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

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

Does anyone have any information about this part? I've been told that it's a high performance microprocessor. I found it on what looks like a hex size DEC card made by Spectra Logic Corp. I found a picture of one on the net but it's not very good. <http://www.cpushack.net/gallery/showimg.php?file=/chippics/AMD/29K/AMDAM291 16DC.jpg> Joe

21 years, 2 months

7
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Age

by john＠guntersville.net

There was a mention of " real radios glow in the dark" which brought back memories of the first logic equipment that I worked on back in the 60s. It didn't glow in the dark since the little pencil tubes didn't put out a lot of light like the larger ones. The equipment was all digital and all tube based. The later generations were solid state (potted logic ice cube modules) and discrete components, no ICs then. They weren't computers that you could program but specialized processors.... I still have some of those "glow in the dark radios" and test equipment.

21 years, 2 months

1
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origins of IBM 3740 diskette format

by cisin＠xenosoft.com

Yes, but,... In FORTRAN, columns 73 - 80 are reserved for housekeeping, such as resequencing dropped decks. THerefore, the information content in FORTRAN could be said to be 72 bytes per card, NOT 80.

21 years, 2 months

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Age

by stevew＠ka6s.com

I'm 49. Started at age 15 by learning to program an Olivetti Programma 101 - http://www.science.uva.nl/faculteit/museum/Programma101.html for those who care. Shortly there after I started learning about "Gotran" and got to run a couple of programs on a IBM1620 at Occidental College in Pasadena. Shortly there-I started learning Watfor, and got access to the IBM370 at USC. You could walk in off the street with a deck and get 15 seconds of execution time for nothing. There were a few other high-school students doing the same thing I imagine. Anyway - I took a Fortran class trough Glendale Community College after my Senior year in high-school and learned Fortran, then Cobol on a Burroughs B2500 that Glendale Unified had. Next the Junior College got a Nova 2/10 (I think..) and I became one of the two computer operators. Learned Basic and ws the lab assistant for that. It ran a DOS by Ball if I recall correctly. It had a card reader that kept blowing up ;-) and 4 ASR-28s that people ran Basic on when it wasn't trying to run Fortran. The other computer lab assistant got an Altair (had serial number 3 of 8K Basic..) and we both drove to New Mexico for the very first personal computer convention in 75. Went on to four year college and majored in EE. Saw a Bendix G15 there (didn't use it), and PDP-11's running RSTS. Did my senior project on an LSI-11 in Fortran. Went to work for Burroughs as a computer designer on the B1000 series - Did that for 3 years. Later worked at Cydrome on the Cydra-5 (a mini-supercomputer ) around 85. Worked at National semi in the 32K architecture group also for about 9 months before went into consulting. I would love to help resurrect a B1965 or a Cydra. Steve Wilson

21 years, 2 months

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Age

by msokolov＠ivan.Harhan.ORG

woodelf <bfranchuk at jetnet.ab.ca> wrote: > C was nice until it got standardised. Then use pre-standardisation C (K&R C) like I do! MS

21 years, 2 months

2
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largest private DEC collection in USA to be sold.

by recycler＠swbell.net

Hello, I've been asked to post this notice. We are liquidating, as a lot, all or part, the largest DEC computer collection in private hands (that we know of). Includes several pdp8 systems, pdp11's, many VAXen, a rare Pro-380 integrated desk system, rainbows, KIMS box, decmate or vaxmate, as well as peripherals, software on paper tape, dectape, 8" and 5.25 floppys, spare boards, parts, etc., cables, loot and booty, even the sacred |d|i|g|i|t|a|l| speakers' podium from the DEC ACT in Dallas, Texas and the DEC 'bricks' which used to adorn the wall in the reception area. Also, for contrast, a pleasing assortment of other systems including a diverse collection of early (floppy only) laptops, (including several sony SMC-210's which are made of unobtanium), several IBM Mainframe test boxes, beehive terminals, floppy disk drive tester, Tektronix 4014 graphics terminal, the original analog disk drive fromt the first Ampex slo-mo instant replay system installed at Cowboys Stadium, you name it, Osborne 1, Apples, commodores, compaq luggables, IMSAI 8080 with lots of spares, SWTPC computer, maybe 10 VT100 types, TI Professional portable, everything right down to the nuts and bolts. Has been stored in a 30x40 climate controlled building which is packed. Most all of it was working when removed, and has been stored. There's more I can't think of right now, but have a look at the web page (its' incomplete too, but it is what it is): http://www.montagar.com/~patj/hcsale/index.html The collection is available for $8000 all or part FOB Dallas, Texas. We estimate 2-3 moving vans. Viewing reccommended and by appointment please. Best regards, Patrick Jankowiak

21 years, 2 months

1
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VC8/I Point Plot Controller

by chd_1＠nktelco.net

I have been playing around with a collection of old Flip Chips that I have and put together a VC8/I compatible scope controller for my PDP8/e. You can find a page about it here http://www.chd.dyndns.org/pdp8/VC8/ The only reason this was possible was because I had two 10-bit D/A converters (A618), the rest of the modules are pretty common. Thanks to David Gesswein for some test programs. -chuck

