More tapes - This time all Tektronix 405x series

[Pete Lancashire via cctalk]

https://goo.gl/photos/m91e3UPSvN6tHUaS7

Re: New HP42s clone almost available

[David Griffith via cctalk]

On Sun, 2 Apr 2017, Ed via cctalk wrote:


That is an undertaking indeed!  I had not seen this   Ed#
Someone  said the 12c was still being made?


The 12c never went out of production.  It has been continuously updated. 
A lot of bankers, insurance people, etc still rely on them.



--
David Griffith
d...@661.org

A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

Re: KDJ11-B PDP 11/73 getting stuck in Exit standalone mode diag #56

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

On Sun, Apr 2, 2017 at 11:49 AM, Mark G Thomas via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> Unfortunately, I discovered slots are all wired Q22/Q22, no top ABCD
> (Q22/CD) PMI slots like a BA23. So, not good for an 11/83 CPU wired
> for PMI on slots C-D.
>
> So, I was hoping I could get my KDJ11-B (quad-wide 11/73) running in it.
> Upon power up or reset I get "Testing in progress. Please wait" on
> the serial console, and the LEDs get stuck on test 56. CTRL-C doesn't do
> anything yet, and my only options seem to be to hit reset, or if I hit the
> run/stop toggle, I can reset to the ODT prompt. This is with either just
> the KDJ11-B in the top slot, or with the addition of a suitably configured
> MSV11-QA in the next slot. If I turn off the LTC on the front panel,
> I get the expected Error 61 M8190 clock error, PC and register values,
> and options to re-run once or loop on test, so I know the LTC is working.
>
> I confirmed the KDJ11-B works fine in a BA23, getting past test 56. I also
> tried an 11/53 CPU here in the ABAB backplane and that gets past the self
> tests into dialog mode, but I really would like to get the KDJ11-B working
> in this chassis. I do see that a couple traces to the KDJ11-B C-D slots
> besides the Grant Continuity connections. I assume since the KDJ11-B
> has those Grant Continuity connections on slots C-D, it can run in a
> qbus/qbus Q22/Q22 quad Q-bus slot.
>

If you know the Q22/Q22 backplane is not good for an 11/83 CPU, why
would you think it would be any different for a KDJ11-B 11/73 CPU?
They are both M8190 boards and both have PMI signals on the CD half of
the CPU board.

Whether an M8190 KDJ11-B CPU board is called an 11/73, 11/83, or 11/84
is a boring discussion that has been rehashed here multiple times, the
important thing is don't put one in a Q22/Q22 backplane and expect it
to work correctly.

-Glen

Re: Intellivision reset switch

[drlegendre . via cctalk]

Jules,

I've been inside of one, but I just can't recall the arrangement for the
reset button. But here are a couple of thoughts on the matter..

If the unit was otherwise working as-found, then it might be safe to say
that whatever +was+ under that button +must+ have either disintegrated or
fallen out of place, yet evidence should remain. In either case, you should
find evidence - crumbled, gunky old foam, or shrapnel of a busted plastic /
rubber spring. Point being, if it hasn't been opened up (to repair) in the
past, everything should still be inside, at least in some form.

But I'm guessing you found nothing at all?

On Fri, Mar 31, 2017 at 6:56 PM, Jules Richardson via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
> Can anyone who's been inside an Intellivision confirm that there's
> supposed to be a little foam disc beneath the reset switch plate?
>
> I picked a system with a box of cartridges up earlier, half expecting the
> machine to be dead (I was figuring it was going to be a blob of
> easily-dead-after-so-many-years custom logic inside, but it's more like a
> "real computer" in nature). It *was* dead, but the [initial, at least]
> issue seems to be that the reset switch consists of a metal plate which is
> supposed to make contact with the PCB when pressed - and presumably is held
> away from the PCB by something when at rest. Except that there's no
> "something" in this machine - with the machine the right way up, the plate
> is free to contact the PCB, holding it in permanent reset.
>
> I'm guessing it was a blob of foam, which has deteriorated, but maybe it
> was a metal spring, or a piece of u-shaped plastic etc.
>
> cheers
>
> Jules
>

RIP: Daniel Bobrow

[Tony Aiuto via cctalk]

