r. Thank you for saying something. I have direct
conversations with Chuck going back more than 20 years. He definitely
knew what he was talking about. I always enjoyed his answers to
questions. He will be missed.
-ethan
ard,
pops in a replacement from his satchel, and the drive comes back to
life.
Clearly not his first barbeque.
-ethan
in, assuming that all the
> capacitors are still good.
I also have a couple of drives that haven't been used in many years.
I plan to check the positioner bulbs and the plastic elbow that tends
to get brittle over time before mounting a pack.
> It came in handy to prove to the RSX development group that RSX-11M
> version 2.0 would run on an 11/73. :-)
Fun use!
-ethan
more than one BA23, and
a DQ614 interface. I love PDP-11s but I recently got a (working)
pedestal MicroPDP-11/53 for under $300, and already have at least one
MicroPDP-11/23 and am not looking to buy another one.
-ethan
pindle.
I don't have a source for any of those original parts, and they often
break or go missing, so there's demand for modern replacements.
Cheers,
-ethan
ements some parsable serial command scheme like the Chronograph
does.
-ethan
to port that over to RSX-11. All the fiddly hardware
register magic is there, but obviously the system interface to time is
different.
-ethan
On Sun, May 4, 2025 at 2:15 AM Ethan Dicks wrote:
> > >I have a Grant Technologies 306A/307...
>
> The Grant Technology 306A is the fully-stuffed KWV11 + RTC board. If
> it's 1/4 stuffed with just the RTC portion, it's a 307.
>
> Manual at:
> http://bits
06_Sep88.pdf
Thanks for the link to the VCF post. I added to it just now with a
photo of my 307.
-ethan
/pdp-11.classiccmp.org/RT-11/freeware/decus11/110645
One 306A sold last year on fleabay for $27 plus shipping. If I had
seen it, I probably would have bought it.
I don't think there are any photos easily findable online. The manual
on bitsavers has some great technical details but sadly no schematic.
Enjoy,
-ethan
the RTC. It complains
when I boot it up and the board is missing.
It shouldn't be impossible to figure out how it all works and write a
program for RT-11 or possibly 2BSD to read the time.
Oh... there are product variants for how much of the board is
populated. I think mine is "RTC only".
-ethan
I
bought a few years back. Yes... NiCd damage under the battery,
fortunately very minor.
-ethan
this year?
The signs and maps were probably the best they have ever been, But it is
spread out.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
vers, but could upload them.
Hi, Jay,
Very interested in copies of those EdySystem tapes!
-ethan
> |KIND| ID | MACHINE |
> CONTENTS | COMMENT| Checksum |
> Checksum 2 | FILENAME
people's examples.
It's neat.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
m that point I always
thought "Never get too cocky."
--
: Ethan O'Toole
ith the 11/05, which had to fit in a single backplane, the
amount of integration rose to where hex peripherals (and memory) were
possible.
As mentioned, EUB slots exist to support 22-bit memory addressing for
Unibus memory (11/24).
short answer - the Unibus evolved as integration density increased.
-ethan
On Sun, Mar 30, 2025 at 11:06 AM Jon Elson wrote:
> On 3/29/25 21:05, Ethan Dicks wrote:
> > On Sat, Mar 29, 2025 at 9:46 PM Jon Elson wrote:
> >> In the "old" days, such as the 1970's, pretty much any
> >> DEC-manufactured peripheral was supplied as
double-wide slots were for the
> Unibus in and out connectors.
There were plenty of 9-slot system unit peripherals, but there were
also 4-slot system unit peripherals in the early days.
One I have myself is the KE11-A integer math unit.
-ethan
GPL and source should be
> available (unless Xircom cheated).
I don't have source AFAIK. I'm in favor of it, but I was unlikely to
be rebuilding DOS drivers at any time.
Cheers,
-ethan
On Mon, Feb 3, 2025 at 2:43 PM Paul Koning via cctalk
wrote:
> Open source, properly defined, means not just that you can see the code but
> that you have the possibility of building it. If DeepSeek is advertised as
> open source but you can't create your own executable, that's clearly false
>
hem because I have the skills and I have the interest. Not everyone
does. Some people just download and consume, and that's fine too.
> Yes, many people may have reviewed the code but that does not mean what I am
> running is the result of that code.
That's on you.
-ethan
ort on my Commodore 64. Wrote a driver to
intercept IEC device 4 that fit in the cassette buffer. I still have
that driver and that printer cable (left the 101 behind 38 years ago,
as mentioned, because of weight).
-ethan
r
just "get this out of here!"
I left it behind when I moved from one college rental to another
because I couldn't get help getting it back down the stairs. It was
way too heavy for me to lift solo, even when I was 20.
-ethan
a suggested schematic for the 6883 synchronous
> address multiplexer chip?
