21 Oct
2003
21 Oct
'03
3:58 p.m.
I found this board at a scrapper's in a bin of circuit boards (I was
looking for EPROM chips). This one had some interesting chips on it,
but it also had those funny off center modular jack things, so I
recognized it as Digital. What did this come from? My best guess would
be a VaxStation, but I don't really know. I would like to get this
machine functional (I always wanted something I could run VMS on). Can
anyone help me with the pinouts of the power connector? Can I connect
some sort of disk drive to boot from, or do I need some additional
controller boards? What are the ports for, and how would I connect a
terminal? Is it even worth the effort to try and rebuild this computer,
or should I just continue on my quest for a VAX? Thanks!
http://24.194.65.231/images/digital_board_1.jpg
http://24.194.65.231/images/digital_board_2.jpg
http://24.194.65.231/images/digital_board_3.jpg
Ian Primus
ian_primus(a)yahoo.com
21 Oct
21 Oct
5:49 p.m.
The numbers off photo2 were 54-18856 rev 01, 50-18855-01
someone?
From what I see: three serial ports, no video port,
Ethernet, "1990".
My guess is a microVAX(server) 3100 without memory or
SCSI.
limited use. Put it in an antistatic bag and find a complete system
for about $50. If you want a vaxstation (not server) I'll just give you
one.
I found this board at a scrapper's in a bin of
circuit boards (I was
looking for EPROM chips). This one had some
The list is a great source for ROMs. Just ask.
John A.
25 Oct
25 Oct
4:03 p.m.
...find a complete system for about $50.
There are about 14 MicroVAX 3100's posted
on eBay now for $0.99 plus $32 shipping.
I'd get one now if I needed it.
The things called VAX Servers and MicroVAXes are
superior to VAXstations, especially with the 3100 series.
John A.
OK, MicroVAXen
27 Oct
27 Oct
3:07 p.m.
On Saturday, October 25, 2003, at 09:03 PM, John Allain wrote:
For the life of me, I can't seem to find the machines you are referring
to on eBay. I tried both active and completed items. Their search
engine has been a little screwy lately though, I have noticed searches
not turning up auctions that I know are there. Do you have a link by
chance?
Ian Primus
ian_primus(a)yahoo.com
...find a
complete system for about $50.
There are about 14 MicroVAX 3100's posted
on eBay now for $0.99 plus $32 shipping.
I'd get one now if I needed it.
The things called VAX Servers and MicroVAXes are
superior to VAXstations, especially with the 3100 series.
John A.
OK, MicroVAXen 
8:14 p.m.
Ian Primus declared on Monday 27 October 2003 09:07 pm:
On Saturday, October 25, 2003, at 09:03 PM, John
Allain wrote:
For the life of me, I can't seem to find the machines you are referring
to on eBay. I tried both active and completed items. Their search
engine has been a little screwy lately though, I have noticed searches
not turning up auctions that I know are there. Do you have a link by
chance?
That's because they've ended already:
http://search-completed.ebay.com/search/
search.dll?GetResult&krd=1&ht=1&sortproperty=metaendsort&query=micro
+vax&from=R8&completedonly=1
-- Pat
PLUG Vice President -- http://plug.purdue.org
Slackware Linux -- http://slackware.com
Purdue University Research Computing -- http://www.itap.purdue.edu/rcs
...find a
complete system for about $50.
There are about 14 MicroVAX 3100's posted
on eBay now for $0.99 plus $32 shipping.
I'd get one now if I needed it.
The things called VAX Servers and MicroVAXes are
superior to VAXstations, especially with the 3100 series.
John A.
OK, MicroVAXen
28 Oct
28 Oct
2:01 a.m.
On Tuesday, October 28, 2003, at 02:14 AM, Patrick Finnegan wrote:
Ian Primus declared on Monday 27 October 2003 09:07
pm:
OK, Now that's weird. When I try to load that page in Safari, I get no
results, but if I load it in Internet Explorer, I get results. No
wonder I couldn't find them. I had tried searching in the completed
items, but didn't get those. What's going on with eBay?
Ian Primus
ian_primus(a)yahoo.com
On Saturday, October 25, 2003, at 09:03 PM, John
Allain wrote:
For the life of me, I can't seem to find the machines you are
referring
to on eBay. I tried both active and completed items. Their search
engine has been a little screwy lately though, I have noticed searches
not turning up auctions that I know are there. Do you have a link by
chance?
That's because they've ended already:
http://search-completed.ebay.com/search/
search.dll?GetResult&krd=1&ht=1&sortproperty=metaendsort&query=micro
+vax&from=R8&completedonly=1 ...find a
complete system for about $50.
There are about 14 MicroVAX 3100's posted
on eBay now for $0.99 plus $32 shipping.
I'd get one now if I needed it.
The things called VAX Servers and MicroVAXes are
superior to VAXstations, especially with the 3100 series.
John A.
