New to VAX (4000/200)

[Jochen Kunz]

On Tue, 29 Apr 2008 23:04:23 -0400
"Curtis H. Wilbar Jr." <rescue at hawkmountain.net> wrote:

> 1. How is 24M of RAM ?  Should I be on the lookout for more ?
24 MB is OK, but a few more bits would be better.

> 2. What releases of VMS, Vax Ultrix, etc should I limit myself to
> based on 24M and KA660 ?
Ultrix doesn't support the MicroVAX 4000 line of machines. If you want
*ix you have to go to NetBSD or OpenBSD. NetBSD sould run fine on it. I
run NetBSD on my 4k2 a few weeks back to fix a few things.

> 3. Was there a DSSI version of TK70 ?
I don't know about the TK70, but the first generation of DLT drives
(successors to the TK70) was availale with DSSI intrface.

> 4. 4000/200 does not have SCSI, correct ?  (other than someone added
> an SI SC-1000)
Yes. No SCSI. It is all DSSI.

> 5. any idea if a SCSI CD can be booted via the SI SC-1000 ?  (boot
> cmds would be ?)
I connected a CDROM to a Dilog MSCP SCSI adapter and it showed up as a
read only disk. So the usual disk boot commands worked.

> 7. There is what looks like a 50 pin scsi terminator (small size like 
> Sun 411 case) that I've
>     identified as DSSI terminator., What is the 50 pin centronics
> style connector above that ?
Depending on the enclosure (BA440?) it may be SCSI. The BA440 has some
slots with SCSI on the backplane in addition to DSSI. It was meant to
put a SCSI CDROM in there and interface it to the VAX using a KZQSA.

> 8. What is a DSV11-S good for ?
DECnet? ;-)

> 9. Not that I plan to, but how do you make use of the async cards
> (they have 50 pin centronics style connectors)
You need special break out cables. You can build them yourself if you
know how to handle a soldering iron. 

> 12. Can the DSSI drive 'bus' be converted to SCSI ?
No. ? Ohh, you mean just the physical bus wiring on the backplane?
Hmmm. Maybe. If all 50 pins are routed straight through it shouldn't
matter if you connect them to a SCSI or DSSI adapter.

> How are the 4000/200 machines ?  (Other VAXen I have is VAXStation
> 2000 and VAXStation 3100, neither of which is running (driveless))...
The 4k2 was the last QBus CPU. Starting with the 4k3 the CPU had
special backplane connectors.

> Any drop in cpu/memory upgrades that are worthwhile (in the free to 
> cheap territory of course :-) ).
As I wrote: The later VAXen used an entirely different backplane.
Special connectors for CPU and RAM, QBus only in the left potion of the
backplane. You would need a new backplane along with new CPU and RAM. Most likely you will get that backplane only within a complete enclosure.
-- 


tsch__,
       Jochen

Homepage: http://www.unixag-kl.fh-kl.de/~jkunz/