Re: PDP, Data General & more (TV show Maniac)
> > Date: Wed, 31 Oct 2018 19:00:15 -0400 > From: Ethan Dicks > Subject: Re: PDP, Data General & more (TV show Maniac) > > Looks like a PDP-8/L to me, with a PC04 high-speed paper tape > punch/reader below it. > > -ethan > Like this 8/L? http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/pdp-8-l And the 11/05 above it? http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-1105 And the 11/35 above it? http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-11-35 And the 11/04 below it? http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/dec-pdp-1103-analogic And the DG S/130 to the right of it? http://www.ricomputermuseum.org/Home/equipment/data-general-eclipse-s-130 Michael Thompson
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/1/18 5:40 PM, ED SHARPE via cctalk wrote: > somewhere we have a bunch of ISA cards that are like the > ports on my hp time share system just not 16 ports...I seem to > remember between 4 and 8... and they were for a PC type > machine of course with the ISA ports.Although seen years > ago I think I remember which shelf rack they got crammed > into. - Anyone remember something like this? as i remember > there are enough of them to let some go. Ed# at SMECC While trying to clean out a bookcase today, I ran across an ALMAC/ARROW catalog--commercial supplier of everything from HP9000 systems, Sun Workstations, etc. At any rate, Digiboard was the big supplier of PC serial add-in boards. The PC/Xem supported up to 32 serial channels. Just leafing through the catalog, I ran across one item I'd never heard of--the NCR 3125 Notepad compauter 8.5x11 480x640 VGA-compatible LCD screen. I guess it might be called a "tablet" today. --Chuck
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
somewhere we have a bunch of ISA cards that are like the ports on my hp time share system just not 16 ports...I seem to remember between 4 and 8... and they were for a PC type machine of course with the ISA ports. Although seen years ago I think I remember which shelf rack they got crammed into. - Anyone remember something like this? as i remember there are enough of them to let some go. Ed# at SMECC wish I remembered more In a message dated 11/1/2018 1:30:22 PM US Mountain Standard Time, cctalk@classiccmp.org writes: On 2018-11-01 14:28, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: > On 11/01/2018 12:22 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: >> A modem, >> serial mouse, >> serial printer, >> serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial >> control of CD cchanger (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but >> serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing >> tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc. > > I absolutely agree that such bests of peripherally connected systems > exist. I would be shocked to hear that "every PC in the office" was > equipped as such. > > I do wonder how well software that used said peripherals dealt with COM > ports above 4. This machines were running Esix and Interactive Unix (and linux?) ... So no problems at all
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
OK, I assumed the 6611s used the NSFnet type cards. Artic960s are different animals - but probably very similar in idea. My memory is hazy, but I think the NSFnet cards were referred to as Hawthornes. Somewhere around here I have one of the really early 386 based routing cards - a weird double height Microchannel card (the RS/6000s were RPQ'd with extra tall chassis to accommodate them). Anyway, I would like to get a 6611, but I do not think very many were made at all. -- Will On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 6:19 PM Paul Berger via cctalk wrote: > > The machine type was 6611 and there where three model, the smallest was > based on a 7011 the mid size one was based on a 7012 and the largest was > based on a 7013. > > The base card is an Artic 960 card which is just a processor card with > some memory that gets an application loaded on the fly. The top > interface card has a lot to do with determining what the function of the > card sandwich is, there should be a X-Y type code on the back of the > card that would define the interface. They where used for all kinds of > things like Synchronous communications, X25 and network accelerators. > Some of the interfaces cards used in the 6611 where unique to it and > never made it to the "standard" RS/6000 line. There was also a PCI > version of the Artic 960 but by the time it came along the 6611 was long > gone. > > Paul. > > > On 2018-11-01 1:15 PM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: > >> So, what is this i960-based card for? > > They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would > > be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about > > 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface > > was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about > > 4-5 of these cards. > > > > IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing > > engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the > > architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete > > redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the > > public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). > > I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the > > real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall > > because of some live tangled cables). > > > >> Could it be related to what you > >> say in your post? > >> > >> https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv > > Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. > > > > -- > > Will >
Re: IBM Xstation 140?
