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Litton Monroe/Compucorp 1641-S cards on eBay (Word Processor Software) on cards

by organlists1＠sonic.net

Earlier this afternoon, a "lot" of Litton Monroe/Compucorp 1641-S cards were placed on eBay. There are a total of 17 cards. Some cards are marked "Word Processor". My only guess is these were meant to interface with an 1800 series calculator attached to the 300 I/O unit. It would be a shame for this software to not be preserved. It is a 6-day auction. I have NO personal interest in the proceeds, but only wish they could go to someone who would archive and share the software from these cards. https://www.ebay.com/itm/327307267663 Don Resor

1 month, 2 weeks

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IBM PC versus XT

by Jim Brain

I apologize for interrupting more reasonable conversations about much more interesting machines, but I would appreciate some assistance. I didn't plan on having any x86 systems here, save for a bench machine to make images using Teledisk and relations. I did acquire a Kaypro 4+88 over time, which has an x86, as part of a larger Kaypro rescue, for which I am grateful to those on list who helped me with repairs and getting boot disks. However, a number of years back, someone offered me a 5150 PC with the (unknown by me until that day) 5161 Expansion Chassis. That seemed unique, and I wanted to mess around with the expansion chassis. Over the years, as part of rescues and helping out the VCF consignment space years ago, a Compaq Portable I and a Portable 386 (with the plasma screen) have ended up here, as well as a recent Panasonic Senior Partner (cool system, IMHO). That said, I am sitting here looking at a pretty clean 5160 XT that has been significantly stripped. No FDD or HDD, no HDD controller, no video card, no KB, fully populated 256kB mobo, but only 1 card installed (AST SixPac). Unit powers up to long beep and then short ones (video issue, which is understandable). If I rescue a system, no matter what it is, I try to restore to operational condition, with some practicality (using solid state media instead of a HDD, stuff like that). This unit is going to need a lot of work, and I am trying to decide how important it is to have both a 5150 PC and a 5160 XT, since the XT was such a marginal update to the PC (-cassette, bit newer BIOS, 8 slots instead of 5). The PC setup I have already has 11 slots combined, an HDD, and full memory, video, and KB. Still, it is an original IBM PC XT, there's some history there. I'm struggling with how much importance to apply to this "needs a lot of TLC" unit, and I would appreciate constructive points. VCF MW is coming up, and if I want to get this into someone else's hands to restore/enjoy, then would be an ideal time. If it's important to keep, VCF MW is probably a great place to grab the pieces needed to restore it. Jim -- Jim Brain brain(a)jbrain.com www.jbrain.com

1 month, 2 weeks

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VCF West 2026 Survey

by Jeffrey Brace

VCF West 2026 was a great success! If you attended, then please fill out this survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LZN7HZD Take care! Jeff Brace VCF National Board Member Chairman & Vice President

1 month, 2 weeks

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PDP-11 QBUS SCSI adapter?

by Peter Ekstrom

Hi everyone, I keep coming back to wanting a removable physical media other than RX33 for my 11/23+. I have a SyQuest MFM drive but haven't been able to find any media for it. While the larger disks are all around, the older 15MB disks seem to be unobtanium. While an RK05 or RK07 drive would be really neat, I don't really have room for something like that. I have a couple of SCSI ZIP-100 drives so a SCSI adapter would work, but the eBay prices for them seem to be rather optimistic. Does anyone here have a QBUS adapter they would be willing to part with for a reasonable price? Something like a UC07 for example? Alternatively, has anyone ever tried to use a parallel ZIP-100 on a PDP-11? Oh, I am running RSX11M+ v4.6 on the machine. - Peter

1 month, 2 weeks

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VCFMW

by Paul Anderson

If you are attending VCFMW and would like me to bring DEC gear for you, please email me at useddec(a)gmail.com. If you would like to talk I will send you my phone number. Please do not reply to this message. I'm trying to avoid looking through a long string and cannot always find some requests and it makes things difficult and I might not be able to find you. I'm making changes this year trying not to lose anyone. I'm planning on leaving here Thursday afternoon or Friday morning, and returning Sunday afternoon. If you wish to stop here before or after the show please make arrangements ASAP. I am located about 10 miles west of Champaign, IL and close to I-57, I-72, and I-74, which is about 2 1/2 to 3 hours from VCFMW.. I will not be available starting 27 AUG for between 3 - 5 days. As usual, I can trade DEC items for *US and foreign coins and currency.* *Please email me with any questions.* *Thanks, Paul*

