From news.columbia.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!caen!batcomputer!news.reed.edu!usenet Thu Jul 1 14:11:41 EDT 1993 Article: 315 of alt.sys.pdp8 Path: news.columbia.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!caen!batcomputer!news.reed.edu!usenet From: bob@reed.edu (Robert Ankeney) Newsgroups: alt.sys.pdp8 Subject: Re: PDP-8 emulators Date: 1 Jul 1993 17:08:26 GMT Organization: Reed College, Portland, Oregon Lines: 17 Message-ID: <20v5ma$7eu@scratchy.reed.edu> References: <1993Jun27.152654.25750@crash> <1993Jun28.205004.1684@news.uiowa.edu> <20qg3m$44f@sousa.ako.dec.com> <1993Jun30.093255.1772@news.columbia.edu> NNTP-Posting-Host: reed.edu Keywords: PDP8, emulator Years ago I wrote a PDP-8 simulator in Pascal on a PDP-11 running RSTS/E. I simulated an RF08 and had it running OS/8. Speed was surprisingly good! Maybe 10-20 times slower than the 8 itself. I implemented the EAE set, partly by using some in-line assembler code for speed. Sadly, I don't think I have the source around anymore. The best part was the instruction decoding, which was fast. Anyway, it can be done (of course), and on something with a bit of zip should run noticably faster than an 8. Robert -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Robert Ankeney | "Yield and overcome. | ...!tektronix!reed!bob | Bend and be straight. | ...!tektronix!bob@reed.EDU | Empty and be full." - Lao Tzu | From news.columbia.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!network.ucsd.edu!munnari.oz.au!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!monu6!vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au!decus!geremin Mon Jul 5 03:21:21 EDT 1993 Article: 316 of alt.sys.pdp8 Xref: news.columbia.edu vmsnet.pdp-11:1214 alt.sys.pdp8:316 comp.org.decus:2294 Path: news.columbia.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!math.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!network.ucsd.edu!munnari.oz.au!bruce.cs.monash.edu.au!monu6!vaxc.cc.monash.edu.au!decus!geremin Newsgroups: decus.nop,decus.pdp11,vmsnet.pdp-11,alt.sys.pdp8,comp.org.decus Subject: NOP and PDP-11 happenings down under, July-93. Message-ID: <1993Jul4.145531.14610@decus.com.au> From: geremin@decus.com.au Date: 4 Jul 93 14:55:31 AEST Organization: DECUS, South Pacific Chapter Lines: 113 Hello Folks, Firstly, welcome to some new additions to my mailing list. This list is intended to supplement the distribution of the local DECUS.NOP and DECUS.PDP11 newsgroups for DECUS Australia. I have included some overseas names because of their interest in Nostalgic or Obsolete(!!) systems. (Or so I have assumed from their postings), and because I suspect that our local postings to vmsnet.pdp11 or alt.sys.pdp8 do not get world distribution. Main reason for this note is to remind people that the DECUS Australia 1993 Symposium will be held in Adelaide 22-27 August. We have been asked by the Digital Exhibition organiser to suggest a display of NOP items that would be of interest. My initial feeling is that something from 1968 or 1973 would be appropriate (being 25 or 20 years ago). My listing of PDP-11 release dates shows the 11/40 and 11/35 as being from 1973, only problem is that my 11/35 is largish and a bit awkward to transport to Adelaide, and I dont have any O/S that came with it - but could probably dig up a vintage RK05 drive with RSX on it. I believe over 25,000 PDP-11s were shipped by the end of 1973. The only major event I know of for 1968 was the release of TSS/8 for the PDP-8. Does anyone know of other events for either year which could make a good focal point for a NOP display.? -------------------------- Progress with PDP-11 workshop planned for Melbourne in October. I have sort of persuaded Ken Kirkby from plc Peripherals to be our principal speaker - possibly giving the main paper on the "QED 95 Upgrade Modules for Unibus Systems" (making your 11/24 or /34 run TEN times faster). He is also heavily involved in process control system applications where PDP-11 systems are still very respected. We hope to have a registration form ready for distribution in Adelaide and will try to get some extra publicity with the Institute of Intrumentation and Control of Australia where Ken is also a member. Now is the time to let us know about any paper you wish to present or any topics you specifically want discussed in the Workshop sessions. This year we will be devoting extra time to hands-on testing and workshop groups. The main themes will be upgrading PDP-11s for the rest of the Nineties and PDP-11s Communicating