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/nytimes/obituary.aspx?n=daniel-bobrow=184794881

I think Ken Thompson paid him the greatest tribute in his Turing Award
paper.
*"I suspect that Daniel Bobrow would be here instead of me if he could not
afford a PDP-10 and had had to "settle" for a PDP-11. *

https://www.ece.cmu.edu/~ganger/712.fall02/papers/p761-thompson.pdf

Re: Cleaning RK05 packs

[Fritz Mueller via cctalk]

The first two packs I opened up for cleaning had foam around the inside of the 
hub.  If it is decaying like the rest of the foam DEC used this seems like it 
could be a problem inside the packs?

I haven’t seen this discussed before in any of the RK05 pack cleaning threads.  
Do folks usually leave this be, or remove it?

cheers,
   —FritzM.

Items available in Sacramento, CA

[Bob Rosenbloom via cctalk]

I got this from Daniel. You can contact him directly if there's anything 
of interest.

Daniel de Long 

I will be going there on Tuesday and could bring things back to the bay 
area if they are not too large.

I will have a trailer.

Bob


___


Bob,



Equipment available:



1 IBM 557 Interpreter with manuals

1 MIA 557 Interpreter (IBM) with manuals

3 IBM 3178 with control and key board, $125

1 IBM 3274-90

2 IBM 3287-2 Printer

1 IBM 8513 Color Display

1 IBM 9518-001 Display

1 OTC 850 printer

1 Telex 287 Printer(IBM 3287 type)

1 Telex 8020 Model 266 Tape Drive 9 track 1600/6250 BPI with Controller, 
manuals $300 including 1 Telex 8020 tape drive (new freight damage-fell 
off lift gate).


1 Memorex 4303 line printer speed between 1200-1500 lines per minute

3 Control Data 9 track tape (Keystone) drives and PC controller card & 
cable, $150 each


1 Control Data 9 track tape drive without controller.

1 Sun Microsystems 9 track drive (Keystone)

2 Cipher 9 track tape drive, $250 each

1 Memorex 3693 Controller with Drive

3 Memorex 3690 Drive (IBM 3370)

2 Fujitsu M2485 (IBM 3480 type) tape drive 18 Track

1 Fujitsu M2485N CA01011-B063 36 Track with auto loader

1 Fujitsu 128 Track tape drive



Thanks


Dan


--
Vintage computers and electronics
www.dvq.com
www.tekmuseum.com
www.decmuseum.org

KDJ11-B PDP 11/73 getting stuck in Exit standalone mode diag #56

[Mark G Thomas via cctalk]

Hi,

I picked up an empty 4x8 Q-bus chassis at VCF-East this year. It's 
labelled "USDC CSS-823 Processor System" on the outside. It's not a DEC 
backplane, but the chassis is light aluminum, smaller and in some ways 
nicer than my pile of BA23s. It includes a switching power supply, 
LTC and q-bus termination, and I confirmed it's wired for Q22. I was 
hoping to transplant an 11/83 into it, since it will fit more comfortably 
in my work area. It has lit DCON/RUN/LTC/HALT buttons on the front pane.
The etching on the backplane says something like "MDB Systems, Inc.
East Orange, CA 92665"

Unfortunately, I discovered slots are all wired Q22/Q22, no top ABCD 
(Q22/CD) PMI slots like a BA23. So, not good for an 11/83 CPU wired 
for PMI on slots C-D.

So, I was hoping I could get my KDJ11-B (quad-wide 11/73) running in it.
Upon power up or reset I get "Testing in progress. Please wait" on
the serial console, and the LEDs get stuck on test 56. CTRL-C doesn't do 
anything yet, and my only options seem to be to hit reset, or if I hit the 
run/stop toggle, I can reset to the ODT prompt. This is with either just 
the KDJ11-B in the top slot, or with the addition of a suitably configured 
MSV11-QA in the next slot. If I turn off the LTC on the front panel,
I get the expected Error 61 M8190 clock error, PC and register values,
and options to re-run once or loop on test, so I know the LTC is working.

