IIRC, there are enough signals just on the single 96-pin connector which
comes on the single-sized VME (3U?) boards. It's those to which I was
referring when I advocated adopting the VME for generalized development.
I've never seen a 2nd-hand VME board for sale anywhere. The 2nd hand boards
(wirewrap types) I looked at once, were actually MB-II format, and, at junk
dealer prices were at $200 each. Here in the Denver area they don't appear
to be as available. I see SUN stuff on the junk piles from time to time,
but nobody seems to want that stuff. I surely don't need another line of
outdated computers. Now, I don't go to HAMfests, or HAM anything elses, and
I'm not into dumpster diving. That might turn up something.
Though I once sold VME wirewrap cards, I've never owned a VME-based system
aside from some SUN hardware I had about 15 years ago, which might have had
some inside. That stuff was for ultimate sale to a client, so I left my
fingers off it.
Dick
-----Original Message-----
From: William Donzelli <aw288_at_osfn.org>
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
<classiccmp_at_u.washington.edu>
Date: Monday, July 05, 1999 10:58 AM
Subject: Re: OT: A call to arms (sort of)
>> It's true there are lots of VME boards around. There just aren't many
>> cheap ones.
>
>Actually, VME boards are plentiful and cheap. I routinely see tham at
>hamfests for a dollar or two a piece. They can also be taken out of older
>Suns (the -3s and early -4s), as many of those machines are hitting the
>junkyards now. They tend to have non-Sun interface boards (SCSI, tape,
>etc..) hidden "inside" 9U to 6U board convertors.
>
>William Donzelli
>aw288_at_osfn.org
Received on Mon Jul 05 1999 - 12:38:52 BST