Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Bill Gunshannon via cctalk]

On 04/07/2018 02:09 PM, Alan Frisbie via cctalk wrote:
> j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu (Noel Chiappa) wrote:
>
>> Err, which RLV11/RLV12 emulators are you seeing? I know of several RL02
>> emulators - Reinhard Heuberger's, and another I can't immediately 
>> find my
>> saved info on - (and one crazy project that turned a real RL02 into a 
>> USB
>> device :-), but you still need an RLV11/12 controller.
>
> The only ones I can find now are the ones you mention.   Yes, I too 
> can't find
> my notes on the second one, whatever it is/was.   I was *sure* that 
> someone
> had made a Qbus emulator that used SD cards, but I simply can't find 
> any mention
> of it now.
>
> Right now, it looks like Reinhard Heuberger's board is the best bet.   
> I haven't
> checked with him yet to see if boards or kits are still available.   
> If I could
> find a working TDL-12 I would jump on it in an instant.   All the 
> older ones
> (Dilog, etc.) appear to use ST-506 type drives, which introduces its 
> own set of
> problems.

If anybody has one or two of these aftermarket RL disk emulators that
use ST-506's they want to get rid of I would love to have a couple. I still
have ST-506's and would love to try these out as I have never seen one
in use.

bill

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Alan Frisbie via cctalk]

j...@mercury.lcs.mit.edu (Noel Chiappa) wrote:


Err, which RLV11/RLV12 emulators are you seeing? I know of several RL02
emulators - Reinhard Heuberger's, and another I can't immediately find my
saved info on - (and one crazy project that turned a real RL02 into a USB
device :-), but you still need an RLV11/12 controller.


The only ones I can find now are the ones you mention.   Yes, I too can't find
my notes on the second one, whatever it is/was.   I was *sure* that someone
had made a Qbus emulator that used SD cards, but I simply can't find any mention
of it now.

Right now, it looks like Reinhard Heuberger's board is the best bet.   I haven't
checked with him yet to see if boards or kits are still available.   If I could
find a working TDL-12 I would jump on it in an instant.   All the older ones
(Dilog, etc.) appear to use ST-506 type drives, which introduces its own set of
problems.

Alan Frisbie

RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Noel Chiappa via cctalk]

> From: Alan Frisbie

> I need a controller that emulates the DEC RLV11/RLV12 and RL01/RL02
> drives. From my Google searching, I see a couple that use SD or similar
> solid state devices.

Err, which RLV11/RLV12 emulators are you seeing? I know of several RL02
emulators - Reinhard Heuberger's, and another I can't immediately find my
saved info on - (and one crazy project that turned a real RL02 into a USB
device :-), but you still need an RLV11/12 controller.

Noel

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Ethan Dicks via cctalk]

On Thu, Apr 5, 2018 at 1:06 AM, Paul Anderson via cctalk
 wrote:
> I'm sure DILOG and others companies made them, but I haven't found my DILOG
> book yet.

DQ614 emulates 1-4 RL02 drives on an ST506/ST412-interface drive (and
FWIW, the DQ615 is an RK06/RK07 emulator).

There's a page of switch/jumper settings on Bitsavers.

-ethan

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Paul Anderson via cctalk]

Hi Alan,

I just found an Emulex book that shows the SC02, SC04, and  SC12 as
supporting DEC RL drives. They show a model "L" for the RL drives. I'm
guessing different ROMS.

I'm sure DILOG and others companies made them, but I haven't found my DILOG
book yet.

I know people who have used them, but I cannot vouch for them.

Paul

On Wed, Apr 4, 2018 at 11:25 AM, Alan Frisbie via cctalk <
cctalk@classiccmp.org> wrote:

> "pe...@rittwage.com"  wrote:
>
> > You don't want to try to repair the controller? There are some custom
> > IC's on there (it appears) but is largely off-the-shelf TTL... I'm
> > sure someone on the list has a lot of experience with these and could
> > repair it or help.
>
> Indeed, I DO want to repair it, but that is a project for another day.
> Right now I need to solve the need for an RL02 emulator, which will let
> me quickly solve the current problem.
>
> Again, does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with any of the
> RL02 emulators our there?
>
> Thanks,
> Alan Frisbie
>

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Alan Frisbie via cctalk]

"pe...@rittwage.com"  wrote:

> You don't want to try to repair the controller? There are some custom
> IC's on there (it appears) but is largely off-the-shelf TTL... I'm
> sure someone on the list has a lot of experience with these and could
> repair it or help.

Indeed, I DO want to repair it, but that is a project for another day.
Right now I need to solve the need for an RL02 emulator, which will let
me quickly solve the current problem.

Again, does anyone have any experience (good or bad) with any of the
RL02 emulators our there?

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Al Kossow via cctalk]

On 4/3/18 6:25 AM, peter--- via cctalk wrote:
> Hi Alan,
> You don't want to try to repair the controller? There are some custom IC's on 
> there (it appears) but is largely off-the-shelf TTL... I'm sure someone on 
> the list has a lot of experience with these and could repair it or help.

