VAXstation Memory
eugene
tough to come by. I'm assuming that it's completely DEC proprietary
and there is no "modern" substitute. I don't know enough about memory
to know if it's possible to build an adapter of some sort? Maybe
someone has already done this? Curious to know how to find memory for
these old beauties without forking over $300. As always, any and all
assistance is more than greatly appreciated.
eugene
the effort? I don't even know if the pin layout of a DEC SIMM is
documented anywhere.
Michael Kraemer
> There has to be some way to forge a replacement? Maybe it's not worth
> the effort?
Probably. Most VAXen would have been populated
with enough memory back then, when they were
still in production usage.
Occasionally modules appear on eBay (or even in this NG),
but you'd need a lot of patience. It may be one or two
years ago I saw the last offer.
> I don't even know if the pin layout of a DEC SIMM is
> documented anywhere.
Would it help?
Those modules are proprietary, 80-pin.
They come in 4MB and 16MB flavours, respectively.
There are replacement parts from Camintonn
and Kingston (and probably others too).
tomars...@comcast.net
Hello
If you have a model 40 or above I have plenty of 4 meg modules that
are collecting dust. Let me know.
phillip
eugene
> Those modules are proprietary, 80-pin.
> They come in 4MB and 16MB flavours, respectively.
> There are replacement parts from Camintonn
> and Kingston (and probably others too).
Well, I figured that maybe I could build a replacement if I knew the
complete specifications. The actual chips on the SIMMs are fairly
standard for the day, so it should be possible. The other question
would be whether there's some sort of bus in there that I could hang
memory off from. Take the 4000/90, for example. There are all sorts
of buses in there. I'm curious to know if any of them are fast
enough, general purpose buses that I could just hang some memory
from...
eugene
> If you have a model 40 or above I have plenty of 4 meg modules that
> are collecting dust. Let me know.
> phillip
Thanks! Let me take an inventory of exactly what I have/need and let
you know. I got a lot of stuff recently and need to sort it all out.
That pesky day job keeps getting in the way of my fun... :)
H Vlems
The problem with old proprietary memory is that it was very expensive
in its day.
That's way you see very few VAXstation 4000-90's with 128 MB. All my
400-60's came
with 24 or 40 MB. That is, 8 MB on-board and either 4 or 8 boards of 4
MB each. The 16 MB boards were probably very expensive, though I have
no recollection of actual prices.
Hans
H Vlems
>
> - Tekst uit oorspronkelijk bericht weergeven -
Wouldn't that be VAXstation 3100 (if you say "model 40")?
Michael Kraemer
>
> The problem with old proprietary memory is that it was very expensive
> in its day.
> That's way you see very few VAXstation 4000-90's with 128 MB.
Lucky me. Mine came filled to the brim :-)
> All my
> 400-60's came
> with 24 or 40 MB. That is, 8 MB on-board and either 4 or 8 boards of 4
> MB each. The 16 MB boards were probably very expensive, though I have
> no recollection of actual prices.
I found an old quote for the 3176.
In 1990 2x4MB were DEM 2700,- (approx 1300 Euro),
w/o taxes I guess and after edu discount.
I might have prices for VS4000 RAM as well,
but I'd have to dig ...
H Vlems
Yes, that sounds right, around 3000 dutch guilders for 8 MB. No wonder
those systems ran in very little memory.
The company I worked for used (around 1999) an Alpha Server 1200 with
just 64 MB. A memory upgrade was too expensive!
Back to the VAX systems, two years ago eBay occasionally had
reasonably priced 4 MB and even 16 MB boards, mostly from private
vendors or traders in computer gear without any knowledge about the
systems. This year I couldn't even find Alpha Server 1200 memory, let
alone VAXstation 4000 memory boards.
Hans
Michael Kraemer
> On Oct 23, 12:59 am, Michael Kraemer <M.Krae...@gsi.de> wrote:
>
> Yes, that sounds right, around 3000 dutch guilders for 8 MB. No wonder
> those systems ran in very little memory.
> The company I worked for used (around 1999) an Alpha Server 1200 with
> just 64 MB. A memory upgrade was too expensive!
Sounds funny, a 64bit system with 64MB RAM.
Could have stayed with VAX.
> Back to the VAX systems, two years ago eBay occasionally had
> reasonably priced 4 MB and even 16 MB boards, mostly from private
> vendors or traders in computer gear without any knowledge about the
> systems.
Yep, I captured some of them to fill otherwise empty VAXen.
Better they sell it on $AUCTIONHOUSE than to scrap it.
> This year I couldn't even find Alpha Server 1200 memory, let
> alone VAXstation 4000 memory boards.
That's true for all kinds of workstation equipment, unfortunately.
Bob Koehler
> H Vlems schrieb:
>> On Oct 23, 12:59 am, Michael Kraemer <M.Krae...@gsi.de> wrote:
>
>>
>> Yes, that sounds right, around 3000 dutch guilders for 8 MB. No wonder
>> those systems ran in very little memory.
>> The company I worked for used (around 1999) an Alpha Server 1200 with
>> just 64 MB. A memory upgrade was too expensive!
>
> Sounds funny, a 64bit system with 64MB RAM.
> Could have stayed with VAX.
We had one of those. had a bunch of 1 - 5 K hard real-time programs
that had to run, and wanted the performance of an Alpha. So we
didn't originally buy more than the minimum RAM.
Len Whitwer
Hi Eugene:
We have the MS44-DC (64MB) CHEAP at $95 "DATARAM" and DEC
at $150. This should solve your problem at very low cost.
Len Whitwer
Sales and Marketing Manager
Puget Sound Data Systems
19501 144th Ave NE , Suite D-100
Woodinville, WA 98072
Toll Free: 866-857-0710
Fax: 425-488-6414
Email: l...@psds.com
Web Page: www.psds.com