> From: NetBSD Bob <nbsdbob@weedcon1.cropsci.ncsu.edu>
> Subject: Re: VS II/RC funzies... what are the pieces?
> To: ingram@symsys.com (Greg Ingram)
> Date: Mon, 24 Jan 2000 13:49:27 -0500 (EST)
> Cc: port-vax@netbsd.org
> 
> > I recorded the original configuration of my VSII/RC.  Look at:
> > 
> > 	http://www.symsys.com/~ingram/hardware/vax.html
> 
> Thanks, all for the various responses.
> 
> OK, now I am really VAXconfused......(:+{{...
> 
> In a previous post I gave the boards I had.  Briefly, a KA630,
> MS630-B, Clearpoint MV2/RAM/8, DiLogic QD696, M7546 TK50, Viking
> VIK/QTO scsi, DZQ11, DEQNA.
> 
> The case is missing the front panel bezel, but on the front of the
> thing were the letters ``VS II/RC'' on a metal plate with led,
> power stuff, etc.  The case is a thin tower about 6 inches wide,
> with a backplane of 8 slots, which looks like a jpg shot in the
> NetBSD archives of a MicroVAX I.

That is a BA-23 box.  Shared by MicroPDP-11/23, MicroPDP-11/73, also
MicroVAX I, MicroVAX II, VAXstation II, VAXstation IIRC.  And maybe
some others.

> What have I actually got?  Is it someones rehash of a MicroVAX I tower?
> It did not look like the MVII in the NetBSD jpg files.

Note that there were three fundamental box configurations of the MVII,
and at least two of these came with video and could be called VaxStation.
The BA-23 box, which you have.  The BA-123 box, which is about twice
as wide and holds twice as many cards and 5 or 6 drives.  The double
BA-23 box, which mounts horizontally into a rack cabinet.

> The label says
> VS II/RC, and the paperwork from the university surplus says MVII.   Yet,
> I could find no video boards in it apparently, so it is not a VS but is
> a MV?

Anyone can shuffle boards inside the box without changing the label on
the front panel.  Apparently this is what happened to your system.

> My guess is the board set is what counts more than whatever case it
> sits in, but, my VAXspeak needs some clarification..... to prevent
> future dire confusion.

Definitely.  See above for all the different things that were built in
the same box.  Consider all the kinds of computer that could be built
into a PC box.  :-)

> As to the MS630-B.... that is a memory board and not a video board?

Yes.  It is also known as M7608, and is 2MB.

The video board that makes it a VAXstation is the QVSS (mono) also called
M7602.  The option is called VCB01.

If you had the color video, the option would be called VCB02, the board
set would be QDSS, and would consist of one M7169 controller and one
or two M7168 video RAM boards.

> As to the VIK/QTO scsi.... that is for tape only and not scsi HD?

My off-the-cuff interpretation of "Q" as Qbus and "TO" as "Tape Only".
Would require some digging into archives to verify this.  But it
wouldn't surprise me, given the rest of the configuration.  If you have
a good ESDI disk drive, you don't need an expensive SCSI controller for
more drives.  But you could use a lower-priced tape controller for a
tape drive better than the TK50.  (note that because of DEC licensing,
a SCSI controller to do both disk and tape needed two licenses, and
thus cost noticeably more.  Both MSCP for the disk and TMSCP for the
tape.)

    carl

p.s. In case you can't tell, I have a collection of hardware of this
vintage in my garage, and visit it intermittently, thinking of what
useful things I might do with it.