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

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Jason T > According to my notes, for the VCFMW8 shirts ... I used DIN Next Pro > Rounded Medium for the panel text, although the font I had in my work > directory is "DIN 1451 Fette Breitschrift 1936". That is probably the > font next to the knob on the right and the bit numbers above the > switches. Yeah, that latter is the one we're looking for (mostly). (I tried downloading a couple of copies, but for some reason I don't understand the font viewer on my Windoze box wouldn't show them; from what I could see online, it looked close.) The DEC font uses a zero with a slash, but it's otherwise close. > There is no reason to think these are the original DEC panel fonts, just > what I found to be "close enough" at the time. Understood. Thanks! Noel

7 years, 5 months

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Update re: Bill Godbout

by cctalk＠snarc.net

I communicated with the person who posted on alt.folklore.computers. The person is a close relative of Bill's; thus, the information about his tragic passing is true/confirmed. The person added, "He was living in Oreville, California and perished in his home on Thursday, Nov. 8. ... Bill was a great man, and THE smartest person I've ever known." Please do not disturb the AFC poster as they're in mourning. ________________________________ Evan Koblentz, director Vintage Computer Federation a 501(c)3 educational non-profit evan at vcfed.org (646) 546-9999 www.vcfed.org facebook.com/vcfederation twitter.com/vcfederation

7 years, 5 months

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Another IC I Can't Identify

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

I am still working on the causes of a Reset on my Pro 350. One 8-pin DIP chip that I have traced to is marked as follows: 9643TC-B1 F 8313 KOREA It is very close to the F-11 chips at the bottom left and marked E135 in this picture https://rjarratt.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/system-board-labelled.jpg Can anyone tell me what this is? Thanks Rob

7 years, 5 months

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Font for DEC indicator panels

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> We're just about settled on the format for the QSIC RKV11-F/RPV11-D > panels. PS: Here's the latest rev of our thinking: http://ana-3.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/tech/pdp11/jpg/inlay-rk11-f3.pdf if anyone has any comments. (Since the format is entirely set by the FPGA, it's 'easy' to tweak it, if there's a desirable improvement.) It's not the same as the old DEC RK11-B/RK11-C or RP11-C inlays, in part because we want to be able to show the address, and on a QBUS machine, that's 22 bits. Also, many of the fields don't apply to the QSIC (e.g. internal drive signals, 36-bit data buffer on the RP11, etc); we figured it would be better to recycle those lights for something useful (e.g. the address and word count). Noel

7 years, 5 months

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IP address classes vs CIDR (was Re: Reviving ARPAnet)

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Eric Smith > which would respond to ARP requests for non-local addresses and reply > with the router's MAC address (on that interface), specifically in > order to make classful-only hosts work on a CIDR network. Yeah, Proxy ARP (an early RFC here: https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc1027.txt but IIRC it was people at CMU who first came up with the idea; this RFC is >from people at UT-Austin, documenting it) was originally done to support subnetting (see https://www.rfc-editor.org/rfc/rfc917.txt for more) when it was first introduced - for hosts for which people didn't have the source, but needed to attach it to a subnetted network. Subnetting was a stage before CIDR (which took subnetting and Carl-Herbert Rokitansky's 'supernetting' and mushed them together). Noel

7 years, 5 months

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Rugged Nova

by erik＠baigar.de

Hi Jeffrey, thanks for your answer and recollections on the famous hammer test ;-) > hangar. I was mesmerized as two weights were released from two chains > on opposite sides of the machine as it was running. The two weights There is a youtube video showing some of the testing... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oOgYklBklc ..but the hammer is not hitting the device under test directly, but it is hitting a big steel plate where the device is mounted to (indeed simulating a submarine in harsh "conditions")... > up the Liberty bell, or crashed a VW into a lightpole. The machine > continued to function! Yes, lot of metal inside those Rolms. Although all Aluminium, they are veeery heavy and I always wondered how many of them also have been used in airborne applications, where weight is an issue ;-) Best wishes, Erik.

7 years, 5 months

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Sun doc: "Writing Device Drivers for the Sun Workstation"

by cclist＠sydex.com

I discovered this one (Document 800-1304-05, 19 September 1986 Still in shirnk-wrap, so pristine. I offered it to Al, but got no response. FFS USA --Chuck

7 years, 5 months

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New to System/36

by alan＠alanlee.org

Just picked up an IBM System/36 5362 tonight. It is in pretty good physical condition with just a few minor scratches - other than needing a thorough cleaning. It has 2 60 MB hard disks in the unit. Not sure of the RAM capacity. Missing the the mode hard key. A few of us tried to get it running tonight. It came with a 3179 twin-ax terminal but no keyboard. We connected the terminal via a twinax cable direct from port 0 to the terminated Y adapter on the terminal. Never got any output on the terminal at any time other than the fairly empty status line. The S/36 front panel console light did illuminate after we connected the terminal. The key was locked to Normal but we were able to by-pass it with a jumper to get it into Service mode. The media that came with it only had disk 1 of an SSP release and we could not get that to IPL from floppy (mode 3 / panel 1000). It stepped the head motor forward and back a couple times, engaged the head, then immediately threw an error code. Any idea where I can get an SSP release for the S/36 5362 and how to write it to 8" floppies? Also where I might find a keyboard for the terminal and what can be done if anything to gauge the health of the hard drives? -Alan H.

