Talk:MicroVAX I - Revision history

Jnc: /* Unable to upload picture */ Report this to Tore

2025-10-02T11:48:08Z

‎Unable to upload picture: Report this to Tore

Vaxorcist: Unable to upload picture

2025-10-02T07:37:42Z

Unable to upload picture

Jnc: /* MSV11-J versions */ Thanks for confirming that + some details

2022-06-16T17:09:57Z

‎MSV11-J versions: Thanks for confirming that + some details

Vaxorcist: /* MSV11-J versions */

2022-06-16T12:01:38Z

‎MSV11-J versions

Jnc: /* MSV11-J versions */ new section

2022-06-16T11:05:18Z

‎MSV11-J versions: new section

Antonioc at 18:58, 29 July 2017

2017-07-29T18:58:36Z

Jnc: Differences in old and new table

2017-07-29T13:36:16Z

Differences in old and new table

New page

==Spec differences?==

The old content had ram = 1 MB, and year introduced = 1984; not sure which is correct. [[User:Jnc|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc|talk]]) 15:36, 29 July 2017 (CEST)

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:48, 2 October 2025
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	At first I thought it might be up to the file name or size, but nothing helped - can you help? [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 07:37, 2 October 2025 (UTC)		At first I thought it might be up to the file name or size, but nothing helped - can you help? [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 07:37, 2 October 2025 (UTC)
		+
		+	: Report this to Tore. I can't help with it - it's a MediaWiki issue. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 11:47, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:37, 2 October 2025
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	:: [http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/hardware/micronotes/numerical/micronote28.txt Micronote 28] does say "[the -JB and -JC] modules can not be used in a Q-bus system due to gate array incompatibilities", which I take to mean 'MSV11-JB/-JC cards don't work on the QBUS'.		:: [http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/hardware/micronotes/numerical/micronote28.txt Micronote 28] does say "[the -JB and -JC] modules can not be used in a Q-bus system due to gate array incompatibilities", which I take to mean 'MSV11-JB/-JC cards don't work on the QBUS'.
	:: I recall reading someone's report, which I just tried to search for, but cannot find, that they tried to use a -JB/-JC in a [[PDP-11/83]] (I think), and it damaged the file system. This makes sense, if the problem as is it is described, since in an /83, the CPU will use PMI to talk to the MSV11-J, whereas DMA devices will try and use the QBUS - but in the /84, both CPU and DMA will use PMI (the DMA via the [[KTJ11-B]]). [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 19:09, 16 June 2022 (CEST)		:: I recall reading someone's report, which I just tried to search for, but cannot find, that they tried to use a -JB/-JC in a [[PDP-11/83]] (I think), and it damaged the file system. This makes sense, if the problem as is it is described, since in an /83, the CPU will use PMI to talk to the MSV11-J, whereas DMA devices will try and use the QBUS - but in the /84, both CPU and DMA will use PMI (the DMA via the [[KTJ11-B]]). [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 19:09, 16 June 2022 (CEST)
		+
		+	== Unable to upload picture ==
		+
		+	When trying to upload a picture I get the following message:
		+
		+	'''Could not open lock file for "mwstore://local-backend/local-public/4/48/Microvax_I_and_VT100.jpg".'''
		+
		+	At first I thought it might be up to the file name or size, but nothing helped - can you help? [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 07:37, 2 October 2025 (UTC)

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:09, 16 June 2022
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	: The MicroVAX I can only use QBUS memories, or QBUS-compatible memories (like the MSV11-JD/-JE), so the -JB/-JC will most probably NOT work.		: The MicroVAX I can only use QBUS memories, or QBUS-compatible memories (like the MSV11-JD/-JE), so the -JB/-JC will most probably NOT work.
	: My own MicroVAX I is running with a MSV11-JE 2 MB board in slot 3. [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 14:01, 16 June 2022 (CEST)		: My own MicroVAX I is running with a MSV11-JE 2 MB board in slot 3. [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 14:01, 16 June 2022 (CEST)
		+
		+	:: OK, thanks for confirming that.
		+	:: [http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/academic/computer-science/history/pdp-11/hardware/micronotes/numerical/micronote28.txt Micronote 28] does say "[the -JB and -JC] modules can not be used in a Q-bus system due to gate array incompatibilities", which I take to mean 'MSV11-JB/-JC cards don't work on the QBUS'.
		+	:: I recall reading someone's report, which I just tried to search for, but cannot find, that they tried to use a -JB/-JC in a [[PDP-11/83]] (I think), and it damaged the file system. This makes sense, if the problem as is it is described, since in an /83, the CPU will use PMI to talk to the MSV11-J, whereas DMA devices will try and use the QBUS - but in the /84, both CPU and DMA will use PMI (the DMA via the [[KTJ11-B]]). [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 19:09, 16 June 2022 (CEST)

