[cctalk] Re: Z80 vs other microprocessors of the time.

On Monday (04/22/2024 at 08:55PM -0700), Chuck Guzis wrote: > On 4/22/24 20:36, Chris Elmquist wrote: > > Hey, I did that on Sunday afternoons on the Star-100 with Lincoln and his > > son PD when I was in 8th grade. I never became a manager though :-) > > > > Chris > > Trying to remember, was

[cctalk] Re: Z80 vs other microprocessors of the time.

Hey, I did that on Sunday afternoons on the Star-100 with Lincoln and his son PD when I was in 8th grade. I never became a manager though :-) Chris -- Chris Elmquist > On Apr 22, 2024, at 3:22 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > > On 4/22/24 13:02, Wayne S wrote: >> I read somewhere that

[cctalk] Re: WWVB

> > Your original email with the link did not make it into the digest, which is > what I receive. > > Chirs, Did you also send it directly to Bill. Perhaps that is what he got. > > Bob Yes, sorry. I sent the follow-up hastily on an iPad, and the URL I thought I was pasting was an image

[cctalk] Re: WWVB

On Sunday (01/14/2024 at 09:55PM -0600), Chris Elmquist via cctalk wrote: > There are a number of WWVB simulator projects out there that will transmit a > weak but usable signal to your clock after getting sync’d from ntp or GPS > NMEA time messages. They were developed to help peopl

[cctalk] Re: WWVB

There are a number of WWVB simulator projects out there that will transmit a weak but usable signal to your clock after getting sync’d from ntp or GPS NMEA time messages. They were developed to help people develop receivers :-) One in particular uses an AVR and it should be pretty simple to

[cctalk] Re: mainframe vs mini

We still have ice on the inside of the windows up here  Nice of you guys to remember this history. Some of the STAR designers and team are still around and kicking. Just had lunch with four of them last Friday. I learned too that as they migrated the design from STAR to 205 to ETA10, some

[cctalk] Re: Age of Tape Formats?

> On Mar 8, 2023, at 4:18 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > > On 3/8/23 13:53, Sellam Abraham via cctalk wrote: >>> On Wed, Mar 8, 2023 at 1:39 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk >>> >>> wrote: >>> >>> On the subject of 1/2" open-reel tape, I note that the tapes initially >>> used with the

[cctalk] Re: Minicomputer front panel.

Ya. Thanks for the mention but it was before my time. I was in 8th grade when I first met Lincoln. That was 1976. We did tune clocks on a CY203 a few times but it wasn’t until ETA that I started doing real work ;-) All cool stuff though and the stories were endless and awesome. cje --

[cctalk] Re: Wang bar napkin story [WAS:RE: Re: "Revival" of a dedicated Micropolis webpage on internet]

https://www.foryourparty.com/cocktail-napkins -- Chris Elmquist > On Aug 21, 2022, at 4:45 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk > wrote: > > On Sun, 21 Aug 2022, Ali wrote: >> You should just do it and add a teeny tiny disclaimer at the bottom >> regarding the veracity of the story. It would make for

Re: ID UV erasable PROMS used on an IBM PC board?

On Wednesday (03/23/2022 at 04:18PM +0100), Christian Corti via cctalk wrote: > On Wed, 23 Mar 2022, Chris Elmquist wrote: > > More interesting. If the programming algorithms remained the same then I > > guess it is just an issue for the programming system-- when it auto-IDs, > > it should

Re: ID UV erasable PROMS used on an IBM PC board?

On Tuesday (03/22/2022 at 08:09PM -0700), Glen Slick wrote: > On Tue, Mar 22, 2022 at 12:25 PM Chris Elmquist wrote: > > > > On Tuesday (03/22/2022 at 12:20PM -0700), Glen Slick wrote: > > > On Tue, Mar 22, 2022 at 11:56 AM Chris Elmquist wrote: > > > > > > > > Trying not to hijack the thread

Re: ID UV erasable PROMS used on an IBM PC board?

On Tuesday (03/22/2022 at 12:20PM -0700), Glen Slick wrote: > On Tue, Mar 22, 2022 at 11:56 AM Chris Elmquist wrote: > > > > Trying not to hijack the thread too much but I have an Intel D27C256-200 > > here in my TL866II+ programmer and it returns ID 89h / 8Dh. > > > >

Re: ID UV erasable PROMS used on an IBM PC board?