21 years, 2 months

1
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11/45 status

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

I finally got an hour free to dig back into my /45 restoration. Thanks to some spare boards to help test and some very good "CE quickdocs" (thanks a million ashley!), I got a little further. However, it brings me to two questions. 1) In the absence of full docs on the MF11-L... I'm not sure about the following. It looks like the 1st slot of the MF11-L backplan gets a unibus in (A-B) from the last slot of the cpu backplane. The 2nd slot is my G110, the 3rd is my G231, and the 4th slot has my H214 (C-F) in it. But looking at some of the docs, it appears that an H214 can be in slots 1, 4, and a few others per the diagram. My system arrived with one H214 in slot 4. Should it be first... in slot 1 under the unibus in? Since I had a spare from ashley, I put one in slot 1 and one in slot 4. I know the jumpers on the other boards may not reflect 16K, but I figured it might change things. So if I have just 8K set up, should the H214 be in slot 1, 4, or does it matter? 2) My front panel has an oddity (to me). If I select say address 10000 and hit load addr the address lights respond correctly with 10000. I then hit examine and get nothing (blank data lights). Whatever... but here's the interesting part. If I keep pressing examine over and over again, the address lights count up just like they should - except they skip bit zero (the rightmost bit, either 0 or 15 whatever dec nomenclature is). I don't mean that the rightmost bit just isn't displaying correctly, the actual counting sequence acts like the rightmost bit is the 2nd light from the right. I can tell it's not just a bulb problem because I don't have to hit load addr twice to "move on", the count is smooth and sequential without the rightmost bit. Any thoughts offhand? I know my memory system is likely not jumpered right. I'm looking through those jumpers either tonight or tomorrow and verify them. Thanks for any thoughts! Jay

21 years, 2 months

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Unsubscribe - please!!

by rogersda＠cox.net

Dunno who put me back on this list, after a about a year; maybe the list was restored from a really old backup. But I really don't have the time nor storage space to keep up with it. Please take me back off the list. Dale

21 years, 2 months

1
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lk201 question

by rogersda＠cox.net

The LK201-BA is a standard LK201-AA with keycaps to use with the DEC WPS operating system. If it's working correctly, it works fine as a standard keyboard. The "Orange" PF1 key was GOLD when it left the factory. Hence the various WPS versions were known as "GOLD KEY" word processing. Most commonly, those keyboards were sold with the DECmate II & III (PDP-8 based) personal computers. Dale > > From: Paul Koning <pkoning at equallogic.com> > Date: 2005/02/28 Mon PM 12:37:32 EST > To: cctalk at classiccmp.org > CC: (Unparsable address -- End of addresses in middle of :...; > group: "General Discussion:On-Topic and Off-Topic > Posts<cctalk at classiccmp.org>_^_") > Subject: Re: lk201 question > > >>>>> "Kevin" == Kevin Handy <kth at srv.net> writes: > > Kevin> Mike wrote: > >> I just picked up a lk201 keyboard today that wouldn't work with a > >> vt320 > >> > >> Unlike my other lk201's this one has blue strip across the top, an > >> orange pf1 key, f20 is labeled Hyph Push > >> > >> PN: LK201BA > >> > >> One site selling them says it is a word processing keyboard. > >> > >> > Kevin> There were several word processing keyboards, depending on > Kevin> which software you were using. DecWord, WordPerfect, > Kevin> All-In-One, etc. > > I doubt that DEC ever made keyboards for WordPerfect. And I haven't > heard of All-In-One keyboards either. The keyboard Mike mentioned is > a DECword keyboard. > > Kevin> Check the keyboard-terminal cable. Check for stuck keys. > > One possibility: you could make an adapter to plug it into a UART > port, then write a test program to see what's wrong with it. The > protocol is simple (4800 baud 8 bit messages) and well documented in > the Pro 300 series technical manual. > > Then again, if it's a stuck key or something like that, the keyboard > is beyond repair. LK201 keyboards are cheesy low quality membrane > switches that cannot be disassembled or cleaned or repaired. If > moisture ever gets in them, your only option is to scrap the board. I > found this out the hard way. > > paul > >

21 years, 2 months

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Matrox card?

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

I have an old Matrox video card that I can't find out much about. It's actually two cards sandwiched together. It looks vaguely like a VME card but has connectors on the side and not on the edge of the card. The connectors look like S-bus connectors like those used in Sun computers. There is one connector in the middle along one edge and a second identical connector offset to one side. The video connector in on the metal mounting plate on the opposite of the card from the S-bus connectors. It's a 13W3 type connector like those used on many SUN, HP and SGI computers. The card is marked Matrox Electronics Systems SG3-1152B/BASE 0385-06-02 Made in Canada Copyright 1990". The only reference that I could find on the net says "I found an old triple-width, > dual-sbus slot graphics card made by Matrox and labelled an SG3. > When booting NetBSD/sparc is identifies it as a cgtwelve." Anybody know any more about it? Joe

21 years, 2 months

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#3 MORE Free SUN stuff!

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

More S-bus cards for SUN systems. QLogic 3701703 Single Ended Wide SCSI controller. SUN 5011902 Differential SCSI/Ethernet controller. 3 ea. Cisco Ethernet s-bus card. Marked "CDDI/MLT-3". Status and Ringop Indicator lights. Model WA-C303TA. SUN 370-3328 FDDI Interface. See <http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub/Devices/Communication/COMM_FDDI_S_SAS_ 4.html> joe

21 years, 2 months

1
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OSI Software Find!

by wh.sudbrink＠verizon.net

Well, since my C4P-MF has been rock solid stable since I fitted the new power supply and cleaned the drive head, I've been going through a bunch of 25 (and more) year old diskettes to see just what I have. Lo-and-behold! On a diskette simply labeled OS65D 3.2 (not originally mine, acquired I don't know where), I found really nice machine code implementations of Space Invaders and Asteriods! You don't usually see machine code programs on OSI diskettes, the OS was too crude to have a simple binary loader. Diskettes usually have BASIC programs, with maybe a couple of USR$ sub-routines in data statements. To load and execute the programs, you have to EXIT from BASIC into the sub-monitor and then load the diskette tracks into memory one at a time. Once you have it loaded, then you GO to the starting address. I think that these programs might have been originally intended to be loaded from casette tape. Fortunately, the diskette had two BASIC programs, each of which PRINTs the instructions for loading the machine code programs. I'm really happy about this! People usually see OSI boxes running rather slow interpreted BASIC programs. These two programs show just what an OSI box can do. There is no attribution for the Asteriods program, but the Space Invaders is copyright 1980 by Michael Kincaid. Can't wait to show these at TCF! Bill

