- test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org - classiccmp.org

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2012 11:07:27 -0500 From: Mark Tapley <mtapley at swri.edu> To: <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Modern computers with docs (was: Re: PM 6100/60, was: Powermac...) Message-ID: <p0624080bcc18c0b8657a(a)[129.162.151.118]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed At 19:48 -0500 7/1/12, ARD wrote (more or less): > >More seriously, can you name a present-day computer where the > >manufactuers do supply schematics, data on ASICs, and the like? > Ummm, you want the transistor-level prints on a Core 2 Duo CPU? 290 million transistors! Really, if put on paper, it ought to fill a large room. The last machines I ever saw where schematics were available to the end users were the VAX-11/780 and the uVAX-II. The 780 schematics were as thick as a phone book and 11 x 17" pages. The uVAX-II was a lot smaller, it was a hierarchical description, but gave a lot of insight on how the processor and interface chips were organized. Jon

14 years

7
7
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RCA/COSMAC 1802 assemblers in the 70's

by hilpert＠cs.ubc.ca

Does anyone recall anything about the availability of (cross-) assemblers for 1802 development back in their day? Not that I need to find an original, I'm disassembling and 'reverse- sourcing' the firmware (~700 bytes) for some equipment from 1977 with an embedded 1802, and just idly assessing what the likelihood is that it was produced with a machine assembler vs. hand-assembled.

14 years

4
3
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cctalk Digest, Vol 107, Issue 11

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2012 23:53:51 -0400 From: Ethan Dicks <ethan.dicks at gmail.com> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Re: Modern computers with docs Message-ID: <CAALmimn-hHdHA8xCf4CLfdkkvwCjzptq-tnh4V4AbwK=TvPT-Q at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 On Tue, Jul 3, 2012 at 10:33 PM, Jon Elson <elson at pico-systems.com> wrote: > > The last machines I ever saw where schematics were available to the > > end users were the VAX-11/780 and the uVAX-II. The 780 schematics > > were as thick as a phone book and 11 x 17" pages. The uVAX-II > > was a lot smaller, it was a hierarchical description, but gave a lot > > of insight on how the processor and interface chips were organized. > The 11/750 and 11/730 also had full schematics and assembly drawings on thick slabs of 11"x17" paper, accompanied by several 8.5"x11" tomes of technical descriptions. I think even DEC stopped providing that level of documentation in most cases after about 1983 or so. I remember plenty of detailed Qbus docs but I don't remember running across the uVAX-II printset. That would be interesting to review. I have a KA-630 print set, if anyone in interested. Probably it should be scanned and archived with bitsavers. It is 11x17, and about 3/8" thick. Jon

14 years

1
0
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Powermac G5 won't start

by md.benson＠gmail.com

Hi, This is a generic fixit for PowerPC Macs but always worth a try: - Unplug the unit from the mains. - Remove the NVRAM battery - Leave to stand for *at least* 2-3 hours - Power up The issue is the NVRAM (referred to as PRAM on a Mac just to be contrary) becomes corrupt as the battery runs down. If the machine has been stood unused for a long time it may have this aforementioned amnesia. I have, however, heard a lot of sorry tales of PowerMac G5s suffering all manner of weird problems with PSUs, leaking liquid coolers and more. It's worth thoroughly checking the whole system over before proceeding. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson

14 years

17
42
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Raspberry Pi and America,

by md.benson＠gmail.com

On 4 Jul 2012, at 09:37, Rob <robert at irrelevant.com> wrote: >> There is a chance, I reckon, that the RasPi may end up like the IBM >> PC. Quite respectably successful in its own right, but more important >> for the whole market sector it spawned of enhanced-but-compatible > > I think that's actually the point! Exactly. They aren't doing this for the profit, they are doing it for the drive into the community and to get people programming as a hobby. While yes I appreciate people have battered on about the documentation being part under NDA and that sucks for driver development, really that's not the part they are most interested in leveraging, they want a small device that people, kids especially, can doodle about with languages like C, Python etc on to get them enthused about creating software in a modern context in order to inspire a new generation to grow up with computer programming on the brain. The project is at an early stage, really largely still late development, but it's got the important thing - large amounts of traction with the community and a friendly introductory price tag. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson

14 years

1
0
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2 X 12 micro backplane 54-13211, 1979

by useddec＠gmail.com

Does anyone know what this is or what it was used in? Thanks, Paul

14 years

1
0
0 0

IMSAI switch paddle replacements

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Tue, 3 Jul 2012 14:19:58 -0700 (PDT) From: David Griffith <dgriffi at cs.csubak.edu> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: IMSAI switch paddle replacements Message-ID: <alpine.DEB.2.00.1207031419440.9191 at sleipnir.cs.csubak.edu> Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; format=flowed; charset=US-ASCII Can someone point me to a source for replacement switch paddles for the IMSAI 8080? Todd Fischer of imsai.net tells me that he has red ones, but no blue ones left. In this day of 3-d printers, maybe you can find somebody to print some. You ought to be able to get the ABS filament in blue. Jon

14 years

1
0
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Strange Core Memory Behavior in a PDP-8/L

