hoppe)

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

> > From: Joerg Hoppe <j_hoppe at t-online.de> > Subject: DIGI-COMP 1 enhanced > > Guys, > > I added a motor drive to my DIGI-COMP I, and wrote 4 web pages about > that device. > > See http://www.retrocmp.com/articles/digi-comp-1/ > or just the video https://youtu.be/D6GgxXRJXnw > > best regards, > Joerg > That is very cool! The RICM has a DIGI-COMP, but we have not done much with it other than put it on display. -- Michael Thompson

5 years, 11 months

paper tape reader EECO "The Director"

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Per my post from last week, after checking out the Decitek readers I ended up getting a used by warrantied EECO "The Director" MT-82 tape reader with a short-height spool for a good price. Here is the manual. http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/eeco/DOC10006_EECO_MT-82_MTS-82_Mar82.pdf Anyone use this unit? I saw some youtube video display how the servos appear to treat the tape kindly, that was a selling point. Not as interested in speed as that's not the point, eh? Bill

5 years, 11 months

Odd book

by wkt＠tuhs.org

dwight wrote on Thu May 7 08:45:07 CDT 2020: > There are only a few winning and tying patterns for tic tac toe. There > was a fellow that made a relay logic that could play tic tac toe and > would win against a human of at least tie but never lose. Here's my version of tic tac toe in TTL logic: J/K flip flops and a ROM: https://github.com/DoctorWkt/TTL_TicTacToe Cheers, Warren

5 years, 11 months

MSV11-R doc needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Aaron Taylor > I can confirm that the DEC MSV11-R is a PMI card. I own two and have > used them with my KDJ11-B. ... the board is recognized as PMI by my KDJ11-B. Also, in a fairly amazing bit of sleuthing, Jerry Weiss found (in some of the early PR versions of the -11/84 TM) a diagram which actually shows an MSV11R-R connected to the PMI bus (on pg 3-63, or thereabouts). Thanks, guys! Now, to try and round up enough energy to get my Q/CD machine running, to confirm that I didn't fry mine. (I don't remember any smoke, but I'm pretty sure I tried it, to check it, after I bought it.) Noel

5 years, 11 months

MSV11-R doc needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Chris Zach > http://www.aceware.com.au/acms/images/Invent/GeneralRoboticsMSV_11R.jpg I don't know what that is, but it's not an MSV11-R. Here: https://gunkies.org/wiki/File:MSV11-R.jpg is an MSV11-R. > Maybe it's PMI memory without ECC? I count 18 bits across which seems > like the MSV11-Q parity memory. Alas, there is almost zilch original DEC documentation extant which speaks of it; not even uNote #28: http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/hardwar… which briefly covers all the other late DEC QBUS memories (including the MSV11-M, which ia otherwise _completely_ un-documented) mentions it. But I agree that given the 18 chips, it'a probably parity. Noel

5 years, 11 months

MSV11-R doc needed

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

Hi, I'm looking for documentation on the MSV11-R; there's next to nothing online. (An -11/84 manual gives config, but that's all I cam find.) There is an 'MSV11-R User Guide' (EK-MSV1R-UG), but it's not online; I don't suppose anyone out there has one? I'm trying to confirm an online report that it's a PMI card; if so, I want to put a warning on the CHWiki page for it, to warn people not to plug it into a Q/Q backplane. (I have one, and did try it back when I first got it, but I don't recall if I knew it might be a PMI card at the time! I'm too lazy/low-energy to get my Q/CD machine running so I can plug it in and see if it still works. :-) Given the size of the card, and the amount of non-memory logic, compared to the MSV11-M and MSV11-Q, I would tend to suspect it is a PMI card, but it would be good to find some DEC docs to confirm it. Noel

5 years, 11 months

Wanted, Papertape Reader for Archiving Tapes

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

Hi - COVID project.... I have been attempting to read some old Honeywell DDP-516 papertapes using the OP-80A or Teletype reader but it's inefficient and I don't want to damage the tapes. Does anyone have a reliable papertape reader for sale, or recommend one currently out there on Ebay, for the purpose of archiving papertapes of any kind safely and reliably. I have a reasonable budget. I have a lot of tapes that need to be archived, so I'd want one that I can interface with to capture into TAP files or what I would call a raw dump listing of the data in 8-bit Hex. MITS, SWTPc, Z80 stuf, PDP 8, PDP 11, Honeywell, etc. End goal is to load tapes into simH, PDPGUI, Altair/S-100, textfiles to display tapes. I want to be able to view the tape as it would be in Intel or Motorola format, etc. What does everyone else do? For example: S1131C102C20DEBD19217E167DBD185FD6259626A3 S1131C209B27C900D70297037E167DBD1999DE282C S1131C30DF2C9C022742D6029603902DD22C2A1C1C S1131C40D62C962DBD015ADF2CD6029603BD015A1F S1131C509C2C2724A600BD02270820F4D602960354 S1131C60BD015ADF2ED62C962DBD015A9C2E270875 S1131C70A600BD02270820F47E167DDEDBDF027E8F S1071C80167D0000C9 S9030000FC Thanks for any advice. Bill

5 years, 11 months

Odd book

by mark＠matlockfamily.com

> From: jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu (Noel Chiappa) > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Cc: jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu > Subject: Odd book > Message-ID: <20200506152915.23EA118C0AA at mercury.lcs.mit.edu> > > So, I've come across an odd book that might interest some here: "Achieving > Accuray: A Legacy of Computers and Missiles", by Marshall William McMurray. > > The first couple of chapters merely re-tell the story of earliest computers > (pre-elecronic and electronic), up through the IBM 701, Elliott 401, NCR 304, > SAGE, CDC 6600, IBM 7090, etc. Competent, but nothing special. Then it > gets interesting, though. ?. > A very unusual and off-beat work. > > Noel Noel, Thanks for the book recommendation above. I was happy to see that it was available in a reasonably priced Kindle version. One of my favorite computer history books is Stan Augarten's 1984 book, Bit by Bit: An Illustrated History of Computers. I did manage to find a copy and really enjoyed reading it and looking at the great photos in it. I was curious to know a bit more about the author and in ?DuckDuckGoing? him I ran across an online college course by Haverford University: http://ds-wordpress.haverford.edu/bitbybit/bit-by-bit-contents/front-matter… <http://ds-wordpress.haverford.edu/bitbybit/bit-by-bit-contents/front-matter…> that has the entire text and the photos from Stan Augarten?s book. It is a great way to read an otherwise hard to find book. It also has some .pdfs of the lecture slides from the professors who put this great web site together. Mark

5 years, 11 months

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