16 Jul
2012
16 Jul
'12
11:57 a.m.
I need to check the cable wiring to ensure it is
configured for EIA
serial IO (the attached cable has a molex connector rather than a DB25
or DB9) and I will give it a try.
If the 'Molex' connector is actually a flat white thing with 8 possible
contacts in a row, then it's actually an AMP connecotr ;-). It's also
almost certainly current loop, since that's what DEC used for corrent
loop conenctors.
AFAIK, most, if not all, DL11-Ws had the RS232 driver/receiver chips
fitted, if not, it's easy to add them (they're 1488s and 1489s, easy to
get). You then need to make up the right cable. Note that there's a
jumper in the cable between 2 pins at the RL11 end, it connects the
output of the appropriate receiver (RS232 or current loop) to the input
of the UART. Apart form that, there are no gotchas.
I did power up the machine with a minimum set of boards installed.
The KY11-LB front panel came up, address 000000, Run and DC OK leds
on. Some of the front panel button work. I can load an address into
Can you haldt the CPU (IIRC that's ctrl-halt on the keypad panel),
turning the RUN lamp off? If not, it's likely you have an open grant
chain somewhere.
-tony