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Mon, 2 Jul 2012 20:11:01 -0400 From: Michael Thompson <michael.99.thompson at gmail.com> To: cctech <cctech at classiccmp.org> Subject: Strange Core Memory Behavior in a PDP-8/L Message-ID: <CAH1BU=9z5sOj5rw0dzb1hPe4PTrMvYpjiOv2dPRnrXJ-5CuqwA at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 The RICM is still wrestling with the core in the PDP-8. After replacing some diodes on the core stack we have all addresses working. We observed an interesting core memory behavior during our debugging last Saturday. We started the memory alignment procedure by looking at the STROBE FIELD 0 signal and the amplifier output on pin E1 of the sense amplifier. The STROBE signal was very late compared to Figure 5-6 in the 8/L Maintenance Manual. We ran a short JMP loop and adjusted the relationship with the trimpot on the M360 delay module. When we halted the processor and tried a examine core we only got just zeros. We adjusted the M360 delay back where it was and single step worked again. We found that the strobe-to-one-bit relationship was almost 100ns earlier when in single-step than it was with the processor running. We checked the whole timing path from MEM START at pin N2 of the M113 in slot C03, through all of the gates, delays, and flip-flops, and found no timing difference between single-step and running. Right now it looks like there is a 100ns delay difference between the READ(1) signal that turns on the current in the core and the bit signal showing up on the E1 pin of the sense amplifier when in the single-step and running. Is this normal behavior? The first thing that comes to mind is one-shot recovery time. I might guess that some component has degraded, and the one-shot has a different delay when it has been recently triggered vs. when it has sat for a while. (I'm assuming a classic 8, with discrete transistors, not a later machine built with ICs.) Most specifically, there probably is a transistor that resets the capacitor at the end of the one-shot cycle, and if that transistor is weak, it may not get the cap fully discharged before the next memory cycle starts. Most core memories had circuits to adjust drive current based on core plane temperature, maybe some adjusted timings as well. Also, check for dead decoupling capacitors, these could allow noise when running to alter timings. Jon

14 years

1
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NEC Spinwriter 5525 available

by iamvirtual＠gmail.com

[I hope this is on-topic; I believe the machine is at least 20 years old] I have a NEC Spinwriter 5525 printer that is available for the cost of shipping (free if you pick it up). The printer is a wide carriage and appears to have a RS232 serial interface. I do not know if the printer works or not. The machine is located in Langdon Alberta Canada (postal code is T0J 1X1) which is approximately 10 minutes east of Calgary. The machine is rather heavy. I estimate 50 pounds or more. If there is no interest, the machine is headed to the e-waste recycling. I can send pictures upon request. Contact by e mail: i a m v i rt ihatespam u al @ @ @ g ma il . c om <-- remove spaces and ihatespam Thanks! --barry

14 years

3
2
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sizeof(weird_things) was Re: SPI and I2...

by mtapley＠swri.edu

At 21:58 -0500 7/2/12, Cameron wrote: >Fortunately they only made this assumption a few places, but figuring out >what broke was maddeningly fiddly. ...and for the record, the resulting (I assume) TenFourFox rocks! http://www.floodgap.com/software/tenfourfox/ There are multiple websites I use daily that load faster and better on TenFourFox than on Safari on my PowerBookG4; the (on-topic) iMac G3 is a no-contest win for it. Cameron, thank you! Anyone else surfing the web with a PowerPC Mac, I commend the above site to your attention. (no relation, just satisfied user). -- - Mark 210-379-4635 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- Large Asteroids headed toward planets inhabited by beings that don't have technology adequate to stop them: Think of it as Evolution in Fast-Forward.

14 years

2
1
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Chicago help requested (tick tick tick)

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

> So, if there is someone out there that could pick these items up > (Woodridge, IL - a southwest suburb), I would appreciate it. Time may > be short. Please let me know offlist. I just received a note saying this must be done today or tomorrow, as the family departs on Wednesday! -- Will

14 years

3
4
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Teletype/Dataspeed Model 40

by silent700＠gmail.com

You never do know what you'll find on Craigslist. This time my bad terminal habit gained another 200lbs of trouble with the acquisition of two very interesting Teletype Model 40 CRT terminals, attractively badged as the Bell System Dataspeed 40. The accompanying printer came with them, as well as two very thick volumes of the Shop Manual for these machines (which may be the same as what is already on Bitsavers - I will check.) A very clean KSR33 Teletype was thrown in to round out the deal. Here are the initial pics (shop manuals are stuck somewhere in the car, will add them soon:) https://picasaweb.google.com/102190732096693814506/TeletypePickup Not much info out there on these terms. In fact, given the number of labeled cards inside them, I'm not even sure they're strictly terminals. I have read about local storage options, cluster controllers and other peripherals which suggest that TT or Bell may have tried to sell them as an office computing solution as well as terminals. All I know is they are extremely heavy, probably thanks to the massive PSUs in the bases. The CRTs slide off the two stalks in the base, which contain the power and signal connectors. The keyboards detach from the front of the base as well. Very modular, novel design - and essential if one was to have any hope of lifting these things. The "printer" is only a shell. I thought at first it may have been harvested for parts (I was told they came from the estate of a deceased IL Bell repair instructor) but given the connections inside the enclosure, I am wondering if it was designed to accept a standard Teletype mech. Of course, any knowledge out there that can be added here is appreciated. (No I haven't powered them on yet...) -j -- silent700.blogspot.com Retrocomputing and collecting in the Chicago area: http://chiclassiccomp.org

14 years

3
2
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Chicago help requested (update)

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

At this point, one of the mainframe list guys has offered to pick up the stuff, but I am waiting for confirmation. -- Will

