May 2017 - vcf-midatlantic - lists.vcfed.org

Re: vcf-midatlantic Digest, Vol 19, Issue 5
by SVCatITC＠aol.com 05 May '17

05 May '17

BRAVO Herb; You are another scholar who again brought back memories for me. When EAI got too big for their britches, they got involved in full scope power plant simulators using SEL 32 mainframes and CDC Winchester drives. FORTRAN was the OS of the day on these mainframes modeling nuclear reactor vessels, and processes. I have a very good PHD friend living out in Hightstown, NJ who still uses FORTRAN from time to time in his modeling work. We worked together on the ANPP project out in AZ for AZ Public Service (back in the late 80's). I can drop him a line if he might be interested in helping in such a project. I helped him in showing him real life SCADA instrumentation dynamics so as he could get the software objects to respond and drive the instrumentation as fast as the real life analog processes did. ..... Not such an easy task. Count me as one who would want to see something similar run on big iron. I might be able to help with the peripheral instrumentation as well. If you are coming this weekend, we might talk further. Many Thanks for your continued "long view" insight for the mission statement. Bill Inderrieden In a message dated 5/5/2017 12:00:07 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, Herb Johnson writes: The question is: is there any interest in this kind of exhibit at a VCF? The exhibit would be, a vintage computer running a FORTRAN program, which modeled some physical system - a chemical plant, an automobile engine, a nuclear power plant, whatever - and used some other computer or means (a reduced size model, etc.) to visually demonstrate what was being "computed"? An example of sorts, is David Gesswein's display at VCF-East 2017. He displayed graphical results (not the actual computations or the thing modeled) on graphical terminals and on paper with a plotter. It was a physically interesting exhibit, of these graphical instruments - that was the point, I understood that, I liked the exhibit. In short - is anyone interested in actual, useful *computations* from a vintage computer? And in seeing those results displayed in some simulation of a physical system? Or would such an exhibit, be lost among graphical games and videos? Or irrelevant among displaying the computers as various brands and models with this feature or that? Those are important considerations among vintage computer owners and visitors; so is what I'm talking about. Herb Johnson retro*technology*.com

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FS: Varisystems/Teledyne P16 Core Memory System Lot
by Systems Glitch 05 May '17

05 May '17

link: http://www.ebay.com/itm/272659428903 Picked this up in a lot of industrial control surplus. No idea what it's intended to interface with. I would guess it is a generic core memory system provided to OEMs. The lot includes one good condition control board, one subpar condition control board, and a core plane of unknown size. It looks like it's probably a 4K or 8K core plane, similar in density to a DEC H217 but of course much smaller. Thanks, Jonathan

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OT: Nasa runs competition to help make old Fortran code faster
by Herb Johnson 05 May '17

05 May '17

Thanks for the post about the NASA challenge to improve a FORTRAN program. This interests me, as an engineer of the FORTRAN era. It's actually a pretty complicated body of code. But it brings to my mind, a question about displaying vintage computers. See if what I have to say is of interest to you - I'll literally ask that question in this post. https://www.nasa.gov/aero/nasa-issues-a-challenge-to-speed-up-its-supercomp… is a link to NASA's site with more details of the challenge. While classic FORTRAN of the 70's and 80's is not overly complex, it is different from BASIC and PASCAL of the era. But NASA's FORTRAN is much more complex. Scientists have continued to use FORTRAN for decades, and subsequent versions of FORTRAN support parallel execution, structured coding, etc. . Specific applications require libraries of complex mathematical operations; in this case, support for "CFD" or computational fluid dynamics - extremely complex physics of motions of air or liquids. The challenge points out that results must retain accurate calculations; modern FORTRANs have long representations for values. So this is no 24-hour hacker's challenge. You'd need a background in complicated physics and in numeric computation, to have a shot at this. And I'm not sure any of this code even runs on a desktop computer, or if so it would run very slowly. ------ It's relevant to vintage computing, because FORTRAN did run on vintage personal computers; and because it ran on vintage mainframes and minicomputers. It was pretty common in the 1970's; I learned FORTRAN in my technical public high school back then. I've thought about some kind of VCF exhibit, where old FORTRAN code would be run on a 70's or 80's microcomputer, to demonstrate calculations and show some graphical results. It would simulate some physical system. I've come across this sort of code from time to time, in old textbooks and reports. Likewise: there's been posted discussions here, about how to display *analog* computers. After all, those computers represented physical systems, that was their purpose. They were used to model the differential equations of, say, a bouncing ball or ballistics or chemical reactions; and display some graph of results given some variables. The analog computers themselves, WERE literal models (if you understood differential equations). But in discussion, it was suggested that a modern computer, or Web access, could display a visual model of the thing being modeled, and use the analog computer's outputs to "drive the model". OK - If these descriptions have already put you to sleep, or suggested some kind of one-liner punch line in your head, then that answers my question before I ask. The question is: is there any interest in this kind of exhibit at a VCF? The exhibit would be, a vintage computer running a FORTRAN program, which modeled some physical system - a chemical plant, an automobile engine, a nuclear power plant, whatever - and used some other computer or means (a reduced size model, etc.) to visually demonstrate what was being "computed"? An example of sorts, is David Gesswein's display at VCF-East 2017. He displayed graphical results (not the actual computations or the thing modeled) on graphical terminals and on paper with a plotter. It was a physically interesting exhibit, of these graphical instruments - that was the point, I understood that, I liked the exhibit. In short - is anyone interested in actual, useful *computations* from a vintage computer? And in seeing those results displayed in some simulation of a physical system? Or would such an exhibit, be lost among graphical games and videos? Or irrelevant among displaying the computers as various brands and models with this feature or that? Those are important considerations among vintage computer owners and visitors; so is what I'm talking about. Herb Johnson retro*technology*.com -- Herbert R. Johnson, New Jersey in the USA http://www.retrotechnology.com OR .net preserve, recover, restore 1970's computing email: hjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT com or try later herbjohnson AT retrotechnology DOT info

