16 Aug
2014
16 Aug
'14
10:31 a.m.
I just got a VT240 with a VR201 monitor. When I switch it on it displays
"??240 Monitor Error - 9" (although the question marks are reversed).
The terminal works otherwise. It displays the setup menus, and it works when
connected to one of my VAXen.
I have looked in the docs I have, but none have troubleshooting information,
and I can't find anything online.
Any idea what this error means?
Incidentally, I used to use a software package called UNIRAS to do graphics
on VAXen, does anyone know if it is still possible to find this software?
Anyone got anything to exercise the VT240's graphical capabilities? I
believe Datatrieve has something, but I don't want to install that just to
test the VT240.
Regards
Rob
16 Aug
16 Aug
12:06 p.m.
Here's the Manx reference:
http://manx.classiccmp.org/details.php/1,2969
On page 12 it lists 3 possibilities:
1. Plug in VR201 (LED indicator only)
2. Reverse monitor cable.
3. replace monitor cable.
Good luck,
Mike
On Aug 16, 2014, at 8:31 AM, Robert Jarratt <robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com> wrote:
I just got a VT240 with a VR201 monitor. When I switch
it on it displays
"??240 Monitor Error - 9" (although the question marks are reversed).
The terminal works otherwise. It displays the setup menus, and it works when
connected to one of my VAXen.
I have looked in the docs I have, but none have troubleshooting information,
and I can't find anything online.
Any idea what this error means?
Incidentally, I used to use a software package called UNIRAS to do graphics
on VAXen, does anyone know if it is still possible to find this software?
Anyone got anything to exercise the VT240's graphical capabilities? I
believe Datatrieve has something, but I don't want to install that just to
test the VT240.
Regards
Rob
12:51 p.m.
I missed the pocket manual, thanks for that. I have reversed the monitor
cable and it comes up with VT240 OK now.
Thanks!
Rob
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Mike Cesari
Sent: 16 August 2014 17:06
To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: VT240 Monitor Error - 9
Here's the Manx reference:
http://manx.classiccmp.org/details.php/1,2969
On page 12 it lists 3 possibilities:
1. Plug in VR201 (LED indicator only)
2. Reverse monitor cable.
3. replace monitor cable.
Good luck,
Mike
On Aug 16, 2014, at 8:31 AM, Robert Jarratt <robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com>
wrote:
I just got a VT240 with a VR201 monitor. When I
switch it on it
displays
"??240 Monitor Error - 9" (although the question marks are reversed).
The terminal works otherwise. It displays the setup menus, and it
works when connected to one of my VAXen.
I have looked in the docs I have, but none have troubleshooting
information, and I can't find anything online.
Any idea what this error means?
Incidentally, I used to use a software package called UNIRAS to do
graphics on VAXen, does anyone know if it is still possible to find this
software?
> Anyone got anything to exercise the VT240's graphical capabilities? I
> believe Datatrieve has something, but I don't want to install that
> just to test the VT240.
>
>
>
> Regards
>
>
>
> Rob
> 
6:54 p.m.
Here's the Manx reference:
http://manx.classiccmp.org/details.php/1,2969
On page 12 it lists 3 possibilities:
1. Plug in VR201 (LED indicator only)
2. Reverse monitor cable.
3. replace monitor cable.
And what does it _really_ mean? In other words, what signal(s) are in
erorr and how?
-tony
17 Aug
17 Aug
3:07 a.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Tony Duell
Sent: 16 August 2014 23:55
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: VT240 Monitor Error - 9
erorr and
Here's the Manx reference:
http://manx.classiccmp.org/details.php/1,2969
On page 12 it lists 3 possibilities:
1. Plug in VR201 (LED indicator only)
2. Reverse monitor cable.
3. replace monitor cable.
And what does it _really_ mean? In other words, what signal(s) are in how?
-tony
According to the pocket reference it means that the "monitor present" signal
has not been seen.
Regards
Rob
4:38 p.m.
According to the pocket reference it means that the
"monitor present" signal
has not been seen.
