[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[dwight via cctalk]

I have an older one and it seems like, I recall, openboot has a name for the 
nvram. possible caMel or similar.
Dwight


From: erik--- via cctalk 
Sent: Sunday, September 24, 2023 1:35 PM
To: cctalk@classiccmp.org 
Cc: e...@baigar.de 
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs 
rescue...

Played a little around - and the OpenFirmware's "dump" command on my older 
SparcBook 3GX (so no Ultra, but 4m architecture) is able to dump virtual 
memory. Obeying to the forth syntax, the following command...

1000 100 dump

...dumps 256 bytes starting at address 1000. Of course, reading undefined 
(=unmapped) memory leads to an access violation. But as the firmware manual 
describes, devices can be selected and than it is possible to dump their 
io-space and I bet somewhere in there, the NVRAM is hidden. At ffee I see 
populated memory in the 3GX - the dumpable range starts at ffee and ends at 
ffef (in total 128k). So having a running UltraBook that would be the way 
to seach for the NVRAM?

[cctalk] Re: Vintage Computer Systems for sale

[Sellam Abraham via cctalk]

Stephen,

You have a terrific website.  It's very well presented and a nice resource
for homebrew computing circa the mid-1970s.

Sellam

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Played a little around - and the OpenFirmware's "dump" command on my older 
SparcBook 3GX (so no Ultra, but 4m architecture) is able to dump virtual 
memory. Obeying to the forth syntax, the following command...

1000 100 dump

...dumps 256 bytes starting at address 1000. Of course, reading undefined 
(=unmapped) memory leads to an access violation. But as the firmware manual 
describes, devices can be selected and than it is possible to dump their 
io-space and I bet somewhere in there, the NVRAM is hidden. At ffee I see 
populated memory in the 3GX - the dumpable range starts at ffee and ends at 
ffef (in total 128k). So having a running UltraBook that would be the way 
to seach for the NVRAM?

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Martin Bishop via cctalk]

Once upon a time DS... was (other things apart) Dallas, then Maxim, now Analog 
Devices.

Mouser says DS 1553 & DS1643 are obsolete.  However, there appears to be 
aftermarket activity:
- https://www.radwell.co.uk/en-GB/Search/?q=ds1553 
- https://www.radwell.co.uk/en-GB/Search/?q=ds1643
- which implies purchase & DIY possibilities ...

Seems to be the sort of part under discussion

HtH, Martin

-Original Message-
From: erik--- via cctalk [mailto:cctalk@classiccmp.org] 
Sent: 24 September 2023 17:24
To: cctalk@classiccmp.org
Cc: e...@baigar.de
Subject: [cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs 
rescue...

Just checked the datasheets: The NVRAMs of the UltraBooks I know of are the 
DS1643 and the DS1553. Both should be similar enough to be read/write by any 
reader that supports the DS1643 or the DS1553. Of course I'd offer creating an 
modified Arduino doing the task, to test it and to supply it to anyone who is 
willing to dump his NVRAM!!!

[cctalk] Vintage Computer Systems for sale

[Stephen Pereira via cctalk]

Good afternoon to all,

I am starting the process of selling off some of my vintage computer systems, 
so as to not burden anyone I leave behind.

The systems I list here are available for viewing in Bedford, NH, just west of 
Manchester, NH.  Anyone interested can send me an e-mail message and we can set 
up an appointment for you to visit.  Cash and Carry, of course, and reasonable 
offers will be considered.

Altair 8800c  —  $2500

I constructed this system early in 2019.  I built the front panel and front 
panel interface boards, and soldered up the backplane.  The rest of the boards 
were purchased assembled and tested.  You can see the Altair 8800c story here:  
https://deramp.com/altair.html  The system is fully tested and working, 
currently using virtual Altair disk drives via the Deramp application.  Plenty 
of documentation.