On Monday (03/21/2022 at 09:17PM -0700), Glen Slick via cctalk wrote: > On Mon, Mar 21, 2022 at 8:25 PM Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > > > > The PROMs are most likely house-labeled Intel commodity parts with > > JEDEC-standard pinouts, so it should be fairly easy, using an EPROM > > reader, to

Re: Rack Discussion Continued - Slide lubricant

lides with success. Chris > On 3/2/2022 10:45 AM, Chris Elmquist via cctalk wrote: > > On Tuesday (03/01/2022 at 04:36PM -0800), Marc Howard via cctech wrote: > > > I've got a PDP 11/34 I've never opened up. It's mounted in a H9642 > > > cabinet. I can't get th

Re: While on the subject of cabinets...

On Tuesday (03/01/2022 at 04:36PM -0800), Marc Howard via cctech wrote: > I've got a PDP 11/34 I've never opened up. It's mounted in a H9642 > cabinet. I can't get the bloody thing to extend on the chassis track > slides. > > Is there a catch or lock screw on this unit? Mine (and we may be

Re: DEC top-mount corporate cabinet

Thanks very much Paul and others. The overview you linked is very helpful as I now have the actual model number for the rack that I have. It is indeed the H9642-AD 40" "Top Loader" but it is missing whatever cross piece goes behind the H9544 DA Bezel (#4) shown in the component parts diagram.

DEC top-mount corporate cabinet

On Saturday (02/26/2022 at 03:21PM -0500), pbirkel--- via cctalk wrote: > A top-mount corporate cabinet looks like this: > http://www.cosam.org/images/pdp11-23/front2.jpg The "DECDatasystem" > front-bar in the photo is over the 1U strengthener that braces the upper > portion of the rack ... since

Re: Origin of "partition" in storage devices

On Tuesday (02/01/2022 at 01:41PM -0500), Chris Zach via cctalk wrote: > > Which came first CLV CDs, or CLV LaserDiscs? > > Laserdiscs by far. Only the very first models played CAV only. > > CAV is nice because you can freeze frame without a frame buffer. Yes! My dad did some of the first work

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

> On 1/19/2022 9:49 AM, Jonathan Chapman via cctalk wrote: > > > > > > > Chris, > > > > > > > > I'm probably going to order some of these on my next circuit board > > > > order (this week or next), do you want a set of them? Seems t

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

On Wednesday (01/19/2022 at 03:35PM +0100), Jos Dreesen via cctalk wrote: > On 19.01.22 13:15, Jonathan Chapman via cctalk wrote: > > That's a neat board! Where can I/we order one? > > With me... > 20 Eur for the set of 2 + shipping. > > If you are in the US it is probably cheaper to order new

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

On Tuesday (01/18/2022 at 11:35PM +), Jonathan Chapman wrote: > How's about a Glitchbus board set that's compatible? I was planning on doing > it anyway. That would be very cool. Something along those lines was my plan B and I even dug out a tube of 6802's for the effort. I think I could

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

On Tuesday (01/18/2022 at 03:37PM -0600), Mike Katz wrote: > If the software is using ROM routines then the address doesn't matter for > the applications.  If not, you can create an abstraction layer (set of > drivers for the ACIA, 6875 Timer and PIA) and if all of the code is written > to the

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

On Tuesday (01/18/2022 at 02:01PM -0600), Mike Katz wrote: > I think it might be easier to modify the 680 prom for the I/O addresses of > the board rather than modify the board to match the ROM. Agreed-- except the goal, which I failed to elaborate on, is to come up with an Altair 680 development

Re: seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

ail so that I can make mods to the board without having to reverse engineer it first. But I suspect it will come to that. Thanks anyway! Chris > On Tue, Jan 18, 2022 at 1:54 PM Chris Elmquist via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > > I have quite a few Motor

seeking Motorola M68MM01A2 documentation

I have quite a few Motorola Microsystems Exorciser boards including this 6800 single board computer for which I am lacking any documentation. I've seen a brochure in Al's collection on Bitsavers but haven't found any details that might discuss jumper settings or even better, a schematic.

Re: What happened to control-data.info and controlfreaks.org?

