13 Feb
2002
13 Feb
'02
5:47 p.m.
Hello,
I just received a package today of 4 qbus cards, that I purchased via
Ebay. Two of the cards are memory, one of which I have just slid into
my Vax 3400, and "show mem" displays it's presence just fine. I now
have 52 megs of ram installed.
My question is about this M7639 board. The Field Guide lists it as 64
megs of Qbus memory. It has a different connector, that what my ribbon
cable in my 3400 uses. Is this for a Vax, or something else? The Field
Guide has a "DS" listed, is that a DEC Station? I was hoping I could
use this in my 3400!
Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA
13 Feb
13 Feb
6:01 p.m.
My question is about this M7639 board. The Field
Guide lists it as 64
megs of Qbus memory. It has a different connector, that what my ribbon
cable in my 3400 uses. Is this for a Vax, or something else? The Field
Guide has a "DS" listed, is that a DEC Station? I was hoping I could
use this in my 3400!
I'm pretty sure the M7639 is for the DECsystems.
--
Eric Dittman
dittman(a)dittman.net
Check out the DEC Enthusiasts Club at http://www.dittman.net/
11:33 p.m.
On Wed, Feb 13, 2002 at 11:47:29PM -0500, Chad Fernandez wrote:
My question is about this M7639 board. The Field
Guide lists it as 64
megs of Qbus memory.
M7639 MS220 Q DS 5500 64MB ECC MEM ARRAY
This is for the QBus PMAXen (codename MIPSFAIR-2). see:
http://www.de.netbsd.org/Ports/pmax/models.html#ds5500
DECsystem 5500
The DECsystem 5500 is shipped in a BA430 enclosure, which provides a
12-slot backplane and room for four mass storage devices. The base
system contains the following:
* A KN220-AA module set. This consists of a KN220 I/O module in slot
1 and a KN220 CPU module in slot 2.
The CPU module contains:
+ 30 MHz R3000 CPU with R3010 FPU.
+ 512 kBytes of Prestoserve battery backed RAM.
The I/O module contains:
+ Q22-bus interface
+ SGEC Second Generation Ethernet Controller
+ DSSI Digital Storage System Interconnect port
+ SII-based SCSI port.
* From 1 to 4 MS220-AA 32MB memory modules, installed in slots 3
through 7.
64MB memory modules are also available (part number?).
--
tsch??,
Jochen
Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/
14 Feb
14 Feb
2:49 a.m.
So it appears that this card won't do me any good. I didn't know that
the Mips machines used Qbus technology. I guess I'll have to try and
resell it. Thanks Jochen.
Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA
Gotten Kunz wrote:
M7639 MS220 Q DS 5500 64MB ECC MEM
ARRAY
This is for the QBus PMAXen (codename MIPSFAIR-2). see:
http://www.de.netbsd.org/Ports/pmax/models.html#ds5500
DECsystem 5500
The DECsystem 5500 is shipped in a BA430 enclosure, which provides a
12-slot backplane and room for four mass storage devices. The base
system contains the following:
* A KN220-AA module set. This consists of a KN220 I/O module in slot
1 and a KN220 CPU module in slot 2.
The CPU module contains:
+ 30 MHz R3000 CPU with R3010 FPU.
+ 512 kBytes of Prestoserve battery backed RAM.
The I/O module contains:
+ Q22-bus interface
+ SGEC Second Generation Ethernet Controller
+ DSSI Digital Storage System Interconnect port
+ SII-based SCSI port.
* From 1 to 4 MS220-AA 32MB memory modules, installed in slots 3
through 7.
64MB memory modules are also available (part number?).
--
tsch??,
Jochen
Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/
1:29 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Hi,
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
Any good links on the internet about ?
cheers & thanks
10:41 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Hi,
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
According to the old FAQ I have the A wouldn't support booting from a hard
drive and had an AC fan that was noisy.
The 100B would support HDs and had a DC fan but the HD was an option.
The 100+ came with a HD.
I'm not sure but I think the color card also differentiated them some way.
There was a RB website maintained by Jeff Armstrong (which is where I got
the FAQ) but it seems to have disappeared.
DECUS used to have an extensive archive if you have entry.
The main resouce is ftp.update.uu.se/pub/rainbow/
Mark Tapley seems to be the resident RB man.
Any good links on the internet about ?
cheers & thanks
Lawrence
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
15 Feb
15 Feb
2:05 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
lower-priced version of the 100+. I'm sure there are other differences, but
these are the key ones.