Single 8 inch disk drive in a dual drive cabinet  —  $500

This physical disk drive has been paired with the Altair 8800c in the past.  
Works fine.  I included will be an 8 inch disk drive that used to be in this 
cabinet until the power supply failed.  I believe this drive can be repaired.  
Included will be another 8 inch drive that is the wrong form factor to fit into 
the cabinet.  Purchased on eBay, untested.

Altair 680  —  $2000

I acquired this system on eBay back at the end of 2018.  It was not working, 
but a bit of troubleshooting discovered bad ram which was replaced.  The least 
significant LED of the address display does not light, but I’ve tested that the 
proper signals are there.  I simply did not want to risk changing out the LED.  
This system comes with the 4-slot riser, but the connectors are not yet 
soldered in.  No add-in boards.  Plenty of documentation.

Complete SWTPC 6800 clone system from Corsham Technologies  —  $400

I acquired this system from Bob at Corsham in the middle of 2018.  It is the 
complete setup, with the full 64K ram and the virtual disk drives.  
Documentation available at Corsham Technologies:  http://www.corshamtech.com 


Northstar Horizon  —  $800

I purchased this system on eBay as a running system.  From time to time I had 
problems with the top 8K ram on the Horizon 64K ram board.  The 64k ram board 
has been replaced with a Compupro Ram 17 (or clone), works great, no problems.  
I will include the glitchy Horizon 64K ram board.  FYI, a Deramp Virtual Sector 
Generator works great with this system, eliminating the need for hard sector 
diskettes.  https://deramp.com/vsg.html

Thanks for listening!

smp
- - -
Stephen Pereira
Bedford, NH  03110
KB1SXE

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Hmmm, did littel reading in the OpenFirmware manual I linked above. There is an 
example how to use show-devs for listing the existing devices. The example 
contains...

  /virtual-memory@0,0
  /memory@0,0
  /counter-timer@1,f300
  /eeprom@1,f200
  /openprom

So being lucky, the hex numbers given are the physical (non-mapped) address of 
memory, eeprom and counter-timer (=NVRAM). A check would be using the 
firmware's read commands to see if there is information starting at f300 
and more specific whether the locations f3001ff9 - 73001fff show any change 
(that is the location where the real time clock should appear if there is a 
NVRAM at this location.

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Yes, but usually that process does only reset the boot flags described in in 
the maunal, it does not reset the hardware relevant stuff like the hostID and 
MAC (those are lost in the Sparc Stations when the NVRAM is pulled or 
completely empty). But of course one can not be entirely sure - I ordered a 
"new" NVRAM for the UltraBookII just in case it did not like getting pulled and 
the battery attached.

Upon reading the NVRAM withoug pullig it and using a hardware reader device: I 
guess that with the peek commands (see OpenFirmware guide, 
https://docs.oracle.com/cd/E19457-01/801-7042/801-7042.pdf) one can read the 
NVRAM contents. Of course no idea how to find the memory address where it is 
located. The adress space is huge compared to the 8k of the NVRAM...

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Cameron Kaiser via cctalk]

> Interesting. So you still have got the hostid and the MAC address which might 
> indicate, that the contents are not completely lost yet. Maybe just a few 
> bits flipped leading to a wrong checksum (and the diag-switch? being set to 
> true, leading to lng POST times)?

Maybe, but it also says

"Setting NVRAM parameters to default values."

which suggests it has default values stored somewhere to set NVRAM to. I don't
know much about these systems' boot process, however.

-- 
 personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
  Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckai...@floodgap.com
-- It's bad luck to be suspicious. -- Andrew W. Mathis 

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Interesting. So you still have got the hostid and the MAC address which might 
indicate, that the contents are not completely lost yet. Maybe just a few bits 
flipped leading to a wrong checksum (and the diag-switch? being set to true, 
leading to lng POST times)?

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Cameron Kaiser via cctalk]

> Do anyone out there have got UltraBooks or UltraBooks IIi up and running? 
> Would 
> highly be interested in a dump of the NVRAM/Timekeeper!!!
> 
> The failed first generation UltraBook are (DS1643 NVRAM):
> (*) U20-14-9-512P with three (!!) hard drives, no battery port
> (*) U20-14-3-128B two hard drives, battery port
> 
> And my beloved UltraBook IIi (TimeKeeper DS1553-070)
> (*) U40-14-1X-1024C one harddrive, battery port and creator graphics.

