On Tue, May 18, 2004 at 10:52:01AM -0400, William Donzelli wrote:
> Another item that will be leaving my collection (mostly because I never
> did anything with it) is a DECmate II - the micro version of the PDP-8
> (Intersil 6120 based, I think). A couple of questions, as I would like to
> test the thing out before I offer it to anyone.
>
> 1) Whay kind of video is "video"? Some sort of odd tube? Whatever it is, I
> don't have it so I am hoping the box supports a dumb terminal.
The video port connects to a DEC VR201 as used with Rainbows, Pro 3xx
machines, etc. The cable carries +12VDC to power the monitor, NTSC
composite video, and the LK201 keyboard signals from the jack in the back
of the monitor down the CPU.
You could make up your own DA-15 cable with a 4-pin jack (telephone-handset
type, not RJ-11) for an LK201 keyboard, and an RCA video out for a
standard monochrome monitor of the style used with Apple IIs, etc,
or you could try to locate a VR201.
> 2) Will I boot this up from a dumb terminal (VT100, my guess)? What are
> the specifics?
I have never tried it. I have no idea if it will work. I don't have
enough VR201s to go around to all of my DEC boxes of the era, but I
do have enough for one of each type at a time, so it's never been an
issue for me.
-ethan
--
Ethan Dicks, A-130-S Current South Pole Weather at 18-May-2004 22:10 Z
South Pole Station
PSC 468 Box 400 Temp -43.4 F (-41.9 C) Windchill -109.3 F (-78.5 C)
APO AP 96598 Wind 21.9 kts Grid 026 Barometer 684.8 mb (10444. ft)
Ethan.Dicks_at_amanda.spole.gov http://penguincentral.com/penguincentral.html
Received on Tue May 18 2004 - 17:19:33 BST