with the world, as this seems to be the most requested topics for the DECUS gurus. -------------------------------- Here is my current NOP mailing list - any suggested additions? ! SMIFFY::USER:[GEREMIN]NOP_MAIL.LIST ! ! I recommend you copy this to a local file (eg NOP.LIST), do ! a quick edit on the unwanted names, then MAIL to @NOP.LIST burnet ! Museum MAX to his friends, speaks to DECtalk. chevallier ! Mike from Ramparts, RT-11, TSX+. cherkowski ! Jan - ex DEC, expert on configuring systems. edmonds ! Peter with a PRO-350 and Pallette, in Perth. faets ! Walter (not Werner) at the 'Digital Centre'. gayford ! The original Trader Tom, now Pty Ltd. PRO expert. geremin ! Big-John from Megatronics, 02 764 4855. RSTS +++. goddard ! Noel, in wheelchair + rally licence, PDP-8s, 11/725. hawkins ! Malcolm, from the Adelaide LUG. hawley ! Dave from Tektronics. higgins ! Colleen with an interest in a VAXmate. howard ! Andrew, ex-TSC, Software expert, + Harley man. kerr ! Ed - currently a DECUSnews sub-editor. kirkby ! Ken at plc Peripherals, Terrigal. Insustrial Control gear. manson ! Cameron, Scottish with a DECmate, Rainbow and uV2000. mckeon ! Peter in Melb. RSTS/E in Alfred Hosp. orman ! Gary, RSX expert in Mackay, north Qld. PDP-11 SIG Chairman. stewart_andy ! Andy (mad-DECaholic), Q-bus, desktop, networks, SECV. taylort ! Board member, general good guy, uEDT, etc. thorne ! Bill - chapter administrator - ex-Pioneer concrete. warner ! Charles, ex-RSTS, SPC, Perth. wilson ! Chester - of course - NOP SIG Chairman, RT11, TSX+, .MAC etc. IN%"bruceb@psychvax.psych.su.oz.au" ! Bruce Beilby, Q-bus and Macintoshes. IN%"r.caffin@syd.dwt.csiro.au" ! Roger, ex DECUSnews editor, ex-Board. IN%"j.edwards@latrobe.edu.au" ! John ex-Chapter chairman. IN%"dale@mpce.mq.edu.au" ! Dale Woodside, PDP-11 TSX+, Fortran. IN%"forsyth@zodiac.dsto.gov.au" ! Graham, been around for a long time. IN%"fulton@extro.ucc.su.oz.au" ! Roger, GAMMA-11, RPA Hosp. IN%"i.hunter@jcu.edu.au" ! Ian, on Leadership Development. IN%"ccdfm@cc.newcastle.edu.au" ! David Morrison, ex-RSTS. IN%"steveq@swifty.dap.csiro.au" ! Steve Quigg, PDP-8 guru. IN%"adrian@internode.com.au" ! A.Corston, Internode Systems, Adel. IN%"bennett@cis.dsto.gov.au" ! John, Head, I.T. Services Devel. IN%"J.NEWMAN@icarus.curtin.edu.au" ! John, DECsystem in Perth. IN%"p.nankervis@latrobe.edu.au" ! Paul, Rainbow archive in Melb. IN%"tovey@mundil.cs.mu.OZ.AU" ! Matt Tovey, 11/34?. via Andy. IN%"don@zl2tnm.gen.nz" ! Don Stokes. All sorts of things. IN%"mbg@world.std.com" ! Megan Gentry - ex-RT11 devel team. IN%"TERRY@spcvxa.spc.edu" ! Terry Kennedy, St. Peter's College, NJ USA IN%"wagner@avalon.physik.unizh.ch" ! Contact in Switzerland. IN%"zcookbruc@cc.curtin.edu.au" ! Bruce Cook, RSX etc. IN%"zrepachol@cc.curtin.edu.au" ! Paul (Reptile), DEC-10/20, RSX, etc. !---------------------------------------- -- Regards, John G. (alias 'megaJOHN') v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v John Geremin, PDP-11 Support Consultant, MEGATRONICS, Aust. IN%"geremin@decus.com.au" voice: 61-2- 764 4855 (9am-9pm) -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^- Warning: 'PLENTIUM-32' fries your brain cells 4 times faster than 'PLENTIUM-16' sayeth the PDP-11 mountain gurus. Naturally 'PLENTIUM-64' is 4 times worse again. 8-}  From news.columbia.edu!watsun.cc.columbia.edu!lasner Wed Jul 7 04:32:09 EDT 1993 Article: 317 of alt.sys.pdp8 Xref: news.columbia.edu comp.sys.tandy:4803 alt.folklore.computers:46963 alt.sys.pdp8:317 Newsgroups: comp.sys.tandy,alt.folklore.computers,alt.sys.pdp8 Path: news.columbia.edu!watsun.cc.columbia.edu!lasner From: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) Subject: Re: TRS-80 Model I Emulator for MS-DOS machines -- Now available! Message-ID: <1993Jul7.081123.25831@news.columbia.edu> Sender: usenet@news.columbia.edu (The Network News) Nntp-Posting-Host: watsun.cc.columbia.edu Reply-To: lasner@watsun.cc.columbia.edu (Charles Lasner) Organization: Columbia University References: <1993Jun30.164122.25791@mnemosyne.cs.du.edu> <1993Jul1.154302.6485@bilver.uucp> <1993Jul2.100448.69650@cc.usu.edu> Date: Wed, 7 Jul 1993 08:11:23 GMT In article <1993Jul2.100448.69650@cc.usu.edu> ivie@cc.usu.edu writes: >In article <1993Jul1.154302.6485@bilver.uucp>, bill@bilver.uucp (Bill Vermillion) writes: >> >> Not really. In those days this was refered to as memory mapped video >> - and several different computer systems used it. You changed the >> memory that the video was mapped onto and instant display change. >> That fast video used in machine of this type was one reason I hated the >> IBM PC when it first came out. It was SLOW!!! > >Hate to break it to you, but the IBM PC has had memory mapped video from >day one. I hate it because I can't hang my nifty terminals off it... The PDP-8 has had memory-mapped video since the VT8E was introduced around 1973 or 1974. Moreover, you could specify the mapping addresses dynamically to any addressable main memory. One of the first things I wrote for the beast was a VT05 emulator because it's usually housed in a terminal box that looks like one. Also, by alternating between two DMA buffers on clock tick interrupts, it's possibly to have two "shared" screens visually overlaying each other. Either of them can be text or graphics since the hardware supports text characters with attributes or bitmapped graphics. Output is standard video in monochrome. It was done as a CSS project for a newswire system that fed a cable-type network. (I think the customer was Reuter's. In any case, DEC decided to package it inside a modified VT05 housing with a keyboard and video monitor. The cards alone were known as a VK8E.) By specifying a display starting address on top of a running program and using graphics mode, it is possible to get a fascinating view of a running program. You can actually see the various counters, etc. being updated at rates that correspond to program activity if you study it a little, etc. Because of the buss loading due to fast back-to-back DMA cycles, running core memory diagnostics patched to run the VT8E in graphics mode over the tested data areas can exacerbate a memory failure in a marginal core stack. You can actually see the checkerboard patterns of a memory checkerboard test! cjl From geremin@decus.com.au Tue Jul 27 13:35:58 EDT 1993 Article: 318 of alt.sys.pdp8 Path: news.columbia.edu!sol.ctr.columbia.edu!howland.reston.ans.net!noc.near.net!uunet!munnari.oz.au!ariel.ucs.unimelb.EDU.AU!ucsvc.ucs.unimelb.edu.au!decus!geremin Newsgroups: decus.nop,aus.general,comp.sys.dec,vmsnet.pdp-11,alt.sys.pdp8 Subject: DECUS NOP SIG meeting for July, in OZ. Message-ID: <1993Jul26.221110.14619@decus.com.au> From: geremin@decus.com.au Date: 26 Jul 93 22:11:10 AEST Organization: DECUS, South Pacific Chapter Lines: 51 Xref: news.columbia.edu comp.sys.dec:15597 vmsnet.pdp-11:1274 alt.sys.pdp8:318 AUSTRALIA AUSTRALIA DECUS NOP DECUS NOP DECUS NOP DECUS NOP DECUS NOP NOP SIG * July, 1993 Meeting * Lunch at Neutral Bay. ========================================================== Meet at 12 noon on FRIDAY 30th, in the Beergarden of the OAKS HOTEL, in Military Road, Neutral Bay. SYDNEY. (If wet meet in the Lounge). A good range of food outlets are available at reasonable prices. Primary business will be a discussion of the suggestions for a NOP SIG Display at the coming Adelaide Symposium. So far we have had an offer from John Bennett in Adelaide to lend us an 11/40, but its condition is not guaranteed. We should try to have a proper working system if we are going to the trouble of moving hardware. [How much space have we got to fill Max?] I have also been looking out for advertising materials and brochures from 1973 and 1983. What other products came out in 1973? Next item will be discussion on agenda items for the AGM to be held in Adelaide during the Symposium. Who will write the report for the Sydney Activists. Mike Chevallier is in the process of making a perpetual trophy to be awarded to a deserving NOP SIG members from time to time. Nominations will be considered. General Business is likely to include: where to find DB44 connectors for an Emulex P-8000, networking of VAXmates, microVAX-3 for sale, transport to and from Adelaide, economical accomodation in Adelaide, cataloguing methods for paper-tapes, magtapes, dectapes, diagnostics manuals and other precious documents from Digital. ______________________________________________ RSVP:- All network users are to reply via e-mail to me or IN%"manson@decus.com.au" so that we can book a big table. Tom Gayford and Cameron Manson for the local NOP activists, on behalf of Chester WILSON, NOP SIG Chairman. -------------------------------- -- Regards, John G. (alias 'megaJOHN') v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v-v John Geremin, PDP-11 Support Consultant, MEGATRONICS, Aust. IN%"geremin@decus.com.au" voice: 61-2- 764 4855 (9am-9pm) -^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^-^- Help prevent brain cell deterioration - avoid using computers that contain excessive 'PLENTIUM-32' and 'PLENTIUM-64' - 8-}