21 years, 2 months

1
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Age

by wmaddox＠pacbell.net

> It could be interesting to know the age"spread" of thist list contributors, > and how long we've had the computer virus under our skin. I am 43, born in 1961. I got a small amount of exposure to coding in BASIC and FORTRAN in a summer "computer camp" for high school students, but my serious hands-on experience with computing really got underway when I built an IMSAI 8080 >from a kit in 1977. I attended college at Carnegie-Mellon University, which was a hard-core DEC shopw during the time I was there, with PDP-10s, DECSYSTEM-20s, PDP-11s, and VAXen everywhere. I also got to play with the Altos and the PERQs, the latter sometimes more than I cared to. I've had a longstanding interest in computer history, and obtained my first classic machine, a PDP-8, while I was still living in Pittsburgh. I put it in storage shortly thereafter, however, and moved to California for graduate studies. I ended up staying and working in the Silicon Valley, and for almost 20 years my historical interests remained purely academic. VCF 6.0 changed that, and reawakened my interest with the realization that not only were old computers more fun back then, but they still are today! I started collecting old machines again a little over a year ago, and haven't looked back. Strangely, but like a few others here, my nostalgia is reserved primarily for machines *earlier* than the ones I used. Switches and blinkenlights, core memory, hardwired control, no LSI -- that kind of thing. I think that I balk at thinking of anything I remember well as being truly *old*. ;) --Bill

21 years, 2 months

2
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Top Posting, was Re: ASR33 $1000+ And Counting...

by jfoust＠threedee.com

At 11:48 PM 2/24/2005, Vintage Computer Festival wrote: >Actually, it'd be interesting to see what some user interface gurus and >human-computer interface types (i.e. people who study these issues in >depth, including the psychology, physics, physiology, etc.) would say >about this. From what little research I've done, I'll bet they'd say that >top posting is inefficient and confusing in general. I went looking to see if Tog ever talked about it. All I found were these interesting and funny links. http://www.asktog.com/Bughouse/bhWindows.html http://inconnu.isu.edu/~ken/sigs_page.html - John

21 years, 2 months

2
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More New Toys!

by dwight.elvey＠amd.com

Hi Nasty of them to do that. Maybe make a motor generator :) Dwight >From: "Steve Thatcher" <melamy at earthlink.net> > >AMC used a resonant transformer in the Em series. It has no primary taps on >it for switching voltages. It also needs to run at the required frequency. >Joe's first thought of scavenging the transformer (and cap) from other box >is the only way to go. > >best regards, Steve Thatcher > >At 08:07 PM 02/25/2005, Dwight K. Elvey wrote: >> >From: "Joe R." <rigdonj at cfl.rr.com> >> > >>---snip--- >> > >> > I also found another Applied MicroSystems microprocessor Diagnostic >> >Emulator unit. These one is an EMM-188 for the 8080 and 8085 CPUs. I also >> >got an EMM-188 pod with it for testing 8080 circuits. It appears to be in >> >new condition, there's just one problem, it's wired for 220VAC 50Hz! I also >> >got the original fitted case for it but it has a problem too. The interior >> >was made of that foam that likes to turn to goo after a while! It took a >> >bit to get everything cleaned up! Anybody know what it takes to convert one >> >of these back to 110 volts or do I just swap the xformer out of one of the >> >podless ones that I have? >> > >> > >> >>Hi >>1. Use another transformer of about half the core weight as >>an autotransformer to step the voltage up to the 220V. This >>doesn't have to be a 110 in to 220 out full transformer, just >>one that has the split primary. You only use the primary. >>2. Look to see if the transformer already has two primary windings >>that can be arranged for 110v. >>Dwight > > >

21 years, 2 months

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lk201 question

by kenziem＠sympatico.ca

I just picked up a lk201 keyboard today that wouldn't work with a vt320 Unlike my other lk201's this one has blue strip across the top, an orange pf1 key, f20 is labeled Hyph Push PN: LK201BA One site selling them says it is a word processing keyboard. red lights and an error 4 on a VT 330. How many variations of LK201 were produced? Are they interchangeable? Also heard about a PLATO system now online, I'm waiting for more details. -- Collector of vintage computers http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600 Machines to trade http://www.ncf.ca/~ba600/trade.html Open Source Weekend http://www.osw.ca

21 years, 2 months

4
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UPDATE on Texas Instruments 990 business computer

by tosteve＠yahoo.com

1978(?) Texas Instruments 990 business computer. The owner wants $750 for it. Too much for me, but certainly a nice system. See photo links. There is also an external drive system, not sure if floppy or HD - it's at her house. http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/system-1.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/system-2.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/system-3.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/system-4.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/system-5.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/front-1.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/manuals.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/ti-990.jpg http://members.cox.net/stengel/ebay/ds10.jpg (these photos are in my ebay directory, but the system is not in my possession, and certainly not on ebay) This system is in Los Angeles. Anyone want to pick it up for $750? Must take all of it! Steve. __________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Yahoo! Mail - Find what you need with new enhanced search. http://info.mail.yahoo.com/mail_250

21 years, 2 months

1
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Age

by msokolov＠ivan.Harhan.ORG

ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote: > I have no bits of paper for computing (or > electronics for that matter) at all. But you have a Ph.D., don't you? What is it in? Physics? MS

