Re: [TUHS] Booting PDP-11's from RX02's

[Eric Smith]

On Tue, Nov 1, 2016 at 3:53 AM, allison  wrote:

> On 10/31/2016 07:45 PM, Al Kossow wrote:
> >
> > On 10/31/16 3:08 PM, Vincent Slyngstad wrote:
> >
> >> Isn't there some weird crap in track 0 on DECmate RX01s
>
> It also has the slushware code, aka front panel space code to do
> stuff on the IM6100 chip and peripherals.  the 6100/6120
> have two spaces front panel code space and normal PDP-8 memory.


Isn't the slushware on the last two tracks of the disk, rather than on
track 0?

Re: Looking for info on a CAMAC module - Kinetic 3912 Unibus Crate Controller

[Pete Lancashire]

For me starting in my early 20's at a Test & Measurement company, (btw at
one time has to option to buy DEC) and being in the division that stuck a
PDP11/40 (eventually a 11/84) in a rack along a bunch of T&M I've been from
time to time collecting, specially from what I consider the boom years, the
mid 60's to the 70's. Just like the place I worked and the half dozen
NIM/Camac companies the lives of those who made other a success are the
unsung hero's.

On Wed, Nov 2, 2016 at 6:23 PM, Jon Elson  wrote:

> On 11/02/2016 12:53 PM, Pete Lancashire wrote:
>
>> In a past life I did quite a few Test & Measurement setups, started with
>> dedicated I/O, then added GPIB, and later VXI
>> Always enjoyed the challenge of automating stimulus and measurement.
>>
>> In the mid 90s I helped add GPIB to a NIM & CAMAC setup. But never got to
>> really play with any of the instruments.
>>
>> For 'fun' I want to setup and NIM Bin and CAMAC Crate and since my days of
>> connecting to a computer started with a PDP-11. But unless a Unibus box
>> shows up that's for another rainy season.
>>
>> Anyone with a NIM Bin or CAMAC Create they don't want and is near Portland
>> Oregon (due to weight and size) ?
>>
>> On another vector, it is sad to see that there is not a 'bitsavers' for
>> NIM
>> & CAMAC.
>>
>>
>> This gear DOES turn up frequently on eBay for reasonable prices.  We
> supply our lab's needs for replacement bins and crates that way.  I used to
> build CAMAC modules for nuclear research as a business.  I made my own
> crate and crate controller for module testing.  It was just the backplane,
> no card slots, which was fine to have access to probe the boards.
>
> Jon
>
>

Re: Looking for info on a CAMAC module - Kinetic 3912 Unibus Crate Controller

[Pete Lancashire]

For me starting in my early 20's at a Test & Measurement company, (btw at
one time has to option to buy DEC) and being in the division that stuck a
PDP11/40 (eventually a 11/84) in a rack along a bunch of T&M I've been from
time to time collecting, specially from what I consider the boom years, the
mid 60's to the 70's. Just like the place I worked and the half dozen
NIM/Camac companies the lives of those who made other a success are the
unsung hero's.

d

On Wed, Nov 2, 2016 at 6:23 PM, Jon Elson  wrote:

> On 11/02/2016 12:53 PM, Pete Lancashire wrote:
>
>> In a past life I did quite a few Test & Measurement setups, started with
>> dedicated I/O, then added GPIB, and later VXI
>> Always enjoyed the challenge of automating stimulus and measurement.
>>
>> In the mid 90s I helped add GPIB to a NIM & CAMAC setup. But never got to
>> really play with any of the instruments.
>>
>> For 'fun' I want to setup and NIM Bin and CAMAC Crate and since my days of
>> connecting to a computer started with a PDP-11. But unless a Unibus box
>> shows up that's for another rainy season.
>>
>> Anyone with a NIM Bin or CAMAC Create they don't want and is near Portland
>> Oregon (due to weight and size) ?
>>
>> On another vector, it is sad to see that there is not a 'bitsavers' for
>> NIM
>> & CAMAC.
>>
>>
>> This gear DOES turn up frequently on eBay for reasonable prices.  We
> supply our lab's needs for replacement bins and crates that way.  I used to
> build CAMAC modules for nuclear research as a business.  I made my own
> crate and crate controller for module testing.  It was just the backplane,
> no card slots, which was fine to have access to probe the boards.
>
> Jon
>
>

Re: Looking for Prompt-475

[dwight]

The UPP had a bug that was never fixed. The level for the

reset was inverted for the 4040 from the 4004. They'd

used a slow transistor to create the inverter but released

the 4040 before the 4001's. The first few fetches would

sometimes send it to strange places in the code.

