Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech]

On 9/19/17, 1:30 AM, "cctech on behalf of Randy Dawson via cctech"
 wrote:

>Hi Carmiel,
>
>
>What did you do with the Ardent (Stardent).
>
>
>That's where all your great benchmark demos are.  The Dore' system, the
>'Flag' demo.
>
>
>If you want Fortran, I have been working on MOVIE.BYU, a dusty deck, but
>I have almost got there.  It is wireframe and rendered poly animation.
>It is currently barking at some float to integer in gfortran for the
>whole thing to come together, but I have the TITLE (3d wireframe of ASCII
>text working).

The Ardent is lacking an OS and documentation. If anyone has something on
that machine, I¹d like to know.

Camiel

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Randy Dawson via cctech]

Hi Carmiel,


What did you do with the Ardent (Stardent).


That's where all your great benchmark demos are.  The Dore' system, the 'Flag' 
demo.


If you want Fortran, I have been working on MOVIE.BYU, a dusty deck, but I have 
almost got there.  It is wireframe and rendered poly animation.  It is 
currently barking at some float to integer in gfortran for the whole thing to 
come together, but I have the TITLE (3d wireframe of ASCII text working).


Thanks to



From: cctech <cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org> on behalf of Peter Allan via 
cctech <cctech@classiccmp.org>
Sent: Monday, September 18, 2017 12:02 PM
To: camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com; cctech@classiccmp.org
Subject: RE: Convex C220 lives

Hi Camiel,

Nice to hear that you have the Convex C220 up and running.

Regarding things to run on it, starting with LINPACK is probably a good
idea. However, in term of what they were actually used for back in the
1980's, I know that they were popular with the radio astronomy community,
starting with the Convex C1. The package called AIPS (Astronomical Image
Processing System) was the most popular way of processing data from
multi-antenna telescopes like the VLA in New Mexico.

AIPS (written in Fortran) is now known as AIPS Classic, to distinguish it
from AIPS++ (written in C++) which was developed in the 1990's. There is
plenty of information about it on the internet. If you have any difficulty
getting the code, let me know as I might be able to help.

AIPS is very portable; before the era of the mini-supers, it ran on a lot
of VAXen (yeah!!) amongst other things.

Cheers

Peter Allan


> -Original Message-
>From: Camiel Vanderhoeven <camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com>
>To: cctech <cctech@classiccmp.org>
>Subject: Convex C220 lives
>Message-ID: <d5dc7cca.21f0c%camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com>
>Content-Type: text/plain;   charset="ISO-8859-1"
>
>For a change, rather than a request for help, here?s a success story: I
>managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
>1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I?m running with a single
>CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
>Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I?ve upgraded the
>power feed).
>
>Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
>benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on a
>big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per CPU).
>
>Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
>(though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you?re interested
>in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my website;
>if you go to http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
[https://www.vaxbarn.com//images/convex/1/1.png]<http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220>

Convex C220<http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220>
www.vaxbarn.com
VAXBARN: Camiel Vanderhoeven's computer collection


>there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well as
>photos of the system and the boards.
>
>Now I?m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
>this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
>used for.
>
>Camiel

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech]

On 9/18/17, 3:02 PM, "Peter Allan"  wrote:

> Hi Camiel,
> 
> Nice to hear that you have the Convex C220 up and running.
> 
> Regarding things to run on it, starting with LINPACK is probably a good idea.
> However, in term of what they were actually used for back in the 1980's, I
> know that they were popular with the radio astronomy community, starting with
> the Convex C1. The package called AIPS (Astronomical Image Processing System)
> was the most popular way of processing data from multi-antenna telescopes like
> the VLA in New Mexico.
> 
> AIPS (written in Fortran) is now known as AIPS Classic, to distinguish it from
> AIPS++ (written in C++) which was developed in the 1990's. There is plenty of
> information about it on the internet. If you have any difficulty getting the
> code, let me know as I might be able to help.
> 
> AIPS is very portable; before the era of the mini-supers, it ran on a lot of
> VAXen (yeah!!) amongst other things.
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Peter Allan

I¹ll check that out. Code I have running on the C220 now includes:
* FORTRAN code to solve Navier-Stokes equations for airflow over a wing or
even a complete aircraft
* Some electronics design software I found on one of the disks I have,
including Spice, Anacad Eldo
* Neurosim neural network simulator
Camiel

RE: Convex C220 lives

[Peter Allan via cctech]

Hi Camiel,

Nice to hear that you have the Convex C220 up and running.