21 years, 2 months

2
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Age

by classiccmp＠crash.com

Okay, why not... Born in 1968, currently 36. First regular interaction was with an Apple ][ in about 1980-81, and some time on ASR33's talking to an unknown DEC BASIC timesharing system run by the Philadelphia public school system. Got an Apple //e in highschool. College brought a VAX-11/750 running VMS4.4 in late 1986; and Macs, Zenith IBM-clones, DEC Rainbows, and when I was allowed to visit the Inner Circle assorted S-100 gear. For one project I did a paper design (circuit and ucode) around the 74181 ALU, maybe someday I'll dust it off and actually build it. Didn't finish my degree before I got a job at MIT, as part of DECs ESL agreement - "hire a couple people, stop calling our support staff all the time, and we'll give you huge discounts." So it was mostly VMS and Unix support, noodling around on everything from MVIIs to 8800s. But I also wound up with a Sun-3/60 on my desk for duping tapes under their license program, and answered a lot of questions about them too. Every now and then I got a treat and someone would call me to look at a problem with their SGI gear... Lots of things since, but this is getting long. Not much discipline to the collection. DEC stuff (pdp-11, vax, alpha), Moto m88k, Nat Semi 32k, CompuPro S-100, and a couple Apple 8 bitters. --Steve.

21 years, 2 months

11
11
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Age

by javickers＠solutionengineers.com

Born 1973, currently 31. First experience/sight of a computer was at around age 9-10 at primary school, when the class got to use a loaned BBC 'B' for a day. I was hooked there & then. I didn't see another computer until I went to secondary school. The computer lab there had: about 8 ZX Spectrums in a network (of sorts), 1 BBC 'B' (which spent most of its life playing Revs), and one Sharp MZ-80K (which I acquired a few years later). Sometime between 1982 and 1985, Dad had an Apple ][ Europlus on loan from works; he learned DBase, I learned Apple Basic - which I've long since forgotten. I do recall a rather good helicopter game though (one rescued soldiers or somesuch from burning buildings. Also a flight simulator game, which ate many a child-hood hour. In February 1984, Dad ordered a Sinclair QL, which eventually showed up in about June or July. I used that in its barebones 128k twin MDV setup for about seven years, before finally buying disk drives (Well, a 5.25" single drive), then extra memory, then a Gold Card, then twin 3.5" drives, before finally retiring it for good in about 1994. I still have that QL, & most of the accessories I ever bought/acquired. Between 1986 and 1990 - I have long forgotten the actual dates, and I almost forgot the actual machine! - I owned a ZX Spectrum - which I later swapped for a CBM Plus/4 + games. During the same period, I had a BBC 'B' on loan; with a very flakey keyboard connector which I eventually had to replace myself, using ordinary stranded ribbon cable. Euch. It never was quite the same after that. At sometime between 1990-1992, someone (I never met them) asked me to write some software on a Commodore PET 8032SK; I got to play with the complete system (it included an 8040(?) double drive unit & printer). Around this sort of time I made the fatal error of selling the Sharp MZ-80K for ?10 to a mate. Oops. The PET system eventually went back to its owner in about 1993 (I think) - software un-written. In 1994, I finished college & went to work, starting on a 486DX33. I got my own PC the same year (a DX2/66), and have used PCs to work on ever since. My classic comps collection, though, didn't really get going until 2000, when I bought another QL. And another one.... I have about 7 now. Also a BBC B, a BBC Master, a Spectrum or 4, a ZX81, a pair of Osborne 1's, a collection of PETs (including an 8032-SK), a pair of MZ-80K's, 2 -80A's and an -80B, and so on. Big iron wise, I would covet a Vax 8800 (as used at N. Staffs Polyversity), but have to make do with an HP 1000F & an A700. So there you go... I am currently slimming down my oversized collection somewhat, as it's getting to be a PITA to haul around everytime I move house (4 times in 5 years so far). Cheers, Ade.

21 years, 2 months

2
1
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Taking photos of displays...

by swtpc6800＠comcast.net

Many years ago when a EGA monitors were new, we had a Professional photographer take product shots of our DOS base software. He set up the PC in a room where he could turn off the lights, He took 3 second exposures of the screen then fired a strobe to get the computer case. I have found the long exposures give good results. You need a tripod. Simple point and shoot digital cameras don't allow for an external strobe. I have used two methods to get around this. Turn down the lights (turn off the flash) and take a picture of the screen. Use a normal or dim brightness setting on the montior. Turn up the lights (or tun on the flash) and take a second picture of the complete system. Use a photo editing package to merge the two images. http://www.swtpc.com/mholley/CT_1024/CT1024_Index.htm I have also adjusted the lighting to low level and taken a single shot. http://home.comcast.net/~swtpc6800/CT_1024_New/CT1024_ebay3.jpg I am currently selling this SWTPC CT-1024 TV Typewriter on eBay. (item number: 5169085449.) I have 4 working TV Typewriters, I need some room for new projects. Michael Holley www.swtpc.com/mholley

21 years, 2 months

1
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Age

by dwight.elvey＠amd.com

Hi Born in the year of the transistor. My first programming experiences were 6800 and 8080 machine code. I then went on to use PLM-80, a little PASCAL and BASIC. My first computer was a Poly-88 that I bought used for $400. I was one of the ones that went to the West Coast Computer Fair to buy my first floppy drive. While there, I picked up a listing of Forth. Up to that time, writing large programs was a mystery to me. How was it that one could use something like BASIC to actually do something significant. Forth taught me how to factor problems and because of its natural flow to create significant programs on the fly. For a long time, I tried to convince people how right Forth was compared to other languages. I've since come to realize that people all think differently. Some like the comfort of natural languages ( BASIC ) while others like the compactness of programs ( APL ). Some feel that millions can't be wrong ( C ), while others like to explore the abstract ( SmallTalk ). I just like to get working programs as quick as I can so I can fiddle some more with the hardware. Each to their own. Dwight

