VAXstation 4000 Mice?

[Zane Healy]

> On May 20, 2021, at 11:53 AM, Antonio Carlini via cctalk <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> 
> On 20/05/2021 18:22, Jonathan Stone via cctalk wrote:
>> It does indeed need a VSXXX-AA mouse (the round puck) or a VSXXX-AB tablet (or compatible). \
>> I recently checked both installation guide and service guide, whilst looking at eBay offerings.
> 
> I recently went through my DEC mice to test them (so I can create eBay offerings for the spares!) and all the -AA, -GA (and one other that escapes me right now) tested OK on a VS4000-60. At least one of those was originally used on my VAXstation 3100-M76.
> 
> If it looks like "that" sort of connector and it is a VSXXX-xx then I do suspect that it will work in any VAXstation up to and including the VAXstation 4000-96. In fact I recently sold one (privately) for use on a VAXstation II.
> 
> I think those mice will also work on the DECstation 2100/3100/5000 range , except for the Personal versions. You may need an adapter though.
> 
> They (I think) even work in the early Alpha workstations (the DEC 3000 stuff); I don't think DEC switched to PS/2 mice until the AlphaStation name came out.

That’s good news, I have one of the “Hockey Pucks”, I think it came with my VAXstation II/RC.  It sounds like I’ll be going spelunking, as it happens I know exactly where the mouse should be, unfortunately it’s in the hardest to reach section of the garage.  Maybe I’ll get lucky and find the monitor cable while I’m at it.

I can’t believe that I don’t seem to have an PS/2 mice handy, but I know a couple places where they’re likely to be.  I’m also looking at bringing up one of my AlphaStations as a workstation.

I think I still have a DECstation 5000, but am not too sure.  I’d picked it up 20 some years ago, with the idea of running NetBSD on it.

Zane