RCS/RI is restoring four Symbolics 3600 series systems. We have almost
no documentation (and even less experience with Lisp Machines.)
So far we have checked out most of the hardware, and except for a few
memory errors solved by board swapping, the systems are in good working
condition. First, we'd like to echo the reseults of FEP Command: Test
Simple Main-memory or Show Configuration, etc. to the serial port of the
Moniterm console (OP36-DISP p/n 365104) or to a system serial port, so
we can capture the data. Is this possible? The amount of data
displayed for Test Main-memory scrolls off the monitor, and we need a
hardcopy to continue with chip-level repair.
Second, we would like to make a backup of the SMD disks. Is the
controller for the internal tape drive generic SCSI? Could we attach an
Exabyte, or perhaps even a SCSI disk, and then copy the SMD to it? We
also have an external tape drive (p/n 361001 model: OP36-TC4FS)
Finally, I have loaded and started the Genera Distribution, but can't
open the online help. For instance, trying to bring up the Installation
Guide using Document Examiner shows "Connection for NFILE to DIS-H-HOST"
fails.
Configuration:
Machiavelli, a Symbolics 3640
FEP v127, 3640-MIC microcode v430
Genera-8-1.load [Genera 8.1 Distribution]
plus a few other generations of IDS world files.
BTW, we had this system running at the Vintage Computer Festival - East
a few weeks ago. See
http://starfish.rcsri.org/rcs/VCF-East-2001/P7290034.JPG
We do not (yet) have a web page created for these systems, but notes
taken during the restoration are archived on our "works-in-progress" web
site at http://starfish.rcsri.org/rcs/Symbolics/
-mikeu
Michael Umbricht
Retro-Computing Society of RI
http://www.osfn.org/rcs/