The fix was simple, release the 4001 resets before the 4040.

The problem was in an app note. Their solution was to put

a few NOPs at the start of the code. It worked most of the time.

Of course, as an end of life, I don't think it ever got fixed.

Dwight



From: cctech  on behalf of allison 

Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2016 7:24:35 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Looking for Prompt-475

On 11/2/16 2:18 PM, dwight wrote:
> It had been a long time since I'd worked at Intel
>
> but I recall having to use a different UPP board for each.
I worked for NEC microcomputers  The other guys.
IT was a few lifetimes ago, before DEC.
> I worked on the UPP with the 4040 uP.
We had a MDS with UPP and a few others in the lad for those times
we needed comparative testing.

> I was a test engineer for its end of life. Debugging these was
>
> a pain in the butt so I made what I called a slowtime-ice.
>
> I'd replace the 4004 with my umbilical and talk to the various
>
> 4002s and 4001. Although, I wasn't suppose to, I had a dump
>
> of the ROMs to compare with.
>
> We were our own last customer to order 4001s.

;) Yes knowing how and doing was sometimes important to know it it even
worked!
That and some of the micros and such had some very strange things to be done
to pump them.

Allison
> Dwight
>
>
> 
> From: cctech  on behalf of allison 
> 
> Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 9:30:13 AM
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts
> Subject: Re: Looking for Prompt-475
>
> On 11/2/16 10:08 AM, dwight wrote:
>> You are aware that the 8755A and 8755 are programmed differently?
> Yes.  I also have both so not an issue.  Doesn't hurt that I was an
> microprocessors and peripherals aps-engineer
> when both were the drug on the market so I know the difference and how
> to do either.  I'm more interested in
> 8755A as I have a few tubes of virgin NEC parts.
>> I believe the adapter is only for the 8755A.
> It is.  The 8755 is the generic name as they were replaced by the 8755A
> fairly early in the parts life.
> Its likely I have to build it as they are scarce and fairly simple. The
> Intel schematic is helpful in it saves
> me time I may end of designing it myself.
>
>> Dwight
>>
>>
>> 
>> From: cctech  on behalf of allison 
>> 
>> Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 5:35:08 AM
>> To: cct...@classiccmp.org
>> Subject: Looking for Prompt-475
>>
>> All,
>>
>> Looking for the schematic for Intel PROMPT-475, this is the 8755 adapter
>> board for the Prompt-48.
>>
>>
>> Allison
>>
>

Re: Looking for Prompt-475

[allison]

On 11/2/16 2:18 PM, dwight wrote:

It had been a long time since I'd worked at Intel

but I recall having to use a different UPP board for each.

I worked for NEC microcomputers  The other guys.
IT was a few lifetimes ago, before DEC.

I worked on the UPP with the 4040 uP.

We had a MDS with UPP and a few others in the lad for those times
we needed comparative testing.


I was a test engineer for its end of life. Debugging these was

a pain in the butt so I made what I called a slowtime-ice.

I'd replace the 4004 with my umbilical and talk to the various

4002s and 4001. Although, I wasn't suppose to, I had a dump

of the ROMs to compare with.

We were our own last customer to order 4001s.


;) Yes knowing how and doing was sometimes important to know it it even 
worked!

That and some of the micros and such had some very strange things to be done
to pump them.

Allison

Dwight



From: cctech  on behalf of allison 

Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 9:30:13 AM
To: General Discussion: On-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: Looking for Prompt-475

On 11/2/16 10:08 AM, dwight wrote:

You are aware that the 8755A and 8755 are programmed differently?

