Intel iPSC/860 restoration

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I managed to bring another one of my supercomputers back to life: an Intel 
iPSC/860. This one has 16 compute nodes, 8 i860’s and8 i386’s with Weitek 
co-processors, as well as 4 I/O nodes.

Detailed writeup here: 
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/756-ipsc-860-repair

Downloads (documentation, tape and floppy images available in the downloads 
section on my website.

 Camiel

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In search of RLX blade software

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I’ve been given a couple of RLX blade server chassis loaded with blades (one 
with Transmeta Crusoe cpu’s, and one with Pentium III cpu’s). I hope you’ll 
allow me to count these as “vintage” because of their interesting origin: the 
Pentium III loaded chassis was part of a 768 node computer cluster at the 
Sanger Institute in the UK, and was used in the last stretch of the DNA 
sequencing computations for the Human Genome Project.

I’d like to build a compute cluster out of these, but I don’t have the rpm’s 
they supplied to customize Linux for their blades. Ideally, I’d hope to find a 
copy of their “Control Tower” blade management software, and their customized 
Linux installation images, but just the bare rpm’s would do for now. From the 
RLX platform guide, I’d hope to find:

kernel-*rlx*.i386.rpm
kernel-headers-*rlx*.i386.rpm
devfsd-*rlx*.i386.rpm
ucd-snmp-*rlx*.i386.rpm
net-snmp-*rlx*.i386.rpm
ucd-snmp-utils-*rlx*.i386.rpm
net-snmp-utils-*rlx*.i386.rpm
bootctl-*rlx*.i386.rpm
atftp-*rlx*.i386.rpm
lm_sensors-*-*rlx*.i386.rpm
lm_sensors-drivers-*-*rlx*.i386.rpm
lm_sensors-devel-*-*rlx*.i386.rpm
base-utils-*rlx*.i386.rpm
runctl-*rlx*.noarch.rpm
networkcfg-*rlx*.noarch.rpm
mgmtmode-*rlx*.noarch.rpm
namedcfg-*rlx*.noarch.rpm
dhcpdcfg-*rlx*.noarch.rpm
lilo-*rlx*.i386.rpm
grub-*rlx*.i386.rpm
rlx-clientpm-*rlx*.i386.rpm



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Re: MaxSpeed VGA MaxStation

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

It's neither X nor ethernet. These worked with a special controller card that 
had 4 RJ45 connectors. That allowed four users to share a single Windows NT 
system.

From: cctech  on behalf of John Ames via cctech 

Sent: Thursday, March 25, 2021 4:41 AM
To: cctalk ; cctech 
Subject: MaxSpeed VGA MaxStation

So, some months ago, I was in an electronics surplus store and picked
up what was obviously an X terminal - tiny metal slab with a VGA
connector, serial & parallel, AT keyboard, and RJ45 "communication"
port. I got it bare, without the external PSU that would've gone with
it, and I've since been unable to determine just what the heck I'm
supposed to feed this thing. It's a standard barrel jack, but there's
no markings on the case or the PCB to give any clue as to what
voltage/amperage or polarity it expects, and Google has been no help
at all. Does anyone have any recollection of these things? Any idea
what they want for juice?

To throw an extra mysterious wrinkle into this, when I popped open the
case to get a look at the PCB, I found that, apart from the CPU, DART,
and ROM, the only non-glue ICs on the board were an 8K SRAM and a
W82C476 RAMDAC - but 8K isn't even remotely enough for a VGA screen,
not even a monochrome one at VGA resolution! Am I missing something on
how these things operated? Given this, my only guess would be some
kind of insane networked-framebuffer scheme where the host would blast
video data in on the fly, but there's no way this was even 100Mbps
Ethernet, and 10Mbps isn't nearly fast enough to transfer 150KB at
60FPS, and there's no memory to buffer it for a slower refresh. What
in the heck is going on here?

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Re: MaxSpeed VGA MaxStation

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

It's been ages since I saw there, but it was definitely graphics; maximum cable 
length was pretty limited; 12 feet or so. IIRC, the video signal itself was 
carried over three pairs of wires. Fourth pair of wires was used for 
bidirectional communications (keyboard, mouse, printer, DAC management). All 
the box did was generate the video timing signals, and feed the data through 
the DAC out to the monitor.

On 3/25/21, 4:50 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Cameron Kaiser via cctalk" 
 wrote:

> So, some months ago, I was in an electronics surplus store and picked
> up what was obviously an X terminal - tiny metal slab with a VGA
> connector, serial & parallel, AT keyboard, and RJ45 "communication"
> port. [...]
> To throw an extra mysterious wrinkle into this, when I popped open the
> case to get a look at the PCB, I found that, apart from the CPU, DART,
> and ROM, the only non-glue ICs on the board were an 8K SRAM and a
> W82C476 RAMDAC - but 8K isn't even remotely enough for a VGA screen,
> not even a monochrome one at VGA resolution! Am I missing something on
> how these things operated?

It might be text only. There's a mention in InfoWorld 11/18/91: "Maxspeed
corp. has introduced a controller to connect a 386 or 486 running a
multiuser operating system to eight of the company's MaxStation base units.
The $1,495 SH-8 MaxStation Controller is scheduled to ship at the end
of this month." From that era it could simply be 80x25.

--
 personal: 
http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
  Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * 
ckai...@floodgap.com
-- If you're not very clever, you should be conciliatory. -- Benjamin 
Disraeli

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Re: Need to have a roll of paper punch tape read by a tape reader and printed

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Gary,

I don't know if you're in Europe or elsewhere. I'm in the Netherlands, and I 
could do that free of charge. I'd also make a video recording of the process 
for your sons education.

Camiel

From: cctech  on behalf of Gary Dye via cctech 

Sent: Monday, March 8, 2021 11:30 PM
To: cctalk@classiccmp.org 
Subject: Need to have a roll of paper punch tape read by a tape reader and 
printed

Hi folks.  I wrote a basketball program in Basic over 40 years ago in high 
school.  I printed the 13 pages of code, and produced a roll of paper punch 
tape of the code, but the 13 pages were destroyed, leaving me with only the 
paper tape.  My 14-year-old son was pretty fascinated to see the roll of 
computer punch tape -- paper with holes in it! -- that we used to store files 
in the old days. And that we didn't have computer screens, but only a teletype 
element that printed -- one letter at a time -- the back-and-forth information 
between the timeshare computer and the teletype (output). This paper punch tape 
is the Basic program that I wrote in high school that played a random 
basketball game (as called by Bill Schonely, radio voice of the Portland 
Trailblazers). I'm trying to find someone to run it through a tape reader so 
that I can retrieve the code and play the game again.  I'm hoping to explain 
the code to Owen so that he might understand the power of coding and get 
interested in coding.

Is there anyone out there that I can send my roll of paper tape to such that 
the code can be restored?  I could pay some compensation for your troubles.

Much appreciated,

Gary

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VMS on x86-64/ARM/RISC-V? - was Re: Microvax 3100 VMS 7.3 password reset

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/14/20, 1:49 AM, "cctech on behalf of Adam Thornton via cctech" 
 wrote:

>I mean obviously the NEXT thing to do is start bugging VSI for ARM 
> support—given that the OS runs on VAX, Alpha, Itanic, and x86_64, how much 
> really crucial and hard-to-port assembly can be left in it?—and given the way 
> datacenters are trending, it might not even be a commercially stupid move.  I 
> want to run VMS on my phone (or my next Mac).  Doesn’t everyone?

Hi Adam,

Possible architectures beyond x86 we're keeping an eye on are ARM and RISC-V, 
but they'll need to start doing a lot better in the datacenter before it'll be 
worth our while. So far, ARM in the datacenter hasn't taken off the way many 
predicted it would.

One thing I'm better at than crystal ball gazing though, is I can give you an 
idea of how much hard-to-port assembly is left, since I wrote most of the x86 
assembly code in it :-)

With the port to x86, we made a conscious effort to minimize the amount of code 
written in assembly; so at this point, it's pretty much limited to code where 
(a) we can't use the stack, or we need to manipulate the stack pointer in a 
non-standard way; (b) we need to use a special instruction that we don't have a 
compiler builtin for (these are mostly cases where an instruction is only used 
in one place); and (c) code that needs to mix calling standards - i.e. the code 
shims necessary to interact with the UEFI firmeware.
Category (a) is obviously the more interesting one, and that includes things 
like code that is responsible for switching between VMS' four modes (kernel, 
executive, supervisor, and user mode), and context switching for the schedulers 
(OS scheduler, kernel process scheduler, and POSIX threads scheduler). The OS 
scheduler is a good example of our effort to eliminate assembly code. On VAX, 
Alpha, and Itanium, the scheduler loop and the idle loop (which performs 
maintenance tasks such as dirty page zeroing) were written in assembly, and 
re-written with each port. For x86, I rewrote these in C, using small assembly 
helper routines only in the critical parts where it couldn't be avoided.

In total, there are 30 modules that were written in x86-64 assembly. I'd 
classify 10 of those are trivial, 16 as average, and 4 as complicated and 
difficult. The complicated and difficult category contains code responsible for 
dispatching system services, handling interrupts and exceptions, delivering 
ASTs.

As much design and work was involved in those assembly modules though, a whole 
lot of x86-specific work was done for the MACRO-32 compiler. MACRO-32 
originated as the VAX assembler, and while it is a compiler on other 
architectures, it is still much like an assembler, and specific translations 
from the VAX instruction set to the target architecture need to be made. The 
MACRO-32 compiler talks to the LLVM code generator backend at a lower, more 
instruction-centric level than the compilers for higher languages, and this 
work is very x86-64 specific. Given that about 1/3 of the OS is written in 
MACRO-32, we won't get rid of MACRO-32 code in the OS any time soon. (The other 
2/3rds are written in BLISS and C)

Also, in the C, Bliss, and MACRO-32 code, lots of conditionalizations are made 
on architecture. Certain things are done differently on Alpha than they are on 
Itanium, and on x86 we sometimes do things the way we did them on Alpha, 
sometimes the way we did them on Itanium, and sometimes we need to come up with 
an x86-specific way.

So, the port to x86 has made a future port to ARM or RISC-V easier; 
particularly by moving to the LLVM code generator backend, and by figuring out 
how to run a four-mode OS on a two-mode architecture without sacrificing the 
benefits of running in four modes; but it has by no means made it trivial.

Camiel

Re: VMS on x86-64/ARM/RISC-V? - was Re: Microvax 3100 VMS 7.3 password reset

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/14/20, 11:54 PM, "cctech on behalf of Adam Thornton via cctech" 
 wrote:
> On Nov 14, 2020, at 5:20 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven 
 wrote:
>  

...

> 
> One thing I'm better at than crystal ball gazing though, is I can give 
you an idea of how much hard-to-port assembly is left, since I wrote most of 
the x86 assembly code in it :-)

I replied to Camiel off-list, but I just did want to say to the list in 
general how great it made me feel that my idle BSing got a thoughtful reply 
from someone who is in a—indeed, in *the*—position to know about it.  I mean, I 
realize I shouldn’t be surprised that VSI has a presence on here, but…I was!

Well, I’m not on cctech because I’m with VSI, I’m on cctech because I have a 
large collection of vintage computers (www.vaxbarn.com). In a sense, you could 
say that my being with VSI is an indirect result of being a computer collector. 
I had a few Alpha systems, wanted to develop software for them on my laptop, 
decided to write my own emulator (ES40 Emulator, also forked as AXPbox), got to 
know people in VMS engineering as a result, and eventually ended up getting 
hired as one of the principal architects for the x86-64 port.

I have a few OpenVMS related presentations up on Youtube, one of them is 
specifically about the 4-mode problem (https://youtu.be/U8kcfvJ1Iec). I also 
have several vintage computer related videos on there (Reviving 1980's 
supercomputers at home - https://youtu.be/0uM09vxT1rg - is a nice introduction 
into the kind of things I'm really interested in.)

