DEC Lab 11/40

From: SP <spedraja_at_ono.com>
Date: Sun Oct 21 12:04:34 2001

The day I could get one complete from the UK I'll can't believe it.

Good luck and Greetings

Sergio Pedraja
Santander
Spain

-----Mensaje original-----
De: Kevin Murrell <kevin_at_xpuppy.freeserve.co.uk>
Para: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Fecha: domingo, 21 de octubre de 2001 17:05
Asunto: RE: DEC Lab 11/40


>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 - 12:04:34 BST