I confirmed the KDJ11-B works fine in a BA23, getting past test 56. I also 
tried an 11/53 CPU here in the ABAB backplane and that gets past the self 
tests into dialog mode, but I really would like to get the KDJ11-B working
in this chassis. I do see that a couple traces to the KDJ11-B C-D slots
besides the Grant Continuity connections. I assume since the KDJ11-B
has those Grant Continuity connections on slots C-D, it can run in a
qbus/qbus Q22/Q22 quad Q-bus slot.

I noticed the FP "RUN" lamp never comes on (and is not burned out), but maybe
that's normal -- monitoring something on the bus that doesn't happen during
power on self test.

Does anyone here have suggestions about next steps in diagnosing this?

https://archive.org/stream/bitsavers_decpdpaintNov86_5833755/EK-1184A-MG-001_1184maint_Nov86_djvu.txt
-
4.10.18 Exit Standalone Mode (Test 56) 

In the 22-bit mode, the exit standalone mode is checked by using the 
guaranteed timeout address of 17 760 000 to verify that the timeout 
logic works without hanging up the CPU. 
-

-- 
Mark G. Thomas (m...@misty.com), KC3DRE

Re: DCC-116 E / DATA GENERAL NOVA 2/10 / Nixdorf 620 - Restoring and restarting

[Dominique Carlier via cctalk]

After the mess, ...

http://actingmachines.com/classiccmp_forum/mess01.jpg

... it was time to reorganize a cool place to continue this restoration :-)

http://actingmachines.com/classiccmp_forum/calm01.jpg

http://actingmachines.com/classiccmp_forum/calm02.jpg

Without the schematics of the two power supplies, I decided to follow 
the tracks on the printed circuits boards from the area where I measured 
the collapsed regulated 5vdc, I start to check the components and try to 
understand the problem alone, I decided to check the 5 big capacitors 
this one is a little bit high but OK


http://actingmachines.com/classiccmp_forum/capacheck2.jpg

YES ! I finally found a dead one, hourra!! :-)

http://actingmachines.com/classiccmp_forum/capacheck1.jpg

A 23000µf 15VDC used in the filtering of the regulated 5vdc, but... 
finally no, unfortunately ... it was not the source of the power fail :-/


Tomorrow I continue my investigation and I will check the big capacitors 
of the other power supply in charge of the 15V which is monitored and 
possibly also the cause of the error message.


Dominique

Re: Chip in first Apple AirPort WiFi

[Ian Finder via cctalk]

If I recall correctly, as you've noted it was a WaveLAN / Orinoco silver
card ('HERMES' chipset), connected via PCMCIA to a SBC based around an AMD
ELAN SC400 - 33AC 486-like CPU. It had something like a couple megs of RAM
and maybe 512K of FLASH. I don't know what OS it ran, if anything 'off the
shelf'

Why do you ask?

On Sat, Apr 1, 2017 at 10:40 AM, Tom Gardner via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> Anyone know which Lucent semiconductor device or devices were used in the
> first Apple AirPort, the Lucent board was " Lucent WaveLAN Silver PC Card"
> but I'd like to know the devices used.
>
> Tom
>
>


-- 
   Ian Finder
   (206) 395-MIPS
   ian.fin...@gmail.com

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[Paul Koning via cctalk]

> On Apr 2, 2017, at 9:37 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> ...
> I have a nice article about toaster oven SMD work.  It's in German, via the 
> PCB Pool website if I remember right.

Here it is: https://www.beta-estore.com/download/rk/RK-10001_76.pdf

paul

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[David Griffith via cctalk]

On Fri, 31 Mar 2017, Paul Koning via cctech wrote:


On Mar 31, 2017, at 1:51 PM, allison via cctech  wrote:

On 03/31/2017 06:32 AM, David Griffith via cctalk wrote:


I'm down to the last few P112 boards for sale and am pondering
another run of them because demand is steady.  One of the biggest
challenges for the last run was getting the QFP-packaged 100-pin
chips[1] in a state such that the pick-and-place robot wouldn't throw
a fit about slight differences in lead position.  The stuffing house
insisted that I send them new chips.  Pulls, though they looked
perfectly okay to me, were not acceptable.  Does anyone here know
anything about pick-and-place robots using pulled 100-pin QFPs,
particularly a stuffing house that can work with such chips and not
screw up?