Camiel

Re: Disabling SCSI parity checking to dump disk on ACB4000 MFM-SCSI adapter?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Sep 24, 2020, at 6:21 PM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk 
>  wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On Sep 24, 2020, at 5:23 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk  
>> wrote:
>> 
>> On 9/24/20 1:12 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk wrote:
>>> I used an Ancot Ultra2080/Lite SCSI-bus Analyzer. This is a device that 
>>> connects to a SCSI bus and has a serial port. Over the serial port, you can 
>>> monitor the signals on the SCSI bus, and use it as a SCSI protocol 
>>> analyzer. There’s also the possibility to construct and send a SCSI 
>>> command. Rather than connect a serial terminal to the serial port, I 
>>> connected a PC, then wrote a C program to control the Ancot. I had the 
>>> Ancot send commands to the disk to read a sector at a time, and recorded 
>>> the data sent in response to a file to create a disk image. Slow as hell 
>>> (each byte on the disk requires sending two hex characters and a space over 
>>> a slow serial line), but it works. I had to make several passes over the 
>>> disk, because occasionally the data received from the disk turned out to be 
>>> data from a different sector than the one I was trying to read. By reading 
>>> the disk multiple times, I could get rid of these mis-read sectors.
>> 
>> Very NICE hack Camiel.  I like it!
>> 
>> I am a little surprised by getting different data for the same sectors. I 
>> find that mildly concerning.  Did you do something like read each byte 
>> multiple times to find a majority sample?  2/3, 3/5, 4/6, etc?  Do you think 
>> the different data was an artifact of the old drive?  Or was it a tickle of 
>> a bug elsewhere in the chain?
> 
> 
> The drive was what seems to be a pre-production Fujitsu model (with a serial 
> number of 37), 17MB in size; I’m pretty sure the disk itself had issues. On 
> the first pass of reading the disk, about 8% of all sectors wouldn’t read, 
> returning an “Unrecoverable Read Error”; when I did a second pass reading 
> just these failed sectors, I found that I could read about 2/3rds of them. I 
> repeated this 20 times or so, and then I had almost everything. There were 43 
> sectors near the end of the disk that I never managed to read, but these were 
> beyond the filesystems on the disk. That gave me a disk that would boot, but 
> I has some corrupt files and a corrupt directory. Looking at these, I found 
> that the corrupt bits were sector-sized, and were identical copies of sectors 
> elsewhere on the disk.
> 
> In the end, what I ended up doing was read the entire disk 2 more times (so 
> two more times the 20 iterations of reading the missing sectors until I had a 
> complete image), and compared the resulting three disk images 
> sector-by-sector. For some 99% of the sectors, all three copies were in 
> agreement; where they were not, there were always two images in agreement, so 
> I knew which one to pick.
> 
> I’ve documented some of this here:
> 
> https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on 
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on> 
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on 
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on>>
> 
> https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics
>  
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics>
>  
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics%5C
>  
> <https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics%5C>>

Oh, I was lucky when I spotted it; the first corrupt file I encountered was 
part of the microcode to be loaded onto the vector processor. Those files have 
checksums, and the microcode loader complained. I wrote a small utility to 
extract the files from the disk image (it uses a variant of the UFS file 
system), and had a look at the corrupt file; one of the blocks in the file 
looked like part of a directory, which was easy to spot, and that led me to the 
conclusion that it was valid data, but read from the wrong place.

Camiel

Re: Disabling SCSI parity checking to dump disk on ACB4000 MFM-SCSI adapter?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Sep 24, 2020, at 5:23 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> On 9/24/20 1:12 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk wrote:
>> I used an Ancot Ultra2080/Lite SCSI-bus Analyzer. This is a device that 
>> connects to a SCSI bus and has a serial port. Over the serial port, you can 
>> monitor the signals on the SCSI bus, and use it as a SCSI protocol analyzer. 
>> There’s also the possibility to construct and send a SCSI command. Rather 
>> than connect a serial terminal to the serial port, I connected a PC, then 
>> wrote a C program to control the Ancot. I had the Ancot send commands to the 
>> disk to read a sector at a time, and recorded the data sent in response to a 
>> file to create a disk image. Slow as hell (each byte on the disk requires 
>> sending two hex characters and a space over a slow serial line), but it 
>> works. I had to make several passes over the disk, because occasionally the 
>> data received from the disk turned out to be data from a different sector 
>> than the one I was trying to read. By reading the disk multiple times, I 
>> could get rid of these mis-read sectors.
> 
> Very NICE hack Camiel.  I like it!
> 
> I am a little surprised by getting different data for the same sectors. I 
> find that mildly concerning.  Did you do something like read each byte 
> multiple times to find a majority sample?  2/3, 3/5, 4/6, etc?  Do you think 
> the different data was an artifact of the old drive?  Or was it a tickle of a 
> bug elsewhere in the chain?


The drive was what seems to be a pre-production Fujitsu model (with a serial 
number of 37), 17MB in size; I’m pretty sure the disk itself had issues. On the 
first pass of reading the disk, about 8% of all sectors wouldn’t read, 
returning an “Unrecoverable Read Error”; when I did a second pass reading just 
these failed sectors, I found that I could read about 2/3rds of them. I 
repeated this 20 times or so, and then I had almost everything. There were 43 
sectors near the end of the disk that I never managed to read, but these were 
beyond the filesystems on the disk. That gave me a disk that would boot, but I 
has some corrupt files and a corrupt directory. Looking at these, I found that 
the corrupt bits were sector-sized, and were identical copies of sectors 
elsewhere on the disk.

In the end, what I ended up doing was read the entire disk 2 more times (so two 
more times the 20 iterations of reading the missing sectors until I had a 
complete image), and compared the resulting three disk images sector-by-sector. 
For some 99% of the sectors, all three copies were in agreement; where they 
were not, there were always two images in agreement, so I knew which one to 
pick.

I’ve documented some of this here:

https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on 
<https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/577-convex-c1-xp-power-on>

https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics
 
<https://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/579-getting-a-convex-c1-to-pass-all-diagnostics%5C>


 

Re: Disabling SCSI parity checking to dump disk on ACB4000 MFM-SCSI adapter?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Sep 23, 2020, at 10:28 PM, Michael Engel via cctech 
>  wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> On 9/23/20 8:54 PM, Grant Taylor via cctech wrote:
>> On 9/23/20 12:51 PM, Michael Engel via cctech wrote:
>>> Do you know if is there another OS which would make it easier to change 
>>> crucial SCSI parameters in the driver (config) or maybe a specialized tool 
>>> that could help me to image the disk?
>> 
>> Try booting off of a Linux live CD / DVD and seeing if it will behave any 
>> different
> Not really, unfortunately. The error messages are a bit cryptic:
> 
> [ 1069.277571] (scsi8:A:0:0): Sending SDTR period 45, offset 0
> [ 1069.278961] scsi 8:0:0:0: Attempting to queue a TARGET RESET message
> [ 1069.278964] CDB: 0x12 0x0 0x0 0x0 0x24 0x0
> [ 1069.278975] scsi 8:0:0:0: Command not found
> [ 1069.278979] aic7xxx_dev_reset returns 0x2002
> [ 1069.279286] (scsi8:A:0:0): Sending SDTR period 45, offset 0
> [ 1069.280736] scsi8: Slave Alloc 1
> [ 1069.543400] scsi target8:0:1: asynchronous
> [ 1069.543416] scsi8: target 1 using asynchronous transfers
> [ 1069.543420] scsi8: Selection Timeout on A:1. 0 SCBs aborted
> 
> It seems that the problem lies in the firmware of the ACB4000, which doesn´t 
> seem to support some standard commands, e.g. the INQUIRY command. Most recent 
> Linux SCSI drivers seem to use this command.
> 
> Some information on this problem can be found here:
> https://www.zot.org/~hamish/hacks/acb-4000.html
> 
> There´s a thread (in German, sorry) in which someone tried to get a disk on 
> an ACB4000 to work:
> https://de.comp.os.unix.linux.misc.narkive.com/ti21cHO0/scsi-1-platte-unter-linux-ansprechen
> and somebody else (also in German...) claims that he could run a disk on an 
> ACB4000 (from an Atari SH204) on an Adaptec 1542:
> https://forum.classic-computing.de/forum/index.php?thread/18576-wie-programme-vom-pc-auf-atari-mega-st-bringen/=2
> 
> So maybe an Atari ST with an ACSI->SCSI adapter might help. That seems to be 
> one of the machines we don´t have here…

Yes, the ACB-4000 doesn’t play well with anything modern. The SPU (service 
processor) disk on my Convex C-1 uses a Fujitsu MFM disk with an ACB-4000. I 
absolutely had to save the contents of that disk, so here is my approach:

I used an Ancot Ultra2080/Lite SCSI-bus Analyzer. This is a device that 
connects to a SCSI bus and has a serial port. Over the serial port, you can 
monitor the signals on the SCSI bus, and use it as a SCSI protocol analyzer. 
There’s also the possibility to construct and send a SCSI command. Rather than 
connect a serial terminal to the serial port, I connected a PC, then wrote a C 
program to control the Ancot. I had the Ancot send commands to the disk to read 
a sector at a time, and recorded the data sent in response to a file to create 
a disk image. Slow as hell (each byte on the disk requires sending two hex 
characters and a space over a slow serial line), but it works. I had to make 
several passes over the disk, because occasionally the data received from the 
disk turned out to be data from a different sector than the one I was trying to 
read. By reading the disk multiple times, I could get rid of these mis-read 
sectors. 

I put the image created this way on a new disk (well, an old DEC 1GB disk with 
a SCSI-1 mode jumper) and was able to boot the SPU from this disk (It could not 
boot off the original disk), and later replaced it with a SCSI2SD.

If you’re interested, and have access to an Ancot, I can probably dig out the C 
code I wrote.

Camiel

Looking for Logicraft Omni-Ware

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I’m looking for a piece of software called Omni-Ware for VMS or UNIX , by a 
Nashua company called Logicraft. 

I’ve just received the pieces to build a Logicraft PC (286 motherboard with 
custom BIOS and a special network card that emulates the keyboard, mouse, CGA 
video card and hard disk). I also received the documentation for the VAX/VMS 
version of the software, but I’m now looking for the accompanying software for 
VMS or UNIX. The idea is to install this software on a workstation, and connect 
it to the Omni-Ware PC. The PC then boots off a disk image stored on the 
workstation, with input and output in an X-Windows window. Logicraft apparently 
supplied disk images with DOS, Xenix, OS/2 or MS Windows installed. 

I’m really hoping someone has a copy of this software still lying around 
somewhere. 

Cheers, 

Camiel 

Re: OpenVMS Community License

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Jul 28, 2020, at 7:47 PM, John H. Reinhardt via cctalk 
>  wrote:
> The question that will be answered when someone gets the VSI CLP PAKs is will 
> those PAKS work on an older version of OpenVMS?  The Hobbyist PAKs produced 
> by Compaq and HP have always worked on current and older versions.  Is there 
> something in the License Manager code that could limit it? The Hobbyist PAKS 
> I have been getting for years all list DEC as the Producer even through the 
> Compaq and HP years.  I suppose VSI could have engineered OpenVMS and/or the 
> PAKS with VSI as the Producer which would probably limit them to working on 
> VSI versions of OpenVMS.

No need to wait for that; I can answer that question right away; VSI's been 
selling licenses for a while now. Yes, they have a different PRODUCER, so they 
will not work with older (non-VSI) versions.

Re: OpenVMS Community License

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Jul 28, 2020, at 6:35 PM, Zane Healy via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> On Jul 28, 2020, at 9:20 AM, Bill Gunshannon  
> wrote:
>> 
>> On 7/28/20 12:01 PM, Zane Healy wrote:
>>> I just applied for licenses, I’m curious to see what software is included, 
>>> and if it opens up a newer version of OpenVMS/Alpha than HP was offering.  
>>> I’m also wondering if these licenses will work with older versions of 
>>> OpenVMS (required for older Alpha’s).
>> 
>> I can answer this one.
>> 
>> Any license issued by VSI will be for a VSI version of VMS, therefore,
>> newer than anything from HPe.
>> 
>> VSI can not issue licenses for any HPe vresion of VMS so, no, these
>> licenses will not work for older versions of VMS.
>> 
>> bill
> 
> Sadly that’s my assumption, if I’m right, it means I have one Alpha system 
> that will be capable of running what they make available, that’s my Compaq 
> XP1000 (I have two, but only one power supply).  I’ve been planning to try 
> and get one of my AlphaStation 200 4/233’s back up and running as a 
> workstation (small "low power” DECwindows, so good for my office), but I’m 
> pretty sure it won’t be supported.
> 
> Zane


Not supported, sure, but it will probably work just fine. When we released 
8.4-2L1 I tested it on DEC 3000 AXP and DEC 4000 AXP systems, and it ran fine 
on those.

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven

VMS Software, Inc.
R Department

OpenVMS Kernel Engineer
www.vmssoftware.com

Re: : Unknown Intel blinkenlight panel circa 1973

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

UNIBUS. Cable plugged into a UNIBUS slot connected to an external box with up 
to 128Kwords.

> On Jun 19, 2020, at 4:07 PM, Noel Chiappa via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
>> From: Camiel Vanderhoeven
> 
>> I know Intel made the in-4011 for the PDP-11, but I never saw a picture
>> of it.
> 
> Was it UNIBUS memory, or what? It doesn't seem to be in that table of early
> Intel products.
> 
> BTW, speaking of Intel PDP-11 memory, I have this:
> 
>http://gunkies.org/wiki/File:IN-1611.jpg
> 
> QBUS Intel memory board; hven't tried to get it running, though.
> 
>   Noel
> 

Re: Ancient transistor ?computer board (Peter Van Peborgh)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Nope, those tiny urls still refer to URLs that we can’t open. As was suggested 
before, these URLs are probably specific to your browser session.