14 years

1
0
0 0

Z80 CLK DRV

by lehmann＠ans-netz.de

Hi, I'm doing a circuit diagram of a SA1100 Disc Controller built with a Z80 CPU. On the controller, I have two blue devices lables "Z80 CLK DRV" on the board, and HPI-1014-782 on the device itself. the "-782" is the date of production most likely. I have no idea about the pinout of those devices nor do I know where to finde datasheets to make a component for my CAD software. Heare you'll find a picture of such devices I mean (different board, but same devices) http://www.picfront.org/d/8Ik2 Any hints of what this is, how the pinout is, and where I can find a functional description of this device would be welcomed. Greetings, Oliver

14 years

11
34
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Working with accounts

by cctech-bounces＠classiccmp.org

We have an excellent opportunity for an apprentice applicant to join a rapidly expanding company. An at home Key Account Manager Position (Ref: 92552-205/6HR) is a great opportunity for stay at home parents or anyone who wants to work in the comfort of their own home. This is a genuine offer and not to be confused with scams! The successful candidate must have the ability to handle calls efficiently whilst maintaining the highest levels of customer service and being courteous. Applicants must have an excellent telephone manner, have a friendly approach, excellent communication skills and be computer literate. You must have the ability to type and talk at the same time to customers, as you will be taking customer details over the phone and inputting data onto company database. Requirements: computer with Internet access, valid email address, good typing skills. If you fit the above description and meet the requirements, please apply to this ad stating your location. You will be processing orders from your computer. How much you earn is up to you. The average is in the region of US$600- US$750.00 per week, depending on whether you work full or part time. If you would like more information, please contact us stating where you are located and our job reference number - 92552-205/6HR. Please only SERIOUS applicants. Our contacts: Josue at careerin-finance.com Thank You!

14 years

3
2
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Data General Power Supply?

by jon＠jonworld.com

Folks, I have happened upon a fairly nice-sized Data General Power Supply board. It's about 8" square with 2 x 120-pin plug connector the length of the board. It says "650W AC autoranging power supply, (C) 1996 Data General 107003838_02/04" and has a very tiny printed label with a part number and serial number. The part number I've made out as 665643739, although the printing is so tiny it could be?885643739. My wife says 005043739. Google turns up nothing. I actually have two. These are essentially NOS parts and seem unused/clean. Here's a photo:?http://i.imgur.com/ZyYYq.jpg Is there any interest in these? What are they? -- -Jon Jonathan Katz, Indianapolis, IN.

14 years

2
2
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Chicago help requested

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

I am looking for some help in the Chicago area. Very recently, an IBM mainframe old-timer passed away. He has some old manuals and so forth that the family would like to save, but they understandably are too busy. Of note is a 16 mm film concerning the release of OS/360, which was to go to CHM. So, if there is someone out there that could pick these items up (Woodridge, IL - a southwest suburb), I would appreciate it. Time may be short. Please let me know offlist. -- Will

14 years

1
0
0 0

AlphaServer 4100 RCM

by markbenson＠mac.com

Does anyone know what the spec and polarity is of the 12V PSU port for the AlphaServer 4100 Remote Console. I'd like to be able to use it when the machine is offline. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson

14 years

1
0
0 0

Z80 CLK DRV

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Sun, 1 Jul 2012 21:42:31 +0100 (BST) From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) To: cctalk at classiccmp.org Subject: Re: Z80 CLK DRV Message-ID: <m1SlQyb-000J4jC at p850ug1> Content-Type: text/plain I cna't help wit hthe pinout, but I can guess the function. IIRC the clock input of the S80 is not actually TTL compatible, it needs to be pulled up to the 5V line.My guess is that thes are clock driver cirucits for this signal, they take a TTL level singal in and give out the genuine 5V signal for the Z80 clock input. I used to do a lot of Z80 designs, most with classic Zilog Z80s, but also some later ones with Harris CMOS Z80 clones for battery-powered applications. I don't recall a lot of difficulty with the clock generation, I used classic 74xx chips. Generally I started with a faster xtal oscillator and divided down with something like a 74HC161, so maybe that was all that was needed to get the right clock swing. Jon

14 years

1
0
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Philips P2701E Terminal - Configuration

by wolfgang＠eichberger.org

Hi all, does anyone have a hint how to configure a Philips P2701E serial text terminal. I found zero Information in the net.... Are these some kind of rebadged equipment? Regards, Wolfgang

14 years

4
4
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Break-ins

by ggs＠shiresoft.com

Got a bit of a scare this week. I have most of my equipment stored and I received a call indicating that the lock on one of my units was missing. The management put a "temporary" lock on the unit until I could get down and survey what was going on (and put a new lock on it). I went down this morning and there in front of the door to my unit was my lock that had been cut off (I suspect with bolt cutters). Fortunately, there doesn't appear to be any mischief (other than having to replace the lock). I suspect that someone was confused (and probably lost the key to their lock) and opened my unit. When they saw what was in it they moved on. The reason that I suspect this was that nothing was disturbed and there are several obvious items near the front that would've probably gone missing if theft was the motivation. I put a new high security lock in place of the old padlock and will probably replace my other padlocks with high security locks to prevent this sort of thing in the future. TTFN - Guy