Huh... talk about synchronicity... Minutes ago I collected a packet
from my mailbox with some vintage chips... CDP1802CD, CDP1852, Hitachi
68450, MC6860, and an MC6883.
... and then I see a list thread talking about the MC6883.
Wild.
-ethan
reat
but I do all of my design in OpenSCAD so you get STLs from me. Any
STEP files would have to come out of a converter.
I do recommend if you use OpenSCAD, please publish the source files
with the STL.
-ethan
the transfer
so the transfer was "unsuccessful" to the BBS software and didn't hurt
upload/download ratios. But it captured the complete file.)
- Ethan
parts dealers was NTE. I used to hate it when they would cross
reference the real replacement part to some NTE kind of a like. I hated
that. I wanted the right part with the same number as the original from
a name brand.
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
On Tue, Oct 1, 2024 at 1:06 PM Tom Uban via cctalk
wrote:
> My local electronics store, which still sells packets of components, informs
> me that NTE has gone
> out of business.
That news is sadly true. Heard it back in August.
-ethan
On Mon, Aug 19, 2024 at 11:35 AM Paul Anderson via cctalk
wrote:
> I remember there being a hack to convert M920 from an 11 to a M935 for an 8.
I'd love to see that hack. I could have really used it in the 80s.
-ethan
ifferences. I
think there are some. With the community's present knowledge and
access to tools and disposable MCUs, I think success is much more
likely now than it was 35 years ago.
-ethan
about date codes or exact package styles or markings
(N vs P etc.) I just want it to work.In the short term, I'm
definitely willing to consider a board with 6x4557 programmable chip
registers, but that still leaves the 8-pin shift registers.
-ethan
s is what I had to do...
"Turns out, the default when populating from dead/missing battery is
'od'. Fixed it by jumping into the ROM prompt and using 'p' to set
the default to 'sd' then 'b sd' to fire it up."
-ethan
~
el every year, including the category
"Electronic Scrap".
-ethan
e package went back to
the seller to fix.
I rarely buy from overseas sellers because $30-$40/kg postage is too dear.
-ethan
It's too bad they could have sold or donated the entire museum to another
individual/company/group. I'm assuming they must have tried that route.
I think I remember that he had no will? And his sister doesn't care about
the nerd stuff.
- Ethan
ster and
chunky, but still flyable.
Definitely a popular game framework right along with Star Trek.
-ethan
FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
https://svn.so-much-stuff.com/svn/trunk/pdp8/src/decus/focal8-81/
I have run this at VCF on a 4K PDP-8.
-ethan
I wonder how well that machine would do at bitcoin mining
Extremely poor?
--
: Ethan O'Toole
fun exercise for the student.
Could be a good start but would still need level shifters.
J-11 runs at 15-18Mhz for an idea on how fast the bus implementation has to be.
-ethan
ks). In order
to work with existing drivers, though, the third party cards did have
to emulate them at the I/O register level but as long as it's
registers on one end and 8" media on the other, they were free to
reimplement the middle part.
-ethan
entioned in
other replies, the media isn't cylindrical but it behaves logically
like a drum.
-ethan
.nasa.gov/citations/19880069935
Excellent stuff in there.
-ethan
USA here, anyone have a Sharp x68000 keyboard and mouse to sell?
The one that I've repaired and am trying to complete is the desktop
version, black, mini-din connector.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
r there, local collection only!
- Ethan O'Toole
e.
Given, I've never heard of the format so maybe I'm being naive.
On 12/30/23 22:26, Jim Brain via cctalk wrote:
https://entertainment.slashdot.org/story/23/12/30/0151241/documentarians-secure-original-reboot-master-tapes-but-need-help-to-play-them
--
: Ethan O'Toole
uot;gotchas" to work
through/around.
-ethan
the scale (with the accessory chips). The barcode
scanner was utterly dismantled 35 years ago.
-ethan
re. I didn't work on
the machine myself except to physically disconnect and pack and move
it from one site to another when we consolidated our operations back
into one building.
-ethan
no J-11 anywhere until recently).
As mentioned, if it's a well-implemented MSCP SCSI controller (UC07,
CQD220...), it should "just work" on any system there are MSCP drivers
for.
Cheers,
-ethan
t.
If one had 12 DEC backplane blocks, one could make a replacement but
it would be quite an undertaking. Might be easier to make a PCB-based
replacement with modern connectors. Could also upgrade power input
scheme while at it.
-ethan
Awesome! Didn't realize MAME ws limited to 32-Bit SPARC.
But the emulators can definitely be handy, or at least get you partly
there!
- Ethan
Hi Ethan, thanks for suggesting MAME - did some research and somehow I
do not think it emulates UltraSparc but only 32bit Sarc
store variables in the ST
Microelectronics Timekeepers and once it dies game won't boot due to a
byte or two.