> On Jun 18, 2020, at 11:31 AM, Peter Van Peborgh via cctech 
>  wrote:
> 
> Sorry guys about the unusable tera-URLs.
> 
> To reiterate, I have acquired this board and have trouble assigning it to a
> particular computer manufacturer and type: 
> 
> 
> Try this for the photos:
> https://tinyurl.com/ydxnzh9g
> and
> https://tinyurl.com/yb6z3utv
> 
> Smells of (early) 1960s transistorized. 
> No helpful marking apart from 
> * "GATE JJ01" on SIDE A. (components).
> * "C NT OL DATA" on side B (solder traces).
> 
> Big transistors are Motorola "180376008". Also, any ideas what the "246 636
> B" boxes are, they have four legs?
> 
> Can any of you of mature years suggest anything? 
> 
> Many thanks, ( praise be to TinyURL),
> 
> peter
> 
> 
> 

Re: IBM vacuum tubes

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Mosyt likely GE.

"IBM did the final assembly, but more than 400 companies supplied parts and 
subassemblies for its computers, including GE for vacuum tubes and 3M for 
magnetic tapes.” 
(https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/early-computer-companies/5/111)

> On Jun 16, 2020, at 4:58 PM, Guy N. via cctalk  wrote:
> 
> On Mon, 2020-06-15 at 10:24 -0400, William Donzelli wrote:
>>> While going through my assortment of old vacuum tubes looking for audio
>>> treasures, I found a handful of IBM branded ones.  Mostly 5965, but
>>> there's one 5963 mixed in.
>> 
>> Who made them?
> 
> Good question.  They have an IBM logo and "Made in USA", along with the
> part number (5965 or 5963) and a bunch of numbers that might give a hint
> as to manufacturer.  Any suggestions on how to decode them?
> 
> These came to me from my father, who worked in the Vacuum Tubes
> department at GE for a while when I was growing up, so there's a good
> chance the OEM was GE.

Re: : Unknown Intel blinkenlight panel circa 1973

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

That would my my guess as well; add-on semiconductor memory for a 16-bit 
minicomputer. I know Intel made the in-4011 for the PDP-11, but I never saw a 
picture of it.

Camiel

> On Jun 14, 2020, at 6:46 PM, ED SHARPE via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> 
> Add on  solid state memory unit  some semi companies made tjem. For add to 
> Dec and dg?  Dunno. A guess
>    ed smecc
> On Sunday, June 14, 2020 Joshua Rice via cctalk  cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> Hi all. 
> 
> I recently bought a mystery blinkenlight panel. Closer inspection reveals it 
> was manufactured by Intel in the early 70’s (1973), and some people on the 
> book of faces suggested it was part of a “device multiplexer”(?)
> 
> I’m 95% confident it’s not strictly a “computer” blinkenlight panel, but 
> rather an attached device, but that still hasn’t helped me narrow down what 
> exactly it was from. 
> 
> I’ve not seen any early Intel stuff as rack-mount, so i’m wondering if it was 
> a prototype, or maybe a piece of internal/non-commercial hardware for Intel's 
> own use. 
> 
> I’m hoping someone here might be able to shed some light on this mystery.
> 
> Pictures: https://imgur.com/gallery/lD74oSy 
> 
> 
> Thanks in advance.
> 
> Josh Rice

Re: Apple 1

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

“Here i am, brain the size of a planet, and i’m controlling a robot that does 
tape backups”

That's not uncommon for outdated (mini)supercomputers. Fast network and disk 
I/O make them well suited to the task. It's just a shame of all that nice 
vector hardware. Convex actively advocated the use of their older series as 
file and backup servers. Lots of the Convex C200 IPI disks I have show evidence 
show evidence of having been used as tape backup caches.

Camiel

Looking for docs, software for Lomac DAVID

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I’ve received a Logical Machine Corporation (Lomac) DAVID system, which appears 
to be  successor to the Lomac ADAM.

The system consists of the main box with an 8” floppy drive (labeled “DAVID 
PROCESSOR”), a keyboard/monitor box (labeled “DAVID DISPLAY”), and a printer.

I am looking for both documentation and software for this system. The first 
thing I need to sort out is how to connect the display and processor. The 
display has a single cable with a male DB-25 connector; the processor has a 
connector labeled “DISPLAY”, but it’s a female DC-37 connector. If anyone ever 
had or worked with one of these, perhaps they remember if there was some kind 
of adapter in between.

Camiel

Nova BASIC paper tape image

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Does anyone have an image of the BASIC interpreter paper tape for the DG Nova?

Re: [HECnet] VAX/VMS 3.0 Distribution Available for Download --> Decnet

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

> On Mar 22, 2020, at 6:22 PM, Mark J. Blair via cctalk  
> wrote:
> 
> Which VMS release introduced DECnet Phase IV?
> 

4.0

Re: CDC floppy disks on Ebay.

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 12/9/18, 10:40 PM, "cctech on behalf of Mattis Lind via cctech" 
 wrote:

Don't know if this worth saving. https://www.ebay.com/itm/283294561797

8 inch CDC disks from 1982. Maybe something interesting?

I know what the software on those disks is, because I have these floppies too 
(and the system they're for). These are diagnostics for a 24-bit Honeywell 4500 
process computer (a successor to the GE PAC 4000 system; some pictures on my 
website: https://vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/654-honeywell-4500). I 
haven't imaged the ones I have yet, but I will get around to it eventually. 
Mine are CDC branded floppies as well, and the diskette drive that came with 
the 4500 was a Honeywell-labeled CDC drive.

Camiel

Re: DG Nova 4 for pickup on Lon Gisland

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

And I assume the Fortran IV compiler could run on this system.

On 12/12/18, 9:11 PM, "cctalk on behalf of William Donzelli via cctalk" 
 wrote:

While this is an absurdly small Data General Nova system for the era
(at least it is not a microNova), you would run RDOS - not unlike a
dual 8 inch floppy Z80 system of the day.

--
Will
On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 2:27 PM Anders Nelson via cctalk
 wrote:
>
> How does a person program this computer? I assume there's no C compiler.
>
> Would one have to boot to a DOS, then load a compiler into RAM, then read
> program text into ram, them compile?
>
> I have less-than-zero experience with DG systems, but a higher-than-zero
> adoration for their design/pedigree.
>
> =]
> --
> Anders Nelson
>
> +1 (517) 775-6129
>
> www.erogear.com
>
>
> On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 2:21 PM Jacob Ritorto via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> > Shoot, was asking my wife if I could have it for Christmas to replace my
> > regular desk in the family room :)
> > But to keep the decor of our home a little more sane, I'll abstain from
> > bidding and wish you best of luck instead!
> >
> > happy holidays and good luck!
> > --jake
> >
> > On Wed, Dec 12, 2018 at 1:28 PM Connor Krukosky via cctalk <
> > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >
> > > Alright, I think I will go for it. I am not too far from it being in
> > > Poughkeepsie.
> > > Always loved the desk machines, and I personally have another kinda
> > > parts Nova 4 that hopefully I can use to switch parts between to get 
one
> > > really nice machine :)
> > >
> > > -Connor K
> > >
> > > On 2018-12-11 13:04, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote:
> > > > I had one of those quite a few years ago. The desk comes apart 
fairly
> > > > easily. The main unit is just a standard shorty 19" rack.
> > > >
> > > > --
> > > > Will
> > > > On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 10:34 PM Anders Nelson via cctalk
> > > >  wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> I'm about an hour drive away and somewhat interested, but I don't 
have
> > > >> space for the desk unfortunately.
> > > >>
> > > >> --
> > > >> Anders Nelson
> > > >>
> > > >> +1 (517) 775-6129
> > > >>
> > > >> www.erogear.com
> > > >>
> > > >>
> > > >> On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:33 PM Tony Aiuto 
> > > >> wrote:
> > > >>
> > > >> > It is close enough to me to rescue, but I really don't have the
> > space
> > > to
> > > >> > store it.
> > > >> > Will anyone take it if I hold it a while?
> > > >> >
> > > >> > On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 9:24 PM Anders Nelson via cctalk <
> > > >> > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > > >> >
> > > >> >> Would this system fit in a standard 19" wide equipment rack?
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> =]
> > > >> >> --
> > > >> >> Anders Nelson
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> +1 (517) 775-6129
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> www.erogear.com
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> On Mon, Dec 10, 2018 at 6:10 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk <
> > > >> >> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >> > Cribbed from VCF:
> > > >> >> >
> > > >> >> >
> > > >> >> >
> > > >> >>
> > >
> > 
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Data-General-NOVA4-Nova-4-nova-desktop-computer-minicomputer-8-floppy-vintage/332940164292?hash=item4d84c7bcc4:g:2skAAOSwqIhcDrmI:rk:39:razz:f:0
> > > >> >> >
> > > >> >> > Chuck
> > > >> >> >
> > > >> >>
> > > >> >
> > >
> >

Re: SunOS 2.4 Expliot (Re: Old Sparcstations

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Yes, boot -s should have worked; also, once you have access to the passwd file 
by mounting the disk on a different system, you could just edit the file to 
remove the root password.

On 12/7/18, 4:20 AM, "cctech on behalf of Frank McConnell via cctech" 
 wrote:

On Dec 6, 2018, at 10:39, Jeffrey S. Worley wrote:
> The Sparcstation 4/330 I reworked the NVRAM chip on….

> I wanted root.

Was there something in the way of you booting single-user?

I am thinking Suns of that era let you into a boot ROM (via BREAK on serial 
console, or L1+A on Sun keyboard and framebuffer console) from which you could 
enter a command like "boot -s” which would boot to a single-user shell.

And physical console access is a good place to start for the win.  It is 
less effective than it once was, but remains a good first choice.

-Frank McConnell

Re: Working Ardent Titan on Youtube

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I'm afraid I can't take that much credit for it; the system was in remarkably 
good shape when I received it, and all I had to do was verify that the voltages 
put out by the power supply were within tolerance and fire it up. The most work 
went into replacing the rubber belts in the old QIC tape cartridges holding the 
software and backups. Having all the documentation that spells out the magic 
incantations to boot the system helps too.

I still have one remaining issue, and that is that when I connect the system to 
my network, it works (I can ping both ways), but the OS becomes unstable, and 
usually crashes within a few minutes. Perhaps it has a problem with jumbo 
packets or something like that.

Camiel

On 11/26/18, 10:20 AM, "Curious Marc"  wrote:

Fantastic video and work! The immense boards and 3D molecular software are 
very impressive!
Marc

> On Nov 25, 2018, at 6:42 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech 
 wrote:
> 
> Now that my mousepad problem has been solved, and I have a fully working 
Ardent Titan with some interesting software on it – the bundled version of 
MATLAB, and BIOGRAF, a molecular modeling application – I decided to make a 
short video about this system in which I show the hardware and demonstrate some 
of the software: https://youtu.be/tMSnnt3iFz0
> 
> 
> 
> For those who haven’t heard of the system; the 1987 Ardent Titan (later 
renamed the Stardent 1500) was the first system that combined vector processors 
(as in a Cray-like architecture) and a graphics engine on the same backplane, 
and was the highest-performing graphics supercomputer for a short while. In the 
end, however, a longer than planned time to market and a forced merger with 
Stellar Computer caused the premature demise of the company.
> 
> 
> 
> Cleve Moler, the inventor of MATLAB, worked at Ardent for three years, 
which is one of the reasons the Titan was the only computer ever to come with 
MATLAB as part of its bundled software. As I found out later – after creating 
this video – the version of MATLAB on the Titan was unique, because it included 
a “render” command, which would plot a 3D surface using the Doré graphics 
library. On other platforms, MATLAB could only render mesh plots. It wasn’t 
until 1992 that the mainstream version of MATLAB gained 3D surface rendering.
> 
> 
> 
> Cleve wrote a number of articles on his blog about the Titan, one of 
which (https://blogs.mathworks.com/cleve/2013/12/09/the-ardent-titan-part-2/) 
describes how the Titan was used to create a video of a vibrating L-shaped 
membrane. With a little help from Cleve, I’m trying to recreate this video. A 
first effort – which isn’t quite right yet – can be seen here: 
https://youtu.be/-XeabDqRAG8
> 
> 
> 
> I hope some of you enjoy these!
> 
> 
> 
> Camiel
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 

Re: Working Ardent Titan on Youtube

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/25/18, 5:26 PM, "cctech on behalf of Noel Chiappa via cctech" 
 wrote:
>> From: Camiel Vanderhoeven
>> I have a fully working Ardent Titan with some interesting software on
>> it - the bundled version of MATLAB, and BIOGRAF, a molecular modeling
>> application
>
> Neat! Excellent! Do you have the source for any/all of the software on it?

Not for any of the commercial software, but there are a bunch of example/demo 
applications (mainly to show how to program for the Doré graphics environment) 
that come with source. The MATLAB extension to use Doré graphics consists of a 
bit that's built into MATLAB and a separate display server that MATLAB connects 
to when you use the render function. The source for the display server is 
provided so you can customize it. There's also a fair bit of user-written code 
in the user directories on one the backup tapes, but I am seeking permission 
from the institute the machine came from first before I start looking for 
interesting bits of code in there.
The OS came with a C compiler, and a vectorizing FORTRAN compiler - bought from 
Convex - was available as a separate (and expensive) option. Fortunately, my 
system came with the vectorizing FORTRAN compiler.