On 11/1/18 3:13 PM, Kevin Bowling via cctalk wrote: >140 CPU Planar 33 MHz LSI R33020 193-273 http://ps-2.kev009.com/ohlandl/RS6000/193-273.txt
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
The machine type was 6611 and there where three model, the smallest was based on a 7011 the mid size one was based on a 7012 and the largest was based on a 7013. The base card is an Artic 960 card which is just a processor card with some memory that gets an application loaded on the fly. The top interface card has a lot to do with determining what the function of the card sandwich is, there should be a X-Y type code on the back of the card that would define the interface. They where used for all kinds of things like Synchronous communications, X25 and network accelerators. Some of the interfaces cards used in the 6611 where unique to it and never made it to the "standard" RS/6000 line. There was also a PCI version of the Artic 960 but by the time it came along the 6611 was long gone. Paul. On 2018-11-01 1:15 PM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: So, what is this i960-based card for? They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about 4-5 of these cards. IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall because of some live tangled cables). Could it be related to what you say in your post? https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. -- Will
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
Yes, they are. There are reference to those machines in the various nsfnet written histories but not cross linkage to those great pictures. On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 2:57 PM William Donzelli wrote: > > Right, thanks. 6611 is correct. I do not think the FDDI or HSSI cards > made it into those. > > The RCS/RI twitter feed has some pictures of NSFnet racks and a F960 > FDDI card. Those were from the GNJ node in Greensboro Junction, NC. > Were those the pictures? > > https://twitter.com/RetroCompSocRI > > -- > Will > On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 3:22 PM Kevin Bowling wrote: > > > > 6611 was the commercialized version. One early model was a standard 7012 > > desktop with the special cards. A later cost optimized version had a custom > > PowerPC backplane. > > > > There were some good pics of the nsfnet T3 racks I linked onto nekochan > > forums but that site is gone. Wish people would migrate back to Usenet. > > > > On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 9:15 AM William Donzelli via cctalk > > wrote: > >> > >> > So, what is this i960-based card for? > >> > >> They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would > >> be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about > >> 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface > >> was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about > >> 4-5 of these cards. > >> > >> IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing > >> engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the > >> architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete > >> redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the > >> public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). > >> I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the > >> real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall > >> because of some live tangled cables). > >> > >> > Could it be related to what you > >> > say in your post? > >> > > >> > https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv > >> > >> Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. > >> > >> -- > >> Will
Re: IBM Xstation 140?
7010 Xstation 120 CPU Planar 8 MHz 80186 190-027-1 130 CPU Planar 12.5 MHz 80C186 190-027 140 CPU Planar 33 MHz LSI R33020 193-273 150 CPU Planar Motorola 88110 193-018 160 CPU Planar 66 MHz PowerPC 603 195-027 On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 2:51 PM Guy Sotomayor Jr via cctalk wrote: > > If I recall correctly the Xstation 120 (the first of them) used an 8086 > (might have been an 80186). The big issue was that you couldn’t do anything > with it because what was in ROM/FLASH was only smart enough to be able to > TFTP the rest of the microcode (not terribly useful if you don’t have the > image it wants to TFTP). > > I think the 140 fixed that (and is somewhat telling from all of the Intel > flash parts on the board). But I don’t know what CPU it’s using. The IBM > metal can is probably the graphics controller. > > TTFN - Guy > > > > On Nov 1, 2018, at 2:36 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk > > wrote: > > > > Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring > > > > Wonder what processor it uses.. > > > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972 > > >
Re: IBM Xstation 140?
The 120 also used a 34010 to handle the graphics, I think? It has been a long time... -- Will On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 5:51 PM Guy Sotomayor Jr via cctalk wrote: > > If I recall correctly the Xstation 120 (the first of them) used an 8086 > (might have been an 80186). The big issue was that you couldn’t do anything > with it because what was in ROM/FLASH was only smart enough to be able to > TFTP the rest of the microcode (not terribly useful if you don’t have the > image it wants to TFTP). > > I think the 140 fixed that (and is somewhat telling from all of the Intel > flash parts on the board). But I don’t know what CPU it’s using. The IBM > metal can is probably the graphics controller. > > TTFN - Guy > > > > On Nov 1, 2018, at 2:36 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk > > wrote: > > > > Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring > > > > Wonder what processor it uses.. > > > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972 > > >
Re: IBM Xstation 140?
