Re: Dead MicroVAX II :( - TUHS

27 May 2000

In article by Mike W.:

...
  I have a digital microvax II in a 'world
case'. I was wondering how to
 hook it up and make it fly. I was told that it runs the Micro VMS OS,
 but no to get get it on the machine, Model: one of two: VS12W-B2 or
 V512W-B2. It is an old sticker, could be a 5 or an S. A tape drive is
 installed, but no tape disk came with it. Is there another OS it can
 run? 
Yes, it will run UNIX, the timesharing system by Ritchie and Thompson, Berkeley
VAX version thereof, the current version of which is 4.3BSD-Quasijarus
maintained by me, the WWW page for which is:

http://minnie.cs.adfa.edu.au/

Running UNIX requires a UNIX source license (True UNIX never had, doesn't have,
and never will have a concept of "binary only"), but these days SCO gives them
out for FREE! You have a tape drive, so you will have no problem with
installation. I have supply you with the boot tape, but you'll have to
reimburse me for the tape and shipping.

...
  How do I hook up the Console to work on it. For that
matter, what does
 the console look like? 
You need a standard RS-232 terminal. The console port connector on the MicroVAX
is of a rather odd standard, though. A DEC BCC05 or BCC08 cable will connect it
to a standard RS-232 DB25M terminal. If you want or have to make your own
cable, I've got the pinout for the MicroVAX console port connector somewhere.

...
  [...] nothing on 'where  and
 how the cables go on the back (bulkhead). 
The I/O distribution panel on the back provides external connections for all
Q-bus modules you have. You'll have to tell us what Q-bus modules you have so
that we can tell you what external connections they need. You obviously have
the CPU, which has one external connection: the console port which I just told
you about.

...
  I need to know how, why and
 when to turn the knobs on the back. 
On the CPU module bulkhead there are two knobs and one switch. One knob selects
the console port baud rate. I think this one is obvious. You can use any of the
baud rates printed around the knob, but 9600 baud is standard. The other knob
selects between normal operation (the arrow icon), console language selection
(the talking face icon), and console port loopback test (the T in the circle
icon). I always leave it on the arrow icon. Finally, the switch selects between
maintenance mode (halt enabled, stay in the console on power-up) and production
mode (halt disabled, boot the OS on power-up). These correspond to the dot-
inside-the-circle and dot-outside-the-circle icons, respectively. For now leave
the dot inside the circle.

For more info subscribe to the Quasijarus mailing list and ask there. Send
subscription requests to:

quasijarus-request(a)ivan.Harhan.ORG

--
Michael Sokolov		Harhan Engineering Laboratory
Public Service Agent	International Free Computing Task Force
			International Engineering and Science Task Force
			615 N GOOD LATIMER EXPY STE #4
			DALLAS TX 75204-5852 USA

Phone: +1-214-824-7693 (Harhan Eng Lab office)
E-mail: msokolov(a)ivan.Harhan.ORG (ARPA TCP/SMTP) (UUCP coming soon)

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