Noel

Working Ardent Titan on Youtube

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Now that my mousepad problem has been solved, and I have a fully working Ardent 
Titan with some interesting software on it – the bundled version of MATLAB, and 
BIOGRAF, a molecular modeling application – I decided to make a short video 
about this system in which I show the hardware and demonstrate some of the 
software: https://youtu.be/tMSnnt3iFz0

 

For those who haven’t heard of the system; the 1987 Ardent Titan (later renamed 
the Stardent 1500) was the first system that combined vector processors (as in 
a Cray-like architecture) and a graphics engine on the same backplane, and was 
the highest-performing graphics supercomputer for a short while. In the end, 
however, a longer than planned time to market and a forced merger with Stellar 
Computer caused the premature demise of the company.

 

Cleve Moler, the inventor of MATLAB, worked at Ardent for three years, which is 
one of the reasons the Titan was the only computer ever to come with MATLAB as 
part of its bundled software. As I found out later – after creating this video 
– the version of MATLAB on the Titan was unique, because it included a “render” 
command, which would plot a 3D surface using the Doré graphics library. On 
other platforms, MATLAB could only render mesh plots. It wasn’t until 1992 that 
the mainstream version of MATLAB gained 3D surface rendering.

 

Cleve wrote a number of articles on his blog about the Titan, one of which 
(https://blogs.mathworks.com/cleve/2013/12/09/the-ardent-titan-part-2/) 
describes how the Titan was used to create a video of a vibrating L-shaped 
membrane. With a little help from Cleve, I’m trying to recreate this video. A 
first effort – which isn’t quite right yet – can be seen here: 
https://youtu.be/-XeabDqRAG8

 

I hope some of you enjoy these!

 

Camiel

 

 

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Just to let you all know,

I received an IMSI (Mouse Systems M4) mouse with mousepad, and that mousepad 
works with the Ardent's mouse as well.

Camiel

On 11/14/18, 8:42 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk" 
 wrote:

It is a mouse systems mouse, model M4Q, and it has the two holes (one red 
light, one infrared), so I'll need the blue-and-black grid. I've hopefully 
bought a correct one off eBay, just waiting for it to arrive.

Camiel

On 11/14/18, 3:32 AM, "cctalk on behalf of systems_glitch via cctalk" 
 wrote:

There's a blue-and-black grid, and an all-black grid, at least with Sun
mice. Mice that work on one won't work on the other. At least with the
blue-and-black grid, spacing didn't seem to matter -- I've got three 
sizes
of spacing, all three work with the mice that support it.

Not sure if it applies to your situation, but the Mouse Systems mice 
with
two holes, one emitting red light, work with the blue-and-black pads, 
and
the newer Sun mice with a single hole works on the black grid. The
blue-and-black grid looks metallic blue until you take a close look 
with a
lighted magnifier.

Thanks,
Jonathan

On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 5:40 PM Rico Pajarola via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 10:32 PM Tomasz Rola via cctalk <
> cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
> > On Sat, Nov 10, 2018 at 07:12:49PM +0100, Camiel Vanderhoeven via 
cctech
> > wrote:
> > > On 11/10/18, 6:49 PM, "Rico Pajarola"  wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in
> > > the y direction on it.
> > >
> > > there were 2 versions of that mousepad, and the symptom of using 
the
> > > wrong one was that the mouse would only move in one direction.
> >
> > Out of curiosity, would it work if you printed this one-directional
> > grid on a translucent plastic and overlaid it on top of white paper
> > sheet? If yes, then would it work if you printed two such 
translucent
> > plastic grids and ovelaid them one on the other turned 90 degrees 
and
> > that on white paper?
> >
> I never tried, but I don't think this would work. AIUI, it has a 
minimum
> and a maximum spacing for the lines.
>
> The white noise sheet "works" because some the black-white-black
> transitions come with the right spacing, no matter what that spacing 
is (it
> has to be the right order of magnitude, and it doesn't work as well 
as the
> real thing). Crumpled tin-foil has been reported to work, too.
>
>
>
> > --
> > Regards,
> > Tomasz Rola
> >
> > --
> > ** A C programmer asked whether computer had Buddha's nature.  
**
> > ** As the answer, master did "rm -rif" on the programmer's home
**
> > ** directory. And then the C programmer became enlightened...  
**
> > ** 
**
> > ** Tomasz Rola  mailto:tomasz_r...@bigfoot.com 
**
> >
>

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/14/18, 2:18 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Al Kossow via cctalk" 
 wrote:

here's one
https://www.ebay.com/itm/192719727693

Thanks, I've bought another one from the same seller. I'll let you know if it 
works when it comes in.

do you know if it needs a original coarse or fine grid pad?

>From what I understand, the M4 uses the newer fine grid pad, and given the 
>"M4Q" model number on my mouse, I hope that's true of this one too.

I'm surprised you don't have any Sun optical mice kicking around.

I do, just not any of the pads, and I never went out of my way to find one, but 
now that I have a system with no other option for a mouse...

Camiel

Re: Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/10/18, 6:49 PM, "Rico Pajarola"  wrote:

 

I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in the y 
direction on it.

there were 2 versions of that mousepad, and the symptom of using the wrong one 
was that the mouse would only move in one direction.

 

There was another version of the print-it-yourself mouse pad that's essentially 
just white noise, have you tried that?

 

I know I need the one with the grid, because it’s shown in the documentation. 

 

I have just created and printed a simple grid, with two lines per millimeter. 
If someone has already created one that you can download and print that works, 
that would be great.

 

Camiel

Re: VAX 9440

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Amazing rescue! Hope nothing breaks.

On 11/8/18, 3:55 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Evan Koblentz via cctalk" 
 wrote:

The VCF museum took delivery of a VAX 9440 today.

It arrived in two 28-foot trailers. Here's our forklift driver beginning 
to unload the first truck:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1E-Q5xrsYXyjrZEZh92xIBhlStvvNUcRV/view?usp=sharing

Here's a teaser picture of the main cabinet:


https://drive.google.com/file/d/1bEpSMzBEeOvuDnzPQ9Npc7iYmDhjZq8c/view?usp=sharing

The full system is 30-40 feet long when it's all set up! It is in 
pristine condition and was in service at a defense contractor until a 
couple of months ago.

Rumor has it that we arranged for another one to land in Dave McGuire's 
Large Scale Systems Museum collection, and a third to be with Bob 
Roswell's System Source collection. :)  Perhaps they'll post updates too!

Looking for optical grid mouse pad

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Hello everyone,

 

A week ago, I took possession of a second Ardent Titan graphics supercomputer, 
and unlike the other Titan, this one is almost complete. There is one tiny bit 
missing, and that is a mouse pad. The mouse used with this systems is a Mouse 
Systems M4 variant (M4Q), and it does not appear to be a normal serial mouse. 
So, if anyone has one of those reflective mousepads with a grid of fine blue 
and grey lines that they don’t need, I’d be very happy to have it.

 

I have tried to print my own mousepad, but the mouse only works in the y 
direction on it.

 

For those who want to know, the Titan is outfitted as follows:

 

2 x Titan P3 vector processors (using a MIPS R3000 for scalar operations)

2 x 64 MB main memory

Extended G2 Graphics

3 Maxtor 760 MB disks

QIC-120 tapedrive

19” trinitron monitor with stereo bezel and 3d glasses

Keyboard, mouse, knob box

 

Titan OS 4.2 installed (plus version 3.0, 4.1, and 4.2 installation tapes)
Dore, AVS, and PHIGS+ graphics environments

Vectorizing FORTRAN compiler with LINPACK, EISPACK, and FFT libraries

Matlab-Pro 3.5 (the Titan was the only computer ever that had Matlab as part of 
its bundled programs)

Biodesign Biograf 3.0 molecular modeling application

 

All bits and pieces, and all software appears to work.

 

Camiel

 

 

Re: PDP, Data General & more (TV show Maniac)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Looks more like a model 30 to me; the model 40 panel has regular lamps rather 
than the lights behind an overlay.

On 10/31/18, 9:16 PM, "cctalk on behalf of jim stephens via cctalk" 
 wrote: 
I'd be interested in the IBM 360 model.  To my eye I think it's a /40 
front panel.  That should
be the start in my estimation, but it's not lit up, nor are much of the 
other classic stuff.

https://jim-st.blogspot.com/2018/10/maniac-netflix-original-show.html

Cossor/Raytheon DIDS-400

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I just rescued a Cossor DIDS-400 terminal from ending up at the garbage dump. 
Cossor was a UK company, that ended up as a Raytheon subsidiary, and the Cossor 
DIDS-400 was marketed as the Raytheon DIDS-400 in the US.

 

My terminal is model no 402-2/C15, part no D/GA 800260, serial no 023, option 
table code 321121.

 

Date codes on the IC’s are in 1968. Internally, there’s some interesting 
technology; ITT MIC9xx DTL IC’s, a piano wire delay line for character storage, 
and a Raytheon Symbolray monoscope tube as the character generator. 

 

I’d love to get this terminal working again, and to that end I’m looking for 
any kind of service documentation (any other documentation would be welcome 
too, as I have nothing).

 

The power supply in this terminal consists of two parts, manufactured by Best 
Products Ltd, of Felixstowe, Suffolk, models 508-L (low voltage supply), and 
508-H (high-voltage supply). Any documentation on these would be most welcome, 
too.

 

Kind regards,

 

Camiel Vanderhoeven

 

Re: Cossor/Raytheon DIDS-400

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/28/18, 10:21 AM, "cctech on behalf of Toby Thain via cctech" 
 wrote:

On 2018-10-28 5:21 a.m., Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
> I just rescued a Cossor DIDS-400 terminal from ending up at the garbage 
dump. 


What a fantastic rescue. I for one will be very interested in our new
terminal overlords--- I mean, hearing about the restoration. Will you be
(v)blogging it somewhere?

--Toby

Yes, the first installment is here: 
https://vaxbarn.com/index.php/feat/41-acquisitions/677-saving-private-cossor

Camiel

Re: DEC 8640 Pinout

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

8640 looks like a date code; most dec chip numbers begin with "DC".

On 10/28/18, 6:53 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Rob Jarratt via cctalk" 
 wrote:

I am trying to trace the reason why the CPU on my Pro 350 is apparently
being constantly reset. I have reached a DEC 8640 chip. Does anyone have a
pinout for it, perhaps even a datasheet, so I can understand what it is
supposed to do and whether the pin is an input or an output?

 

Thanks

 

Rob

Re: Look at this on eBay

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

The boards have a Burroughs logo on them. The part numbers on the IC's are 
Burroughs p/n's. The board you think might be a memory board isn't; according 
to the Burroughs partnumber cross-reference 
(https://ia801604.us.archive.org/33/items/bitsavers_burroughsissref_2069854/burroughs_IC_crossref_text.pdf),
 those chips are diode arrays.

Camiel

On 6/30/18, 3:53 PM, "cctalk on behalf of devin davison via cctalk" 
 wrote:

A couple of boards from an unknown computer came in and i am trying to get
them to a good home and not be scrapped. I was curious if anyone here knew
what they were out of. They were in the box with some small core memory
boards. If someone here wants to make an offer ill gladly take the ebay
listing down.

eBay http://www.ebay.com/itm/273330177351

Re: Modifying microcode

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 5/30/18, 5:03 PM, "Kyle Owen"  wrote:

 

On Wed, May 30, 2018 at 9:34 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven 
 wrote:

The microcode for the MicroVAX 2 (for which the MICRO2 assembler was used) and 
the CVAX (which is the CPU in your 3800) is implemented as a mask ROM on the 
CPU chip itself. No way to change it, and no way you can use MICRO2 to assemble 
the microcode for the CVAX.

 

Gotcha. Which small VAXes had external ROM/PALs for microcode store?

 

Depending on your definition of small, the MicroVAX 1, and the VAX 8000 series 
(not that small). In both cases though, the ROM chips are a custom DEC design.

Re: Modifying microcode

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

The microcode for the MicroVAX 2 (for which the MICRO2 assembler was used) and 
the CVAX (which is the CPU in your 3800) is implemented as a mask ROM on the 
CPU chip itself. No way to change it, and no way you can use MICRO2 to assemble 
the microcode for the CVAX.

On 5/30/18, 3:19 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Kyle Owen via cctalk" 
 wrote:

Has anyone attempted to reassemble and update the microcode on a MicroVAX?

Seems like there's enough stuff here to possibly do it:
http://simh.trailing-edge.com/semi/ucode/

I'm thinking about trying to find a microcoded architecture to play with
before I design something around the Intel 3000 series.

I've got a MicroVAX 3800, so I suppose I could run MICRO2 to assemble the
aforementioned microcode. But then what? I assume PALs would have to be
burned to implement the new microcode. Or is it more complicated than that?

