36bit still in use ?

[Sean Caron]

Not disputing seeing the evidence of a 36-bit machine behind the curtain in
the XKL Darkstar firmware updates but I wasn't clear on whether or not the
TOAD-2 board just had some PDP-10 provenance in it, or whether or not it
was a full-on clone that could run the historic operating systems.

I don't see the TOAD-2 listed a a product on XKL's site anywhere, though.
As far as I can tell there's no Darkstar product listed on their site with
exactly the same port punch-outs as the TOAD-2. Maybe it's a special order
item? Unfortunately it's not in my price range any way you cut it ;)

Best,

Sean


On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 5:56 PM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at update.uu.se> wrote:

> On 2014-11-28 23:49, Sean Caron wrote:
>
>> Sorry, I was just alluding to the "board" inside the ~1U device labeled as
>> "XKL TOAD-2" in the video at around 0:30 in.
>>
>> Watching it a second time through, however, it appears that the TOAD-2 box
>> shown in the video actually contains two discrete boards!
>>
>> I don't think that's an off-the-shelf product, LOL. I assume the board is
>> a
>> common system controller used in their network equipment product line and
>> the TOAD-2 is a one-off; a few system controllers from stock, a chassis
>> with plexiglas lid swapped in and a few extra holes drilled... produced
>> per
>> request of a good customer ;)
>>
>> I'm wondering now, do you think the TOAD-2 actually does anything? Or is
>> it
>> just a static display to demonstrate minimization of the PDP-10 over time?
>> Can it run TOPS? Or is it just a router lacking any network interfaces?
>>
>
> It runs TOPS-20. I've seen and played at the EXEC prompt of the TOAD-2.
> And XKL are not making these as one-offs.
> Yes, the one at LCM has been modified for display purposes, with such as
> the plexiglass top.
>
> But if you read the thread, someone actually went to XKL and fetched the
> firmware upgrade image they provide, and it's clearly for a 36-bit machine.
> This is the firmware they provide as a general download to customers.
>
> This would not make sense if it were, as you suggest, a one-off product.
>
>         Johnny
>
>
>
>> Best,
>>
>> Sean
>>
>>
>>
>> On Fri, Nov 28, 2014 at 5:28 PM, Johnny Billquist <bqt at update.uu.se>
>> wrote:
>>
>>  On 2014-11-28 23:19, David Griffith wrote:
>>>
>>>  On Fri, 28 Nov 2014, Johnny Billquist wrote:
>>>>
>>>>   On 2014-11-28 17:13, Sean Caron wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>  Whaaa? That's actually something a little bit different; I didn't
>>>>>> even know
>>>>>> there was such a thing as a TOAD-2.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Does anyone here know how many units of the TOAD-2 were ever sold? Who
>>>>>> bought them?
>>>>>>
>>>>>> That board looks so close to mini-ITX form factor... they should start
>>>>>> selling them bare... it would look great next to my Atom boxes!!
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> As far as I understood it, they are still selling them.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> How does one obtain one of these boards?
>>>>
>>>>
>>> Boards? It's a group of products for networks...
>>> If you deduct the name of the product from the name of the firmware
>>> (Darkstar), you can see a whole bunch of products at www.xkl.com that
>>> are
>>> "Darkstar". I don't know if all of them use the TOAD-2, but it is
>>> possible...
>>>
>>>          Johnny
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
>>>                                    ||  on a psychedelic trip
>>> email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
>>> pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>>>
>>>
>
> --
> Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
>                                   ||  on a psychedelic trip
> email: bqt at softjar.se             ||  Reading murder books
> pdp is alive!                     ||  tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
>