MAME has SPARC emulation.
Other thing is people with a working Tadpoles needs to dump their NVRAMS
ASAP because it sounds like all of them are about to quit working?
--
: Ethan O'Toole
That's why I said broken!
A boy can dream!
- Ethan
They are a fairly high demand item when they come up for sale, and are very
expensive.
Sellam
Anyone have any leads in USA on a Fairlight CMI or similar that needs
repair? S-100 based sampler from the 80s. Would be fun to restore one.
- Ethan
Anyone in Sheffield UK? There is an Acorn Archemedies computer I am
interested in buying but the guy is collection only. I am in the USA, but
interested in buying and repairing the system.
- Ethan
uff I have.
- Ethan
However, epay does charge an insertion fee so they will have to pay even when
it doesn't sell.
Eh, you get a lot of free listings these days. They take a huge chunk
though.
- Ethan
On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 2:34 PM Bill Degnan via cctalk
wrote:
> On Thu, Aug 17, 2023 at 2:28 PM Ethan Dicks via cctalk <
> I should add that part of the fun is to locate parts for free or cheap from
> dead or unimportant period electronics, cards, etc. In that way slowly
> buil
the hackery is and
finally see this board in action.
-ethan
ystems (I
use machines from the 60s and 70s all the time) but in the case of a
computer that costs more than my house, I'd probably lock it up in a
vault and only take it out for special occasions too.
-ethan
h
> their heads until Paul explains the details.
I concur. I have had this exact topic come up multiple times over the
past 18 months. It's "documented" but not so plainly that most new
users will ever find it.
Mostly I hear "I converted IMD files to BIN but Simh can't mount
them", over and over.
-ethan
Too bad, but on the other hand, John Draper turned 80 this year.
Probably a better role model.
--Chuck
Hah! Funny!
- Ethan
I'll be there. Hello Ethan. Bring some good stuff for me to buy. jk.
-andy
Years ago there was an auction of an Internet Kiosk company in Newport
News Virginia. I decided to go. It was well advertised and run by a big
company (probably Rasmus but I don't remember.)
I get there.
machine and odds and ends for micros.
Only system on my "to get" list is Acorn Archemedies.
Looking forward to it, and I think System Source might be the #1
collection in the world. Very cool place.
Say hi if you see me and are on this list.
- Ethan
On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 1:05 PM Paul Koning via cctalk
wrote:
> > On Jul 17, 2023, at 12:51 PM, Ethan Dicks via cctalk
> > wrote:
> >
> > On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 12:48 PM Ethan Dicks wrote:
> >> From: http://www.chdickman.com/pdp11/pro380.txt
> >>
>
On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 12:48 PM Ethan Dicks wrote:
> On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 12:28 PM Henry Bent via cctalk
> > I'm almost thoroughly unfamiliar with IMD - is there some obvious
> > extraction/conversion option that I am missing here?
As mentioned previously, yes. There&
On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 12:48 PM Ethan Dicks wrote:
> From: http://www.chdickman.com/pdp11/pro380.txt
>
> "The RX50 floppy starts at track 1. Track 0 is logically placed after
> track 79. The sectors are interleaved 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 0, 2, 4, 6, 8,
> 10. The track shift and inte
On Mon, Jul 17, 2023 at 12:28 PM Henry Bent via cctalk
wrote:
> I just noticed that images of a full RX50 floppy set for Ultrix-32m 1.2 was
> posted on Bitsavers (
> http://bitsavers.trailing-edge.com/bits/DEC/vax/ultrix/1.2/ULTRIX-32M_V1.2_RX50_1986.zip
> ). I am having difficulty parsing these
nty from Don Lancaster too, but it was more general
knowledge than anything. I don't think I ever read something of his
that I didn't learn something from.
-ethan
rom Bob back in April. Doubly
glad I did.
> I'm glad he's at peace.
Indeed.
-ethan
pete with a "real" PDP-8 system).
Ken's reaction was an element of what led to David going off to found
Creative Computing, as the story goes.
-ethan
easonable programs for the PC
market, that there were ways to write programs that _would_ fit in
640K and you should be doing that.
So I'm not gonna swear he said those words, I do remember something
along those lines was said ~40 years ago.
-ethan
On Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 4:38 PM Sellam Abraham via cctalk
wrote:
> On Fri, Jun 2, 2023 at 8:24 AM Ethan Dicks via cctalk
> wrote:
>
> > I did see an actual 1970s station wagon loaded with RL02 cartridges
> > once, pulled up at the dock of Baker Systems, the large Computer
&g
x27;s data once it
arrived. So maybe not a 747 full of magtape, but still, a couple of
cubic meters of DLT tape going 850 miles in 3.5 hours (Pole to
McMurdo) is pretty decent bandwidth. The MCM->NZ leg was on a jet
(C-17) so it upped the bandwidth, but on a larger plane so the
effective capacity utilization dropped.