[1] The now-obsolete super-io chips



Is this something that an experienced hand can manually do?


Yes, definitely.  100 lead PQFP is perfectly doable if the lead pitch is 
not insanely small.  It takes a good fine tip soldering iron (mine is a 
Weller with a PTS tip), fine solder (preferably real, i.e., 63/37 non-PC 
solder).  Liquid flux is a big help, as is a magnifier and bright light 
or modest magnification microscope.


If you have to do a couple of dozen boards this gets very tedious, but 
for 5-ish it isn't a big deal.


That's why I put this in the context of PNP robots rather than 
hand-soldering.  My last run of P112 boards was 150 and I'm thinking of 
doing another 150 or maybe 200.



--
David Griffith
d...@661.org

A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
A: Top-posting.
Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[Diane Bruce via cctalk]

On Sun, Apr 02, 2017 at 10:40:40AM -0700, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> On 04/02/2017 07:53 AM, Diane Bruce wrote:
> 
> > Read this:
> > 
> > https://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/reference/tech_papers/2011-nasa-gsfc-whisker-failure-app-sensor.pdf
> 
> There are problems with the site's certificate, but I was able to wget
> the paper using the --no-check-certificate option.

I also had to work around the stupid cert. ;) 

> 
> Tin whiskers were a big deal around 2005-2012 or so, and then the
> discussions suddenly dropped off.  I'm not sure why.

I remember the story well. All the denials from the Toyota people and 
then this story about the whiskers in the controls. ugh. 

> 
> Here's a pretty good paper from about 2011 from Maxim that discusses the
> issue:
> 
> https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/5250

*nod*

> 
> It includes a bit on the danger (or lack thereof) of using lead-based
> solders in electronics.   Quite frankly, I wonder why the RoHS people
> didn't mandate that lead flashing on roofs, lead canes in stained-glass
> windows and a host of other applications weren't banned.

Not to mention lead in automobile weight balancers which is apparently
banned in Europe. I guess it's because roofs, lead canes in stainless windows
aren't recycled as quickly as electronics. I dearly wish they had have
mandated proper lead recycling instead of an outright ban.

 > 
> --Chuck
> 
> 

Diane
-- 
- d...@freebsd.org d...@db.net http://www.db.net/~db

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[Chuck Guzis via cctalk]

On 04/02/2017 07:53 AM, Diane Bruce wrote:

> Read this:
> 
> https://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/reference/tech_papers/2011-nasa-gsfc-whisker-failure-app-sensor.pdf

There are problems with the site's certificate, but I was able to wget
the paper using the --no-check-certificate option.

Tin whiskers were a big deal around 2005-2012 or so, and then the
discussions suddenly dropped off.  I'm not sure why.

Here's a pretty good paper from about 2011 from Maxim that discusses the
issue:

https://www.maximintegrated.com/en/app-notes/index.mvp/id/5250

It includes a bit on the danger (or lack thereof) of using lead-based
solders in electronics.   Quite frankly, I wonder why the RoHS people
didn't mandate that lead flashing on roofs, lead canes in stained-glass
windows and a host of other applications weren't banned.

--Chuck

Re: New HP42s clone almost available

[Ed via cctalk]

That is an undertaking indeed!  I had not seen this   Ed#
Someone  said the 12c was still being made? 
 
 
 
In a message dated 4/2/2017 9:00:53 A.M. US Mountain Standard Time,  
cctalk@classiccmp.org writes:

A few  months ago I had a prototype of this 42S clone in my hands.
It looked and  felt very promising!
I’ll will buy one when it will be available.
For  those of you who are interested, please follow the discussions on 
hpmuseum.org   forum.

Jurgen

> Am 10.03.2017 um  16:34 schrieb David Griffith via cctalk 
:
>  
> 
> There's a Swiss guy who's made a name for himself by  producing working 
replicas of classic HP calculators.  See  https://www.swissmicros.com/.  I 
recently discovered his post on Youtube  a video showing off an enhanced 
replica of my favorite HP calculator, the  HP42s.  This one is called the DM42. 
 