Yes.  I also have both so not an issue.  Doesn't hurt that I was an
microprocessors and peripherals aps-engineer
when both were the drug on the market so I know the difference and how
to do either.  I'm more interested in
8755A as I have a few tubes of virgin NEC parts.

I believe the adapter is only for the 8755A.

It is.  The 8755 is the generic name as they were replaced by the 8755A
fairly early in the parts life.
Its likely I have to build it as they are scarce and fairly simple. The
Intel schematic is helpful in it saves
me time I may end of designing it myself.


Dwight



From: cctech  on behalf of allison 

Sent: Wednesday, November 2, 2016 5:35:08 AM
To: cct...@classiccmp.org
Subject: Looking for Prompt-475

All,

Looking for the schematic for Intel PROMPT-475, this is the 8755 adapter
board for the Prompt-48.


Allison

What interest in a

[Richard]

Hi to everyone,

I have a PrecisionBook laptop made by RDI Computer Corporation in 
Carlsbad, CA. It's a Model #H16-12-8-256L2S with a 4050mAHr battery, a 
6.5Gb hard drive with data and a 4.0Gb hard drive with HP-UX 10.2. I 
also have the charger for it. It works but I have no documentation at all.


Is it of any use to anyone or should I dump it?

Richard
Bristol, UK

QIC-150 1/4" Cartridge Drive with Emulex MT-02 SCSI-QIC Controller?

[Rick Bensene]

Hello, all,

Question of the day:

Will an Emulex MT-02 SCSI->QIC tape controller work with a Wangtek 5150EQ 
(QIC-150) Tape Drive?

I am trying to resurrect an old Tektronix 4132 Unix workstation.  The 1/4" 
Wangtek 5099EQ drive that was in the machine was toast, something on the 
drive's electronics went POP when it powered on the first time, and it is no 
longer being recognized by the MT-02 controller.  I have documentation on the 
drive, and will probably look into seeing if I can fix whatever fried, but in 
the short-term,   I have a Wangtek 5150EQ with a good drive wheel, and was 
wondering if this drive would function with the MT-02 and be useful on the 
machine.   I have a bunch of old (1980's) QIC-24 tapes written with the old 
5099EQ drive that I want to look through and archive in a different form.

And yes...I know about the tension band issues with old 1/4" QIC media...I've 
got a bunch of new tension bands and have become quite adept at replacing them 
and assuring the proper tension on the tape.

Wishing all a peaceful day,
-Rick
--
Rick Bensene
The Old Calculator Museum
http://oldcalculatormuseum.com

Re: QIC-150 1/4" Cartridge Drive with Emulex MT-02 SCSI-QIC Controller?

[Jon Auringer]

Hi Rick,

On 2016-11-03 10:51 AM, Rick Bensene wrote:


...I've got a bunch of new tension bands


I don't have an answer to your question, but am curious as to where you 
acquired the replacements.


Thanks,

-Jon

R: What interest in a

[Mazzini Alessandro]

Hi,

very interesting machine. I've always been a fan of hp-ux...
How much would you think it's going to cost, to ship to Italy ? ( near Milan )

Alessandro

-Messaggio originale-
Da: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] Per conto di Richard
Inviato: giovedì 3 novembre 2016 15:38
A: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Oggetto: What interest in a

Hi to everyone,

I have a PrecisionBook laptop made by RDI Computer Corporation in Carlsbad, CA. 
It's a Model #H16-12-8-256L2S with a 4050mAHr battery, a 6.5Gb hard drive with 
data and a 4.0Gb hard drive with HP-UX 10.2. I also have the charger for it. It 
works but I have no documentation at all.

Is it of any use to anyone or should I dump it?

Richard
Bristol, UK

Re: QIC-150 1/4" Cartridge Drive with Emulex MT-02 SCSI-QIC Controller?

[Al Kossow]

On 11/3/16 8:51 AM, Rick Bensene wrote:
> Hello, all,
> 
> Question of the day:
> 
> Will an Emulex MT-02 SCSI->QIC tape controller work with a Wangtek 5150EQ 
> (QIC-150) Tape Drive?
> 

I don't think so. The MT-02 supported QIC-11 and 24 formats, and the 5150 uses 
QIC-150, so I think
it's going to get confused by the extra tracks.

