PDP-8 clone built by Canadian company Consolidated Computer Inc

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I am trying to locate documentation on the PDP-8 clone built by Canadian 
company Consolidated Computer Inc (Mers Kutt) in the mid 1970's.
An example exists in the UK and will be restored when more data than just the 
system can be found.
Rod Smallwood - digital equipment corporation 1975-1985

PDP-11/34 CPU PROMS

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

 Jerry Walker and I have an 11/34 under restoration.

We have run into a bit of a problem.

On the M8266 CPU control board a defective 7404 (E111) has killed a 
bunch of the PROMs holding the microcode.


Does anybody have or can get images of the PROMs on this board so 
replacement devices an be programmed.


Rod

Re: PDP-11/34 CPU PROMS

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

 Thank you all for your kind and quick replies.

I am sure somebody will come up with the actual images either the 
original files or derived from what we have.


As the key to the function of the 11/34 CPU their addition to the body 
of informatio they will be of imense benefit to us all.


Rod


On 09/02/2022 14:02, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote:

 >>> On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 6:18 PM Rod Smallwood wrote:

 >>> On the M8266 CPU control board a defective 7404 (E111) has killed a
 >>> bunch of the PROMs holding the microcode.

That's pretty astonishing; I've heard of PROMs dropping bits over time, but
I'm a bit amazed to hear of a failure in a TTL gate (the 74S04 is a hex
inverter; its gates are on pg. 7 of the M8266 prints - they produce uPC03-08)
taking out a bunch of other gates connected to it.


 >> On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 7:04 PM Warner Losh  wrote:

 >> I found
 >> 
https://deramp.com/downloads/mfe_archive/011-Digital%20Equipment%20Corporation/08%20PDP-11/01%20PDP-1104-1134/05%20PDP-1104-1134%20Microcode/
 >> which has the source code...
 >>
 >> But I couldn't find the tools to use these files to create microcode
 >> images.

Actually, the "m8266_ucode.v.txt" there seems to actually be the program that
produced the symbolic dump (which is also available at:

   http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/1134/m8266_ucode.out.txt)

It looks like the program is in VHDL or something like that, but it doesn't
seem to have the actual microcode (was it stored/defined in another VHDL
file?); that raises the question of where the actual microcode that it was
dumping was.

It might be worth inquiring of Mike Douglas (he runs the DeRamp site) to find
out where the files in "mfe_archive" came from; perhaps the source has, or
knows of, the file which "m8266_ucode.out.txt" was a symbolic dump of - maybe
from a complete KD11-EA simulation in VHDL?

If that's not possible,it would be trivial to extract the PROM contents
(well, partial contents - see below) from the "m8266_ucode.out.txt" file;
each uword entry starts with the lines:

   * PDP-11/34a micro code word for MPC = 000 *
   (MSB is left, indented fields generated by expansion ROMs)
   micro word =  0111 1100  1100 1000 1010 0001   1110 

from ROM: E105 E103 E104 E100 E98  E97  E99  E106 E107 E108 E109 
E110

The address of each uword is the "MPC = xxx" line; the contents of the 12
PROMs, at that address, are given on the "micro word = " line (the
PROMs are 4 bits wide).

If someone explained what format they needed as input for burning new PROMs,
I could easily (like an hour) write a small portable program (using StdIO
only, so it could be compiled and run on _anything_) that read that file in,
and spat out the 12 PROM files. (Most of the dump could be ignored - all the
data that's needed is in that one line.)


BUT (and this is why it would be good to get back to the source of that file),
that's not a complete M8266 ucode PROM dump.

The KD11-EA has a uword address space 1 bit larger than the KD11-E - almost
certainly to support floating point instructions; the KD11-EA adds 'uPC 09'
(although looking its source at the top of pg. 7 of the prints, I don't quite
grok how it is generated - maybe it's fed back through J2 from the FP11-A when
one is plugged in). Anyway, uword addresses run up to 02000 in the KD11-EA,
and the last uword in that dump is 0777.

Interestingly, according to the flow charts of the 'basic' KD11-E/EA ucode in
the prints (indexed and annotated here:

   https://gunkies.org/wiki/KD11-E/EA_microcode

in full), they stop at 0757 - but the dump (in "m8266_ucode.out.txt")
contains uwords that are 'supposed' to be blank (per the flow charts),
as well as above 0757.

So that dump must have been prepared from a copy of the 'new' KD11-EA PROMs -
the ones including the floating point ucode. (Note that the FP11-A _also_
contains ucode, intended to control the stuff on the FP11-A; but the floating
point instructions _also_ use the KD11-A for some stuff - e.g. fetching
operands from main memory. Only the ucode address space is shared.)


 > From: Warner Losh

 > There's a small chance that the tools.tar.gz link on
 > http://www.ak6dn.com/PDP-11/M9312/ has these, but that's for a
 > different module so who knows.

Right, a _completely_ different card - a boot PROM, not a CPU; totally
un-related - and by a different person (Don North).

But just for completeness, I looked in "tools.tar.gz", and it's just
bootstrap PROM stuff.

Noel

Re: PDP-11/34 CPU PROMS

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    We have narrowed the problem down.

Its the instruction decode ROM's that are the issue.

The images of those are whats needed.

Regards Rod


On 09/02/2022 23:14, Sytse van Slooten via cctalk wrote:

On Tue, Feb 8, 2022 at 7:04 PM Warner Losh  wrote:
I found
https://deramp.com/downloads/mfe_archive/011-Digital%20Equipment%20Corporation/08%20PDP-11/01%20PDP-1104-1134/05%20PDP-1104-1134%20Microcode/
which has the source code...

But I couldn't find the tools to use these files to create microcode
images.

Actually, the "m8266_ucode.v.txt" there seems to actually be the program that
produced the symbolic dump (which is also available at:

  http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/1134/m8266_ucode.out.txt)

It looks like the program is in VHDL or something like that, but it doesn't
seem to have the actual microcode (was it stored/defined in another VHDL
file?); that raises the question of where the actual microcode that it was
dumping was.

It's Verilog (the 'other' hardware language besides VHDL), and indeed the rom 
images are in other files/modules - in some kind of straight binary format, I'd 
guess.

I'm properly intrigued why someone would choose to do this - which seems to be 
mostly listing the microcode in a readable format - in Verilog. Unless of 
course it would be with a long term goal of using that microcode in an emulator 
that is sufficiently like a 'real' 11/34 to run it unchanged. I wonder if that 
is the case, and what became of the project - since the files are from 2014, 
it's probably safe to assume it got stuck somewhere along the way.

Somewhere way down on my list of things to explore is something similar but 
then for the 11/70 - to make a vhdl version that is microcode compatible with 
the original, unlike the current pdp2011 that's 'only' functionally compatible. 
And this is about exactly the same way I would start - except I don't have the 
'70 rom images yet... If anyone has them and is willing to share, drop me a 
note ;-)

Cheers
Sytse

Installing an operating system on an 11/83

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  I have built an 11/83 in a BA23 box.

  It has a KDJ-11B, 2mB PMI memory, an RQDX3 with an RX50 attached,

Plus a CMD CQD 220A Disk controller with a digital RH18A 2Gig SCSI drive 
attached.


Diag sees drive as RA82.

It boots and runs the diag disk and XXDP+ just fine.

I do not have install distributions for any of the 11/83 operating systems.

Daily driver system is a Windows 10 PC.

So how do I install an operating system?

Suggestions please.

Thanks

Rod

Re: Installing an operating system on an 11/83

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 22/02/2022 02:35, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:

   It has a KDJ-11B, 2mB PMI memory, an RQDX3 with an RX50 attached,

Plus a CMD CQD 220A Disk controller with a digital RH18A 2Gig SCSI 
drive attached.


Hm, that's an interesting setup. If it has two MCSP controllers then 
one of them is at an alternate address. I never really worked out how 
to run a system with an RQDX3+Second controller to get the floppies 
working and the hard disk working so hm.


That said, one option is to find a friendly person, send them an RD54 
and have them copy a sysgen onto it. Another option is to get one of 
Dave G's MFM emulators, download an RD54 image of the OS in question, 
transfer it to the real disk then go. Or just plug Dave's emulator 
into the 11/83 and run with it.


Yeah, that's a simple option.

For myself I run a 600mb ESDI drive on an MTI controller that I built 
off an RL02 image which I uploaded via serial link to a real RL02. To 
keep me from doing this again I backed up my system to a TK70, and 
have the BRU boot floppy set up on an RX01. Simple restores are nice.


C



Yes that's right they are at different addresses as per the manual

Rod

Re: Installing an operating system on an 11/83

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 22/02/2022 00:55, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, Feb 21, 2022, 4:32 PM Rod Smallwood via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


Hi

I have built an 11/83 in a BA23 box.

It has a KDJ-11B, 2mB PMI memory, an RQDX3 with an RX50 attached,

Plus a CMD CQD 220A Disk controller with a digital RH18A 2Gig SCSI drive
attached.

Diag sees drive as RA82.

It boots and runs the diag disk and XXDP+ just fine.

I do not have install distributions for any of the 11/83 operating systems.

Daily driver system is a Windows 10 PC.

So how do I install an operating system?

Suggestions please.

Thanks

Rod


Is the PC old enough to still have PCI slots? If it is, one option would be
to pick up a cheap PCI SCSI controller, e.g. an AHA-2940, that you can use
to write disk images to a SCSI hard drive. Then use SIMH to create disk
images of an OS of interest that can then be dumped to the SCSI hard drive.
Or pick up a SCSI2SD device to use with the CMD CQD-220A instead of a SCSI
disk drive. Then copy disk images created using SIMH on the PC to an SD
card.

Is the CQD-220A a /TM version, or an /E version? If it's a /TM version you
could also pick up a cheap SCSI tape drive, and create installation tapes
for RSTS/E or 2.11BSD and boot from those to install on a SCSI hard drive.
I've done that a few times just for the heck of installing from tape. If
you have the /E version (or /T/M version) instead of the /TM version you
can do either MSCP or TMSCP,  but not both at the same time.

For RT-11, that is small enough it wouldn't be difficult to install from
RX-50 disks, if you had a means to create disks from images.


Exactly, the best solution is an RX50 distribution.

I have never seen one or a way of making one.

If you have a PDP-11 with an RX50 then you would need one.

Rod

Re: Installing an operating system on an 11/83

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 22/02/2022 00:32, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

Hi

  I have built an 11/83 in a BA23 box.

  It has a KDJ-11B, 2mB PMI memory, an RQDX3 with an RX50 attached,

Plus a CMD CQD 220A Disk controller with a digital RH18A 2Gig SCSI 
drive attached.


Diag sees drive as RA82.

It boots and runs the diag disk and XXDP+ just fine.

I do not have install distributions for any of the 11/83 operating 
systems.


Daily driver system is a Windows 10 PC.

So how do I install an operating system?

Suggestions please.

Thanks

Rod



I have been doing a lot of digging.

Its possible there was a MicroRSX on RX50

I'm looking for images.

Rod

Installing an operating system on the 11/83 - update.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi All

  I did find some RX50 images of the MicroRSX distribution.

 So I fired up my DEC Celebris FX. It runs W95 and has a 3.5 inch 
floppy, a real RX33 5.25 inch drive and a CD-R.


   Its accessible on my network so getting files onto it is not a problem.

    So install putR.com , and transfer the image files.

    Huh! putR says the RX50 disk is write protected. Its not and the 
drive works normally with the disk from the MS DOS prompt.


     So much for putR writes RX50's on RX33!

    Rod

Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 89, Issue 21

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I'm sure that will work. Unfortunatly dd is a linux command.

I only have windows PC's.

simH is highly complex and needs a lot of setup. ( I know - I tried - 
total nightmare)


It does not have support for the CMD CDD 220 SCSI controller and a RH-18A

I have a working 11/83 with a 2gig SCSI drive and RX50.(it passes the 
diags and boots XXDP+)


None of the methods suggested so far gets me an RX50 bootable OS install 
set.


Latest fail.. putR does not as claimed write disk images to a real RX50 
under W95. (write protect error)


The SCSI25D costs  $150 US in the UK.

So the  simple requirement to copy an RX50 disk image (which I have) to 
an RX50 remains.


Rod





On 22/02/2022 19:27, Adam Thornton via cctalk wrote:

The 11/83 question sounds like a job for SCSI2SD to me.  Install a system
with simh.  dd the resulting disk image to your sd card.  Hook the SCSI2SD
up to your 11/83 and boot from the card.  Copy the contents of that drive
to your real SCSI drive.  Done.