On Thursday (11/18/2021 at 01:53AM -0500), Jim Carpenter via cctalk wrote: > Is anybody able to access these sites? I just get redirected to Google. I have not received any email from the controlfreaks mailing list for over 60 days either. I automatically expire stuff older than 60 days and the

Re: Motor generator

On Friday (05/07/2021 at 09:03AM -0700), Chuck Guzis wrote: > On 5/7/21 5:53 AM, Chris Elmquist wrote: > > > The HQ building (nee BTC) was built just a year before ETA started, > > so 1982 or so. But somehow it ended up with very 70s-ish decor, even > > if it was all new 70s-ish decor. It's

Re: Motor generator

On Thursday (05/06/2021 at 08:37PM -0700), Chuck Guzis wrote: > On 5/6/21 7:47 PM, Chris Elmquist wrote: > > We had a room on the ground floor at ETA that housed an MG set that > > ran the CY205 (and maybe the 835 and 875 too) in the basement. They > > had isolated the MG from the mounting pretty

Re: Motor generator

> On May 5, 2021, at 10:37 AM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > > On 5/5/21 5:18 AM, Paul Koning wrote: > >> An earlier message commented on the whine from power converters. I >> don't know how common this practice was, but at the University of >> Illinois PLATO system which had a pair of

Re: Off topic ?

On Tuesday (08/25/2020 at 04:36PM -0400), Paul Koning via cctalk wrote: > Not sure if this is off topic, but anyway.. > > There was also one with "tree" in its name, don't remember its full name and > I think they shut down. Smalltree? They are some former SGI guys here in MN,

Re: mail on spool as G-d intended was Re: Future of cctalk/cctech

> On Jun 17, 2020, at 3:46 PM, Diane Bruce via cctalk > wrote: > > On Wed, Jun 17, 2020 at 01:41:39PM -0700, Cameron Kaiser via cctalk wrote: I read this list on PINE, on a shell account at my ISP. >>> >>> Barbarian! At least upgrade to Alpine. (That's what I use.) :D >> >>

Re: mail on spool as G-d intended was Re: Future of cctalk/cctech

> On Jun 17, 2020, at 3:43 PM, Cameron Kaiser via cctalk > wrote: > >  >> >>> I read this list on PINE, on a shell account at my ISP. >> >> Barbarian! At least upgrade to Alpine. (That's what I use.) :D > > Philistines, all of you. I use a hacked version of Elm. And what’s wrong with

Re: Farewell Etaoin Shrdlu

And Lincoln had MN license plate “ETAOIN” on his rusted out Ford van and one of the other guys in our “wiz kid” bunch had “SHRDLU” on his plates. We later learned that the Eta were some kind of Spanish terrorist group and so Neil liked that story better— we were going to terrorize the

IBM 3178 keyboards available in MN

A friend has unearthed approximately (5) of these IBM keyboards in his dad's shed in MN. These are not PC keyboards but instead likely 3178 terminal keyboards. They probably came out of 3M a very long time ago. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1B8kw9xdaeikwzKzyL0ts3HZZg96K7Yov/view?usp=sharing

Re: Dixie Canner CPT 8000?

Ya. And it’s not from Michigan but Minnesota! You betcha. -- Chris Elmquist > On Apr 24, 2020, at 7:00 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk > wrote: > >  >> >>> What in the world is this? > >> On Fri, 24 Apr 2020, Adrian Graham via cctalk wrote: >> It’s a word processor, pure and simple. I have the

Re: pdp11/05 key?

> On Apr 11, 2020, at 4:33 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk > wrote: > > On Sat, 11 Apr 2020 at 04:05, Chris Elmquist via cctalk > wrote: >> >> CDC had a memory manufacturing facility in SE Asia, staffed with mostly >> young Asian women. >> An older col

Re: pdp11/05 key?

CDC had a memory manufacturing facility in SE Asia, staffed with mostly young Asian women. An older colleague at ETA helped set it up (he just passed away; RIP Carl). He called it the Hong Kong Core House. -- Chris Elmquist > On Apr 9, 2020, at 12:44 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk > wrote: > > 

Re: HPE OpenVMS Hobbyist license program is closing

On Wednesday (03/11/2020 at 10:46AM -0400), Ethan O'Toole wrote: > >If something positive were to occur, IRIX might be able to be saved too. > >Chris > > Years ago us SGI hobbyists were able to talk to SGI about this and a > huge problem SGI had with any kind of hobbyist license for IRIX or >

Re: HPE OpenVMS Hobbyist license program is closing

And if they went that way, it would be quite a big event in the supercomputing world because HPE now own both of the companies formerly known as SGI and Cray. Someone on the inside is attempting to explore why this is happening. If I hear anything, I will report back. If something positive

Re: Interesting device on eBay -- CDC clock generator?