You might try bypassing the MT-02 if you've got a SCSI QIC drive. I don't know 
how dependent the Tek
is on the Emulex flavor of SCSI command set.

Re: QIC-150 1/4" Cartridge Drive with Emulex MT-02 SCSI-QIC Controller?

[Al Kossow]

On 11/3/16 8:51 AM, Rick Bensene wrote:
>  I have a bunch of old (1980's) QIC-24 tapes written with the old 5099EQ 
> drive that I want to look through and archive in a different form.
> 

I would really suggest doing this on a more modern machine with a Tandberg Data 
SCSI drive.

Re: QIC-150 1/4" Cartridge Drive with Emulex MT-02 SCSI-QIC Controller?

[j...@cimmeri.com]

On 11/3/2016 10:51 AM, Rick Bensene wrote:

Will an Emulex MT-02 SCSI->QIC tape controller work with a Wangtek 5150EQ 
(QIC-150) Tape Drive?


I'd give it a try as I think it might.  
The 5150 can read the earlier formats fine.


- J.

RE: Looking for info on a CAMAC module - Kinetic 3912 Unibus Crate Controller

[Dave Wade]

> -Original Message-
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Jon Elson
> Sent: 02 November 2016 16:24
> To: gene...@classiccmp.org; discuss...@classiccmp.org:On-Topic and Off-
> Topic Posts 
> Subject: Re: Looking for info on a CAMAC module - Kinetic 3912 Unibus Crate
> Controller
> 
> On 10/31/2016 01:04 PM, Pete Lancashire wrote:
> > Over the years I've played around with a few old CAMAC (*) modules, by
> > today's standard they pretty much have zero value, anyway that's
> > another story. Recently I've been offered a CAMAC to Unibus board. A
> > Kinetic 3912 Unibus Crate Controller .
> > A Crate in CAMAC speak is just a chassis with a backplane.
> >
> > The problem with CAMAC is there is almost no information out there,
> >
> > Since I don't YET have a Unibus system, it more of a curiosity then
> > anything.
> >
> > So .. anyone have the manual ?
> >
> > (*) -
> >
> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_Automated_Measurement_and_C
> ontr
> > ol
> >
> I have a 3922 crate controller and a 3953 auxiliary crate controller at work. 
>  I
> also have manuals for the 3911 PDP-11 crate controller and 2912 LSI-11 bus
> adapter and the 3953.
> These have schematics in them.
> 
> I THINK the 3912 may be an LSI-11 (QBus) controller, not Unibus.
> 
> Jon

I just wish I could remember any of this, and I have lost contact with my 
colleagues who might have remembered. 
When I worked at NERC they were used for most everything, generally in 
conjunction with a PDP-11 or LSI-11.
We had Media Conversion Systems that took various tapes from Scientific Data 
Recorders and converted them to standard paper tape or 9-track mag tape.
"HASP" work stations with Card Readers, Line Printers & Tape drives.
Terminal Concentrators with multiple HP26xx terminals that could connect to our 
Honeywell or VAX systems.
Some were used as Front End Processors on the Honeywell.
By the time I started most were lsi11-03 or 23 modules that fitted into the end 
slot on the CAMAC crate. 
They were generally loaded from Paper Tape or sometimes PROM boards which I 
think emulated Paper Tape or something stupid
There is a manual for one of the RJE stations here:-

http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/392339/

and this paper contains info on how to convert some data using a PDP11-05 based 
media conversion system

http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/392307/1/1188056-1001.pdf

I hope these are interesting

Dave Wade



 

Re: R: What interest in a

[Norman Jaffe]

Hi: 

As an ex-HPer, I'm also interested in this machine, but I suspect that shipping 
to Vancouver, Canada, will be exorbitant. 

