10 Apr
2015
10 Apr
'15
12:35 p.m.
Back in November I dropped in on a list member's moving giveaway and
came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but there's
visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not sure
what to look for on the card itself - nothing is socketed, so it's not
chip creep, and the card connector looks to be in good shape.
Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a spare
for the video card? (It's DEC part number 54-15138.) I've got a
Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only - I
don't have the facilities to test it, but according to the owner it
was in working condition.)
10 Apr
10 Apr
12:57 p.m.
On Apr 10, 2015, at 3:35 PM, John Ames
<commodorejohn at gmail.com> wrote:
Back in November I dropped in on a list member's moving giveaway and
came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but there's
visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not sure
what to look for on the card itself - nothing is socketed, so it's not
chip creep, and the card connector looks to be in good shape.
Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this?
Nothing from personal experience, unfortunately, but a few random notions:
I don?t remember if schematics for the -350 exist on-line, but the Technical Manual will
at least give you detailed block diagrams. It?s on Bitsavers.
If you have a console cable (which is basically a printer cable with a pair of pins on the
PRO end jumpered together) you could try to boot an OS that will talk to a console
terminal, then you might be able to use that to talk to the CSRs and dig deeper. RSTS
could do that but it?s not generally available; RT11 might, I?m not sure. If you have
some ODT-like program, you could poke around the CSRs and see what those tell you.
paul
9:20 p.m.
I might have a spare board and maybe even a print set. I'll try to check
tomorrow.
I plan on selling all of my DECMATE, PRO350 and PRO 380 systems and parts.
A list member inquired about it several months ago, but never got back to
me. Or maybe I dropped the ball...
Paul
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, John Ames <commodorejohn at gmail.com> wrote:
Back in November I dropped in on a list member's
moving giveaway and
came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but there's
visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not sure
what to look for on the card itself - nothing is socketed, so it's not
chip creep, and the card connector looks to be in good shape.
Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a spare
for the video card? (It's DEC part number 54-15138.) I've got a
Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only - I
don't have the facilities to test it, but according to the owner it
was in working condition.)
12 Apr
12 Apr
3:19 p.m.
I have a Pro 380 - I'd really like to find an ethernet card for it, and
maybe some additional memory?.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote:
I might have a spare board and maybe even a print set.
I'll try to check
tomorrow.
I plan on selling all of my DECMATE, PRO350 and PRO 380 systems and parts.
A list member inquired about it several months ago, but never got back to
me. Or maybe I dropped the ball...
Paul
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, John Ames <commodorejohn at gmail.com>
wrote:
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
Back in November I dropped in on a list
member's moving giveaway and
came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but there's
visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not sure
what to look for on the card itself - nothing is socketed, so it's not
chip creep, and the card connector looks to be in good shape.
Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a spare
for the video card? (It's DEC part number 54-15138.) I've got a
Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only - I
don't have the facilities to test it, but according to the owner it
was in working condition.)
7:38 p.m.
Hi Ian,
Any part numbers?
Thanks, Paul
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 5:19 PM, Ian S. King <isking at uw.edu> wrote:
I have a Pro 380 - I'd really like to find an
ethernet card for it, and
maybe some additional memory?.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote:
I might have a spare board and maybe even a print
set. I'll try to check
tomorrow.
I plan on selling all of my DECMATE, PRO350 and PRO 380 systems and
parts.
A list member inquired about it several months
ago, but never got back to
me. Or maybe I dropped the ball...
Paul
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, John Ames <commodorejohn at gmail.com>
wrote:
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
Back in November I dropped in on a list
member's moving giveaway and
came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but there's
visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not sure
what to look for on the card itself - nothing is socketed, so it's not
chip creep, and the card connector looks to be in good shape.
Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a spare
for the video card? (It's DEC part number 54-15138.) I've got a
Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only - I
don't have the facilities to test it, but according to the owner it
was in working condition.)
9:22 p.m.