I don't have a PDP-11/60, unfortunately. I do have an 11/45, though...so
with this modification, I suppose one could have some fun:
http://repository.cmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=3241=compsci

Thanks,

Kyle

Re: SGI Indy power supply: identify this diode?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

4B would be a 2.2V zener; 4A would be a 2.0V zener, so that’s odd indeed...

Camiel

On 3/24/18, 9:47 PM, "cctech on behalf of Pete Turnbull via cctech" 
 wrote:

After a recent power cut and a series of glitches as the power was
restored, one of my Indys suffered a PSU failure.  It's a Sony APS-81 
171W unit, SGI P/N 060-0008-001.  I've found half a dozen damaged parts, 
and I've identified a 150R 1W metal film resistor (R135), two trannies 
(Q105, a 2SC4304 and Q106, a 2SC2785) and a couple of small diodes.  One 
of them (D116) appears to be a 6.2b2 (6.2V 1/2W) zener.

The other one I'm not sure about.  On the PCB it's labelled D113, and
it's adjacent to the 2SC2785.  It's very small, with a green band at the
cathode end, and the legend "4B" in green - photos at 
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pnt103/albums/72157667056183978

Oddly, another Sony PSU I looked at had a diode there that looked
identical except it's marked "4A".

I have an idea what it might be but if anyone actually knows what family
or type/value this is, I'd be grateful for any insight.

-- 
Pete
Pete Turnbull

Re: XT/370 microcode

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 3/15/18, 9:29 AM, "cctech on behalf of Veit, Holger via cctech" 
 wrote:

You might look up Nick Tredennick's book "Microprocessor Logic Design: 
The Flowchart Method" which is sold at Amazon for an obscene price - but 
maybe some university library has a copy. It's focus is on a methodology 
for designing microcode, and it uses the design of the single chip 370 
to explain it. I suppose it was a PhD thesis.

The main point is that the 370 is NOT an 68000 with a different 
microcode; instead it is said that it implements the bus interface of 
the 68K in order to interface easily with existing peripherals (rather 
than reinventing the wheel). The internal data paths and register sets 
may be similar between the 68K and the 370 (actually it is quite 
possible that at Motorola they were aware of IBM mainframe 
architectures...) but that's all likely. The control unit design 
described in the book was completely redesigned for the purpose of 
describing the proposed methodology.

Holger

There are two distinct products (well, one product and one project that never 
made it onto a product) here that get confused. First, the XT/370. This card 
uses a 68000 with modified firmware (nick was one of the Motorola engineers 
helping implement this for IBM), as well as a modified 8087, and a stock 68000. 
Later, Nick left Motorola and came to work at IBM on the Micro/370. The 
Micro/370 is the 370 on a single chip, and it uses the 68000 bus, but is 
otherwise different from it. A good writeup of the story can be found here: 
http://www.cpushack.com/2013/03/22/cpu-of-the-day-ibm-micro-370/

Camiel


 

Re: Help identify "multichip module"

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On Sat, Feb 03, 2018 at 06:49:57PM +0100, Pontus Pihlgren via cctalk wrote:
> Hi
> 
> I got this picture sent to me with zero context. Does anyone recognize 
> what it is?
> 
> http://www.update.uu.se/~pontus/slask/identify/mystery_chips.jpeg
> 
> Thank you,
> Pontus.

I have seen these before, in another life as an audio/video technician. These 
plug into the video processor board on older Grass Valley equipment, like the 
100 and 200 series production switchers. I believe - but this is where I enter 
the realm of speculation - they are ROMs containing the code for different 
effects. The utility processor board has a DEC J11 processor on it.

Camiel.

Need keyboard for IBM 528x

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

The subject line says it allŠ

I have just been given an IBM 5285 Distributed Data System, together with a
5222 printer. It appears to work (it came with an 8² disk that contains some
user application, and the system can IPL off that disk, and brings up a
prompt requesting the current date and time), but I have no keyboard with
it. This brochure 
(http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/ibm/528x/G580-0274-00_5280
_Distributed_Data_System_Brochure.pdf) has a picture of the system and its
keyboard on the front page.

If anyone has one of these keyboards, please let me know!

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven

Re: Preventing VAX running VMS / Multinet from being used as SMTP relay

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/30/17, 9:26 PM, "cctech on behalf of william degnan via cctech"
 wrote:


>I have a microvax set up with VMS 5, running MULTINET (and decnet
>locally).   The server has a FQDN and after a while being exposed to the
>WWW someone out there started using the server as an SMTP relay.  I can
>disable and clear the queue, but I'd like to block entirely this from
>happening in the first place.  I'd like to learn more about how this
>happens in VMS.
>
>Anyone have had this same problem before?  I realize back when VMS 5 was
>current it was not so much of an issue, but today it is.  I am working on
>a
>solution.  I can envision a few ways including blocking the smtp relay
>port
>from the firewall, but if possible I'd like to set up a VMS Multinet
>solution as a learning exercise.
>
>I am open to suggestions, and once I find the solution I'll post it.
>
>I understand that this kind of thing is not cookie cutter, there are
>different levels one could address something like this.  I have a comcast
>business router, and one of the 5 IPs I have is NAT assigned to the
>internal 10.1.10 port of the microvax.
>
>This is the same machine I wrote about previously as with then, thanks for
>your help.  I find the best way to learn is on the actual hardware warts
>and all.
>
>Bill

Look at the SMTP_SERVER_REJECT file example here:
http://www.process.com/docs/multinet5_4/admin_guide/Ch15.htm.
It¹s a set of rules that decide whether a message gets rejected (rule
ending in ³y²) or let through (rule ending in ³n²). You¹d normally set
this up to first let through those emails you want, then reject everything
else at the end of the rules file.
>

Re: Sun 3/50 processor board and unknown processor

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 11/21/17, 3:40 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Charles Dickman via cctalk"
 wrote:


>It looks like board 2 is for a Sun 3/50 workstation. Board 1 is some
>kind of micro-programmed processor based on AM29331 and AM29331. There
>are also some Analog Devices DSPs.
>
>AM29000 based processor with Analog Device DSPs
>http://www.chdickman.com/board1.jpg

In the bottom right hand corner, above ³COMPONENT SIDE², there is some
lettering that seems to read ³COMPUTER Š BEDFORD MA². Given the DSP¹s, the
MITRE corporation comes to mind. This might have been part of some
military or civil aviation signal processing system.

Camiel

Re: IBM 2501 + doc + spares available in EU.

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Hi Henk,

I sent you an email, did you receive it?


Camiel

On 11/12/17, 10:48 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Henk Stegeman via cctalk"
 wrote:

>
>Hi,
>
>Available in the Netherlands a compleet IBM 2501 punch card reader with
>all
>IBM documentation and spares from a scrapped unit.
>
>Please contact me off-line if interrested.
>
>h.j.stegeman at hccnet dot nl.
>
>Regards
>

Re: Details about IBM's early 'scientific' computers

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Have you really looked at everything that is on Bitsavers? It¹s much more
than just the engineering manuals. If I may offer a suggestion, have a
look at this document and see if it fits your needs:

http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/ibm/7090/ce/223-6895-1_7090_CE_Reference_Syste
m_Fundamentals_7100_7151_7606_Sep61.pdf



Camiel

On 11/14/17, 4:32 AM, "cctech on behalf of Noel Chiappa via cctech"
 wrote:

>Please, everyone, I do actually know of BitSavers; you don't need to
>point me
>at it.
>
>When I said:
>
>>> I could look at the engineering manuals, but I was hoping for
>something
>>> in between them and Bashe et al.
>
>I assumed everyone would understand that by "engineering manuals", I was
>meaning the kind of things one finds in BitSavers.
>
>   Noel

Re: Convex Computer Corporation manuals

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/24/17, 4:29 PM, "cctech on behalf of Unibus via cctech"
 wrote:

>Anybody want some Convex Computer Corporation manuals on microfiche. The
>titles are:
>
>   - CONVEX C Guide
>   - CONVEX C Optimization Guide
>   - CONVEX FORTRAN User's Guide
>   - CONVEX FORTRAN Reference Manual
>   - CONVEX FORTRAN Optimization Guide
>   - CONVEX VECLIB User's Guide
>   - CONVEX LSQPACK User's Guide
>
>Free to a good home or it will be plastic recycling

Yes, please! I¹d very happily pay for shipping to the Netherlands. I have
several Convex systems, two C1¹s, a C220, and a C240. The C220 is working
now, I¹m still trying to bring the others back to life.

Camiel

Re: RT11 Disk Partitioning and RQZX1 SCSI controller

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/19/17, 6:22 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Douglas Taylor via cctalk"
 wrote:

>Is there a potential problem here?
>
>I have an 11/53 microPDP11 with a RQZX1 controller connected to a single
>DEC DSP3043 drive (535MB) and a single RX33 floppy.
>
>The autoconfigure setup in the RQZX1 puts the hard disk at DU0 and the
>Floppy as DU1.  OK.  I boot RT11 from the disk, V5.7. Works fine.
>
>I would like to use some of the extra space on the disk by setting up
>RT11 disk partitions.
>
>However, one of the partitions is DU1, but that is what the Floppy is
>called.  How do I stay away from what seems like a conflict?
>
>Doug

SET DU2: UNIT=0,PART=1
SET DU3: UNIT=0,PART=2
...

** reboot **

INIT DU2:
INIT DU3:
...

Re: tandem computers cartridge tapes

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/14/17, 7:55 PM, "cctalk on behalf of steve shumaker via cctalk"
<cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


>On 10/14/2017 10:42 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:
>> On 10/14/17, 7:22 PM, "cctalk on behalf of steve shumaker via cctalk"
>> <cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org>
>>wrote:
>>
>>
>>> found as part of the stack saved from an engineers estate: Tandem
>>> Computers cartridge tapes and docs
>>>
>>> Cartridges are appox 4x4x1 and the tape appears to be half inch.   Some
>>> are in boxes marked "Cartridge Tape CT-130"  All have labels indicated
>>> they are Tandem Computers "Site Update Tapes" with 1988, 89, and 90
>>> dates.  Cursory google produced nothing. Secondary label on one
>>> cartridge would seem to indicate they are used for software
>>>distribution.
>> Sounds like DLT tapes.
>>
>>
>>
>Similar shape and overall size but the shutter and leader hook are
>different

The only other format I know of that era that comes close is IBM 3480, but
that¹s less square, more like 5² x 4². Do you have pictures online
somewhere?

Re: tandem computers cartridge tapes

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/14/17, 7:22 PM, "cctalk on behalf of steve shumaker via cctalk"
 wrote:


>found as part of the stack saved from an engineers estate: Tandem
>Computers cartridge tapes and docs
>
>Cartridges are appox 4x4x1 and the tape appears to be half inch.   Some
>are in boxes marked "Cartridge Tape CT-130"  All have labels indicated
>they are Tandem Computers "Site Update Tapes" with 1988, 89, and 90
>dates.  Cursory google produced nothing. Secondary label on one
>cartridge would seem to indicate they are used for software distribution.

Sounds like DLT tapes.

Re: DEC Alpha 3000 and OpenVMS 8.4

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/13/17, 3:36 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Jason Howe via cctalk"
<cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


>Hi Camiel,
>
>Is there a solution for Hobbyists to get the VSI 8.4 Alpha release?
>
>Last time I checked/inquired it seemed like there was uncertainty about
>it.  And from what I understand the standard HP Hobbyists License PAKs
>won't be of much use on a VSI system.
>
>Thanks,
>Jason

No, the HP PAKs won¹t work.

There is no formal hobbyist program yet, but if you have a pressing need,
or a good explanation of why you want to run the VSI version, you can
contact VSI and we¹ll look at this on a case-by-case basis (not myself,
but others in the company). You can use the general email address provided
on the Contact page on our website (www.vmssoftware.com)

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven
OpenVMS Kernel Engineer

+-+-+-+
|V|M|S| Software
+-+-+-+

VMS Software, Inc.
Research & Development Department

http://www.vmssoftware.com


Virtue can only flourish amongst equals.
-- Mary Wollstonecraft, A Vindication of the Rights of Men
   1994 IDSM chapter 37 - Symmetric Multiprocessing

Re: DEC Alpha 3000 and OpenVMS 8.4

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/13/17, 6:50 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Zane Healy via cctalk"
 wrote:

>The system can actually run stock 8.4?  I believe that at least the
>latest 8.4 release from VSI requires a 21264 CPU.

VSI here :-)

While it¹s not supported, and hasn¹t been qualified, 8.4 - including the
VSI release 8.4-2L1 for Alpha - would probably run fine on a DEC 3000 or
4000. The one release that won¹t run on it is 8.4-2L2, which is the
performance build version of 8.4-2L1. Performance build means that the
compiler was told to optimize for EV6, and hence it won¹t run on anything
older than that.

Camiel.