Regarding things to run on it, starting with LINPACK is probably a good
idea. However, in term of what they were actually used for back in the
1980's, I know that they were popular with the radio astronomy community,
starting with the Convex C1. The package called AIPS (Astronomical Image
Processing System) was the most popular way of processing data from
multi-antenna telescopes like the VLA in New Mexico.

AIPS (written in Fortran) is now known as AIPS Classic, to distinguish it
from AIPS++ (written in C++) which was developed in the 1990's. There is
plenty of information about it on the internet. If you have any difficulty
getting the code, let me know as I might be able to help.

AIPS is very portable; before the era of the mini-supers, it ran on a lot
of VAXen (yeah!!) amongst other things.

Cheers

Peter Allan


> -Original Message-
>From: Camiel Vanderhoeven 
>To: cctech 
>Subject: Convex C220 lives
>Message-ID: 
>Content-Type: text/plain;   charset="ISO-8859-1"
>
>For a change, rather than a request for help, here?s a success story: I
>managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
>1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I?m running with a single
>CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
>Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I?ve upgraded the
>power feed).
>
>Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
>benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on a
>big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per CPU).
>
>Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
>(though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you?re interested
>in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my website;
>if you go to http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
>there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well as
>photos of the system and the boards.
>
>Now I?m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
>this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
>used for.
>
>Camiel

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Laurens Vets via cctech]

On 2017-09-12 06:15, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:

On 9/12/17, 3:09 PM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:



On 2017-09-11 22:16, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:

On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:



There's something seriously wrong with your site
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless 
the

title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best
Legal
Viagra Uk" :)


Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.


It's gone now. I should've taken screenshots...

You can still see a version of it via Google Cache:
https://www.google.ca/search?q=http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits
/603-convex-c220=UTF-8=Search=fe=browser-ubuntu=en
_rd=cr=0=Qdy3Wa6fE4ie0gLVl56gAw
&
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vT2TBtn8kDAJ:www.vaxb
arn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220+=1=en=clnk=ca
ent=ubuntu

I also took screenshots from the cache.


That’s really bizarre...


You didn't restore the pages on your end? If so, I have absolutely no 
idea what happened.

Re: Convex C220 lives

[jim stephens via cctech]

On 9/12/2017 6:09 AM, Laurens Vets via cctech wrote:



You can still see a version of it via Google Cache: 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220=UTF-8=Search=fe=browser-ubuntu=en_rd=cr=0=Qdy3Wa6fE4ie0gLVl56gAw

&
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vT2TBtn8kDAJ:www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220+=1=en=clnk=ca=ubuntu 




The problem is probably from the blog software you are using.  There are 
things pulled in from other sites than the vaxbarn.com site.


When google grabbed the cached version one of them which barfed up all 
the crap that is in the snapshot.  I would go to the view source tab of 
the cache as it is now and save it, as there may be clues in there.  
There appears to be a division  (  ) followed by all the crap, so 
something that is in there may have supplied the crap when snapshot 
happened.


I have looked at the result as supplied by the current server, and the 
cached one, and don't have a lot to suggest right now, but the pages run 
amuck from one another pretty quickly.


Also since you are using joomla, or code that seems to think so, you 
probably have a backing database.  You might find this crap was injected 
into that database and it is poisoned.  Joomla is quite complicated, and 
anyone who hacked you may have put in something you won't find, and 
would never have found but for this accidental capture.


thanks
Jim

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Curious Marc via cctech]

Awesome work! Congratulations!
Marc

On Sep 11, 2017, at 8:47 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech 
 wrote:

For a change, rather than a request for help, here¹s a success story: I
managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I¹m running with a single
CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I¹ve upgraded the
power feed).

Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on a
big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per CPU).

Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
(though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you¹re interested
in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my website;
if you go to http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well as
photos of the system and the boards.

Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
used for.

Camiel

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech]

On 9/12/17, 6:54 PM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:


>On 2017-09-12 06:15, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:
>> On 9/12/17, 3:09 PM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> On 2017-09-11 22:16, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
 On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:
 
 
> There's something seriously wrong with your site
> http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless
> the
> title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best
> Legal
> Viagra Uk" :)
 
 Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.
>>> 
>>> It's gone now. I should've taken screenshots...
>>> 
>>> You can still see a version of it via Google Cache:
>>> 
>>>https://www.google.ca/search?q=http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bi
>>>ts
>>> 
>>>/603-convex-c220=UTF-8=Search=fe=browser-ubuntu=
>>>en
>>> _rd=cr=0=Qdy3Wa6fE4ie0gLVl56gAw
>>> &
>>> 
>>>http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vT2TBtn8kDAJ:www.va
>>>xb
>>> 
>>>arn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220+=1=en=clnk=ca
>>>li
>>> ent=ubuntu
>>> 
>>> I also took screenshots from the cache.
>> 
>> That’s really bizarre...
>
>You didn't restore the pages on your end? If so, I have absolutely no
>idea what happened.

I did not, I’m wondering if it was some kind of man-in-the middle attack?

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Laurens Vets via cctech]

On 2017-09-11 22:16, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:

On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:



There's something seriously wrong with your site
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the
title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best 
Legal

Viagra Uk" :)


Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.


It's gone now. I should've taken screenshots...

You can still see a version of it via Google Cache: 
https://www.google.ca/search?q=http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220=UTF-8=Search=fe=browser-ubuntu=en_rd=cr=0=Qdy3Wa6fE4ie0gLVl56gAw

&
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vT2TBtn8kDAJ:www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220+=1=en=clnk=ca=ubuntu

I also took screenshots from the cache.

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Mike Stein via cctech]

- Original Message - 
From: "Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech" <cctech@classiccmp.org>
To: "Laurens Vets" <laur...@daemon.be>; "General Discussion: On-Topic Posts" 
<cctech@classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 9:15 AM
Subject: Re: Convex C220 lives


On 9/12/17, 3:09 PM, "Laurens Vets" <laur...@daemon.be> wrote:


>On 2017-09-11 22:16, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
>> On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets" <laur...@daemon.be> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> There's something seriously wrong with your site
>>> http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the
>>> title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best
>>> Legal
>>> Viagra Uk" :)
>> 
>> Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.
>
>It's gone now. I should've taken screenshots...

Damn! I did feel like having sex tonight but all I saw was stuff about some 
kinda Convex computer...

m

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech]

On 9/12/17, 3:09 PM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:


>On 2017-09-11 22:16, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
>> On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:
>> 
>> 
>>> There's something seriously wrong with your site
>>> http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the
>>> title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best
>>> Legal
>>> Viagra Uk" :)
>> 
>> Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.
>
>It's gone now. I should've taken screenshots...
>
>You can still see a version of it via Google Cache:
>https://www.google.ca/search?q=http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits
>/603-convex-c220=UTF-8=Search=fe=browser-ubuntu=en
>_rd=cr=0=Qdy3Wa6fE4ie0gLVl56gAw
>&
>http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:vT2TBtn8kDAJ:www.vaxb
>arn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220+=1=en=clnk=ca
>ent=ubuntu
>
>I also took screenshots from the cache.

That’s really bizarre...

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Douglas Taylor via cctech]

On 9/11/2017 2:15 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctech wrote:

On 09/11/2017 08:47 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk wrote:


Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run
on this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of
system was used for.


Congratulations!

I'd recommend starting with LINPACK:

http://www.netlib.org/linpack/

Just to get an idea of the performance of the thing.

--Chuck



With LINPACK you can compare your results with others, including new 
computers.  I would suggest other benchmarks, Dhrystone, Whetstone, FFT 
because the FORTRAN codes are readily available and there are reports 
from the CONVEX era that compare results from many different computers.


NEC2 is a good idea.  Also, look into calculation of Pi, it is entertaining.

