DG Aviion video

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Mon Nov 30 20:28:36 1998

From: R. Stricklin (kjaeros) <red_at_bears.org>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Tuesday, 1 December 1998 13:18
Subject: DG Aviion video


>I've picked up a Data General Aviion 310CD and was informed it can use a
>straight AT keyboard. I am skeptical, as the keyboard port is a DIN8.

My 4100 does. Don't recall how many pins thought, but a Honeywell AT
keyboard
works fine, though a cheapy generic one did not. YMMV, since it's a
different model.
I'll have a look at the connector later in the day and let you know.

>Also, the colour video output is on 3 BNC connectors. Can I use 3 segments
>of ethernet coax to carry the video signal or is the impedance wrong?

Well, you should use 75 ohm coax by rights, but 52 ohm thin ethernet cable
should work ok. You might - emphasize might - get a little minor ghosting
on the image with 52 ohm cable, but you won't blow it up.
TV antenna coax is 75 ohm if you want to get it exactly right.
I doubt if you'd be able to see any difference.
I believe it has the sync on the green channel.

>Actually, I've had a hard time locating info on this machine.

Data General Unix only. Virtually System 5 Release 4.
There is no specific DGUX news group, though there are a few lurkers in
comp.os.aos (DG's Advanced Operating System - for big iron) that have
some useful information.
I have the procedure for getting past the password here somewhere.
Found it at some very obscure web site. The manuals for DGUX are
available online in PDF form.
Doubtless a much later version than yours, but it will help a lot.
The web site doesn't allow you to directly download them, just read on-line.
(Not sure if this is deliberate, but anyway, once Acrobat loads the page for
online
reading, you can clone the file from the temp directory, before you close
the web page)
I have most of the Doc set for the current version of DGUX as a result. ;^)
Don't recall the url at the moment, but I'll dig it up for you if you like.
I emailed Data General early in the piece, looking for information, and got
NO response.

> I understand it uses a Motorola 88k processor at 20 MHz, but I don't know
which one.
> looked inside and found three chips it could be.. an 88100 (88010?) and
>two 88200 (88020?)s. I assume the single chip is the CPU but then what
>are the other two?

Not sure, sorry. I'll pull the lid off one of mine later and have a look,
hard to find much on the cpus.

>I would be really surprised if this were a multiprocessing box.


I wouldn't be. One of mine is. :^) Yours is a different (earlier?) model,
I have two Aviions, one is a single cpu 33mhz box, the other a dual cpu
20mhz.
(I'll post the exact model numbers later today) Unfortunately, I have
yet to find an (affordable) monitor, and it has an odd mouse port, I'm led
to believe it
is the same connector as on a Sun, but not sure if the Sun mouse would work
or not,
and I don't have one to try.
At first glance, it looked like a PS2 mouse port, but the pinout is quite
different.

Cheers
Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Marks College
Port Pirie South Australia.
My ICQ# is 1970476
Ph. 61-411-623-978 (Mobile)
      61-8-8633-0619 (Home)
      61-8-8633-8834 (Work-Direct)
      61-8-8633-0104 (Fax)
Received on Mon Nov 30 1998 - 20:28:36 GMT