Thanks to the following for their inputs:
alfred_at_hannah.ENET.dec.com (Alfred von Campe)
wolinski_at_umalp1.physics.lsa.umich.edu (Dave Wolinski)
SEB_at_LNS62.LNS.CORNELL.EDU (Selden Ball)
rockwell_at_rch.dec.com (Paul Rockwell)
janes_at_signal.dra.hmg.gb (Tim Janes)
tpb_at_zk3.dec.com (Tom Blinn)
Most suggested either the LK411 for an LK401 look-alike keyboard, or an
LK471 (PCXAL) for an IBM PS/2 look-alike keyboard. Most said simply
that the LK401 can not be used with the AS 250 systems, some also added
it's because of the PC style connector they need. I can make a mini-mod
4 to mini-DIN 6 adapter if I knew that the signals are compatible, but
right now I'm still not certain that the signals are absolutely not
compatible. The LK401 has bi-directional signals for the keyboard: TX
and RX, probably for the beeper and the lights. The signals for the AS
250 only lists an RX from the keyboard and a clock signal. This
suggests to me that there are functional differences between the two
keyboards in addition to the connector differences. At a street price
about $50 for the LK411, I think my biggest set back is the beaurocracy
within JPL and the lead time to order it, the former being about a month.
In the mean time, I'm living with a VT-type terminal as the console.
On memory capacity, I know about the current limitation of the 256 MB,
and it's due to the density of the available SIMMS. But I don't know if
I managed to get 3rd party SIMMs with higher density, will the machine
accept and use them? This is why I hoped someone could tell me from the
version number I listed. One response to that was that the number
indicated that I may have gotten an experimental firmware, which should
not have been sold. Does anyone have any more information on this? The
relavent numbers are:
>>> show version
version X5.0-29 Jul 18 1995 16:20:48
>>> show pal
pal VMS PALcode X5.48-107, OSF PALcode X1.35-76
On the ISA bus issue, yes it is a very old IBM PC bus, but peripherals
for it are dirt cheap. However, that means very little if DEC does not
support them, and some of the respondents mentioned only a couple of
items that DEC makes and sells that are supported. I think if I wanted
to install anything else, I may need to build custom drivers for them.
(A fast SCSI controller would be good, as I've got a few devices I need
to add, and a FWD SCSI would be wonderful, but I've already been
informed that it does not exist nor will it be supported on the ISA.)
I know about the PCI slots as well, but one of them is being used
already for my ZLXp-E1 graphics card. So it leaves me with one PCI/ISA
slot and one ISA only slot.
Also, is there a more detailed description of the console commands and
variables, and how they affect the system? If I do a show * at the
console, I get a bunch of variables, a lot of which aren't explained in
the User Guide. Some of these I can guess at, and some I can't.
Finally, one of the responders mentioned that DEC UK is currently
offering a 5800 P trade in allowance on a DS 5000/240 for an AS 250.
I wish that deal was offered here so I could have gotten more than
about $2000 on my DS 5000/240.
eyc
Received on Fri Dec 08 1995 - 19:05:21 NZDT