OK, found it.. There's a pin on the DA15 connctor that is wired to an
input port. It is grounded by the monitor/monitor cable.
Is it jsut me, or is this the mst stupid feature imaginable? You
gneerally know if the monitor isn't there, and to reprot the fact by
displayign an error message on the monitor is pointless. But worse than
that, the VT240 has a composite video output on a BNC socket (it carries
the same signal as the monochrome vidoe output on the DA15). aas there's
a 4p4c fro the keyboard o nthe VT240 main box too, you could run it with
any composite monitor -- but you'd get this error unless you plugged a
DA15 socket in wit ha suitable shorting link.
And yet you say that even with this error the termianl works perfectly.
So what's the point of it?
I suspect when I clean up/test my VT240 I'll solder a little jumper rie
on the logic board to disable this 'feature'...
-tony
5:41 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Tony Duell
Sent: 17 August 2014 21:39
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: VT240 Monitor Error - 9
input
port.
According to the pocket reference it means that
the "monitor present"
signal has not been seen.
OK, found it.. There's a pin on the DA15 connctor that is wired to an It is grounded by the monitor/monitor cable.
Is it jsut me, or is this the mst stupid feature imaginable? You gneerally
know if
the monitor isn't there, and to reprot the fact by
displayign an error
message
on the monitor is pointless. But worse than that, the
VT240 has a
composite
video output on a BNC socket (it carries the same
signal as the monochrome
vidoe output on the DA15). aas there's a 4p4c fro the keyboard o nthe
VT240
main box too, you could run it with any composite
monitor -- but you'd get
this
error unless you plugged a
DA15 socket in wit ha suitable shorting link.
And yet you say that even with this error the termianl works perfectly.
So what's the point of it?
I suspect when I clean up/test my VT240 I'll solder a little jumper rie on
the
logic board to disable this 'feature'...
-tony
I can only agree, that this seems a pretty pointless feature. To make it
asymmetrical is even more silly in my view. Why should it have to matter
which way round the cable is when both ends are identical?
I should try it with a composite monitor sometime, just for the heck of it.
Someone has hand-marked a 1 over the 0 in VT240, so I think this may be
colour-capable. Did the base unit differ between monochrome and colour, or
is it just the monitor that makes the difference?
Regards
Rob
6:31 p.m.
I am a huge DEC admirer though they definitely made some questionable
engineering decisions in some products... How about those DECstation 2100
and 3100s that wouldn't pass POST unless a mouse was connected!! Arg.
Best,
Sean
On Sun, Aug 17, 2014 at 5:41 PM, Robert Jarratt <robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com
wrote:
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:
cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org]
On Behalf Of Tony Duell
Sent: 17 August 2014 21:39
To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: VT240 Monitor Error - 9
input
port.
According to the pocket reference it means that
the "monitor present"
signal has not been seen.
OK, found it.. There's a pin on the DA15 connctor that is wired to an It is grounded by the monitor/monitor cable.
Is it jsut me, or is this the mst stupid feature imaginable? You
gneerally
know if
the monitor isn't there, and to reprot the
fact by displayign an error
message
on the monitor is pointless. But worse than that,
the VT240 has a
composite
video output on a BNC socket (it carries the same
signal as the
monochrome
vidoe output on the DA15). aas there's a 4p4c
fro the keyboard o nthe
VT240
main box too, you could run it with any composite
monitor -- but you'd
get
this
error unless you plugged a
DA15 socket in wit ha suitable shorting link.
And yet you say that even with this error the termianl works perfectly.
So what's the point of it?
I suspect when I clean up/test my VT240 I'll solder a little jumper rie
on
the
logic board to disable this 'feature'...
-tony
I can only agree, that this seems a pretty pointless feature. To make it
asymmetrical is even more silly in my view. Why should it have to matter
which way round the cable is when both ends are identical?
I should try it with a composite monitor sometime, just for the heck of it.
Someone has hand-marked a 1 over the 0 in VT240, so I think this may be
colour-capable. Did the base unit differ between monochrome and colour, or
is it just the monitor that makes the difference?
