Software update

[oscarv]

Hi,

It's been a few days.

If you do a git pull, or just reinstall, there are some fixes and improvements:

1) Richard Cornwell's latest simulator versions

2) TOPS-20 now works. Set the data switches to 0200 and you'll boot into Tops-20 on Richard's KL simulator (**). See the boot script for details, but pdp telcon gives you the console, pdp vt52 (or telnet localhost 10018) a user terminal. This is the Panda distribution, I am a total novice but it seemed fine to me.

3) I checked, TOPS-10 seems to work fine. But let me know if not!

4) Small bug fixes in terminal simulators

From now on, the data switch settings on boot signify the following:

0000 - Boot Blinky

000X - Boot the KA10 with the selected OS (1=ITS, 2=TOPS-10)

00X0 - Boot the KI10, but no OSes installed yet

0X00 - Boot the KL10. 0200 is TOPS-20.

Now on to the manual, it is high time to get that out.

Kind regards,

Oscar.

(**) TOPS-20 on a KA10 panel? Yes, you get 18 more address switches than the KL had, so it is an improvement on the original?

[johntk...@gmail.com]

Bug report:

I've installed the update.

• When the Pi is connected to the hardware, I have Switch 35 on, and boot up.
• Most of the bottom row of LEDs blink super fast
• I press READ IN
• Nothing happens. LEDs don't change. 
• I launch PDP CON anyway.
• Text appears (how I love this terminal view) but no DSKDMP
• (I've tested the switches working using the pidp-10-test program)
  

[johntk...@gmail.com]

If I subsequently pdpcontrol stop and then pdpcontrol start 1 (that is, start ITS manually) I can get DSKDMP to appear, and ITS to start.

[johntk...@gmail.com]

Actually..  On both my systems (one headless, one with the hardware) after cloning and running the install script, ITS will not start up and work any more. Sad face.

[Lars Brinkhoff]

Oscar wrote:

TOPS-20 on a KA10 panel? Yes, you get 18 more address switches than the KL had, so it is an improvement on the original?

I dunno, looks like kind of a draw.

[Richard C]

READ IN only works if the processor is not in Run State. So if RUN is lit, hit STOP before pressing READ IN.

Rich

[johntk...@gmail.com]

Thank you - pressing STOP first does get it working.

Maybe the instructions here:

https://obsolescence.wixsite.com/obsolescence/pidp-10-how-to-use

could be updated to mention this?

After the night's rest, my headless system is also working. Computers. Who really know how they work?

[Michael Thompson]

I also found that doing a PDPCONTROL START with switch 1 set makes the bootstrap through locations 1000-1006 waiting for a character typed on the console. I never see DSKDMP on any of the consoles that I tried.

If I do a PDPCONTROL START 1, ITS will boot normally.

Where can I find the source code for the ITS boot paper tape?

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Michael Thompson

[Lars Brinkhoff]

Michael Thompson wrote:

Where can I find the source code for the ITS boot paper tape?

You get the paper tape code when you assemble DSKDMP and answer yes to the question "Readin Mode Paper Tape?"

[Michael Thompson]

I did some investigating on the ITS boot issue that I am having. I git pulled the latest files and then ran install.sh. The simulator file is dated Apr 5.

When the command "pdpcontol start" is issued with the data switches set to 1, the shell script /opt/pidp10/bin/pdpcontrol.sh will run the simulator /opt/pidp10/bin/pidp10 and pass the simulator the boot script /opt/pidp10/systems/its/boot.pidp. The boot script sets the readin device to 104, loads and runs a little blinky-light program, and then waits for the READ IN switch to be pressed. Either my READ IN switch is not working, or this feature in the simulator is not working. If I stop the simulator with a ^e and execute the command "b ptr" ITS will boot normally.

When the command "pdpcontol start 1" is issued, the shell script /opt/pidp10/bin/pdpcontrol.sh will run the simulator /opt/pidp10/bin/pidp10 and pass the simulator the boot script /opt/pidp10/systems/its/boot.pi. The simulator executes the command "b ptr" and ITS boots normally.

I ran /opt/pidp10/bin/pidp10-test to check the READ IN switch, and it seems to work OK.

PiDP-10 FP on
***Run for 120.000000 seconds
0-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 3-0 | 4-0 |
0-0 | 1-0 | 2-0 | 3-200 | 4-0 | 

Either I am misinterpreting what I should do, or the READ IN function in the simulator is not working.

--

Michael Thompson

[Lars Brinkhoff]

Michael Thompson wrote:
> Either I am misinterpreting what I should do, or the READ IN function in the simulator is not working.

You need to push STOP first. READ IN doesn't do anything when the
machine is running (RUN light on). [Side node: Oscar and I first
thought READ IN would work in either state, so we coded the emulator
accordingly. Now we're using Rich' version which has been fixed in
that respect.]

[Michael Thompson]

I commented out the go 1000 in /opt/pidp10/systems/its/boot.pidp.

Now I just do pdpcontrol start, and then press READ IN. No STOP needed. Seems more realistic.

--

Michael Thompson

[Richard C]

You can remove the go from the end of the boot.pidp script and allow it to stay in a stopped state. There is also a register you can set via the "deposit readin #" which will set readin to a specific device.

Rich

[Michael Thompson]

i noticed that the READ IN switch does not work after you run PDP-10 View. At this point you can enter the command "b ptr" in the lower right Tilix window.

The startup sequence needs to be: "PDPCONTROL START", STOP, READ IN, PDP-10 View.

--

Michael Thompson

[Richard C]

You can just remove the deposit commands from boot.pidp, and the go at the end and replace it with bo ptr as last command. Then you will come up to DSKDMP prompt. You can also use expect/send to auto boot into ITS.

Rich