On 2010-11-29 22:45, John Klos wrote:
What do the LEDs show, btw? It would perhaps seem as if your machine isn't really coming up. Memory could be the problem, I don't know... But an error code on the LEDs would be interesting.From earlier: When I turn it on, I get all eight LEDs on at the same time for a half a second, then I get 7, 6, 5, 4, and 1, then nothing (happens). I get nothing on the serial console. If I press the halt button, the LEDs change to 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 1, and 0. These codes aren't specifically mentioned in the DEC Service Information manual for the 4000/90.
So it stops at 1? Or do you mean it becomes dark? And by "7,6,5,4,1" do you mean that one LED at the time is lit, the LEDs being the ones marked with those numbers, or do you mean that the binary value shown is those values?
SPeaking of which... I'd like to get my hands on such a cable as well. Anyone know where to buy them?Here's one seller: http://cgi.ebay.com/IBM-58F2903-3W3-ADAPTER-3-BNC-RGB-VIDEO-CABLE-/380112073358?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item588071f28e#ht_500wt_911
Hmm. Thanks. Will check this out more...
I don't even know what the specs on the keyboard are...Normal LK201 or whatever, I believe. Any DEC keyboard with a 4-pin modular phone connector.What I mean is that I don't know if that's an IBM AT or PS/2 type interface which can be used via a PIC translator or something like that, or something different. But now that you tell me that an LK201 will work, I see this: http://www.netbsd.org/docs/Hardware/Machines/DEC/lk201.html Hmmm... Maybe I'll get one as a present...
PC keyboards... I doubt you'd even want to try one of those, even if you could locate a converter. You do understand that the keyboards are totally different from PC ones? It's more than just a simple case of shifting some wires around. Totally different protocols, and capabilities. But as always, a converter is always possible to build, and maybe one do exist. I've not seen one, though.
But LK201 keyboards are not uncommon, so it should be fairly easy to get one. DEC used them for all terminals and computers of the era. SO, the same keyboards (or compatible) are used for VT220, VT240, VT241, VT320, VT330, VT340, VT420, DEC Professional, DECmate, DEC Rainbow, all VAXstations of the time, as well as DECstations (MIPS based) and whatever other special equipment DEC made.
Johnny
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|| on a psychedelic trip
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