21 years, 2 months

2
1
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Test

by jim＠g1jbg.co.uk

Hi, I don't seem to have received any messages since Saturday - is the list down, or is it my ISP? Thanks Jim. Please see our website the " Vintage Communication Pages" at WWW.G1JBG.CO.UK

21 years, 2 months

1
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Age

by jhfinexgs2＠compsys.to

I was born on July 24th, 1938. If I am not the oldest member, then someone else will have to answer - unless I missed your response. By the way, what is the current (unique) list count: cctalk / cctech? Remember that I am a software addict (as opposed to 95% who are hardware addicts) using MACRO-11 under RT-11. My first system in 1960 was the IBM 650 (which has been discussed recently) using SOAP (Symbolic Optimal Assembly Program) as the name of the Assembly Language. The optimal referred to the location of the instructions on the drum which were placed in the next available location on the drum so that the instruction was available ASAP after the previous instruction was finished. The drum size was 2000 words of 10 decimal digits - or about the equivalent of 20 KBytes. I probably used the IBM 1620 in 1961 with assembler. I seem to remember the Univac 1107 in 1963 with FORTRAN. The IBM 7094 arrived in 1965 with FORTRAN and assembler. Then came the CDC 3300 in 1967 with assembler. The next 5 or 8 years are a bit of a haze. The CDC STAR-100 was included during that time period using assembler and MALUS. I seem to remember about 1 MByte of core memory and a program address space of 32 TerraByes (with a 48 bit address). I can't remember the disk drives at all. The PDP-11/05 seemed to arrive around 1975 with MACRO-11 under V02.? of RT-11. The disk drive was a DEC RK05 with 2.5 MBytes per removable media. I think the memory was 32 KBytes of core. Although I occasionally used a VAX after that, I seem to remember running RT-11 on a PDP-11 of some kind ever since 1975. At present I have many Qbus PDP-11 systems available with most not assembled. If I ever get the energy, there are probably enough parts to put together about 2 dozen Qbus PDP-11 systems, mostly PDP-11/23 and PDP-11/73. I still design and write programs, mostly in MACRO-11. But lately, I tend to run RT-11 under an emulator since the emulated features are much better than the real DEC PDP-11/83 that is still available. Sincerely yours, Jerome Fine -- If you attempted to send a reply and the original e-mail address has been discontinued due a high volume of junk e-mail, then the semi-permanent e-mail address can be obtained by replacing the four characters preceding the 'at' with the four digits of the current year.

21 years, 2 months

1
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Found another Commodore calculator

by jrkeys＠concentric.net

Added a model 886D to the collection and now I have 4 different Commodores.

21 years, 2 months

1
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Sprite OS trouble.

by jkunz＠unixag-kl.fh-kl.de

Hi. I am trying to bring up a Sprite cluster. [1] I was able to get the demo system running on a SPARCstation 1+ by dd-ing the boot image to a disk. Now I wane label an additional disk, make LFS, ... make the new disk bootable to get more free disk space then I have on the premade boot image. But I can't get a label on the disk with labeldisk nor did I succeed using fsmakeprompt. The later crashes... Next step is to bring a SPARCstation 2, an IPX and two ELCs into the cluster. Is there someone out there with Sprite experience who can help me? Additionaly I was not able to get the PMAX image to work on my DECstation 5000/240 nor my DECstation 3100. Any ideas? Do I really need a DECstation 5000/200 for this? [1] http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/Research/Projects/sprite/ A mixed architecture, distributed single system image OS capable of process migration that presented the cluster to a user as a single, large multiprocessor machine. Pmake and LFS (Log-Structured File System) originate from Sprite. -- tsch??, Jochen Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/

21 years, 2 months

2
1
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Back to the future

by mhscc＠canada.com

Just watched a Stephen Hawking documentary last night; looks like he was wrong: time does go backwards when the universe contracts (as it's apparently doing) - the cctalk archive already has messages from 2008 & 2025 :-) m

21 years, 2 months

1
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Jef Raskin dies

by GFisher＠tristonecapital.com

Another pioneer taken before his time: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050228.gtraskin0228/BN… Gary Fisher This e-mail and any attachments may contain confidential and privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender immediately by return e-mail, delete this e-mail and destroy any copies. Any dissemination or use of this information by a person other than the intended recipient is unauthorized and may be illegal. Unless otherwise stated, opinions expressed in this e-mail are those of the author and are not endorsed by the author's employer.

21 years, 2 months

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New RK07K Disk Packs Available

by ICS＠Core.com

Contact for Disk Packs... I have for sale up to five unused/sealed disk packs comprising DIGITAL (DEC) RK07K DC . Let me know if you can use these. John Stephen Urciolo P.O. Box 61150 Potomac, Maryland 20859 301-983-1998 (9am - 9pm EST)

21 years, 2 months

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More New Toys!

by dvcorbin＠optonline.net

... true Sine wave AC ... 9,999 HZ ... 270 volts. ...the cat's ass. A howl, and lots of smoke... << Contacting ASPCA.....

21 years, 2 months

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More Free SUN stuff

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

I guess I should have been more clear. These are just cards, not complete systems. Joe All of this stuff came from NASA KSC and is in original SUN boxs. I don't know if it's new or was pulls during an upgrade. I believe the specs are correct but I didn't spend any time checking them. Sun Super Sparc 10 30Mhz MBUS CPU CARD PN 501-1889, 501-2239 SM30. For Sparc 10 only so I've been told. Two Differential SCSI/Ethernet (DSBE/S) Cards. PN 501-1902 Workstations: Sun 4/75, SPARCstation 5, 10, 20 Ultra 1, 1E, 2 Servers: SPARCserver 6x0MP, 1000, PARCcenter 2000 Enterprise 3x00, 4x00, 5x00, 6x00, 10000 Option 1052 Sun PN 501-2270 SM 41 X1161A 40 Mhz CPU CARD for Sparc 10 and SS600MP Model 41.

