billdeg
Technician
I have been told that one can aquire a SCSI controller card for a DEC 11/05, a SCSI drive, and use these to install RT11 or UNIX (with enough RAM). Anyone done this before? Suggestions?
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SCSI Confroller for 11/05
- Thread starter billdeg
- Start date
pontus
Veteran Member
There are unibus scsi-cards which probably works with the 11/05. They simply present the disc as if it was using the standard MSCP protcol (I _think_, I'm quite new to this). If I remember correctly the 11/05 can't address a whole lot of memory, enough for RT11 but maybe not UNIX (?)
However, scsi controllers for unibus or qbus are expensive as heck! They are rare and quite sought after. If I find one, I will definitely keep it for myself
You might have a look at www.mscpscsi.com and use it with unibus->qbus adapter. I just found this site and don't know much about it, but i looks promising.
nige the hippy
Veteran Member
However, scsi controllers for unibus or qbus are expensive as heck! They are rare and quite sought after. If I find one, I will definitely keep it for myself
I got given one last week, with some other bits & bats! And I'm sorry, that's staying this side of the pond too, as it gives me another boot possibility.
It appears that it's bootable, and is recognised by RSTS-E
Make is CMD and model is CDU-720
Edit- It doesn't mention that it's compatible with the '05
pontus
Veteran Member
Lucky you :D insofar I only have a q-bus machine. I'm hoping a scsi-card will be easier to find for q-bus. Now I can only boot from RL01
They are expensive as I found out, and hard to find. I was lucky and found someone with 2, and he was willing to let one go cheaper than normal but still expensive. I don't remember the specifics as I don't have it in front of me. I found the docs for it online at
bitsavers and it does work. I was able to boot an RD54 image running BSD Unix on my
11/84. I can provide more specifics if you ask.'
Tim Radde
bitsavers and it does work. I was able to boot an RD54 image running BSD Unix on my
11/84. I can provide more specifics if you ask.'
Tim Radde
billdeg
Technician
first I have to get the base system back together (I have pieces of two 11/05's that need to be cleaned and assembled)...then I will let you know when I am ready. I will also be on the lookout for the SCSI controller, I may have a source, not sure at this time.
Bill
Bill
pontus
Veteran Member
I must have a lucky star!
Today, I not only found someone willing to sell me a ASR-33 (will pick it up next week) but I also decided to take a closer look at a VAXServer 3800 I aquired a few months ago. There was a mystery card in there which turns out to be a third party qbus scsi card :D :D
I felt a bit stupid for not taking a closer look earlier, I was quite close to buying an expensive scsi controller for use in my pdp-11/53
Today, I not only found someone willing to sell me a ASR-33 (will pick it up next week) but I also decided to take a closer look at a VAXServer 3800 I aquired a few months ago. There was a mystery card in there which turns out to be a third party qbus scsi card :D :D
I felt a bit stupid for not taking a closer look earlier, I was quite close to buying an expensive scsi controller for use in my pdp-11/53
billdeg
Technician
That's great to hear. Now of course you'll need to change your signature!
bill
bill
nige the hippy
Veteran Member
pontus
Veteran Member
cosam
Veteran Member
Wow, great finds on both counts - congratulations! Those are two things pretty high up on my wanted list, too.
Re. your new signature: as you probably figured out, the mux == multiplexer. A DECmux is for accessing a bunch of asynchronous devices over a shared line, kind of like a terminal server. It is however only the multiplexer part - unlike the DECservers which had networking built in, you needed to connect your DECmux(es) to a MUXserver to reach them over Ethernet.
pontus
Veteran Member
I figured it was something like that, but I have found absolutely zero documentation. Is the MUXserver a hardware or a software? Is the DECmux of any use without the server?
(It has an 8080, i think, and some roms in it).
hmm, maybe I should break this out in a new thread.
cosam
Veteran Member
It's hardware but yes, there's not much out there. I did find this MUXserver Network Reference Manual though.
Not sure. You might be able to set up some device sharing between the stuff connected to it, but I think you need the MUXserver to do anything very useful. Would be a nice project to emulate one!