OK, MicroVAXen 
21 Oct
21 Oct
11:35 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces(a)classiccmp.org
[mailto:cctalk-bounces@classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Ian Primus
Sent: 22 October 2003 01:59
To: cctech(a)classiccmp.org
Subject: Can anyone ID this Digital board?
recognized it as Digital. What did this come from? My best guess would
be a VaxStation, but I don't really know. I would like to get this
machine functional (I always wanted something I could run VMS on). Can
It looks like a lower-end VAXstation 3100. Compare it to the board in my
Infoserver 150VXT, which is a MicroVAX 3100 model 10:
http://www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk/Museum/Digital/infoserver/infoserver.php
Those machines have a single on-board SCSI channel (the wide connector
middle rear) but you need the proprietary cable to plug anything in. The
console connector is the one nearest the thin ethernet port and halt
switch - the four ports are labelled 0,1,3,2 with 2 being the DB25 full
modem socket.
Going from memory the 2 sockets furthest away from the back panel are for a
framebuffer card and extra memory and one of the back ones next to the SCSI
connector were for the 2nd SCSI card for external devices. Can't remember
what the other one was for, maybe a synch comms board?
Can't help with the power pinouts right now.....
cheers
--
adrian/witchy
www.binarydinosaurs.co.uk - the online computer museum
www.snakebiteandblack.co.uk - ex-monthly gothic shenanigans :o(
27 Oct
27 Oct
4:31 a.m.
New subject: vintage 3.5" disk drives
Did Seagate and/or Shugart get into making 3.5" floppy disk drives around
83/84??? Anyone have pics of very early 3.5" disk drives?
Curt
3:05 p.m.
New subject: vintage 3.5" disk drives
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003, Curt vendel wrote:
Did Seagate and/or Shugart get into making 3.5"
floppy disk drives around
83/84??? Anyone have pics of very early 3.5" disk drives?
D'ya mean, as in prototypes?
The first Shugart production 3.5" drive was the SA300.
ONE of the early users was Gavilan, who put their own bezel on it.
Previously, Gavilan had used a 3" drive.
The Shugart SA350 was double sided. (It could be used in a Gavilan, using
MS-DOS 2.11 J or above, and the Gavilan faceplate would fit)
Seagate did not make floppies.
OB_History:
Alan Shugart started Shugart Associates, and developed floppy drives.
He sold Shugart Associates (to Xerox?), and then started working on
hard drives, with a new company, Shugart Technology. ST506, ST412,
etc. Xerox, who had purchased Shugart Associates, considered that
to be trademark infringement, since they now owned the name Shugart
(MORAL: don't name your company after yourself, or selling it loses
you your own name!) He changed the company name to Seagate.
7:05 p.m.
New subject: vintage 3.5" disk drives
Fred,
ah this is great dude!!! Now if I can just find some photo's of these
beasties or even an actual unit, thanks again!
Curt
----- Original Message -----
From: "Fred Cisin" <cisin(a)xenosoft.com>
To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, October 27, 2003 9:05 PM
Subject: Re: vintage 3.5" disk drives
On Mon, 27 Oct 2003, Curt vendel wrote:
> Did Seagate and/or Shugart get into making 3.5" floppy disk drives
around
83/84???
Anyone have pics of very early 3.5" disk drives?
D'ya mean, as in prototypes?
The first Shugart production 3.5" drive was the SA300.
ONE of the early users was Gavilan, who put their own bezel on it.
Previously, Gavilan had used a 3" drive.
The Shugart SA350 was double sided. (It could be used in a Gavilan, using
MS-DOS 2.11 J or above, and the Gavilan faceplate would fit)
Seagate did not make floppies.
OB_History:
Alan Shugart started Shugart Associates, and developed floppy drives.
He sold Shugart Associates (to Xerox?), and then started working on
hard drives, with a new company, Shugart Technology. ST506, ST412,
etc. Xerox, who had purchased Shugart Associates, considered that
to be trademark infringement, since they now owned the name Shugart
(MORAL: don't name your company after yourself, or selling it loses
you your own name!) He changed the company name to Seagate.
28 Oct
28 Oct
10:15 a.m.
New subject: vintage 3.5" disk drives
On Tue, 28 Oct 2003, Curt vendel wrote:
Fred,
ah this is great dude!!! Now if I can just find some photo's of these
beasties or even an actual unit, thanks again!
I gave all of my SA3x0 drives to Roger, along with the Gavilans. 'course
they do tend to trickle out of the woodwork, anyway.
I sold some early Sony drives at a VCF years ago, and I have no idea where
the rest of them are.
The Shugart ones were not significantly different from any other 3.5"
drives from the days when they were the height of a "half height" 5.25"
drive.
The Sony drives were much more interesting. "2/3 height", 600 RPM at 500K
data transfer rate, etc.
7573
days inactive
7580
days old
10 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
allain＠panix.com -
cisin＠xenosoft.com -
curt＠atarimuseum.com -
finnegpt＠purdue.edu -
ian_primus＠yahoo.com -
witchy＠binarydinosaurs.co.uk