SCSI2SD cards are not expensive and are a tremendous value for money.

Re: Installing an operating system on the 11/83 - update.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 22/02/2022 16:20, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

Hi All

  I did find some RX50 images of the MicroRSX distribution.

 So I fired up my DEC Celebris FX. It runs W95 and has a 3.5 inch 
floppy, a real RX33 5.25 inch drive and a CD-R.


   Its accessible on my network so getting files onto it is not a 
problem.


    So install putR.com , and transfer the image files.

    Huh! putR says the RX50 disk is write protected. Its not and the 
drive works normally with the disk from the MS DOS prompt.


     So much for putR writes RX50's on RX33!

    Rod


So to sum up I have yet to find a tried and tested way to write a RX50 
disk image to an RX50 disk on a W95 PC with a 5.25 inch drive.


Rod

Re: cctalk Digest, Vol 89, Issue 21

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 22/02/2022 23:16, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:

On Tue, Feb 22, 2022 at 2:20 PM Rod Smallwood via cctalk
 wrote:

I'm sure that will work. Unfortunatly dd is a linux command.

I only have windows PC's.


You never answered if you have a SCSI controller in your PC, or have
the ability to add a SCSI controller to your PC. If you don't, the
whole discussion of using 'dd' or equivalent is moo.



simH is highly complex and needs a lot of setup. ( I know - I tried -
total nightmare)


If you think setting up and using SIMH is highly complex, wait until
you find out how complex setting up and using real PDP-11 hardware is.



It does not have support for the CMD CDD 220 SCSI controller and a RH-18A


Huh? SIMH emulates MSCP controllers and attached disks of arbitrary
size just fine.


PDP hardware setup ? Well I worked for digital between 1975 and 1985.

R

11/83 operating system load update -2

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

   Well I have had a huge response to my request.

I am unsure as to if I have defined the problem properly.

So a few bullet points.

1. The objective is to copy RX50 disk images (*.dsk format) to genuine 
DEC RX50 disks.


2. The PC I want to use is a DEC Celeibris FX ie the PC and its W95 
software is as supplied by DEC.


3. It has an RX33 5.25 inch floppy drive.

4. The RX33 _*is*_ capable of  reading and writing RX50 disks.

5.  putR was supposed to be able to do this. It does not.

6.  All that is lacking is the right utility.

7. Doing this does not need any disks other than RX50's.

8. Linux in any of its myriad of forms is not the answer.

9. simH is good at what it does but of no use here

10.  Its just a W95 utility program to copy an RX50 disk image to an 
RX50 disk on an RX33 drive on a DEC PC.


11. So whats it called? Does it work  given the above situation?

Rod

11/83 OS load - problem solved.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

 Well I now have a full set of DEC orignal MicroRSX RX50 
distribution disks.


An old friend who I worked with at DEC had kept his install go bag and 
there they where. Not only that they are good and do boot.


Its not over, RT-11 would be a better fit so I'm looking at that.

Rod

Re: 11/83 operating system load update -2

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I already have a Linux system (Ubuntu v20) the problem is

I have no hardware that would run Linux and has a floppy controller.

However thats no longer a problem as I have obtained a full original 
MicroRSX distribution on RX50.


But thats not the end of the story.  RT-11 is next

R


On 24/02/2022 08:35, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

On Wed, 23 Feb 2022 at 15:50, Paul Koning via cctalk
 wrote:

I think you're unnecessarily limiting your options by refusing to use Linux, 
which as we've pointed out is something you can do on your existing PC without 
overwriting the OS that is on it now.

I agree. The same thought crossed my mind, in fact.

A small distro such as Slax – https://www.slax.org/ – would fit onto a
single CD-ROM, boot and run entirely from that disk and does not need
to touch the hard disk.

If the machine has a DVD-ROM, then a larger distro such as PC Linux OS
will do the job too. No installation needed.

https://www.pclinuxos.com/

Re: 11/83 operating system load update -2

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

MicroRSX V1

Partitions - YIK - DU.SYS gets you 8 . SYSGEN more.

I have no MFM drives and loads of SCSI.

How much of a drive gets used - IDC

R



On 24/02/2022 11:19, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:

What version of MicroRSX?

Remember RT11 has a limit of 33mb disk partitions, might want to just 
get 30mb MFM drives and run it off the RQDX3


C

On 2/24/2022 5:13 AM, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

I already have a Linux system (Ubuntu v20) the problem is

I have no hardware that would run Linux and has a floppy controller.

However thats no longer a problem as I have obtained a full original 
MicroRSX distribution on RX50.


But thats not the end of the story.  RT-11 is next

R


On 24/02/2022 08:35, Liam Proven via cctalk wrote:

On Wed, 23 Feb 2022 at 15:50, Paul Koning via cctalk
 wrote:
I think you're unnecessarily limiting your options by refusing to 
use Linux, which as we've pointed out is something you can do on 
your existing PC without overwriting the OS that is on it now.

I agree. The same thought crossed my mind, in fact.

A small distro such as Slax – https://www.slax.org/ – would fit onto a
single CD-ROM, boot and run entirely from that disk and does not need
to touch the hard disk.

If the machine has a DVD-ROM, then a larger distro such as PC Linux OS
will do the job too. No installation needed.

https://www.pclinuxos.com/

RQDX3/RD31/RX50 jumpers

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  Is the correct setting:

   1. DS1 on the RD31 and the RX50's move up to DU1 and DU2.

   2. DS3 on the RD31 and the RX50's are DU0 and DU1

I've tried both and it still  tries to access the RD31 and the RX50 at 
the same time.


Its on a standrd BA23

R

Front Panels

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  I've just done an inventory and I have the following stock

   PDP-8/e Type A  Qty 4

    PDP-8/e Type  B Qty 5

    PDP-8/f   Qty 4

 PDP-8/i   Qty 8

 New production may not be for a while.


Rod Smallwood

pdp-8/i lamp board

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  I have a running stripboard prototype of a full size 8i lamp 
board to go with my 8i front panels.


 It uses the PiDP-8 software with Oscars agreement and encouragement.

    There are no mods needed just plug in a Raspberry Pi running Oscars 
version of SimH and it runs.


 PCB layout nearly complete and yes I know about the need for 
switches.


  It runs from a terminal just fine for now.

    YouTube Link here

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3HM0kjZ7_NA

Rod (panelman)

Re: If C is so evil why is it so successful?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 12/04/2017 16:08, Norman Jaffe via cctalk wrote:

Assembler is a sports car kit.

From: "cctalk" 
To: "cctalk" 
Cc: j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Sent: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 7:57:07 AM
Subject: Re: If C is so evil why is it so successful?


From: Alfred M. Szmidt
No even the following program:
int main (void) { return 0; }
is guaranteed to work

I'm missing something: why not?

Noel

PS: There probably is something to the sports car analogy, but I'm not going
to take a position on that one! :-) Interesting side-question though: is
assembler more or less like a sports car than C? :-)
All computer computer languages are only as good or bad as the person 
using them.


Rod

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darkness and light

Re: Remex Tape Reader - Pre-power up advice?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

There are what appear to be 1976 date codes on some caps.

If its that old then replace all and any electrolytic capacitors plus 
any paper based caps.


If they aint bad now they soon will be.


Rod Smallwood



On 16/04/2017 22:45, Anders Nelson via cctalk wrote:

Thanks for the tips, I think I'll replace the caps first as I don't own a
variac. I'd rather not damage anything in case the foil in those caps have
shorted upon application of full power.

=]

--
Anders Nelson

+1 (517) 775-6129

www.erogear.com

On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 12:02 PM, Pete Lancashire 
wrote:


I would first be more concerned with the ones I've circled

https://goo.gl/photos/jweLs4meE2to3mom8

Guessing this guy was built > 30-40 years ago. If it was mine I would
replace all the smaller ones.

Get it over and done with.

The ones that have screws, you can take the chance of putting a scope
across them (watch out if they are floating !!) and look at the ripple, I
any over say 2%, they are more than likely bad, but you can see if the
reform or not. More then a couple % and you can damage things.

Other things I do

Check the voltages quickly

Check the thermal grease on all the heat sinks.

-pete

PS keep your eyes open from replacement lamps.






On Sun, Apr 16, 2017 at 11:28 AM, Anders Nelson via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


Hi guys,

I recently impulse-bought a paper tape reader from eBay, a Remex
RRS6500BE1/660/DRB/U901

Link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/292050475397

Pictures: https://goo.gl/photos/Wa3W7mtTwwuTczUV7

It has several enormous capacitors in it and I want to do my due diligence
before powering it up. Does anyone have advice in this regard? I'm
competent in soldering and rework of all sorts but definitely more in
digital than analog.

Also the spindles squeak very slightly - are they oilable?

In general it looks to be in pristine condition; no dust and no
magic-smoke
smell. The only repair item I can find is a sticking tape roller and
gentle
bending oughta solve that.

I await your thoughts!
--
Anders Nelson

+1 (517) 775-6129

www.erogear.com




--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: 8i front panel hmm

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 08/05/2017 21:37, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, 8 May 2017, Adrian Stoness via cctalk wrote:

so anyone thats recalls i found a crushed pdp 8i last yr

So, anyone that recalls that I found a crushed PDP 8i last year,

on friday i was back at the Sean and found the panel in paces actualy 
found
On Friday, I was back at the scene and found the panel in ?, 
actually found



parts of two of them. one was painted the other was layers of vynal.

parts of two of them.  One was painted, the other was layers of vinyl.

All my reproduction 8/i panels are based on an original silk screened panel.
The vinyl one interests me!!

Rod Smallwood

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: BBS software for the PDP 11

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 18/05/2017 04:58, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

On May 17, 2017, at 5:45 PM, devin davison via cctalk  
wrote:

I have both a pdp 11/34 and 11/23 and am trying to find some bbs software
to run. Preferably something that will run under an os and not monopolize
the whole machine.

Any suggestions? i have not had much luck finding anything.

--Devin

There may be something for RSTS/E.  That seems like the OS most likely to have 
such software.  You might also find some old UNIX source code that might 
compile on BSD2.11.

Zane




I ran Fido on a DEC Rainbow in the early 80's.
Almost all of the BBS's were on PC's and accessed by telephone dial up.
Mail was sent by toll free zone hopping.

It was purely an amateur hobby thing.

The mini and mainframe world was too much of an expensive place for the 
happy hobby hacker!!

Hence little or nothing by way of BBS's on PDP-11 and above.

Rod Smallwood


Rod Small

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: BBS software for the PDP 11

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 18/05/2017 06:26, John Wilson via cctalk wrote:

On Wed, May 17, 2017 at 08:45:39PM -0400, devin davison via cctalk wrote:

I have both a pdp 11/34 and 11/23 and am trying to find some bbs software
to run. Preferably something that will run under an os and not monopolize
the whole machine.

A krillion years ago I wrote about half of a BBS for my 11/34a, which
ran (as an RTS) under RSTS V7.0-07.  I'd love to finish it ...

John Wilson
D Bit

So whats stopping you?

Rod

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: BBS software for the PDP 11

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 18/05/2017 14:45, william degnan via cctalk wrote:



There may have been Rainbow BBS programs, but I doubt anything for the

11/34.  You may have to write this.


That reminds me of a bit of obscure trivia...

Back in the early days of FidoNet, one or more of the Fido BBS sysops had
DEC Rainbows.  The machines could run Fido just fine, but the serial port
address/port didn't follow the convention laid down by the IBM PC.  At the
time, there were other MS-DOS compatibles that also had a similar issue
with the serial port and some of those folks wanted to run Fido.

Tom Jennings, Wynn Waggoner III(sp?) and Thom Henderson(sp?) got together
to create the FOSSIL standard.

FOSSIL is Fido Opus Seadog Serial Interface Layer and provided a mechanism
via INT 14 for any MS-DOS compatible computer to run any BBS or mailer
software that had FOSSIL support and a FOSSIL driver available for it.

FOSSIL continued to be a thing long after the issue of serial port
incompatibility was a thing of the past.  In fact there's modern software
out there now such as NetFossil that telnet-enables software that can talk
to a FOSSIL driver.

The two popular FOSSIL drivers that I recall from back in the day were BNU
and Ray Gwinn's X00.

As an aside, if anyone has or knows where I can find the source code for
Opus BBS, I'd be interested in hearing from you!