Doug

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Rob Doyle via cctech]

On 9/11/2017 8:47 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:


Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
used for.


Berkeley SPICE

Rob

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech]

On 9/12/17, 2:04 AM, "Laurens Vets"  wrote:


>There's something seriously wrong with your site
>http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the
>title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best Legal
>Viagra Uk" :)

Where are you seeing that? I don¹t see it.

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Laurens Vets via cctech]

On 2017-09-11 08:47, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:

For a change, rather than a request for help, here¹s a success story: I
managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I¹m running with a 
single

CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I¹ve upgraded the
power feed).

Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on 
a
big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per 
CPU).


Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
(though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you¹re 
interested
in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my 
website;
if you go to 
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well 
as

photos of the system and the boards.

Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
used for.


There's something seriously wrong with your site 
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220 unless the 
title of your work is indeed "Feel Like Having Sex Tonight | Best Legal 
Viagra Uk" :)

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Holm Tiffe via cctech]

Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:

> For a change, rather than a request for help, here¹s a success story: I
> managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
> 1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I¹m running with a single
> CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
> Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I¹ve upgraded the
> power feed).
> 
> Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
> benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on a
> big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per CPU).
> 
> Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
> (though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you¹re interested
> in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my website;
> if you go to http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
> there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well as
> photos of the system and the boards.
> 
> Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
> this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
> used for.
> 
> Camiel
> 

Congrats Camiel!

We had an C34 and an C220 in the Computing Centre of out university here
in Freiberg (Saxony). I don't had much todo with it, but I've used The Metrum 
Robot with two RSP2150 later for Backups at a small ISP.

I have still some quarter Inch Tapes labeled with golden Convex Labes
here laying around..but the contents are'nt original anymore.

Regards,

Holm

-- 
  Technik Service u. Handel Tiffe, www.tsht.de, Holm Tiffe, 
 Freiberger Straße 42, 09600 Oberschöna, USt-Id: DE253710583
i...@tsht.de Fax +49 3731 74200 Tel +49 3731 74222 Mobil: 0172 8790 741

Re: Convex C220 lives

[ethan--- via cctech]

managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I¹m running with a single
CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I¹ve upgraded the
power feed).


This is amazing! Kudos and congrats, those systems are so rare. I've never 
heard anyone mention in the hobbyist community ever. Never thought I would 
hear of one running!



--
: Ethan O'Toole

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Ian S. King via cctech]

On Mon, Sep 11, 2017 at 8:47 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech <
cctech@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> For a change, rather than a request for help, here¹s a success story: I
> managed to bring a Convex C220 (dual vector CPU mini supercomputer from
> 1988) back to life. Both CPUs are working, but I¹m running with a single
> CPU because of the power it draws with two CPUs. Next challenges: the
> Convex C1, and quad vector processor C240 (not before I¹ve upgraded the
> power feed).
>
> Running ConvexOS 11.5.1, it has FORTRAN 7.0.1 installed; I ran a little
> benchmark, and with a single CPU the system clocks in at 49.1 MFLOPS on a
> big multiply-add loop (advertised peak performance was 50 MFLOPS per CPU).
>
> Getting the system to the state where it is now was quite a journey
> (though nowhere near as bad as it might have been). If you¹re interested
> in the details, I have a (somewhat long) report of my work on my website;
> if you go to http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/603-convex-c220,
> there are some links at the bottom that have much more details, as well as
> photos of the system and the boards.
>
> Now I¹m looking for some FORTRAN code that would typically have run on
> this kind of computer so I can show people what this kind of system was
> used for.
>
>
Congratulations!  I've been too busy to do any restorations, so for now I
live vicariously through people like you.  :-)   -- Ian

-- 
Ian S. King, MSIS, MSCS, Ph.D. Candidate
The Information School 
Dissertation: "Why the Conversation Mattered: Constructing a Sociotechnical
Narrative Through a Design Lens

Principal Investigator, "Reflections on Early Computing and Social Change",
UW IRB #42619

Archivist, Voices From the Rwanda Tribunal 
Value Sensitive Design Research Lab 

University of Washington

There is an old Vulcan saying: "Only Nixon could go to China."