Need help with PDP-8/A, VTServer & PDP-11 - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

1 Feb 2013

On Feb 1, 2013, at 12:00 PM, cctalk-request at classiccmp.org wrote:

...
  From: Pete Turnbull <pete at
dunnington.plus.com>
 To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
 	<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
 Subject: Re:
 Message-ID: <510AD86B.8020007 at dunnington.plus.com>
 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed

 On 31/01/2013 05:37, Charles wrote:
  Anyhow, I figure that the OS/8 pack might have
become corrupted, so I
 attempted to reload it on my 11/23+ system (which IS working and  
 passing
 memory tests) using VTserver, which is how I created it the first  
 time.
 However, since I last successfully did it, I've upgraded the 11/23+  
 boot
 ROMs to the KDF11B-BH V1.0. This is the only hardware change. Not  
 sure
 if that has anything to do with the problem 
  Do I need to go back to the original boot ROM in
order to use  
 VTserver
 (i.e. is there some change made to ODT that is messing things up?) 
 The boot ROMs have no bearing on ODT, which is in the microcode in the
 KDF11 itself.  So you can eliminate at least one area of concern.   
 What
 boot ROMs did you have before?  Were they 2K ones (11/23+) or 8K ones
 (microPDP-11/23)?  Have you changed any jumpers during the upgrade?

 -- 
 Pete 
The original  ones (-339, -340) are 2716 EPROMs (2k). The only jumper  
changed was the J23-24 which the manual says to set for 8K proms, and  
J23-22 for 2k.
I put the old ones back in (and set the jumper accordingly) and the  
transfer proceeded normally. For whatever reason the new ones do not  
like VTserver.

Incidentally, the problem with the 8/A & RL02 turned out to be simply  
a bad ribbon cable connection (my fault) where the IDC connector plugs  
into the RL8A card.
The previous OS/8 pack boots and runs normally too... now I can get  
back to playing Lunar Lander in FOCAL on the Teletype, and ADVENT :)

-Charles