Serial UNIBUS Repeater?

[tony duell]

[My 11/730]

> Sorry to hear that it's been decabled. Take your time to route those cables through the bottom pan properly, 

Yes, it's going to be a lot of work to get it back together. 

I think I am going to start (when I have got the machine room straightened out, etc) with the 2 parts
of the cable tray on the bench. Route all the cables. Fit the tray to the rack, then the CPU box slides, then
the CPU box, and connect everything up. And get it right first time, I do not want to be changing things here.

> and based on my experience so far, I do not recommend trying to route anything but flat cables through the 
> pan area. Route anything round up over the top and along the folding support arm (what I've been calling a 

I am pretty sure DEC will agree with you there...

> "gantry", but not necessarily correctly). For anything temporary, might as well leave the cabinet slid out and let 

I know the bit you mean, the thing that carries the power and power control cables.

> the cable dangle. The 730 is nicely made for sliding in and out easily, but really not optimized for frequent 
> hardware configuration changes.

Exactly. Which is one reason I am considering a Unibus expansion box. Keep the CPU with a standard 
fixed configuration and have the expansion box with simpler cable routing for things I want to change.


> > That's why I am thinking of adding a BA11K or something on top.
> 
> That makes sense to me, particularly if you will not be constrained by the original rack configuration like I am. 
> The 730 has limited UNIBUS slots anyway, so might as well use an expansion rack for anything you might 
> change frequently.

Mine did start out as the 'packaged' system in the half-rack, and I intend to keep it in that cabinet. 
Obviously I will keep the CPU and R80, but I am not sure if the tape drive is the most useful 
third unit at this stage.

-tony