KA620

From: Michael Sokolov <msokolov_at_ivan.Harhan.ORG>
Date: Wed Mar 24 00:14:20 2004

ben franchuk <bfranchuk_at_jetnet.ab.ca> wrote:

> No I mean a total bootstrap of the system. Can you rebuild the software
> from source paper tape on small system?

Yes, you can, except that for UNIX systems like 4.3BSD-Quasijarus it's magtape
rather than perfotape.

> Can you rebuld the hardware with
> chips and a soldering iron?

With the initial FPGA implementation this will be problematic since all FPGAs
that I know of (sufficiently large ones anyway) come only in those damn BGA
packages. But if/when we can fab a real chip, I would definitely use a more
hacker-friendly package if the package choice were up to me.

> The hard drive in a machine shop?

That's a tough one too, though I have heard that making the required Class 100
clean room is not that hard.

> Too bad you can't use a PDP-11 [for the new VAX FEP].

Well, as Ethan pointed out, the 730 used an 8085, so I don't really see a
problem with using a Z80 or even an 8086 (hey, before everyone attacks me, it
ain't a Pentium, and it *is* of the right age).

MS
Received on Wed Mar 24 2004 - 00:14:20 GMT