Yeah - sorry, Bill ;-) If this was a mailing list I'd have changed the subject header by now.
billdeg
Technician
Finished setting up a base PDP 11/05
Finished setting up a base PDP 11/05
I have finished piecing together a bare-bones 11/05 from parts. It has functional core memory and it's the tall chassis model like the 11/40:
I need next to figure out how to do more than just interact with just the front panel. Specifically I would like to use a LA36 as a printer / terminal. One thing that I like about DEC stuff is that it's solid and rugged, and you can still get parts. As I am usually working on 15 projects at the same time....stay tuned for more.
I have a few boards that appear to be bootstrap boards, but I am not sure exactly their original function or intention other than the fact that they're for the 11/05. I will install them and then see where they're loading into memory, maybe RT11 bootstrap is amongst the ROMS. I still have work to do.
Here is a link to more info on my project
http://vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=249
Bill
Finished setting up a base PDP 11/05
I have finished piecing together a bare-bones 11/05 from parts. It has functional core memory and it's the tall chassis model like the 11/40:
I need next to figure out how to do more than just interact with just the front panel. Specifically I would like to use a LA36 as a printer / terminal. One thing that I like about DEC stuff is that it's solid and rugged, and you can still get parts. As I am usually working on 15 projects at the same time....stay tuned for more.
I have a few boards that appear to be bootstrap boards, but I am not sure exactly their original function or intention other than the fact that they're for the 11/05. I will install them and then see where they're loading into memory, maybe RT11 bootstrap is amongst the ROMS. I still have work to do.
Here is a link to more info on my project
http://vintagecomputer.net/browse_thread.cfm?id=249
Bill
cosam
Veteran Member
Looking good! The 11/40 actually came in an even bigger chassis than that, although the bottom half was covered with a filler panel so externally it looked only as big as the console. The 21" chassis (that's 12U in new money) had its backplane mounted vertically and, after pulling the whole thing out on rails, the boards when in from the side.
All you need for that is a Unibus SLU (serial line unit) such as a DL11. There are many models but IIRC with the LA36 you have the choice of RS-232 or 20ma current loop, so any old one should do.
You missed out "heavy" ;-) Even the tiny little MicroVAX 2000 weighs a ton as practically everything is made from pretty thick guage sheet metal.
With any luck you might have a console emulator on one of them and maybe bootstraps for contemporary storage devices. It's worth looking through the docs for the particular bootstrap card (they're often combined cards which function as Unibus terminators) as there can be a lot of jumpers to fiddle with before you get them to do what you want.
billdeg
Technician
thanks Steve.
Whatever the case...my wife needs her dining room table back so I have to find a place for all of this 11/05 stuff. I also have an 11/40 (that's currently waiting for me to fix the power supply) in the dining room as well. The printer is in the living room
I promised to get a truck to move all of these items to my office. I better get the ball rolling.
Bill
Whatever the case...my wife needs her dining room table back so I have to find a place for all of this 11/05 stuff. I also have an 11/40 (that's currently waiting for me to fix the power supply) in the dining room as well. The printer is in the living room
I promised to get a truck to move all of these items to my office. I better get the ball rolling.
Bill
cosam
Veteran Member
Heh, sounds very familiar. I used to have an 11/35 on the dining table but it's now underneath on a trolley waiting to be reunited with its rack in the basement - it had to make way for a Commodore PET, then an Apple IIe. In the living room there's a half-height DEC rack with two RL02s in it which used to be an 11/23+ system, the guts of which (actually an 11/73) have now been transplanted to a BA23 next to it. Oh, and that MicroVAX 2000 too. And two PCs. And some more stuff I won't bore you with... I should probably be getting a ball or two rolling myself ;-)
chuckcmagee
Veteran Member
Did Steve aka cosam say he was divorced or a life long bachelor like myself? I can't imagine a wife putting up with another "rack" in the living room
billdeg
Technician
Let's just say that I am not going to push it! (but my wife is fine with it temporarily).
cosam
Veteran Member
We have a large living room and my SO is quite understanding, well... let's say "tolerant" at least ;-) As long as I introduce new computers gradually and clear things up now and again, I can generally get away with it. Ensuring everything at least appears to be temporary helps ;-)