VAX 11/750 - Revision history

Jpw at 14:22, 17 October 2019

2019-10-17T14:22:49Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:22, 17 October 2019
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	[[Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]]		[[Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]]
	[[Category:Mass Extinctions]]		[[Category:Mass Extinctions]]
			[[Category:VAX]]

	== Notes ==		== Notes ==
	<references />		<references />

Jpw at 22:22, 15 April 2019

2019-04-15T22:22:37Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 22:22, 15 April 2019
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	\| location = Location Unknown		\| location = Location Unknown
	\| relinquished = 2004		\| relinquished = 2004
	\| relto = ~~Pecos~~ Self-Storage Auction		\| relto = Rawson Self Storage Auction
	\| paid = $0		\| paid = $0
	\| cpu = VAX 11/750 (LSI)		\| cpu = VAX 11/750 (LSI)

Jpw at 14:39, 15 April 2019

2019-04-15T14:39:02Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:39, 15 April 2019
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	[[Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]]		[[Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]]
	[[Category:Mass Extinctions]]		[[Category:Mass Extinctions]]

			== Notes ==
			<references />

Jpw at 14:37, 15 April 2019

2019-04-15T14:37:27Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 14:37, 15 April 2019
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	=== Picking up the Goods ===		=== Picking up the Goods ===

	''27 October 2003''		''27 October 2003<ref>The correct date is 27 October 2003</ref>''

	Drove to Albuquerque. This VAX had been sitting in a damp shed in Mountainair, New Mexico for a decade. The fellow I got it from was most accommodating and had lots of extras and info to offer. I'll definitely be going to him for future needs. He hooked me up with a case of TU58 tapes, a DELUA, and was generally great to work with. Anyway, it was on the back of his dually pickup and we hefted it into a borrowed minivan.		Drove to Albuquerque. This VAX had been sitting in a damp shed in Mountainair, New Mexico for a decade. The fellow I got it from was most accommodating and had lots of extras and info to offer. I'll definitely be going to him for future needs. He hooked me up with a case of TU58 tapes, a DELUA, and was generally great to work with. Anyway, it was on the back of his dually pickup and we hefted it into a borrowed minivan.

Jpw at 19:05, 12 April 2019

2019-04-12T19:05:30Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:05, 12 April 2019
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	\| freq = 6MHz		\| freq = 6MHz
	\| ram = 8MB		\| ram = 8MB
			\| os = None
			\| role = Restoration Attempt
	}}		}}

Jpw at 19:04, 12 April 2019

2019-04-12T19:04:50Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:04, 12 April 2019
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	\| paid = $0		\| paid = $0
	\| cpu = VAX 11/750 (LSI)		\| cpu = VAX 11/750 (LSI)
			\| freq = 6MHz
	\| ram = 8MB		\| ram = 8MB
	}}		}}

Jpw at 19:04, 12 April 2019

2019-04-12T19:04:34Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:04, 12 April 2019
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	Sent a money order off to Colorado for a pair of RA70 drives.		Sent a money order off to Colorado for a pair of RA70 drives.

			[[Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]]
			[[Category:Mass Extinctions]]

Jpw at 19:03, 12 April 2019

2019-04-12T19:03:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 19:03, 12 April 2019
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	~~''This article is for an old restoration project for a computer I no longer own~~, ~~and is presented here for its historical relevance.''~~		{{stub}}
			{{Infobox System
			\| name = VAX 11/750
			\| image = Vax11750.jpg
			\| vendor = Digital Equipment Corporation
			\| acquired = 2003
			\| acquired_from = Arclight; Albuquerque, NM
			\| caption = Gone, but not forgotten
			\| model = VAX 11/750
			\| location = Location Unknown
			\| relinquished = 2004
			\| relto = Pecos Self-Storage Auction
			\| paid = $0
			\| cpu = VAX 11/750 (LSI)
			\| ram = 8MB
			}}

	== Picking up the Goods ==		== Summary ==
			Found this machine in 2003 while posting for one in the CCTalk mailing list. Arclight, a vintage computer dealer from Albuquerque, NM, offered me this one free of charge. It had been sitting in a barn in Mountainair, NM since approximately 1985.

