11/34 & Cool stuff, but what is it? (Q-bus gear)

From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
Date: Wed Nov 3 19:28:51 1999

At 12:27 AM 11/4/99 +0000, Tony wrote:
>This is almost certainly a formatted Pertec interface, not SCSI. That's a
>standard for tape drives, and it's also 2 50 pin cables.

Argh, oh well. That leaves the Alphatronix thingy.

>That Emulex card sonds Q-bus to me. I hope you're not planning on putting
>it in the 11/34...

No, no, no. It is in the weirdest uVAX III I ever saw. 19" rack mount third
party case with a 40 slot Q/Q bus (first 3 rows are Q/CD and hold the KA650
+ 2x 8MB memory.) Then there is a fold out "shelf" in the front which hides
a TK50 and space for three drives. Then on the front are the standard VAX
drive protect controls and a switch block with the baud rates and other
items labelled.

Then under _that_ was a BA23 with a Vaxstation 3200 badge, another KA650
w/16MB and some other as yet unidentified boards. (all DEC, no SCSI)

[In case it isn't clear, a SCSI Q-bus card is on my Wish list... :-)]

Besides the 11/34 is stuffed to the gills. I couldn't fit another Unibus
card in there even if I wanted too! Once I get it into my house I'll be
able to inventory the cards and back planes (I believe it has at least
three if I really did see two bus jumper pairs in there.)


>So this card is almost certainly a GPIB interface of some kind. No idea
>what bus is on the other end.

That's a help. The connector looks like the same short centronics type that
plugged into the back of the HP lab measurement unit (a rack like thing
with a bunch of GPIB plug-ins)

>Well, there are several designs of sliders. With the most common one, you
>pull it out all the way and then fiddle with the locking catches on the
>sliders to allow it to be pulled out. Make sure you have somebody to help
>you -- an 11/34 weighs about 50kg.

This was what I was trying, all the way out to the point where the thing
can rotate, then there is what appears to be a last pair of catches (which
I push) and then it doesn't want to continue out. Weird. Well at least I'll
get another shot tomorrow when I take the van.

>Don't put an 11/34 down on its back -- you will break the handles on the
>circuit breaker. Don't ask....

Ouch!
--Chuck
Received on Wed Nov 03 1999 - 19:28:51 GMT