That's what I was thinking.  I have some FidoNET files and mail from the
Rainbow.  My guess the BBS would have been written in Pascal or C if for
the Rainbow (guess only) so if you wanted to attempt to port, after you
find a Rainbow BBS?  I'd start with a Rainbow BBS disassembly/decompile and
see if you can convert to the PDP 11 running the same language/compile it.
Tom wrote it in C .Lattice I think. He lost most of the source in a disk 
crash some years back.

I may a copy of the run time version on one of my Rainbows.

Rod

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Front Panels

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi All

Whilst I do have a reasonable stock of panels.

The prospect of getting more made is doubtful as my silk screen people 
are more interested in T-shirts.


As demand is low I might level the quantities out via ebay.


Rod Smallwood



--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darkness and light

Front Panels - Follow up

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

We are ok for now but for future and as yet not designed panels I 
can still draw them. (I'm old but not that old)


However with modern technology there has to be a multi-pass printer that 
can print on perspex (plexiglass) and closely simulate silk screening


My goal is to be able to keep a stock of blanks and print to order.

Could everybody keep an eye open for such devices (exclude those with 
excessive price tags and silly ink costs)


Rod

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Just a bit too far for me. But there are a few questions I'd like answering.

For example there was the time I was working for the Terminals Product 
Line and was over in the US


I walked into the building one morning at Marlboro to find that the 
Product Line Manager (Bill Chalmers) and a lot of the staff had jumped 
ship overnight and gone to Centronics.


The place was empty!!

Rod Smallwood



On 13/06/2017 22:40, Mark Kahrs via cctalk wrote:

In case you hadn't heard, the DEC archives at CHM are available and here's
the PDF:

http://archive.computerhistory.org/resources/access/text/finding-aids/102733963-DEC/102733963-DEC.pdf

Now, I wonder if it has Firefly docs...


--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 14/06/2017 18:54, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:


On 6/14/17 7:27 AM, Toby Thain via cctalk wrote:

A thousand boxes are not at all accessible.

They are trivial to access. You just have to cart your lazy asses to Fremont.



About 8000 miles from here!
Rod

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 15/06/2017 07:59, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote:

On 2017-06-14 19:54, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:



On 6/14/17 7:27 AM, Toby Thain via cctalk wrote:

A thousand boxes are not at all accessible.


They are trivial to access. You just have to cart your lazy asses to 
Fremont.


I probably will take exactly that route ;-)

But seriously, does it make sense to got there for few days, and 
support somebody in scanning the material?


I understand, that in few days we can't scan all, but it is a start?

From these distant shores it strikes me that with that amount of 
material a Scanning Squad should be sent to set up a production line.

Fetchers, Scanners and Returners on at least three stations for a start.

Rod Smallwood 45083


--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 15/06/2017 16:19, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

There are no plans or budget to scan this material en mass, so it wouldn't make
sense for anyone to come here assuming they would be allowed to do that.

If you look at the actual museum policy on copying material in the collection,
it is done on demand by staff at 50 cents per page.


On 6/14/17 11:59 PM, emanuel stiebler wrote:


But seriously, does it make sense to got there for few days, and support 
somebody in scanning the material?

I understand, that in few days we can't scan all, but it is a start?


Oh Dear Al what are you doing!

That is a really negative statement. You are protecting nothing.
As an ex-DEC employee I can tell you that that would annoy so many 
people to whom the information relates.
DEC was a world wide company and there must be world wide access to the 
information.

This material must be made available a widely as possible.
For God's sake man scanning is the one thing that will preserve the 
originals from future handling.


Stop this Policy and Budget nonsense and accept gracefully the help you 
have been offered.


Rod Smallwood 45083 Digital Equipment Corporation 1975 - 1985

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC Archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 15/06/2017 23:01, Lyle Bickley via cctalk wrote:

On Tue, 13 Jun 2017 11:42:18 -0700
Lyle Bickley  wrote:

Note: This is a re-post - as my last post didn't seem to make it to
cctalk...

--snip--


I have personally reviewed several boxes of the DEC archives - and
they are a terrific asset in understanding both DEC's business
successes and failures, engineering prowess and bad decisions, etc.

Al and others have discussed on cctalk the implications and
cost of publishing the CHM's massive DEC archives. It would be a huge
undertaking - but if the funding were available, it could be done.

In the past, I personally funded the CHM scanning of all of the "Amateur
Computer Society's" newsletters. I did so because it was the "first"
hobby-centered computer publication*. (It was published from 1966-1976).

You can see the results (and download it) here:

http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102654910


My suggestion would be that if we want the DEC archives available, we
should prioritize what we find most valuable, pool our resources ($$$)
and fund the scanning of the documents incrementally based on priority.

One of the reasons I've personally been reviewing the DEC material is to
determine what, if any, scanning I might be willing to fund.

Regards,
Lyle

* And I was a member of the "Amateur Computer Society" :)



They may not have Xeroxed when they cataloged.
That would have been standard practice over here.
Had they done there would have been a secondary source to scan.
You would think computer people had heard of a backup.
I fear there's more enthusiasium

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 15/06/2017 23:55, Mark Linimon via cctalk wrote:

On Thu, Jun 15, 2017 at 03:17:33PM -0700, Curious Marc via cctalk wrote:

It would not qualify it as occasional volunteering though:

Well that's particularly what I was getting to: if some of us (e.g. myself)
were in Silicon Valley for a few days, could we be put to work, or would
having us underfoot just slow things down?

mcl
Now for a real practical use for the archives. As you know I make front 
panels for PDP-8's and 11's.
I have all the information I can find. Full drawing sets photos etc.  
However there are no detail drawings of the
individual panels by themselves.  For each panel there should be sets of 
drawings of the base panel with its cutouts, and

the artwork for each layer.
So for an 8/e you would have a drawing of the plexiglass blank (18.5" x 
8.25") with dimensions and positions of the cutouts,
One artwork for each of the Black, White, Terracotta and Yellow layers. 
Also manufacturing instructions and a parts list.
Although they are shown in the drawing sets of the systems there has to 
be more detail or they could not have been made.


I'm 5,800 miles away. Not a problem if they had been scanned. But a tad 
more difficult to go and look.

Look for what?  Any detail panel information for any system that had one.
If anybody is going there anyway. Please could they look for me.

Rod Smallwood.

--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Re: DEC archives

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 15/06/2017 19:27, Rich Alderson via cctalk wrote:

From: Rod Smallwood
Sent: Thursday, June 15, 2017 8:39 AM


Stop this Policy and Budget nonsense and accept gracefully the help you
have been offered.

You speak as if this were Al's personal decision and policy.  It is not.
Museums are expected to adhere to a set of standards of care for their
collections, which are formally set out by relevant bodies; see, for
example, the British and US pages at the following URLs:

British:  http://www.museumsassociation.org/museum-practice
US:   http://aam-us.org/resources/ethics-standards-and-best-practices

In order for this work to be done by volunteers, they first have to be
vetted, and their work must be overseen by a professional (which costs
those scarce funds).  It might be done by unpaid interns who already have
training in proper cataloguing and preservation techniques, but they also
would have to be overseen by a paid professional.

More things have been accidentally damaged or destroyed by enthusiastic
amateurs than have ever been preserved with proper provenance, cataloguing,
and care.

I realize that this will cut no ice with you, but CHM has a responsibility
beyond your happiness with respect to preserving this archive, and Al is
correct to point this out.

 Rich

Rich Alderson
Vintage Computing Sr. Systems Engineer
Living Computers: Museum + Labs
2245 1st Avenue S
Seattle, WA 98134

mailto:ri...@livingcomputers.org

http://www.LivingComputers.org/
That's the whole point scanning _will_ preserve the archive because it 
won't need to be handled.
They didn't even bother too make back up Xerox copies. You seem to imply 
they are professional.
No backup, 50cents a copy, obstruction of access and rejection of help.  
If this is Califonia


--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darknessand light

Panel Printing and appeal for information

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hello Guys!

Appeal for missing information:

As you know I make front panels for PDP-8's and 11's.
I have all the information I can find. Full drawing sets photos etc.  
However there are no detail drawings of the
individual panels by themselves.  For each panel there should be sets of 
drawings of the base panel with its cutouts, and

the artwork for each layer.
So for an 8/e you would have a drawing of the plexiglass blank (18.5" x 
8.25") with dimensions and positions of the cutouts,
One artwork for each of the Black, White, Terracotta and Amber layers. 
Also manufacturing instructions and a parts list.
Although they are shown as part of an assembly in the drawing sets of 
the systems there has to be more detail or they could not have been 
made.  The information must be out there. Has anybody got or seen the 
lost data?


Making new types of panel:

Having lost for now a way of getting panels made and looking to those I 
have not done I analyzed the process by which they had been made.


I also took into account I only need one offs and time is not really a 
problem.


Firstly panels are made from only a small number of basic size of blanks.

Secondly the range of colors is quite small.

The big problem is registration - printing to cut-outs and one color 
layer to another.


So I did what all engineers do with this kind of thing - designed a jig.

I'm going to use a bit of 1/4" (6mm) very flat steel plate about 3' 
square as the base.


There will be a hole in the exact centre of the sheet (you have to guess 
what that's for)


Next on top a 3mm sheet (one per blank shape) on steel dowels with a 
cutout the same size as a standard DEC blank for example (18.5 x 8.25)


Four pieces of aluminum angle to locate the aluminum printing frames and 
there you go.


Put blank in blank shaped hole.

Place frame on guides, print, remove frame and dry (lamp) or wait.

Go get next frame, print - wait etc.

Nothing moves and the frames get lined up by the guides.

Frames are all the same size.


Comments please


Rod




--
There is no wrong or right
Nor black and white.
Just darkness and light

Re: Fwd: pdp11/70 front panel

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Depends on condition.  A picture would be a good idea.

Rod Smallwood



On 08/07/2017 01:02, Paul via cctech wrote:


On Wednesday, July 5, 2017 at 8:10:48 PM UTC-5, Sandra Tiffin wrote:

I have one of these for sale, my late fiancé had it displayed in his
studio.

However, I have no idea of its value, so would appreciate input before I
list it on eBay (e.g. starting bid to list it at), or maybe someone here
would like to make an offer.

thanks!
Sandra

(It is located in Washington state, USA).



--
Wanted PDP-8/e CPU board set KK8E

Re: DEC terminal/PDP-8 aficionados needed

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 29/07/2017 22:21, Antonio Carlini via cctalk wrote:

On 29/07/17 17:26, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote:

So Antonio donated a whole bunch of VAX articles to the Computer History
wiki, with the result that many of the top items on the 'Wanted 
Pages' list:


   http://gunkies.org/wiki/Special:WantedPages

are now DEC terminals, and PDP-8's. I know we have a few aficionados 
of those

around - anyone up for helping to fill them in?


There's already a wiki that covers terminals at 
http://terminals-wiki.org/wiki/index.php/Main_Page. It also seems to 
cover at least some printers.


Would the simplest thing be to simply link to there for terminals?

Antonio


Well I joined DEC in 1975 as a terminals specialist.
 At that time there were the VT05, VT50 and VT52. VDU's  ASR33,LA30 and 
LA36 printing terminals.

I remember being shown the VT100 prototype and being totally blown away.
It was streets ahead of anything else and became the industry standard.

Rod Smallwood

--
Wanted PDP-8/e CPU board set KK8E

pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi List

 I looks like I have at last got a KK8-E CPU set to continue 
getting my 8/e back running again.


Rather than make mistakes first and ask for help later I thought I might 
ask advice first.


The system has a working rebuilt PSU with all of the caps reformed or 
replaced. Voltages are good.


There's 16k of core at the back with a terminator at the end.

Programmers console is in its slot. Bad bulbs (not LEDs)  have been replaced

Power up and all the lamps come on either bright or dim (off) except the 
RUN light.


So questions:

1. Should the run light glow dimly?

2. Are there any tests like resistance I can do on the CPU board set 
before inserting them in the correct front slots?


3. In the event the CPU set does not even do a simple write to and read 
from memory. Where do I start to look?


Thanks in advance guys


Rod Smallwood



--

pdp-8/e restoration the next step.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi Guys

Thanks for the info so far. Well I have moved on. I now have 
the minimum configuration.


Programmers console, M8300,M8310,M8320,M8330,M849 and 4k of core memory.

The M8320 is at the far end of the bus.

Well much as I feared I cant write to memory using Load Address , 
set data to 0001, lift DEP.


Then set address to  again and press EXAM. I should see the contents 
of MD with the selector switch set to MD. I don't.


I have checked the correct bus signals go low when the DEP switch is lifted.

This is so fundamental somebody must have come across it before.

I have a good Tek 475A scope available.

Answers please

Rod


--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi List!

  Movin right along.

