2 Nov
1998
2 Nov
'98
12:57 a.m.
I've been an operator too, and it is certainly
possible for one person
to be an operator of such a machine. But where are you going to get spare
parts for a 370 when it breaks?
Good question.
Easy answer: replace the chip with an exact duplicate using the spares you
have been picking up all over the place! If it has a little aluminum
covered chip - grab it!
Tough answer: I am not sure how much the S/370 logic would like working
with 10K ECL, but one could burn a PAL to do the required function. S/370
chips were not very complex at all - easily functionally replacable with
the ECL 22V10s. The PALs may also fit!
Several collector *own* big iron, but I have yet to
hear of any *operating*
it. AFAIK, even the Computer Museum Historical Collection is not attempting
to operate any big iron; the closest I've heard of is an attempt to
restore an IBM 1620 (which is only medium iron).
Very true. I do not have any real big iron (I wish I did), so I guess I
can not comment. RCS/RI can keep a PDP-12 operational most of the time,
like my PDP-8/S, but they have their bad days. The RCS/RI VAX-11/750 can
stay up, but that is about it.
William Donzelli
william(a)ans.net