Re: Early Univac Commercial
On 2019-09-20 12:52 p.m., Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: On 9/20/19 8:16 AM, William Sudbrink via cctalk wrote: Isn't there also one that's a "help wanted" for programming positions? I seem to recall that they didn't say anything about professional training or experience, just things like "do you have a logical, ordered way of thinking?" I don't recall, but IBM had a "computer aptitude test" that it administered to just about anyone involved in sales or the technical end, regardless of education. I recall taking such a test, though I turned down IBM's job offer. --Chuck Before I was hired as a CE I took a few test for understanding of digital logic as also mechanics as there was still lots of electro-mechanical equipment around 40 years ago. Later when I transferred to a job in a development lab I took a test called the DPAT which was all aimed at testing logical thinking skills. I was never told how I scored on any of these tests, but I was hired and I did get accepted for the training program that lead up to a job in the development lab. Paul.
Re: PBXes at home
On 09/19/2019 19:27, Ethan O'Toole via cctalk wrote: A number of years ago I picked up a Lucent Merlin Legend system. ... Around 2000 I picked up an expanded Nortel Compact ICS (CICS) with voice mail unit - might be the last thing I bought from a NetNews post. That was 8 analog CO lines and 24 extensions as received, with a tub of cables, phones, buttons, die-cut un-printed inserts, a few manuals, etc. Overkill for a four bedroom house with attached office, but it gave me all the features I wanted as a remote worker. I had the music on hold wired up, but stopped using it after one occasion where I put a staff meeting conference call on hold... When I finally acquired an ISDN line card years later I was very excited, but then I moved cross country before I put it into service. Maybe I should have tried to order ISDN at the new place but it was late 2005, and my DSL Internet service included an analog loop with free calling nationwide... Still using the CICS, having upgraded some handsets (M7310 -> T7316e) and the system software. --S.
MicroVAX 3100 ROMs
My MicroVAX 3100 gets stuck in boot with the leftmost 4 LEDs on, which indicates it's executed some instructions from ROM. That in turn may indicate that the ROMs are corrupt. From http://gentiane.org/~miod/machineroom/machines/digital/vax/3100-30/bare_mobo.jpg it looks as if the ROMs are a pair of M27C1024s. Mouser doesn't have those, but they do carry AT27C1024 in two different speeds. Those look like they should work. It looks like my ROM burner will support that, with an additional, not horrifically expensive, adapter. The machine is probably a ka42b CPU (I can check when I get home). That in turn suggests that the file simh/VAX/ka42b.bin (which is 256K, which is nice, since that is two megabits) is probably the image I need. So my major remaining question is: how are those chips laid out? Since they're 16 bits wide, I assume that what I really have is a 64kword memory image...but is one the bottom 32kwords and one the top? Or is one the left 16 bits of 64kwords, and the other the right 16 bits? In short, how do I slice the image from simh to put it into the replacement ROMs? Adam
Re: analog computer - texas
Not bad. Ended up going for $215. I couldn't tell condition from pics but hopefully someone enjoys and shows it off some time. On Fri, Sep 20, 2019, 4:04 AM Mark Linimon via cctech wrote: > I'm local. OTOH I have $ problems right now so I can't promise > to go over there, pick up stuff, and pack and ship it for free. > > I do have a bid in on the biological sample cases. > > (OK, it's a joke, but I do have one in on a rack) > > mcl >
Re: PBXes at home
5ESS? Hmmm, you must have a pretty BIG home, no? Not really, and most of the space is filled with arcade and pinball machines :-) But it is my understanding that a 5ESS could be widdled down to two racks. And it's not like I would keep it forever. Apparently the management platform that used to be a 3B2 runs on a Solaris machine in emulation now. So something like a Sun Netra T1 can take the place of the large computer. Only need enough line circuits to run say 32 or 64 analog loops and maybe some ISDN/T1? I've had a tour of a 5ESS and it was QUITE big, like 50K square feet at least, not counting the battery room and the cross connect frames, or the Solar turbine generator. True, but don't need rows of racks of modules that drive the subscriber loops. Jon -- : Ethan O'Toole
Re: PBXes at home
> > Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2019 22:27:23 -0400 (EDT) > From: Ethan O'Toole > Subject: PBXes at home > > A number of years ago I picked up a Lucent Merlin Legend system. > > -- > : Ethan O'Toole > I have a little Merlin 410 PBX at home, with the Conference and Music on Hold plug-in modules. -- Michael Thompson
Re: Early Univac Commercial