Glen comes to mind, and I think he is in SoCal

https://sites.google.com/site/glensvintagecomputerinfo/td-systems/tdl-12

Re: RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[peter--- via cctalk]

Hi Alan,
You don't want to try to repair the controller? There are some custom IC's on 
there (it appears) but is largely off-the-shelf TTL... I'm sure someone on the 
list has a lot of experience with these and could repair it or help.
--
Pete Rittwage
On Tue, Apr 3, 2018 at 00:50, Alan Frisbie via cctech  wrote:
Several days ago I wrote about my joy of finding a TDL-12 disk
controller, emulating four DEC RL02 drives and using a SCSI drive.
Sadly, I discovered that the controller is a dead as a doornail.
It doesn't respond to any bus address at all.

So, I'm back to my original quest: I need a controller that
emulates the DEC RLV11/RLV12 and RL01/RL02 drives.   From my
Google searching, I see a couple that use SD or similar solid
state devices.   Does anyone here have any direct experience
(good or bad) with any of these emulators?   I don't mind
spending money for a good solution.

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie

RL01/RL02 emulator needed -- (was Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info)

[Alan Frisbie via cctalk]

Several days ago I wrote about my joy of finding a TDL-12 disk
controller, emulating four DEC RL02 drives and using a SCSI drive.
Sadly, I discovered that the controller is a dead as a doornail.
It doesn't respond to any bus address at all.

So, I'm back to my original quest: I need a controller that
emulates the DEC RLV11/RLV12 and RL01/RL02 drives.   From my
Google searching, I see a couple that use SD or similar solid
state devices.   Does anyone here have any direct experience
(good or bad) with any of these emulators?   I don't mind
spending money for a good solution.

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie

Re: Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

Wow, it was over 5 years ago already that I started trying to figure
out how to use a TDL-12. Doesn't seem that long ago. There is a thread
about it here, and that is where someone eventually responded with a
copy of the manual.

http://www.vcfed.org/forum/showthread.php?34859-TD-Systems-TDL-12-QBus-SCSI-controller-information

Re: Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info

[Bill Gunshannon via cctalk]

Wish I  had one of them things.  :-)


bill


On 03/28/2018 06:06 PM, Glen Slick via cctalk wrote:
>> The TDL-12 turns out to be a Q-Bus SCSI controller, emulating up to
>> four RL01/2 drives -- exactly what I needed!   Glen's web page even
>> includes a PDF of the original TD Systems manual for the board.
>>
>> So, Glen, whoever and wherever you are, I thank you from the bottom of
>> my heart for creating and maintaining a web page about this orphan
>> controller.   You have saved me a lot of time, effort, and probably
>> a bit of money as well.
>>
> Glad you found it helpful. I forget where I got the TDL-12 manual,
> probably from someone who responded to questions about it on the
> www.vcfed.org forum.
>
> -Glen

Re: Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info

[Glen Slick via cctalk]

>
> The TDL-12 turns out to be a Q-Bus SCSI controller, emulating up to
> four RL01/2 drives -- exactly what I needed!   Glen's web page even
> includes a PDF of the original TD Systems manual for the board.
>
> So, Glen, whoever and wherever you are, I thank you from the bottom of
> my heart for creating and maintaining a web page about this orphan
> controller.   You have saved me a lot of time, effort, and probably
> a bit of money as well.
>

Glad you found it helpful. I forget where I got the TDL-12 manual,
probably from someone who responded to questions about it on the
www.vcfed.org forum.

-Glen

Many thanks to Glen's Vintage Computer Info

[Alan Frisbie via cctalk]

I don't know if Glen Slick is on this list, but I owe him one!

I am working on an elderly PDP-11/23 system running RSX-11M v3.2 -- too
old to know about MSCP disk controllers like the RQDX1/2/3 and compatibles.
It is only sysgened for RK05, RL01/2, and an incompatible 3rd-party disk,
but neither the RK05 or RL01/2 controllers are present.

To do my work, I thus need an RL02 and controller... OR something that
emulates an RL02.   I had planned to post a note here today, asking for
recommendations for RL01/2 (RLV11) emulators, but got distracted.

Instead, I set about making an inventory of several boxes of Q-Bus cards
I had accumulated over the years.   Most were DEC, but a bunch were weird
3rd-party controllers, one of which was a TD Systems TDL-12.   What the hell
is a TDL-12?

My Google searching led me eventually to Glen's Vintage Computer Info
https://sites.google.com/site/glensvintagecomputerinfo/home
and his page on the TD Systems TDL-12: 
https://sites.google.com/site/glensvintagecomputerinfo/td-systems/tdl-12

The TDL-12 turns out to be a Q-Bus SCSI controller, emulating up to
four RL01/2 drives -- exactly what I needed!   Glen's web page even
includes a PDF of the original TD Systems manual for the board.

So, Glen, whoever and wherever you are, I thank you from the bottom of
my heart for creating and maintaining a web page about this orphan
controller.   You have saved me a lot of time, effort, and probably
a bit of money as well.

As an added bonus, Glen also has a page for an obscure HP Q-Bus logic
analyzer card, which I also have.   But that's a project for another
day.

Thanks,
Alan Frisbie