14 years

13
17
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H745 Power Supply Repair

by jaquinn2001＠gmail.com

Continuing to make progress on the 11/04. The H7441 supplies are still to be tested. The 24000uf input capacitor is faulty on one and while waiting on the replacement I also noticed one of the 1200uf capacitors in the output CLC filter was leaking. Now waiting for parts to replace both CLC filter capacitors (560uf and 1200uf) in each supply before I power them up. Moved on to the H745. The two output capacitors test file but the big 31000uf electrolytic after the rectifier is faulty and needs replacement. Any suggested on a replacement other than same spec... it seems a bit highly spec'ed for what this module is doing. Regards Andrew

14 years

1
0
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Teletype ASR33 110 or 220V?

by sander.reiche＠gmail.com

Hi all, Do you guys know of a failsafe way to check if a Teletype is for 110 or 220V? I've bought one which has a power connector which seems like US mains. The motor is 50Hz, but I guess that won't make a difference. Any quick way to check without completely dismantling the machine? re, Sander -- ~ UNIX is basically a simple operating system, ? ? ? ? ? ?but you have to be a genius to understand its simplicity. ~ dmr

14 years

9
19
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Adapting Linux for ARM

by elson＠pico-systems.com

cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: Message: 6 Date: Sat, 30 Jun 2012 01:47:24 -0300 From: "Alexandre Souza - Listas" <pu1bzz.listas at gmail.com> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Subject: Adapting linux for other ARM devices. Was:Raspberry Pi and America, Message-ID: <08b401cd567b$8e3cd550$6600a8c0 at tababook> Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset="UTF-8"; reply-type=original An interesting question that may fit on this list There are lots of old ARM devices around. One that is very common in Brazil is the "easybox" internet computer which is an ARM device with an ISA slot (for originally a modem and optionally a NE2000 network board), some peripherals, video output and remote keyboard. These can be had for (very) cheap. How hard is to port e.g.: Angstrom or something like that for a system like this? Maybe I hadn't expressed myself well. I want to UNDERSTAND how the port is done Well, depending on the exact flavor of ARM CPU, it could be easy or VERY, VERY hard. The problem is that the ARM CPUs may all have essentially the same instruction set, but the on-chip peripheral configuration can be quite different. Also, some chips had significant bugs that needed workarounds. The ARM architecture spans a wide range of performance and capability. The Beagle Board is an amazing system on a 75 mm square board, with USB, HDMI 256 M RAM, SD memory card and runs on less than 2 W power. You can run a full Linux Ubuntu system on it. I use them for net-attached devices that export TCP services or Glade GUIs to control little boards that stack with the Beagle. If you have an existing port for a related chip, or a board that uses the same ARM chip, it may not be that difficult. There will be a source code base and a development tools environment. You mostly customize the list of drivers to be included, possibly providing some parameters to select what peripherals are enabled and how to route them to the board. If you are starting with a generic source tree and a chip that has not has Linux ported to it (or the port has not been updated in years) then it can be QUITE messy. I built an updated kernel for the Beagle board ON the beagle board, it took about a day to compile the kernel. That's why they use toolkits to do it on a PC. Jon

14 years

1
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Four IBM Series/1 available near L.A.

by evan＠snarc.net

See subject line. No affiliation with the seller. Contact: Paul -- pschlichting at earthlink.net

14 years

1
0
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Lots of vintage electronic and computer stuff

by peter＠vanpeborgh.eu

Guys, Guys, Guys... I am overwhelmed and slightly gobsmacked at the level of interest. I hope I won't disappoint you. Since the stuff is in machester and I am in Somerset (about 200 miles apart within England for those of you in the USofA), I won't know in detail what is involved until I get there at the beginning fo the week when I start clearing out. I do know there are a lot of electronic test equipment including scopes. IBM '60s manuals and hardware descriptions, mag tapes and paper tapes. Lots of valves/tubes also. Please keep telling me your interests and I will conact relevant people nearer the time. peter || | | | | | | | | Peter Van Peborgh 62 St Mary's Rise Writhlington Radstock Somerset BA3 3PD UK 01761 439 234 || | | | | | | | |

14 years

12
13
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ST-506/412 to IDE/ATA/SCSI/? adaptor

by tom94022＠comcast.net

There has been a lot of discussion on this subject and I have tried to read all of it, but I may have missed a discussion of what I think is the key problem in such a product. Apologies in advance if I am repeating something As I recall you could not move a formatted ST506/412 HDD between controllers without first reformatting. This is because the gap and header information was likely different between different controller manufacturers. This particularly applies to ECC but could include simple things like address mark, sync byte, etc. So although your IDE drive gives you error free data and a crystal will give you perfect serial timing (no pll required and the pll in the controller never sees bit shift) the adaptor would have to synthesize the particular format down to the bit and including the specific ECC/CRC or the controller will post an error. Since most of the ST506/412 controllers after the early ones were "picocoded" state machines that did the serializing/deserialing I suspect most any modern dsp can do the work, the real problem may turn out to be getting the format information for the particular manufacturer and model controller chip used in the system to which the adaptor attaches. Even within manufacturers the format changed with generations and some manufacturers did custom variants, some of which were rumored to be designed to preclude generic ST506/412 drive attachment. I suppose a very smart machine could learn by having a series of known data patterns written to it, but that seems challenging. So it may turn out to be an impossible task for other than the high volume commercial controller chips and even there finding the specific ECC algorithm might be difficult. Just my 2 cents Tom

