RF08/RS08 photos and panel measurements (Re: RK11-C Panel)

[Mattis Lind]

2015-10-30 13:54 GMT+01:00 Jay Jaeger <cube1 at charter.net>:

> No, not looking for a reproduction.  Just posted it in case it would help
> folks with a possible RK11-C display panel concept.
>

Interesting. We also have a RF08 / RS08 combo. It came with two PDP-8/L
machines. I am not sure if both PDP-8/L CPUs were connected to the RF08
simultaneously or how it was connected once upon a time since all cabling
has been removed prior to us getting to it. The front panel look exactly
the same. The drive and controller sits in a full height cabinet with the
drive in the middle and the controller at the top.

What is the plan with your RF08/ RS08? Is it possible to get it complete or
is just parts? The RS08 seems to be a DF32 on steroids. The question is if
it would be possible to have our unit working some day? Anyone tried to get
these things to run?




>
> > On Oct 29, 2015, at 15:31, rod <rodsmallwood52 at btinternet.com> wrote:
> >
> > Hi Jay
> >      Is this what you want me to look at with a view to panel
> reproduction ?
> >
> > Rod
> >
> >
> >> On 29/10/15 20:28, Jay Jaeger wrote:
> >> Looking at the document at:
> >>
> >>
> http://dustyoldcomputers.com/pdp-common/reference/drawings/peripherals/docs/DEC-08-HIEA-DA_RF08_Jun70.pdf
> >>
> >> The picture, though extremely fuzzy, matches my panel in the
> >> organization of legends and breaks in line.  Since I have what I think
> >> is a complete RF08, and pieces of the drive (RS08), I think it is safe
> >> to conclude that I have the panel from an RF08.
> >>
> >> However, the panel is designed to actually hold up to 8 lights of 36
> >> bits each.  I have to believe that DEC used this setup for any number of
> >> light panels.
> >>
> >> For photos of the drive electronics, controller electronics, power
> >> supply, platter and display and display measurements, see:
> >>
> >> https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B2v4WRwISEQRTkVRX2NPMThILWM
> >>
> >> I posted detail display panel photos and measurements in subfolder
> >> Display of this Google Drive folder (RF08-RS08)
> >>
> >> The main folder has photos of the drive (RS08) electronics and the
> >> controller (RF08) electronics, etc.  (The very first photo shows some
> >> mouse droppings / seeds, which I cleaned up (though I did not entirely
> >> disassemble the thing), and are less apparent in subsequent photos (I
> >> recall there being even more extensive cleaning after the simple
> >> vacuuming I did before taking most of the photos).  There is also a
> >> photo of the power supply and the (now separated from the container)
> >> platter and a head or two as well as a photo of the display panel.
> >>
> >> In the Display sub-folder are photos of the panel and its components,
> >> and a text file with measurements.
> >>
> >> Apologies in advance for the photo quality of the display.  I didn't
> >> want to use a flash, and so there was some camera shake, even with IS.
> >>
> >> JRJ
> >>
> >>
> >>> On 10/26/2015 7:25 PM, Noel Chiappa wrote:
> >>>     > I have just worked out the pattern on the cables to the
> indicator panel,
> >>>     > which allows me, from the device schematics, to tell which
> signals are
> >>>     > shown on which lights on the indicator panel - I can even tell
> where the
> >>>     > spaces are between light groups (since those lights are not
> >>>     > connected). So I know now exactly what the panel shows, and
> almost
> >>>     > certainly in which lights (although there might be a left/right
> swap,
> >>>     > there are no fields which span the boundary).
> >>>
> >>> So here's the writeup on the RK11-C insert:
> >>>
> >>>   http://ana-3.lcs.mit.edu/~jnc/tech/pdp11/RK11-C_insert.txt
> >>>
> >>> The unusual light pattern should allow us to know, instantly, if we
> see one.
> >>>
> >>>     Noel
> >
>