Re: A Mystery

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/10/17, 9:51 PM, "cctech on behalf of allison via cctech"
 wrote:


>
>
>On 10/10/17 3:17 PM, Antonio Carlini via cctalk wrote:
>> On 10/10/17 14:26, Zane Healy via cctalk wrote:
>>> It's a VAXstation II/RC backplane, it was sold cheaper and crippled
>>> by DEC to prevent adding more cards to it.  That was my first VAX,
>>> and I think I still have mine.
>>>
>>> Zane
>>
>> The /RC was (apparently) for "Reduced Connectivity" or some such.
>>
>> The smarter customers noticed that they could save a good chunk of
>> cash by ordering a VS2/RC and then separately ordering a replacement
>> backplane.
>> DEC noticed that one quite quickly!
>>
>> An enterprising company here in Oxford was offering to (somehow)
>> dissolve out the glue ... I don't know of anyone who took them up on
>> this though.
>>
>> Antonio
>>
>
>Memory says: it was MICROVAX/RT and the cpu had a reduced instruction
>set and was used with
>ELN/PASCAL.  IT was a reduced capability machine.

You¹re thinking of the rtVAX, which was a different product; the rtVAX
1000 was a MicroVAX II, but without memory managent. It could not run VMS
for that reason, but ran VAX/ELN. The removal of memory management made
the system more deterministic for real-time purposes.

Camiel

Re: Control Data ad: Omega 480 "370 compatible alternative" on eBay

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 10/6/17, 3:05 PM, "cctalk on behalf of William Donzelli via cctalk"
 wrote:


>Itel was basically a rebrander. AS/5 was a National Advance system
>under the covers, and AS/6 was a Hitachi HITAC M180.
>
>--
>Will
>
>On Fri, Oct 6, 2017 at 12:47 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk
> wrote:
>>
>>
>> On 10/6/17 5:59 AM, Anthony Bennett via cctalk wrote:
>>> If this is the machine that I am thinking of, it was made by Intel and
>>>marketed by them as the AS/5.
>>
>> Itel
>>
>> 
>>https://books.google.com/books?id=ICoe1vr9x3kC=PA96=PA96=itel+a
>>s/5=bl=jsweeLSiOi=biw8zHV3wpRKxD3dDrK26NB99hk=en=X
>>ed=0ahUKEwjKyIemudzWAhUH04MKHd_4AAYQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage=itel%20as%2F5=
>>false
>>

And Itel did not manufacture the CDC Omega 480, that was IPL Systems:
http://www.silogic.com/NAS/1979%20IBM%20Verses%20the%20PCM%27s.pdf

Camiel

Re: Control Data ad: Omega 480 "370 compatible alternative" on eBay

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Itel (which my autocorrect also tries to change into Intel overtime I type
it :-) did the marketing, but it was actually built by National Semi.
Here¹s an article with some nice photos:
http://www.silogic.com/NAS/NAS.html


Camiel

On 10/6/17, 12:47 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Al Kossow via cctalk"
 wrote:

>
>
>On 10/6/17 5:59 AM, Anthony Bennett via cctalk wrote:
>> If this is the machine that I am thinking of, it was made by Intel and
>>marketed by them as the AS/5.
>
>Itel
>
>https://books.google.com/books?id=ICoe1vr9x3kC=PA96=PA96=itel+as
>/5=bl=jsweeLSiOi=biw8zHV3wpRKxD3dDrK26NB99hk=en=X
>=0ahUKEwjKyIemudzWAhUH04MKHd_4AAYQ6AEIKDAA#v=onepage=itel%20as%2F5=fal
>se
>
>

Re: The SPERRY UNIVAC UTS 40 system + 8406 double-sided diskette subsystem : Restoration

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 8/13/17, 11:15 PM, "cctech on behalf of Dominique Carlier via cctech"
 wrote:


>On 12/08/2017 19:35, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote:
>> the black one in the lower left
>>
>> it is a tantalum, which are known to short, try removing them
>>
>
>Yes ! It was this one that was shorted !
>I decided in the same way to repair the second disk drive but this time
>by taking some pictures.

It would be a good idea to replace all tantalum capacitors; if two
shorted, chances are others are on their way out soon, too. Sometimes,
tantalum capacitor failure is paired with a nasty epxlosion that can make
a mess of things.

Camiel

Re: WTB: SMD drive

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 9/20/17, 10:37 AM, "emanuel stiebler" <e...@e-bbes.com> wrote:

>On 2017-09-18 12:48, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
>
>> So, I¹m in the market for an SMD drive. It has to be one of the
>>following
>> four types though:
>> * Fujitsu M2351 (Eagle)
>> * CDC 9766
>> * NEC D2352
>> * NEC D2363
>> 
>> And I¹d prefer it to be located somewhere in continental Europe (even
>> better if it¹s in the Netherlands).
>
>Don't you have an SMD emulator on your web page?
>;-)
>
>Cheers

I’m working on one, but I’m having trouble debugging it. Getting a real,
supported drive would be a big help I hope.

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

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

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

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: WTB: SMD drive

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 9/18/17, 3:16 PM, "cctech on behalf of Andrew Back via cctech"
<cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:


>On 18/09/17 19:48, Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech wrote:
>> Now that I have the Convex C220 completely up and running again, I¹m
>> hoping to do the same thing for my Convex C1. I just acquired a set of
>> 9-track tapes containing dumped root, /usr, and /mnt filesystems for it.
>> Once I obtain a suitable drive, I could connect it to the C220, restore
>> the filesystems there, and move the disk over to the C1 to serve as its
>> system disk.
>> 
>> So, I¹m in the market for an SMD drive. It has to be one of the
>>following
>> four types though:
>> * Fujitsu M2351 (Eagle)
>> * CDC 9766
>> * NEC D2352
>> * NEC D2363
>> 
>> And I¹d prefer it to be located somewhere in continental Europe (even
>> better if it¹s in the Netherlands).
>
>Apologies if the link for these has already been shared:
>
>
>http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEC-D2246-8-0-FHT-SMD-DISK-DRIVE-UN-TESTED-NEW-O
>LD-STOCK-RARE-VINTAGE-/253049784698
>
>Andrew

I’m aware of those; unfortunately, those are not one of the four types of
disks this system will recognize (these are only 68 MB disks, the smallest
disk supported on the Convex is the 300 MB CDC drive); it really has to be
one of those four on the list above.

Camiel

WTB: SMD drive

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Now that I have the Convex C220 completely up and running again, I¹m
hoping to do the same thing for my Convex C1. I just acquired a set of
9-track tapes containing dumped root, /usr, and /mnt filesystems for it.
Once I obtain a suitable drive, I could connect it to the C220, restore
the filesystems there, and move the disk over to the C1 to serve as its
system disk.

So, I¹m in the market for an SMD drive. It has to be one of the following
four types though:
* Fujitsu M2351 (Eagle)
* CDC 9766
* NEC D2352
* NEC D2363

And I¹d prefer it to be located somewhere in continental Europe (even
better if it¹s in the Netherlands).

If anyone has one for sale at a reasonable price, please contact me.

Camiel

Re: Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 9/12/17, 6:54 PM, "Laurens Vets" <laur...@daemon.be> wrote:


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

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

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...
>
>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

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

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.

Convex C220 lives

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

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: HP Draftmaster I, Power Supply repair

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I believe that is true for some countries, in other countries they did
increase the voltage. I know it happened in the Netherlands, because we
measured the voltages at our university¹s datacenter over that period.

Camiel.


On 8/30/17, 11:54 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Peter Coghlan via cctalk"
 wrote:

>>
>> I think that I'm responsible for the dead, as the plotter stood in an
>>attic 
>> for 20 years, meanwhile power was raised from 220 to 230v (+-10%) in
>>Europe.
>>
>
>The distribution voltage had previously been specified as 220V in some
>European
>countries and 240V in others but the specification was then changed to
>230V
>in all the countries involved, with a wider tolerance applied.  This
>allows
>new equipment to be designed to a common standard which will work in any
>of
>the countries.  As far as I understand it, there has been no deliberate
>change
>in the actual distribution voltage in any individual European country and
>the
>power companies continue to do what they did before the 230V standard
>came in.
>
>Regards,
>Peter Coghlan.

Re: Convex documentation online (C220 arrived)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 8/7/17, 10:35 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Mark J. Blair via cctalk"
<cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:


>
>> On Aug 7, 2017, at 12:13 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven
>><camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com> wrote:
>> 
>> That would have been the CPU cabinet for the C240 (which is twice as
>>wide
>> as the C220¹s CPU cabinet. The C240¹s CPU consumes - i.e. converts to
>>heat
>> - about 20 kilowatts of power, so that would indeed have created a
>>hotspot
>> in a computer room. It will surely create a hotspot in my barn!
>
>
>Ok, that makes sense. All I remember is that from the rear side of the
>cabinet, it was behind the exhaust vents at the lower right corner that
>was the optimal place in the computer room to curl up in a fetal position
>at 6AM, when the main building A/C came on and the computer room
>temperature plummeted, right about when the metabolism of an exhausted
>college student working a graveyard computer operator shift was at
>minimum. But it was all worth it for a key to the computer room, and
>unlimited root access on Sun workstations when most students were lucky
>to get a small quota on the heavily-loaded Sequent Symmetry series
>machine. Oh, and they paid me, too. :)

Lower right corner when seen from the back sounds right, as the CPU
cabinets are usually on the left on these machines. I guess there’s no
reason they couldn’t be on the other side, but in all the pictures I’ve
ever seen - as well as on my machines - the CPU’s on the left.

It sounds like you had the same student job at your university as I had at
mine. One of the job perks for me was that I got to take a decommissioned
supercomputer (Alliant FX/2800) home :-)

>That C240 also had the nicest 9-track drive in the room. Most of my tape
>mounts were on the TU77 next to the VAX-11/780 (or maybe 785?), but I
>always liked working with that drive on the C240. I no longer recall
>which company manufactured its transport, but it was really fast.

It was made by STC (Storage Technology Corporation), which is owned by
Oracle, and known as StorageTek these days. It uses a STC-proprietary
interface, and Convex built their own interface board for high-speed
operation for it. One of the ways they got it to run fast was to use very
large blocks (which not all tape drives can read, as I found out when I
was making images of the tapes I have!)

Camiel

Re: Convex documentation online (C220 arrived)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 8/6/17, 7:31 PM, "cctech on behalf of Mark J. Blair via cctech"
 wrote:


>Wow! I fondly remember the air exhaust from the power supply cabinet of
>the Convex C240 as being the warmest spot in the UCI computer room at
>6AM, when the main Computer Science building A/C turned on and the
>computer room temperature plummeted. Maybe I should finally learn how to
>use one for its designed purpose? :)

That would have been the CPU cabinet for the C240 (which is twice as wide
as the C220¹s CPU cabinet. The C240¹s CPU consumes - i.e. converts to heat
- about 20 kilowatts of power, so that would indeed have created a hotspot
in a computer room. It will surely create a hotspot in my barn!

I¹m getting a C240 two weeks from now. Between the C220, the C240, and the
two C1s, I hope to be able to  get at least one Convex up and running
ConvexOS.

Camiel

Convex documentation online (C220 arrived)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

My Convex C220 arrived about a week ago, so I now have a C1, C1 XL, and a
C220. A C240 will follow in a few weeks. Along with the C220 came some
installation tapes, and a large volume of documentation (some 300
documents). As long as I don¹t receive any objections to the being online
from HP (current owner of Convex), I¹ve put most of the loose-leaf hardware
documentation online at
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/2-uncategorised/609-convex-documentation.
This includes the theory of operation manual, which gives a nice description
of how the big vector processor works.

For those interesting in pictures of the machine and the boards installed,
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/41-acquisitions/608-arrival-of-the-c220

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven

Re: Scsi tape and compatible tapes that are available

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

What kind of data volume are we talking about, and what kind of budget? I
personally use LTO-5 for my backups (1.5 TB raw capacity), and have no
difficulty finding tapes.


On 7/24/17, 2:51 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Henry Bond via cctalk"
 wrote:

>Hi Gang, 
>
>I have need to make backups, and if you are going to do something, do it
>the proper way. Feel like I'm preaching to the choir here mind.
>
>My issue is finding tape to fit any drive I might buy or choosing an
>appropriate tape library device which has tape available to purchase with
>relative ease. 
>
>Any pointers, suggestions or anecdotes as always is most appreciated.
>
>
>-H

Re: IBM 5110 - Where does the character set live? And other questions.

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 7/13/17, 4:38 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Robert via cctalk"
 wrote:

>It does look like that last column (or possibly two) is missing,
>doesn't it? Going back to the info on your excellent site, the shift
>register does seem a good candidate. If we assume that it is parallel
>in, serial out, then the problem would have to be on the input side,
>as all the bits pass through every flip flop (ruling them out) and the
>output is flawed absolutely consistently (ruling out an intermittent
>fault there). The same reasons militate against a serial input, I
>think.