			I picked it up in my mother's 1996 Chrysler Town & Country minivan, and brought it home. Most of the details of the restoration project are below, but missing from it is the part where Jonathan Macmillan got his engineering students to desolder the 1489 RS-232 line driver on it and replace it with a socketed replacement, as the original was blown (a problem common to these computers) and would output, but take no input.

			By the time I received the repaired board, the machine was already in the Pecos Self-Storage Unit. Before I could try out the new board, the [[:Category:Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004\|Storage Unit Tragedy of 2004]] occurred, so the machine never got a chance to experience the second chance it really deserved.

			I had a pair of RA70 drives (with no housing) ready for this machine, and a chance to pick up a free TU-81+ drive from Austin, TX.

			== Restoration Project ==

			''This section is for an old restoration project for a computer I no longer own, and is presented here for its historical relevance.''

			=== Picking up the Goods ===

	''27 October 2003''		''27 October 2003''

	Drove to Albuquerque. This VAX had been sitting in a damp shed in Mountainair, New Mexico for a decade. The fellow I got it from was most accommodating and had lots of extras and info to offer. I'll definitely be going to him for future needs. He ~~hooke d~~ me up with a case of TU58 tapes, a DELUA, and was generally great to work with. Anyway, it was on the back of his dually pickup and we hefted it into a borrowed minivan.		Drove to Albuquerque. This VAX had been sitting in a damp shed in Mountainair, New Mexico for a decade. The fellow I got it from was most accommodating and had lots of extras and info to offer. I'll definitely be going to him for future needs. He hooked me up with a case of TU58 tapes, a DELUA, and was generally great to work with. Anyway, it was on the back of his dually pickup and we hefted it into a borrowed minivan.

	Got it home. Talk about dirty! Mice had been using the VAX as a shelter, and they had left copious amounts of evidence. All over the unit. Also, plenty of very sinister looking spiders had taken up residence in the cardcage. Time for a shower and rest!		Got it home. Talk about dirty! Mice had been using the VAX as a shelter, and they had left copious amounts of evidence. All over the unit. Also, plenty of very sinister looking spiders had taken up residence in the cardcage. Time for a shower and rest!
Line 11:		Line 39:
	The box is a fairly basic configuration, with no FPA, 8MB RAM. I'd like to equip it with an L0001 FPA, a UDA50 SDI controller, a TU8x tape drive and controller, some disks (either SDI or Massbus), and a copy of VMS. Once I get it working, anyway...		The box is a fairly basic configuration, with no FPA, 8MB RAM. I'd like to equip it with an L0001 FPA, a UDA50 SDI controller, a TU8x tape drive and controller, some disks (either SDI or Massbus), and a copy of VMS. Once I get it working, anyway...

	== Card Configuration ==		=== Card Configuration ===

	{\| class="wikitable"		{\| class="wikitable"
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	''(2) FLIP CHIP GRANT CONTINUITY CARD INSTALLED 3RD SLOT FROM BOTTOM		''(2) FLIP CHIP GRANT CONTINUITY CARD INSTALLED 3RD SLOT FROM BOTTOM

	== Dismantling ==		=== Dismantling ===

	''28 October 2002 ''		''28 October 2002 ''
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	* TU58 console tape drive clogged with mouse fur		* TU58 console tape drive clogged with mouse fur

	== Cleaning and Reassembly ==		=== Cleaning and Reassembly ===

	''30 October 2002''		''30 October 2002''
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	* Reassembled with original configuration, minus the TU58, which awaits cleaning.		* Reassembled with original configuration, minus the TU58, which awaits cleaning.

	== Initial Power-Up ==		=== Initial Power-Up ===

	''1 November 2002''		''1 November 2002''
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	* Power up with 854 power controller set to "Local" turns blower on, but no lights come on.		* Power up with 854 power controller set to "Local" turns blower on, but no lights come on.

	== Received Key for Power Switch ==		=== Received Key for Power Switch ===

	''6 November 2002''		''6 November 2002''
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	</pre>		</pre>

	== Pulling the Cards Again ==		=== Pulling the Cards Again ===

	''7 November 2002''		''7 November 2002''
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	So obviously, something is shorting out. It's been suggested that the backplane or its wire harness may be hosed, but will check its wiring against the installation manual before leaping to any hasty conclusions. Might go ahead and clean up the TU58 tonight.		So obviously, something is shorting out. It's been suggested that the backplane or its wire harness may be hosed, but will check its wiring against the installation manual before leaping to any hasty conclusions. Might go ahead and clean up the TU58 tonight.