RISC @ 33MHZ On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 10:51 PM Guy Sotomayor Jr via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > If I recall correctly the Xstation 120 (the first of them) used an 8086 > (might have been an 80186). The big issue was that you couldn’t do > anything with it because what was in ROM/FLASH was only smart enough to be > able to TFTP the rest of the microcode (not terribly useful if you don’t > have the image it wants to TFTP). > > I think the 140 fixed that (and is somewhat telling from all of the Intel > flash parts on the board). But I don’t know what CPU it’s using. The IBM > metal can is probably the graphics controller. > > TTFN - Guy > > > > On Nov 1, 2018, at 2:36 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk > wrote: > > > > Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring > > > > Wonder what processor it uses.. > > > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972 > > > >
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
Right, thanks. 6611 is correct. I do not think the FDDI or HSSI cards made it into those. The RCS/RI twitter feed has some pictures of NSFnet racks and a F960 FDDI card. Those were from the GNJ node in Greensboro Junction, NC. Were those the pictures? https://twitter.com/RetroCompSocRI -- Will On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 3:22 PM Kevin Bowling wrote: > > 6611 was the commercialized version. One early model was a standard 7012 > desktop with the special cards. A later cost optimized version had a custom > PowerPC backplane. > > There were some good pics of the nsfnet T3 racks I linked onto nekochan > forums but that site is gone. Wish people would migrate back to Usenet. > > On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 9:15 AM William Donzelli via cctalk > wrote: >> >> > So, what is this i960-based card for? >> >> They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would >> be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about >> 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface >> was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about >> 4-5 of these cards. >> >> IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing >> engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the >> architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete >> redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the >> public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). >> I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the >> real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall >> because of some live tangled cables). >> >> > Could it be related to what you >> > say in your post? >> > >> > https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv >> >> Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. >> >> -- >> Will
Re: IBM Xstation 140?
If I recall correctly the Xstation 120 (the first of them) used an 8086 (might have been an 80186). The big issue was that you couldn’t do anything with it because what was in ROM/FLASH was only smart enough to be able to TFTP the rest of the microcode (not terribly useful if you don’t have the image it wants to TFTP). I think the 140 fixed that (and is somewhat telling from all of the Intel flash parts on the board). But I don’t know what CPU it’s using. The IBM metal can is probably the graphics controller. TTFN - Guy > On Nov 1, 2018, at 2:36 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk > wrote: > > Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring > > Wonder what processor it uses.. > > https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972 >
IBM Xstation 140?
Wondering if this is an IBM Xstation 140 with token ring Wonder what processor it uses.. https://www.ebay.com/itm/273538296972
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 2018-11-01 14:28, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: > On 11/01/2018 12:22 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: >> A modem, >> serial mouse, >> serial printer, >> serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial >> control of CD cchanger (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but >> serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing >> tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc. > > I absolutely agree that such bests of peripherally connected systems > exist. I would be shocked to hear that "every PC in the office" was > equipped as such. > > I do wonder how well software that used said peripherals dealt with COM > ports above 4. This machines were running Esix and Interactive Unix (and linux?) ... So no problems at all
Whither Google Groups - was Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
On 2018-11-01 5:06 p.m., Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: > > > On 11/1/18 12:22 PM, Kevin Bowling via cctalk wrote: > >> There were some good pics of the nsfnet T3 racks I linked onto nekochan >> forums but that site is gone. Wish people would migrate back to Usenet. > > Community fragmentation and reliance on unarchived forums is a Bad Thing. > I wonder how much of value will be lost when Yahoo's unmigrated forums > finally collapse > or when G gets bored with all of the 'Usenet' groups they created and > silently dump them. > > Groups is getting more and more buried in the UI. You have to really dig to browse there from the home page now. --T
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
On 11/1/18 12:22 PM, Kevin Bowling via cctalk wrote: > There were some good pics of the nsfnet T3 racks I linked onto nekochan > forums but that site is gone. Wish people would migrate back to Usenet. Community fragmentation and reliance on unarchived forums is a Bad Thing. I wonder how much of value will be lost when Yahoo's unmigrated forums finally collapse or when G gets bored with all of the 'Usenet' groups they created and silently dump them.