Only the last bit to shift out of the register will have passed through
all flip-flops; numbering the flip-flops in such a way that the flip-flop
furthest away from the output is the first flip-flop, a single missing bit
at the end of output could indicate a problem with either the output of
the first flip-flop, or the input of the second flip-flop. If two bits are
missing at the end, output of second flip-flop or input of third flip-flop.

Camiel.

Re: Dobbertin 4003 Eprommer driver, moldy floppy rescue in .de?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 7/5/17, 3:50 PM, "cctech on behalf of Alfred M. Szmidt via cctech"
 wrote:

>Specially,
>
>http://www.cpcwiki.eu/index.php/Universeller_EPROM_Programmer_4004
>
>Contains both manual and software, and according to different sources
>the 4003 and 4004 should be very similar.

That comes with an interface and software for a CPC Schneider Z80-based
computer, not a PC, so I doubt the software would be of any use to the OP.

Re: Does anyone know what the Comparex 7/71 was?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

That said, it looks even more like this Hitachi model:

http://museum.ipsj.or.jp/en/computer/super/0007.html


Camiel

On 6/29/17, 3:55 PM, "cctech on behalf of Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctech"
<cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>Comparex was a German reseller of Hitachi and Fujitsu mainframes. The item
>in that photo looks a lot like some of the Fujitsu FACOM mainframe¹s
>operator consoles, so I suspect that that¹s what this is. See the photos
>at the bottom of this page in particular for the resemblance:
>http://museum.ipsj.or.jp/en/computer/main/0028.html
>
>
>Camiel
>
>On 6/28/17, 6:37 PM, "cctech on behalf of Chris Patti via cctech"
><cctech-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote:
>
>>http://imgur.com/a/guJlD
>>
>>I just learned of its existence from this set of images of hardware
>>rescued from a nuclear power plant.
>>
>>Is it a dumb terminal? Industrial control gear? Something else?
>>
>>Thanks,
>>-Chris
>>
>>-- 
>>Christopher Patti - Geek At Large | GTalk: cpa...@gmail.com | AIM:
>>chrisfeohpatti | P: (260) 54PATTI
>>"Technology challenges art, art inspires technology." - John Lasseter,
>>Pixar
>
>

Re: Does anyone know what the Comparex 7/71 was?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Comparex was a German reseller of Hitachi and Fujitsu mainframes. The item
in that photo looks a lot like some of the Fujitsu FACOM mainframe¹s
operator consoles, so I suspect that that¹s what this is. See the photos
at the bottom of this page in particular for the resemblance:
http://museum.ipsj.or.jp/en/computer/main/0028.html


Camiel

On 6/28/17, 6:37 PM, "cctech on behalf of Chris Patti via cctech"
 wrote:

>http://imgur.com/a/guJlD
>
>I just learned of its existence from this set of images of hardware
>rescued from a nuclear power plant.
>
>Is it a dumb terminal? Industrial control gear? Something else?
>
>Thanks,
>-Chris
>
>-- 
>Christopher Patti - Geek At Large | GTalk: cpa...@gmail.com | AIM:
>chrisfeohpatti | P: (260) 54PATTI
>"Technology challenges art, art inspires technology." - John Lasseter,
>Pixar

Re: What is this bus?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 5/30/17, 7:28 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Rico Pajarola via cctalk"
 wrote:


>looks like STD Bus (
>http://www.winsystems.com/wp-content/uploads/specs/std_section1.pdf)

What would give you that idea? Neither the number of pins, nor the spacing
of the connector as described in the initial post match...

Re: TRS-80 curiosity

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 4/14/17, 4:36 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Bill Gunshannon via cctalk"
<cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>
>________
>From: Camiel Vanderhoeven [camiel.vanderhoe...@vmssoftware.com]
>
>
>Does it look like the cable in this eBay listing:
>http://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Shack-TRS-80-Screen-Printer-26-1151-w-Sealed
>-
>Paper-Manual-EXTREMELY-RARE-/201867426619?
>
>_
>
>Sorry, I didn't see any cable in that item.  Just an extremely overpriced
>printer.
>
>Or should I say firestarter?
>
>bill

Terribly overpriced, I agree. The cable is shown in the 4th photo (from
the back of the printer)

Re: TRS-80 curiosity

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

On 4/14/17, 2:31 PM, "cctech on behalf of Bill Gunshannon via cctech"
 wrote:
>
>OK. I just opend the little plastic box.
>
>It isn't shown, but I assume the end of the cable is a female
>edge connector.  Your other end is a male coming out of the box.
>I have cables on both ends both ending in female connectors.
>
>The PC board shows two resistors and two transistors. Mine has
>four resistors and two disk capacitors.
>
>Obviously not even similar.
>
>On another note, the box is labeled "To EI Screen Printer Port".
>Not sure what that means as the EI has a "Line Printer Card Edge"
>and not something specific to the Screen Printer.
>
>Bill

Does it look like the cable in this eBay listing:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Radio-Shack-TRS-80-Screen-Printer-26-1151-w-Sealed-
Paper-Manual-EXTREMELY-RARE-/201867426619?

Re: Another language : SDL

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

I use SDL daily... But my SDL is DEC¹s Structure Definition Language, a
language to define structures and export them to be used in Macro-32,
Bliss, and C.

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven
OpenVMS Kernel Engineer

+-+-+-+
|V|M|S| Software
+-+-+-+

VMS Software, Inc.
Research & Development Department


On 4/12/17, 7:36 PM, "cctalk on behalf of Chuck Guzis via cctalk"
<cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org on behalf of cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

>On 04/12/2017 09:46 AM, Stefan Skoglund via cctalk wrote:
>> Anyone with access to a distribution of SDT (Telelogik's SDL
>> programming system) for old era SunOS 4 ? I have a SS10 which is a
>> beggar for SDT (or KEE or Frame.)
>
>
>Well, there you go--another reason for the tower of Babel.  STL, at
>first glance for me, brings up "Standard Template Library".  I have no
>doubt that there are at least a half-dozen other language-related
>meanings for this acronym.
>
>SDL = System Definition Language, from the 1960s, almost completely
>forgotten now.  Then there's SDL = Specification and Description Language:
>
>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Specification_and_Description_Language
>
>If I had to shake a stick at all computer languages, I'd run out of
>sticks.
>
>--Chuck

STC 2920 tapedrive schematics

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Does anyone have schematics for an STC (StorageTek) 2920 reel-to-reel
tapedrive? I¹m trying to solve a tape-loading issue that seems to be
power-supply related, and some schematics would be very handy right nowŠ

Camiel.

Re: Introducing the UUCP/Usenet Project

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Hi Warren,

What would the requirements for the system be? How often would it need to
be online? I¹m working on getting an OS for it, but if I succeed I might
be able to get my Convex C1 up and running in a few weeks, and wouldn¹t it
be nice to have that participate?


Camiel


On 3/21/17, 1:33 AM, "cctalk on behalf of Warren Toomey via cctalk"
 wrote:

>Hi all, as part of the upcoming 50th anniversary of Unix in mid-2019,
>a bunch of people are working to rebuild the mid-1980s uucp/Usenet
>network using (real/simulated) period-accurate systems. To make things
>easier, we are simulating the dialup lines too.
>
>Details of the (nearly) turnkey software to do this is at:
>https://github.com/DoctorWkt/4bsd-uucp
>
>A map of what nodes we have so far is at:
>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/DoctorWkt/4bsd-uucp/4.3BSD/uucp.png
>
>If you are interested in participating, email me back.
>Cheers, Warren

Looking for an Intel SRM

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Here¹s a long shot, about as long as they get.

I received an Intel iPSC/860 supercomputer, but it¹s lacking the Intel SRM
(System Resource Manager), without which the system is a boat anchor.

The SRM is an Intel 386 desktop machine, with a SYP301 motherboard and a
plugin card to connect it to the iPSC/860. There¹s a cable coming from the
iPSC with a 25-pin D connector, which I believe is the connection to the
SRM. It¹s not a regular serial port, but a bidirectional 2.6MByte per
second connection. The interface card likely uses a bunch of Xilinx chips
(the interface cards on the iPSC node boards do). I have not been able to
find a picture of what the box looks like on the outside, so I have no
idea. So, I¹m looking for one of these, preferably one the owner would be
willing to part with :-)

Camiel 

Ardent Titan

[Camiel Vanderhoeven via cctalk]

Last Friday, I finally received a shipment of 1980's minisupercomputers
from the US that I've been working on since September. One of the systems
is an Ardent Titan, which to my knowledge was the first (mini-)
supercomputer to come with an integrated high-end graphics subsystem
(1280x1024@60Hz, hardware spheres, antialiasing, and cast shadows).

After careful checking, I powered it on yesterday, and got as far as
trying to boot it; unfortunately, the harddisk does not contain the OS,
but I'm trying to get access to an installation tape. There's a full
writeup about my efforts this weekend on my website:
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/42-repair/576-ardent-titan-power-on
A description with some pictures of the Ardent can be found here:
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/other-bits/565-ardent-titan
Uncrating pictures are here:
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/41-acquisitions/575-supercomputers-have-ar
rived

Anyone who knows anything about these machines, please contact me! Also,
if you have access to installation tapes, manuals, brochures, anything
related to these systems, please let me know.

Kind regards,
Camiel Vanderhoeven

Re: Supercomputers, fishing for information

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Thanks, that is really helpful; chances are that the box will look similar.

On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 4:44 PM, Al Kossow  wrote:
> found a picture of a later generation machine
> http://dooki.com/supercomputers/intel/intel.ipsc860.4_i860_40mhz.gif
>
> On 11/5/16 8:34 AM, Al Kossow wrote:
>>
>> never mind, that was just for diagnostics
>>
>> the srm is described further down. it's a 386 running Sys V
>>
>> it is likely to be either one of their 310 series multibus boxes with
>> a Wyse terminal, like the iPCS-2, which had a 286 or their 386 clone AT
>> box
>>
>> On 11/5/16 8:29 AM, Al Kossow wrote:
>>> there are no useful pictures in the brochures
>>>
>>> it appears the SRM is integrated into the cabinet and controls 16 nodes
>>>
>>
>

Re: Supercomputers, fishing for information

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Hi Al,

I think you're mixing up the SRM (one per system) with the unit
service module. According to this document
http://www.par.univie.ac.at/publications/download/ipsc860.pdf, it's an
Intel SYP301. That appears to be an Intel 386 motherboard.

Camiel

On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 4:29 PM, Al Kossow <a...@bitsavers.org> wrote:
> there are no useful pictures in the brochures
>
> it appears the SRM is integrated into the cabinet and controls 16 nodes
>
> https://www.nas.nasa.gov/assets/pdf/techreports/1991/rnr-91-001.pdf
>
> https://web.archive.org/web/20010619235148/http://www.npac.syr.edu/nse/hpccsurvey/orgs/intel/intel.html
> since the original appears to be gone
>
> Paul Pierce was archiving information on these systems. We have a little in 
> the CHM collection, not a whole
> lot on the PSC/860
>
> I have a manual set for the Paragon. It is in silver slipcases
>
>
> On 11/5/16 7:48 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:
>> On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 3:37 PM, Al Kossow <a...@bitsavers.org> wrote:
>>> let me see if I can get this scanned this morning
>>> http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102719961
>>
>> That would be awesome!
>>
>>> you also REALLY want to get any docs and tapes/disks out of there
>>> finding software is going to be extremely difficult
>>
>> Yes, I realize that; the difficulty lies in directing them in what to
>> look for; "anything that says Intel, Ardent, or Convex on it" is a
>> good beginning, but the more specific I can be in what I ask for, the
>> higher the chance it'll turn up.
>>
>> Camiel.
>>
>>> On 11/5/16 7:02 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:
>>>
>>>> - Does anyone know what the SRM (System Resource Manager) for the
>>>> iPSC/860 physically looks like? Does it look like a PC, and does it
>>>> say Intel on the front?
>>>
>

Supercomputers, fishing for information

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

I'm making arrangements to have four (mini-)supercomputers from the
1980's shipped to me. In the mean time, I'm trying to find out what I
can about these systems, so this is a fishing expedition.

The systems are:
* Convex C1-XP
* Convex C1-XL
* Intel iPSC/860
* Ardent Titan

Pictures of these can be found on my website, at
http://www.vaxbarn.com/index.php/collection/27-odd/76-four-supercomputers
(click on the thumbnails to see a larger version)

I'd like to get in touch with anyone who knows anything about these
machines, as well as anyone who may have documentation, but I also
have two specific questions:

- Can anyone identify the tape drives shown in the pictures? I believe
the one in the Intel iPSC/860 is an Exabyte 8mm one, but the ones used
on the Convex and the Ardent are a mystery to me.

- Does anyone know what the SRM (System Resource Manager) for the
iPSC/860 physically looks like? Does it look like a PC, and does it
say Intel on the front?

Reason I'm asking is that I'm getting these out of an estate, and I
need to tell them what to look for.

Thanks,

Camiel.