-ethan
le platform).
Two layers - fortunately in this case, the low-level format is known
(WD1002A-WX1) and that's good. I'd totally expect an MFM Emulator to
be able to pull bytes off the drive. I am not a CoCo person so I have
no idea what tools can be used to pull files from a raw pile of disk
blocks there.
-ethan
FidoNet is still a thing too.
So is USENET.
Julf
And bigger than ever (storage size wise.)
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
bit different - more about running a Texpad over the surface while
slowly rotating than measuring anything.
Cool find!
-ethan
paul
I assume with the immense wealth PA had that anyone and everyone connected
to him were sought out by people looking to try to pitch ideas, get
grants, try to sell thing things, etc. Maybe NDA helped reduce that noise
to the org.
- Ethan
Question, were Paul Allen’s museums non-profits?
Zane
I am sure, tax writeoff.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
to try to fix it for the
future.
Also the event could use more volunteers for next year as well.
- Ethan
Is there a list of floppy disk drives which could read and write both 3.5"
1.44mb and 720k diskettes?
Replace any SMD electrolytic caps on the drive pcb if there are any.
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I25UeVXrEHQ
- Ethan
the blank panels lined up and made
the visual appearance of a box with no exits.
You _could_ get lost in that one, as long as you didn't take half a step away.
-ethan
l) if one cares to. Don't know if
it's a clone, didn't research it that hard. Sold the HP years ago, never
up-paid for the Rigol with the logic analyzer functions since the USB ones
were so much cheaper in comparison.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
parts I guess you gotta go to Shenzhen these days.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
ape. They
have normal consumer-style stuff up to the 2" reels. Not sure if the 2"
stuff they sell will work on digital machines like the Sony DASH machines.
Cassette tapes are kind of back a little as well and apparently there are
duplication houses for them again.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
hool kid can scrounge a PDP-8 by the early 80s, I'm sure
an adult with a real job could have done it a lot earlier.
-ethan
P.S. - 90% of what ran on that PET was games - commercial ones bought
from Creative Computing and Instant Software and others, as well as
lots of games typed in from books
others on this list have had similar
problems with theirs.
It might be possible to transplant DRAM ICs from other SIMMS onto the
Tadpole memory modules to refurbish them.
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
s. I can't find an obvious
part number on them and searching for Tadpole RAM modules just finds the
rinkydink 8MB parts for the earlier SPARCbooks.
Can you tell if it's one of the DRAM ICs or if it's the connector? Deoxit
on the connector then reseat?
- Ethan
--
: Ethan O'Toole
Looking for an Acorn A3010 or A4000 + KB/Mouse, happy to repair it.
Also Sinclair +3 with some disks
Also BBC Micro
Also Amstrad CPC 6128 color. Could forgo monitor and build my own PSU.
- Ethan
Still looking (though I might have line on the +3)
--
: Ethan O'Toole
smaller than it used to be.
The bad thing is there is a ton of knowledge on facebook that isn't
indexed to the public web.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
Hi, Ethan,
Whereabouts are you? I'm in York, UK, and I have more than one spare BBC
Micro. I don't have an A3010 but I do have an A3020 (red function keys) if
that's of interest.
Private email sent! The A3020 and BBC Micro are of interest! Thanks!
In this case, "bryanipad.com" appears to be available.
But... my name is Ethan and my old tablet is Android :-(
--
: Ethan O'Toole
Looking for an Acorn A3010 or A4000 + KB/Mouse, happy to repair it.
Also Sinclair +3 with some disks
Also BBC Micro
Also Amstrad CPC 6128 color. Could forgo monitor and build my own PSU.
- Ethan
The address is very suspicious, as it does not seem like a very good
website name, and ends in .shop, which valid shops in our hobby rarely if
ever use.
Problem is all the .com addresses are squatted on now, so people are
slowly starting to move to alternative things.
- Ethan
etic media?
I thought Flash could only hold the data in them X amount of years until
the junctions discharge or whatever? It's less permanent than decent
quality optical or pro magnetic media?
You have to plug them in every so often to refresh I believe.
- Et
;t dwell in the past. Otherwise there would
be layoffs.
- Ethan
t into the //gs and that kind of
frames it: I'd rather just use a //e (which is still late for me) or a
][+ but that's because I first used them back in the Integer BASIC
days (and watched friends do the DOS 3.2->3.3 conversion) then used
them heavily in 1984. It's just where my experience falls.
-ethan
> Sellam
I saw it at Comdex, and then never again.
Nintendo Famicom disk system uses some kind of odd sized not swure disk.
--
: Ethan O'Toole
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