14 years

10
21
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Diagnosing and Reparing Commodore 64s

by dm561＠torfree.net

Original Message: Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 05:41:11 -0400 From: "Jeffrey Brace" <ark72axow at msn.com> > Hello everyone, > I was hoping for some definite direction in my endless quest to fix my > C64. Then I would suggest that, instead of just venting your frustration that troubleshooting and repairing computers sometimes requires knowledge, experience and tools and isn't always easy to do via email without access to the machine, you accurately describe your symptoms in detail and ask for specific advice on a list like this where folks know what they're talking about; the Vintage Computer Forum is another good place, among others. > I'm told to go to Ray Carlsen's site and that will have everything I need. > http://personalpages.tds.net/~rcarlsen/cbm.html. Which is very nice, but > I'm a beginner and I don't need just a bunch of schematics and reference > material. I need step by step method which explains which tools, > techniques etc. that I need to do. What you need to do is look more closely in the right place: http://cbm8bit.com/articles/raycarlsen/raysarticles.php Near the bottom you will find a number of articles listing symptoms and possible causes; yours is probably in there somewhere. m

14 years

13
17
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HP 9885M troubleshooting tips

by derschjo＠mail.msu.edu

Hi all -- Picked up a (mostly) complete HP 9885M (8" floppy drive) set up for my HP 9825 computer. I have the 9885M drive itself, a 98032A interface, and the "Flexible Disk Drive" ROM pak for the 9825. I am unfortunately missing the "9825A Disk System Cartridge" tape (hp p/n 09885-90035). Any ideas if this has been archived anywhere? I haven't found it in my searches. (Not that I currently have any means to get it onto my 9825...) Looks like this is actually required in order to format disks. Sigh... Unfortunately, the drive appears to be failing the built-in diagnostic; there's a single LED that goes on when the test starts and it's supposed to go out within a minute if the diagnostic's passed. The LED on mine just stays on permanently. Unfortunately that's the -only- diagnostic indicator on the unit. I've read through the service manual and unless I'm missing something it doesn't really describe how to go about narrowing down the problem. There's a flowchart that basically says "if the light doesn't go out, it's a problem with the controller in the drive unit" which seems fairly obvious... The service manual mentions a diagnostic on the tape, but I don't have this to aid me. Anyone have any experience with these drives? Any pointers for starting out? (I've checked the obvious things -- the power supply voltages look good, etc). Thanks as always, Josh

14 years

4
9
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Powermac G5 won't start

by md.benson＠gmail.com

On 29 Jun 2012, at 12:16, George Rachor <george at rachors.com> wrote: > Hmmmm,, > > I had pulled the battery for only a few minutes?.. > I'm leaving the power unplugged and the battery out overnight? Advisable. The minimum I ever had it work over was about 3 hours. I usually left them overnight to stand in a corner and think about what they'd done. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson

14 years

1
0
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Powermac G5 won't start

by md.benson＠gmail.com

On 29 Jun 2012, at 10:37, John Many Jars <john at yoyodyne-propulsion.net> wrote: > Check the PRAM battery is good, and replace if necessary. > > Yes, at the Mac shop, this made 98% of dead Macs come alive. > > Apple got sued at the time, because the solution in the manual was > "replace the main board" for hundreds of dollars, instead of, replace > the PRAM battery, for seven dollars. Ultimately, yes, it needs a new battery but in my experience replacing the PRAM battery with a fresh one doesn't always work straight off the bat - went through this with a 7300, 9600 and a G3 Blue, all needed leaving to forget their PRAM settings before they'd power on. *Then* when you power off and fit the new battery tgey work fine. Back in the days when I used to hang around on the PCI PowerMacs list and the G-List at LowEndMac this was a well known proceedure and got repeated to people who'd already replaced the PRAM battery many times. I have to admit I panicked the first time it happened to me on my 7300 but an experienced tech told me how to fix it. In Apple's defence, the difference between a dead PRAM battery/corrupt PRAM and the symptoms of a board failure are indistinguishable, hence why a lot of people think the machine is dead when it actually isn't. They should at least have issued an adendum, however, so the law suit was appropriate. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson

14 years

2
1
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Raspberry Pi and America, was Re: ST-506/412 to IDE/ATA/SCSI/? adaptor

by md.benson＠gmail.com

There os a team actively working on a Raspberry Pi version of xbmc. There's a link on the RPi website somewhere. -- Mark Benson http://markbenson.org/blog http://twitter.com/MDBenson On 29 Jun 2012, at 09:13, George Rachor <george at rachors.com> wrote: > I was wondering if the Raspberry Pi might be used as a very lightweight xbmc fronted?.. > > George Rachor > > george at rachors.com > > > > > On Jun 28, 2012, at 11:38 PM, Tothwolf wrote: > >> On Thu, 28 Jun 2012, Mark Benson wrote: >> >>> I don't talk much on here because most of the time I am in awe of most >>> of you guys fixing things and sharing knowledge at levels I don't have >>> the tools or the talent to aspire to, and hays off it's awesome. >>> >>> Fact is though, this thread is starting to have echoes of that guy at >>> HP that said he could only see a market for 5 computers at most. >>> >>> I have a Raspberry Pi and run it 24/7 as an emulated VAX 3900 using >>> SimH. It does a damn good job of it too. >> >> I work with a lot of embedded boards these days. Design wise, I rather like the Raspberry Pi. >> >> My single gripe with the project is their choice of Farnell/Newark as their retail distributor. Newark as they are better known in the US has an enormous markup on parts and materials and I've had so many bad experiences with them (including overnight shipping not shipping out for 3-4 days on /multiple/ occasions) that I will simply not deal with Farnell/Newark unless there is absolutely no way I can avoid doing so. >> >> With my latest experience with Newark last year, they charged me $18 for a small heat sink plus $20 for UPS ground shipping (that they -finally- shipped out about 5 days later) PLUS local sales tax for an out of state purchase. All total, about $58.00 USD for a small aluminum heat sink that was less than 1LB shipped. That part was for a rush repair job, and I ate the cost, but I vowed to never deal with Newark again. >> >> By the time Newark tacks on all their fees, that "inexpensive" Raspberry Pi is no longer inexpensive by any definition. Until the Raspberry Pi is available via another distributor, I will not buy one. >> > >

