-----Original Message-----
From: Christian Fandt <cfandt_at_netsync.net>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Monday, 16 November 1998 7:52
Subject: Help verify contents of MVII
>Briefly, I have a Microvax II that I got in that big haul of DEC gear this
>past July.
Sorry, must have been before I was in the list, what did you get? :^)
>FWIW: the hard disk is an RD53, there's no FD.
As I understand it, the FDD/TK50 was an either/or thing.
>I also got a raggy looking VT220 I still need to check out which I
>understand is needed for MVII's.
Not necessarily a 220. A VT100 would do, or even a pc running a terminal
emulation.
The trick is more to do with the pinout of the console port on the MVII
which is not what
you probably expect.
>The Ethernet modules were already missing from the two big VAXen and maybe
>from one of the PDPs that I got in that haul so there could have been
>Ethernet cards in a couple of these MVII slots which could account for part
>of the empties.
I could have a spare VAXBI Ethernet adaptor if you get stuck. What model
Vaxen?
>Would like to wire Ethernet into this house to interconnect
>machines, but first things first (such as *finishing* work on the house and
>getting machines to just _run_!)
Good starting point.
>Other than the obvious, such as checking PSU, etc. before lighting it up,
>are there any other words of wisdom or MVII info sources anyone could
>direct me to? I have basically no documentation except for most of a set of
>VMS 5.4 manuals -
Microvax FAQ is the best spot, there is a section there on the MVII and it's
console connections.
URl is
http://anacin.nsc.vcu.edu/~jim/mvax/mvax_faq_text.html
There is also a lot of useful stuff in the VMS FAQ, I don't have the url
handy here, I'll
post it from work later today. I strongly recommend reading both docs,
there is some
duplication, but I found things in the VMS faq (like the pinout of the MVII
console port) that
are not in the MVII FAQ.
>and I of course do not yet know what OS this machine runs
>(but likely VMS of some version I suspect.)
Almost certainly. 5.4 or 5.5 most likely. The docs are not a lot different
for the versions.
I have a vms 5.5 manual set that I use for a vms 6 system.
>
>There's a few online URLs I have scrounged that have some MVII info bits
>but as I said, none talk specifically about this bus thing. (So maybe it's
>a non-issue but I don't know . . .)
There is some archived email/ng correspondence in the MVII FAQ that
discusses such
things, ie moving cards around, removing cards etc.
That may be of help.
Cheers
Geoff
Computer Room Internet Cafe
Port Pirie
South Australia.
netcafe_at_pirie.mtx.net.au
Received on Sun Nov 15 1998 - 18:53:09 GMT