test-drb October 1999

test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

216 participants
748 discussions

by mcquiggi＠sfu.ca

Hello All: Highgate.comm.sfu.ca will be offline over the weekend for an upgrade of it's HD. I am going to add 6 GB of space to the machine. The OS will be staying as is for the time being, although at some point I would like to upgrade it to FreeBSD 3.x. User files should not be affected, I will be moving the /usr/home and web data to the new HD. I'll send you all a message once the machine is back up. Sorry for any inconvenience! Kevin ========================================================== Sgt. Kevin McQuiggin, Vancouver Police Department E-Comm Project (604) 215-5095; Cell: (604) 868-0544 Email: mcquiggi(a)sfu.ca

26 years, 1 month

DECUS Paper Tapes

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>I am just starting to go through the software I got with the 8/s and I don't >know what some of these older tapes did: > >5/8-9 [(PDP 5/8) - Tape #9] - Analysis of Variance >5/8-15 - A.T.E.P.O. Program >5/8-45 - Remote Time Shared III System >5/8-54 - Tic Tac Toe Learning Program (figured this one out) >8/8s -77 - Dual Process Sys. > > >Some of these I can tell what they did by the name but does anyone have any >information about any of them? (I haven't had time to go through all the >documentation yet). I can't help specifically with the PDP-8 DECUS paper tapes, but I can offer some general clues: DECUS software starts with the model that it runs on - in your case, a PDP-5 or a PDP-8 - and is followed by a sequence number. So "5/8-45" is the 45th program for the PDP-5 or PDP-8. A "S" after the model number signifies either a symposium collection or a "special" collection. Your 5/8-9 tape is a general statistical tool that falls into the "ANOVA" class. For an index of how these numbers apply to PDP-11 (i.e. "11-" and "11S" series) DECUS software, see http://metalab.unc.edu/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/decus/ for several hundred DECUS 11-series abstracts. -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

26 years, 1 month

8T26s

by dcoward＠pressstart.com

Philip.Belben(a)pgen.com said on the subject of: Re: Tandon TM 100 5 1/4" drives >Doug, I hope you don't mean you need to replace the chips with broken pins. > >This happened to a ROM in my oldest PET when I was trying to reseat it (poor >contacts in sockets - I eventually replaced them with decent sockets). I stuck >a thin piece of metal - a staple, as I recall - into the socket where the pin >was supposed to go, and soldered it to the stub of the pin. Worked a treat! I can understand doing this for a ROM but it's much easier for me to just go out and buy new-old-stock chips. Here in the Bay area a few of the electronic surplus stores also have well organized selections of chips. I stopped this morning at one that's close to work, Halted Specialities (HSC). The woman behind the counter had never heard of a 8T-anything and continued to write "AT26" until I wrote it out for her. But in less than a minute she returned with a plastic drawer with about 200 in it. I had the choice between "black" or "white and gold". Sixty eight cents each and they are all Synertec parts with 1975 date codes. A few of these places also have large collections of old data books that are not for sale, but for customer reference. --Doug ========================================= Doug Coward Press Start Inc. Sunnyvale,CA =========================================

26 years, 1 month

Deciphering M792-YB "ROM Diode Matrix" PDP-11 bootstrap

by ethan_dicks＠yahoo.com

In my ongoing excavations, I've located an orphan board that I would like to return to its nest. It's a diode-strapped boot card, M792-YB. The pattern looks like this... - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - o o o o o - - - - - o - o o o 0 o o o - - - - o - - - - - - - - - o - o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o - o o o o o - o o o o o o - o o - - - o - o - o o o 10 o o o o o o o o - - - - - - - - - - - o - o o o o o o o o - o o o o - o o - - - o - - - - - - - - - - o o o o o o - o o o o o o 20 o o o o o - - - - o - o - o o o o - o o o o o o o o o - o o o o o o o - o o - - - - o - o o o o o - - - - - - - o o o o o o o - 30 o o o o o - - - - - o - o o o o - - o o - - - - o o o o o o o - W o o o o - o o o o o - o o - o o O o o o o o - - - - o - o - o o o R - o - o o o o o o o o o o o o o D o o o - o o - - - - o - o o o - o - - - - - - - o o o o o o o - o o o - o o - - - - o - o o o o 50 o o - - o - - - - o o o o o o - o o o - o o o o o - o - o o o - - - - - - o - o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 60 - o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 70 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 0 BIT 15 (- = diode installed o = diode missing) The question is, What's a one and what's a zero? Left-to-right? I don't have an -11 frontpanel or handbook in front of me; is bit 0 the MSB? Any hints? Worst case, I could translate all permutations of the bits into octal and figure out what produces the most legible bitstream, but I'd rather go into this with a little foreknowledge. The eventual goal is to disassemble the bootstrap, thus revealing what device it is for. Thanks, -ethan ===== Infinet has been sold. The domain is going away in February. Please send all replies to erd(a)iname.com __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com