21 years, 2 months

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IBM AS/400 Model B10

by m.wickens＠rhodium-consulting.com

Hello list, Just a quick question: I've been offered an IBM AS/400 Model B10. Is there anything interesting I can do with it, or interesting software I can run on it? I'll leave 'interesting' open to your own interpretation. Regards, Mark -- Mark Wickens Rhodium Consulting Ltd

21 years, 2 months

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Taking photos of displays...

by dvcorbin＠optonline.net

> > Has anyone got any useful tips for photographing (with a digital > camera)running machines such that whatever's on the screen is > captured with > some kind of decent quality? > Depends if the screen display is static [constant content]. If constant, use a tripod and go slow [>1/60 Sec]. If the display is changing rapidly.... Again on a tripod from a fixed location... 1) 1 Shot with the shutter speed / f-stop balanced for the overall shot (don't worry about the screen) 2) A series of shots at a FAST shutter speed (1/500 or 1/1000) to capture the screen. It takes some playing to get a good composition [for *MY* monitor (21" Viewsonic) 1/1000 and f5.6 from a distance of about 5" on MY Olympus camera, is usually the center point for my bracket. Then with the wonders of digital photography....cut and paste..

21 years, 2 months

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More Free SUN stuff

by rigdonj＠cfl.rr.com

All of this stuff came from NASA KSC and is in original SUN boxs. I don't know if it's new or was pulls during an upgrade. I believe the specs are correct but I didn't spend any time checking them. Sun Super Sparc 10 30Mhz MBUS CPU 501-1889, 501-2239 SM30 For Sparc 10 only so I've been told. Two Differential SCSI/Ethernet (DSBE/S) Cards. PN 501-1902 Workstations: Sun 4/75, SPARCstation 5, 10, 20 Ultra 1, 1E, 2 Servers: SPARCserver 6x0MP, 1000, PARCcenter 2000 Enterprise 3x00, 4x00, 5x00, 6x00, 10000 Option 1052 Sun PN 501-2270 SM 41 X1161A 40 Mhz CPU for Sparc 10 and SS600MP Model 41.

21 years, 2 months

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Age

by dvcorbin＠optonline.net

> > So ya know, since you never mentioned getting it > OUT of storage and shipping > it to CA.... I can head up there with a van & all... ;) > And the Race Is ON.......Illegal Road Rally with the PDP-8 as a prize....Gentlemen (and others) start your engines!

21 years, 2 months

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Looking for a 6U (both J1/J2 populated) 4 to 8-slot VME chassis

by rmeenaks＠olf.com

I need a VME chassis to hook up some of my transputer cards to my Ultra Enterprise 2 workstation (as well as my PC). I current have a PTSBS915 Sbus-to-VME adapter on my SUN and a SBS Bit3 Model 617 PCI-to-VME adapter on my PC. I need a small chassis as I currently don't have much space left. Something similar to the ELMA portables like the following: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=3669&item=6742586384& rd=1&ssPageName=WDVW If you have one please respond off-list... Thanks, Ram

21 years, 2 months

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DG equipment in my future

by tomj＠wps.com

On Fri, 25 Feb 2005, Ethan Dicks wrote: > With all the DG stuff happening around here, I thought I'd mention > that I'm trying to work out a rescue of some unknown DG rack from a > machine shop in Central Ohio that was bought new, approx 25-30 years > ago by said machine shop for approx $50K. I have no idea what to > expect except a tape drive in the top of the rack and a "very heavy > disk drive" in the bottom of the rack. > > My contact has no idea what any DG equipment is, so I'll get a > surprise when I show up, I suppose. In the meantime, from the rough > age and cost, would anyone care to speculate what I might be facing > when I see it? I'm hardly a DG expert, and actual experts may have replied off-list, but 1980 plus/minus five years it's probably very approximately like mine. DIsk drive heads need to be locked down before transport or they'll likely self-destruct. If it's one of the typical top-loader disk drives, there's little lock levers on each side of the front rack handles, flip these down and slide the cabinet out. If it won't come out more than 1" there's a latch on the rear, lift it up. Remove the cartridge (dust cover, slide lever on handle to engage, lift >BONK< place in dust cover, fold handle). There "ought to be" a shipping dust cover to fill up the hole... With the drive all the way out, take the 4? 6? screws from the sides and lift off the cover. There's a red bracket bolted with an allen screw on the right of the head motor assembly, take it off and flip it around, that locks the heads. Non-removable disks have a similar system but I don't know it. If it's got small metal toggle switches it's a rare early Nova, by all means take it! If it's a plastic front panel it is newer. If it's from some CNC thing it prpbably has paper tape.

21 years, 2 months

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substitute for TI TIL306/307 Display

by harald.giese＠ihm.fzk.de

Dear folks, I realised there was a discussion going on ... a long time ago ... on the TIL306 and TIXL306 availability. Just wanted to let you know, that I am presently offering 6 TIXL306 on ebay-Germany. So, if you're still interested or if you know somebody else who might be looking for them, here is your chance. I have tested them using standard TTL-voltage levels and a slow clock to see wether the display characters are all ok and everything looked neet. The ebay auction runs until next Saturday. Air-Mail-shipping worldwide is EURO 8.00 ($ 10.50). If you chose the option 'registered delivery' it's a little bit more expensive: EURO 10.05 ($ 13,00) Best wishes from the snow-clad black-forest to wherever you are. Harald Dipl. Physiker Harald Giese Institut fuer Hochleistungsimpuls und Mikrowellentechnik (IHM) Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe GmbH Postfach 3640, 76021 Karlsruhe Telefon 07247 82 6235, Fax 07247 82 4874 e-mail: harald.giese at ihm.fzk.de