14 years

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HP 9885M troubleshooting tips

by js＠cimmeri.com

Josh, IIRC, you need to have an 8" floppy in for the testing. cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote: Subject: HP 9885M troubleshooting tips From: Josh Dersch <derschjo at mail.msu.edu> Date: Tue, 26 Jun 2012 21:16:48 -0700 To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org> Hi all -- Picked up a (mostly) complete HP 9885M (8" floppy drive) set up for my HP 9825 computer. I have the 9885M drive itself, a 98032A interface, and the "Flexible Disk Drive" ROM pak for the 9825. I am unfortunately missing the "9825A Disk System Cartridge" tape (hp p/n 09885-90035). Any ideas if this has been archived anywhere? I haven't found it in my searches. (Not that I currently have any means to get it onto my 9825...) Looks like this is actually required in order to format disks. Sigh... Unfortunately, the drive appears to be failing the built-in diagnostic; there's a single LED that goes on when the test starts and it's supposed to go out within a minute if the diagnostic's passed. The LED on mine just stays on permanently. Unfortunately that's the -only- diagnostic indicator on the unit. I've read through the service manual and unless I'm missing something it doesn't really describe how to go about narrowing down the problem. There's a flowchart that basically says "if the light doesn't go out, it's a problem with the controller in the drive unit" which seems fairly obvious... The service manual mentions a diagnostic on the tape, but I don't have this to aid me. Anyone have any experience with these drives? Any pointers for starting out? (I've checked the obvious things -- the power supply voltages look good, etc). Thanks as always, Josh

14 years

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Teletype

by elson＠pico-systems.com

Date: Thu, 28 Jun 2012 15:22:16 +0200 From: Sander Reiche <sander.reiche at gmail.com> To: cctech at classiccmp.org Subject: Teletype ASR33 110 or 220V? Message-ID: <CACStewZZ+V4fNskjsSexYHTLFdagDED03vqEsoYZcTL438Gf_g at mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1 Hi all, Do you guys know of a failsafe way to check if a Teletype is for 110 or 220V? I've bought one which has a power connector which seems like US mains. The motor is 50Hz, but I guess that won't make a difference. Any quick way to check without completely dismantling the machine? Yes, the 50 Hz will DEFINITELY make a difference. I think the ASR33 has mechanical send as well as receive, so the baud rates will be off in both directions if you run it off the wrong line frequency. But, the motors may be 50/60 Hz, I think they changed a gear to select the mains frequency. I guess try running it on 120 V, if the motor fails to start or runs very sluggishly, then it is most likely a 240 V motor. Jon

14 years

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Southern haulage

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

I am planning to take a Southern roadtrip sometime soon (one or two months away) to pick up some gear, and should have space to haul something for someone (or someones). Hudson Valley, NY to mid-PA to Orlando, FL, and all points between. I could probably handle a small rack, like a five footer. If anyone needs something moved that fits my van, please contact me off list. Prices are pretty damn reasonable... -- Will

14 years

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AT & T 7300 docs and skanky defective Tandy 2000

by rampaginggreenhulk＠yahoo.com

Being shipped or disposed of tomorrow. First offlist email by person/s immediately willing to paypal 60lbs media/35lbs parcel post +10% in either case for my expenses. From 08758. Going going going. Tandy is very yellow or orange, missing screws, dual floppy, color rgb IIRC.

14 years

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Selling my CT63(CT60) 68060-accelerated Falcon

by julian＠twinax.org

So, I've set to selling my Falcon and its software. It's just the board, with accelerator and memory. http://www.ebay.com/itm/160832830585?ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT&_trksid=p398… The software is a separate auction but includes NVDI 5, N.AES 2.0, MagiC 6, and CD Writer Suite 4 with ExtenDOS. http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160832836938#ht_500wt_14… Thanks for looking. Julian

14 years

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Emulex QD21 firmware

by jgevaryahu＠gmail.com

Seth, Can you dump the EPROMS of the old Rev. D firmware before replacing them? I'm interested in tracking what changed over the different firmware revisions. -- Jonathan Gevaryahu jgevaryahu at gmail.com jgevaryahu at hotmail.com

14 years

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2x RA-60 + packs

by quapla＠xs4all.nl

As I'm getting rid of 'non classical PDP-11' equipment, I have 2 RA-60's and 5 RA-60 packs which will have to go. Asking price is Eur 250 for the lot. Although both were working when put in storage, they have developed a (small?) fault. One spins up but does not do a head load, the other does not spin up, could be minor fault or else make 1 drive out of these 2. Comes with a KDA-50 (QBus) or UDA-50 (Unibus), depending on choice. Pickup only (near Arnhem, Netherlands) due to the weight of these drives. Ed -- Dit is een HTML vrije email / This is an HTML free email. Zeg NEE tegen de 'slimme' meter.