7 years, 5 months

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Did anyone see Vintage Tech Hunters on Discovery Canada yet?

by coreyvcf＠gmail.com

Can?t see it yet in the states, but I was wondering if anyone here saw it and what you though. I was involved with the show. Thanks, Cheers, Corey corey cohen u??o? ???o? Sent from my iPhone

7 years, 5 months

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NeXT Monitor Problem

by kylevowen＠gmail.com

I've got a NeXTstation Turbo and a MegaPixel display; the computer boots fine, but seems to complain of a failing hard drive. The monitor works okay; slight burn in, but otherwise looks okay in terms of the phosphor. However, something seems to be wonky with the horizontal scan...the left edge is very wobbly. Pictures here: https://imgur.com/a/azWHVuB Before I open this up, does anyone have any suggestions on where to start? I didn't see a NeXT section on Bitsavers. I am aware of the dangers of CRTs and will be sure to discharge the anode; I've worked on a few MDA monitors before. Thanks! Kyle P.S. From the hard disk error message, would you agree it's failing? Would this indicate total failure is imminent?

7 years, 5 months

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ISA sound and video cards, and PCI? AGP?

by sales＠elecplus.com

My recycler in Chicago will hunt some down for me. Tested and working, they will be about $25 each. Sound reasonable? May have slight cosmetic defects due to coming from recycler, bit I will test all the functions. I knew there must be some reason I saved all those old floppies! Do you guys want PCI cards too? Same price? AGP video cards? Cindy Croxton --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

7 years, 5 months

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CBIS Network OS

by pat＠vax11.net

I saw a copy of this pop up on ebay, and was wondering if anyone had a copy / more information about it? It seems to be another networking OS for CP/M systems like Televideo's TS-806 & 816. Thanks, Pat

7 years, 5 months

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WTB Allen-Bradley PLC-2/30, etc

by chd＠chdickman.com

I am interested in old programmable controllers. I would like to put together a Allen-Bradley PLC-2/30 controller with at least one 1771 IO Chassis and some IO modules. ebay has some thing for a price, but if anyone has this type of hardware I would be interested.

7 years, 5 months

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HP-Apollo 9000/400t series stand, disk sleds or their specifications

by cmhanson＠eschatologist.net

Does anyone have the stand for an HP-Apollo 9000/400t series, or specs for it (particularly the screws used to attach it to the main unit)? I haven?t seen screw specifications in the online reference material I?ve found, so it?ll be hard to make my own stand. Also, does anyone have a part number or other specifications for the internal disk sleds the 9000/400t series use, so I can secure the disks to the unit? I haven?t seen a part number in any of the online reference material I?ve found. -- Chris

7 years, 5 months

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ISO IBM 3708 documentation

by aek＠bitsavers.org

Does anyone have copies of the planning (GA27-3609) or configuration (GA27-3726) documents for the 3708 protocol converter?

7 years, 5 months

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Apollo Keyboards

by sales＠elecplus.com

Now that I know you guys want them, I have put out a few feelers. Hopefully some of my recycle guys will have some. Cindy Croxton --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

7 years, 5 months

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Large Collection Of Dec/Digital PDP Documentation

by fsmith＠ladylinux.com

Hello, I have a complete set of Dec Orange Volumes for RT-11 and RSX11-M I am in the Baltimore Maryland Area. Bring a 12 pack of something nice to drink (Craft Beer Since I Am A Snob) and its all yours. Its a lot of documentation and its all in really decent shape. Just wanted to offer it before I start recycling it. No Shipping. Fran --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

7 years, 5 months

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XMP Simulator

by engwalljonathanthereal＠gmail.com

I have been playing with a simulated Cray downloaded from modularcicuits.com... The Simpson's behavior is always odd. Reproducing anything at all is difficult.Would anyone have information about XMT , ampex, CONC or loading DK tapes? I have read one Cray manual already and half of a second. I contacted the creator of the simulator about simulating the chilled connection, I do not know if this is implemented. Any suggestions or ideas are welcome.I I am presently stuck at: MOS TEST COMPLETE IOP-0 HALF 104 IOP STOP IN MERNEL Jonathan Engwall

