I've been tinkering with this mutt LSI 11/23 system I've got and am trying
to get it running. It's a custom-built system that has a mix of DEC and
third-party boards. It's configured as follows--my apologies if I'm not
conforming to standard DEC notation here [notes in brackets]:
Cage 1
Slot 1: DEC M8186 | CAMINTONN 504 [1]
Slot 2: Dataram Diceon [2]
Slot 3: Data Systems Design A4432-4 | Grant Continuity [3]
Slot 4: Emulex TU0110401 [4]
Cage 2
Slot 1: Emulex Tu1110406 [5]
Slot 2: Grant Continuity | Digital Pathways TCU-50DYR [6]
Slot 3: MDB DLV-11J | DEC M9400 [7]
Slot 4: Empty [8]
Notes:
1. I believe the Camintonn card is memory
2. This has "RK:" written on the handle...an RK05 disk controller?
3. The Data Systems Design card has "DY:" written on the handle.
4. Tape controller; is connected by 25-conductor ribbon cable to adjoining
Emulex card.
5. See note 4.
6. A real-time clock
7. The M9400 has "HB BOOT" written on the board. Is this the boot ROM
card?
8. Does there need to be a bus terminator here?
The DLV-11J is a 4-port serial card. Thanks to those who provided the
documentation to get it wired. I think I have it correct. I've jumpered
pin 3 to the RxD line and Pin 8 to the TxD line on my RS232 port. I've
also jumpered pin 4 to ground as directed.
The system powers up. There are +5V and +12V LEDs on the front of the
panel that come on, and I've checked these lines at the power supply and
they are good. One oddity: the terminal marked -12V is a perfect -0.00 on
my volt meter. WTF?
Anyway, how can I tell if anything is happening inside this thing? I can
hit the BOOT switch and the RUN light goes on. There's a RUN switch with
a momentary HALT position and an ENABLE position. I can hit the HALT
switch and the RUN light goes off. I put the switch back in the ENABLE
position and then hit the BOOT switch and the RUN light goes back on.
I see nothing on my terminal (a PC running Procomm Plus in DOS so I have
real serial ports instead of the bullshit that Win98 tries to pawn off as
serial ports).
I eventually want to boot RT-11 off floppies on this system. I guess I'll
need a disk controller at some point.
I'm completely lame. This is the first DEC system I've seriously tried to
get running so I'm starting from -1 here.
Any ideas?
--
Sellam Ismail Vintage Computer Festival
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Received on Mon Dec 27 2004 - 22:40:51 GMT