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
----- Original Message -----
From: "emanuel stiebler" <emu(a)ecubics.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 7:29 PM
Subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Hi,
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
Any good links on the internet about ?
cheers & thanks
2:39 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Michael Nadeau wrote:
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks.
But that's a function of the FDC controller board, right ?
I see, that there are different versions. One is the
5015481 Rev B board with the 1793 controller, the other is
5015481 Rev C version with the 1799 controller ...
The 100B was a
lower-priced version of the 100+. I'm sure there are other differences, but
these are the key ones.
Isn't the "+" just meant for the harddrive ?
cheers,
emanuel
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
----- Original Message -----
From: "emanuel stiebler" <emu(a)ecubics.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 7:29 PM
Subject: DEC Rainbows ...
> Hi,
>
> What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
>
> Any good links on the internet about ?
>
> cheers & thanks
3:02 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ... prior info is wrong
[Charset iso-8859-1 unsupported, filtering to ASCII...]
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
lower-priced version of the 100+. I'm sure there are other differences, but
these are the key ones.
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
Nope... the 100+ and 100B were (IIRC) the same thing. The B rev could
handle more memory than the 100 (the B was a motherboard rev IIRC).
The B went to 896k of memory... the 100 was less. The B or + also
had a larger power supply to handle the hard disk and more memory.
I don't remember any cost/price reduction at that time but I was mostly
a PDP11/VAX guy back then.
All Rainbows (with the correct software) could read IBM MS-DOS 40trk
160/320/180/360 floppies.
No standard Rainbows could handle the 1.2mb AT disks which came later.
Bill
3:45 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ... prior info is wrong--not really
The 100+ cost $5475 new with the specs you list. The base 100B was a
stripped-down 100+. The HD was optional. Base 100B price was $2750--about
the same as the original 100. My wording was misleading--sorry.
You are correct that all 100s could read IBM disks, but only with the
operating system kit that was introduced as an option with the 100+.
Standard 100s could not read IBM PC format disks. I should have been more
clear here, too, but was too lazy to check my source material (DEC presskits
and catalog plus BYTE articles).
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Pechter" <pechter(a)bg-tc-ppp747.monmouth.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Friday, February 15, 2002 9:02 AM
Subject: Re: DEC Rainbows ... prior info is wrong
[Charset iso-8859-1 unsupported, filtering to
ASCII...]
>
>
> The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary format. The
> 100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
> lower-priced version of the 100+. I'm sure there are other differences,
but
these are the
key ones.
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
Nope... the 100+ and 100B were (IIRC) the same thing. The B rev could
handle more memory than the 100 (the B was a motherboard rev IIRC).
The B went to 896k of memory... the 100 was less. The B or + also
had a larger power supply to handle the hard disk and more memory.
I don't remember any cost/price reduction at that time but I was mostly
a PDP11/VAX guy back then.
All Rainbows (with the correct software) could read IBM MS-DOS 40trk
160/320/180/360 floppies.
No standard Rainbows could handle the 1.2mb AT disks which came later.
Bill 
18 Feb
18 Feb
3:19 a.m.
New subject: SunOS 4.1 manuals.
Hi,
I have a lead on the abovementioned.
From what he told me, there are approx.
3 cubic feet per each set. eMail me
and I'll forward to him, with an intro.
John A.
----- Original Message (ed) -----
Sent: Monday, February 18, 2002 8:39 AM
Subject: Re: Manuals
ask if anyone has any interest in old SunOS 4.1 manuals.
I have probably two sets of them here. ... I'd Like
to get rid of them.. if you have any connections who
might be interested, let me know.
15 Feb
15 Feb
9:37 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Um, the disk drives and floppy controlelrs used in the 100A, 100B and 100+
are identical.
the 100A could have less ram than the 100B or 100+
the B or + could go to 768K Ram, I THINK that the A was limited to 640 or 690K
The 100A could read IBM SSDD format disks, as could the 100B and 100+
I have a 100+ here at home, (used to be a 100B) with the HD controller,
Seagate ST225 HD, ClikClock RTC and a 3.5" 720K floppy, The last 2 parts
are aftermarket.
I'd LOVE to find the VERY RARE SCSI HDD board for this beastie, it was
manufactured in Europe, and allowed SCSI HDD's to be used on the
rainbow... another cool board i'd love to have is the Turbow286, a 12 MHZ
80286 upgrade board for the rainbow.... :)
At 08:05 AM 2/15/02 -0500, you wrote:
The 100A could read only disks that used its own
proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
lower-priced version of the 100+. I'm sure there are other differences, but
these are the key ones.