21 years, 2 months

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OT: AVR programming using SP12?

by zmerch＠30below.com

Finally git my AVR 8515 programmer built and debugged -- I chose to build the programmer around SP12 -- it's a dos-mode programmer, but says it supports Win2k. Got everything built, plug 'er in, and no matter what, it says it can't find a valid chip. Hrmph. Anyone ever deal with AVR programming and/or the SP12 software? (SP12 is easiest found if you search google for "Programming a Spider's Brain".) I'm wondering if it's due to my dual-processors... Please keep replies off-list, as this is offtopic. Thanks all! Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- Roger "Merch" Merchberger -- SysAdmin, Iceberg Computers _??_ zmerch at 30below.com (?||?) If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead _)(_ disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.

21 years, 2 months

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Data General Nova 4/X -- HELLO COMMA WORLD STOP

by tomj＠wps.com

RDOS prompt is newline then "R". I had to re-create the FORTRAN IV distribution and libraries from random tape dumps. Of course the library file editor pages were missing from the manual I printed out! Had to build the fortran library, aargh. CLG is "compile load go" an all-in-one utility. Amusingly, RDOS isn't umm fully Y2K clean! Accepts year as 2005, but prints it variously as 105 or :5. I guess I'll write "hello world" in macro then assume I'm in business, and go work out the foreground terminal, line printer, etc... Thanks again Bruce for all the help!!!!! tomj R CLG HW HW.LS/L PROGRAM IS RELOCATABLE .TITL .MAIN HELLO, WORLD STOP R LIST HW.- HW.FR 82 D HW.SV 8192 SD HW.LS 9786 D HW.RB 282 D R HW HELLO, WORLD STOP R TYPE HW.FR C THIS PROGRAM DOES NOTHING BUT PROVE THAT IT EXISTS. TYPE "HELLO, WORLD" END R R TYPE HW.LS ; DGC FORTRAN IV REV 05.50NH ; C THIS PROGRAM DOES NOTHING BUT PROVE THAT IT EXISTS. ; ; TYPE "HELLO, WORLD" ; ; END 0001 .MAIN ; DGC FORTRAN IV REV 05.50NH ; C THIS PROGRAM DOES NOTHING BUT PROVE THAT IT EXISTS. ; ; TYPE "HELLO, WORLD" .NREL .TITL .MAIN .ENT .MAIN .NREL 000001 .TXTM 1 .EXTU .EXTN .I .F1: 00000'000000 .F2: 0 000000 .CSIZ 0 00001'000000 FS. .MAIN: 00002'002401 JMP @.+1 00003'000004' L1. L1.: 00004'006002$ JSR @.FWRI 00005'000021' .C1 00006'000000 0 00007'000006 6 .TXT "HELLO, WORLD" 00010'044105 00011'046114 00012'047454 00013'020127 00014'047522 00015'046104 00016'000000 ; 00017'000005 5 ; END 00020'006001$ JSR @.FRET 00021'000012 .C1: 000012 000000 FS.=0 000000 SFS.=0 177611 T.=-167 000011 V.=200+T. 177610 TS.=T.+177777 177611 FTS.=T.+0 000010 VS.=V.+177777 000011 FVS.=V.+0 .END 0002 .MAIN FS. 000000 FTS. 177611 FVS. 000011 L1. 000004' SFS. 000000 TS. 177610 T. 177611 VS. 000010 V. 000011 .C1 000021' .F1 000000' .F2 000000' .FRET 000001$X .FWRI 000002$X .I 077777 X .MAIN 000002' HW.SV LOADED BY RLDR REV 07.10 AT 22:08:51 02/27/:5 R LIST HW.FR 82 D ASM.SV @:ASM.SV FIV.SV 20992 SD LFE.SV @:LFE.SV FMT.LB 6292 D RLDR.OL @:RLDR.OL HW.SV 8192 SD SYS.LB @:SYS.LB FORT0.LB 7794 D FORT1.LB 22552 D HW.LS 9786 D SPEED.ER @:SPEED.ER CLG.SV 3584 SD RLDR.SV @:RLDR.SV FSYS.LB 4036 D N.SV DP0:NSPEED.SV FORT2.LB 18242 D COM.CM 8 FORT3.LB 13618 D FORT.SV 3072 SD HW.RB 282 D LIBS. 37 D BREAK.SV 14336 SD FORT.LB 62134 D R

21 years, 2 months

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more progress, searchable archives

by jwest＠classiccmp.org

The cctech archives have been indexed, check it out. www.classiccmp.org/pipermail/cctech/ The archives can be user selectable via thread, subject, author, or downloaded as text. In addition, you can now seach those archives (exact match (any or all) or boolean expression!), sort criteria, etc. At least for the things I was searching on, the results were returned QUITE fast. The index isn't built for the cctalk list yet, but it will be sometime tomorrow. Jay West

21 years, 2 months

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Tektronix plugins available

by ddl-cctech＠danlan.com

Not exactly computer, but clearly classic. :) I have a Type K fast-rise calibrated preamp and a Type 53/54C dual-trace calibrated preamp. As usual, price is $0 plus shipping. Dan Lanciani ddl at danlan.*com

21 years, 2 months

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Age

by rmeenaks＠olf.com

Well, I couldn't resist. I am 33 years old (born 1970) and got my first taste of computers when we bought a TI99 4/A in the early 80's. I spent hours and hours typing in the games in Compute! during those golden ages. We started using a TRS80 during my junior high school and later an Apple / IBMPCin high school. I got so fasinated with computers that I started my Comp Sci degree for both my masters and bachelors. I worked more in the "wall street" type firms designing various trading systems for different markets (FX, international banking, government bond trading, and now Power/Energy market trading). Currently I design trading systems for the Energy Markets (specifically for Power..). I got exposed to transputers during my undergraduate days and have been hooked into it ever since.... Cheers, Ram

