4 Oct
1999
4 Oct
'99
7:45 a.m.
--- allisonp(a)world.std.com wrote:
RXV11 is only compatable with the DEC RX01. The H11
Floppy used a Heath
interface. If you use the heath floppy with RXV11 nothing happens.
OK. I'll go back to the card and get it working. Worst case, I'll pull
all the sockets and solder in machine-pin ones. I'd rather not; it's lots
of work. I observed substantial oxidation of the plating on the ICs I did
remove and test (I can't test DEC bus chips with my IC tester, only CMOS,
TTL and DRAM).
Get manuals for it! you'll save pain.
Any pointers on where to lay hands on H-11 docs?
> Finally, eventually, I want to get original stuff
back into this box.
The original was DLV11 compatable but it was HEATH
design, not as durable.
It looks dodgy, but then most of the Heath stuff looks less solid to me.
The H11:
DEC M7294 11/03 (Quad width card with 4k ram on board)
Got it.
This was the ONLY dec made card in it.
Heath Memory, several version were available 4k early, 16k later.
Don't got it. I have several 32Kw and 128Kw boards from 11/23s, etc., and
a few 4kW and 16kW boards from my LSI-11s (knee-high formica-topped rolly
DEC cabs w/RX01 and 11/03 inside).
Heath floppy controller/interface card.
The last one is interesting as the heath disk <8"> used a z80 in the
floppy box to do the low-level disk interface and the ribbon went back
a simple interface that was mostly a parallel card.
The card itself is about as simple as any Qbus card. It is, I take it,
supposed to be nominally RXV11 compatible from a driver standpoint, yes?
If not, then that's part of my problem. I do boot, the disks to appear to
read in an OS, then the system hangs, but that could be as a result of my
card only working if it is *not* at the end of an unbroken grant chain (with
a gap in the bus, the disks read but the system does not boot; without a gap
in the bus, the CPU does not even bring up the boot message).
It was RX01 compatable in one mode and had a HEATH
specific mode.
Software or hardware selected?
The drives were known for clamps that died with age
and heat load pads that
fell off.
So far, the only problem I appear to have is that the belt on DX1 has either
broken or fallen off. The motor is turning, but not the hub. I haven't
pulled the drive to check yet. On the bright side, the mechanisms appear to
have a 50-pin edge connector, suggesting that they are standard from that
standpoint. I expect that the hub motors are either 110V or 24V.
It could do one thing a RX01 could not, low level
format a blank disk.
I did spot the obvious format switch on the front of the disk unit, but no
idea how to use it. I now wish that I'd picked up a couple more boxes of
media from a friend's business about eight years ago. He had a pallet of 8"
disks that he was selling for more money that I was willing to pay.
Eventually,
he gave me a case - my choice. I grabbed a 24" long box full of pre-formatted
disks, the only one on the pile. When he disposed of the remainder, I didn't
make a trip out there to grab any boxes. :-(
At some point I plan to assemble a H11 system. I have
11/03 cpu, RAM,
serial cards and backplane from one.
One of the gems I have in the Heath pile is an unassembled backplane. I don't
know if all the connectors are there or not and I don't have a second case
for it, but I've got at least part of one to "attract" the rest of it.
-ethan
Allison
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4 Oct
4 Oct
8:16 a.m.
> RXV11 is only compatable with the DEC RX01. The
H11 Floppy used a Heath
> interface. If you use the heath floppy with RXV11 nothing happens.
By nothing happens I mean no harm, not useful.
OK. I'll go back to the card and get it working.
Worst case, I'll pull
all the sockets and solder in machine-pin ones. I'd rather not; it's lots
of work. I observed substantial oxidation of the plating on the ICs I did
remove and test (I can't test DEC bus chips with my IC tester, only CMOS,
TTL and DRAM).
It's unlikely there are bad chips. bad sockets however are teh bain of
heathkits.
Manuals try heathkit of whatever their name is now.
It looks dodgy, but then most of the Heath stuff looks
less solid to me.
It worked. But it was nowhere near as durable as the DEC cards.
Don't got it. I have several 32Kw and 128Kw
boards from 11/23s, etc., and
a few 4kW and 16kW boards from my LSI-11s (knee-high formica-topped rolly
DEC cabs w/RX01 and 11/03 inside).
Just about everyone upgraded to 11/23 and dec cards for performance
reasons.
The card itself is about as simple as any Qbus card.
It is, I take it,
supposed to be nominally RXV11 compatible from a driver standpoint, yes?
Yes, RT11 DX (rxv11). The card relies on the heath drives being smartend
with a z80 card in them. If you have the heath drives the hub clamps
and pressure pads should be inspected.
If not, then that's part of my problem. I do
boot, the disks to appear to
read in an OS, then the system hangs, but that could be as a result of my
card only working if it is *not* at the end of an unbroken grant chain (with
a gap in the bus, the disks read but the system does not boot; without a gap
in the bus, the CPU does not even bring up the boot message).