I just got out my own UltraBook IIi to test and while it makes a lot of
complaints during POST (which takes a good couple minutes), it does eventually
come up into OpenBoot and will start Solaris. I note that it states it seems to
have already lost its NVRAM contents but appears to have spontaneously
self-recovered. Typing verbatim from the boot screen,

Starting real time clock...
Incorrect configuration checksum;
Setting NVRAM parameters to default values.
Setting diag-switch? NVRAM parameter to true.
Reset Control: BXIR:0 BPOR:0 SXIR:0 SPOR:1 POR:0
UltraSPARC-IIi Version 9.1 (E$=1MB) 2-2 module
Advanced PCI Bridge Version 1.3
Probing Memory Group #0 256 + 256 : 512 Megabytes
Probing Memory Group #2   0 +   0 :   0 Megabytes
Probing Floppy: No drives detected
Probing UPA Slot at 1e,0 Nothing there
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1 at Device 1  network
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1 at Device 2  Nothing there
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1 at Device 4  Nothing there
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1,1 at Device 3  ide disk cdrom
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1 at Device 1  pcma pcma
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1 at Device 2  ATI,3D-Expression
Probing /pci@1f,0/pci@1 at Device 3  scsi disk tape

--  Ultrabook IIi (UltraSPARC-IIi 400MHz), Sun Keyboard
--  OpenBoot 3.10.7 Tadpole-RDI 1.06, 512MB memory, Serial #[censored]
--  Ethernet address [censored], Host ID: [censored].


The IDPROM contents are invalid

Creator card not detected
Boot device: net  File and args:


>From there it times out, drops to an ok prompt, and I can start Solaris.

-- 
 personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
  Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckai...@floodgap.com
-- si non confectus, non reficiat -

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Exactly that is what I did lot of times with my sparc stations already. But 
last week, the UltraBook IIi showed for the first time inconsistent NVRAM and 
following that, I replaced the NVRAM by one with an external battery but in my 
sillyness I had not saved the contens as I was not aware of the consequences :-(

So teh main reason for my post is to make other owners aware and getting hand 
on the contens of a matching NVRAM!!!

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Adrian Godwin via cctalk]

There are solutions to the dying DS chips. I have seen replacement with
newer ones (but sometimes those have old cells too), surgery to replace the
internal cell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZJDlNoJk7M, and replacement
with a clone https://www.tindie.com/search/?q=dallas.

However the critical thing would be to replace the data with something that
doesn't hang on booting (perhaps even incorrect information from another
unit would be close).


On Sun, Sep 24, 2023 at 5:23 PM erik--- via cctalk 
wrote:

> Just checked the datasheets: The NVRAMs of the UltraBooks I know of are
> the DS1643 and the DS1553. Both should be similar enough to be read/write
> by any reader that supports the DS1643 or the DS1553. Of course I'd offer
> creating an modified Arduino doing the task, to test it and to supply it to
> anyone who is willing to dump his NVRAM!!!
>

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Hmmm, not sure on that one actually. So it does not boot up at all?

In the desktop Sun workstations and e.g. the Tadpole SparcBook, a lost NVRAM at 
least shows the firmware prompt on the screen (no HOSTID and no ethernet MAC). 
So there the situation is not as severe as with the UltraBooks where the screen 
remains black/dark and no interaction is possible!

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Just checked the datasheets: The NVRAMs of the UltraBooks I know of are the 
DS1643 and the DS1553. Both should be similar enough to be read/write by any 
reader that supports the DS1643 or the DS1553. Of course I'd offer creating an 
modified Arduino doing the task, to test it and to supply it to anyone who is 
willing to dump his NVRAM!!!