Yea, I recall having to take that test. I almost didn’t because my degree is EE but then they realized I was applying for SW positions. Go figure! ;-) Worked there for 17+ years. TTFN - Guy > On Sep 20, 2019, at 8:52 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > > On 9/20/19 8:16 AM, William Sudbrink via cctalk wrote: >> Isn't there also one that's a "help wanted" for programming positions? >> I seem to recall that they didn't say anything about professional training >> or experience, just things like "do you have a logical, ordered way of >> thinking?" > > I don't recall, but IBM had a "computer aptitude test" that it > administered to just about anyone involved in sales or the technical > end, regardless of education. I recall taking such a test, though I > turned down IBM's job offer. > > --Chuck >
Re: PBXes at home
Switches like that usually are pretty scalable. Purdue's SL-100 / DMS-100 that handled about 40,000 lines at its peak was similarly sized, and spread across 4 facilities on campus. However, for only a small number of lines, you could get away with maybe just a dozen cabinets worth of stuff. I guess that the fiber remote IPE cabinets would be good for hooking your neighbors up. :) Patrick Finnegan On Fri, Sep 20, 2019, 12:12 Jon Elson via cctalk wrote: > > > On 9/19/19 7:27 PM, Ethan O'Toole via cctalk wrote: > >> Where does one find a working 5ESS for home? > >> > >> > 5ESS? Hmmm, you must have a pretty BIG home, no? > I've had a tour of a 5ESS and it was QUITE big, like 50K > square feet at least, not counting the battery room and the > cross connect frames, or the Solar turbine generator. > > Jon > >
Re: PBXes at home
On 9/19/19 7:27 PM, Ethan O'Toole via cctalk wrote: Where does one find a working 5ESS for home? 5ESS? Hmmm, you must have a pretty BIG home, no? I've had a tour of a 5ESS and it was QUITE big, like 50K square feet at least, not counting the battery room and the cross connect frames, or the Solar turbine generator. Jon
Re: Early Univac Commercial
On 9/20/19 8:16 AM, William Sudbrink via cctalk wrote: > Isn't there also one that's a "help wanted" for programming positions? > I seem to recall that they didn't say anything about professional training > or experience, just things like "do you have a logical, ordered way of > thinking?" I don't recall, but IBM had a "computer aptitude test" that it administered to just about anyone involved in sales or the technical end, regardless of education. I recall taking such a test, though I turned down IBM's job offer. --Chuck
Re: analog computer - texas
I'm local. OTOH I have $ problems right now so I can't promise to go over there, pick up stuff, and pack and ship it for free. I do have a bid in on the biological sample cases. (OK, it's a joke, but I do have one in on a rack) mcl
RE: Early Univac Commercial
Isn't there also one that's a "help wanted" for programming positions? I seem to recall that they didn't say anything about professional training or experience, just things like "do you have a logical, ordered way of thinking?" Bill S. -Original Message- From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Chuck Guzis via cctalk Sent: Thursday, September 19, 2019 10:10 PM To: Marvin Johnston via cctalk Subject: Re: Early Univac Commercial There are several Univac commercials in the archive.org video library. I like the one that talks about he Univac "memory tank", which, it really was. The curious thing was that Remington Rand ran commercials not only for UNIVAC computers, but also for shavers and typewriters. --Chuck --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus
Re: KiCad pcb file
Paul, Sure! Always good to have more contacts in industry. Thanks, Jonathan On Thu, Sep 19, 2019 at 8:57 PM Paul Anderson via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > I know someone out west who makes boards for DEC systems. If you want , > I'll look for his contact info this weekend. > > Paul > > On Wed, Sep 18, 2019 at 4:09 PM systems_glitch via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > We have to clean it up but we've got the pattern for a quad height > > prototype board. I can share the outline and edge connectors once it's > 100% > > verified. > > > > Thanks, > > Jonathan > > > > On Tue, Sep 17, 2019 at 7:54 PM David Bridgham via cctalk < > > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > > On 9/17/19 15:00, Ed Groenenberg via cctalk wrote: > > > > Hello. > > > > > > > > I'm looking for a PCB layout file / template of a 2 slot Unibus card, > > > > which I want to use in KiCad. > > > > > > > > Can someone help me with this? > > > > > > > > > Here's a KiCad template for a double-height QBUS card. I haven't > > > verified it or cleaned it up but it ought to make a good starting point > > > and deleting the QBUS bits will be easy. Eventually I'll need to do a > > > quad-height Unibus card too. > > > > > > http://pdp10.froghouse.org/qsic/qbus-template.tar.gz > > > > > > If you're building your own DEC boards, this is the best dimensional > > > diagram I've come across; I pulled it out of a uVAX manual. The one > bug > > > I've found in it is the "1.00±.010" in the corner where the edge > fingers > > > start. I think it's supposed to be "0.100±.010" but I'd double-check > > > that against other diagrams or measure a real board. > > > > > > http://pdp10.froghouse.org/qsic/qbus-dimensions.pdf > > > > > > > > > > > >
