DEC Lab 11/40 - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

21 Oct 2001

On Thursday I took possession of a DEC Lab 11/40 system.  I've not had time
to clean it up and check it out yet, but it was reputedly working when last
used (well, I suppose it would have been, wouldn't it?).

Actually, that's not quite true, as I'm told someone plugged a terminal in
the wrong way, apparently blew something up, and got no output -- I hope
they mean something simple like the RS232 line drivers have gone.

The system consists of two racks about 4' high.  One contains the 11/40 in
a 12U box, with a power controller below and an LPS11 above.  The other
contains a pair of RK05 drives and power controller.  There's a GT11
display on the top of the 11/40 rack, and a TS03 magtape unit on the other.
 The system came with stacks of documentation but only one RK05 pack.  I've
not had time to make a thorough inventory of the docs yet, but they seem to
include most of the processor/memory/interface engineering drawings and
maintenance manuals, and something like four complete or almost complete
sets of RT-11 manuals, for various vintages from 2.0 to 4.0.  Also a pile
of printed MAINDEC listings (no microfiche, sadly.  Anybody got any
microfiche they want to pass on?)

I've not had time to do anything yet, apart from check the boards in the
11/40 (pretty standard, with EIS but not FIS, no stack limit register or
MMU, no KM11, but it does have the KW11-L programmable LTC).  It has a
DL11-A (20mA interface for console) and a DL11-something (RS232), 2 x 16KW
core sets in one backplane, a DUP11-A synchronous interface (what can I use
this for?), a TMB11 tape controller, and an RK11-D controller for the
drives.  The last backplane in the box contains cards not listed in the
Field Guide (neither are the memory cards in this machine, so I'll send
Megan an update) but I think they're for the GT11: M7014-YA, A320, and
M7013, all hex-height.

I've had a very cursory look over the machine, and the only things I notice
that want some attention before I think about powering it up are a section
of frayed insulation on the power loom to the BA-11 box, a lot of dust
everywhere (how surprising!), and some kinks in the unibus cable that
connects to the RK05s.  I plan to vacuum out the dust, ix the insulation,
and check the PSUs before I do anything else.  I'm no Unibus or RK05
expert; most of my -11s are Q-bus.  What else should I look for before I go
too far?

I mentioned I only got one disk pack -- it's an original RT-11 distribution
and I don't want to risk that in an unknown drive.  Anyway, I know for a
fact it's been dropped (the owner told me).  I have since acquired 4 more
packs, three of which came from the same machine originally.  Anything I
should look out for before trying them?  I thought it might be wise to
check the RK05 heads and perhaps clena them with IPA before I do anything
else.

-- 
Pete						Peter Turnbull
						Network Manager
						University of York