5 Jan
2007
5 Jan
'07
7:02 p.m.
On 1/5/07, Bob Shannon <bshannon at tiac.net> wrote:
I've just found an interesting vintage system.
The machine is an Edax 9100 / 70. It contains a PDP 11/23 with MMU and FPP
chips installed running RT 11 V4, circa 1980...
Interesting.
Keyboard / Console unit:
A very retro-looking, nice keyboard with extra function keys, and a row of
alphanumeric LED display modules for programmable legends over the
function keys. All apparently controlled by standard RS-232 links to the
11/23. The displays look like old Litronix DL-1414 modules.
Nice.
Video Display unit:
Uses a portrait-format CRT in a (then) futuristic tilt-swivel metal chassis.
This interfaces to the special video display system in the main chassis...
This same display is also used to talk to the PDP/11, I'm thinking that the
UART in the display section (I have full schematics) is used to emulate
a dumb terminal with the ASCII keyboard section on the Keyboard / Console unit.
That's an interesting way to do it. I'm curious how _dumb_ the
emulated terminal is (VT52/VT100, totally dumb glass TTY, etc.)
Portrait displays are quite unusual in vintage gear, and I'm curious
to learn about any examples.
Better still, if someone wants a little RT-11 box, and
does not care if
the DEC logo is nowhere to be found, this might be
a fun and funky little box to hack around on.
I'm in Ohio, so I'll give this a pass to someone who is much closer,
but it sounds cool.
Its really got killer retro looks, the styling of the
thing is really
something (photos are possible).
I'll "third" the request for photos, especially of the keyboard and
display.
-ethan