> Since all VAXen have some form of serial console ROM, it
> shouldn't be too hard to write a program that runs on a PC (or whatever)
> and keys tape (or disk) blocks into VAX memory a block at a time and
> then deposits commands in the controller registers to write them out
> (or maybe deposits a small program to do it, I don't know if [T]MSCP
> controllers can use polled I/O).

The MicroVAX II (KA630) has a "down-line load" command in its console
monitor -- the X command.  I'd expect other later small VAXen to have it
too.  This lets you download code directly into memory from the console
serial line and I believe it even has a checksum.  The VAX Architecture
Reference Manual (and probably the elusive Module User's Guide) has more
details.

It ought to be easy enough to download a whole standalone program this
way, either boot or a copy program to copy a mini-root from
TK50 or magtape to disk.

Anyway, we're also working on a bootable TK50.	It shouldn't be much
harder than a bootable MSCP disk :-)

    -- Larry