 Programmers console now properly attached to light screening bar.

Front panel and bezel on. Needs a bit more work.

Not as secure or as straight as I would like.

Then there's the key lock problem.

Its in the off position and of course I don't have the key.

So I cant fit that just now.

Took power supply out. Changed mains cable as it was only a foot long.

Soldered to the circuit breaker was a factory standard would you believe.

Power supply back in. Connect up. Power on. Load address , press 
CLEAR and CONT.


Test program still in core. Started right up.

To-days task get the serial I/O going.

Rod in Restore Mode


.--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 06/08/2017 18:10, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote:

 > From: Ian S. King

 > Those keys are common across nearly all DEC machines prior to the ones
 > that started using plastic keys. XX2247 is the code.

Someone on eBait is selling replicas for not wholly unreasonable amounts of
money:

   http://www.ebay.com/itm/142118132040

Noel

Thank you Noel..
Rod

--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 07/08/2017 17:05, Philipp Hachtmann via cctalk wrote:

On 04.08.2017 09:24, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

Hi List

Hi Rod!

  I looks like I have at last got a KK8-E CPU set to continue 
getting my 8/e back running again.

It looks that you have one more set stored in my facility in Hannover!!!
I became feeling more and more bad about that. Then I forgot it again. 
Then I felt even more bad by not remembering WHOSE boards those are 
(because there is no "Rod Smallwood" written nowhere on the packet).

Now I have connected that again!

The system has a working rebuilt PSU with all of the caps reformed or 
replaced. Voltages are good.

Wow, I never did that. I always made a smoke test.


There's 16k of core at the back with a terminator at the end.

Not bad.

Power up and all the lamps come on either bright or dim (off) except 
the RUN light.

Sounds not so wrong.

2. Are there any tests like resistance I can do on the CPU board set 
before inserting them in the correct front slots?
There are no "correct" slots. Not for *any* of the boards. You can mix 
it up completely. Even the front panel could be omitted, doubled, or 
put into an expansion box.
BUT.. There actually IS a DEC recommended order, yes... And having the 
terminator board somehow at the end of the Omnibus seems to be a good 
idea.


3. In the event the CPU set does not even do a simple write to and 
read from memory. Where do I start to look?
At the schematics? Front panel (!), timing generator, major state 
registers.


The DEC stuff was designed quite wrong-insertion resistant. But:
There is just one MAJOR fault you HAVE TO AVOID: NEVER NEVER NEVER 
plug in the middle board of an RK8E controller upside down!!


I did it. Once. It leads to impressive fireworks on many boards.

Regards
Philipp


Its now running just fine.
Count test runs.
The second set of 4k core is in and checks out.
Async. board has just gone in and is running.
I'm getting output RS232 on my BOB  when the print test is toggled in 
and run.
So to-morrow connect up a terminal that will do 110 baud and try an echo 
test.


Next part is interesting. There should be a way to fake a reader / punch 
and feed in tape images.


Rod

--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 07/08/2017 22:52, Ian S. King via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, Aug 7, 2017 at 2:40 PM, Pete Turnbull via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


On 07/08/2017 18:37, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

So to-morrow connect up a terminal that will do 110 baud and try an echo

test.

Next part is interesting. There should be a way to fake a reader / punch
and feed in tape images.


There is.  Look on Kevin McQuiggin's site:
http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8/

In the section called "Software", about 1/3 of the way down, look for
send.c or better still new-send.c (I call it rsend, on my system).  You
might also find rim.c and the BIN loader useful.

They're also on my webpage, with the corresponding manpages:
http://www.dunnington.info/public/PDP-8/

That's the easiest place to get the manpages for rim.c, send.c, rsend.c.
Here's the gist (top parts of the manpages):

rim - create RIM-format file from ASCII addr/instr
   rim is a very simple converter.  It reads in a file containing two
   columns of ASCII digits; the first column is a list of addresses (in
   octal) and the second is a list of machine instructions (also octal).
   Output is a file suitable to feed to the RIM loader on a PDP-8.

send, rsend - send a file in RIM or BIN format to a PDP-8
   send and rsend are utilities to transmit a RIM format or BIN format
   file from a UNIX (or other) host to a PDP-8 over a serial line.  The
   PDP-8 should be running the RIM loader routine prior to starting
   either of these programs.
   Input should be a file in RIM format or BIN format.  Output goes to
   the host serial port, which should be connected via appropriate cable
   to the PDP-8.
   send is a simple version, with built-in serial port settings and a
   fixed delay between characters.  rsend is more sophisticated; it can
   be controlled by command-line options or environment variables, and
   can accept input on stdin.

On a Unix (or Linux etc) machine you can pipe the output from rim to
rsend, and if you're using papertape images (of which there are load on the
net), rsend can strip the headers for you.

--
Pete
Pete Turnbull


Once upon a time I wrote a Python program to stand in for an ASR-33,
providing both a terminal session and a papertape image reader/punch.
N.B.: much PDP-8 software likes 7E1, but PTR/PTP is 8N1.  ISTR that even
when I fiddled with SLU settings, I couldn't get away from 7E1 for some of
the diagnostics.  Of course, I've slept since then.  -- Ian


Thank you that's interesting.
So far to-day I hooked up a three wire RS232 connection to an old Compaq 
notebook and ran msk315 (kermit)

Next SET BAUD 110
Then toggle in the print test on the 8/e.
Yup prints the character set on the notebook
Then echo test - nope.
The M8650 probably needs DTR or whatever.
Three wires was a bit cheeky I guess
In the hardware docs for the 8/e there's a load of info about the 8650.
I'll go read that.

One other thing - I have a working TU58.
The two cassette drives in a box type with serial interface.
Now the pdp-8/e DECTapes were also called TU58.
The M8650 is on the list of what you can connect it to.
So does the one substitute for the other and raise the possibility of 
booting from tape?


Rod

--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: pdp-8/e restoration.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 08/08/2017 00:01, Josh Dersch via cctalk wrote:

On 8/7/2017 3:50 PM, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:




On 07/08/2017 22:52, Ian S. King via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, Aug 7, 2017 at 2:40 PM, Pete Turnbull via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


On 07/08/2017 18:37, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

So to-morrow connect up a terminal that will do 110 baud and try an 
echo

test.

Next part is interesting. There should be a way to fake a reader / 
punch

and feed in tape images.


There is.  Look on Kevin McQuiggin's site:
http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8/

In the section called "Software", about 1/3 of the way down, look for
send.c or better still new-send.c (I call it rsend, on my system).  
You

might also find rim.c and the BIN loader useful.

They're also on my webpage, with the corresponding manpages:
http://www.dunnington.info/public/PDP-8/

That's the easiest place to get the manpages for rim.c, send.c, 
rsend.c.

Here's the gist (top parts of the manpages):

rim - create RIM-format file from ASCII addr/instr
   rim is a very simple converter.  It reads in a file containing two
   columns of ASCII digits; the first column is a list of addresses 
(in
   octal) and the second is a list of machine instructions (also 
octal).

   Output is a file suitable to feed to the RIM loader on a PDP-8.

send, rsend - send a file in RIM or BIN format to a PDP-8
   send and rsend are utilities to transmit a RIM format or BIN format
   file from a UNIX (or other) host to a PDP-8 over a serial line.  
The

   PDP-8 should be running the RIM loader routine prior to starting
   either of these programs.
   Input should be a file in RIM format or BIN format. Output goes to
   the host serial port, which should be connected via appropriate 
cable

   to the PDP-8.
   send is a simple version, with built-in serial port settings and a
   fixed delay between characters.  rsend is more sophisticated; it 
can

   be controlled by command-line options or environment variables, and
   can accept input on stdin.

On a Unix (or Linux etc) machine you can pipe the output from rim to
rsend, and if you're using papertape images (of which there are 
load on the

net), rsend can strip the headers for you.

--
Pete
Pete Turnbull


Once upon a time I wrote a Python program to stand in for an ASR-33,
providing both a terminal session and a papertape image reader/punch.
N.B.: much PDP-8 software likes 7E1, but PTR/PTP is 8N1.  ISTR that 
even
when I fiddled with SLU settings, I couldn't get away from 7E1 for 
some of

the diagnostics.  Of course, I've slept since then.  -- Ian


Thank you that's interesting.
So far to-day I hooked up a three wire RS232 connection to an old 
Compaq notebook and ran msk315 (kermit)

Next SET BAUD 110
Then toggle in the print test on the 8/e.
Yup prints the character set on the notebook
Then echo test - nope.
The M8650 probably needs DTR or whatever.
Three wires was a bit cheeky I guess
In the hardware docs for the 8/e there's a load of info about the 8650.
I'll go read that.


Three wires should be enough, no DTR necessary.  Double-check your 
wiring and the jumpering on the M8650.




One other thing - I have a working TU58.
The two cassette drives in a box type with serial interface.
Now the pdp-8/e DECTapes were also called TU58.


The typical DECtapes used with the PDP-8 were TU56's, a completely 
different (and much more rare) beast.



The M8650 is on the list of what you can connect it to.
So does the one substitute for the other and raise the possibility of 
booting from tape?


No, they're not substitutes.  I'm not aware of any PDP-8 systems 
booting and running from a TU58, but I suppose it's not impossible. 
Mostly the problem with the TU58 at this point is that (a) the capstan 
rollers in your drives are most likely tar, and (b) the rubber parts 
in the tape itself have done the same, and (c) the tape itself 
probably isn't in great shape either.


- Josh



Rod




Mmm senior confusion.

Its a working TU58 - Restored including fixing the roller problem.
Runs on a PC OK.

Just fixed the echo test problem.
RS232 on M8650 needed a jumper E-M on board or plug.


So now to check out that  rim loader stuff.
Its in C but I can get round that problem.

Rod

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Booting OS/8

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

OK RX8 is in the pdp-8/e connected to the RX01. OS/8 floppy in drive.

All I need is the toggle in bootstrap and you never know.

Rod


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Re: Booting OS/8

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 08/08/2017 16:12, Josh Dersch via cctalk wrote:

On 8/8/2017 6:40 AM, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:


OK RX8 is in the pdp-8/e connected to the RX01. OS/8 floppy in drive.

All I need is the toggle in bootstrap and you never know.


It's the first hit on google for "RX01 bootstrap."

http://www.pdp8.net/interface/rx01_boot.shtml

- Josh



Rod





Thanks Josh
I put OS/8 bootstrap in
Rod

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Not Booting OS/8

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi List

Well not surprisingly it didn't. I keyed in the bootstrap and 
checked it a couple of times.


Pressing clear produced a healthy clonk from the RX01 (RX01's and 2's 
clonk a lot).


Pressing clear started the program but no activity from the drive.

So next move will be to try and see if we can read / write the registers 
on the controller card.


First find out what address they are at.

Rod


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Re: PDP-8I acrylic Front Panel

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 08/08/2017 21:43, Ray Neal via cctalk wrote:

Rod;

I'm looking for a PDP-8I acrylic Front Panel for my replica PDP-8I I'm
putting together.  I have a PCB board created by Vince and in between
Hospital stays I have been able to populate it.

The next step is to either locate a frame or to find manufacturing drawing
on the aluminum frame so I can make a wax male mold form to allow me to
cast the frame. As a last resort, if I can't find drawing or a frame, then
I will attempt to locate a PDP-8 that the owner will allow me to
disassemble, photograph & take measurements, then reassemble.

Using these I can then create the drawing to allow me to create the Wax
Mold Master.

As for the acrylic if you don't have a panel in stock and don't plan to
create a new order, would you consider placing the artwork into opening
source.  This will allow people such as myself the ability to take the
artwork to a silkscreen printer and have them create the screen prints to
allow for the print of a couple of panels. (When in doubt, creat a spare).

*Note*:  Not the cheapest way to obtain a Front Panel.

Thank you for your time and the work you have done on this project.

Respectfully;

Ray Neal

Hi Ray
   PDP-8/i front panels lots of stock.
I am also working on a replica of an 8/i.
I have a working version of Vince's board.
I also have a new X-Y addressed lamp (LED) PCB layout of my own.
Its designed to be driven by a Raspberry Pi running SIM H and a bunch of 
low cost I/O boards. (which I already have)

Just add switches and you have the basis of a working 8/i.

I already managed to make a cast resin copy of an 8/e bezel and plan to 
do the same for the 8/i.


Now here's the interesting bit.
There's clearly an opportunity for us to cooperate rather than duplicate.
I would be happy to send you a 8/i panel FOC  in exchange for some other 
component you may make.


