Tek 4041

From: Joe <rigdonj_at_intellistar.net>
Date: Wed Jul 28 17:28:02 1999

Roger,

At 12:34 PM 7/28/99 -0500, you wrote:
>Hi All:
>
> Does anyone have any information on the Tektronix 4041?

  I used to have one and I know a little about them. They're meant to be
used as stand alone controllers same as the HP 9915s. They're not really
made to use as interactive computers. The display is very limited and the
(optional) keyboard is next to impossible to find. I found one after years
of searching. A friend of mine has 7 or 8 4041s and looked for over ten
years and never found a keyboard. BTW Tek made a hard/floppy drive for
these called a 4041 DDU. I had one but traded it off. My friend and I never
could find a real manual for them. We did finally find a quick reference
card but that was all. My advice is to sell or trade it to a collector and
either buy a HP_IB card or something like a HP 9825. Those are much more
capable, easier to find, the manuals and interfaces aren't too hard to find
and you get a real keyboard and display.

  BTW I have some National Instruments GP-IB cards for a PC. E-mail me if
you're interested.

I've got a
>hankering to play with the IEEE-488 bus but can't see paying the
>current prices that most people seem to want for a IEEE-488
>controller for a P.C. I've acquired an Tek 4041 with 512-K and the
>rom Basic development firmware and even the manuals. But I don't
>have the (optional) keyboard OR the diagnostics tape. If I could
>find this tape then I could simple use a RS-232 terminal for program
>input.

  I don't think they're made to use a terminal.

>I've even got a nice HP 150 that could serve as a terminal,

   I doubt the 150 would work as a terminal on anything other than a HP. HP
uses block mode transfers and lots of non-standard control characters.
You'd have a better chance using a PC with a terminal program.

>but I need that tape!! Speaking of which, this thing uses a DC100
>tape. Know where a soul can find any of these tapes for less that
>$25.00 each?

  Yeah, I *think* lots of surplus tapes will work. At least they work in my
other Tek and HP stuff.

> I know that GP-IB controllers are considered kind of low life

  Why?

- but
>for some reason I'm hooked on this one (could be the 68008?). Hell,
>you know what?
I'm afraid that old computers are going to be as
>addicting as old analog synthesizers and Tektronix mainframe
>o'scopes.

  Yes, they are. :-/

  Joe
Received on Wed Jul 28 1999 - 17:28:02 BST