Here's the video:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LK7JotR728
> 
> -- 
> David  Griffith
> d...@661.org
> 
> A: Because it fouls the order  in which people normally read text.
> Q: Why is top-posting such a bad  thing?
> A: Top-posting.
> Q: What is the most annoying thing in  e-mail?

Re: New HP42s clone almost available

[Jürgen Keller via cctalk]

A few months ago I had a prototype of this 42S clone in my hands.
It looked and felt very promising!
I’ll will buy one when it will be available.
For those of you who are interested, please follow the discussions on 
hpmuseum.org  forum.

Jurgen

> Am 10.03.2017 um 16:34 schrieb David Griffith via cctalk 
> :
> 
> 
> There's a Swiss guy who's made a name for himself by producing working 
> replicas of classic HP calculators.  See https://www.swissmicros.com/.  I 
> recently discovered his post on Youtube a video showing off an enhanced 
> replica of my favorite HP calculator, the HP42s.  This one is called the 
> DM42.  Here's the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0LK7JotR728
> 
> -- 
> David Griffith
> d...@661.org
> 
> A: Because it fouls the order in which people normally read text.
> Q: Why is top-posting such a bad thing?
> A: Top-posting.
> Q: What is the most annoying thing in e-mail?

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[Diane Bruce via cctalk]

On Sat, Apr 01, 2017 at 06:59:54PM -0700, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
> On 04/01/2017 07:01 AM, Paul Koning via cctalk wrote:
> 
> > 
> > Before building my most recent project (which involves an
> > unpleasantly small-pitched TSOP package housing multiple RS232 level
> > converters) I asked experts at work (technicians who do a lot of fine
> > detail soldering) about RoHS.
> > 
> > The answer was very clear.  If you must use that stuff because of
> > regulations, that's one thing.  If it's for your own use and the
> > rules aren't applicable, don't be silly, use real solder.
> 
> That goes for repairing things also.   I owned a Volvo in the late 90s
> that would develop strange electrical problems, such as the headlights
> suddenly not working.  The culprit was the Bosch relay modules, many of
> which had small PCBs in them.  Resoldering the PCBs with real solder did
> the job until I sold the thing.  The audio system is similarly
> affected--if the audio suddenly drops out, grab the soldering  iron.

Read this:

https://nepp.nasa.gov/whisker/reference/tech_papers/2011-nasa-gsfc-whisker-failure-app-sensor.pdf

Diane
-- 
- d...@freebsd.org d...@db.net http://www.db.net/~db

Re: Stuffing boards with pulled QFP chips

[Paul Koning via cctalk]

> On Apr 2, 2017, at 12:51 AM, Jon Elson via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> On 04/01/2017 11:27 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote:
>> What do you do about boards with SMT components on *both* sides? I can't see 
>> how it would work with a toaster oven.
> OK, this is going to be long.
> 
> I do small-scale production of mostly motion control boards, but also some 
> nuclear instrumentation.  Mostly 0603 to 0805 passives and SOIC up to 0.5mm 
> pitch QFP chips.  I use a lot of FPGAs in 144 pin packages.
> ...
> 
> One of the tricks I found out very fast was the thermocouple doesn't absorb 
> IR the way a board does, the first board I did came out warped like a potato 
> chip and nearly black.  It occurred the me to poke the thermocouple junction 
> into a through-hole in the board, and then it all worked.  I still have some 
> slight problems with some areas of the oven running a bit cooler or hotter, 
> so I have to tweak the peak temp setting sometimes to get all the boards 
> soldered.

I have a nice article about toaster oven SMD work.  It's in German, via the PCB 
Pool website if I remember right.  It mentions that problem.  The solution 
picked in that article was to use a spare board (same or similar layout) as the 
thermocouple holder.  But attaching to the actual board sounds good. 

paul

Re: OT: PCI Ethernet or USB 2.0 ethernet?

[Christian Corti via cctalk]

On Sat, 1 Apr 2017, Peter Corlett wrote:
Both USB 2.0 and PCI are orders of magnitude faster than real-world 
wifi. Even ISA will give wifi a run for its money. I recommend you not 
bother with wifi if you care about network performance.


No, USB 2.0 is way too slow for 802.11ac that outperforms GBE.

Christian