From: "Mazzini Alessandro"  
To: "cctalk"  
Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2016 9:05:13 AM 
Subject: R: What interest in a 

Hi, 

very interesting machine. I've always been a fan of hp-ux... 
How much would you think it's going to cost, to ship to Italy ? ( near Milan ) 

Alessandro 

-Messaggio originale- 
Da: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] Per conto di Richard 
Inviato: giovedì 3 novembre 2016 15:38 
A: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts 
Oggetto: What interest in a 

Hi to everyone, 

I have a PrecisionBook laptop made by RDI Computer Corporation in Carlsbad, CA. 
It's a Model #H16-12-8-256L2S with a 4050mAHr battery, a 6.5Gb hard drive with 
data and a 4.0Gb hard drive with HP-UX 10.2. I also have the charger for it. It 
works but I have no documentation at all. 

Is it of any use to anyone or should I dump it? 

Richard 
Bristol, UK 

Re: R: What interest in a

[Ian S. King]

On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 9:45 AM, Norman Jaffe  wrote:

> Hi:
>
> As an ex-HPer, I'm also interested in this machine, but I suspect that
> shipping to Vancouver, Canada, will be exorbitant.
>
> From: "Mazzini Alessandro" 
> To: "cctalk" 
> Sent: Thursday, November 3, 2016 9:05:13 AM
> Subject: R: What interest in a
>
> Hi,
>
> very interesting machine. I've always been a fan of hp-ux...
> How much would you think it's going to cost, to ship to Italy ? ( near
> Milan )
>
> Alessandro
>
> -Messaggio originale-
> Da: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] Per conto di Richard
> Inviato: giovedì 3 novembre 2016 15:38
> A: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> Oggetto: What interest in a
>
> Hi to everyone,
>
> I have a PrecisionBook laptop made by RDI Computer Corporation in
> Carlsbad, CA. It's a Model #H16-12-8-256L2S with a 4050mAHr battery, a
> 6.5Gb hard drive with data and a 4.0Gb hard drive with HP-UX 10.2. I also
> have the charger for it. It works but I have no documentation at all.
>
> Is it of any use to anyone or should I dump it?
>
> Richard
> Bristol, UK
>

Well, if no one else can afford shipping :-) I'm in Seattle and would
definitely be interested.  I used HP-UX when I was training people on
Boeing's aircraft simulator software.

-- 
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School 
Dissertation: "Why the Conversation Mattered: Constructing a Sociotechnical
Narrative Through a Design Lens

Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal 
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab 

University of Washington

There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."

Re: Looking for Prompt-475

[Eric Smith]

On Thu, Nov 3, 2016 at 8:42 AM, dwight  wrote:

> The UPP had a bug that was never fixed. The level for the
> [...]
> The problem was in an app note. Their solution was to put
> a few NOPs at the start of the code. It worked most of the time.
>

Wow!  I noticed the NOPs when I disassembled the code, but had no idea why
it was there.

The first >NINE< microinstructions in the iAPX 432 GDP Release 1.0
microcode ROM (in the 43201 chip) are all "reset processor", which doesn't
affect the micro program counter, but resets much of the other hardware in
both the 43201 and 43202 chips.  I wonder whether there might have been
similar issues.

Re: VAX/VMS Pascal, Modula-3, Oberon, what could have been....

[Ken Seefried]

I've heard Modula-3 (from DEC SRC and Olivetti Research Center) called
"the Ada regular programmers would adopt".  They never did, of course,
because Olivetti decided research wasn't that important and DEC got
bought and a lot of other reasons that are documented elsewhere.  Not
to get into a language pissing contest, but IMO it's an awfully nice
way to program, with threading built in, type safety, generics, a
reasonable GC, exceptions, etc.  I really enjoyed it, but then I think
Ada brings a lot to the table.

What might have been, indeed.

Re: Gould 32/77 (was: NWA auctions)

[Tony Aiuto]

Bob: I have not found any Gould software yet but last night I found a
packet of all the UTX-32 documentation on microfiche. When you are ready
for it, let me know how to mail it to you.

On Tue, Oct 25, 2016 at 5:12 PM, Al Kossow  wrote:

> There are some new scans up now for 32/75 on bitsavers.org/pdf/sel and
> some software
> under bits/SEL
>
> I'll be working on MPX documentation next
>
>
> On 10/14/16 7:29 PM, Tony Aiuto wrote:
>
> > Bob: I may have a lot of software for it, if I can find the tapes and
> they
> > are still readable. I even got hold of their secret C compiler port.
> >
>
>