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:01, 16 June 2022
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	Which versions work in the MicroVAX I? The -JB/-JC apparently have bugs in their QBUS support, so they only work in the [[PDP-11/84]]; the -JD/-JE will work anywhere. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 13:05, 16 June 2022 (CEST)		Which versions work in the MicroVAX I? The -JB/-JC apparently have bugs in their QBUS support, so they only work in the [[PDP-11/84]]; the -JD/-JE will work anywhere. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 13:05, 16 June 2022 (CEST)
		+
		+	: The MicroVAX I can only use QBUS memories, or QBUS-compatible memories (like the MSV11-JD/-JE), so the -JB/-JC will most probably NOT work.
		+	: My own MicroVAX I is running with a MSV11-JE 2 MB board in slot 3. [[User:Vaxorcist\|Vaxorcist]] ([[User talk:Vaxorcist\|talk]]) 14:01, 16 June 2022 (CEST)

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:05, 16 June 2022
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	: The MicroVAX I Pocket Service Guide (EK-KD32A_PG-001, Aug 1984) says 3MB if you fill all six slots with memory but in practice you need peripherals, so four slots of memory (2MB) is a practical limit. That's using MSV11-P boards. The Supermicrosystems handbook says that the KD32-AA has a limit of 4MB (which I think is an architectural limit based on the amount of memory possible on the Qbus). MSV11-Q memory boards had more capacity but I don't have an old enough Systems and Options catalogue to know whether they were supported in the uV1. So 1MB is, I think, wrong. 3MB is certainly possible but (in 1984) impractical. 4MB seems quite plausible to me but I don't have a cast iron reference (yet!). As for 1984, the earliest manuals have that date. ComputrWorld June 18 1984 carries a feature on p 58 or so. So announced in 1983 and shipped in 1984 does sound right. Somewhere or other I know there is a write-up of the story behind the uVAX I, but I don't seem to have it to hand. [[User:Antonioc\|Antonioc]] ([[User talk:Antonioc\|talk]]) 20:58, 29 July 2017 (CEST)		: The MicroVAX I Pocket Service Guide (EK-KD32A_PG-001, Aug 1984) says 3MB if you fill all six slots with memory but in practice you need peripherals, so four slots of memory (2MB) is a practical limit. That's using MSV11-P boards. The Supermicrosystems handbook says that the KD32-AA has a limit of 4MB (which I think is an architectural limit based on the amount of memory possible on the Qbus). MSV11-Q memory boards had more capacity but I don't have an old enough Systems and Options catalogue to know whether they were supported in the uV1. So 1MB is, I think, wrong. 3MB is certainly possible but (in 1984) impractical. 4MB seems quite plausible to me but I don't have a cast iron reference (yet!). As for 1984, the earliest manuals have that date. ComputrWorld June 18 1984 carries a feature on p 58 or so. So announced in 1983 and shipped in 1984 does sound right. Somewhere or other I know there is a write-up of the story behind the uVAX I, but I don't seem to have it to hand. [[User:Antonioc\|Antonioc]] ([[User talk:Antonioc\|talk]]) 20:58, 29 July 2017 (CEST)
		+
		+	== MSV11-J versions ==
		+
		+	Which versions work in the MicroVAX I? The -JB/-JC apparently have bugs in their QBUS support, so they only work in the [[PDP-11/84]]; the -JD/-JE will work anywhere. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 13:05, 16 June 2022 (CEST)

← Older revision		Revision as of 18:58, 29 July 2017
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	The old content had ram = 1 MB, and year introduced = 1984; not sure which is correct. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 15:36, 29 July 2017 (CEST)		The old content had ram = 1 MB, and year introduced = 1984; not sure which is correct. [[User:Jnc\|Jnc]] ([[User talk:Jnc\|talk]]) 15:36, 29 July 2017 (CEST)
		+
		+	: The MicroVAX I Pocket Service Guide (EK-KD32A_PG-001, Aug 1984) says 3MB if you fill all six slots with memory but in practice you need peripherals, so four slots of memory (2MB) is a practical limit. That's using MSV11-P boards. The Supermicrosystems handbook says that the KD32-AA has a limit of 4MB (which I think is an architectural limit based on the amount of memory possible on the Qbus). MSV11-Q memory boards had more capacity but I don't have an old enough Systems and Options catalogue to know whether they were supported in the uV1. So 1MB is, I think, wrong. 3MB is certainly possible but (in 1984) impractical. 4MB seems quite plausible to me but I don't have a cast iron reference (yet!). As for 1984, the earliest manuals have that date. ComputrWorld June 18 1984 carries a feature on p 58 or so. So announced in 1983 and shipped in 1984 does sound right. Somewhere or other I know there is a write-up of the story behind the uVAX I, but I don't seem to have it to hand. [[User:Antonioc\|Antonioc]] ([[User talk:Antonioc\|talk]]) 20:58, 29 July 2017 (CEST)