DEC Lab 11/40

From: Kevin Murrell <kevin_at_xpuppy.freeserve.co.uk>
Date: Sun Oct 21 09:40:31 2001

Good news about another 11 rescued in the UK!

Quick point about the cables to the RK05s - they look the same as the unibus
cables, but DO NOT plug into the bus!

If we can help with some more RK05 packs and a copy of RT-11 let me know.

Kevin Murrell

> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Pete Turnbull
> Sent: 21 October 2001 12:29
> To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
> Subject: DEC Lab 11/40
>
>
> On Thursday I took possession of a DEC Lab 11/40 system. I've
> not had time
> to clean it up and check it out yet, but it was reputedly working
> when last
> used (well, I suppose it would have been, wouldn't it?).
>
> Actually, that's not quite true, as I'm told someone plugged a terminal in
> the wrong way, apparently blew something up, and got no output -- I hope
> they mean something simple like the RS232 line drivers have gone.
>
> The system consists of two racks about 4' high. One contains the 11/40 in
> a 12U box, with a power controller below and an LPS11 above. The other
> contains a pair of RK05 drives and power controller. There's a GT11
> display on the top of the 11/40 rack, and a TS03 magtape unit on
> the other.
> The system came with stacks of documentation but only one RK05
> pack. I've
> not had time to make a thorough inventory of the docs yet, but
> they seem to
> include most of the processor/memory/interface engineering drawings and
> maintenance manuals, and something like four complete or almost complete
> sets of RT-11 manuals, for various vintages from 2.0 to 4.0. Also a pile
> of printed MAINDEC listings (no microfiche, sadly. Anybody got any
> microfiche they want to pass on?)
>
> I've not had time to do anything yet, apart from check the boards in the
> 11/40 (pretty standard, with EIS but not FIS, no stack limit register or
> MMU, no KM11, but it does have the KW11-L programmable LTC). It has a
> DL11-A (20mA interface for console) and a DL11-something (RS232), 2 x 16KW
> core sets in one backplane, a DUP11-A synchronous interface (what
> can I use
> this for?), a TMB11 tape controller, and an RK11-D controller for the
> drives. The last backplane in the box contains cards not listed in the
> Field Guide (neither are the memory cards in this machine, so I'll send
> Megan an update) but I think they're for the GT11: M7014-YA, A320, and
> M7013, all hex-height.
>
> I've had a very cursory look over the machine, and the only
> things I notice
> that want some attention before I think about powering it up are a section
> of frayed insulation on the power loom to the BA-11 box, a lot of dust
> everywhere (how surprising!), and some kinks in the unibus cable that
> connects to the RK05s. I plan to vacuum out the dust, ix the insulation,
> and check the PSUs before I do anything else. I'm no Unibus or RK05
> expert; most of my -11s are Q-bus. What else should I look for
> before I go
> too far?
>
> I mentioned I only got one disk pack -- it's an original RT-11
> distribution
> and I don't want to risk that in an unknown drive. Anyway, I know for a
> fact it's been dropped (the owner told me). I have since acquired 4 more
> packs, three of which came from the same machine originally. Anything I
> should look out for before trying them? I thought it might be wise to
> check the RK05 heads and perhaps clena them with IPA before I do anything
> else.
>
> --
> Pete Peter Turnbull
> Network Manager
> University of York
>
Received on Sun Oct 21 2001 - 09:40:31 BST