On 9 Nov 2006 at 20:49, 9000 VAX wrote: Looks pretty generic to me--wide SCSI to narrow "blue ribbon" connector. I've got a couple and they didn't come from DEC. Why do folks insist on calling this type of connector "Centronics"? I've even hear the "C" word applied to HPIB connectors. Centronics never used the 50 pin version, did they? I've heard them called Amphenol, CHAMP, telco, PBX and RJ21X connectors as well as "Blue Ribbon" (shows my age). But why "Centronics"? Cheers, Chuck

On 11/9/06, Fred Cisin <cisin at xenosoft.com> wrote: I used this term because everybody on ebay used it. I met it when I was searching for SCSI cables on ebay for my 3900. vax, 9000 Might as well ask why ALL D shell connectors are referred to as size B.

On 10 Nov 2006 at 10:55, Dan Williams wrote: We had a couple of the Centronics/CDC 400 line printers. I never saw the "Centronics" connector part though--the connector on the computer end of the cable was for a Dataproducts printer. It's funny--in the grand scheme of things, the Centronics use of the Amphenol Blue Ribbon connector was fairly late in the game. PBXes had used them for multiline connectors and station connections for more than a decade before the guys at Wang stuckthe 34-pin versiont on their printers. Amphenol's still around as a brand, I believe and KSU's still use the 50 pin version (RJ21X). Centronics is long gone, vanished into the bowels of a kitchenware maker. Cheers, Chuck

On Sat, 2006-11-11 at 00:47 +0000, Tony Duell wrote: It must be that "two great cultures separated by a common language thing. The big, hooded connectors have been identified well here. Most places I have been refer to them as "Amphenol connectors," unless they are specifically for parallel printers, in which case people refer to them as Centronics cables. The cables made from ribbon cable, with crimp-on square plastic headers are called, around these parts, "Berg cables" or "ribbon cables," due to the "Berg connectors," as Berg made most of them at one time. [ Caution: Digression Follows: ] My family is Canadian, and I was born in the U.S., so I have learned to be careful of a few words within the Anglophone world. I'll never forget my amazement at the fact that the word "table," used as a verb in business situations, meant approximately opposite things in GB and the US. And, God forbid I should ever mention putting on my pants to my aggressively Canadian half-brother. Sheesh. I got him back, though... he fancies himself quite the singer -- and actually is pretty good. He was overly proud of being in "The Sound of Music," and insisted upon singing "Edelweiss" for me. Okay, I tolerated that... but then he insisted that *I* sing along. Most rudely and forcefully did he insist. So, I pretty much HAD to do it. (He had challenged my ability to sing the German. Ahem.) I have at least as good a voice, and projected it fully.... only I sang, where "edelweiss" belonged, "affeschwanz." I think I ruined "The Sound of Music" for him. I KNOW he hears MY lyrics every time he hears that song. Heh, heh. On the bright side, he has not tried to force me to sing with him since then. Peace, Warren E. Wolfe wizard at voyager.net

On 10/11/06 01:49, "9000 VAX" <vax9000 at gmail.com> wrote: That's a VAXstation M38 etc external cable, also used on the Infoserver 150. It wasn't used for any other Microvax that I'm aware of and used to be bloody difficult to get hold of, at least for the hobbyist in the UK. -- Adrian/Witchy Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator Www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UK's biggest private home computer collection?

On 10 Nov 2006 at 7:32, Bill Pechter wrote: Given that a generic wide-to-narrow SCSI cable has NC's on the upper 8 bits of the wide-SCSI HD 68 connector, how does te DEC version of the cable differ? Is the signal pinout substantially different from the lower 8 bits of a generic wide-SCSI? Just curious, Chuck

On Fri, November 10, 2006 5:44 pm, Chuck Guzis said: Well, it terminates in a 50 pin low-density connector so all those extra lines either have to go somewhere or....not :o) -- adrian/witchy Binary Dinosaurs creator/curator www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the UKs biggest home computer collection?