Unfortunately, I have not seen such a drum. The device in question though really looks RF-ish to me. The feedthrough caps suggest DC control voltages that might bias the diodes to switch any port to the center and then there’s some matching going on with the meandering inductor on the PCB

Re: [Simh] Fwd: VAX + Spectre

On Wednesday (09/18/2019 at 09:19AM -0700), Guy Sotomayor Jr via cctalk wrote: > > > > On Sep 18, 2019, at 12:42 AM, Liam Proven via cctalk > > wrote: > > > > On Wed, 18 Sep 2019 at 02:19, Paul Koning via cctalk > > wrote: > >>> ... > >> Speaking of timing, that reminds me of two amazing

Re: Ferroresonant transformer supply repair

On Monday (09/09/2019 at 05:55PM -0500), Kyle Owen via cctalk wrote: > On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 4:06 PM Marc Howard wrote: > > > BTW, Genteq is a reputable brand. It is the former GE capacitor division, > > hence the name Gen(eral Electric)teq(technology). > > > > On Mon, Sep 9, 2019 at 1:02 PM

Re: HP98035 Real Time clock and AC5954N clock chip

On Friday (06/07/2019 at 11:01AM -0700), CuriousMarc via cctalk wrote: > > > > I wondered if it's actually a digtal watch chip (2.5V could have been a > > couple > > of mercury cells in series, LED watches were not uncommon back then). > > > > In which case it would not normally have come in a

Re: Network cards and Win98SE

On Monday (05/13/2019 at 10:15PM -0700), Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > On 5/13/19 9:10 PM, Grant Taylor via cctalk wrote: > > On 5/13/19 10:04 PM, Tony Duell via cctalk wrote: > > >> Those who know me, for example, will know I have little interest in > >> physical exercise. But I bought a mat

Re: Core memory emulator using non volatile ram.

On Sunday (12/16/2018 at 10:40PM -0800), Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > On 12/16/18 11:21 AM, Paul Koning wrote: > > > If you simply want non-volatile memory, the obvious answer is SRAM with > > battery backup and a small FPGA to do the interfacing. > > I proposed nvRAM - CMOS SRAM backed by

Re: Advice requested on proper disposal of Seagate ST3000DM001 disk drives

On Friday (09/21/2018 at 11:42AM -0600), Eric Smith via cctalk wrote: > On Fri, Sep 21, 2018 at 11:28 AM, Fred Cisin via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > Put it in a gift-wrapped box next to you on the bus. > > Whoever steals it will get just what they deserve. > > > > :-) > > But

Re: Dilog DQ604 RL01 / RL02 emulation on ST506/ST412 disk.

On Tuesday (08/28/2018 at 08:22PM +0200), Mattis Lind wrote: > Den tis 28 aug. 2018 kl 19:50 skrev Chris Elmquist : > > > On Tuesday (08/28/2018 at 11:25AM +0200), Mattis Lind via cctalk wrote: > > > Den sön 26 aug. 2018 kl 09:26 skrev Paul Birkel via cctalk < > > > cctalk@classiccmp.org>: > > >

Re: Dilog DQ604 RL01 / RL02 emulation on ST506/ST412 disk.

On Tuesday (08/28/2018 at 11:25AM +0200), Mattis Lind via cctalk wrote: > Den sön 26 aug. 2018 kl 09:26 skrev Paul Birkel via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org>: > > > Which length band did you find worked best as a replacement? > > > > I used the white three inch plastiband. Rik Bos told me that

Re: IBM 6094-010 "Dials" protocol?

On Sunday (03/25/2018 at 07:11AM -0700), Mark J. Blair via cctalk wrote: > > > > On Mar 24, 2018, at 22:29, Michael Brutman via cctalk > > wrote: > > > > Picture here: https://i.imgur.com/ClCw070.jpg > > > > Neat! I haven't seen one

Re: Writing emulators [Was: Re: VCF PNW 2018: Pictures!]

> On Feb 21, 2018, at 3:52 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk > wrote: > >> On 02/21/2018 12:28 PM, Al Kossow via cctalk wrote: >> That actually just came up for discussion in a donation review meeting this >> week at >> CHM. >> >> I don't know if they're that interesting w/o

Re: Help diagnosing boot issue SWTPC 6800

You should also verify that you have solid +8V and +/- 12V on the backplane. In one of my SWTPC 6800 machines, I found that the white Molex connector on the power supply filter board had degraded contacts that over time (a long time!) where heating and actually melted some of the connector shell,

Re: Restoring a VT50 (VT52 actually) .

