22 Jan
2001
22 Jan
'01
7:26 p.m.
I spent an enjoyable weekend dissassembling, cleaning, and re-assembling a
433MP (introduced 1990, so just on-topic). It came from an industrial
environment, and was one of the filthiest computers I've ever seen. I didn't
get any manuals, and there's very little info about these machines on the
Web (Compaq, as usual, pretends these machines never existed), so I was
hoping one of list DECkers could help with a few questions:
- the machine has 2 memory boards, which give a maximum of 32 megs of ECC
RAM, with 40 x 1 meg SIMMs. Can the system use more than 2 memory boards, to
go to 64 megs? Or can the 1 meg SIMMs be replaced by 4 meg SIMMs?
- on powerup, the system BIOS reports 640K of main memory, and 13312K of
extended memory; there are 25 x 1 meg SIMMs installed, so I'm expecting 20
megs after subtracting the ECC SIMMS. Any ideas why the BIOS isn't seeing
all of the available RAM?
- the system has 2 x 486/33 processor cards installed - one base CPU card,
and one CPU/SCSI card. The system can hold up to 4 processor cards; were
there any OSes that could use 4 processors at a time? Is it worth hunting
down two extra CPU cards?
- there's a TZK10-AA tape drive in the system. What tape cartridges does
this drive use?
- the processor cards use Intel 80486 DX chips at 33 Mhz. I dimly recall
that the 80486DX2/66 is a drop in replacement for the 80486DX33. Can I get a
quick speed boost by swapping the processor chips?
- finally, how popular were these machines? They're nicely built and
engineered, but I had never heard of them before I found this one, and the
MicroPDP-11 that I got with it ... but that's another story.
Thanks a lot for any help.
Mark Gregory
22 Jan
22 Jan
8:12 p.m.
On Mon, 22 Jan 2001, Mark Gregory wrote:
I spent an enjoyable weekend dissassembling, cleaning,
and re-assembling a
433MP (introduced 1990, so just on-topic). It came from an industrial
<...>
- the system has 2 x 486/33 processor cards installed
- one base CPU card,
and one CPU/SCSI card. The system can hold up to 4 processor cards; were
there any OSes that could use 4 processors at a time? Is it worth hunting
down two extra CPU cards?
- the processor cards use Intel 80486 DX chips at 33 Mhz. I dimly recall
that the 80486DX2/66 is a drop in replacement for the 80486DX33. Can I get a
quick speed boost by swapping the processor chips?
This can't be from 1990. I remember soiling my shorts over a 386/DX-40 in
1992. As far as I know, the 486 wasn't introduced until a couple years
later.
I reserve the right to be wrong on this :)
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
23 Jan
23 Jan
9:34 a.m.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Sellam Ismail" <foo(a)siconic.com
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org
Sent: Tuesday, January 23, 2001 12:12 AM
Subject: Re: applicationDEC 433MP
in
Your honour, I offer into evidence from
http://www.digital.se/foretagsinfo/mileston.htm :
"October 1990
<snippage Introduction of the
applicationDEC 433MP system, Digital's most expandable
system for small and medium-sized businesses, which is based on the
popular SCO UNIX System V and the Intel 486 microprocessor."
And according to http://www.intel.com/intel/museum/25anniv/hof/486.htm ,
the 80486 DX processor was introduced in 1989.
Of course, these babies weren't exactly in the consumer channel in 1989/90.
IIRC, I found a reference to the original purchase price of an appDEC 433MP
being $15,000 US.
Cheers,
Mark.
On Mon, 22 Jan 2001, Mark Gregory wrote:
> - the processor cards use Intel 80486 DX
chips at 33 Mhz. I dimly
recall
> that the 80486DX2/66 is a drop in replacement for
the 80486DX33. Can I
get a
quick speed
boost by swapping the processor chips?
This can't be from 1990. I remember soiling my shorts over a 386/DX-40 1992. As far as I know, the 486 wasn't introduced
until a couple years
later.
I reserve the right to be wrong on this :)
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer
Festival
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
International Man of Intrigue and Danger
http://www.vintage.org
9:22 a.m.
On Tue, 23 Jan 2001, Mark Gregory wrote:
Your honour, I offer into evidence from
http://www.digital.se/foretagsinfo/mileston.htm :
"October 1990
<snippage>
Introduction of the applicationDEC 433MP system, Digital's most expandable
system for small and medium-sized businesses, which is based on the
popular SCO UNIX System V and the Intel 486 microprocessor."
And according to http://www.intel.com/intel/museum/25anniv/hof/486.htm ,
the 80486 DX processor was introduced in 1989.
Of course, these babies weren't exactly in the consumer channel in 1989/90.
IIRC, I found a reference to the original purchase price of an appDEC 433MP
being $15,000 US.
I stand completely corrected. Thanks for the info.
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
International Man of Intrigue and Danger http://www.vintage.org
22 Jan
22 Jan
8:33 p.m.
At 23:26 22-01-2001 -0700, Mark Gregory wrote:
- the machine has 2 memory boards, which give a maximum
of 32 megs of ECC
RAM, with 40 x 1 meg SIMMs. Can the system use more than 2 memory boards, to
go to 64 megs? Or can the 1 meg SIMMs be replaced by 4 meg SIMMs?
Unfortunately not. I tried it.
- on powerup, the system BIOS reports 640K of main
memory, and 13312K of
extended memory; there are 25 x 1 meg SIMMs installed, so I'm expecting 20
megs after subtracting the ECC SIMMS. Any ideas why the BIOS isn't seeing
all of the available RAM?
I seem to recall that the machine maxes out at 16MB. Period. If anyone
knows differently, I'd like to hear about it myself!
- the system has 2 x 486/33 processor cards installed -
one base CPU card,
and one CPU/SCSI card. The system can hold up to 4 processor cards; were
there any OSes that could use 4 processors at a time? Is it worth hunting
down two extra CPU cards?
Not really. The SMP used in those machines was truly exotic, a one-time
only thing that Intel bought out so they could kill it. I don't even know
of an OS, outside of a very specialized version of SCO Unix (which is what
those machines originally ran) that will use the two CPUs.
- there's a TZK10-AA tape drive in the system. What
tape cartridges does
this drive use?
Probably a DC6150, 6250, or 6525.
- the processor cards use Intel 80486 DX chips at 33
Mhz. I dimly recall
that the 80486DX2/66 is a drop in replacement for the 80486DX33. Can I get a
quick speed boost by swapping the processor chips?
Possibly, but be sure to add appropriate CPU fans.
- finally, how popular were these machines? They're
nicely built and
engineered, but I had never heard of them before I found this one, and the
MicroPDP-11 that I got with it ... but that's another story.
I have no clue how popular they were, but I can tell you that I'm not
overly thrilled with mine. Being of the PC persuasion in its architecture,
it insists on having a keyboard connected in order to boot. I'm going to
try faking it out with a dummy plug (with a resistor between Vcc and
ground). If that works, I may use it as a netboot or maintenance node.
If not, I will announce its availability so that it may seek a new home.
Yours, perhaps? ;-)
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
Bruce Lane, Owner and head honcho, Blue Feather Technologies
http://www.bluefeathertech.com // E-mail: kyrrin(a)bluefeathertech.com
Amateur Radio: WD6EOS since Dec. '77 (Extra class as of June-2K)
"I'll get a life when someone demonstrates to me that it would be
superior to what I have now..." (Gym Z. Quirk, aka Taki Kogoma).
8562
days inactive
8562
days old
4 comments
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participants (3)
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foo＠siconic.com -
gregorym＠cadvision.com -
kyrrin＠bluefeathertech.com