Anyone Have a Working DEC Pro 350?
Is there anyone who has a working DEC Pro 350 who would be prepared to probe a few pins on the system board with an oscilloscope? I'd like to understand what signals I should be expecting in the reset logic, which seems to be quite complex. Thanks Rob
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
6611 was the commercialized version. One early model was a standard 7012 desktop with the special cards. A later cost optimized version had a custom PowerPC backplane. There were some good pics of the nsfnet T3 racks I linked onto nekochan forums but that site is gone. Wish people would migrate back to Usenet. On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 9:15 AM William Donzelli via cctalk < cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > So, what is this i960-based card for? > > They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would > be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about > 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface > was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about > 4-5 of these cards. > > IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing > engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the > architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete > redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the > public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). > I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the > real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall > because of some live tangled cables). > > > Could it be related to what you > > say in your post? > > > > https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv > > Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. > > -- > Will >
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
A modem, serial mouse, serial printer, serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial control of CD changer (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc. On Thu, 1 Nov 2018, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: I absolutely agree that such bests of peripherally connected systems exist. I would be shocked to hear that "every PC in the office" was equipped as such. OK, only one of the machines needs to do the UPS logging. Although etiquette calls for only one VOTRAX operating at a time, they all need to be connected. OR, the KUBIK was stackable! With four of them, and 4 serial ports, and 16 [wide] SCSI IDs (which poses a limitation), you could have 15 drives accessing from 960 discs. (including the entire Walnut Creek collection?) I do wonder how well software that used said peripherals dealt with COM ports above 4. SOME of those devices didn't need the full set of COM port capabilities. Similarly, connecting more than 4 floppy drives posed some minor software complications, particularly if accessing at BIOS (Int13h) level. A pentagram physical arrangement on a round or 5 sided table needs shortest cables. As to the dark overlord, . . . when Novell bought DRI, it was not because they wanted the content. They wanted the IP rights as a shield. Imagine, if Adam Osborne had been a little quicker in running out and buying a piece of the rubble of VisiCorp, it would have shielded Paperback software from Lotus. There is no better defense in an infringement lawsuit than owning rights to the code that the plaintiff's system infringed on. -- Grumpy Ol' Fred ci...@xenosoft.com
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/01/2018 12:38 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: Generally, the software that dealt with that used its own configuration mechanism, as there's only room for 4 COM ports in the BIOS RAM area. That's what I suspected. I'm referring to the client applications (not) knowing how to access COM5. I assume that they access a device managed by DOS / driver. Maybe I'm wrong. I'm also assuming that some software is written with a UI for choosing the COM port and only giving four options. -- Grant. . . . unix || die
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/1/18 11:28 AM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: > On 11/01/2018 12:22 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: >> A modem, >> serial mouse, >> serial printer, >> serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial >> control of CD cchanger (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but >> serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing >> tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc. > > I absolutely agree that such bests of peripherally connected systems > exist. I would be shocked to hear that "every PC in the office" was > equipped as such. > > I do wonder how well software that used said peripherals dealt with COM > ports above 4. Generally, the software that dealt with that used its own configuration mechanism, as there's only room for 4 COM ports in the BIOS RAM area. --Chuck
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/01/2018 12:22 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: A modem, serial mouse, serial printer, serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial control of CD cchanger (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc. I absolutely agree that such bests of peripherally connected systems exist. I would be shocked to hear that "every PC in the office" was equipped as such. I do wonder how well software that used said peripherals dealt with COM ports above 4. -- Grant. . . . unix || die
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
We had those in every PC in the office. Made PCs suddenly useful ;-) Can I ask what you were doing that needed more than two serial ports? Especially "every PC in the office". A modem, serial mouse, serial printer, serial "RS232" scanner, external drive (yes, they existed), serial control of CD cchanger (consider Kubik 240 disc carousel (SCSI, but serial disc change control)), serial EPROM programmer, serial drawing tablet, serial X10 controller, serial VOTRAX, logging of UPS, etc.