7 years, 5 months

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Large Collection Of Dec/Digital PDP Documentation

by blstuart＠bellsouth.net

On Tue, 11/6/18, Zane Healy via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > For those not in the know, orange binders for RT-11 should mean v5.x.? An probably v4.x for > RSX11M.? Definitely a great pile of documentation for someone that is close enough! Isn't RT-11 V4 orange? I'll have to check when I get home, but I'm pretty sure that's the set I have. (That and a blue binder set for V3 and a loose set of V2.) BLS

7 years, 5 months

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DEC Hard drives

by shadoooo＠gmail.com

Hello, as other said, there's always demand for old disks, specially if working. The Micropolis are prone to death due to rubber of the head arm going to goo over time... but it can be repaired with some effort. I myself would take some of these disks for shipment, if you are in EU. Thanks Andrea

7 years, 5 months

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DEC Hard drives

by pietstan15＠gmail.com

I have a Digital RZ56 drive and a couple of Micropolis 1588 drives. Is there any demand for these brick sized drives of cd-rom capacity, or should I just recycle them? Stan

7 years, 5 months

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RS/6000 values

by BHuntsman＠mail2.cu-portland.edu

Hi there! I don't usually see much discussion on old IBM boxes, but I was looking for a reasonably-powerful RS/6000 that can run AIX 4.1 and maybe 3.2.5, can accommodate some decent disks, and isn't 200lbs. The 7012-390 looks perfect, but I found this one on eBay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/IBM-7012-390-POWER2-512MB-Memory-1GB-SCSI-2-Disk-D… Are 7012-390's really worth $3,000? Anyone out there have one they'd like to unload for less than 3 grand? :P Thanks! -Ben

7 years, 5 months

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Datasheet for a NEC Chip in DEC Professional 350

by robert.jarratt＠ntlworld.com

I have posted previously about a DEC Pro 350 I am trying to get working again. At the moment it seems to be constantly resetting the CPU. I have traced one possible path for the cause of this back to a NEC chip for which I cannot find a datasheet. It is a 40-pin DIP it is marked "NEC Japan 8239K6 D7201C". All I have been able to find is more modern USB host controllers. Can anyone tell me what it is? It is marked E32 (on the left about half way up) in this picture: https://rjarratt.files.wordpress.com/2018/10/system-board-labelled.jpg Thanks Rob

7 years, 5 months

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i860: Re: modern stuff

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

> > Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2018 14:29:18 -0700 > From: Eric Korpela <korpela at ssl.berkeley.edu> > Subject: Re: i860: Re: modern stuff > > A Google search on Skybolt i860 produces interesting results. > >Additional realtime signal processing > > capability is provided by four Skybolt i860-based VMEbus single-board > > computers with 240 MFLOPS peak combined capacity. > > -------------- > > Remember when 240 MFLOPS was a lot? > That's the board that I have. Quad i860 on a 9Ux400 VME board. Its in a Sun 4/280 development system. -- Michael Thompson

7 years, 5 months

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Modcomp aquired

by lyokoboy0＠gmail.com

Soon to be picked up and brought home. Lots of documentation with it as well. Christmas came early, eager to get it home and set up. https://postimg.cc/gallery/wb1z90m2/ --Devin D.

7 years, 5 months

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PDP8/a Initial Power Up

by rshepprd＠gmail.com

Welcome ? and watch out where you stick those probes: EEVBlog - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xaELqAo4kkQ Sent from Mail for Windows 10

7 years, 5 months

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Rugged Nova

by technoid6502＠gmail.com

I got into the Data General scene in the late 1990's, when I received an Eclipse as a gift from a client who no longer needed it. In my search for docs, software, and other information I met some interesting people. One was in the Navy in the 1980's in data processing. He recounted to me: I was visiting a hangar where machines were being warehoused and tested prior to acceptance. I saw a lot of odd tests conducted, shocks, water, fire, smoke, the works, or so I thought. Once when there I saw a Hawk (That was a Data General milspec 'Eagle' - Eclipse 32 bit machine) suspended by chains from the overhead of the hangar. I was mesmerized as two weights were released from two chains on opposite sides of the machine as it was running. The two weights slammed into the sides of the machine at approximately the same time and the results were pretty spectacular. It sounded like someone blew up the Liberty bell, or crashed a VW into a lightpole. The machine continued to function! Most of the things that went on around there were classified to some degree or other and one got used to not asking questions, but as I looked over in bewilderment to my buddy in the group of tester, he said to me darkly "Depth Charges". Jeff

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by erik＠baigar.de

Hi Bill, thanks again for your considerations! --- Bill Degnan <billdegnan at gmail.com> wrote: > BTW - there is no evidence that the 1601 was not produced > at all, is there??? No, there is no evidence. But they founded ROLM in 1969 and they had no experience on designing a MIL-SPEC computer (until than only highly specialized MIL-SPEC computers had been designed taking years each) and only limited experience on computers at all. So I can hardly imagine, that they founded ROLM, agreed with DG on the architecture, developed the design, implemented the shock and heat management, tested against the MIL-SPECs set up production within only 2 years. Here is a nice video of a discussion with the founders recorded by the CHM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VyTuxVQgw6c > The brochure came from a local office near where I used to live in > New Jersey USA.?? It could be that very few were made Yes, maybe some where made for trade shows and to try out how to build a MIL-SPEC computer. But regarding commercial sales I am still sceptic (no proof as you say)... Thanks, Erik.