1 month, 2 weeks

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IBM 1410 (with 1401) FPGA Update

by Jay Jaeger

A couple of updates on my efforts to implement the IBM 1410 in an FPGA using the ALDs translated into VHDL, especially 1401 mode. The 1410, with card, print and tape I/O works and passes most diagnostics. I have also been testing IBM 1401 I/O - card, print and tape, and the I/O is 95+% there as well, and passes the 1410 1401 CPU diagnostics. The I/O diagnostic M012A can be coaxed into running without errors so long as I don't load and start the card reader until the diagnostic has issued the first 1401 opcode "1" card read instruction. The I/O diagnostic M014B gets most of the way through under the same conditions. The FPGA implementation current throws away SS stacker select controls in 1401 mode, which unlike the 1410 come after the associated card read or card punch instruction, which will necessitate having the C# support program hold on to a card image for a period of time in case an SS follows. The IBM 1410 operating system 1410-PR-108 works, and I have tested Autocoder, COBOL and FORTRAN. For FORTRAN one cannot do much because I don't have its relocatable library or linker. I expect RPG will work as well, but haven't run it on the FPGA. The IBM 1410 operating system 1410-PR-155 works, including system generation under Autcoder, FORTRAN and COBOL. I have not yet tried any 1401 language processors, but expect to do that over the coming weeks. I expect they will mostly run OK, based on the fact that the tape library we had at the U. Wisconsin School of Business had the 1401 FORTRAN II card based compiler, and tapes for 1401 Autocoder (don't remember if that was with/without Macros or IOCS) and FORTRAN IV and maybe even COBOL. I have created a page with information and downloads that can be used with my FPGA implementation, and also with my 1410 simulator (no 1401 mode there) written in Borland/Embarcadero Rad Studio C++, and also with Rich Cornwell's Simh i7010 implementation. *https://www.computercollection.net/index.php/ibm-1410-7010-software-and-examples/ *My FPGA project information is described at https://www.computercollection.net/index.php/ibm-1410-fpga-implementation/ , which needs multiple project progress updates now. ;) My Simulator project information is described at https://www.computercollection.net/index.php/ibm-1410-simulator/ The project on GitHub are: The FPGA project: https://github.com/cube1us/IBM1410FPGA The C# Console for the FPGA: https://github.com/cube1us/IBM1410Console The C# program for capturing ALD information and generating VHDL: https://github.com/cube1us/IBM1410SMS The Embarcadero C++ based Simulator: https://github.com/cube1us/1410 JRJ

1 month, 2 weeks

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Re: ADDS Viewpoint keyboard and serial terminals

by Gregory Beat

Mike - Boundless Technologies still perform repairs (based on available parts) on terminals they manufactured for ADDS, DEC, and others. They also sell new keyboards (6-pin mini-DIN) with different layouts. There are other repair/service centers for Serial Terminal and Keyboards, like Jetstar in Marietta, GA. Place CUDIG in Champaign county on your Speed Dial list. eBay reseller CUDIG61872 is located in Salorus, IL (just south of Champaign, IL). He sells repair parts and restored serial terminals (DEC, HP, others). He has attended VCFMW in the past (before COVID). Reportedly he has replacement Amber CRT for the ADDS terminal refurshment (lists on eBay). Control System Labs 1501 Kensington Ave. Buffalo, NY 14215 greg == I have an ADDS Viewpoint serial terminal that has a bad keyboard. Does anyone have a compatible key board to spare? Also, I'm planning to have 2 different 4 user systems up and running at VCF Midwest and I only have 2 working serial terminals (VT220 & VT330+) does anyone (preferably in the Chicago area) have a terminal or two they are looking for a good home for on the super cheap? I don't want to have to use 6 laptops if I can avoid it. Thanks, Mike bitwiz(a)12bitsbest.com

1 month, 3 weeks

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ADDS Viewpoint keyboard & serial terminals

by Mike Katz

I have an ADDS Viewpoint serial terminal that has a bad keyboard. Does anyone have a compatible key board to spare? Also, I'm planning to have 2 different 4 user systems up and running at VCF Midwest and I only have 2 working serial terminals (VT220 & VT330+) does anyone (preferably in the Chicago area) have a terminal or two they are looking for a good home for on the super cheap? I don't want to have to use 6 laptops if I can avoid it. Thanks, Mike bitwiz(a)12bitsbest.com

1 month, 3 weeks

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Re: New TU56 Tape Images Available for simH use

by Len Shustek

At Sat, 1 Aug 2026 20:42:23 -0400, David Gesswein <djg(a)pdp8online.com> wrote: >The reader is a bunch of instrument amps that amplify to levels usable by >Saleae logic 16 pro which has analog digitization mode and way too many >times repurposed code to decode it. Doesn't look like I have put it online >probably because the code is embarrassing but ok with giving it away if >someone has use for it. Here's an alternative to consider: Years ago I wrote a program to decode waveforms digitized from cruddy old mag tapes in various formats, including 7-track NRZI, 9-track NRZI, PE, and GCR, and 6-track Whirlwind. https://github.com/LenShustek/readtape We've read hundreds of tapes, mostly digitized using a Saleae analyzer. I never wrote a DECtape decoder, but it would be doable.

1 month, 3 weeks

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Re: New TU56 Tape Images Available for simH use

by Len Shustek

At 12:35 PM 8/3/2026, Len Shustek wrote: >It sounded like David has already done that, and has digitized the analog >track data. That's what my "just software" program expects as input. I should clarify: not a conversion of the analog track data into the encoded bits, but digitizing the magnetic flux waveforms at a rate that provides about 15-30 samples per cycle. The software then finds the peaks (or zero-crossings), derives the clock when necessary, and decodes the bits.

1 month, 3 weeks

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