[comp.sys.dec] VT103...

bqt@cia.docs.uu.se (Johnny Billquist) (05/13/91)

Hi.

I have just, for the first time in my life, laid my eyes on a VT103.
This is a strange beast. It has the same lok as the standard VT100
series, but it has, what it looks like, two DECtape II drives under
the screen.

Does anybody know anything about this one. Does it need some software
from the DECtape, or is it just for storage, accessible by some
escape codes? What processor does it have and so on.
I can open it and see myself what processor it is, ok, but the rest
of it?

	Johnny

kalisiak@acsu.buffalo.edu (christophe m kalisiak) (05/13/91)

In article <bqt.674098937@cia.docs.uu.se> bqt@cia.docs.uu.se (Johnny Billquist) writes:
>
>Hi.
>
>I have just, for the first time in my life, laid my eyes on a VT103.

Scary, isn't it?

>This is a strange beast. It has the same lok as the standard VT100
>series, but it has, what it looks like, two DECtape II drives under
>the screen.
>
>Does anybody know anything about this one. Does it need some software
>from the DECtape, or is it just for storage, accessible by some
>escape codes? What processor does it have and so on.
>I can open it and see myself what processor it is, ok, but the rest
>of it?

The VT103 has an 18-bit backplane in it. (I know of people who modified
it to be 22-bit though.) You will have to open it up to find out what
processor is in it, but it will either be an 11/03 or an 11/23 CPU.
You can have the entire system (albiet VERY slow) run within the VT103
using the DECTape II as the system and data disk, but usually you have
an RX02 as the system/data disk.

I had one, but gave it away because it ate the basic video board for
breakfast every time you put a new one in...

Chris Kalisiak
kalisiak@acsu.buffalo.edu

gkn@ucsd.Edu (Gerard K. Newman) (05/13/91)

In article <bqt.674098937@cia.docs.uu.se> bqt@cia.docs.uu.se (Johnny Billquist) writes:
>
>I have just, for the first time in my life, laid my eyes on a VT103.
     [...]
>Does anybody know anything about this one. Does it need some software

It contains an LSI-11,either an 11/03 or an 11/23 depending.  It also
has a serial line interface (probably a DLV-11J) and a beefed-up power
supply.

I had one with an 11/23, RLV12, DLV-11J and a single RL-02 for a long
time ... ran RSX-11M on it.



-- 
gkn	Gerard K. Newman		gkn@sdsc.edu		619.534.5076
	San Diego Supercomputer Center	gkn@sdsc.bitnet		619.534.5152 FAX
	PO Box 85608			sdsc::gkn (27.1/span)
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tro@sunlite.uucp (Tom Olin) (05/15/91)

In article <bqt.674098937@cia.docs.uu.se> bqt@cia.docs.uu.se (Johnny Billquist)
writes:

   I have just, for the first time in my life, laid my eyes on a VT103.

   Does anybody know anything about this one.

Gee, I *own* one of those.  Anybody want to buy it?

Mine does not have the DECtape drives, but I have dual RX02 drives, a whopping
132KB of memory, a multi-function boot card, and 6 serial ports.  The processor
is an 11/23; the bus is the Q-bus.  The terminal contains a 4x4 card cage; I
currently have 3 of the 4 slots filled.  The operating system is RT-11, and I
have FORTRAN, C, PASCAL, BASIC, LISP, FORTH, TECO, RUNOFF, and lots of other
stuff.  It's not a bad system - at least, if you like RT-11 - although it
really messes up our TV reception.
--
	Tom Olin	uunet!adiron!tro	(315) 738-0600 Ext 638
 PAR Technology Corporation * 220 Seneca Turnpike * New Hartford NY 13413-1191