PDP-11/70 for Scrap

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Wed Dec 8 17:12:17 1999

Ethan Dicks <ethan_dicks_at_yahoo.com> wrote about PDP-11/70s:
> I had to jump on a pair of them that were being shooed out the door here
> in Columbus, but, to my disappointment, do not have a proper frontpanel
> (no switches and blinkenlights, just a start button). If it's possible to
> retrofit a full console into a remote-diagnostic console machine, I'd love
> to find a console out there (preferably from a machine that is being parted
> out anyway - I wouldn't want to *cause* a machine to be disassembled).

The seven machines I purchased have real front panels... but...

They aren't the original front panels the machines were born with.

Originally six of the machines were standard 11/70s, and one was a
DECdatasystem-570, which is the same thing (*) in a double-wide "corporate"
cabinet (like the 11/60) with a blue front panel rather than the standard red
& orange.

The machines were upgraded with Setasi PEP-70 and Hypercache-70, which replace
the DEC cache and memory. This speeds up the machine a fair bit, and the
memory fits in the CPU cardcage rather than taking up another rack or two.

Then the machines were "upgraded" to the remote diagnostic consoles. The
front panels were either turned in to DEC as part of the "upgrade", or
scrapped.

Later, the machines were upgraded to the QED-95 CPU, which replaces all
of the CPU cards (and memory) with a four-card set. However, they discovered
that the QED-95 will not work with the remote diagnostic console. Reportedly
they had to scour the country to find seven front panels to reinstall. Most
of the panels they found are the blue DECdatasystem-570 panels.

Cheers,
Eric


(*) I think the DECdatasystem-570 may have used the KB11-CM CPU instead
of the more common KB11-C. However, I have not been able to confirm that.
Anyhow, none of the ones I received have KB11-CM boards.
Received on Wed Dec 08 1999 - 17:12:17 GMT