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June Workshop Dates - June 24 & 25
by Jeffrey Brace 04 May '17

04 May '17

If there are no objections, I will put in a request for the next workshop to be June 24 & 25. Do you guys prefer: 9032-A (The big room where we often have the workshop) or 9010-C (The cafeteria where we had Festivus) ? -- Jeff Brace - ark72axow(a)gmail.com Sent from my Commodore 64 ========================================================

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Workshop dates for July, August, September
by Jeffrey Brace 04 May '17

04 May '17

Any conflicts with these dates? July 22/23 August 12/13 September 16/17 -- Jeff Brace - ark72axow(a)gmail.com Sent from my Commodore 64 ========================================================

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IMPORTANT ChAnGes to Workshop 5/6 & 5/7, 2017 & Volunteer Day
by Jeffrey Brace 04 May '17

04 May '17

DATE: May 6 & 7, 2017 LOCATION: InfoAge Building 9010A - the common room down the hall from the VCF museum, address: 2201 Marconi Road, Wall Township, NJ) TIME: Volunteer work start at 10AM near the warehouse. Bring appropriate clothing and gloves. If it rains, then we will work inside the warehouse. Workshop Starts about 1:00 P.M. on Saturday and ends whenever we go to sleep. On Sunday it will end about 5 P.M. (Starts around 10 A.M. Sunday morning) SIGNUP here ==> : https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1waEqeNHZeYM9t7OprYWH bwBrIVS9EzGNGl7yJm_7yr0/edit?usp=sharing COST: - $10 for all members attending the workshop, which VCF donates to InfoAge as thanks for providing the space for us. - $25 for those wanting to stay overnight. Please pay me when you get there so that I don't forget. OVERNIGHT: Bring your own pillow, blankets, soap etc. We provide a bed frame and an uncovered mattress. There are showers and a kitchen for your use. - We will have PayPal credit card swipes available. EQUIPMENT: - VCF will provide a table and you can use any available electrical outlet. - Bring your own tools, power strips, power cords, and supplies etc. - Please bring an extra one or two power cords as these are often forgotten by people. DRINKS: You should bring your own. I would recommend bringing a cooler of some type. FOOD: You provide your own. We usually order pizza, subs or go out to a dinner and everyone pays their own way. Usually, we make a decision when everyone gets hungry. GATE: During the hours from 1 pm to 5 pm close the front gate behind you. We want museum visitors to go to the front lobby and not wander through the middle of the campus. Outside of those times, you can feel free to leave the gate open. PARKING: Park on the blacktop and not the grass. QUESTIONS? Please ask me (Jeff Brace) or Evan. My cell is 732-759-1783 and Evan’s is 646-546-9999 in case you need to contact us. See everyone there! And have fun! -- Jeff Brace - ark72axow(a)gmail.com Sent from my Commodore 64 ========================================================

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Semi-OT: PureData Token Ring EISA adapters
by Jim Scheef 04 May '17

04 May '17

Hello all, I have seven PDE9025-4/16 token ring adapters that are free to a good home. A long-time (nameless) MARCHian gave me these about 7-8 years ago. These cards have never been used, the bus connectors are totally pristine. There is only one set of original documentation (3/8" thick book) with driver and diagnostic disks, so one person gets them all. They are free for local pickup or the cost of shipping. With these, plus that MAU in the back of your closet, you can build the Token RingT network of your dreams! Jim

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OT: Nasa runs competition to help make old Fortran code faster
by Tony Bogan 04 May '17

04 May '17

FYI. http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-39803425 Tony Sent from my iPhone

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LSSM press coverage
by Dave McGuire 04 May '17

04 May '17

Nice article about LSSM earlier this week: http://triblive.com/local/valleynewsdispatch/12104848-74/new-kensington-mus… There are a few errors in it (the PDP-11/70 most certainly did NOT sell for $10,000..) but overall it's a nice article. -Dave -- Dave McGuire, AK4HZ New Kensington, PA

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Re: [vcf-midatlantic] pillow talk
by Jeffrey Jonas 03 May '17

03 May '17

replying to Joseph Oprysko > I'm guessing no blinkenlights on the pillow. Wearables are getting better and better. Some are machine washable. I have a music CD with a LED lightshow in the cover, and a flag with fiber optic lights so a pillow ought to be easier!

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