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Bill Degnan via cctalk]

I have RDI Powerlite 85's.  The box says "RDI/Tadpole"
Bill

On Sun, Sep 24, 2023 at 12:21 PM erik--- via cctalk 
wrote:

> The more are joining the higher the probability, that we will be able to
> solve it somehow ;-)  What kind of UltraBook do you have got?
>

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

The more are joining the higher the probability, that we will be able to solve 
it somehow ;-)  What kind of UltraBook do you have got?

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Quite sad and I really hate that type of "limited lifetime" :-(   Unfortunately 
the manufacturer RDI/Cupertino/US was acquired in 1998 by Tadpole and they 
dissolved in "General Dynamics" in 2005. The remains are now taken care of by 
Flextronics/Flex, but I do not have got much hope, they will be of help :-(

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Bill Degnan via cctalk]

I have the same situation, would love to know how to resolve this as well.
Bill

On Sun, Sep 24, 2023 at 11:31 AM erik--- via cctalk 
wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> in the last weeks my last two working UltraBooks died. Today I
> investigated the problem
> and obviously in these RDI made notebooks, the NVRAMs not only contain the
> boot information,
> the host ID and the MAC address but also the hardware configuration.
>
> Hence: Once the NVRAM is completeley dead, absent or replaced, the unit
> will not
> start up any more - it gets stuck in the power on test BEFORE the screen
> shows any
> information.
>
> Do anyone out there have got UltraBooks or UltraBooks IIi up and running?
> Would
> highly be interested in a dump of the NVRAM/Timekeeper!!!
>
> The failed first generation UltraBook are (DS1643 NVRAM):
> (*) U20-14-9-512P with three (!!) hard drives, no battery port
> (*) U20-14-3-128B two hard drives, battery port
>
> And my beloved UltraBook IIi (TimeKeeper DS1553-070)
> (*) U40-14-1X-1024C one harddrive, battery port and creator graphics.
>
> Reply here or PM e...@baigar.de,
>
> Thanks
>
>  ''~``
> ( o o )
> +--.oooO--(_)--Oooo.-+
> | Dr. Erik Baigar Inertial Navigation &  |
> | Salzstrasse 1  .oooOVintage Computer   |
> | D87616 Marktoberdorf   (   )   Oooo.Hobbyist / Physicist   |
> | e...@baigar.de   +--\ ((   )---+
> | www.baigar.de|   \_)) /
> +--+ (_/
>
>
>
> So advice to all owners: Backup your NVRAM contents and I'd be more than
> happy
> to get in touch with you!
>
> Not affected seem to be the PrecisionBooks (e.g. H16-12-8-512L2, two hard-
> drives and battery port) as they do not contain an NVRAM/TimeKeeper.
>

[cctalk] Re: Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[Plamen Mihaylov via cctalk]

I have seen similar behavior on all Force2CE VME boards with empty NVRAM.


On Sunday, September 24, 2023, erik--- via cctalk 
wrote:

> Hi there,
>
> in the last weeks my last two working UltraBooks died. Today I
> investigated the problem
> and obviously in these RDI made notebooks, the NVRAMs not only contain the
> boot information,
> the host ID and the MAC address but also the hardware configuration.
>
> Hence: Once the NVRAM is completeley dead, absent or replaced, the unit
> will not
> start up any more - it gets stuck in the power on test BEFORE the screen
> shows any
> information.
>
> Do anyone out there have got UltraBooks or UltraBooks IIi up and running?
> Would
> highly be interested in a dump of the NVRAM/Timekeeper!!!
>
> The failed first generation UltraBook are (DS1643 NVRAM):
> (*) U20-14-9-512P with three (!!) hard drives, no battery port
> (*) U20-14-3-128B two hard drives, battery port
>
> And my beloved UltraBook IIi (TimeKeeper DS1553-070)
> (*) U40-14-1X-1024C one harddrive, battery port and creator graphics.
>
> Reply here or PM e...@baigar.de,
>
> Thanks
>
>  ''~``
> ( o o )
> +--.oooO--(_)--Oooo.-+
> | Dr. Erik Baigar Inertial Navigation &  |
> | Salzstrasse 1  .oooOVintage Computer   |
> | D87616 Marktoberdorf   (   )   Oooo.Hobbyist / Physicist   |
> | e...@baigar.de   +--\ ((   )---+
> | www.baigar.de|   \_)) /
> +--+ (_/
>
>
>
> So advice to all owners: Backup your NVRAM contents and I'd be more than
> happy
> to get in touch with you!
>
> Not affected seem to be the PrecisionBooks (e.g. H16-12-8-512L2, two hard-
> drives and battery port) as they do not contain an NVRAM/TimeKeeper.
>