I might venture to suggest the switch panel is an area as yet unaddressed.

What do you think?

Rod Smallwood  - rodsmallwoo...@btintenet.com





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RX8 M8357 Device address.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi Lis

It looks like RX8 SEL is not asserted due to the device address not 
being set up on the DIP switches.


Anybody know what they should be set to in terms of switch number, 
depressed/not depressed on side with numbers.


Rod


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Re: RX8 M8357 Device address.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 09/08/2017 17:31, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:

it is device code 75


http://homepage.divms.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/man/rx01.html


On 8/9/17 9:24 AM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:


On 8/9/17 9:23 AM, Josh Dersch wrote:


The manual I linked contains configuration details for the RX01, RX8E and RX11. 
 See page 2-10.


yea, just pulled the manual and realized that, sorry.







Thank you everybody I now have pulses on RX8 SEL.
With Brian's short program running I can check out the rest of the controller.

Rod

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Re: DEC Unibus, Omnibus and TTL Flip-Chips sought for!

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Interesting - Card reader, Plotter and display controller


Rod



On 11/08/2017 09:24, Mattis Lind via cctalk wrote:

Hello!

I am looking for the following boards if anyone have them available:

M829 / M8290 / M8291
M843
M842
M714
M716
A607
M701
M023
M704

/Mattis


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pdp-8/e restoration update.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi List

   Well I think I've found why the RX01 is not responding.

The device address (75) is not getting decoded on the controller because 
the CPU does not assert BUS I/O PAUSE L


Which it should do I think when it sees an IO instruction.

Do I have this right?

Rod Smallwood


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Re: DCC-116 E / DATA GENERAL NOVA 2/10 / Nixdorf 620 - Restoring and restarting

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Check the current



On 18/08/2017 18:25, Dominique Carlier via cctalk wrote:

Some news !

Following a risky way (but I did not see how to do otherwise), I 
deactivated the Power Fail by hiding the contact number 23 of the two 
power supplies.
The idea was to avoid automatic protection by lowering the regulated 
voltages (+5V and 15V) and see first which unit was involved (G1 or 
G2), and also which voltages became weak, at what level it is lowered, 
and according to which board (model or number of connected boards).


Results of the observations:
- This is definitely the regulated +5V of the G2 power supply. More I 
add boards more the + 5v level goes down. +5v, +4.8v, +3.6v, +2.9v. It 
remains stable however with just the CPU and the three core memory 
boards, it becomes difficult for the power supply when I add boards in 
addition to these.
- This is definitely not a problem at the level of the Power Fail 
circuit.

- The big capacitors are not in fault (I rechecked twice).
- So this maybe a problem at the level of the regulation itself, the 
+5V balancing system ?


Question: a faulty voltage regulator can behave in this way? I always 
thought it worked or it did not work, but not between the two states 
depending on the charge.


Anyway, suggestions are always welcome ;-)

PS : I'm starting to want to put another power supply for that 
regulated +5V, and bypass the +5V regulated of G2, but it would be a 
shame and not in the spirit of a restoration in my opinion.





 Forwarded Message 
Subject: Re: DCC-116 E / DATA GENERAL NOVA 2/10 / Nixdorf 620 - 
Restoring and restarting

Date: Wed, 16 Aug 2017 23:33:31 +0200
From: Dominique Carlier 
To: Christian Kennedy via cctalk 



Hi !

I finally find some time to work again on my D-116, try to find the
problem(s), thus principally at the level of PSUs.
As you suggested, I inspected particularly the large capacitors of both
power supplies. I replaced those that appeared suspicious according to
the results via my ESR meter, but note that this one is not supposed to
be able to verify the capacitors of more than 22000μF. I have also some
doubt about the results (capacitor working with a real charge or not).

Anyway, unfortunately the problem is still there. I don't know where to
search now. If I understand well, the two power supplies can cause a
Power Fail if one of the regulated voltages were out of range. At this
point I do not know which of the two is in fault, because when the Power
Fail is active the + 5V is automatically dropped around 1.5V.
Following the schematics I have focused my attention on the value of
some resistors with an important role in triggering this state (eg R18).
I found nothing abnormal, I checked all the capacitors, a large package
of resistances.

At this point what I know is that I can simultaneously connect the CPU
board and the three core memory boards without problem. If I add the
controller board for the removable hard disk drive or for the tape ->
Power Fail.
Interesting thing: if I connect only the CPU board and the disk
controller: Power Fail too. Maybe the PSU in default is the one that
supply the + 5V for the boards in the upper part of the rack? (slot 1
for the CPU, solt 4, 5 and 7 for the mem, slot 10 and 12 for tape and 
hdd)


I can provide pictures, schematics, ...

Regardless of this failure, I try to find information about what I could
install as an operating system on that big beast. If you have too any
ideas about that?

I would like to be able to do simple tasks such as managing files
(copying files from disk to tape and vice versa), being able to create
directories and sub directories, writing text, print on my drum printer,
programming in a simple language such as BASIC, and also, if I find a
communication board (on the CPU-board I don't found any trace of
components that evoke me an RS-232 interface), communicate with another
machine, print on a teletype ... Does this seem possible for you with
this type of machine? If yes, with which OS?

I took tons of pictures of the machine from all angles, I will post them
soon ;-)

Dominique




If I removes all the boards (printer, core memory, scanner, disk
controller, etc.), the Power Fail light eventually goes out, I get 
again

the 5VDC, so the power has become "too weak" to power the computer when
it is fully populated.

It's a switcher; look at the caps in the LC filter (downstream of the
series pass transistor) that, together with the inductor, form the
energy storage mechanism of the power supply; check the source supply as
well.  The fact that it eventually comes back suggests that the
reference, comparator and pass device are probably functioning.




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Re: DCC-116 E / DATA GENERAL NOVA 2/10 / Nixdorf 620 - Restoring and restarting

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Leaky Crowbar SCR?



On 19/08/2017 17:06, Jon Elson via cctalk wrote:

On 08/19/2017 03:17 AM, Dominique Carlier via cctalk wrote:

Hello Marc,

In fact no, i am not really sure, I checked twice all the
big filtering caps but as you with a low voltage tester.
These caps comes apparently from a new old stock and some
doubts persists now.
I admit, I don't know how to test these caps at rated
voltage with my tools or in situ with the caps inside the
working (and thus closed/packed/connected) PSUs


It could also be an open rectifier diode. The caps might
store enough charge to keep the regulator from dropping out
at light load, but the DC input sags under more load. You
could check for AC on the DC output when it starts to fail.
It could also be a fuse socket that has developed some
resistance, although when that gets bad, the heat causes the
fuse to fail. We had a Versatec printer that this would
happen to every 5 years or so. The fix was to clean the fuse
clip with the finest sandpaper available and put in a new
fuse (even if you caught it before the fuse blew.)

Jon


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EMA Links on a G104 Sense/Inhibit board

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Does anybody know how the EMA links should set on 4 x 4K G104 boards
For example
 EMA
    0 1 2

  Field 0    IN    IN   IN

  Field  1    ? ? ?

  Field  2    ? ? ?

  Field   3   ? ? ?


Rod Smallwood


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Re: Why women were the first computer programmers

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 24/08/2017 04:10, Brian Walenz via cctalk wrote:

On Wed, Aug 23, 2017 at 8:59 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk 
wrote:
"Nathan Ensmenger has observed"

he's written a whole book on the subject "The Computer Boys Take Over"
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/computer-boys-take-over



And:

"Recording Gender", Janet Abbate (also mentioned in the article)
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/recoding-gender

"Programmed Inequality", Marie Hicks
https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/programmed-inequality

b
Many of the first computers ie people who performed computations were 
indeed women.

Hence they knew the steps involved in proceeding from data to answer.
When it came time for computations to be performed by a machine it would 
be their job to get the machine to repeat what they did.


I am all for female equality (but not superiority)

The main reason for the unbalance is the same in all work situations.
Its called Maternal Dropout.
Women are genetically programmed to be mothers and child care specialists.
They have a built in urge to do so. So often expensive education or 
training is wasted by this compulsion.


They are just good at single simple or multi-step complex repeated tasks 
or multi tasking.
These are the main requirements for this vital job. They will all tell 
you that is the case


Once programming moved from formal analysis and form filling eg COBOL 
into an interactive creative activity requiring unitary focus women had 
to work much harder to compete.


Can women be good programmers. Certainly, but they are hampered by 
natural forces that they have to overcome.

Men just move into the vacuum caused by this situation.

Rod









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Rainbow Disk Imager

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  I have a bunch of .dsk RT11 400k image files I need to write to 
RX50 disks so I can boot from them on my 11/73


Somewhere there is a utility that will write the images to RX50 on a DEC 
Rainbow 100 under MS-DOS . Anybody know where to find it?


Rod



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Re: Rainbow Disk Imager

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Because I don't have any of those. I'm nearly all DEC here

Rod



On 14/09/2017 17:19, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

On Thu, 14 Sep 2017, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:
  I have a bunch of .dsk RT11 400k image files I need to write to 
RX50 disks so I can boot from them on my 11/73
Somewhere there is a utility that will write the images to RX50 on a 
DEC Rainbow 100 under MS-DOS . Anybody know where to find it?


Just to clarify:
You have some .dsk images of SSDD 96tpi for 11/73.  You want to write 
them to disk.

You are looking for a program running on DEC Rainbow 100 MS-DOS to do it.

Any particular reason that you don't use any of the other systems that 
have hardware capability to do it?


such as:
PBM 1000
Tandy 2000
Eagle II
Toshiba T300
Altos
Canon AS100
IBM PC/JX
Seiko 8610
Televideo TS1603
or IBM PC/AT (5170) with 1.2M




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Re: Rainbow Disk Imager

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 14/09/2017 17:55, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:

On Sep 14, 2017, at 12:41 PM, Paul Koning via cctalk  
wrote:



On Sep 14, 2017, at 12:27 PM, jim stephens via cctalk  
wrote:



On 9/14/2017 9:19 AM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

You have some .dsk images of SSDD 96tpi for 11/73.

I have some also, and would love if there is a writeup of a known working 
procedure to use as a reference.

Having a list of programs and systems is great, but I'd also like to know a few 
formulas that absolutely worked for someone as a starting point.

We have copies of a VMS 4.3 floppy set on RX50's which we will image as well, 
and using something other than the DEC hardware will be useful.

It's easy on Linux.  PC 5.25 inch drives have settable format parameters.  The 
PC default is 9 sectors per track, but you can set it to 10 for RX50 
compatibility.

At one point you'd do that with an entry in /etc/fdprm:

rx50 80010   1  800 0x23 0x01 0xDF 0x50

There's still a command line approach, I forgot the command name though.  You can also do 
it under program control with the the FDSETPRM ioctl.  I have some Python code (in my 
"FLX" utility for operating on RSTS file systems) that does this.

One complication: if you have an image which has the blocks in logical order, 
you need to shuffle them to account for the strange track numbering, 
interleaving, and track to track sector skew.  Here's a program that will do 
that.  (It operates on image files, not on the actual floppy drive.)

Ok, attachments get stripped.  Here it is.

#!/usr/bin/env python3

"""rx50.py

This is a simple program to convert between interleaved and non-interleaved
(logical block order) layouts for RX50 floppies or container files.

Invocation:
 rx50.py [-i] infile [-i] outfile

If the filename is preceded by -i, that file is/will be interleaved.  Infile
or outfile may be an actual floppy (in which case -i is in effect 
automatically).
While it is legal to specify -i twice, or not at all, this is rather 
uninteresting
because it merely makes an image copy of the container in a fairly inefficient
manner.
"""

from rstsio import disk
import sys

def main (args):
 a = iter (args)
 il = False
 ifn = next (a)
 if ifn == "-i":
 il = True
 ifn = next (a)
 idisk = disk.Disk (ifn, interleave = il)
 il = False
 ofn = next (a)
 if ofn == "-i":
 il = True
 ofn = next (a)
 odisk = disk.Disk.create (ofn, idisk.sz, interleave = il)
 odisk.setrwdisk (True)
 dcns = idisk.sz // idisk.dcs
 for i in range (dcns):
 ic = idisk.readclu (i)
 oc = odisk.newclu (i)
 oc[:] = ic
 odisk.flush ()
 idisk.close ()
 odisk.close ()

if __name__ == "__main__":
 main (sys.argv[1:])
 


Sounds good.
But I have to work with what I have:

An 11/73 with:
One serial (console) line
An RX50 booting xxdp
A CQD220 SCSI controller with a DSP5200s attached.
RT11 customer diagnostics A and B

The DSP5200S is formatted and is seen as DU6

One PC running windows 10

There's no Linux systems, no C compilers, emulators or weird hardware 
available.


