21 Feb
2001
21 Feb
'01
8:09 a.m.
I've got one (S-1255 about the size of a 2 drawer file cabinet)! But I've got
no documentation on it or on any of its multibus boards. Does anybody have any
info on it (or any 68k based wicat hardware)?
Regards,
Bill Morgart
morgarws(a)molbio.sbphrd.com
21 Feb
21 Feb
8:56 a.m.
You;re not going to like this, but ... I've had one under construction since '82
or so, and of late have been using a torch to remove valuable components, like
sockets, etc, from the boards, which never did anything of any use to me. If I
still have any of them untoasted, you're welcome to 'em. I even still have
(somewhere) one or more of the PAL's already programmed for the application.
Now, documentatation ... well, that's the reason for the lack of progress.
Dick
----- Original Message -----
From: <morgarws(a)molbio.sbphrd.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 3:09 PM
Subject: Wicat 68000 based system ...
I've got one (S-1255 about the size of a 2 drawer file cabinet)! But I've got
no documentation on it or on any of its multibus boards. Does anybody have any
info on it (or any 68k based wicat hardware)?
Regards,
Bill Morgart
morgarws(a)molbio.sbphrd.com
9:22 a.m.
Bill Morgart said:
Does anybody have any info on
...(any 68k based wicat hardware)?
(Oh Sh*t, a Wicat.
I'm supposed to know something about Wicats.)
But seriously,
I picked one up about 1.5 years ago and haven't
tossed it nor it's "WCMS" OS documentation.
Rather Neat OS, about half way on the logarithmic
scale between MSDOS(ug) and VMS<g>.
Here's two rather lame offers, and more:
1./ Supply round trip postage and I'll loan
you selected Docs for a nontrivial while.
2./ I can probably contact our (retired) Wicat
expert and give him your number.
3./ If you develop a strong interest I may just
throw in mine for free.
John A.
10:24 a.m.
G'day [ex-]Wicat-users -
We mainly used the WS-150 derivative Wicat systems in the early '80s running
both U*IX and MCS. U*IX was System III, then System 7. The 1xx series was
based on the Multibus I standard, and use the MC68000 processor originally
running a 8MHz. A custom map (of 512 map registers as I recall) was
introduced later for the 1xx series. The 2xx series and others used "custom
bus" and I/O cards, but we added standard Multibus-compatible controller
cards for all types of peripherals and communications devices. We still
have some systems in running order, but didn't think that there would be a
call for Wicat nostalgia in addition to our own preferred Data General
melancholy.
Wicat's in-house-developed MCS operating system was very VMS-like as they
used VAX internally and liked much of the OS design. However, they
implemented things in a, well, "unsophisticated fashion" which resulted in
poorer performance than necessary and loss of hair for some their users.
Perhaps I can scan the doc set and put in on the SimuLogics web site in a
few weeks for you amusement.
Bruce
bkr(a)WildHareComputers.com
-or-
bkr(a)SimuLogics.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Allain" <John.Allain(a)Donnelley.InfoUSA.Com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2001 4:22 PM
Subject: RE: Wicat 68000 based system ...
Bill Morgart said:
Does anybody have any info on
...(any 68k based wicat hardware)?
(Oh Sh*t, a Wicat.
I'm supposed to know something about Wicats.)
But seriously,
I picked one up about 1.5 years ago and haven't
tossed it nor it's "WCMS" OS documentation.
Rather Neat OS, about half way on the logarithmic
scale between MSDOS(ug) and VMS<g>.
Here's two rather lame offers, and more:
1./ Supply round trip postage and I'll loan
you selected Docs for a nontrivial while.
2./ I can probably contact our (retired) Wicat
expert and give him your number.
3./ If you develop a strong interest I may just
throw in mine for free.
John A.
23 Feb
23 Feb
3:19 a.m.
John Allain said:
Bill Morgart said:
John,
Thanks but unless the docs are hardware related like at the device
programming level they're probably of not much use to me since I intend (or
would like to) use it as a base 68k platform ... ie put another OS on it..
Thanks again,
Bill
PS: I already have two so you get to keep yours ;) !
Does anybody have any info on
...(any 68k based wicat hardware)?
(Oh Sh*t, a Wicat.
I'm supposed to know something about Wicats.)
But seriously,
I picked one up about 1.5 years ago and haven't
tossed it nor it's "WCMS" OS documentation.
Rather Neat OS, about half way on the logarithmic
scale between MSDOS(ug) and VMS<g>.
Here's two rather lame offers, and more:
1./ Supply round trip postage and I'll loan
you selected Docs for a nontrivial while.
2./ I can probably contact our (retired) Wicat
expert and give him your number.
3./ If you develop a strong interest I may just
throw in mine for free.
John A.
8703
days inactive
8705
days old
4 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
bkr＠WildHareComputers.com -
edick＠idcomm.com -
John.Allain＠Donnelley.InfoUSA.Com -
morgarws＠molbio.sbphrd.com