PDP-11/44 boot prompt

From: William Donzelli <william_at_ans.net>
Date: Mon Nov 2 08:57:48 1998

> I've been an operator too, and it is certainly possible for one person
> to be an operator of such a machine. But where are you going to get spare
> parts for a 370 when it breaks?

Good question.

Easy answer: replace the chip with an exact duplicate using the spares you
have been picking up all over the place! If it has a little aluminum
covered chip - grab it!

Tough answer: I am not sure how much the S/370 logic would like working
with 10K ECL, but one could burn a PAL to do the required function. S/370
chips were not very complex at all - easily functionally replacable with
the ECL 22V10s. The PALs may also fit!

> Several collector *own* big iron, but I have yet to hear of any *operating*
> it. AFAIK, even the Computer Museum Historical Collection is not attempting
> to operate any big iron; the closest I've heard of is an attempt to
> restore an IBM 1620 (which is only medium iron).

Very true. I do not have any real big iron (I wish I did), so I guess I
can not comment. RCS/RI can keep a PDP-12 operational most of the time,
like my PDP-8/S, but they have their bad days. The RCS/RI VAX-11/750 can
stay up, but that is about it.

William Donzelli
william_at_ans.net
Received on Mon Nov 02 1998 - 08:57:48 GMT

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