Regards
Rob
18 Aug
18 Aug
5:58 p.m.
[Monitor detect line in the VT240]
I can only agree, that this seems a pretty pointless
feature. To make it
It's worse than pointless, it's actively annoyinbg. It can cause a
perfectly useable configuration (VT240 box + keybaord + composite
monitor) to give na error.
I wodner if it was simply done so that people who couldn't follow the
printset would have to buy a VR201. Surely not???
asymmetrical is even more silly in my view. Why should
it have to matter
which way round the cable is when both ends are identical?
I have a much wose example of that. Some years ago I was setting up a
system with a VGA monitor. The monitor was made by, I think, NEC, and had
a DE15 socket on the back. With it was a cable with a DE15 plug on each
end. Both looked identical. So I stuck one into the back of the monitor,
the other into the system VGA socket. And got nothing on the screen.
I then unplgged the cable from the montior and put a logic probe on what
i thought were the sync pins. Nothing. And yet there were syncs on the
socket of the system unit.
After a bit more testign I foudn that the DE15 socket on the monitor was
not the standard VGA pinout. And that the cable was therefore not 1-1
wired, and was not symmetircal. Plugging it in the 'other way round' got
results.
The 2 plugs lookked identical, identical moulded 'hoods', etc. The only
differencve, on close inspection, was that the insualtion _between the
pins_ was white at one end and black at the other. No labelling either.
ARGH!
Anyway, getting abck to the VT240, my guess itha tthe cable ahs 2 pins
linked at one end, and on;ly later did DEC decide to use this as a
calbe-presnt feature. I will buzz one out sometime to check.
I should try it with a composite monitor sometime, just for the heck of it.
Someone has hand-marked a 1 over the 0 in VT240, so I think this may be
colour-capable. Did the base unit differ between monochrome and colour, or
is it just the monitor that makes the difference?
I am pretty sure one of the manuals on bitscvers says that the only
difference between a VT240 and VT241 is the monitor (and monitor cable,
of course).
-tony
7:32 p.m.
On 18/08/2014 22:58, Tony Duell wrote:
I am pretty sure one of the manuals on bitscvers says
that the only
difference between a VT240 and VT241 is the monitor (and monitor
cable, of course). -tony
Yes, the only difference is the monitor.
Rob,
DECslide and DECgraph will also exercise the capabilities of the VT240,
but I can probably just send you some text files with ReGIS codes to
test it.
Matt
11:57 p.m.
On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 3:58 PM, Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote
about the VR201 monitor:
After a bit more testign I foudn that the DE15 socket
on the monitor was
not the standard VGA pinout.
I assume that you weren't too surprised, since the VR201 predates VGA
by four years.
19 Aug
19 Aug
3:43 p.m.
On Mon, Aug 18, 2014 at 3:58 PM, Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote
about the VR201 monitor:
I would be even more surprised to find a DE15 conenctor on a VR201 (it's
a DA15).
I was talkign about another machine with a similarly asymmetric monitor
cable. In that case it was a VGA montiro wit ha DE15 input. And a machine
with a noraml VGA outptu on a DE15. The problem was the socket on the
monitor had a strange pinout ($deity knwos why) so thecable was
cross-wired with nothing to indicate which way roudn to fit it.
Incidentally, re D conenctors, I've been looking back through some 1960s
electornci cataloges, and they all use the correct terminology (DE9,
DA15, DB25, DC37, DD50). Unlike now.
-tony
After a bit more testign I foudn that the DE15
socket on the monitor was
not the standard VGA pinout.
I assume that you weren't too surprised, since the VR201 predates VGA
by four years. 
5:14 p.m.
On Tue, Aug 19, 2014 at 3:43 PM, Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
Incidentally, re D conenctors, I've been looking
back through some 1960s
electornci cataloges, and they all use the correct terminology (DE9,
DA15, DB25, DC37, DD50). Unlike now.
I have a number of DE-9 connectors with the proper designation stamped
on the body. All you have to do is read it and it tells you what it
is.
-ethan
3620
days inactive
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days old
12 comments
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mcesari＠comcast.net -
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