26 years, 1 month

OT: how big would it be?

by Philip.Belben＠powertech.co.uk

> ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote: >> >> Incidentally the nominal Vff is given as 6.3V. I wonder how many >> modern-day engineers would realise the significance. Well, I'd assumed that f stood for filament. ___ Hey, perhaps Vcc is cathode voltage! > This is the point that zeners change from avalanche to > some other kind of break down that I can't remember > the name of. These made good noise generators. > Or, could you be talking about filiment voltages? > Dwight I was taught, avalanche breakdown above 5V, Zener breakdown (of course) below, but I'd always assumed that both mechanisms were present around the changeover point. Philip. ********************************************************************** This email and any files transmitted with it are confidential and intended solely for the use of the individual or entity to whom they are addressed. If you have received this email in error please notify the system manager. This footnote also confirms that this email message has been swept for the presence of computer viruses. Power Technology Centre, Ratcliffe-on-Soar, Nottingham, NG11 0EE, UK Tel: +44 (0)115 936 2000 http://www.powertech.co.uk **********************************************************************

26 years, 1 month

Designs (was Re: OT: how big would it be?)

by CLASSICCMP＠trailing-edge.com

>> Is it true that the first CPU-on-a-single-board was the DG Nova? >> (And it's a rather largish board, at that! Almost equivalent in >> area to all the boards in the PDP-8/E CPU put together...) >I'm not sure. The Nova certainly used large boards - 15" * 15" >- and while the original nova (and I believe supernova) and >nova 1200 got by with just one, it the 800 family used two of >those huge things. Since mechanical engineering was never a >strong suit at DG it's generally accepted to use a rubber mallet >or wooden drift to seat those boards into the backplane... And some of the later DG Nova-descended CPU's (for example, the S/230) packed an amazing amount of parts on those huge boards! Were you the one who posted looking for an S/130, Chris? Hate to tell you this, but I had a half-dozen of 'em two years ago - if you'd only been reading then! -- Tim Shoppa Email: shoppa(a)trailing-edge.com Trailing Edge Technology WWW: http://www.trailing-edge.com/ 7328 Bradley Blvd Voice: 301-767-5917 Bethesda, MD, USA 20817 Fax: 301-767-5927

26 years, 1 month

outgrowth of : OT: how big would it be?

by edick＠idcomm.com

What I'm really after is small RAMs with separate ins and outs, and the current generation stuff doesn't seem to address that requirement. I guess I'll have to use a CPLD or FPGA with RAM inside. Dick -----Original Message----- From: Tony Duell <ard(a)p850ug1.demon.co.uk> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, October 20, 1999 7:22 PM Subject: Re: outgrowth of : OT: how big would it be? >> >> So, who makes 256-byte RAM devices at TTL speeds these days. There are all > >Good question... All sorts of useful, generic, devices are no longer >made. Oh, there are millions of complex chips for particular >applications, but just try getting a small RAM, or a simple UART, or... > >> sorts of FIFOs of 256 bytes, but I can't find a simple 256-byte RAM any >> more. I also need a 32x8-bit sram, fast (preferably address-access time >> <<10ns) and preferably in a small package. > > >Remember you can always use a larger static RAM that you strictly need >and just tie the unused address lines to a defined state (e.g. ground). >So possibly you could use the same chip for both problems. > >What about the cache RAM off a PC motherboard (is that still being made?) >It was pretty fast (15ns or better?), and 32K*8 skinnydips were used I >think. Or am I a year out of date again? > >-tony >

