On Mon, 21 Oct 2002, Hugo Villeneuve wrote:
> On Mon, Oct 21, 2002 at 03:31:15PM -0700, Brian Chase wrote:

> > I've got an early MicroVAX 3100; one of the ones that just reads
> > "MicroVAX 3100" across the front.  On the back of the system there are
> > three MMJ serial ports identified as 1-3, there's an DB-25M port which
> > I'd imagine is serial port 0 (the console), and beneath that is a
>
> Console should be MMJ port beside DB25 male port.

With this particular system, there's only a DB25M and the three MMJ
ports a few inches away.  It might be the particular configuration; it's
a rackmount DV-31RTA-A9.  It's obscenely heavy for being a simple
MicroVAX 3100--close to 80-90lbs.  Looking inside, I can there's a whole
set of cables, apparently extenders, which run from one side to the
ports on the back of the box.  It sort of looks like a desktop MicroVAX
3100 was hacked up a bit and crammed sideways into the rackmount
enclosure.

> > 36-pin Centronics style connector labelled 4-11 with the DEC serial
> > port pictograph beneath it.  I'd gather this is for some sort of serial
> > port cable "octopus."
>
> Is this what you look for:?
> http://vaxarchive.org/hw/cables.html#bc16c
>
> For the MicroVAX 3100 m40, documentation mention BC16C cable +
> H3104-00 harmonica for the 36pin centronix of the data leads only
> 8 port serial card.

That sounds like it's what I'm after.

> http://www.netbsd.org/Ports/vax/models.html#teammate2
> Says it isn't supported. Altough, NetBSD vax documention is not
> kept current very well.
>
> I don't have one so I could be wrong.

If supporting these devices is significantly different from the other,
lower numbered serial devices, I'd imagine they aren't currently
supported in NetBSD/vax, and without some documentation, it's likely
they won't be supported.  That's a bit of a shame.  I quite like the
idea of this system being able to drive 12 terminals.

Anyway... in looking around the net, I'm fairly certain that for some
amount of cash I can get the BC16C and an H3104.

Now, does anyone know anything about the hardware behind these upper 8
serial lines?  Given that the first 4 devices behave like a 4-line DZ11
asynchronous serial adapter, what are the odds of the MicroVAX 3100's
upper 8 serial devices behaving like an 8-line DHV11 (the M3104)?
I couldn't help but notice a similarity between "H3104" and "M3104."

-brian.