At 09:24 PM 8/26/05 +0100, you wrote:
It sounds like my house is similar to others on
this list....
Anyway, while extracting an off-topic device, I came across a ring
binder that I had labelled 'HP9831 Manual' Inside were the 2 volumes of
user documentation for that machine -- the Operating/Programming Manual
and the I/O Manual.
COOL! When are you going get it copied or scanned so the rest of us can
see it? :-)
Firstly, here are the exact titles of the 2 manuals I found :
9813A Operating & Programming (09831-90000)
9831A Peripheral Control (09831-90020)
The first of those lists 'related publications' which I don't have, but
which are as follows :
Basic Reference Boolklet (09831-90010)
System Test Booklet (09831-90031)
Fliexible Disk Operating and Programming Manual (09885-90050)
Matrix/Plotter ROM Programming Manual (09831-90021)
HP9896 System Installation Manual (09896-90030)
HP9896 System Operators Guide (09896-90000)
From what I've read elsewhere (particularly on
http://www.hpmuseum.net),
the 9896 was a desk with a 9831 on top and a couple of
9885 8" drives in
the pedestal.
I can look into getting a friend to scan it sometime. It's a fairly thick
manual, and I don't want to lend it out (since it's not exactly common),
but I will see what I can do.
[The HP9831 has similar hardware to the 9825, but has BASIC, not HPL, in ROM]
The 9831 is a 9825 with HP 9830 ROM code in it. I was told by one of the
Not exactly. The 9831 ran a BASIC which is compatible with the 9830
BASIC, but 2 machines have rather different processors, so the binary
contents of the ROMs are different. You can't, for example, use 9830
machine code programs or ROMs with the 9831.
it's developers that it had ALL the 9830 ROMs
built into it and this is the
first time that I've heard that there were ROMs available for it. Do you
have any idea of the part numbers for them? I have seen a couple of
Sure :
HP98223A/B Matrix/Plotter ROM (-A for the 9862A plotter, -B for the 9872A
plotter).
HP98218A Flexible Disk ROM (controls up to 8 9885M (Master) Flexible Disk
drives; if needed up to 3 9885S (slave) drives can be connected to each
master drice) [ Hang one, that's 32 disk drives ! -- ARD]
The manual claims there were also 'Tape cartridges and flexible disks
containtain programs for solving problems from many disciplines'. Alas no
list is given, just the instruction to contact an HP sales office.
[9877 tape drive]
Unfortunately
it says nothing about the actually interface for the 9877
-- for all other peripherals (printers, card reader, paper tape punch,
paper tape reader), it says that the interface is a 98032 16 bit parallel
module with the approriate 'option' (cable and link settings). Does
anyone know if the 9877 _definietly_ connected via a 98032 as well?
Yes it does. I have (had?) a picture of one at one time.
Even
better, does anyone know the wiring?
No. There were a lot of modified 98032 interfaces available for
different peripherals and I've been looking for any of them but I've only
As I understand it (from the 98032 operating/service manual), the
modifications consisted of the correct connector for the peripheral, the
connections of the 98032 cable to that connector, a set of soldered links
on the cable connector PCB in the rear shell of the 98032 itself and
possibly a capacitor on that PCB to slow down the handshake. The 2 main
boards in the 98032 were not changed.
found a couple of them and I think I only have docs
(and schematic) for ONE
of them. I SHOULD set up an automatic E-bay search for HP 98032 and see if
The only wiring I have details of is the Option 085 Flexible Disk one. I
buzzed out the wiring in mine.
I've posted a couple of times here and to MoHPC asking if anyone has the
docs for other Options (or the interfaces themselves that can be buzzed
out), but no response.
I can turn up more of the modified interfaces but I
haven't done it.
Regarding the 9877, as you know I have two of them. Kennedy Space Center
also has one and we have both been looking for interfaces, docs and
software for them but with little luck. KSC does have an interface but they
weren't willing to let me examine it. They did sent me a picture of it but
it just looks like any other modified 98032. It's marked 98032 option 77.
OK, it is, presumanbly, just the wiring and links that I need. Pity you
can't take it apart :-(. I have a hand-drawn schematic of the 9877 which
gives the pinout of the connector on the back (50 pin Blue Ribbon), all I
need to know is how to link that to the 98032.
-tony