26 years, 1 month

OT: how big would it be?

by allisonp＠world.std.com

<> Memory says 82s129, I have the data sheet home in that 1971 signetics <> data book. I was my first ttl databook! < <The 82S129 was a fusible-link PROM. It was an actual device, and in <production until quite recently. And old... I had my data sheet out when I typed that... can you say transient ischemic attack {blonde moment}. I could, if I remember. <Incidentally the nominal Vff is given as 6.3V. I wonder how many <modern-day engineers would realise the significance. that's 6.3V AC, after all it is an indirectly heated cathode. ;) Don't forget the drain [as in spigot] or the bit bucket under it. <If anyone wants to get this data sheet, it's reprinted on page 605 of the <'Student Manual for the Art of Electronics' by Thomas C Hayes and Paul <Horowitz (2nd Edition, ISBN 0-521-37709-9) I consider that a classic, both the book and the data sheet. Allison

26 years, 1 month

Tandon TM 100 5 1/4" drives

by Philip.Belben＠pgen.com

>> Reminiscent of motoring in Germany. There the signs - and even the inhabitants >> - talk about speeds in km. NOT km/h, which is what they mean. Very >> confusing... > > No, that's no confusing, it's plain wrong. A speed does not have the > dimensions of a distance. Wrong it may be, but I assure you it _is_ confusing ;-) Not as confusing as tracks/side vs. tracks/disk, though, since 80km/s is not a sensible speed for a road vehicle (yet!)... Philip. This E-mail message is private and confidential and should only be read by those to whom it is addressed. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, distribution, copying, reproduction, modification or publication of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please delete the message from your computer and destroy any copies. This message is not intended to be relied upon by any person without subsequent written confirmation of its contents. This company therefore disclaims all responsibility and accepts no liability of any kind which may arise from any person acting, or refraining from acting, upon the contents of the message without having had subsequent written confirmation. If you have received this communication in error, or if any problems occur in transmission please notify us immediately by telephone on +44 (0)2476 425474

26 years, 1 month

outgrowth of : OT: how big would it be?

by edick＠idcomm.com

Yes, those parts were OK, except that they are several orders of magnitude too slow. Volatility is not the issue, since it will be changed frequently, but it's VITAL that the parts be quick, i.e. 5-7 ns max, on address access and separate ins and outs would be best. I don't care if I waste 95% of the RAM, but it should have separate ins and outs, and I have seen VERY few of those, particularly in the speed i want. Any suggestions? Dick -----Original Message----- From: Roger Merchberger <zmerch(a)30below.com> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers <classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu> Date: Wednesday, October 20, 1999 8:13 PM Subject: Re: outgrowth of : OT: how big would it be? >Rumor has it that Richard Erlacher may have mentioned these words: >>So, who makes 256-byte RAM devices at TTL speeds these days. There are all >>sorts of FIFOs of 256 bytes, but I can't find a simple 256-byte RAM any >>more. I also need a 32x8-bit sram, fast (preferably address-access time >><<10ns) and preferably in a small package. > >Not sure who still *makes* them, but BGMicro and I think Jameco still sells >Moto 6810 & I think 68B10 parts - IIRC 128x8 parts. (No, not Meg, No, not >Kilo, but 128 Bytes... just to clarify ;-) > >Also, if you're looking for non-volitile, you could go with one of the >Dallas Semiconductor 12x887 parts - 14 bytes of control registers for the >onboard clock chip, and 114 bytes of general-purpose battery-backed RAM. > >BGMicro has some pretty weird stuff... including some really nice kits from >what I recall. www.bgmicro.com; I think they have a catalog online, if not >you can download it as a .pdf... > >Hope that helps, >Roger "Merch" Merchberger >-- >Roger "Merch" Merchberger --- sysadmin, Iceberg Computers >Recycling is good, right??? Ok, so I'll recycle an old .sig. > >If at first you don't succeed, nuclear warhead >disarmament should *not* be your first career choice.

26 years, 1 month

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test-drb October 1999