Is anyone familiar with PC-51 and/or CoreNET?
These are IBM 5110/5120 related tools developed by an individual in the
early 1980s.
My understanding is PC-51 was an emulator that ran BASIC programs from the
IBM 5110. One keyword new in the IBM 5110 was the "FORMS" keyboard, and
you could define input fields (including type-formatting constraints, like
sequence of letters and numbers) -- and once defined, you could
relatively-easily store all the contents of the fields to a file (on tape
or disk). I'm not entirely sure what format PC-51 supported (e.g. could
read in ASCII text files containing the BASIC programs?). But I always
imagined those customer data entry forms in old Radio Shack or Sears stores
-- large department stores -- being developed in something like this.
And CoreNET, I think was some kind of "null modem cable" that let the IBM
5110 communicate with an IBM PC 5150. The IBM 5110 has 3x DB25 connectors
at the backside (and 1x DB15 cable like what became the "standard" joystick
port on some systems in mid-late 1980s). The external tape and disk system
would use these connectors -- with software driven from the ROS. I've
always imagined it would be possible to "bit bang" across these external IO
pins with some PALM-assembly -- the machine should be fast enough to encode
7-bit ASCII at 300 baud across those pins, maybe 1200. I'm not sure if
CoreNET used or required any async card or the parallel communication card
(that did IEEE-488), i.e. not sure if it was more than just a cable.
But what's more interesting - apparently Sony is now the owner of both
these assets, PC51 and CoreNET. Maybe Hal Prewitt sold it to them? Why
would Sony be interested in it? Anyone happen to know anyone who works at
Sony, or ideas on where to start on even "asking them" about it? Might be
a lost cause these days.
Anyone happen to have a copy of the old manuals of either of these?
-Steve
I recently bought an Alacron FT200-AT dual i860 card. Basically the
earlier ISA version of this:
http://www.alacron.org/clientuploads/FT-200-PCI.PDF
It included two manuals but no software. Alacron seems still in business
but they didn't reply to email. I've called twice and noone answers their
phone, it just goes to an anonymous voicemail.
Does anyone have any software? I couldn't find anything via Google or on
bitsavers.
Thanks
Tony
I have three DEC RA8x drives that have failed (all of them fault with
"spin error") because of bad photo-interrupter tachometer sensors. After
talking to a few friends, it sounds like this is a pretty common fault.
Photo sensors like this are fairly common, even today, but the specific
parts DEC used are weird and unobtainable.
I designed a little PC board that uses an ITR9606 photo interrupter, a
2N3904 and a resistor as a replacement. Works great - gives a beautiful 5V
P-P clean waveform and with the PCB it's a mechanical drop in replacement.
Just screws right onto the original mounting holes and plugs into the
original connector.
I put the PCB design up on OSH Park
https://oshpark.com/shared_projects/z8DSkQsP
If anybody needs one you're welcome to order some PCBs and build your own.
The ITR9606 is as common as dirt, and you can buy bags of ten on Amazon for
a few bucks.
I've also put a few pictures on the Facebook DEC Computer Users group. I'd
post the pictures here, but I don't think cctalk accepts attachments. It's
not really worth making a web page for it.
Bob
Got the Peanuts out today for a shakedown. They work well, or at least they did
until about 5 minutes into playing Kings Quest when the h-sync on the monitor
suddenly went out. Colours show and match what should be on screen but the
horizontal display is scrambled. It does it on both Peanuts, so I think
something in the display blew.
Anyone recognize this issue? Seems like it should be a straightforward fix; I
can't imagine this monitor is particularly complex internally.
--
------------------------------------ personal: http://www.cameronkaiser.com/ --
Cameron Kaiser * Floodgap Systems * www.floodgap.com * ckaiser(a)floodgap.com
-- Put down your guns, it's Weasel Stomping Day! ------------------------------
So, I screwed up and in my excitement to find a DEC BA123 chassis (and MVII parts) I bid on an Ebay auction where there is no shipping and it's "Local Pickup Only". The problem is that I'm near Fort Worth TX and the MVII/BA123 is in Brunswick, GA and I don't really have the time to make the 2000+ mile round trip drive to pick it up.
Does anyone here know of a reliable shipping service in Brunswick, GA? Or suggestions for outfits to check out? Google hasn't shown me much other that UPS and FedEx stores.
Failing that, is there anyone near enough willing to pick it up in Brunswick that might want it for themselves?
Ebay listing https://www.ebay.com/itm/334615827742?
--
John H. Reinhardt
> From: pbirkel(a)gmail.com
> Sent: Sunday, November 6, 2022 2:50 AM
> To: General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
<cctalk(a)classiccmp.org>
> Subject: Seeking DEC BN25B-nn Optical Fiber Cable
>
> This is a twin/duplex cable of varying length with 100/140 um "multimode"
cores and
> SMA-906 connectors. SMA-906 connectors have the stepped center-pin,
compared to
> the SMA-905 which is a simpler straight pin. It's used, for example, by
the LAN Bridge 100.
>
> For additional information see pages 169 through 335 (of 452) in
>
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/comm/EK-CMIV7-RM-005_Communications_Options
_Minireference_Manual_Vol7_Aug88.pdf
I'm reliably informed that the cable actually has a light beige jacket (not
orange), so not so easy to spot in your tangled pile of cables :-{.
paul
Hi folks!
Is there anyone out there, who can help me with my Beehive Topper
CP/M machine?
The machine starts up with his self-test going o.k.
Then it requests for the boot disk or pressing RETURN to start
the Monitor V2.0 program.
The Monitor program seems to work o.k.
Booting a disk (written from the images out of the Maslin archive)
puts some cryptic characters of the screen and hangs the machine.
The images are for a Topper II, mine is a model Topper.
Is this the problem?
I have found very very little about the Topper machines,
no manuals, no software, no schematics.
R. Harten
--
Liam,
i'm sorry, but Chuck is right.
Your link directs to a photo showing a terminal.
The Topper was put into market as a intelligent terminal for
stand alone use as a CP/M machine and for remote issues as a
IBM compatible terminal.
In fact the Topper has a 8085 CPU for the terminal part and a Z80
for the CP/M part.
On booting the system disk you should be asked which functionalilty
you want.
There is a marketing brochure i have found in the www, where the
Topper is mentioned beside some other Beehive terminals.
Rolf
This is a twin/duplex cable of varying length with 100/140 um "multimode"
cores and SMA-906 connectors. SMA-906 connectors have the stepped
center-pin, compared to the SMA-905 which is a simpler straight pin. It's
used, for example, by the LAN Bridge 100.
For additional information see pages 169 through 335 (of 452) in
http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/comm/EK-CMIV7-RM-005_Communications_Options
_Minireference_Manual_Vol7_Aug88.pdf
Probably it has an orange sheath so it would be somewhat distinctive in your
tangled pile of cables :-}.
Thank you for looking,
paul
I attended Queen Mary College from 86-89. They had just received several
dozen MG1s. I believe the WCW founders came from QMC.
By the final year a good 1/4 we're non-functional as the keyboards has
failed and by then WCW has gone bankrupt a second time (for good). I
remember one the programmers trying to encourage the more enterprising 3rd
year students to take on building a IBM keyboard adapter as their final
year project :-)
I'd love one for nostalgias sake but I live in the US now though shipping
to my mum's may be possible though no clue if they can handle 120v.
Lots of good memories. Eliot Miranda worked at QMC and had ported his
BrouHaHa smalltalk to the MG1. I remember using Occam (emulator), Lisp,
ML, Modula2 and C plus of course Smalltalk 80 all on the MG1.
Tony
