28 Nov
2014
28 Nov
'14
3:15 p.m.
Not disputing seeing the evidence of a 36-bit machine behind the curtain in
the XKL Darkstar firmware updates but I wasn't clear on whether or not the
TOAD-2 board just had some PDP-10 provenance in it, or whether or not it
was a full-on clone that could run the historic operating systems.
I don't see the TOAD-2 listed a a product on XKL's site anywhere, though.
As far as I can tell there's no Darkstar product listed on their site with
exactly the same port punch-outs as the TOAD-2. Maybe it's a special order
item? Unfortunately it's not in my price range any way you cut it ;)
Best,
Sean
On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 5:56 PM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at update.uu.se> wrote:
On 2014-11-28 23:49, Sean Caron wrote:
Sorry, I was just alluding to the
"board" inside the ~1U device labeled as
"XKL TOAD-2" in the video at around 0:30 in.
Watching it a second time through, however, it appears that the TOAD-2 box
shown in the video actually contains two discrete boards!
I don't think that's an off-the-shelf product, LOL. I assume the board is
a
common system controller used in their network equipment product line and
the TOAD-2 is a one-off; a few system controllers from stock, a chassis
with plexiglas lid swapped in and a few extra holes drilled... produced
per
request of a good customer ;)
I'm wondering now, do you think the TOAD-2 actually does anything? Or is
it
just a static display to demonstrate minimization of the PDP-10 over time?
Can it run TOPS? Or is it just a router lacking any network interfaces?
It runs TOPS-20. I've seen and played at the EXEC prompt of the TOAD-2.
And XKL are not making these as one-offs.
Yes, the one at LCM has been modified for display purposes, with such as
the plexiglass top.
But if you read the thread, someone actually went to XKL and fetched the
firmware upgrade image they provide, and it's clearly for a 36-bit machine.
This is the firmware they provide as a general download to customers.
This would not make sense if it were, as you suggest, a one-off product.
Johnny
Best,
Sean
On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 5:28 PM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at update.uu.se>
wrote:
On 2014-11-28 23:19, David Griffith wrote:
>
> On Fri, 28 Nov 2014, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>>
>> On 2014-11-28 17:13, Sean Caron wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> Whaaa? That's actually something a little bit different; I didn't
>>>> even know
>>>> there was such a thing as a TOAD-2.
>>>>
>>>> Does anyone here know how many units of the TOAD-2 were ever sold? Who
>>>> bought them?
>>>>
>>>> That board looks so close to mini-ITX form factor... they should start
>>>> selling them bare... it would look great next to my Atom boxes!!
>>>>
>>>>
>>> As far as I understood it, they are still selling them.
>>>
>>>
>> How does one obtain one of these boards?
>>
>>
> Boards? It's a group of products for networks...
> If you deduct the name of the product from the name of the firmware
> (Darkstar), you can see a whole bunch of products at www.xkl.com that
> are
> "Darkstar". I don't know if all of them use the TOAD-2, but it is
> possible...
>
> Johnny
>
>
> --
> Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
> || on a psychedelic trip
> email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
> pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>
>
--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt at softjar.se || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol