[comp.sys.dec] decstation 3100 questions

condor@mas1.UUCP (Rick Kawala) (06/27/89)

I just installed my DECStation 3100. I like it a lot, and have 3
questions.

First, is there a longer cable available to connect the
VR290 (color) monitor to the CPU? For that matter, I suppose I'll
need extenders for the keyboard and mouse as well. Has anyone got
a solution?

Second, how long a SCSI cable can I place between the CPU and the
(external) disk drive? Does anyone have any suggested cable vendors
if DEC doesn't make the right thing?

Third, has anyone found a cheap source of TK50 tape cartridges?
$31 or so seems a little steep.

Thanks in advance,

Rick Kawala
apple.com!mas1!condor
408-864-6768 (work)

jg@max.crl.dec.com (Jim Gettys) (06/27/89)

Unfortunately, the cables are too short.  Sigh...  Fixed in future
products.  It is possible to use one of the cables from a GPX on
a DECstation 3100; but NOTE: the keyboard and mouse must still be
plugged into the back of the DECstation, NOT on the end of the cable
like a GPX.  The cable lengths on the keyboard and mouse are less of
a problem than the video cable.  You would be surprised to know how much
the GPX video cable costs us to manufacture, and meeting FCC and VDE
emissions is much harder with keyboard and mouse cables near the video
circuitry, so the GPX style cable is unlikely to occur in the future.
Using such a cable, there is no problem hiding the DECstation box on
the floor under your desk.  Remember to keep the cooling slots on
the box unobstructed.

I typically put an external disk drive on the floor under my desk.
The cable is just long enough to let me do so, with the box on top
of the desk.

> Second, how long a SCSI cable can I place between the CPU and the
> (external) disk drive? Does anyone have any suggested cable vendors
> if DEC doesn't make the right thing?

DEC does do the "right thing".  The biggest problem with the SCSI 
standard is that it is intolerant of abuse.  Do not even think of running
longer SCSI cables than necessary.  You will regret it, in our
experience, with a flakey machine.

It is very easy to exceed the total SCSI bus length spec without thinking
about it; all cable, even internal to a box, counts against the length
spec, and experiments determined the length requirement to be real during
testing.  I don't remember the total length allowed off hand (see your
favorite standards document).  It does determine the total number of
devices we currently specify can be put on the bus at the moment (4
external boxes, using our short cables).
				- Jim Gettys

rsp@decvax.dec.com (Ricky Palmer - (603)881-0370 - ZK3-3/T74) (06/27/89)

-------
I don't know about the monitor cable or mouse/keyboard
but the total permitted SCSI cable length from inside to 
terminated outside is 6 meters(DS3100 is single-ended
SCSI, ~18 feet). With internal drives you use up about
1 1/2 feet. As for TK50 cartridges I don't have any answers
on this one either.


---   Ricky Palmer	 Ultrix Advanced Development
---   Digital Equipment Corporation
---   Nashua, New Hampshire
---   ... One of the fathers of PMAX ...

richk@june.cs.washington.edu (Richard Korry) (09/21/89)

I have some quick questions about ultix and the decstation (mips) 3100/2100s.

1) I want to use the serial port in the back. it has a phone jack connector,.
What signals (DTE, etc) does it want to see where. For example,
"as you look at the rear of the machine, from right to left, dte, ..."

2) is the korn shell (ksh) available? where can I get sources?

3)can you get the dxcaledar to  send mail rather than beep at you?


4 )is there 3 party memory for these machines? who and how much?

5) is there an archival tape/optical, or otherwise for these? i am 
looking for something like the exabyte.

6) is slip already in the ultrix kernel? if not, can I add it?

thanks. e-mail is probably the best mode of reply.
	rich