Re: Supercomputers, fishing for information

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

On Sat, Nov 5, 2016 at 3:37 PM, Al Kossow <a...@bitsavers.org> wrote:
> let me see if I can get this scanned this morning
> http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102719961

That would be awesome!

> you also REALLY want to get any docs and tapes/disks out of there
> finding software is going to be extremely difficult

Yes, I realize that; the difficulty lies in directing them in what to
look for; "anything that says Intel, Ardent, or Convex on it" is a
good beginning, but the more specific I can be in what I ask for, the
higher the chance it'll turn up.

Camiel.

> On 11/5/16 7:02 AM, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:
>
>> - Does anyone know what the SRM (System Resource Manager) for the
>> iPSC/860 physically looks like? Does it look like a PC, and does it
>> say Intel on the front?
>

Looking for professional packaging in Stanford

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

I'm working on getting a shipment of some 1980's computer equipment
from Stanford, CA to the Netherlands arranged. I've sorted out the
pickup, shipping, and delivery part of it, but the systems will need
to be palletized prior to pickup. So, I'm looking for someone, or a
business, in the area that can go to the location where the systems
are with 5 40"x48" pallets and other packaging materials, and then
load the cabinets (up to 500 lbs each) onto the pallets, cover them
with which corrugated cardboard, secure them to the pallets with
straps, and put shrink-wrap all around it.

Recommendations for this kind of service are most welcome. Suggestions
for alternate packaging options are also welcome.

Kind regards,

Camiel Vanderhoeven

Re: Meaning of "architecture width" - Re: 68K Macs with MacOS 7.5 still in production use...

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 17 sep. 2016 8:34 p.m. schreef "Guy Sotomayor Jr" :
>
>
> > On Sep 17, 2016, at 10:10 AM, Chuck Guzis  wrote:
> >
> > On 09/17/2016 09:23 AM, Eric Smith wrote:
> >
> >> I don't know what the width of the TMS9900 ALU is, but I'm pretty
> >> sure it's not bit-serial, as an add instruction only takes 14 clock
> >> cycles, including four memory cycles. I'd be very surprised if the
> >> ALU isn't either 8 or 16 bits, though 4 might be possible.
> >>
> >> Possibly someone is confused by the bit-serial "CRU' I/O space, but
> >> that is unrelated to the ALU width.
> >
> > Could very well be--I'm just going by other's appraisals of the
> > architecture.
> >
> > But there were some "8 bit" MPUs with bit-serial ALUs, so the question
> > is still valid.
> >
>
> Why?  What does the width of the ALU have to do with the “bitness” of the
> architecture?  If the programmer’s view is 8-bits (or 16 or 23, or ??),
> what does it matter (other than performance) what the width of the
internal
> data paths or ALU are?
>
> It’s interesting from an implementation point of view but not really
> anything else.
>
> In a previous email, I mentioned the IBM 360 as an example of a 32-bit
machine
> (architecture) that had 8, 16 and 32 bit internal data paths and I don’t
think
> anyone would suggest that the 360 models that did not have 32-bit data
paths
> wasn’t a 32-bit “machine”.

Don't forget about the 64-bit implementations, like the model 65.

>
> The same could be said for the PDP-8/s.  That’s a bit serial machine but
it
> is a member of the PDP-8 family.  Would you call it a 1-bit machine or a
12-bit
> machine?
>
> That’s why (in my previous email) I made the distinction between
architecture
> and implementation.  The reference “machine” (which I’ve intentionally
used here)
> is somewhat ambiguous and I tend to use architecture or implementation
when I
> want to be specific.
>
> TTFN - Guy
>

Re: Meaning of "architecture width" - Re: 68K Macs with MacOS 7.5 still in production use...

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 15 sep. 2016 11:57 p.m. schreef "Toby Thain" :
>
> On 2016-09-15 2:38 PM, Noel Chiappa wrote:
>>
>> > From: Chuck Guzis
>>
>> > Call it anything you want, but we know what Motorola called it.
>>
>> The _first implementation_ may have been 16-bit, but I am in no doubt
>> whatsover (having written a lot of assembler code for the 68K family)
>> that the _architecture_ was 32-bit:
>>
>> - 32-bit registers
>> - many operations (arithmetical, logical, etc) defined for that length
>> - 32-bit addresses
>
>
> GPR width, being the visible programmer model, is the most common and
convenient definition of "architecture" I've come across. But there's no
reason we can't just say the *visible* architecture is 32 bit (which it
is), but the "internal" architecture is sort of 16.

Afaik, the term computer architecture was coined for the IBM 360, which was
a 32-bit architecture, with 8, 16, 32, and 64 bit implementations. The term
architecture specifically refers to what the programmer sees, not to the
specifics of an implementation.

Camiel

Re: obscure forgoten Machean of Europe?

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 11 sep. 2016 9:27 a.m. schreef "Adrian Stoness" :
>
> Phillips in Europe was not part of Phillips in the us was it's own company
> from what I've been able to find out the model I have is from around 1968
> post a link to a pic when I'm not on my phone

Philips (with a single L) is a Dutch company. They made a whole range of
computers at various times: home computers (P2000 and MSX), IBM PC
compatibles, an IBM PC/MSX hybrid (the :YES, notoriously incompatible with
either architecture), minicomputers  (I have several members of the P800
series) and mainframes (P1000)

Camiel

Re: seeking DEC VAXmate software

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

> Is the bulk of the computer in the monitor and the box it stands on "just"
> an ISA expansion, PSU and hard disk?

Yes, it's an optional expansion box. The idea behind the vaxmate was that
instead of from a hard disk, it could run from a disk image on a VAX, so a
local hard disk was optional.

Camiel

Looking for HP 9810A keyboard springs

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Hi Guys,

I've got an HP 9810A that has been stored in sub-optimal conditions by
a previous owner; a lot of the keyboard springs have rusted away, so
I'm looking for a replacement. These are about 15.5mm outer diameter,
0.35mm thick wire, about 10mm high when uncompressed, and have only
about 1.5 turns of wire.

Any pointers would be appreciated!

Camiel.

Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 2:07 PM, Dave Wade <dave.g4...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> -Original Message-
>> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Camiel
>> Vanderhoeven
>> Sent: 12 July 2016 09:56
>> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>> <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
>> Subject: RE: IBM 360/30 in verilog
>>
>> Op 12 jul. 2016 10:14 a.m. schreef "Dave Wade" <dave.g4...@gmail.com>:
>> >
>> > > -Original Message-
>> > > From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of
>> > > Curious Marc
>> > > Sent: 12 July 2016 08:58
>> > > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
>> > > <cctalk@classiccmp.org>
>> > > Subject: Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog
>> > >
>> > > Darn. My hopes are shattered. Lots of Verilog in my future, that is
>> > > if
>> we
>> > can
>> > > find 360/50 ALDs...
>> > > Marc
>> > >
>> >
>> > It actually might be easier to produce a generic S/360 clone in FPGA
>> > using the POP rather than individual ALU's.
>> > Having built a very simple CPU (in VHDL not Verilog) and planning to
>> > start on a more complex (Ferranti Pegasus) Of course it wouldn't be
>> > cycle accurate, but perhaps that wouldn't be important.
>>
>> Sure, a generic one would be simpler, but the point of doing an accurate one
>> of a specific model (65 in my case) is to accurately drive the panel that 
>> shows
>> the  internal registers and opening of gates.
>
> I think you are correct. I had assumed that the panel only displayed the 
> normal 360 registers, in which case
> the VHDL could easily route these to a panel, but on reading the 360/65 
> Functional Characteristics
>
> http://bitsavers.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pdf/ibm/360/funcChar/A22-6884-3_360-65_funcChar.pdf
>
> I can see several registers are displayed that are not mentioned or defined 
> elsewhere so you would need a
> Set of ALDs for the 65 (or possibly a 67 as that’s basically the same 
> machine) to get a full panel display. It would
> Also be nice to see what is on the roller selector switchs as that page in 
> the manual has not scanned very well..

I have a pdf file I created that shows the layout of the roller bars;
I don't think the link can take attachments, but if you want I could
email you a copy directly.

Camiel.

Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 1:24 PM,   wrote:
> Camiel said:
>> IBM UK Laboratories in Hursley was a software facility, the model 40 was
>> developed in Poughkeepsie, like the others. Secondary production sites were
>> in Mainz, Germany, and Japan.
>
> Yes, the wiki does say that, but I am sure Hursley was involved in designing
> hardware as well, for instance TROS. This PDF by Pugh states that a team at 
> Hursley
> were designing the Model 40: http://ed-thelen.org/Pugh-Technology_Transfer.pdf
> As a CE, my dad was there to study the hardware only.

You're quite right, I was wrong. Both hardware and software
development took place at Hursley. According to Pugh, Johnson, and
Palmer's "IBM's 360 and early 370 systems", the /30 (then called NPL
101) was developed at Endicott, the /40 (NPL 250) at Hursley, and the
larger models at Poughkeepsie.

Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 12 jul. 2016 4:10 a.m. schreef :
>
> Mike said:
> > On Tue, Jul 12, 2016 at 10:36 AM,   wrote:
> >> Al said:
> >>> On 7/11/16 9:14 AM, Jon Elson wrote:
>  The microcode was in the ALD drawings, and might even be in
bitsavers archive, if they have the right manual.
> >>>
> >>> 360 CPU ALDs are extremely difficult to find.
> >>> If the 65 set could be scanned, I'd be happy to upload them to
bitsavers.
> >>
> >> Indeed they must be. I've been looking for /40 ALDs for some time but
haven't struck any. I wonder if they're
> >> scarce becase the 40 was a AFAIK a british-developed 360. My dad was
posted to Hursley to learn the /40 in 64-65.

IBM UK Laboratories in Hursley was a software facility, the model 40 was
developed in Poughkeepsie, like the others. Secondary production sites were
in Mainz, Germany, and Japan.

RE: IBM 360/30 in verilog

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 12 jul. 2016 10:14 a.m. schreef "Dave Wade" :
>
> > -Original Message-
> > From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-boun...@classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Curious
> > Marc
> > Sent: 12 July 2016 08:58
> > To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
> > 
> > Subject: Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog
> >
> > Darn. My hopes are shattered. Lots of Verilog in my future, that is if
we
> can
> > find 360/50 ALDs...
> > Marc
> >
>
> It actually might be easier to produce a generic S/360 clone in FPGA using
> the POP rather than individual ALU's.
> Having built a very simple CPU (in VHDL not Verilog) and planning to start
> on a more complex (Ferranti Pegasus)
> Of course it wouldn't be cycle accurate, but perhaps that wouldn't be
> important.

Sure, a generic one would be simpler, but the point of doing an accurate
one of a specific model (65 in my case) is to accurately drive the panel
that shows the  internal registers and opening of gates.

Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

Op 12 jul. 2016 5:50 a.m. schreef :
>
> Jon said:
> > LOTS of model /40s were sold in the US.  EVERY one had its
> > own set of ALDs, with the serial number of the CPU on them.
> > They not only recorded the general info for the model, but
> > they had specific changes to reflect the exact configuration
> > of THAT machine.
>
> I didn't know that every machine came with a set of ALDs but you are
> right that a lot of /40's were sold stateside. My dad was re-posted
> directly from Hursley to Poughkeepsie in '65 which I was where some (or
> all?) the /40s were assembled.
> One of the IBM Journals (75 years?) has a large colour photo of a row
> of 40s on the final assembly floor at Poughkeepsie, everyone in it
> striking that characteristic 60s/70s IBM-photo-pose, eg. someone leaning
> over a table, another reaching for a console knob, one changing a tape and
> at least two people earnestly discussing a printout.

Most weren't sold, but leased. The ALDs would be used by the IBM CE, not
the customers themselves. I don't know if machines that were sold rather
than leased came with ALDs or if IBM kept these, I suspect the latter to be
the case.

Re: IBM 360/30 in verilog (was: How do they make Verilog code for unknown ICs?)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

> > And I'm very close to having a 360/65 in VHDL.
>
> Was the microcode derived from the engineering drawings?

Yes, from hand-corrected OCR scans.

To be precise, the ALDs and microcode I'm using are not for a plain 2065,
but for a 7201-02, the variant that was used in the 9020 complex. I'm
making modifications that I hope make it work like a 2065 again.

> From memory, the 65 is the bigger brother to the 50 with a wider memory
bus.

And a bigger ALU, so the microcode for floating point operations is very
different I believe.

Camiel

RE: IBM 360/30 in verilog (was: How do they make Verilog code for unknown ICs?)

[Camiel Vanderhoeven]

> And I'm very close to having a 360/65 in VHDL.
> -
>
> Sweet :->.  What FPGA platform are you using?  Lawrence used a Spartan
3.  Don't know how close to "full" he pushed it.

I'm using the XUPV5 PCIE board (Xilinx Virtex-5 XC5VLX110T); currently
about 60% occupied, but the design needs lots of debugging. I'm only
implementing the CPU on the FPGA, transcribing from the IBM ALDs. I/O
channels will be provided by the Hercules emulator (with its cpu ripped
out) on the system the PCIe card is plugged into.