But I do have a Rainbow which is the console to the 11/73

I just need to write the RT11 disk images I have to RX50 using the Rainbow.

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Re: Rainbow Disk Imager

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 14/09/2017 18:37, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:



On 14/09/2017 17:55, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
On Sep 14, 2017, at 12:41 PM, Paul Koning via cctalk 
 wrote:



On Sep 14, 2017, at 12:27 PM, jim stephens via cctalk 
 wrote:




On 9/14/2017 9:19 AM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote:

You have some .dsk images of SSDD 96tpi for 11/73.
I have some also, and would love if there is a writeup of a known 
working procedure to use as a reference.


Having a list of programs and systems is great, but I'd also like 
to know a few formulas that absolutely worked for someone as a 
starting point.


We have copies of a VMS 4.3 floppy set on RX50's which we will 
image as well, and using something other than the DEC hardware will 
be useful.
It's easy on Linux.  PC 5.25 inch drives have settable format 
parameters.  The PC default is 9 sectors per track, but you can set 
it to 10 for RX50 compatibility.


At one point you'd do that with an entry in /etc/fdprm:

rx50    800    10   1  80    0 0x23 0x01 0xDF 0x50

There's still a command line approach, I forgot the command name 
though.  You can also do it under program control with the the 
FDSETPRM ioctl.  I have some Python code (in my "FLX" utility for 
operating on RSTS file systems) that does this.


One complication: if you have an image which has the blocks in 
logical order, you need to shuffle them to account for the strange 
track numbering, interleaving, and track to track sector skew.  
Here's a program that will do that.  (It operates on image files, 
not on the actual floppy drive.)

Ok, attachments get stripped.  Here it is.

#!/usr/bin/env python3

"""rx50.py

This is a simple program to convert between interleaved and 
non-interleaved

(logical block order) layouts for RX50 floppies or container files.

Invocation:
 rx50.py [-i] infile [-i] outfile

If the filename is preceded by -i, that file is/will be interleaved.  
Infile
or outfile may be an actual floppy (in which case -i is in effect 
automatically).
While it is legal to specify -i twice, or not at all, this is rather 
uninteresting
because it merely makes an image copy of the container in a fairly 
inefficient

manner.
"""

from rstsio import disk
import sys

def main (args):
 a = iter (args)
 il = False
 ifn = next (a)
 if ifn == "-i":
 il = True
 ifn = next (a)
 idisk = disk.Disk (ifn, interleave = il)
 il = False
 ofn = next (a)
 if ofn == "-i":
 il = True
 ofn = next (a)
 odisk = disk.Disk.create (ofn, idisk.sz, interleave = il)
 odisk.setrwdisk (True)
 dcns = idisk.sz // idisk.dcs
 for i in range (dcns):
 ic = idisk.readclu (i)
 oc = odisk.newclu (i)
 oc[:] = ic
 odisk.flush ()
 idisk.close ()
 odisk.close ()

if __name__ == "__main__":
 main (sys.argv[1:])


Sounds good.
But I have to work with what I have:

An 11/73 with:
One serial (console) line
An RX50 booting xxdp
A CQD220 SCSI controller with a DSP5200s attached.
RT11 customer diagnostics A and B

The DSP5200S is formatted and is seen as DU6

One PC running windows 10

There's no Linux systems, no C compilers, emulators or weird hardware 
available.


But I do have a Rainbow which is the console to the 11/73

I just need to write the RT11 disk images I have to RX50 using the 
Rainbow.



I found this
As part of my entry for this year's RetroChallenge Winter Warm-Up 
(http://retrochallenge.net/2009/winter/news.html),

 I've created some disk imaging utilities for the Rainbow 100.
Specifically, the utilities can create RX50 images from disks, or write 
disks from RX50 images, similar to dd on GNU/Linux and rawrite on 
Windows/DOS.
The utilities are downloadable from my blog 
(http://jeff.rainbow-100.com/?p=50).


But its a dead end
R

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PDP-11/73 and 11/94 update

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Well I did get the 11/73 booted from RX50 floppy on an RQDX3.

I then went on to get a SCSI (DEC DSP5200) Hard Drive on a CQD220 
booting and running RT-11 V5.4.


In the process I established that I have a good working RX01 and a good 
working RX02 that both boot RT-11 V5.4 from 8 inch Floppy.


I have the parts for another RX02 and that only lacks the circuit 
breaker on the PSU. (AIRPAX type anybody got one?)


There is a lot of interaction between RT-11v5.4, RQDX3, CQD220 and the 
RX01 and RX02 controllers.


I have read up all the back references (VCF and so on) on this subject 
but I am not sure I fully understand all of the ramifications.



So back to the main event, the 11/94.

This is the last of the PDP/11's and is a hybrid.

KJD-11 CPU in a Q-bus back plane bridged to a Unibus.

The KJD works and all of its monitor and boot controls are available via 
the console terminal.


I have Unibus interface cards for both RX01 and RX02.

So grant and terminator cards in the right places and RX02 Unibus card 
in the correct slot.


Connect up the cable (Red stripe to AA on BERG's)

Known bootable RT-11 8 inch floppy in the RX02.

Turn on RX02 then 11/94 (Nice healthy clonk from the drive)

Pick DY off the boot ROM list and sure enough the system starts to load 
from the RX02.


Then it just hangs.

Comments please


Rod






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Re: PDP-11/73 and 11/94 update

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

   1.   The complete RX02 with cable and disk (initialized and 
system copied /boot to it) boots the 11/73 on an RX02 controller so mode 
is correct.


   2.        The 11/94 boot menu allows you to choose DY0 or DY1 and 
both have been tried after moving the floppy of course.


    3.   As the startup messages appear the disk is being read.


Rod




On 20/09/2017 12:30, Ulrich Tagge via cctalk wrote:

Hi Rod,

I'm sure you are aware about, ... the /94 have a MDM card/module, 
where you can set the NPG jumper via switches. Is this set correct for 
all the slots, no mismatch in counting the small switches?
Have you checked the flat ribbon cable - I had much fun with damaged 
cables?

Have you tried dy0 and dy1?
Is the RX02 set to the correct mode?
The known good 8" disk, is a rx02 disk and not a rx01?

Many Greetings

Ulrich



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Re: PDP-11/73 and 11/94 update

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I installed the RX01 Unibus adapter in slot 5

Then replaced the slot 5 NPG  jumper (RX01 is not DMA) They are 
underneath the motherboard on an 11/94


Next I connected up the RX01 and used original DEC RT-11 v5.4 RX01 
distribution disks.


Then turned on and tried to boot DX.

Same result it says Trying.

If you have an 11/84 then whats on the KDJ-11 dialog screen would be 
very interesting.

Which KDJ-11 do you have?

Can you get a picture of your console screen set up to boot from  an 
RX01 or RX01?


Rod


On 20/09/2017 13:47, Ulrich Tagge via cctalk wrote:
Hi Rod,  > > I had an similar issue, when trying to boot a RX02 Disk created on 
my > /84 on a /34a. Have bypassed this and have installed a fresh RT11, 
> but had no time to figure out the problem. Would it of interest for > 
you, to get RX02 Images (PDP11GUI) of my RT-11 V5.4 G Distribution > 
Set? With them, you could install your /94 from scratch, ... . > > Many 
Greetings > > Ulrich >

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02

Re: PDP-11/73 and 11/94 update

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 20/09/2017 17:30, Ulrich Tagge via cctalk wrote:

Hi Rod,

I have not the chance to go into the basement before Weekend, but have 
document the installation here:

http://www.pdp-11.de/index.php/pdp-11/rt11-5-4g-installation/

My 11/84 have the KDJ11-B (m8190).



Vielen Dank am interessantesten. Ich muss auch genau die Einstellung 
kennen, die du auf deinem Konfigurationsbildschirm hast - Rod


--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

PDP11/84 and PDP-11/94 notes

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

First ... If the following is already known or incorrect then apologies.

In my efforts to get an 11/94 running with UniBus cards the following 
came to light.


1. You need to start with the fact there are _two_ different types of 
hybrid Uni/Qbus back planes that can go in a BA box.


2. One has _four_ QBus slots and the other _three_.

3. The four slot type was the first type produced .

4. In an 11/84 a four Qbus slot backlane  has a MDM (monitor) module in 
the first slot, a KDJ11-B CPU in the second slot, PMI memory in the 
third and a MLM (load module) in the forth.


5. This type of 11/84 could be converted into an 11/94 with a kit of 
parts. The 11/94 manual shows this conversion


6. After conversion you ended up with a KDJ11-E in the first slot, and 
an APS module in the second slot.


7. If the 11/94 manual is correct then the other two slots are left 
empty and an MLM module is located in the Unibus back plane.


8. So far so good. An 11/84-A converted into an 11/94 as per the 11/94 
manual.



Then the weird bit There's a section that mentions an 11/84-E (never 
heard of those) conversion to 11/94 but does not seem to make any sense.



So what about the three QBus slot back plane?

Well I have two 11/94 systems with this type of back plane and they are 
clearly only suitable to hold an KDJ11-E and its APS module.


It could never be the basis of a KDJ11-B 11/84 - not enough slots.


So there can be two types of 11/94.

One an upgrade from a KDJ11-B 11/84 with its four QBus slot back plane.

The other native KDJ11-E 11/94 based on the three slot.

Comments and confirmations please

Rod






--
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TU58 Serial port address

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  I have a TU58 - yes a real one - yes it works (sticky rollers 
fixed) . How do I know - tested it on a PC at 19200 baud.


      I also have a DZQ11  M3106 4 Async. Line Board and cab kit with 
four RS232 connectors.


      My 11/73 has a KDJ11-B so the console SLU is already set up.

  RT11FB runs just fine.

     I don't want to boot the TU58 just read and write to it.

 Yes I have read the manuals - no help.

    So I need to install the board in the correct slot with the correct 
address, vector etc switches set to talk to the TU58 whilst avoiding the 
console SLU address.


    Any ideas guys?


    Rod Smallwood



--
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Re: TU58 Serial port address

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Manual is no help.

It tells you how to set the jumpers but not which ones for this situation.

I do not know the correct addresses or vectors I need so I can't set them.

So..   for this specific case ..

 1. What do I connect to what  to get the TU58 connected to the 11/73 
at 19200 baud


 Like this for example ..

  Connect jumper at position XX from x to 0

 State like this for each and every jumper required

 2. Where does the board go in the back plane?

3.  Which of the four channels does the TU58 connect to?

Rod



On 06/10/2017 16:57, systems_glitch via cctalk wrote:

Whatever SLU number means "at 176500" :) Always been confused by the naming
for SLUs vs. "channels" on e.g. the DLV11-J

Rod, you set the jumpers according to the manual:

http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/dec/qbus/EK-DLV1J-UG-001_DLV11-J_Users_Guide_Oct78.pdf

The default config will get you TU58 on channel 0, console SLU on channel
3. From a quick read-through it looks like you can disable the console SLU
feature and return channel 3 to the normal block of consecutive addresses.
That will let you keep the console on the KDJ11-B SLU. It'll also give you
one more serial port on your system (total of 5, assuming you have the
DLV11-J and KDF11-B and no other SLUs or mux cards).

Thanks,
Jonathan

On Fri, Oct 6, 2017 at 11:42 AM, Noel Chiappa via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


 > From: systems_glitch

 > get a DLV11 and set it up as SLU0 for TU58

I think you meant SLU1, no? That's the standard for the TU58 (SLU0 is the
console).

 Noel



--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: TU58 Serial port address

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 06/10/2017 21:21, Noel Chiappa via cctalk wrote:

 > From: Rod Smallwood

 > I do not know the correct addresses or vectors I need so I can't set
 > them.
 > ...
 > State like this for each and every jumper required

Sorry, too busy to type all that out. Jumper it for 776500/300.

Noel

Now lets see - DLV11-J Manual says Factory setting is

    Base Address 176500 / Base Vector 300
    Channel 3 is console at 177560-177566

    So Channel 0 at 176500 / 300 for the TU58 = Factory
 Channel 0 8-n-1 = Factory

    Set Channel 0 Baud Rate to 19200  =  Connect K to 0

  Disable console = C1  X to 0 and C2 X to 0

So do the above and connect TU-58 to Channel 0 and it will be Device DD0 
under RT11FB - Yes?


