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PEEKing Into BASIC (VCF 9 Presentation) |
Digital PDP 11/44by billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  KD11-Z cards - the main card array. This unit also has an expansion backplane connected to the KD11-Z with a UNIBUS 9302
 Front view of the Digital PDP 11/44
 The orginal 11/44 Module Utilization Chart. My system does not have all of these installed.
Here's a good page that describes the system
http://www.pdp-11.nl/pdp11-44star">... [ read more ]
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Vintage Computer Festival East 9.1by billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  Mother and child playing a tank game made for the Cromemco Dazzler video card, running on an IMSAI with Cromemco CPU card. Click image for larger view.
 Francois Lanciault (Blainville, QC, Canada) brought his HP-9845 exhibit "Dawn of the Workstation". We also had exhibitors and contributors from Europe, Australia and points between. Click image for larger view.
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Heathkit ET-3400 / ETA-3400 Expansionby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 3 Updated: [ How to Load Monitor and Tiny BASIC ] 04/03/2014  View of the Heathkit ETA-3400 mainboard. The ETA-3400 expansion unit was an add-on to the ET-3400 6809-based trainer. Click image for larger view.
 Rear ports include cassette and RS232/teletype connectors. Click image for larger view.
Initiated a project to add an ETA-3400 to a Heathkit ET-3400. The main computer seems to work fine. Step one, complete the connector cable from parts on hand. With additional RAM and I/O ports, the ET-3400 becomes a lot more useful. I">... [ read more ]
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PC to Serial Terminal Screen Dumpby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1 It's kind of a pain to send a "printout" of an ASCII file to a vintage printer from a modern computer over the serial port. Here is how I sent a set of ASCII art prints to a Digital Equipment Corp Decwriter II. This technique would work with any serial terminal ("dumb" terminal), but you may need to change the settings to match your terminal/printer. 1. Find a computer with a real serial port. Did you know even today many PC motherboards have a serial port built in, even if you don't have an external port? You'd just need to find an internal serial port adapter. A true serial port is better than a "USB to Serial conversion dongle" in that using the real thing eliminates variables associated with converting the signal. 2. I used TeraTerm software from the PC. From TeraTerm locate the setup tab. There are two places you need to access to make changes a. serial port setup">... [ read more ] |
MITS Altair 8800b T with Dual Drivesby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 6 Updated: [ Serial Settings for Altair Disk BASIC ] 03/08/2014  Two MITS model 88-DCDD Single 8" disk drives. These are the older design made to match the 8800a system faceplate. Serial numbers DD 2100 and DD 3216
I have initiated work on MITS Altair 8800b Turnkey System with Dual 8" disk drives. It's a complete system with cables, cards, and a custom MITS desk to hold everything. The 8800b turnkey was first produced during the takeover of MITS by Pertec corporation. At some point, Pertec started calling an 8800b turnkey with dual drives the "300/25" system, but this particular system was sold before that. The serial number plate for the 8800b is still MITS, later versions' s/n plate read Pertec.
8800b T System Photos
NEXT: List of the components replaced, and a video of the system in action.
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More Unidentified Cards - Can you Help?by billdeg Total messages in this thread: 2 Updated: [ UNIVAC 1108 board ] 03/06/2014  This board has "Control Amplifier" printed on the back.
 IBM? The board has markings from 1967. Odd connector.
Can you help ID these? More Photos">... [ read more ]
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System Source Classic Computingby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 2 Updated: [ Baltimore Workshop / Meet and Greet ] 02/18/2014 
See photos">... [ read more ]
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Processor Tech SOL 20 Terminal Computerby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 5 Updated: [ 9090909090 ] 02/14/2014  The Processor Technologies SOL-20 Computer
As with most projects, the first thing that needs to be done is check the 5V output to the motherboard.
I assisted Dan Roganti test the power supply and we compared with another power supply to confirm the results. The SOL supply is OK, or at least it compares with a known-working supply. The voltage reading on the board however is not OK.
 The DC Voltage is consistently below 5V, something is shorting out.
The next step is to remove all socketed chips to see if there are bad TTL chip causing the voltage problem.
 The SOLOS Personality ROM daughterboard.">... [ read more ]
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1971 Burroughs ILLIAC IVby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  Burroughs Illiac IV back-plane printed circuit board. The chip number 1718-6263 chips are dated from 1969 and are (I think) early TTL chips similar to 1488's. Click image for larger view.
 Obverse / flat end of a Burroughs Illiac IV "TQ" module. Click for larger view.
 Side view of a Burroughs Illiac">... [ read more ]
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Televideo TS-816 Youtube Videoby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1 Televideo TS 816 - A mutli CPU Z80 system with 128K RAM, 20Mb 8 inch Winchester hard drive and built-in 192Kb/sec tape unit for backups. The operating system is MmmOst with CP/M 2.2 and is capable of 16 simultaneous user terminal sessions. This system would have been used in a small business. The TS-816 was from the high point of Televideo and was certainly "vintage early 80's business machine". The 816's were relatively less expensive than the 1970's style mini computers Televideo strove to replace. Eventually various forms of networked IBM PC/XT/AT type machines knocked systems like the TS-816, TRS-80 II/12/16 and Altos 8000 MP/M systems out of the market. http://youtu.be/zTVvMvvOgDE |
MITS Altair 680 16K RAMby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 3 Updated: [ MITS 680 16K RAM installed ] 01/23/2014  Close up of the MITS Altair 680 16K Static RAM card.
Front (before restoration)
Rear (before restoration)
So far I have de-soldered a bad socket. Most of the components will need to be replaced. More to come.">... [ read more ]
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1972 Casio-mini calculatorby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  The 1972 Casio-mini was the first handheld calculator. Over 2 million units were sold. This calculator helped launch the PC revolution - how? The inexpensive mini and other early handheld calculators forced other manufacturers, like MITS, out of the market (see MITS 1440)..looking for a new business MITS went on to produce the Altair 8800 computer and the rest was history. Click on image for larger view.
More Casio Mini pictures">... [ read more ]
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Xerox Alto RAM MM5280D boardsby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  Close up view of a Xerox Alto RAM board 16K dynamic MM5280D RAM chips, which have a silkscreen production date code of mid 1976. Click image for larger view.
Actual RAM boards are too large for my flat-bed scanner, so I took two scans of each RAM board imaged. I also have a third similar board, that's the source of the close up RAM chip view. Each board is 128K I believe, 16-bit.
More photos.">... [ read more ]
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Intel 1974 P1103 Dynamic RAM Boardby billdeg Total messages in this thread: 1  Intel branded RAM board populated with with P1103 dynamic RAM chips. Click image for larger view.
Not sure if the IA078 sticker on the board is the board ID or just a Q/A sticker. The board also has MOS Rev A printed on it. I believe "7410" printed on the board is the production date. More info needed.
More photos">... [ read more ]
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CompuProCPM MBASIC
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Total messages in this thread: 1
You can now download a PDF of my lecture from VCF East 9.1. -------------- Notes If you're so inclined, here is a listing of my class notes that go along with the PDF link above. Not all slides have notes/I didn't need them. SLIDE 3: Original scope of the program, has evolved over time to include more hardware interaction. Timesharing BASIC was not designed for hardware interaction. SLIDE 4: This class is intended for those who have been introduced to the BASIC language and want to go further with the language in the “vintage computer” perspective. It is also intended for those who have already learned another older language and need only a brief introduction to what is for them a second or third programming language. SLIDE 6: Constants. BASIC programs are made up of statements that contain keywords, variables, operators,">... [ read more ]