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by erik＠baigar.de

Hi Bill! --- Bill Degnan <billdegnan at gmail.com> wrote: > I may have more 1601 stuff, if I find I will scan and post Many thanks for your efforts - these documents look very interesting. Given the fact, that Rolm was founded in 1969, I really guess that by the time the brochure was printed, no running hardware existed at all. Maybe they had first PCBs and an idea how to implement the Nova architecture using the MIL SPEC chips available. So the 1601 probably only exists on paper! > .?? I know there is the upcoming Nova event so I As Will mentioned, this was 10 days ago. It was really a cool event with lot of interesting people and their reminiscences and memories from the good old days where very exciting! I had some slides on the impact of the Nova architecture on military com- puting, but the 1601 of course was missing in my time-line... Have a good time and best wishes, Erik.

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

BTW - there is no evidence that the 1601 was not produced at all, is there? The brochure came from a local office near where I used to live in New Jersey USA. It could be that very few were made, what I need to do is cross reference with other sources I may have. b On Mon, Nov 5, 2018 at 12:16 PM erik--- via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > Hi Bill! > > --- Bill Degnan <billdegnan at gmail.com> wrote: > > I may have more 1601 stuff, if I find I will scan and post > > Many thanks for your efforts - these documents look very interesting. > Given the fact, that Rolm was founded in 1969, I really guess that by > the time the brochure was printed, no running hardware existed at all. > Maybe they had first PCBs and an idea how to implement the Nova > architecture using the MIL SPEC chips available. So the 1601 probably > only exists on paper! > > > . I know there is the upcoming Nova event so I > > As Will mentioned, this was 10 days ago. It was really a cool > event with lot of interesting people and their reminiscences and > memories from the good old days where very exciting! I had some > slides on the impact of the Nova architecture on military com- > puting, but the 1601 of course was missing in my time-line... > > Have a good time and best wishes, > > Erik. > > >

7 years, 5 months

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A very sad PDP-8/S

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Steven Malikoff >> The bulbs had "flying leads" coming out of the glass, no bases ... The >> bulbs just hovered over the PCB > It makes me wonder if the 11/15 is much the same. I just had a look at my -11/20 (the two are basically the same machine; the /15 was intended for the OEM market, the /20 the end-user), and it has an intermediate between this, and the final incandescent bulb form (as on the -11/45), where there were bulbs with plastic bases plugged into sockets. The -11/20 has the same bulbs, but apparently soldered directly into the panel; I looked at the prints (it's in the 'KY11-A Programmer's Console' stuff - I see Manx says the prints aren't online, I'll have to scan my set), and there are bulbs in the parts list, but no sockets. > From: Ethan Dicks > I think some later DEC light blockers were MDF or perhaps something a > bit denser .. Definitely a fibrous wood product. Per the prints, the later ones were Benelex, an early form of MDF (although some -11's later used thick sheet aluminium). Noel

7 years, 5 months

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How to work out unknown PSU replacement

by binarydinosaurs＠gmail.com

Hi folks, This week I managed to get my paws on a machine that I only ever saw in ?coming up!? type magazine articles in the mid-80s. It?s made by a UK manufacturer of Viewdata set top boxes and home micro modems called Tandata who were a split from Tangerine, the company that gave us the Microtan 65 and eventually the Oric 1 and Oric Atmos. Documentation on the Tandata PA is zero, if you search for it you get my Binary Dinosaurs page and nothing else so tonight I set about trying to work out the power inputs from its 4 pin socket. Going clockwise pin 1 is definitely GND/0V and pin 2 is not connected. Pin 3 goes to the input of a 79L05 -5V regulator which via a capacitor seems to be used as the GND pins for 3 CMOS 74 series chips. Pin 4 goes to a 7805 5V regulator. I?ve never seen a -5V reg be used in a GND circuit so before I continue searching am I barking up the wrong tree? The trace literally goes from socket to 79L05 pin 2, output goes to a capacitor then to the GND pins on a CD74HC74E, CD74HC86E and CD74HC4066E. There?s a VARTA battery nearby too. Board pic is here: http://binarydinosaurs.co.uk/tandatapa-13.jpg <http://binarydinosaurs.co.uk/tandatapa-13.jpg> Any insight much appreciated! -- adrian/witchy Owner of Binary Dinosaurs, the UK's biggest home computer collection? t: @binarydinosaurs f: facebook.com/binarydinosaurs w: www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

