Re: Hello from a new list member - couple questions

[Michael <macallan%netbsd.org@localhost>]

Hello,

On Mon, 16 Jan 2017 11:27:52 -0800
Pete Lancashire <pete%petelancashire.com@localhost> wrote:

> I've started to work away at getting a couple 9000/385's up.
> 
> I acquired them from a surplus dealer (not eBay for a change) and
> were in great shape, except that the original owner had pulled the
> hard drives and as usual no keyboards.

Nice!

> I've order a couple SCSI1-2 to 68 and 80 PIN adapters, and have
> a few unused drives.

You may run into problems here.
I've had a hp9000/345, its onboard SCSI controller ( or the ROM
firmware, who knows ) caused it to only boot from actual SCSI-I drives,
apparently timings were more relaxed for SCSI-II so many SCSI-II
drives were not recognized. This applies only to the ROM though, NetBSD
has no such problems. My workaround was to boot the kernel from a SCSI
ZIP drive ( which apparently conformed to SCSI-I specs ) and then have
the root fs on an actual harddisk.
Also, all HP9000 can boot over network, although not necessarily over
ethernet. IIRC you need a rev. D ROM for that.

> I've got a HIL keyboard in pretty bad shape but should function,
> If it does not work, I bite the bullet and buy one for now off eBay.

IIRC there's a switch at the back for a serial console. There should be
a serial port on either the CPU board or the human interface board -
not sure which the 385 uses.

> Memory. Does anyone know if the largest memory SIMM one
> can use is 8MB, for a total of 32 MB ? They both came with
> 2x8MB or 16MB and would like to max them out.

No idea, my 245 had 16MB on 8 modules but I've heard of people having
up to 128MB in machines like that.

> GPIB: My goal is to use at least one of them for a GPIB to instrumnet
> controller, anyone else on the list doing this ?

For *that* you might be better off with Rocky Mountain BASIC.

> So far, I've powered one up using a old LCD monitor and the thing powers
> up, but w/o a keyboard I just have to wait.

IIRC all the HP colour graphics boards are sync-on-green.

have fun
Michael