On Thursday (12/28/2017 at 11:58AM -0800), Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > On 12/28/2017 11:44 AM, Stefan Skoglund via cctalk wrote: > > > Surströmming isn't a christmas tradition. > > > > It is more like a late august,september tradition (or in summer together > > with the season potatoes,

Re: RL02 to PC image

On Friday (12/15/2017 at 07:57PM +), Henk Gooijen via cctalk wrote: > > I have not yet had time to build/test it, but a few months ago there > was an RL01/RL02 emulator project on VCF. You need a PDP-11 > with RL11 controller. The RL0x emultor connects to the RL11 > just as an RL01/RL02 disk

Re: RL02 to PC image

I thought about doing this with an FTDI FT245, which is a parallel to USB FIFO device that looks like a USB serial port to the USB-side host. USB protocol will manage all the “flow control” and so the PDP can write to it as fast as it can. We did a similar thing on Heathkit H89 and H8

Re: Looking for Silent 700 model 787 manual

On Monday (11/20/2017 at 09:40AM -0600), Jason T via cctalk wrote: > On Sun, Nov 19, 2017 at 9:18 PM, Chris Elmquist via cctalk > <cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > Yes indeed. I have several of those, model 745 as one example, and it > > is a DA15 for which I have the

Re: Looking for Silent 700 model 787 manual

On Sunday (11/19/2017 at 05:46PM -0800), Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > On Sun, 19 Nov 2017, Chris Elmquist via cctalk wrote: > >I recently acquired a TI Silent 700 model 787 terminal. This cc 1980 > >unit is an interesting member of the Silent 700 family as it is capable >

Looking for Silent 700 model 787 manual

I recently acquired a TI Silent 700 model 787 terminal. This cc 1980 unit is an interesting member of the Silent 700 family as it is capable of 120 chars/sec printing and has an internal 300/1200 baud direct connect modem that does Bell 103, Bell 212A and Vadic modulation in both originate and

Re: Halt and Catch Fire (TV series)

I saw a credit flash by at the end of the final episode with a name I recognized, Carl Ledbetter Technical Consultant Turns out, it _is_ the Carl LedBetter who headed up ETA for a while,

Re: A Mystery

Same kid that put oatmeal in the VCR? https://youtu.be/25abPjKr06U On October 10, 2017 8:07:47 AM CDT, Rod Smallwood via cctalk wrote: >I have in my possession a back plane from a BA23. > >Somebody has put glue in the last three slots. > >Can anybody explain that? >

Re: ETAOIN SHRDLU (Was: RIP Jerry Pournelle, the first author to write a

On Monday (09/11/2017 at 08:57PM -0700), Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > On 09/11/2017 08:35 PM, Fred Cisin via cctalk wrote: > > Etaoin Shrdlu was most importantly one of Walt Kelly's characters in Pogo. > > > > ETAOIN SHRDLU ETA name > > On Mon, 11 Sep 2017, Chri

Re: RIP Jerry Pournelle, the first author to write a novel on a computer Early adopt

Lincoln had ETAOIN on his personalized MN license plate (on the very well worn Ford full size van he drove) and another guy had SHRDLU on his plates. I was told that the name came from this string which could be found in printed works and that people had always seen it but just read past it

Re: Stearns Computer

On Monday (08/14/2017 at 01:16PM -0700), Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: > > Yes, I recall that Neil tried to sell us on Stearns, but we elected to > go with the pack and use IBM. Good move that, in retrospect. For sure. The Stearns was (deliberately) not a very good IBM PC clone-- using a true

Stearns Computer

On Monday (08/14/2017 at 08:16AM -0600), Doug Ingraham via cctalk wrote: > On Fri, Aug 11, 2017 at 5:14 PM, Chuck Guzis via cctalk < > cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote: > > > > > Was Warren Stearns connected with Stearns Computer Systems, maker of the > > short-lived Stearns PC? > > > > --Chuck > > >

Re: Silent 700 thermal paper

On April 15, 2017 8:23:18 PM CDT, Paul Berger via cctalk wrote: >It would not hurt it to try, at worst the printout would be faint, how >well the paper survives depends a lot on how it was stored. Direct >sunlight definitely will degrade the paper that is why it is

Re: Supercomputers, fishing for information

On April 3, 2017 1:18:31 PM CDT, Chuck Guzis via cctalk wrote: >On Mon, Apr 3, 2017 at 9:37 AM, AJ Palmgren via cctech < >cct...@classiccmp.org> wrote: > >> Hi, Plamen & Al, >> >> I'm just catching up on some of these past threads involving QIC >> cartridges. What ever

Re: Trip to CHM - Hotel/Restaurant Advice

Are there any swap meets / flea markets in the area on weekends anymore? I will be there in a couple weeks with a free Friday and Saturday. With Friday likely reserved for CHM, I'd track down a swap meet on Saturday if such things still exist. Chris NØJCF On Friday (03/31/2017 at 09:17PM