--Mike
Michael Nadeau
Editor/Publisher
Classic Tech, the Vintage Computing Resource
www.classictechpub.com
603-893-2379
----- Original Message -----
From: "emanuel stiebler" <emu(a)ecubics.com>
To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 14, 2002 7:29 PM
Subject: DEC Rainbows ...
> Hi,
>
> What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
>
> Any good links on the internet about ?
>
> cheers & thanks
10:32 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
What is the
difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only
disks that used its own proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a 
11:32 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
That's a software difference, and an important one from a user standpoint,
but it is not a difference in the hardware.
I was told at one time in the past that there was a capacity difference
in the power supply of the A that made it marginal for HD usage. I have
never attempted to check this.
Can anyone refute or confirm?
- don
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and
100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary
format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
12:03 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
There was a HD upgrade kit for hte 100A that had DC fan/fans a higher
wattage powersupply and the MFM HD Controller/ HD combo.
At 02:32 PM 2/15/02 -0800, you wrote:
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:
That's a software difference, and an important one from a user standpoint,
but it is not a difference in the hardware.
I was told at one time in the past that there was a capacity difference
in the power supply of the A that made it marginal for HD usage. I have
never attempted to check this.
Can anyone refute or confirm?
- don
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and
100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary
format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a 
11:43 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and
100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary
format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
12:08 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle area have a VR201 and cable
for a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a
little while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit boards.
16 Feb
16 Feb
9:54 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle area
have a VR201 and cable
for a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a
little while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
17 Feb
17 Feb
10:06 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
How would you do that ? I waited about 2 years before I finally found a
BCC02 to connect my mono 'bow to my VR201. To build one with ribbon
cable using the 15-pin plugs would be a lot of fiddly soldering. There's 8
leads on each end to solder. For color to make a BCC03 that would be 12 on
each end.
Lawrence
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle
area have a VR201 and cable for
a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a little
while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
18 Feb
18 Feb
5:04 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
I think Don was suggesting that you just crimp connectors on each end for
the VR201. That would mean the connections are just straight through.
As I recall, the BCC03 is for the VR241 on a PRO, not a Rainbow. And I
doubt you could use a ribbon cable and crimp connectors for it. And the
BCC03 doesn't work on a Rainbow. You need, I think, a BCC17 for a VR241
and a Rainbow.
Dave
Lawrence Walker wrote:
How would you do that ? I waited about 2 years before I finally found a
BCC02 to connect my mono 'bow to my VR201. To build one with ribbon
cable using the 15-pin plugs would be a lot of fiddly soldering. There's 8
leads on each end to solder. For color to make a BCC03 that would be 12 on
each end.
Lawrence
--
David C. Jenner
djenner(a)earthlink.net
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle
area have a VR201 and cable for
a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a little
while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
12:40 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Yep. My mistake. The BCC03 is for DecMates, Pros, and VT241s. I was
taking the data from an old file that compared the 3 monitor connectors. As
well as Altheimers, Dyslexia must be setting in.
Lawrence
I think Don was suggesting that you just crimp
connectors on each end for
the VR201. That would mean the connections are just straight through.
As I recall, the BCC03 is for the VR241 on a PRO, not a Rainbow. And I
doubt you could use a ribbon cable and crimp connectors for it. And the
BCC03 doesn't work on a Rainbow. You need, I think, a BCC17 for a VR241
and a Rainbow.
Dave
Lawrence Walker wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
How would you do that ? I waited about 2 years before I finally found a
BCC02 to connect my mono 'bow to my VR201. To build one with ribbon
cable using the 15-pin plugs would be a lot of fiddly soldering. There's 8
leads on each end to solder. For color to make a BCC03 that would be 12 on
each end.
Lawrence
--
David C. Jenner
djenner(a)earthlink.net
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle
area have a VR201 and cable
for a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a
little while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit
boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
7:43 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
On Mon, 18 Feb 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
How would you do that ? I waited about 2 years before
I finally found a
BCC02 to connect my mono 'bow to my VR201. To build one with ribbon
cable using the 15-pin plugs would be a lot of fiddly soldering. There's 8
leads on each end to solder. For color to make a BCC03 that would be 12 on
each end.
Lawrence, I did say ribbon cable, so I assumed that one would use IDC
connectors as I did. NO soldering!
- don
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle
area have a VR201 and cable for
a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a little
while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
12:40 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Now that's my kind of connector !! I've never seen them. Have to stop
shopping at RS.
Lawrence
On Mon, 18 Feb 2002, Lawrence Walker wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
How would you do that ? I waited about 2 years
before I finally found a
BCC02 to connect my mono 'bow to my VR201. To build one with ribbon
cable using the 15-pin plugs would be a lot of fiddly soldering. There's 8
leads on each end to solder. For color to make a BCC03 that would be 12 on
each end.
