> >
> > My PDP 8/L that I recently acquired, has a cable that i assume is for
> > the console terminal. It has a 9 pin male connector with only pins
> > 1 through 6 present. Is this a standard serial connection? This was
>
> What sort of connector?
A DB-9 connector, but it doesnt have the 2 screws to fasten the connectors
together, instead it looks like a centronics type fastening system, you
know, where there would be a pair of bent-wire connectors that would snap
onto a piece of metal with a V shaped notch cut, this Db-9 has those V
notches on each end. Otherwise, its a standard DB-9 male connector.
I snapped a couple pictures just now, take a look at
http://www.itlabs.umn.edu/~lemay/pdp8l
Yes, I know the front panel is a bit dirty... I just turned it on for
the first time, and I'm letting it settle in. I know it has one somewhat
flakey capacitor, so I'm taking it slowly at first, best to be paranoid
about the power-on power surge Before you blow out the power supply, than
afterwards ;)
>
> Most likely on a machine of that vintage, it will be a 20mA current loop.
> 6 wires sounds like 3 loops -- transmit (from Teletype -> PDP8), Receive
> (PDP8->tty) and reader run (PDP8->tty, turns on a relay to start the
> paper tape reader, which means the system can do a primitive form of flow
> control).
>
> The standard DEC current loop connector was a flat 8 pin mate-n-lock with
> the outside 2 pins not used. The 3 loops were as above.
>
> > a papertape based system, so it may have been connected to a teletype
> > ASR 33. Will I need to locate something that can do 110 baud to use
> > as a console?
>
> Most likely it is 110 baud as well...
>
> -tony
>
Received on Thu May 18 2000 - 15:20:05 BST