Rod







--

 
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: PDP-Lifter

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 07/10/2017 06:53, Steve Malikoff via cctalk wrote:

After the discussion last year about lifting and racking heavy gear, I bodged 
together some hardware and
came up with the PDP-Lifter. It allows easy movement, lifting and lowering for 
racking and unracking equipment
in 19" racks. Specifically for PDP-11's and the H960, but could be used for 
pretty much any other old stuff.

I've written a blurb with construction details which you can find at
 http://web.aanet.com.au/~malikoff/pdp11/PDP-Lifter/

(also posted to my blog on the VCF forum)

Steve.


I wish I had a H960 to lift!!  Can't get them in the UK.
Rod

--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

TU58 to 11/73 - Success!!

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I had to use the magic wand (Tektronix scope probe) and we have a runner..

Bad connections as ever..

Rod



--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: OpenVMS Hobbyist & HPE vs. HP

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 08/10/2017 05:13, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

Has anyone gotten any Hobbyist Licenses lately?  I’m trying to get them, and I 
notice that while I’m signing up at an HPE.com website, the initial email comes 
from an HP.com address.  So far no luck getting licenses, but they might have 
gone to my now nonexistent Aracnet email address (aka NL:).

Zane




--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: Did DEC make a Daisy Wheel printer?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

LQP02



On 08/10/2017 18:19, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:

Did DEC make any sort of impact printer, besides dot-matrix printers?  I have 
an LA50 or two, and dot-matrix isn’t what I’m after.

Zane




--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

Re: Did DEC make a Daisy Wheel printer?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 10/10/2017 07:50, Eric Smith via cctalk wrote:

On Sun, Oct 8, 2017 at 10:19 AM, Zane Healy via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


Did DEC make any sort of impact printer, besides dot-matrix printers?  I
have an LA50 or two, and dot-matrix isn’t what I’m after.


They sold some drum, chain, and band printers, but I think they were all
OEM'd.  Late examples were the LP25, LP26, and LP27/LP29. Note that some
system-specific printer subsystems (e.g., LP11-xx, LP20-xx, and LP32-xx)
contained printers with their own separate designations.

As far as I recall, the only printer mechanisms DEC made themselves were
dot matrix impact or electrolytic.  Of course, they also OEM'd some
dot-matrix printers, including the LA50 and LA75.

I remember seeing the LA-36 Production Line at Westfield in 1975.
They made them by the 1000. When I sold them my MOQ was 500.

Rod

--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

A Mystery

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I have in my possession a back plane from a BA23.

Somebody has put glue in the last three slots.

Can anybody explain that?

Rod


--
Wanted one pdp-8/i rocker switch leaver to copy.

It's back

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

After a  couple of months of outage my list feed is back..

Rod Smallwood


--

[cctalk] Re: 1974 No Name Terminal

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I worked on VDU's as an engineer in the UK before joining DEC to sell 
volume VT100's in 1975


There's a mention of block on one of the cards so a block mode terminal.

That means enter data and press a key to send the lot.

The card cage could mean its emulating something.

I'd test as many capacitors as possible. PSU first and replace as required.

Run PSU and check voltages.

 Check each board for power rail to ground shorts.

 If ok give each board +5v on its own and see if the TTL is alive.

If theres a clock gen start there (look for a crystal can)

 Loads of fans might indicate an industrial environment

  At this age some TTL will have failed plus capacitors.

 Rod Smallwood


On 05/07/2023 16:28, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote:
At first glance it reminded me of the Hazeltine 1000, I owned one in 
the early 1980's.  Brutally simple terminals, I remember getting a ROM 
from Jameco which allowed the terminal to display lowercase letters.  
Pure luxury.

Doug

On 7/4/2023 6:57 PM, Brad H via cctalk wrote:

Hi there - not sure how much overlap there is with vcfed's forum, but
thought I would reach out here in case.  I have a terminal from 1974 
(based

on date codes I've found on the motherboard).  I'm unable to determine
manufacturer and that would be handy for diagnostic purposes. The 
terminal

casing is made out of foam, and although there are some serial numbers
stamped around, nothing really lines up.  The fans inside have zero 
dust or
dirt, so I'm thinking this may not have seen much use, or may be a 
prototype
or pilot for something.  It does have RS232 capability. Interestingly 
the
screen is set down below the keyboard so that only half of it is 
visible.



My main issue right now is the PSU - I am trying to determine if I'm 
safe to
attempt powering up the board (the PSU so far seems to be ok, 
although some

voltages on a couple of pins are mysterious).


Anyway, on the extremely off chance anyone has ever seen one of these or
something like it.. any tips would be appreciated. If I can find a 
manual

I'll feel a lot safer about turning it on.


Some pics here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-2uEFbi3OKBYr06y6yHnygDiLMtw2Qkj?usp 


=sharing


Brad

b...@techtimetraveller.com

[cctalk] Re: 1974 No Name Terminal

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

OK time to look at what we dont see.

No numeric pad

No function keys

Keys with blank tops (dummies?)

Pretty much a 'glass teletype'

Not untypical of a general use terminal in a college or university.


Rod Smallwood




On 07/07/2023 04:17, Warner Losh via cctalk wrote:

On Thu, Jul 6, 2023, 8:41 PM Mike Stein via cctalk 
wrote:


Conrac mainly made CRT monitor assemblies, so the actual terminal was quite
possibly made by someone else.

It looks vaguely familiar; I'm surprised no one's recognized it.


Yea. Looks vaguely SABER like, but my only experience with them is airline
tickets an eon ago... but the screen looks all wrong...

Warner

m

On Thu, Jul 6, 2023 at 6:13 PM Brad H via cctalk 
wrote:


Thanks Rod!

I discovered an immediate problem I hadn't caught before.. two of the
trimmer resistors had actually been broken right off two of their legs..

so

that may account for strange/missing voltages.   They are a CONRAC part
928237.  The CRT is CONRAC too, but I still don't think this is a CONRAC
terminal.  Anyway, I only found one source for the exact resistor, an
aerospace company, and they want $80 per unit (I think they just want me

to

go away).

So far in testing I haven't found any shorts.  My main worry is the PSU
sending incorrect voltages to wrong place.  In addition to the broken
resistors I also discovered some broken solder joints on the PSU PCB..
those at least are repaired.  I'm trying to figure out the resistance the
two resistors were set to so I can put a replacement in with same,
hopefully that gets me close to what should be there.

Brad

-Original Message-
From: Rod Smallwood via cctalk 
Sent: Wednesday, July 5, 2023 8:48 AM
To: Douglas Taylor via cctalk 
Cc: Rod Smallwood 
Subject: [cctalk] Re: 1974 No Name Terminal

I worked on VDU's as an engineer in the UK before joining DEC to sell
volume VT100's in 1975

There's a mention of block on one of the cards so a block mode terminal.

That means enter data and press a key to send the lot.

The card cage could mean its emulating something.

I'd test as many capacitors as possible. PSU first and replace as

required.

Run PSU and check voltages.

   Check each board for power rail to ground shorts.

   If ok give each board +5v on its own and see if the TTL is alive.

If theres a clock gen start there (look for a crystal can)

   Loads of fans might indicate an industrial environment

At this age some TTL will have failed plus capacitors.

   Rod Smallwood


On 05/07/2023 16:28, Douglas Taylor via cctalk wrote:

At first glance it reminded me of the Hazeltine 1000, I owned one in
the early 1980's.  Brutally simple terminals, I remember getting a ROM
from Jameco which allowed the terminal to display lowercase letters.
Pure luxury.
Doug

On 7/4/2023 6:57 PM, Brad H via cctalk wrote:

Hi there - not sure how much overlap there is with vcfed's forum, but
thought I would reach out here in case.  I have a terminal from 1974
(based on date codes I've found on the motherboard).  I'm unable to
determine manufacturer and that would be handy for diagnostic
purposes. The terminal casing is made out of foam, and although there
are some serial numbers stamped around, nothing really lines up.  The
fans inside have zero dust or dirt, so I'm thinking this may not have
seen much use, or may be a prototype or pilot for something.  It does
have RS232 capability. Interestingly the screen is set down below the
keyboard so that only half of it is visible.


My main issue right now is the PSU - I am trying to determine if I'm
safe to attempt powering up the board (the PSU so far seems to be ok,
although some voltages on a couple of pins are mysterious).


Anyway, on the extremely off chance anyone has ever seen one of these
or something like it.. any tips would be appreciated. If I can find a
manual I'll feel a lot safer about turning it on.


Some pics here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1-2uEFbi3OKBYr06y6yHnygDiLMtw2
Qkj?usp

=sharing


Brad

b...@techtimetraveller.com

[cctalk] Re: ICL / Digico

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    I worked with Digico systems in about 1974

    I did some reseach a while back and did find some info.

    I'll see what I have

    Rod Smallwood


On 24/07/2023 08:11, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:
So, I was trying to contact "Pete" at vintage-icl-computers.com 
several times during the last years. Obiously, the site and/or the 
person is dead, no reaction whatever.

I'm hoping that someone on this list might be able to help me:
I still have a Digico Micro 16V computer that, one day, I'd like to 
restore. On the ICL site above I can see that they have (had?) the 
service manual/schematics for the system, and I would really love to 
get a scan (or at least high resolution photos) of these. Does anyone 
here maybe have them or can provide me with some pointers? Oh BTW, 
software (e.g. papertape images) would be great, too :-)


Christian

[cctalk] Re: What happened to the PDP-8 on ebay?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Notwithstanding I'm in the UK I do have a lot of PDP8/e era boards some 
of which I'd like to sell to raise funds to buy items I dont have.


Rod Smallwood


On 04/10/2023 03:23, Bill Degnan via cctalk wrote:

There was a PDP-8 (rack straight 8 with asr33) that was on ebay that
disappeared..anyone know if it was sold?  I can't find it, maybe the seller
pulled the auction to sell privately.
Bill

[cctalk] List of DEC boards

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Here's my list of spare boards


Omnibus

MM8-E
M8320
M8650
M849
M8310
M8300
M8330


Unibus

    RX11
G7273
M9970
M9047
M9714


QBUS

M7941
M8029     RXV21
M7504  DEQNA-M
M7850
M7546
M8186     KDF-11
M9400-YC
M7555    RQDX3

Rod Smallwood

[cctalk] List of DEC boards - Offers invited.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    I have had so many inquiries for the boards on my list its 
difficult to respond to them all.


    Please make an offer for what you want.

    Allow an additional minimum of $50 for UK  to US shipping

    I'll keep the offer list open for a few days.

    Rod Smallwood

[cctalk] Re: PDP-8/E front panels

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi Bob

    The attachment seems to be missing.

Rod

Also I hae some more boards available

M7856     X 2
M863     X 2
M837    X 2
M8650
M8320
M880 + H241 (MR8 EC)
M849
M3310


On 16/11/2023 20:53, Bob Rosenbloom via cctalk wrote:

Do you have any more of the DEC PDP-8 e/m/f front panels?

I'm looking for one that matches the layout attached. I don't care 
what model (e/m/f etc.) it's for, but the rotary switch layout needs 
to be right and I prefer the matte finish. Color is not important 
either I have orange, green, and blue switch boards.


Thanks,

Bob

[cctalk] Re: RD54 Maxtor XT-2190 w/one long meep

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Get a sheet of glass.

In a not too dusty area (hint A/C has filers usually)

gloves on

Top off glass on - all will be revealed.

Rod - Digital Equipment Corporation  1975 - 1985



On 27/02/2024 03:50, Chris Zach via cctalk wrote:

Oh wait, that sound? Over and over?

I had a RD54 type drive that I hit with a magnet by mistake and took 
out the servo platter. Got that sound, over and over because the drive 
used servo loop positioning and couldn't find the servo track.


Since you probably didn't do this, check to see if you get a signal 
off the servo head, and the preamps there. That might actually be it.


C


On 2/26/2024 5:28 PM, Jacob Ritorto via cctalk wrote:

Thanks for the good ideas and convo everyone.

Now please do note that I can definitely hear motor/platter spinup
happening so it's definitely not "heads stuck to platter" stiction.

I hear the lock unlatch and I *think* I even hear the heads load and fly
(comparing what I hear on this drive to other drives I've actually 
seen the
guts of in flying action) so I substantially doubt it's "arm stuck to 
lock

pad goo" stiction.

So we've made it through a lot of the powerup sequence and the 
problem is
at the final part - the track scan up and back down the surface - the 
phase

when the signature "...blearrt-meelrp..." happens :)

And yes I believe from memory that XT-2190 is supposed to make the same
track scan noise as the XT-1140 (I have an XT-1140 running perfectly 
as a

fake RD54 in another pdp here).