Lawrence, I did say ribbon cable, so I assumed that one would use IDC
connectors as I did. NO soldering!
- don
On Fri, 15 Feb 2002, Geoff Reed wrote:
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
Speaking of rainbows... anyone in the seattle
area have a VR201 and cable
for a rainbow? I just realized that my VR241 and cable had been stolen a
little while back and all of my 201's were chucked due to burnt circuit
boards.
If you can find the VR201, just a plain ribbon cable and mating
conductors will serve quite well.
- don
2:10 p.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
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19 Feb
19 Feb
3:54 a.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
The
mono monitor cable is DA15 at each end, straight-through wired...
You clearly also have a different definition of 'fiddly soldering' to me.
I reserve that expressuion for fine-pitch surface mount ICs.
Indeed.
I traced out enough of the connections to figure out
how to wire up the
keyboard, and where the composite video signal was. The latter was easy
to check on my 'Bow of course.
The next day I went up to Maplin (back when they actually sold useful
stuff) and bought a DA15 connector, a RJ11 socket (for the keyboard
cable), an RCA phono socket (for video out, no flames about it not being
BNC, please), and a suitable box. Spent the evening wiring it up. And I
got the 'Bow to work.
I've never seen anyone have to hook a not-VR201 to a Rainbow or DECmate,
but I have built the reverse cable to use a VR201 with an Amiga...
I recycled a disk-drive connector for 12VDC power from the A2000 PSU,
attached an RCA connector to a short lead of thin coax (1-2mm dia(?))
and hooked it all up to a DA15. The power connector sits inside the
box, and the video and VR201 cables come out one of the slots in the
case. The VR201 itself sits on my BOMAC Tower case (heavy but nice!)
and I use whole rig for testing GG2 Bus+ boards. Don't need color and
it frees up an AC plug on my test bench
It's been a topic before, but I wish there was a way to drive that VR201
from my COSMAC VIP - would make a nice portable 1802
rig...
2 days later I was given the right DEC monitor!
The Principle of Classic Attraction at work!
-ethan
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
http://sports.yahoo.com
9:56 a.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
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11:56 a.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
--- Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
Right... I know it's trivial, but I guess that VR201s are so unloved
for any other purpose than I've always gotten them with my beige DEC
boxes (DECMates, 'Bows, Pros, etc.). Except for the one I knocked off
the table (ow!) I've never had one die (now I have a spare analog board)
I've never
seen anyone have to hook a not-VR201 to a Rainbow or
DECmate,
but I have built the reverse cable to use a VR201 with an Amiga...
Actally, the former is easier, in that you don't have to worry about the
12V DC supply. It's been
a topic before, but I wish there was a way to drive that
VR201 from my COSMAC VIP
YEs, I remember this thread. IIRC, we concluded that the VIP video output had a rediculous DC offset on it or something.
It has a very simplistic circuit (two resistors) for merging sync and
signal. Some monitors have no problem locking on to them, the VR201
can't.
Can it not be buffered and level-shifted?
I'm sure it can be. I only know little bits about video magic, so it's
beyond me to design a fix. I would not be adverse to building an active
buffer, but I have no idea where to start. It should be powered by
either +5VDC or +12VDC to minimize hassle when connecting the VIP to
the VR201 in the first place (one needs one voltage, the other needs
the other; why add a third voltage unless it's something like -5VDC).
As before, I'm open to suggestion. In the meantime, I picked up an RCA
brand mono monitor from those days for $5 at the Uni Surplus. I need to
get it from my living room to my test bench and try it out.
-ethan
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
http://sports.yahoo.com
7:19 a.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
Can it not be
buffered and level-shifted?
I'm sure it can be. I only know little bits about video magic, so it's
beyond me to design a fix. I would not be adverse to building an active
buffer, but I have no idea where to start. It should be powered by
either +5VDC or +12VDC to minimize hassle when connecting the VIP to
the VR201 in the first place (one needs one voltage, the other needs
the other; why add a third voltage unless it's something like -5VDC).
2:33 p.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
--- jpero(a)sympatico.ca wrote:
I happen to have a quantity (several dozen) of +5 to -12V converters,
new on the static slab... we had to add them to our Qbus COMBOARDs
because some flavors of Qbus boxes don't provide the -12V we needed
to feed our 1488s and 1489s. Personally I wouldn't have minded if
we'd gone with something like a MAX232, but we were driving two sync
serial ports with full hardware handshaking - we probably would have
had to use two or three MAX232 chips per serial line, plus tantalum
caps (this was back in the days of the first-generation MAX chips).