I may have more 1601 stuff, if I find I will scan and post. I know there is the upcoming Nova event so I thought this would be good timing. I have a lot of Nova docstoo, but I believe they're already posted on the WWW. Bill On Sun, Nov 4, 2018 at 2:28 PM erik--- via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > Hi Bill, > > many thanks for the efforts spent on scanning those fantastic > brochures. I have some of the 1602s and a MSE14, but has any one > out there seen a 1601 in real life? Was this really sold or was > it still a paper-machine as it was replaced by the 1602? > > Any comment from contemporary witnesses is highly appreciated ;-) > > Thanks again to Bill, > > Erik. > > e--- Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > > For those interested in Rolm / Data General Nova Minicomputers I have > > scanned the hard-to-find Rolm Corp Rugged Nova 1601 brochure from 1970. > I > > also scanned what price and module docs I have and uploaded them all > here: > > > > https://www.vintagecomputer.net/ROLM/1601/ > > > > I don't believe this has been uploaded by anyone yet. > > > > Bill > >

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by erik＠baigar.de

Hi Bill, many thanks for the efforts spent on scanning those fantastic brochures. I have some of the 1602s and a MSE14, but has any one out there seen a 1601 in real life? Was this really sold or was it still a paper-machine as it was replaced by the 1602? Any comment from contemporary witnesses is highly appreciated ;-) Thanks again to Bill, Erik. e--- Bill Degnan via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: > For those interested in Rolm / Data General Nova Minicomputers I have > scanned the hard-to-find Rolm Corp Rugged Nova 1601 brochure from 1970. I > also scanned what price and module docs I have and uploaded them all here: > > https://www.vintagecomputer.net/ROLM/1601/ > > I don't believe this has been uploaded by anyone yet. > > Bill

7 years, 5 months

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UNIVAC 422 User Grouop Forming Please drop us a note offlist With SN of your unit and stats of operability and completeness and go withs.

by couryhouse＠aol.com

NOW FORMING - -UNIVAC 422 User Group and? including? The? 422 and? the prior UNIVAC DIGITAL TRAINER? - (Is there a? code compatibility?) ? Please drop us a note off list? With SN of your unit and stats of if able to? operate and completeness and go withs. Include a? pic? of? you and? your? unit if? you? ?want to appear in 1st? newsletter. ? Thanks? Ed Sharpe? Newsletter editor

7 years, 5 months

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i860: Re: modern stuff

by wdonzelli＠gmail.com

AIX was ported in very cut down manner and used on the f960 and h960 routing cards used on the early T3 based NSFnet. F960 was FDDI and H960 was HSSI. Come think of it, I think the v.25 and ether net cards also used i960, just a smaller version. -- Will On Oct 29, 2018 12:13 PM, "alan--- via cctalk" <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote: I know i960 is a very different beast, but was there ever any high level OSs that ran on it? Or was it pidgin-holed as a high speed embedded processor for storage controllers and NICs? I picked up a cache of i960 CPUs a couple years ago and they speak to me in tongues every time I pass by the shelf. -Alan On 2018-10-29 12:56, Ken Seefried via cctalk wrote: > the i860 found at least a little niche on graphics boards, so somehow >> not a complete failure ;-) >> > > I'd be mildly surprised if Intel ever made enough from selling i860s > as GPUs to cover the cost of developing and marketing them. At the > time, Intel was pushing them as their RISC processor, and put a lot > into the program. Going to take over the world and all that. Maybe > not a 'complete' failure...just mostly. > > From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> > >> On 10/26/18 6:10 AM, Gordon Henderson via cctalk wrote: >> >> However it was a royal PITA to code for although a 32-bit CPU, it would >>> read memory 64 bits at a time (actually 128 IIRC to satisfy the cache), >>> with half that 64-bit word being an instruction for the integer unit and >>> half for the floating point unit, so you effectively had to build a >>> floating point pipeline by hand coded instructions, so 8 (I think) >>> instructions to load the pipeline, then each subsequent instruction >>> would feed another value into the pipe, then another 8 at the end to >>> empty it. Great for big matrix operations, rubbish for a single add of 2 >>> FP numbers. >>> >> >> My impression of the i860 was that it might have been fun for about 2 >> weeks for which to code assembly, but after that, you'd really start >> looking hard for an HLL to do the dirty work for you. While there's a >> sense of accomplishment over looking at a page of painfully >> hand-optimized code that manages to keep everything busy with no >> "bubbles", you begin to wonder if there isn't a better way to spend your >> life. >> > > It wasn't fun for the whole 2 weeks. And the i860 is Yet Another > example of Intel claiming their compilers were going to be so smart > that all the architectural complexity/warts will never be noticed. > Wrong, and they didn't learn and said the same thing about Itanium. > The interrupt stall issue that Gordon pointed out was so bad they were > basically relegated to single-task software in the end. > > KJ >