So could my behaviour of being hung at the final phase - the track scan
noise - be the result of a lost servo track?  Thinking about that, 
didn't

someone on this list kill an XT-2190 recently by taking an outrageous
magnet to it?  Did you get the same track scan failure as I'm getting?

Confused electronics on the PCB?

Something else?

Where would one begin diagnosing this particular problem?

I did try the wrist twist torquing thing.

And lightly whacking side of housing with palm of hand during track scan
noise.  Declining to do that hard, tho.

Powered off and back on (to retry) probably near a hundred times now.

Heated it gently in front of our forced-air furnace duct until 
comfortably

warm to touch - probably near 105 F.

All these produced absolutely zero behaviour change.

thx
jake

[cctalk] Re: Drum memory on pdp11's? Wikipedia thinks so....

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Core memory yes - Drum memory I dont think so.

Rod Smallwood  (Digital Equipment Corporation 1975 - 1985)

On 15/04/2024 08:06, Paul Flo Williams via cctalk wrote:

On Sat, 13 Apr 2024 17:26:31 -0400
Christopher Zach via cctalk  wrote:


Was reading the Wikipedia article on Drum memories:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_memory#External_links

And came across this tidbit.

   As late as 1980, PDP-11/45 machines using magnetic core main memory
and drums for swapping were still in use at many of the original UNIX
sites.

This uncited claim was introduced 15 years ago, along with the commit
comment "Hey, I saw drums (and core memory!) on PDP 11/45 hardware
running UNIX v6 (pre-BSD) in 1980 ... "

So, someone anonymous saw some once, somewhere, and promoted this to
"many sites."

[cctalk] Re: The ultimate nerd fashion accessory

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I saw the moon landing live on TV in '69

Now that is a cool watch - Hell yes man!

R




On 13/09/2024 07:00, Brent Hilpert via cctalk wrote:

https://apollo-instruments.com 

Groan.


Spoiler:   Wristwatch DSKY

Re: Which DEC machine made use of th pre Flip-Chip board?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

It could be a prototype that never made it to production, internal 
automated test gear or a bespoke job.


Rod


On 21/12/2018 10:49, Mattis Lind via cctalk wrote:

There is an auction for some kind of early DEC module. It appears to be a
bit slice of MB, AR and MQ. There is also a signature by Gordon Bell on the
board.

But I cannot figure out which early machine it comes from.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-DEC-6205-Arithmetic-Registers-Circuit-Board-for-Vintage-Mainframe/264093791320?hash=item3d7d377458:g:U2AAAOSwpTBcGULN

The same seller has several other pre Flip-Chip modules like 4706 Teletype
Receiver. If I read correctly the transistors are dated 1963-1964.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-DEC-4706C-8-Bit-Teletype-Receiver-Circuit-Board-for-Vintage-Mainframe/323607301613?hash=item4b587f8ded:g:AMcAAOSwXF5cGUH9


--

Re: Origin of 'Straight 8' name

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I worked with PDP-8's from 1970 to 1975 and worked at DEC from 1975 to 
1985.


I cannot recall the term 'Straight 8' ever being used.

I think it may have been referred to as the 'Model 8'

Rod Smallwood


On 22/12/2018 03:46, John Ames via cctalk wrote:

I'd definitely be interested to hear if the DECheads on this list know
the specifics, but I'd gathered that it came about once other models
were introduced and the need arose to differentiate between, say, a
PDP-8/e and a "straight" (i.e. vanilla) PDP-8. The car connection
probably made the particular phrasing happen (of course, they
originally photographed it in a Volkswagen, but they couldn't very
well have started calling it a "flat-4!")


--

Re: Original AGC restoration / was Re: Apollo 8 Mission Control printers, or not?

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 30/12/2018 06:27, Daniel Seagraves via cctalk wrote:



On Dec 29, 2018, at 11:17 AM, Curious Marc via cctalk  
wrote:

Yes that would be lucky us. Hotel was no fun but owner understandably did not 
want to ship or even get separated from his AGC. We have been offered some real 
lab space in Houston for next time, so hopefully we’ll be in better shape.

Considering that I have had more than one person threaten to dox me and show up 
at my house over KEYBOARDS, I don’t blame him at all.


Well you certainly got a long way.
What is dox? I am English and I don't speak fluent American anymore.
This must all have something to do with 1969 when I watched it all on a 9" mono 
TV in my little flat in Germany where I was working.
I don't know who I admire most. You guys or those who made the AGC all that 
time ago.


--

11/93 Rebuild

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi Guys

   Well the RD53 in my 11/93 finally clapped out.

   The CPU is a late model KDJ11-E with everything on the one board.

   So its a switch from MFM to SCSI Drives.

   A CQD220A will drive the hard disk and the RQDX3 will stay to 
look after the RX50


   I've  put the Hard Drive on the primary CSR address (17772150) 
and I will shift the RQDX3 to an alternate CSR


   Comments as to if this is the right way round and what CSR's to 
use for the two controllers invited.


  Rod


--

TU58FS

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    I am working on getting my KDJ11-E based system up.

I have a CQD220A and a SCSI hard drive installed and formatted.

A serial connection to a Raspberry Pi soon brought up the console on the 
PDP-11 using TU58FS.


Next will be a second serial line to allow TU58 emulation. SFSG

What is not clear is if I can get a bootable OS (RT, RSX or whatever)  
image onto the Hard Drive using TU58FS.


Any advice as to if and how this could be done would be greatly 
appreciated .


Rod Smallwood



--

Re: TU58FS

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    It does not have to be done using TU58.

If you would be so kind as to explain the bit about SIMH and dd.

What to do is good.. How even better.

If I can get  a bootable OS image onto the SCSI drive with what I have 
available then that's all I  need.


Rod Smallwood


On 24/05/2019 00:56, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:

On Thu, May 23, 2019 at 1:36 PM Rod Smallwood via cctalk
 wrote:

Hi

  I am working on getting my KDJ11-E based system up.

I have a CQD220A and a SCSI hard drive installed and formatted.

A serial connection to a Raspberry Pi soon brought up the console on the
PDP-11 using TU58FS.

Next will be a second serial line to allow TU58 emulation. SFSG

What is not clear is if I can get a bootable OS (RT, RSX or whatever)
image onto the Hard Drive using TU58FS.

Is getting set up to use TU58 emulation and then using that as a
software installation source one of the goals on its own, or is that
just one of the solutions you are considering in the larger goal of
getting software up and running on your 11/93?

If you are open to other software installation options, it should be a
lot quicker and easier to install software to a disk image using SIMH,
and then "dd" that image to a SCSI disk that the CQD220A is configured
to use. I have gone that route a few times to get 2.11BSD and RSTS/E
10.1 running on real PDP-11 hardware with CQD-220 controllers.


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11/93 Rebuild

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  Thanks to Glen Slick I now have a old windows xp system running SIMH

 Its connected to my LAN so web and file access are OK

 In addition to the normal IDE drive it has an additional SCSI 
controller and drive


  Using SIMH  I have created an image (RD54.dsk) containing a RSTS 
system.


 I am awaiting the final instructions as to how to copy the image 
to the SCSI drive in such a way I can connect it to the SCSI controller 
in the 11/93 and have it boot.



Rod Smallwood



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Re: 11/93 Rebuild

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

  On an old XP box?  er neither will run

Rod


On 27/05/2019 08:25, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:

# dd if=RD54.dsk of=/dev/sda  [or whatever the device name is]

Oh, you said Windows... I'd recommend installing Cygwin ;-)


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Re: 11/93 Rebuild

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

I think the answer may be PUTR but I'll wait and see what Glen says .. 
He's been right so far.


Rod


On 27/05/2019 09:56, Christian Corti via cctalk wrote:

On Mon, 27 May 2019, Rod Smallwood wrote:

  On an old XP box?  er neither will run


My reply was meant as a hint. You should be able to find a dd-like 
tool for Windows yourself ;-) Either by using a old version of Cygwin 
(there are instructions how to find them), by installing a stand-alone 
"dd" for Windows, whatever.


Christian


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11/93 rebuild

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    Whilst I wait to hear from Glen Slick who has got me this far 
(Thanks Glen) I'll restate the problem.


1. I now have an old XP system with SIMH on it (PDP11.exe)

2.  I have created RD54.dsk containing RSTS/E

3. Attached to the system is a 2.1Gb SCSI drive via an adaptec 2940 
controller


4. I need a tried and tested list of step by step instructions to put 
RD54.dsk on the SCSI drive.


5. The drive will then be moved to a CQD-220A/TM SCSI controller on my 
KDJ11-E based 11/93 and must boot.


6. Its just an image copy from one drive to another on the same system.

7. Nobody has come up with a tried and tested list of step by step 
instructions yet.



Rod Smallwood


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11/93 rebuild - Project Suspended - PC died

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

The Acer PC I was using to write the image to the SCSI drive has gone kaput.

Clearly PSU (not plugtop  mains fuse).

Its a non standard PSU and no schematic available.

Fall back is to get one of the SLU's (other than the console) on the 
KDJ11-E going and TU58 it.



Rod


--

11/93 Rebuild - Project resumed - PSU replaced

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

11/93 Rebuild - Project resumed - PSU replaced


Rod


--

11/93 rebuild - Major and Significant Result.

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

 Due to the help from Glen Slick. (The only guy to answer the 
question as asked.)


 What to do is interesting. How to do it will get you there.

I now have a SCSI drive on the 11/93 that thinks its an RD54 and is 
trying to boot RSTS/E.


It fails gracefully during the boot  giving an error message.

So we have a working Hard Drive and Controller on the target system.

No to find out what it does not like.

The transfer rig is now working OK.

So I can try out more drives if needed

Rod

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11/93 Rebuild - SCSI HD now boots RT11

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

Hi

    Well I now have a bootable SCSI drive on my 11/93. Its not RSTS/E 
(yet) but it is RT 11 and reliable.


Its a bit baseline but it runs.

So next up was to see if we could get the RQDX3 to co-exist with the 
SCSI controller.


I switched the base address to 160336 and it does not stop the SCSI 
drive booting as DU0.


Had the RQDX3 been on the normal base address I think you would get the 
HD as DU0 and the two halves of an RX50 as the next two drives.


But what happens to the RX50's when you move the RQDX3 to 160336 ?

Rod



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Re: 11/93 Rebuild - SCSI HD now boots RT11

[Rod Smallwood via cctalk]

On 31/05/2019 19:40, allison via cctalk wrote:

On 05/31/2019 02:04 PM, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote:

Hi

     Well I now have a bootable SCSI drive on my 11/93. Its not RSTS/E
(yet) but it is RT 11 and reliable.

Its a bit baseline but it runs.

So next up was to see if we could get the RQDX3 to co-exist with the
SCSI controller.

I switched the base address to 160336 and it does not stop the SCSI
drive booting as DU0.

Had the RQDX3 been on the normal base address I think you would get the
HD as DU0 and the two halves of an RX50 as the next two drives.

But what happens to the RX50's when you move the RQDX3 to 160336 ?

Rod




Under RT-11 you have to do a SET CSR and sometimes Vector when you move
a device off the default.  Its how I could have two DD (tu58) on teo
serial ports.  Same for RX02, RL02, with RQDX3 (with RD52 and RX33)
where the RQDX was set to a nonstandard address.

As I remember the CMD controller is nominally the same as RQDX3 for the
same address. so likely RQDX at the secondary address (see the manual)
will be treated well if not use the set utility.  It  only comes to mind
as I had two RQDX3s in one machine to make RD52 to RD52 copies at one
point.  Also my BA123 uVAX-II has both CMD SCSI controller (Rz56 x2) and
RQDX3 for RD52 wher the RD52 was the swap and page disk (QD540s are fast
but only 31mb) and by having independent channels helped with system
performance.

RSTS/E the conventions for non standard device addresses are different
but there is a mechanism for addressing that.  I've not used that.

Any of the PDP11 unix again there is a way but the process varies with
version and is unknown to me.  I tried once to get V^ to talk to more
than RL02.

In the end first make sure you using the suggested secondary controller
address.  Then use the OS dependent tools for installing additional drives.

Allison


Hi
   OK lets see if I can understand whats going on.

1. The CQD sits at the normal 17772150 base address
2. RQDX3 is at the alternate 17760334 base address.
3. The map function in the 11/93 monitor sees both
4. The SCSI drive boots RT11 with the RQDX3 in place.
5. So if I connect an RX50 through the cable splitter as normal then what 
device(s) is(are) the RX50
Rod


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