HP guru needed! - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

26 Dec 1999

I saw an HP mini at a local warehouse....

Here is what I saw/what I have been told:

It is an HP-2 (is there such a thing)?

It has a high speed paper tape unit on it.

It has a disk interface box (about 5" high). I have not seen the CPU as it
was not in a position to see it's front panel.

I tried a search but get 5000 HP-2 laserjet webpages.

Any help/ideas/pictures would be appreciated.

john

PDP-8 and other rare mini computers

http://www.pdp8.com

-----Original Message-----
From: John B &lt;dylanb(a)sympatico.ca&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Sunday, December 26, 1999 9:03 PM
Subject: Re: PRS01 paper tape was(Re: PDP-8/e restoration
(wasRe:Oscilloscopes)`)

...

-----Original Message-----
From: Tony Duell &lt;ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Sunday, December 26, 1999 7:27 PM
Subject: Re: PRS01 paper tape was(Re: PDP-8/e restoration (was
Re:Oscilloscopes)`)

>> Another thing I did not know was that there are 5 different PDP-8e
>> maintenance manual sets: Preliminary (3), Processor (3), Internal Options
...
    (3), External Options (3) and Lab-8/e (1). 
Interesting...

I thought the PDP8/e maintenance manual was 3 volumes. Volume 1 was the
CPU (and core IIRC). Volume 2 was internal options (EAE, Memory
extension/timeshare, EPROM board, etc) . Volume 3 was external options
(disks/tapes/terminals/etc). And then a separate Lab 8/e manual for the
realtime I/O boards.

Are you saying you have a 3-volume set for the CPU, another 3 volume set
for internal options, etc? If so, Wow!. The single volume CPU manual
contains an incredible amount of useful info, so a 3-volume set must be
wonderful. 

and... what version of the *standard* three volume set do you have? Do you
have the 1.25" thick volume 3 or the 1/2" thick volume 3? Other volumes are
"maintenance training manuals" (1,3), 2,3, and 1,2.. Seems DEC only
intended
...
 certain manuals to go to the public [1,2,3]. I have 2
versions of each set
with maintenance trainers to bring me a current running total of 5 sets of
PDP-8/E maintenance guides.

I have so many other weird manuals and options  I am hoping you, Alison, or
Megan have heard of them:

A 1964 PDP-8P (all transistor).. I have prints. DeCastro designed it. Could
be the straight-8 but I doubt it.
DX-36X (looks to be a straight-8 to IBM 360 interface)
RSX-11B, RSX11-C ..before RSX-11D was released.
Here's a real weird one (I'll put up pictures soon): A TU56 that does not
look like a TU56.. No "unit number switch". Only On/Off, -> , <- ,nothing
else. Two drives. Standard DECtape, NO CARDS inside. The entire drive
electronics are on an external backplane. NO, it doesn't look like a TU-55
either.

Most useful stuff to me so far are the Microfiche and Internal Tech Notes
for my 8/S. The tech notes  identify a few hundred different common problems
...
 with the 8/s and how to fix them... many from internal
DEC engineers. I also
...
 have these for the 8,8/i, and 8/l.

I wonder if Dag only got hardware? I am certainly receiving  a lot of
internal stuff.

Also, what are the current licensing issues with RT11, RSX, and RSTS? A few
list members have offered to help me read in all the different versions so I
...
 can post them on the Internet.

john

http://www.pdp8.com/

-tony