Help needed with a PDP-11

I found this plea in comp.sys.dec, he seems to have had no response, so I thought I'd throw it in for the experts here. If anyone can help him, please contact this guy direct. Quote: I acquired a PDP11/04 last week. It's my first UNIBUS -11, so I don't really know how to get it working again... The machine is in a BA-11KA drawer (rev m, eco 0015; the whole machine was labeled "LANDIS & GYR VISIONIX 4000). It has two DD-11DK system units (only the first is used), with the following cards in it: M7263, 2 x M7856, 32K core, M9312, M7262, M9302, G727A. I know what these cards are, my problem is that I don't know this backplane enough, and I don't know what to expect from the system. After I got the machine, I cleaned it, examined the cards for anything strange - haven't found anything. Then I put back the cards, in the order they were originally (there were stickers on the side of the chassis showing the modules' places). One of the DL11W's is configured as the console (at the proper address; also at 110 baud, 5 data bits, odd parity, 2 stop bits, active current lopp Rx, passive Tx), it has a BC05C-25 cable leading out of the chassis. I checked with a multimeter (I haven't got a scope, and even if I'd have, I'm not familiar with it), there's _something_ on the DB25F connector. Right now I have two choices: to get the DL11W working with an EIA-interfaced CRT terminal) to see if the CPU is working, or check this some different way (without a scope that is; am I beeing impatient?:) The machine has the simple "frontpanel": OFF/ON/STDBY, RUN/HALT, BOOT/INIT switches, RUN and DCOK LED. So my questions: 1. what are the settings for a EIA console on a DL11W? I've tried to set 9600, 8N1 according the manuals, but I don't know what to do next, about the current loop interface, about the cable (nullmodem? straight? with modem control?), as I still have nothing on the VT (and I know that this could be my fault...) 2. How do I know if the CPU is really running? (the DCOK LED is on, and if I switch "RUN", the RUN LED lights up, but does this really reflects the state of the CPU and the bus? There's the RL controller on the bus, when the drives are connected to it, and are switched on, the RL01's "FAULT" light turn off (I was told the drives need timing signals from the controller; they get it as I interpret this behaviour), but that's about everything I know from the cards in the chassis. Is there a safe method to see if the bus is okay, like pulling out cards and/or moving them around? I don't want to mess something up with all these modified/SPC slots... Thanks for your time! / ___ _ _ ___ ____ ___ ___ /__//__///_///__ / /_ / ) Varga Akos Endre hamster(a)telnet.hu / // // /___/ / /__ / ( www.telnet.hu/hamster/english.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- "Museum" http://www.internetto.hu/muzeum/e_kiallitas.html ----------------------------------------------------------------------- End Quote. Geoff Roberts Computer Systems Manager Saint Marks College Port Pirie South Australia. My ICQ# is 1970476 Ph. 61-411-623-978 (Mobile) 61-8-8633-0619 (Home) 61-8-8633-8834 (Work-Direct) 61-8-8633-0104 (Fax)