Software for DEC MINC systems

Tue Dec 29 14:08:28 CST 2015

On Dec 29, 2015, at 12:00 PM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote:

> Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 17:51:45 -0600
> From: Jay Jaeger <cube1 at charter.net>
> To: cctech at classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: Software for DEC MINC systems
> Message-ID: <5681CB11.4090101 at charter.net>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=windows-1252
> 
> On 12/27/2015 10:15 PM, Mark Matlock wrote:
>> 
>>   The software I am looking for are the MINC software packages FEP (Fortran Enhancement Package) V2.1 and FRP (Fortran Real_time Package) V1.0. Also SSP V1.3 (Scientific Subroutines Package) and LSP V1.2 (Laboratory Subroutines Package) would be great to find as well. These all run under RT-11 and I understand that there was also a version (V1.1) of FEP and V1.0 of FRP that ran under RSX11M which would be fantastic to find as I am more interested in RSX11M. This is based on documents in the MINC folder in the bitsavers online archives.
>> 
>> Mark
>> 
> 
> I have some MINC hardware (also a MINC/23 I think) and software, but it
> does not look like I have what you are looking for.
> 
> What I do have images of (except for the one marked "(Bad)" that seem
> likely MINC related:
> 
> RX01:
> 
> CONTENTS COMMENT
> LAB Applications-11 Library V3 DEC-11-SLABA-C-YB, NSUM=41906
> LAB Applications-11 Lib Source 1 of 3 DEC-11-SLABA-C-YA1, NSUM=56190
> LAB Applications-11 Lib Source 2 of 3 DEC-11-SLABA-C-YA2, NSUM=28900
> LAB Applications-11 Lib Source 3 of 3 DEC-11-SLABA-C-YA3, NSUM=65055
> 
> CONTENTS COMMENT
> PLOT, Ver June '80 DECUS 11-381 RT-11 Media(KA) (Bad)
> MINC BASIC/FORTRAN IV VIR TERM DECUS 11-417 RT-11, NSUM=22281
> PLOTTING PKG For RT-11 FORTRAN DECUS 11-431 RT-11, NSUM=12228
> LABORATORY APPLICATIONS-11 1 of 4, (KD) DECUS 11-448 RT-11, NSUM=15424
> LABORATORY APPLICATIONS-11 2 of 4, (KD) DECUS 11-448 RT-11, NSUM=1369
> LABORATORY APPLICATIONS-11 3 of 4, (KD) DECUS 11-448 RT-11, NSUM=2841
> LABORATORY APPLICATIONS-11 4 of 4, (KD) DECUS 11-448 RT-11, NSUM=21353
> FEP2: FINITE ELEMENT PROG 3DIM 1 of 2 KB DECUS 11-461 RT-11, NSUM=14187
> FEP2: FINITE ELEMENT PROG 3DIM 2 of 2 KB DECUS 11-461 RT-11, NSUM=26552
> 
> 
> RX02:
> 
> CONTENTS COMMENT
> MINC MA DEMO/23 V2.0 BIN RX2 BA-J837B-BC, NSUM=04649
> MINC MA DEMO/03 V2.0 BIN RX2 BA-H107D-BC, NSUM=58263
> MINC MA SYS/23 V2.0 BIN RX2 BA-J836B-BC, NSUM=17510
> MINC MA SYS/03 V2.0 BIN RX2 BA-H106D-BC, NSUM=61253

Jay,
   Wow! It would be great to get copies of those DEC and DECUS floppies! Almost all DECUS software include the sources  and a good example of source code is worth many pages of references manuals. Please contact me directly and we can discuss how to transfer them. Several of those titles sound very interesting!

   The MINC systems are great hardware platforms, but I was very afraid that much of the software had been lost. This is very encouraging!

Thanks!
Mark

On Dec 29, 2015, at 12:00 PM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote:

> From: jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu (Noel Chiappa)
> To: cctalk at classiccmp.org
> Cc: jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu
> Subject: Re: Software for DEC MINC systems
> Message-ID: <20151228152030.26E4518C0B2 at mercury.lcs.mit.edu>
> 
>> From: Mark Matlock
> 
>> either 11/23 or 11/73 CPUs (limited to 256KB by the MINC Q18 bus)
> 
> Have you thought about upgrading the backplane/bus to 22 bits (shouldn't be
> too hard) - or do you want to keep it original?
> 
> 	Noel

Noel,
  I actually have two MINC boxes, one labelled as a MINC-23 and one labelled as MINC-11. As far as I can tell from the engineering drawings there is no difference in the back plane. I am hoping to wire the MINC-23 to Q22 in the future to be able to run RSX11M+ on it with the 11/73 and a decent amount of memory. As far as I can tell there MINC cards would not have a problem with the Q22 bus and the modification to the BDV11 is pretty easy.

   The MINC-11 I plan to keep as a RT-11 system but with the 11/23 CPU and 256 KB RAM.

Mark

On Dec 29, 2015, at 12:00 PM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote:

> Date: Mon, 28 Dec 2015 11:27:17 -0800
> From: "Ian S. King" <isking at uw.edu>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts"
> 	<cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: Software for DEC MINC systems
> 
> I started such a project a while back, and grad school intervened.  :-)
> But with all this interest, I'll see if I can't disinter my MINC and try it
> again.  I'm pretty sure I have these packages and a lot more, and I really
> need to get them imaged of RX02s before the oxide starts falling off.  :-)
> 
> I have a MINC-11, but I put an 11/23 processor in it - 18-bit addressing,
> though, and I DO want to keep it stock so I'm not going to modify the
> backplane for 22-bit addressing, as much as I'd like that extra working
> store space!

Ian,
   As we discussed offline, I'll be very interested to see the titles of the RX02s that you have "in the basement".
It would be great to get as many of these DEC and DECUS MINC related software packages together in one collection
so it doesn't get lost forever.

Thanks and Best regards,
Mark

On Dec 28, 2015, at 12:00 PM, cctech-request at classiccmp.org wrote:

> Message: 18
> Date: Sun, 27 Dec 2015 20:35:54 -0800
> From: Glen Slick <glen.slick at gmail.com>
> To: "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts" <cctech at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Re: Software for DEC MINC systems
> 

> I have an RX02 floppy labeled:
> BA-L796C-BC
> RT-11/FEP V2.2 INSTL BIN RX2
> (C) 1983
> 
> I don't know if that would help. I'll have to look and see if I have
> already created an image of this disk. If not it might take some time
> before I get setup again to create RX02 disk images.
> 
> -Glen

Glen,
    I would very much be interested in a copy of that RX02! That is one subversion higher (V2.2 vs V2.1) than the documentation I found so its probably one of the last releases. Please email me privately if you find the image.
Thanks a bunch!!
Mark