[cctalk] Tadpole/RDI UltraBooks - UNIX notebooks - species needs rescue...

[erik--- via cctalk]

Hi there, 

in the last weeks my last two working UltraBooks died. Today I investigated the 
problem 
and obviously in these RDI made notebooks, the NVRAMs not only contain the boot 
information,
the host ID and the MAC address but also the hardware configuration.

Hence: Once the NVRAM is completeley dead, absent or replaced, the unit will 
not 
start up any more - it gets stuck in the power on test BEFORE the screen shows 
any
information.

Do anyone out there have got UltraBooks or UltraBooks IIi up and running? Would 
highly be interested in a dump of the NVRAM/Timekeeper!!!

The failed first generation UltraBook are (DS1643 NVRAM):
(*) U20-14-9-512P with three (!!) hard drives, no battery port
(*) U20-14-3-128B two hard drives, battery port

And my beloved UltraBook IIi (TimeKeeper DS1553-070)
(*) U40-14-1X-1024C one harddrive, battery port and creator graphics.

Reply here or PM e...@baigar.de,

Thanks

 ''~``
( o o )
+--.oooO--(_)--Oooo.-+
| Dr. Erik Baigar Inertial Navigation &  |
| Salzstrasse 1  .oooOVintage Computer   |
| D87616 Marktoberdorf   (   )   Oooo.Hobbyist / Physicist   |
| e...@baigar.de   +--\ ((   )---+
| www.baigar.de|   \_)) /
+--+ (_/



So advice to all owners: Backup your NVRAM contents and I'd be more than happy 
to get in touch with you!

Not affected seem to be the PrecisionBooks (e.g. H16-12-8-512L2, two hard-
drives and battery port) as they do not contain an NVRAM/TimeKeeper.

[cctalk] Re: Good C to FPGA/PLA compiler

[Paul Koning via cctalk]

> On Sep 23, 2023, at 5:06 PM, Will Cooke via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> I can't answer for Paul, but I can tell you how to do approximate 
> calculations for yourself.  
> 
> You need to know two things: the equivalent parallel resistance (Thevenin 
> equivalent) of the two series resistors and the input capacitance of the 
> driven pin (including stray capacitance.)  
> 
> If you assume the input+stray capacitance is 10 pF (a reasonable first 
> approximation) and the resistance is 1000 Ohms, the time constant (time for 
> the signal to go from 0 to 63% of max) will be 1000 * 10E(-12) seconds or 
> 10,000 picoseconds = 10 nanoseconds.  That assumes the 5V output can switch 
> instantaneously into the 5 mA or so load.  I would double that for the real 
> world.  So the signal gets delayed around 20 nS and the output has to drive 5 
> mA or so.
> 
> A more realistic divider might be 5K or 10K resistance for less power 
> consumption and less strain on the output.  With 10K you are looking at a 
> delay of 100 to 200 nS.  If the timing isn't critical you "might" be able to 
> go as high as 5 MHz that way.  But probably more like 1 MHz is more 
> realistic.  
> 
> I've used voltage divider level translation at about 1 MHz, using something 
> like 2200 and 4700 ohms for the divider (Thevenin equivalent 1500.)

That sounds right.  In my case, I was using a Raspberry Pico as an EPP mode 
parallel port emulator, so order of 1 MHz would be a good outcome.  Also, EPP 
mode is an interlocked (handshakes) communication protocol so any delays 
introduced by what I was doing would not interfere with operation.

paul