	== Cleaning the TU58 ==		=== Cleaning the TU58 ===

	''9 November 2002''		''9 November 2002''
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	I'm in the process of checking cabinet wiring against the schematic in the VAX 11/750 Installation Manual. Already found a couple discrepancies. This may just be why the PSU is freaking out so much. More to come...		I'm in the process of checking cabinet wiring against the schematic in the VAX 11/750 Installation Manual. Already found a couple discrepancies. This may just be why the PSU is freaking out so much. More to come...

	== Pulling Apart the 5V PSU ==		=== Pulling Apart the 5V PSU ===

	'' 9 November 2002 ''		'' 9 November 2002 ''
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	I pulled apart the H7104-D tonight, and found that the control board has a blown fuse. This could explain the PSU failures. Will try a new fuse tomorrow.		I pulled apart the H7104-D tonight, and found that the control board has a blown fuse. This could explain the PSU failures. Will try a new fuse tomorrow.

	== Trying One More Time ==		=== Trying One More Time ===

	'' 11 January 2003 ''		'' 11 January 2003 ''
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	This means that the system passed its microverify test. However, it doesn't seem to be listening to the console. According to Lothian's 11/750 FAQ, this is usually due to a failed 1489 RS-232 line receiver on the L0004 UBI. I've ordered a 1489 and a socket, and desoldered the 1489. The fellow I got the machine from is also sending me an L0004, a UDA50 SDI controller, an RL02 disk unit, and an RL11 controller for the RL02. A fellow in Colorado Springs has a pair of RA70 disk drives as well, but no RA7x enclosure. Apparently, these drives only work with a special control panel. If I can get that enclosure, I should be able to get the 750 up and running. Then, my only remaining wishes for the unit will be an L0001 FPA (not a big priority), a 9-track tape unit (TU8x), a BA-11K expansion cab, and the front and back panels. This unit obviously was coupled to a BA-11K, as there was a DEC power bus cord going from the 875 power controller coiled up in the bottom of the chassis, the left side panel was missing, and the knockouts for that side were knocked out. All that equipment will be a tight fit in my computer room, but I think it should work.		This means that the system passed its microverify test. However, it doesn't seem to be listening to the console. According to Lothian's 11/750 FAQ, this is usually due to a failed 1489 RS-232 line receiver on the L0004 UBI. I've ordered a 1489 and a socket, and desoldered the 1489. The fellow I got the machine from is also sending me an L0004, a UDA50 SDI controller, an RL02 disk unit, and an RL11 controller for the RL02. A fellow in Colorado Springs has a pair of RA70 disk drives as well, but no RA7x enclosure. Apparently, these drives only work with a special control panel. If I can get that enclosure, I should be able to get the 750 up and running. Then, my only remaining wishes for the unit will be an L0001 FPA (not a big priority), a 9-track tape unit (TU8x), a BA-11K expansion cab, and the front and back panels. This unit obviously was coupled to a BA-11K, as there was a DEC power bus cord going from the 875 power controller coiled up in the bottom of the chassis, the left side panel was missing, and the knockouts for that side were knocked out. All that equipment will be a tight fit in my computer room, but I think it should work.

	== Paying for Hard Drives ==		=== Paying for Hard Drives ===

	'' 18 January 2003 ''		'' 18 January 2003 ''

	Sent a money order off to Colorado for a pair of RA70 drives.		Sent a money order off to Colorado for a pair of RA70 drives.

