May 2016 - vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

PDP 11/40 update
by william degnan 24 May '16

24 May '16

I had written about how to expand the backplanes of an 11/40. Basically I am upgrading the system I have had for a while. I completed the work and I now have the system running with core memory rather than MOS memory. Just seems more authentic that way. I learned a ton about UNIBUS in the past two days if anyone wants to talk shop about them. I hope soon to boot RT11, still working on that, but closer now...closer... I got a lot of help, could not have done it without CCTECH DEC Heads. Very knowledgeable. b -- @ BillDeg: Web: vintagecomputer.net Twitter: @billdeg <https://twitter.com/billdeg> Youtube: @billdeg <https://www.youtube.com/user/billdeg> Unauthorized Bio <http://www.vintagecomputer.net/readme.cfm>

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VAX 11/780 CIB available
by Mike Loewen 23 May '16

23 May '16

Does anyone need a spare Console Interface Board (M8236) for their VAX 11/780? :-) Yours for the cost of shipping from 16803, but I won't say no to interesting trade items or pictures of dead presidents. Photos at: http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VAX/0523161611a.jpg http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VAX/0523161611.jpg http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/VAX/0523161612.jpg There are 4 (RAM?) chips missing from their sockets. I have no idea if that's significant. Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East XII: Evan's "Trinity Challenge"
by Brian L. Stuart 22 May '16

22 May '16

On Sun, 5/22/16, Evan Koblentz <evan(a)snarc.net> wrote: > On 05/22/2016 10:55 PM, Brian L. Stuart via vcf-midatlantic wrote: >> On Sun, 5/22/16, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org wrote: >>> I volunteer to head the SAGE team. :-) Getting enough power might be >>> a problem. >> >> Yeah, that was the problem I had this year with team ENIAC. > > All those vacuum tubes in your laptop really soaked it up, huh? Indeed. They're packed in so tight. That poor little fan was running as hard as it could. Of course, carrying a tube-based laptop in my backpack is good exercise. :) BLS

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] VCF East XII: Evan's "Trinity Challenge"
by Brian L. Stuart 22 May '16

22 May '16

On Sun, 5/22/16, Mike Loewen via vcf-midatlantic <vcf-midatlantic(a)lists.vintagecomputerfederation.org> wrote: > I volunteer to head the SAGE team. :-) Getting enough power might be > a problem. Yeah, that was the problem I had this year with team ENIAC. BLS

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Windows 1.04 SDK running in Bochs
by Richard Cini 22 May '16

22 May '16

All – Through the help of list members Walter Hawkes and Jason Perkins, we were able to move a complete Windows 1.04 development binder set from Ron Herold (also another list member) to NY after VCFE. I have scanned all of the books and manuals (SDK, MSC4, MSC5 and various other manuals) as well as recovered all 39 diskettes (everyone working; no errors). I created a Bochs environment running Windows 1.04 and the SDK, along with MASM 4. Getting the mouse to work was a bear, but it now works. The only software I can’t locate is a version of MS Pascal that’s from the same era. I haven’t tried to build any software with it yet, but if someone wants to give it a try, I can make the Bochs configuration available. At some point I’d like to put together a Web page for it. Rich -- Rich Cini http://www.classiccmp.org/cini http://www.classiccmp.org/altair32

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museum report
by Evan Koblentz 22 May '16

22 May '16

We had a good day at the museum. TDL/Rising Star/Epson's Chris Rutkowski stopped by for a private tour before we opened to the public. There were several families/children who stopped by in the afternoon.

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Looking for PC/AT key switch with key
by Richard Cini 22 May '16

22 May '16

All – Happy Sunday all! I’m looking to restore a PC/AT working condition after many years of use. It has a barrel key on the front, which is in the unlocked position (thankfully) but I have no key. If anyone has a spare assembly with key (or even the lock and key but no panel) and is willing to part with it, please contact me off-list. It’s been many years since I used this machine. The CMOS battery exploded but fortunately only rotted the case. It’s got an ST-296N SCSI hard drive (85MB!). Hopefully it works. Thanks! Rich -- Rich Cini http://www.classiccmp.org/cini http://www.classiccmp.org/altair32

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3490E tapes
by Mike Loewen 21 May '16

21 May '16

I have a box of 30 BASF "Extra DL" "Ultra Stabilized" tapes, NIB, still sealed. I believe they're for an IBM 3490E. Picture at: http://q7.neurotica.com/0518161742.jpg Any bids? Cat not included. :-) Mike Loewen mloewen(a)cpumagic.scol.pa.us Old Technology http://q7.neurotica.com/Oldtech/

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32k core unibus backplane
by william degnan 21 May '16

21 May '16

I inserted two 32K core backplanes in the middle of my 11/40, but I have nothing in the core planes yet, except grant cards. In front is the CPU backplane which connects to the first core backplane with an M981. The 1st core backplane ise connected to the 2nd by a M920, and the last core backplane is connected to the general purpose backplane with another M920. Do I need grant cards in *all* empty core slots, or can I just put them in the slots that don't already have a M920? Is a core backplane only for core card sets? Can I put any old card in there? Once I get a stable system and it appears the 1st/CPU backplane is talking to the back (4th) backplane (serial card, etc) then I can start testing core in a systematic way, using the serial port. thanks in advance for any suggestions. b -- @ BillDeg: Web: vintagecomputer.net Twitter: @billdeg <https://twitter.com/billdeg> Youtube: @billdeg <https://www.youtube.com/user/billdeg> Unauthorized Bio <http://www.vintagecomputer.net/readme.cfm>

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TDL / Apple story
by Evan Koblentz 20 May '16

20 May '16

Herb and I attended Roger Amidon's funeral this morning. We heard an interesting story from a TDL engineer at the luncheon afterward. Herb said Roger had previously told this story; it was new to me. As the story goes, TDL's monitor program was called Apple, so they gave Jobs/Woz permission (at the PC'76 conference in Atlantic City) to call their company Apple as long as they didn't make any Z-80 products. TDL then renamed its monitor "Zapple". I sent Woz a message to ask if he remembers this. Waiting to hear back. Bonus story #1: "Valdocs" meant "Valuable Documents" and was selected because one of the top engineers (not Roger) was a Scientologist and they used that term a lot. Bonus story #2: Rising Star (mostly TDL guys) got the Valdocs interface influence from Claude Kagan's famous "Home Reckoner" paper; they hadn't even heard of Xerox PARC.

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