That or not enough memeory or the console card at wrong address or RTC
enabled.
So far, the only problem I appear to have is that the
belt on DX1 has either
broken or fallen off. The motor is turning, but not the hub. I haven't
pulled the drive to check yet. On the bright side, the mechanisms appear to
have a 50-pin edge connector, suggesting that they are standard from that
standpoint. I expect that the hub motors are either 110V or 24V.
Fairly standard, you might get other drives to work but jumper settings
are not in my known info.
I did spot the obvious format switch on the front of
the disk unit, but no
idea how to use it. I now wish that I'd picked up a couple more boxes of
media from a friend's business about eight years ago. He had a pallet of 8"
disks that he was selling for more money that I was willing to pay.
The switch enabled formatting but you needed the heath format program
if memory serves.
One of the gems I have in the Heath pile is an
unassembled backplane. I don't
know if all the connectors are there or not and I don't have a second case
for it, but I've got at least part of one to "attract" the rest of it.
;) Mine is complete and I knew the original owner (and same for most of
the boards). What I have has been following me for close to 18 years and
are original from back 1979!
FYI 11/03 cpu cards are common as house flies. Same for standard DLV11,
and DEC memory, heath cards are scarce and often have socket problems
or look like they were soldered with a torch.
Allison
5 Oct
5 Oct
4:37 a.m.
Upon the date 01:16 PM 10/4/99 -0400, allisonp(a)world.std.com said something
like:
-- snip --
Manuals try heathkit of whatever their name is now.
I know Heath sells copies of any manual they still have in their files.
Many manuals for their test equipment and ham gear have been purchased by
members of one of the Heathkit-related lists I'm a member of. Haven't heard
any feedback as to any of their computer-related manuals being available
though. Here's an address I had found:
Heathkit Co. (800) 253-0570
P.O. Box 1288
Benton Harbor, MI 49023
I just sent a msg to Ethan re using my manual set but any of you others may
check with Heath at the addr./phone above.
Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/
4 Oct
4 Oct
8:19 a.m.
Zane and Allison have been chatting, figured I'd chime in....
At 09:45 AM 10/4/99 -0700, Ethan Dicks wrote:
I've got some, contact me off list and we'll make some arrangement.
The most common "upgrade" was to replace this card with a two card set of
the 11/03 (M7270?) and the M8044-Dx 64KB card.
I believe that without modification the Heath backplane is a _16 bit_
backplane. (as opposed to the default 18 bit on most LSI 11 machines). I
know that I was unsuccessful getting anything other than the 11/03 cards
running in it.
OK. I'll go back to the card and get it [floppy]
working.
This is ideal since the Heath Floppy drives can format RX01 media whereas
the DEC drives will not.
Get manuals
for it! you'll save pain.
Any pointers on where to lay hands on H-11 docs?
The H11:
DEC M7294 11/03 (Quad width card with 4k ram on board)
Got it. The card itself is about as simple as any Qbus card.
It is, I take it,
supposed to be nominally RXV11 compatible from a driver standpoint, yes?
9:07 a.m.
The most common "upgrade" was to replace
this card with a two card set of
the 11/03 (M7270?) and the M8044-Dx 64KB card.
Yes it was or in a later time frame m8186 (kdf11, 11/23) with m8044s. that
workes better than 11/23+ (m8189) as it was a dual solution and the hath
backplane was rather cramped.
know that I was unsuccessful getting anything other
than the 11/03 cards
running in it.
Other cpus have been run in it namely 11/2 and 11/23 (m8186). You need to
jumper the a16-a21 lines for 18/Q22 and you cannot mix some of the old
non-BBS7 selected IO. The 11/03 used a few of those lines for other
purposes and mixing some of the older cards and newer ones could conflict.
Allison
5 Oct
5 Oct
3:57 a.m.
Upon the date 09:45 AM 10/4/99 -0700, Ethan Dicks said something like:
--- allisonp(a)world.std.com wrote:
Contact me off-line Ethan. I've got a couple H-11s and a single pile of
docs, which I think may be complete, in my collection.
Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt(a)netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
URL: http://www.antiquewireless.org/
RXV11 is only compatable with the DEC RX01. The
H11 Floppy used a Heath
interface. If you use the heath floppy with RXV11 nothing happens.
OK. I'll go back to the card and get it working. Worst case, I'll pull
all the sockets and solder in machine-pin ones. I'd rather not; it's lots
of work. I observed substantial oxidation of the plating on the ICs I did
remove and test (I can't test DEC bus chips with my IC tester, only CMOS,
TTL and DRAM).
Get manuals for it! you'll save pain.
Any pointers on where to lay hands on H-11 docs?
9031
days inactive
9032
days old
5 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
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allisonp＠world.std.com -
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ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com