7 years, 5 months

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25
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Modcomp VME bus 68000 computer

by lyokoboy0＠gmail.com

Hello, been a while since ive written to the list. I met someone the other day that used to work for modcomp. He gave me a tour, he still has working modcomp computers in his home. He was clearing out a bunch of stuff, he gave me a bunch of terminals and dos era computers. Among the computers is a modcomp branded motorolla 68k based machine. I can not find any information on the system. From what i understand, the system was to be tied in to the modcomp minicomputer bus and used as a modern alternative for large antiquated disks and tapes. There is a large pair of interface connectors on the back, never seen anything like them before. I do not have a modomp computer yet, but this 68k machine looks quite interesting. It is essentially a vme bus backpane in a desktop computer case. A hard disk and tape drive are installed. Looks to have floating point and network card as well. I managed to make the proper serial cable, and was able to get to a debugger and monitor at power on. I was under the understanding that this machine could run a port of unix to 68k, called unix/68. I am uncertain of any details on the machine, i was hoping someone here could me in the right direction of getting the machine to boot. The drive still spins up, it may even have an install of unix on it, i might have to type in some kind of boot parameter or jump to some address from the monitor to kick off the boot process. Any advice on how to proceed is appreciated. Within the following month i am supposed to get a mountain of modcomp documentation, ill have to check back here and see if its duplicate or original information and scan it all. He was also going to give me a copy of a modcomp emulator he wrote, I have found no such thing elsewhere on line, so perhaps it would be of use to someone else here too once i get it. --Devin D.

7 years, 5 months

1
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A very sad PDP-8/S

by guykd＠optusnet.com.au

At 10:18 AM 4/11/2018 +1000, Steve wrote: >The "PDP dash eight oblique S" back in 1968 in 'What the future sounded like': https://youtu.be/8KkW8Ul7Q1I?t=638 Cool, thanks for that. Ah, Hawkwind... Damn, that 'left all the synths in the basement, and it got flooded' story is painful. In my opinion the ONLY way to preserve tech relics, is for individual(s) who understand the gear, to take personal responsibility for it. Companies, beancounters, economics... all are deadly enemies of historic artefacts and documents. Small world. All the way through that I was waiting for a mention of Fairlight Instruments (Synthesizer company in Sydney.) But none. Oh well. I worked at Fairlight from the mid 80s for several years (till they shut down.) There's even a clip online from Fairlight, with me in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21S1Okh2nlc Fairlight Instruments Factory Tour 1986 part 2 Starting at 2:18, the young fellow with the dumb haircut and too shy to say anything to the camera, is me. Ha ha... and I can date that event as very shortly after I got married, since for the wedding was the only time in my entire life I ever shaved my beard off. I hate how I look without it. Since I married in June 1987, I think the year listed on the video is wrong. Oh, and then the camera pans to a proto-board circuit I was working on. It's a bit of a tangle. I think that was part of a video timebase corrector system I was working on. My proto board, I still have it. >If there are any special 8/S lightbulb housings that were plastic, I'm happy to CAD them up and 3D print for your (er, museum's) machine at no cost, if I had some measurements or good photos. >I'm only 'up the road' in Brisbane. Thanks for the offer, but it won't be necessary. I'm spending today cleaning the machine and working out exactly how to make the 'clear protective base.' Bought most of the materials today. The front panel is in pieces atm. And clean now. Incidentally, several people called the material used for the lamps shroud plate 'MDF.' It's not, it's that high density cloth+bakelite (or something) material used for electrical switchboard panels. Very tough stuff. I'll try to get a blog page started for this machine tonight, or at least by tomorrow. If you're ever down in Sydney and have spare time, you're welcome to visit. Address via email. Guy

7 years, 5 months

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decals... we have a couple extra unused Electrodata company Pasadena decals...(yes the Real stuff late 50's?) to trade for? Burroughs bought Electrodata in 1956 as I remember and these would have been acquired around the late

by couryhouse＠aol.com

decals... we have a couple extra unused? Electrodata company Pasadena? decals...(yes the? Real stuff? late 50's?) to trade for? Burroughs? bought? Electrodata in 1956? as I? remember and? these? would? have? been acquired? around the late? 50's ? ? ?drop us? a note off list. ? Thanks? Ed Sharpe archivist? for SMECC? -? to? see? what? we? hoard at the project? ?www.smecc.org

7 years, 5 months

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Updates at retroarchive.org...