I think we kept using 1488s and 1489s because our engineers were
concerned about long cables and signal quality and they trusted the
older line drivers. I can't imagine why else we'd pay over $10
each for the voltage converters. Well over. OTOH, back in those
days, MAX232 chips weren't cheap and neither were the caps.
-ethan
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Yahoo! Sports - Coverage of the 2002 Olympic Games
http://sports.yahoo.com
...why add a
third voltage unless it's something like -5VDC).
Easily done, pick off a 5V to -9V DC to DC converter unit from NIC
that has BNC connector. Completely self-contained, feed it w/ 5V and
you get -9V with decent current since that coax RX/TX IC ran hot.
9:22 p.m.
New subject: VR201 (was Re: DEC Rainbows ...)
At 02:56 PM 2/19/02 -0800, you wrote:
Right... I know it's trivial, but I guess that
VR201s are so unloved
for any other purpose than I've always gotten them with my beige DEC
boxes (DECMates, 'Bows, Pros, etc.). Except for the one I knocked off
the table (ow!) I've never had one die (now I have a spare analog board)
The Horiz Linearity coil and 2 resistors are prone to bad solder joints and
there are 2 resistors that pop when the solder joint fails on the linearity
coil. I've fixed many a supposed "dead" vr201 by resoldering the coil and
replacing the resistors.... unfortunately the last 201's that I had had
burnt up the curcuitboard under the resistors from them overheating :(
16 Feb
16 Feb
8:41 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
That's nonsense, as anyone who has had a "bow" can attest. You can
download from the fi.site but then you need Teledisk or 22 disk or:
"Sydex, makers of 22-Disk also markets a driver utility, called
RainDOS, which allows most DOS level machines, with either a
80-track 1.2MB or 80-trk 720K 5.25" (TEAC FD55F for example)
Rainbow DOS format disks.. I've used it to migrate data back &
forth between my Rainbows, and a 486DX-33. Likewise, used it to
initialize blank RX-50 disks ( when I'm lucky enough to find 360K
5.25" disks.) ARJ 2.5 and PK-ZIP 2.04 both work under Rainbow
DOS 2.1 & DOS 3.10. (especially the back-up batch included with
ARJ's package.)"
And
""And in the event that the nagging (because you haven't registered
it)
really bothers you, there is Robert Morse's driver and initialization
programs (RX50.ZIP) that is freeware! It can be found in the SimTel
listings under /msdos/diskutil/."
Lawrence
That's a software difference, and an important one from a user standpoint, but
it is not a difference in the hardware.
Yup, and since the MS-DOS versions are downloadable from the net at no
charge the functionality is similar... if not identical.
Bill
--
d|i|g|i|t|a|l had it THEN. Don't you wish you could still buy it now!
bpechter@shell.monmouth.com|pechter@ureach.com
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
What is the
difference between the 100A, 100B, and 100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only
disks that used its own proprietary format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a
8:41 a.m.
New subject: DEC Rainbows ...
Possibly you could clear up my misconceptions Fred, but TMK the 1st RB
used a disk format that was halfway between the single and DD formats.
Called the Qdss and controlled by the Z80 which controlled the FDDs.
It's the DEC RX50 format.
This was the base of the problems relating to the incompatability of RB
disks. My RB can read an intro disk to the DECMATE but clogs when it tries
to read the PDP code. Regular MSDOS disks choke of course.
I've heard that one of the values of an RB (and 370) is the ability to format
RX50 disks for DECs.
It could run on CPM-80/86, concurrent CP/M and others, and included an
MSDos >>OPTION<<. Not all MSDos programs would run on it.
Lawrence
That's a software difference, and an important one from a user standpoint,
but it is not a difference in the hardware.
Reply to:
lgwalker(a)mts.net
What is the difference between the 100A, 100B, and
100+ Rainbows ?
The 100A could read only disks that used its own proprietary
format. The
100+ could read, but not write to, PC-format disks. The 100B was a 
14 Feb
14 Feb
2:29 p.m.
My DECsystem 5400 (KN210 CPU) uses MS650-BA cards, the same as in a
MicroVAX 3x00. Must be a 5500 only card.
On Thu, 14 Feb 2002, Chad Fernandez wrote:
So it appears that this card won't do me any good.
I didn't know that
the Mips machines used Qbus technology. I guess I'll have to try and
resell it. Thanks Jochen.
Chad Fernandez
Michigan, USA
--
8183
days inactive
8190
days old
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