NetBSD Bob wrote:
> 
> > I believe there are larger 3rd party cards, but my collection of vs2000's
> > are either 4Mb or 6Mb total - I think 2 or 4Mb onboard then a DEC
> > daughtercard.  I think it has a 12Mb upper limit total.  Only one
> > daughtercard allowed I believe.
> 
> Is the daughter card the same as used in the early 3100 lines?  If so,
> then I have sufficient to get the thing up to the mb and a daughter card.
> I have not opened the critter, but wanted to make sure before I blew
> something's sillyconsmokum, with a wrongo hookup.

I confess I don't own a 3100 oddly enough so I don't know B^)

The docs describe the daughter card as an MS400-AA (2Mb) and
MS400-BA (4Mb).  I was wrong - the docs say the daughtercard
can contain up to 14Mb (and the CPU as we know can address 16Mb)

I just had this vague recollection about 12Mb 3rd party additions...

As you may know, the CPU is called a KA410.  The models I've encountered
have either just a thin (BNC) connector for ethernet or a switch and
both a thick and thin connector.

Hook up your standard console cable you use for a uVAX-II and attach
a terminal to that and power it on.  You'll at least be able to see
what state its in without popping the hood.  Opening them up is only
slightly easier than working on a laptop B^)

> Mine has an undercase cabinet (maybe 1.25 inches high) that has a B
> connector of 50 pin DB connect, and a C connector of ``Centronics''
> which I assume is for the scsi.

Great!  That assembly is just bolted onto the bottom of the box.  It
has a cable that runs up through the main box and connects to the SCSI
header on the mobo.

> Can it boot cdrom, or will I have to netboot or tapeboot the thing?

I am embarrassed to say I've never had the time to try using the SCSI
port, but recall overwhelming postings/e-mail etc that indicates you can
run them this way.

It may be worth mentioning that, although I noticed the HDC chip code was
tweaked yesterday and what I say may be wrong, but the MFM controller
is sort of not working.  One key element is that bad block handling is
missing so as soon as a bad block is hit, blamo.  Not that you'll find
any bad blocks on an MFM drive B^)  I'd play with this more but every time
I drag out another VS2000 and power it up, I find yet another box with a
now defunct (i.e. spin-up/spin-down) RD53...

> > Just a reminder, for what its worth, the formatter on the VS2000 is
> > compatible with RQDX3 controllers, but the VS2k is 3:1 interleaving
> > while an RQDX3 is 1:1.  I somehow doubt speed matters here thought B^)
> 
> At 0.9 vups.... hardly!.....(:+}}...  This thing was a orphan, that the
> ol' sucker Bob, could not quite resist, for the fun of it.....(:+}}...
> I don't even expect it to fly like my 4000/60......(:+{{....

6 or 7 years ago I pulled almost a dozen VS2000 out of a dumpster at the
academic environment I worked at a lifetime ago.  I too save what I can.

-- Ken