Jpw: Jpw moved page VAX 11/750 Restoration Project (2002-2003) to VAX 11/750 without leaving a redirect

2019-04-12T18:52:24Z

Jpw moved page VAX 11/750 Restoration Project (2002-2003) to VAX 11/750 without leaving a redirect

← Older revision	Revision as of 18:52, 12 April 2019
(No difference)

Jpw at 16:53, 12 April 2019

2019-04-12T16:53:33Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:53, 12 April 2019
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	* Power up with 854 power controller set to "Remote" and key set to anything but "Off" results in blower turning on, but still nothing from the DC side of the power system. Inspection of power supply units reveals that the large cable that connects the 854 controller, the H7104-C 2.5V PSU, and the H7104-D 5V PSU was installed backwards. Corrected. Power on now yields:		* Power up with 854 power controller set to "Remote" and key set to anything but "Off" results in blower turning on, but still nothing from the DC side of the power system. Inspection of power supply units reveals that the large cable that connects the 854 controller, the H7104-C 2.5V PSU, and the H7104-D 5V PSU was installed backwards. Corrected. Power on now yields:

	<~~noformat~~>		<pre>
	( ) = not lit, (0) = lit		( ) = not lit, (0) = lit

Line 116:		Line 116:
	(0) REG FAIL		(0) REG FAIL
	( ) OVER TEMP		( ) OVER TEMP
	</~~noformat~~>		</pre>

	== Pulling the Cards Again ==		== Pulling the Cards Again ==
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	Very interesting. Powering up with cards pulled from backplane results in the following lights on the 854 power controller:		Very interesting. Powering up with cards pulled from backplane results in the following lights on the 854 power controller:

	<~~noformat~~>		<pre>
	( ) = not lit, (0) = lit		( ) = not lit, (0) = lit

Line 134:		Line 134:
	(0) REG FAIL		(0) REG FAIL
	( ) OVER TEMP		( ) OVER TEMP
	</~~noformat~~>		</pre>

	So obviously, something is shorting out. It's been suggested that the backplane or its wire harness may be hosed, but will check its wiring against the installation manual before leaping to any hasty conclusions. Might go ahead and clean up the TU58 tonight.		So obviously, something is shorting out. It's been suggested that the backplane or its wire harness may be hosed, but will check its wiring against the installation manual before leaping to any hasty conclusions. Might go ahead and clean up the TU58 tonight.
Line 158:		Line 158:
	Wow! The PSU has decided to cooperate all of a sudden. The console now gives me:		Wow! The PSU has decided to cooperate all of a sudden. The console now gives me:

	<~~noformat~~>		<pre>
	%%		%%

	00000000 16		00000000 16
	>>>		>>>
	</~~noformat~~>		</pre>

	This means that the system passed its microverify test. However, it doesn't seem to be listening to the console. According to Lothian's 11/750 FAQ, this is usually due to a failed 1489 RS-232 line receiver on the L0004 UBI. I've ordered a 1489 and a socket, and desoldered the 1489. The fellow I got the machine from is also sending me an L0004, a UDA50 SDI controller, an RL02 disk unit, and an RL11 controller for the RL02. A fellow in Colorado Springs has a pair of RA70 disk drives as well, but no RA7x enclosure. Apparently, these drives only work with a special control panel. If I can get that enclosure, I should be able to get the 750 up and running. Then, my only remaining wishes for the unit will be an L0001 FPA (not a big priority), a 9-track tape unit (TU8x), a BA-11K expansion cab, and the front and back panels. This unit obviously was coupled to a BA-11K, as there was a DEC power bus cord going from the 875 power controller coiled up in the bottom of the chassis, the left side panel was missing, and the knockouts for that side were knocked out. All that equipment will be a tight fit in my computer room, but I think it should work.		This means that the system passed its microverify test. However, it doesn't seem to be listening to the console. According to Lothian's 11/750 FAQ, this is usually due to a failed 1489 RS-232 line receiver on the L0004 UBI. I've ordered a 1489 and a socket, and desoldered the 1489. The fellow I got the machine from is also sending me an L0004, a UDA50 SDI controller, an RL02 disk unit, and an RL11 controller for the RL02. A fellow in Colorado Springs has a pair of RA70 disk drives as well, but no RA7x enclosure. Apparently, these drives only work with a special control panel. If I can get that enclosure, I should be able to get the 750 up and running. Then, my only remaining wishes for the unit will be an L0001 FPA (not a big priority), a 9-track tape unit (TU8x), a BA-11K expansion cab, and the front and back panels. This unit obviously was coupled to a BA-11K, as there was a DEC power bus cord going from the 875 power controller coiled up in the bottom of the chassis, the left side panel was missing, and the knockouts for that side were knocked out. All that equipment will be a tight fit in my computer room, but I think it should work.