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
A company i worked for bought a small healthcare "utilization review" company in the @1983 and they had 5 pc's with just that configuration with contractor written software. We replaced it with a Microvax II. Sent from my iPhone On Nov 1, 2018, at 10:29, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: >>> We had those in every PC in the office. >>> Made PCs suddenly useful ;-) > >> On Thu, 1 Nov 2018, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: >> Can I ask what you were doing that needed more than two serial ports? >> Especially "every PC in the office". >> I can see a few special purpose computers. But I can't imagine a use case >> for having them in every PC. > > You put one into each of five computers, then you arrange them in a > pentagram, with ten null-modem cables. > > Then you write software to make your net work. > Or summon the dark overlord.
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/01/2018 11:29 AM, Fred Cisin wrote: You put one into each of five computers, then you arrange them in a pentagram, with ten null-modem cables. I wondered if you were going to make a (full) mesh of the computers. Where full is dependent on the number of computers. Then you write software to make your net work. Dare I ask? Or summon the dark overlord. It depends if it's point up or point down. ;-) That is also predicated on a physical pentagram arrangement instead of a logical mesh of five machines in a row. ():-) -- Grant. . . . unix || die
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 2018-11-01 12:14, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: > On 11/01/2018 06:09 AM, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote: >> We had those in every PC in the office. >> >> Made PCs suddenly useful ;-) > > Can I ask what you were doing that needed more than two serial ports? > Especially "every PC in the office". We developed embedded systems, multiprocessor, and wrote software for them. None of them had ethernet, so plenty of serial lines were good to have for debugging, monitoring etc.
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
We had those in every PC in the office. Made PCs suddenly useful ;-) On Thu, 1 Nov 2018, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: Can I ask what you were doing that needed more than two serial ports? Especially "every PC in the office". I can see a few special purpose computers. But I can't imagine a use case for having them in every PC. You put one into each of five computers, then you arrange them in a pentagram, with ten null-modem cables. Then you write software to make your net work. Or summon the dark overlord.
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
On 11/01/2018 10:15 AM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote: I have only seen one of these routers in the wild I worked at a company years ago that ran a pair of IBM RS/6000 (the small beige desktop models, maybe a 43). They were running an IBM Firewall software product that I don't remember the name of. I think it ran on top of AIX 4.. -- Grant. . . . unix || die
Re: i860: Re: modern stuff
> So, what is this i960-based card for? They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about 4-5 of these cards. IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the routing engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to the public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type 6767?). I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a Sawzall because of some live tangled cables). > Could it be related to what you > say in your post? > > https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones. -- Will
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 11/01/2018 06:09 AM, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote: We had those in every PC in the office. Made PCs suddenly useful ;-) Can I ask what you were doing that needed more than two serial ports? Especially "every PC in the office". I can see a few special purpose computers. But I can't imagine a use case for having them in every PC. #curious -- Grant. . . . unix || die
Re: PDP, Data General & more (TV show Maniac)
On Wed, 31 Oct 2018, Stéphane Tsacas wrote: TV show Maniac (available on netflix), S1E2 @28.48, at least a PDP 11/40, 11/05 or 04, RX01, PDP-8, and 2 Data General Eclipse, DEC doc binders, and maybe an IBM front panel and more. What is a PDP-8/1 XA ? Christian
Re: BBS card, ISA8bit multi serial, 4 channels
On 2018-10-31 18:25, Tom Manos via cctalk wrote: > I have a couple of these as well. The one to have way back when was made by > AST. It had 4 16550 UARTS and could run them all at whatever speed you > wanted. > > There was even a public domain program/device driver for it, for UNIX on > x86 called FAS (Final Async Solution) that worked very well. I still have a > copy of it if anyone is running real serial on period hardware and SVR2/3 > and maybe others. > > I ran these boards for a couple years on my public access UNIX system. We had those in every PC in the office. There were versions with 4 or 8 UARTs, IIRC, four UARTs had to share one interrupt, but the Linux/ESIX/Interactive driver for them was working pretty well ... Made PCs suddenly useful ;-)