14 years

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Lots of vintage electronic and computer stuff

by gerhard.kreuzer＠liftoff.at

Hi, maybe I missed something, but is there a list of that stuff available? Thanks a lot. With best regards Gerhard OE3GKC

14 years

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dc fans

by rampaginggreenhulk＠yahoo.com

black and red leads are labeled, white is not. Speed control? From large Sun servers OOPS! Sorry. But can someone inform regardless, and what kind of signal/circuit is required to control the speed, if thats the case. Cant successfully look it up now, its this stupid phone.

14 years

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Lots of vintage electronic and computer stuff

by peter＠vanpeborgh.eu

In September next, I will be emptying a small warehouse of vintage computer and electronic items, including oscilloscopes and lots of valves/tubes. I am trying to ascertain what interest there would be in buying some of these items from me. peter || | | | | | | | | Peter Van Peborgh 62 St Mary's Rise Writhlington Radstock Somerset BA3 3PD UK 01761 439 234 || | | | | | | | |

14 years

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emulated linux/bsd motorola 68k system?

by ray＠arachelian.com

Anyone know of a working emulator for a Motorola 68K system that works well enough to install either linux/bsd in? Would like to be able to compile and test stuff with GCC to 68K assembly while on the go from an intel macbook pro. Something that could run under MESS would be nice, as an example, but would like a unixy tool-chain.

14 years

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S-100 8088 CPU board ready for order

by LYNCHAJ＠yahoo.com

Hi! The S-100 8088 CPU board has completed its trace optimization and final checks. It is ready to go for PCB manufacturing order. At the moment there are 10 PCBs for builders on the waiting list. There has to be about 20 PCBs to make an order feasible so if you are interested please let me know. More information at the links below: http://s100computers.com/My%20System%20Pages/8088%20Board/8088%20CPU%20Board .htm http://n8vem-sbc.pbworks.com/w/browse/#view=ViewFolder <http://n8vem-sbc.pbworks.com/w/browse/#view=ViewFolder&param=S-100%208088%2 0CPU%20board> &param=S-100%208088%20CPU%20board As usual these PCBs will be $20 each plus $3 shipping in the US and $6 elsewhere. Thanks and have a nice day! Andrew Lynch

14 years

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HP 7970B interface trouble

by hp-fix＠xs4all.nl

Today I had finally the time to look after my HP 7970B tape drive. After cleaning and adjusting the mechanics and electronics and some tests, I was planning to hook it up to my HP 2113B processor and found out.... I'm having a HP 7970E interface set, the HP 13183A, and I need the HP 13181A/B interfaces. So if there is someone who wants to trade a set HP 13183A boards with manual for a set of HP 13181A/B boards I would be very very happy.. -Rik

14 years

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IBM 5150 (fwd)

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

An IBM 5150 needs to go to a good home. See below for details. Reply-to: autumn.quiles at gmail.com -- Sellam Ismail VintageTech ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintagetech.com Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap...The truth is always simple. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 14:33:43 -0400 From: Autumn Q <autumn.quiles at gmail.com> To: donate at vintage.org Subject: IBM 5150 Hello, My Dad kept our first computer, a complete IBM 5150, for many years. He was proud to have seen it in the Smithsonian! :) Dad recently died and, in going through his things, we decided would like for the 5150 to have a good home. Do you know anyone who would be interested? Thanks so much, Autumn Quiles

14 years

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My 'New'/ Never-Used: (Complete) Commodore 64 Computer.--(With all peripheral: hardware/ options/ components/ software, etc..). (fwd)

by sellam＠vintagetech.com

A guy in Brentwood, Tennessee is selling his NIB Commodore 64 system. See details below. Complete contact information is included (see phone number at end of text). Reply-to: Lawrence.Gallagher at va.gov -- Sellam Ismail VintageTech ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintagetech.com Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap...The truth is always simple. ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2012 10:15:48 -0400 From: "Gallagher, Lawrence E." <Lawrence.Gallagher at va.gov> To: vcf at vintage.org Cc: "Gallagher, Lawrence E." <Lawrence.Gallagher at va.gov> Subject: My 'New'/ Never-Used: (Complete) Commodore 64 Computer.--(With all peripheral: hardware/ options/ components/ software, etc..). Vintage Computer Collectors: (Please help me; if possible.). I am selling my 'new'/ never-used: Commodore 64 Computer! -(With all/ various: peripheral devices/ supplies.). I am the original purchaser of the device.-It has never been used! (I need to sell it due to various health problems and concerns.). Please call me; as soon as possible.-I want it all to go to someone who will appreciate it! "Thank You!"- Larry Gallagher 101 Birchwood Court Brentwood, TN 37027-7806. Home: (615) 833-7585.---('Anytime!'). Lawrence.gallagher at va.gov

14 years

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dc fans

by rampaginggreenhulk＠yahoo.com

So in laymans terms you vary the speed by narrowing or widening the pulses delivered on the positive lead (duty cycle). A steady 12vdc and you get max air flow/speed? The tach lead is registered by something on the mobo, and otherwise has nothing to do with the rotation of the blades? ------------------------------ On Tue, Jun 26, 2012 8:42 PM PDT Dave McGuire wrote: >On 06/26/2012 11:27 PM, Chris Tofu wrote: >> black and red leads are labeled, white is not. Speed control? From >> large Sun servers OOPS! Sorry. But can someone inform regardless, and >> what kind of signal/circuit is required to control the speed, if >> thats the case. Cant successfully look it up now, its this stupid >> phone. > > Put them BACK in the large Sun servers if they're anything remotely >recent. > > It's almost definitely a tachometer lead. They're typically >controlled via PWM, with a closed-loop servo for speed control and >OS-accessible speed monitoring. > > -Dave > >-- >Dave McGuire, AK4HZ >New Kensington, PA

