TOPS for PC, from sun - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

24 Aug 1998

Right but the original post was about the PC-MAC network and not the DEC OS
thus the path the thread is taking.
There was also a TOPS for UNIX (Sun 386). Also TOPS could work through
Ethernet (used mostly when UNIX was involved) wich would allow for more that
just PC-MAC networks.
According to the Book "Networking with TOPS" the original version was made
by SUN.
-----Original Message-----
From: Jack Peacock &lt;peacock(a)simconv.com&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Monday, August 24, 1998 12:18 PM
Subject: RE: TOPS for PC, from sun

...

 Well, it says that it is a full networking OS that
allows mac's and PC's
to communicate, etc. seems somewhat along the lines of what francois
has. also has a "secret proprietary etc etc" program disk called
"RTERM", circa 1985.

Daniel A. Seagraves wrote:

 If it is what I immediately thought it was, (Which it can't be,
 DEC owned TOPS, not Sun...)  *I WANT A COPY!*

 (TOPS-20 on a PC!  The horror!)
 ------- 
Seems there is some confusion here.  TOPS-10 and TOPS-20 were DEC
operating systems for the 36-bit DEC-10 and DEC-20 mainframes, circa
late 60's (DEC-10) thru late 70's (DEC-20).  TOPS dies when the VAX came
out, thought there are vestiges left in VMS.

The TOPS networking cards were essentially Appletalk cards for PCs.  It
was a low speed network using a Z80 SIO (or SCC?) serial USART and
RS-422 drivers instead of RS-232.  IIRC the speed was around
230Kbits/second (I have one in the back of a closet, haven't looked at
it for a while).  No relation to the TOPS operating system at all.
         Jack Peacock