by geneb＠deltasoft.com

First up is the addition of Crescent Software's entire product line. The company produced a number of good library suites in the late 80s and early 90's. Note these are all DOS products - the Windows product line was sold in the early 90's. http://annex.retroarchive.org/crescent/index.html When the documentation arrives, I'll be paying the IA to get it all scanned. It's a lot cheaper than me buying a Scribe scanner or building a DIY version. :) Next up is a HUGE CD-ROM and FTP site archive I've been working on. http://www.retroarchive.org/cdrom/index.html What I've done here is pull CD-ROMs from the Internet Archive and make them easily browseable. I've also extracted the contents of each of the zip, etc. files and created index files for those as well. The goal was to make the material more easily accessible for both us meat bags and search spider bots. This is going to be a long term project that will end when I've either exhausted the available CD-ROMs on the IA, or I die, whichever comes first. ;) There's a number of holes in the sets that are on the IA - if you've got a disc that would fill a hole, please consider making an ISO of the disc and upload that along with a photo of the disc to the IA and then let me know so I can get it processed. I'm also looking to acquire a manual set for QuickBASIC 4.5 and the Microsoft Professional Development System 7.1. If you have either one, please contact me! Thanks! g. -- Proud owner of F-15C 80-0007 http://www.f15sim.com - The only one of its kind. http://www.diy-cockpits.org/coll - Go Collimated or Go Home. Some people collect things for a hobby. Geeks collect hobbies. ScarletDME - The red hot Data Management Environment A Multi-Value database for the masses, not the classes. http://scarlet.deltasoft.com - Get it _today_!

7 years, 5 months

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A very sad PDP-8/S

by guykd＠optusnet.com.au

At 09:14 AM 3/11/2018 -0500, Adrian Stoness wrote: >get some thick plexi glass to cover it and sit it up for display to look in but not touch ;) Good idea! And easy to add to the simple base frame I had in mind. Zero changes to the machine. I was too stuck in modern fast digital thinking - 'RF-tight metal case' etc. Ha ha, on reflection I don't think so. Guy

7 years, 5 months

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A very sad PDP-8/S

by guykd＠optusnet.com.au

At 11:40 PM 2/11/2018 -0500, you wrote: >still supper clean id love to have that even I know how you feel. I've never had _any_ possibility of finding an old PDP machine before. Very happy to have this one. Re dirt - actually it's pretty grimy. I did a preliminary dust off for the pics, but later it will get a complete cleaning. After I have docs on where all the flip chips should be, and I figure out a non-marking way to record which ones were in which slots, as I remove them to clean each one and the backplane. With precious museum pieces like this, you DON'T write numbers on them in marker pen. Just doing a quick eval now, since I'm already ridiculously stack-pushed with multiple other projects. Highest priority: Make a mechanical guard for the wired backplane pins. As it is now, just putting the machine down on a desk wrong could do major damage. Have to do this before I even pack it away in the box again. It's just been *really* lucky so far, with only minor pin bending despite inadequate packing. Guy

7 years, 5 months

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ROLM 1601 (RuggedNova) 1970 Brochure

by billdegnan＠gmail.com

For those interested in Rolm / Data General Nova Minicomputers I have scanned the hard-to-find Rolm Corp Rugged Nova 1601 brochure from 1970. I also scanned what price and module docs I have and uploaded them all here: https://www.vintagecomputer.net/ROLM/1601/ I don't believe this has been uploaded by anyone yet. Bill

7 years, 5 months

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i860: Re: modern stuff

by seefriek＠gmail.com

>the i860 found at least a little niche on graphics boards, so somehow >not a complete failure ;-) I'd be mildly surprised if Intel ever made enough from selling i860s as GPUs to cover the cost of developing and marketing them. At the time, Intel was pushing them as their RISC processor, and put a lot into the program. Going to take over the world and all that. Maybe not a 'complete' failure...just mostly. From: Chuck Guzis <cclist at sydex.com> >On 10/26/18 6:10 AM, Gordon Henderson via cctalk wrote: > >> However it was a royal PITA to code for although a 32-bit CPU, it would >> read memory 64 bits at a time (actually 128 IIRC to satisfy the cache), >> with half that 64-bit word being an instruction for the integer unit and >> half for the floating point unit, so you effectively had to build a >> floating point pipeline by hand coded instructions, so 8 (I think) >> instructions to load the pipeline, then each subsequent instruction >> would feed another value into the pipe, then another 8 at the end to >> empty it. Great for big matrix operations, rubbish for a single add of 2 >> FP numbers. > >My impression of the i860 was that it might have been fun for about 2 >weeks for which to code assembly, but after that, you'd really start >looking hard for an HLL to do the dirty work for you. While there's a >sense of accomplishment over looking at a page of painfully >hand-optimized code that manages to keep everything busy with no >"bubbles", you begin to wonder if there isn't a better way to spend your >life. It wasn't fun for the whole 2 weeks. And the i860 is Yet Another example of Intel claiming their compilers were going to be so smart that all the architectural complexity/warts will never be noticed. Wrong, and they didn't learn and said the same thing about Itanium. The interrupt stall issue that Gordon pointed out was so bad they were basically relegated to single-task software in the end. KJ

7 years, 5 months

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IBM Xstation 140?

by aek＠bitsavers.org

Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring Wonder what processor it uses.. https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972