14 years

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Film Recorders (Agfa PCR II)

by Arno_1983＠gmx.de

ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote: > When wa this made. There weren't many 16 pi nprogrammable parts other > htan bbipolar PROMs (which doesn't sound likely here) in the 'classic > era'. Of course tere are such parts now. (...) The installation sticker on top of the case mentions it was set up in 1993. If Wikipedia is to be believed (I know there are mixed opinions about that here, no combustion demonstrations required...), the first standalone PICs (just as an example what could have been used in this place) came about soon after General Instrument's microelectronic division was sold out to Microchip in 1989. > Have you treid looking for a service manual for the camera on the web? > Some Niko ncamera man aulas are there. THe 'electronic' one I looked at > (F3) didn't include full schematcs, but it did have a wiring diagram and > soem theory of operation. It's a possible source of information. The additional board was, according to its silkscreen print, made not by Nikon but by Agfa. It says "AGFA MATRIX DIV 22-23-14180 REV.A" on it. I would not expect to find information about the modification an a Nikon manual, but one might of course look there for the signals one would have to tap when refitting a standard body. > There was a motordrive for the Nikon F, but it is very dififcult to find. > And it requires a diffenrt base casting under the shutter to pring out > various cotnrol levers to the motordrive (to indicate, for example, when > the shutter has copmpleted its open/close operation). That part is ever > harder to find. WP knowledge says the base has to be replaced (which is a matter of just a few screws), then the body/motor combination requires a trip to the specialist for some kind of mechanical adjustment. jim s <jws at jwsss.com> wrote: > The motorized F body is the F-36. (...) Does look like the F approach > would be in the 200 dollar range minimum maybe 400 if you really don't > want to hunt for a long time (assuming you have the body). Oh, that's not the direction I was heading :) I was merely tipping my hat to DrARDs opto-electro-mechanical skills in suggesting he'd surely find a way to convert his camera if he wanted to. On the one hand, I was looking for an AGFA camera module, as they were sold, for the reason of originality - in case somebody has one sitting on the shelf and gathering dust. OTOH if I have to manufacture a replacement, I'll be looking for the simplest solution possible. I don't get why they used a very sophisticated SLR body with exposure control and shutter times down to 1/2000s anyway in an application where none of that is of any use (there is no continuously visible image - which renders the viewfinder useless and would also wreak havoc on automatic exposure control - and image recording times in minutes require the "bulb" setting only). One would think there must be special camera bodys which accomplish advancing the film, opening a shutter as long as a signal is active, and not much else... > [Probably macro or enlarger lens configuration] Thanks for that hint, too. I will be back when I can measure the object distance to the mounting interface, but I don't think it is shorter than the image plane distance, so a close-up lens would be what's asked for rather than an inverted standard or enlarger one. Arno -- Empfehlen Sie GMX DSL Ihren Freunden und Bekannten und wir belohnen Sie mit bis zu 50,- Euro! https://freundschaftswerbung.gmx.de

14 years

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BEGINNER getting started (Was: Diagnosing and Reparing Commo

by cctech＠beyondthepale.ie

> >And that is soemthing else to be careful about. A friend of mine was >nearely killed by a cheap mete. He measured the voltage of a maisn >socket, it showed 240V or so, so the meter was working/ He flipped the >breaker for what he thought was the right circuit, then measured the >voltage again. 0 or so. So he thought he had isoalted the circuit and >started to remove the socket. Alas the meter had taken that momemnt to >fail (range swithc trouble I think) and he's flipped the wrong breaker. >Result : He got the mains across him. Second result, he bought a good meter. > I can't agree with this. He was not nearly killed by a cheap meter. He was nearly killed because he did not appreciate what could go wrong. While it is less likely to fail, a good meter can still fail. Also, if (for example) the building was wired badly and the breaker opened the neutral, he could still have been in trouble, even with a good meter that was working properly. I prefer to use a neon tester for this sort of job. It doesn't need a functional neutral or ground in order to operate and there is less to go wrong than a meter. However, it can still go wrong and should be tested on a live point before and after using it to identify that a circuit has been powered off and lighting conditions must be such that the glow can be seen. Having verified that the power is off by whatever method (and made sure someone else could not inadvertently switch it back on), continue to take care. Do not dive in and grab a conductor in each hand. It is often possible to treat the circuit as if it is still live - use insulated tools, don't touch any bare conductors and don't let any bare conductors touch each other or anything else conductive. If it is necessary to touch a conductor, I would suggest first brushing it with the back of a finger after ensuring there are no paths to ground through the the other hand in particular or any other body parts in general. Think about using a different method if you are on a high ladder. Don't believe that using a good meter or a good anything else is all you need to keep safe. Whatever you use, think about what could go wrong. (If you decide to use a neon tester, make sure it is a mains rated neon tester and not an very similar looking instrument containing a low voltage filament bulb intended for automotive testing!) Regards, Peter Coghlan.

14 years

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