Fwd: secrets of a microvax II

From: Mzthompson_at_aol.com <(Mzthompson_at_aol.com)>
Date: Thu Oct 22 09:23:44 1998

Following is a usenet posting from a guy needing some
help with a uVAX II.

It sounds like what I would call a basket case, he hauled it home
in several baskets in this case. I have emailed him answers to the
more basic questions. Since there are a few of you with far
more knowledge on this, I thought maybe some of you could
help him out.

My knowledge of the uVAX II is limited to having gutted out
6 machines being disposed of by former employer. Sorry, that
was before I knew of Classiccmp, snif, snif.

Mike

Please email directly to him.

Subject: secrets of a microvax II
From: siebert_at_berlin.gmd-net.de
Date: Thu, Oct 22, 1998 07:39 EDT
Message-id: <70n5h7$koq$1_at_nnrp1.dejanews.com>

Hi there, I need help...
I got a DEC Microvax II System which is partly disassembled and has the
following coponents:
-------------------
| |
-------------------
| <OO> | < > | 1) looks like a kind of harddisk
-------------------
| < ..I>| 2) MICROVAX II
| < ..I>|
-------------------
| < . >| 3) ? with a TK50 tape unit
| < . >|
-------------------
| | 4) RA81 harddisk
| |
| |
| |
-------------------
| | 5) power supply
-------------------

1) The harddisk (?) is perhaps from FUJITSU and there is place for a
second one. It has to be connected to a EMULEX QD 331040100 controler.
I saw some pictures of the same units on the web!

2) The muVAX II processor has no harddisks or any drives and has one switch,
four buttons and two LEDs on the front panel. It has the following boards:
(back view, top)
------------------------------------------
| M 7606 KA630 CPU |
------------------------------|||||||||---
| M 7608 4MB Memory |
------------------------------|||||||||---
| M 7608 4MB Memory |
------------------------------------------
| |M 7504 DEQNA Ethern.|--cable
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------

3) The other housing looks like the muVAX processor but has only two
buttons and the built in TK50 tape unit. It has the following boards:
(back view, top)
------------------------------------------
| M 9404 connector | |-- cable to muVAX II
------------------------------------------
| M 3104 8 line serial controler |-- cables
------------------------------------------
| M 7546 TK 50 ctrl.| |-- cable to TK 50
------------------------------------------
| M 7164 QDA processor for KDA 50 |-- cables
----||||||-----------------||||||---------
| M 7165 QDA SDI controller KDA 50 |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------
| |
------------------------------------------

4) RA 81 456 MB SDI HDD

5) power supply digital 874-F

On the backside are the following connectors:
> 8 serial 25 pin SUBD connectors
> 4 connectors for SDI drives
> 1 DEQNA Ethernet 15 pin SUBD connector with a fuse
> bulkhead with 9 pin SUBD console connector

I have no documentation except from the manual for the serial controller...
Hmm.. now I have some problems/questions...:
- Which was perhaps the use of this system ?
- which was probably the OS (Unix version...) ?
- Was it a single user system ?
- where can I get a "user handbook" for the muVAX (booting, meaning of the
  front buttons of all components...) ?
- Which type are the housings for this muVAX (BA23, BA123...) ?
- Why is this muVAX II SO BIG ??? (in comparision to the "under table
  systems" which don't have TWO boxes for the cards...)
- What is the difference between a Microvax II and a Vaxstation II ?

I have no Terminal to use as console
- what kind of connector is the 9 pin SUBD connector on the backside
  (bulkehead) ?
- What kind of terminals can I connect ? (I have some SS97 Siemens Terminals
  or a IBM colour Terminal...)
- Can I use a PC with a TTY or a VT100 emulation and a serial connector
  cable ?
- Do I have to use always a console to start the system (with a switch
  on it or something like that) ?

Some of the cards are disassembled in the machine
- Where in the muVAX processor housing 2) must I plug in the M 9404 card
  coming from the "controller housing" 3) and which side must be on the
  top ?
- Where in the "controller housing" 3) must I plug in the EMULEX
  controller (it needs only half of the place) ?

I am not firm with RA81 HDD
- Where in the RA81 must I plug in the flat connector ?
- Is only one of the four flat connectors for ONE RAxx drive ?
- what are the two round mini 4 pin din connectors for in the RA81 ?
- in which of the four flat connectors on the back of the system do I have
  to plug in the RA81 ?
- Is there any information about the SDI "standard" ?

In both the processor and the controller housing are slots for connecting
HDDs.
- Do I need controllers for connecting drives there?
- Is it MFM standard ?
- When there are no drives in it, do the buttons on the front panel have
  any function ?

General...
- How can I use the Ethernet connector (compatibility, wiring...) ?
- What is the power supply for ? (one big INPUT, three OUTPUTS - all
  220 V and 4 smaller outs !)
- from which of the two harddisks (RA81, FUJITSU) does the system boot
  from ?
- What are the 8 serial connectors for (Terminals...) ?
- For which use was the TK 50 tape for (booting, streamer...) ?

I also got a DEC VR262 screen together with the whole stuff, but I can't
imagine that there is any use with the muVAX.
- how can I use the VR262 ?

I know this are manymanymany questions, but even few ansers would be a
great help,

thanks - Rainer
Received on Thu Oct 22 1998 - 09:23:44 BST