The ethernet adapter is a CTI card (not Unibus or Qbus) with an identifying
number of 000042 on its plastic handle. It's also called a DECNA card, but
since I don't have one I don't know if that's written on it somewhere (i.e.
the solder mask). Thanks -- Ian
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 7:38 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote:
Hi Ian,
Any part numbers?
Thanks, Paul
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 5:19 PM, Ian S. King <isking at uw.edu> wrote:
to
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
I have a Pro 380 - I'd really like to find an
ethernet card for it, and
maybe some additional memory?.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I might have a spare board and maybe even a print set. I'll try to
check
tomorrow.
I plan on selling all of my DECMATE, PRO350 and PRO 380 systems and
parts.
> A list member inquired about it several months ago, but never got back > me. Or maybe I dropped the ball...
>
> Paul
>
>
>
> On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, John Ames <commodorejohn at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> > Back in November I dropped in on a list member's moving giveaway and
> > came away with some DEC stuff, among which was a DEC Professional 350
> > with keyboard and monitor. As the previous owner informed me, the
> > video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but
there's
> > visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the unit
> > indicate an error with the bitmap graphics card. I'm pretty sure it's
> > an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
> > the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not
sure
> > what to look for on the card itself -
nothing is socketed, so it's
not
> > chip creep, and the card connector
looks to be in good shape.
> >
> > Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
> > really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a
spare
for the video card? (It's DEC part number
54-15138.) I've got a
Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only - I
don't have the facilities to test it, but according to the owner it
was in working condition.)
9:24 p.m.
That will help.
Cheers, Paul
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 11:22 PM, Ian S. King <isking at uw.edu> wrote:
The ethernet adapter is a CTI card (not Unibus or
Qbus) with an identifying
number of 000042 on its plastic handle. It's also called a DECNA card, but
since I don't have one I don't know if that's written on it somewhere (i.e.
the solder mask). Thanks -- Ian
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 7:38 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote:
- I
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
Hi Ian,
Any part numbers?
Thanks, Paul
On Sun, Apr 12, 2015 at 5:19 PM, Ian S. King <isking at uw.edu> wrote:
back
I have a Pro 380 - I'd really like to find an
ethernet card for it, and
maybe some additional memory?.
On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 9:20 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com>
wrote:
> I might have a spare board and maybe even a print set. I'll try to
check
> > tomorrow.
> >
> > I plan on selling all of my DECMATE, PRO350 and PRO 380 systems and
> parts.
> > A list member inquired about it several months ago, but never got to
> > me. Or maybe I dropped the ball...
> >
> > Paul
> >
> >
> >
> > On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 2:35 PM, John Ames <commodorejohn at gmail.com>
> > wrote:
> >
> > > Back in November I dropped in on a list member's moving giveaway
and
> > > came away with some DEC stuff,
among which was a DEC Professional
350
> > > with keyboard and monitor. As the
previous owner informed me, the
> > > video isn't working; there's no picture on the monitor, but
there's
> > > visible sync lines, and the diagnostic lights on the back of the
unit
> > > indicate an error with the bitmap
graphics card. I'm pretty sure
it's
> >
an issue with the card and not the slot, since the error moves with
> > the card when I install it in one of the other slots, but I'm not
sure
> > what to look for on the card itself -
nothing is socketed, so it's
not
> > chip creep, and the card connector
looks to be in good shape.
> >
> > Does anybody have any advice for diagnosing and repairing this? I'd
> > really like to get it working. Failing that, does anybody have a
spare
> > > for the video card? (It's DEC part number 54-15138.) I've got a
> > > Rainbow I'd be willing to trade for a working one (base unit only
> don't have the facilities to test it, but
according to the owner it
> was in working condition.)
>
--
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School <http://ischool.uw.edu>
Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal <http://tribunalvoices.org>
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab <http://vsdesign.org>
University of Washington
There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."
3541
days inactive
3544
days old
6 comments
4 participants
participants (4)
-
commodorejohn＠gmail.com -
isking＠uw.edu -
paulkoning＠comcast.net -
useddec＠gmail.com