7 years, 5 months

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56K PCMCIA modems, NIB

by sales＠elecplus.com

https://www.elecshopper.com/compaq-317900-001-pc-card-pcmcia-modem-nib.html Any takers? Cindy Croxton --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus

7 years, 5 months

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PDP8/a Initial Power Up (Columbia Valley Maker Space)

by anders＠abc80.net

Hi, Most of the documentation is found here: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp8/pdp8a/ For some basic testing look here: http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp8/pdp8a/EK-8A001-OP-002_PDP-8A_Operator… in chapter 5.1 (pdf page number 48). To do basic memory read and write: Press MD and DISP (memory data register will be displayed on the four digits) Then press 0200 and LA (load address) Press 5050 and D-THIS (deposit to memory on this adress, no increment). Press E-THIS (examine on this memory address, no increment) and you should get the same result back. Another good place to be is to post in the DEC category on the VCFED forum: http://www.vcfed.org/forum/forumdisplay.php?23-DEC Good luck! /Anders > Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2018 08:56:08 -0700 > From: Columbia Valley Maker Space <info at cvmakerspace.ca> > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > Subject: PDP8/a Initial Power Up > Message-ID: <27c485c4ae4ef3a32a0756739e85c28b at cvmakerspace.ca> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII > > Hello everyone - my first post, so be easy on me! > > I have just acquired a PDP8/a and a Remex punch tape reader. The unit > starts up and displays some data on the displays, and that is about all > I can tell you. > > I am going to do some googling about this, but I am looking for basic > initial tests .... something I can enter via the keypad. > > I learnt some basic programming in 1978 on a PDP8, but that was the last > time I touched one, so if you are going to suggest some tests, I need > complete instructions. I don't know how to modify a memory location, let > alone enter and check a program. I will pick all this back up very > quickly and I do use computers in my work a lot - I am also an > electronic hobby guy and have been for years. My point is I am OK with > component level measurements, I have a scope and probes, etc. > > So there you go - hope to hear back form you guys. > > Cheers, > > Brian > > -- > Brian McIntosh > Columbia Valley Maker Space Communications Guy > info at cvmakerspace.ca > 250 270 0689

7 years, 5 months

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PDP8/a Initial Power Up

by michael.99.thompson＠gmail.com

> > Date: Fri, 02 Nov 2018 08:56:08 -0700 > From: Columbia Valley Maker Space <info at cvmakerspace.ca> > Subject: PDP8/a Initial Power Up > > Hello everyone - my first post, so be easy on me! > > I have just acquired a PDP8/a and a Remex punch tape reader. The unit > starts up and displays some data on the displays, and that is about all > I can tell you. > > I am going to do some googling about this, but I am looking for basic > initial tests .... something I can enter via the keypad. > > I learnt some basic programming in 1978 on a PDP8, but that was the last > time I touched one, so if you are going to suggest some tests, I need > complete instructions. I don't know how to modify a memory location, let > alone enter and check a program. I will pick all this back up very > quickly and I do use computers in my work a lot - I am also an > electronic hobby guy and have been for years. My point is I am OK with > component level measurements, I have a scope and probes, etc. > > So there you go - hope to hear back form you guys. > > Cheers, > > Brian > > -- > Brian McIntosh > Columbia Valley Maker Space Communications Guy > info at cvmakerspace.ca > 250 270 0689 > Try the toggle-in tests that are here: https://www.pdp8online.com/pdp8cgi/query_docs/tifftopdf.pl/pdp8docs/toggle_… -- Michael Thompson

7 years, 5 months

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PDP8/a Initial Power Up

by info＠cvmakerspace.ca

Hello everyone - my first post, so be easy on me! I have just acquired a PDP8/a and a Remex punch tape reader. The unit starts up and displays some data on the displays, and that is about all I can tell you. I am going to do some googling about this, but I am looking for basic initial tests .... something I can enter via the keypad. I learnt some basic programming in 1978 on a PDP8, but that was the last time I touched one, so if you are going to suggest some tests, I need complete instructions. I don't know how to modify a memory location, let alone enter and check a program. I will pick all this back up very quickly and I do use computers in my work a lot - I am also an electronic hobby guy and have been for years. My point is I am OK with component level measurements, I have a scope and probes, etc. So there you go - hope to hear back form you guys. Cheers, Brian -- Brian McIntosh Columbia Valley Maker Space Communications Guy info at cvmakerspace.ca 250 270 0689

7 years, 5 months

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PDP8/a Initial Power Up

by jnc＠mercury.lcs.mit.edu

> From: Columbia Valley Maker Space > The unit starts up and displays some data on the displays You're lucky that worked. Old power supplies need to be brought back to life in stages. > something I can enter via the keypad. ... if you are going to suggest > some tests, I need complete instructions. I don't know how to modify a > memory location, let alone enter and check a program. Find all the PDP-8/A documentation online that you can (e.g. Bitsavers) and download and read it; that will cover how to use the front panel. Noel

7 years, 5 months

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