21 years, 2 months

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INFO 2000 Vintage S-100 Dual 8" Floppy Disk System

by rmeenaks＠olf.com

On ebay, http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=4193&item=5170416637& rd=1 Cheers, Ram

21 years, 2 months

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FTP Server/Client for RSX?

by list＠saracom.com

Hello, I received this request for help and was wondering if any one could offer any suggestions. I am not too familar with RSX. Max From: "Dr.M.S.Moni" <moni at iitm.ac.in> Dear Sir, I am using an old pdp/11/73 (LSI 11/73) without network/lan/ card. The OS is RSX11M. Only an 8" floppy drive is avilable. I recently bought a DEQNA card withot any installation instructions. I do not have any file transfer program in my PDP. I tried to use the serial port to communicate to a PC without any sucess. I would like to install the DEQNA and use some FTP or Kermit software to transfer data from the PDP hard disk to a PC. How do I do it and where can I get the necesary software? Is it freely available or on payment? Since I am not an expert in computers I may need detailed instructions. Can you please help me? I shall be much obliged. -Dr.M.S.Moni

21 years, 2 months

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Jef Raskin

by vcf＠siconic.com

Sorry to have to break this news. I just learned this tonight. I have no other details. ;( ---------- Forwarded message ---------- Dear Friends, Jef died this evening, surrounded by friends and family, with some favorite music playing. While I am overcome by a profound sense of sadness and am not looking forward the the days, weeks and years ahead without him, I am also relieved that he did not suffer for a long time and that he is at peace and no longer in pain. There will be a memorial service, time and date to be determined. Much love- Linda -- Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org [ Old computing resources for business || Buy/Sell/Trade Vintage Computers ] [ and academia at www.VintageTech.com || at http://marketplace.vintage.org ]

21 years, 2 months

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[OT]Homebrew PCB fabrication

by jdboyd＠jdboyd.net

On Sun, Feb 20, 2005 at 08:06:38PM -0500, 9000 VAX wrote: > I think I can say something here because I am drawing the PCB for my > project. A good free CAD software is the gEDA suit, including gschem > (schematic), gsch2pcb(schematic to PCB translator), gerbv (Gerber > viewer), and pcb (PCB). It is time for you guys to install linux in > your computer since you guys are computer geeks anyway! A friend uses PCB heavily for his work, and PCB has been used for some fairly high projects. It looks like good stuff. I've only fiddled with it though. But, I'd like to point out that the stuff will run on Solaris and likely other OSs. No need to install linux just for that. > The cheap double side PCB will cost you $33 each > (http://www.33each.com) for 3 boards, and could be lower than $10 for > 44 square inch boards with quantity of 100. Sounds like a reasonable price. -- Joshua D. Boyd jdboyd at jdboyd.net http://www.jdboyd.net/ http://www.joshuaboyd.org/

21 years, 2 months

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Why are transistors called "Q"?

by ard＠p850ug1.demon.co.uk

> > "T" was taken (Transformer). That was also a problem when tubes began being= > =20 > used. I think they use X for tubes, don't they? Normally 'V' Certainly in UK manuals -- we call them 'valves', but HP and Tekky also use 'V'. -tony

21 years, 2 months

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Age

by technobug＠comcast.net

Nico de Jong mused: >> It could be interesting to know the age"spread" of thist list >> contributors, and how long we've had the computer virus under >> our skin. >> Age: around 1700 fortnights... First glimpse of the deamon occurred relatively late in life (as measured by this crowd) when working on an Army missile project in '65 which was the first to use PERT. Shoved in cards and got back reams of paper. The following year learned patch-panel programming on a punch card system in the jungle. The real bug was caught in grad school when our department got a PDP-8. Spent one night with the beast and taught myself FOCAL. Shortly after, our group got a Nova 1200 attached to a pulse-height analyzer which one programmed by reading in tapes on a clunk-clunk and punching out results (editor in -> program out, compiler in-> program in-> assembly out, assembler in -> assembly code in-> object out, object in-> run program -- one did not make a mistake). Language was the Algol (with which DG wrote RTOS and RDOS). And then along came a PDP-9 with 3 DEC tapes and 8 kwords of memory and my invention of the operating system - that is until I found out that the box came with one. Wrote my first GUI program in FORTRAN 4 on that box - a background fitting affair that used a light pen on the displayed data (can you say Chain...?). Read in the data from the Nova and printed a graph of the result. Beat feeding cards to the CDC6400 and waiting a day to get back results. Went on to gin up a data collection system on a Modcomp which we took on tour around the US collecting data from a U2 flying a laser. Subsequent work on a disertation used the system to feed data to a DEC10 which front-ended a Cyber on which I churned through many CPU hours (and $) crunching the data. Escaped from academia and started a company in which we developed a automation controller using the National 32016 using a VAX730 as the development tool. That VAX ran 7 years with a down time of less than a week... Brought the beast home when the company folded, but adopted it out to a list member when I realized that I could only run it on winter nights with the doors open. My first personal computer was a LISA. Real multi-tasking with a real GUI - (Oh Steve why did you stray from the true path....). Current project is designing passive filters using a genetic algorithm (gasp!!) - the fitness function is fuzzy :-P My current collection consists of a smattering of Macs of various vintage, a VAX3540 (used to be two 3520s), Sun 1000E, and an Alfa server which isn't up and running yet. Hey, the game is still fun and I'm not about to quit. CRC

21 years, 2 months

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