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GOTEK, PDP-11, and MicroVAX2

J

jmdhuse

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Hello All,

I have a couple of systems that I am working with... one is a PDP-11/53 and the other is a MicroVAX2 (KA630 CPU), both in BA23 chassis. I have been experimenting with the GOTEK floppy emulator running the latest version of FlashFloppy, and I have it working fine as an RX33 with the PDP-11 via an RQDX3 controller. I can boot RT11 from the hard drive and access the RX33 disk images that are on the GOTEK:USB drive.

I'd like to also use the GOTEK with the MicroVAX. I have some RX50 images on the USB, but I don't think any of them are bootable. In particular, I have uvax2diag1.img - uvax2diag4.img. I'm guessing that there was some kind of executive that had to be booted in order to use the diagnostics, but I don't have any idea what it would be.

What I'm looking for is a bootable image just to see if I can get the MicroVAX to boot.

The MicroVAX also has an RD53, but it is blank at this point.

Can anyone explain how to use the diagnostics or point me towards a bootable image (either RX33 or RX50) for the MicroVAX?

Thanks!

Cheers, Jon.
 
The uvax2diag1.img RX50 disk image should be a bootable disk image, but in RX50 logical sector order instead of physical sector order.

I don't know anything about using a GOTEK, and how you configure it for disk images. If it works with RX50 images in physical sector order, see if you can get these RX50 images to work. They are the same as the uvax2diag disk images, except that the sectors have been shuffled from logical to physical sector order.

I was able to convert those DSK images into IMD images and then use ImageDisk to write those IMD images out to physical floppy disks, and then boot from the first disk on a real RX50. It's been around 6 years since I did that, so I might be fuzzy on some of the details.
 

Attachments

  • UVAX2DIAG.zip
    617.1 KB · Views: 7
  • MDM-DIAG.zip
    617.6 KB · Views: 6
If you happen to have a QBUS MSCP SCSI adapter that works with CD-ROM drives, it is also possible to burn a newer version of MDM to a CD and then boot from that.

Example below:

Code: 
KA655-B V5.3, VMB 2.7
Performing normal system tests.
40..39..38..37..36..35..34..33..32..31..30..29..28..27..26..25..
24..23..22..21..20..19..18..17..16..15..14..13..12..11..10..09..
08..07..06..05..04..03..
Tests completed.
>>>BOOT DUA1
(BOOT/R5:0 DUA1



  2..
-DUA1
  1..0..



uVDOS V4.0 built on 23-mar-1993  12:01



MicroVAX Diagnostic Monitor    Release 139   Version V5.0

                  CONFIDENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC SOFTWARE
                           PROPERTY OF
                  DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION

   Use Authorized Only Pursuant to a Valid Right-to-use License

 Copyright (c) 1986, 1994
 Digital Equipment Corporation

 The current date and time is: 10-MAR-1988 14:36:25.00

 Press the RETURN key to continue,
 or enter the new date and time; then press the RETURN key.

       [DD-MMM-YYYY HH:MM]: 07-FEB-2018 13:00

 The current date and time is:  7-FEB-2018 12:59:59.09

       Do you want to use Menu Mode or Command Line Mode?

               1 - Menu Mode 
               2 - Command Line Mode

       Type the number; then press the RETURN key. > 1

         MAIN  MENU                                        Release 139   Version V5.0 

          1 - Test the system
 

          2 - Display System Configuration and Devices
 

          3 - Display the System Utilities Menu
 

          4 - Display the Service Menu
 

          5 - Display the Connect/Ignore Menu
 

          6 - Select single device tests
 

 Type the number; then press the RETURN key. >2
   
  Loaded diagnostic program for CPUA
   
  Loaded diagnostic program for MEMA
   
  Loaded diagnostic program for DEQNAA
   
  Loaded diagnostic program for KDA50QA
   
  Configuring diagnostic for CPUA
   
  Configuring diagnostic for MEMA
   
  Configuring diagnostic for DEQNAA
   
  Configuring diagnostic for KDA50QA
  
   The system is ready for testing.
  
  
 Press the RETURN key to continue. >

         MAIN  MENU                                        Release 139   Version V5.0
 SYSTEM CONFIGURATION AND DEVICES
 
     CPUA ... VAXstation CPU
         KA655-BA MC=06 FW=5.3
     MEMA ... MicroVAX memory system 
         64 Megabytes. 131072 Pages
               MS650 ... 16MB memory module
               MS650 ... 16MB memory module
               MS650 ... 16MB memory module
               MS650 ... 16MB memory module
     DEQNAA ... Ethernet controller
         DELQA/DESQA  L 08-00-2B-AA-BB-CC
     KDA50QA ... Q-bus SDI disk controller.
         KDA50-Q - REV MC=3 HW=1
               RA71 ...  Unit #0, Fixed media disk drive.
               RD52 ...  Unit #1, Fixed media disk drive.

 Press the RETURN key to return to the previous menu. >
 
When I tried to boot one of the .img diagnostic files, I get the following error: "?43 FILESTRUCT, DUA1"

However, the .DSK files you attached do boot - thanks! As I understand it, you would use ImageDisk to convert the .img file to a .IMD file, then use it again to convert the .IMD file to a .DSK file. I'm guessing BIN2IMD to read in the .img file, but what would be the output file specifications for the RX50?
 
jmdhuse said:
However, the .DSK files you attached do boot - thanks! As I understand it, you would use ImageDisk to convert the .img file to a .IMD file, then use it again to convert the .IMD file to a .DSK file. I'm guessing BIN2IMD to read in the .img file, but what would be the output file specifications for the RX50?
Click to expand...

No, I didn't use ImageDisk to covert those .IMG disk image files those .DSK disk image files. I wrote my own simple utility to shuffle the RX50 logical sectors around to physical sector order. Then I used BIN2IMD to convert those physical sector order image files to .IMD versions so that I could then use ImageDisk to write those .IMD versions to physical floppy disks.

I think this is the code I used to covert those .IMG disk image files those .DSK disk image files taking into account the sector interleave and track to track skew.
 

Attachments

  • rx50-log2phy.zip
    873 bytes · Views: 8
jmdhuse said:
Can anyone explain how to use the diagnostics or point me towards a bootable image (either RX33 or RX50) for the MicroVAX?

Thanks!

Cheers, Jon.
Click to expand...
If you are familiar with simh you can use it to generate a standalone backup kit from within an emulated VMS system, on emulated RX33 floppies, you end up with three RX33 files (1.2MB each) that you then copy to the Gotek. Works fine on my generic Gotek.

Procedure is here:

Bootstrap guide

-Alon.
 
Alegend said:
If you are familiar with simh you can use it to generate a standalone backup kit from within an emulated VMS system, on emulated RX33 floppies, you end up with three RX33 files (1.2MB each) that you then copy to the Gotek. Works fine on my generic Gotek.

Procedure is here:

Bootstrap guide

-Alon.
Click to expand...
Hmmm, the link takes me to a page about replacing the leader on a TK50 tape drive...

Regarding simh... is there a MicroVAX2 model already built someplace?
 

Attachments

  • MicroVAX2.zip
    1,023.9 KB · Views: 6
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