MISC1.

Looking for connector wiring pinouts?

1. Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
2. Transmit (TXD)
3. Transmit Ground (TXD-)
4. Receive Ground (RXD-)
5. Receive (RXD)
6. Data Set Ready (DSR)

The PC-compatible DB9 connector pinout follows:

1. Data Carrier Detect (DCD)
2. Received Data
3. Transmit Data
4. Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
5. Ground
6. Data Set Ready (DSR)
7. Request To Send (RTS)
8. Clear To Send
9. floating

1. Protective Ground
2. Transmited Data
3. Received Data
4. Request To Send (RTS)
5. Data Terminal Ready (DTR)
6. Data Set Ready (DSR)
7. Signal Ground
8. Shorted to pin 9 on MicroVAX and VAXstation 2000...
9. ...series systems, otherwise left floating.

The BC16-E-nn cross-over wiring looks like this:

   http://www.partner.digital.com:9003/public/cheat_sheets/cables/padapters.html
   http://www.networks.digital.com.au/dr/npgc/opdec-mn.html

					[Stephen Hoffman]
                                        [Mike Thompson]

MISC2.

Where can I find information on escape and control sequences?

Specific details on the escape and control sequences supported by a particular serial device are typically found in the documentation provided with the specific device. Information on the sequences supported by DECwindows DECterm terminal emulator are included in the DECwindows documentation.

Examples of common escape and control sequences - those typically used by the OpenVMS screen management package - can be found in the OpenVMS system file SYS$SYSTEM:SMGTERMS.TXT.

The following refers to the function keys on the VTxxx series terminals, and compatibles.
In the following, <CSI> is decimal code 155 and can be replaced by the sequence "<ESC>[" (without the quotes), <SS3> is decimal code 143 and can be replaced by "<ESC>O", particularly for seven-bit operations. Older VT1xx terminals and any other terminals operating with seven-bit characters should not be sent eight-bit operators such as <CSI> and <SS3>.

These and other control sequences can be found in SYS$SYSTEM:SMGTERMS.TXT

MISC3.

Can I reuse old keyboards, mice and monitors with a PC?

Newer DIGITAL keyboards (with DIN plugs), newer DIGITAL mice (with PC-pin DIN plugs), and newer video monitors (multi-synch) are often interchangeable with "industry standard" PC systems, and can often be used with most PC peripheral device controllers. LK461, LK471, PC7XS-CA, VRC16, VRC21, etc., are compatible with most PC systems.

Rule of thumb: if the peripheral device component was sold for use with the DEC 2000 (DECpc 150 AXP), an AlphaServer series, an AlphaStation series, or more recent system, it will probably work with a PC peripheral controller. If the peripheral device component was sold for use with an VT420 or older terminal, most VAX, most VAXstation, and most Alpha systems with names in the format "DEC <four-digit-number>", it probably won't work on a PC.

Note that the above is a general guideline, and should not be read to indicate that any particular peripheral device will or will not work in any particular configuration, save for those specific configurations the device is explicitly supported in.

                                        [Steve Hoffman]

Software Integrators sells a video adapter card called Gemini P1 which will drive many of the older Digital fixed-frequency monitors on a PC.

        http://www.si87.com

MISC4.

What connectors and wiring adapters are available?

More recent DIGITAL and Compaq systems will use either the DECconnect MMJ wiring or (more common on recent systems) the PC-compatible DB9 pinout.

DECconnect MMJ adapters:

The H8571-A and H8575-A are MMJ to DB25 (female).
Also see:

 
   http://www.partner.digital.com:9003/public/cheat_sheets/cables/padapters.html
   http://www.networks.digital.com.au/dr/npgc/opdec-mn.html

Jameco offers a USB-A to PS/2 Mini DIN 6 Adapter (as part 168751), for those folks wishing to (try to) use PS/2 Keyboards via USB-A connections.

					[Stephen Hoffman]
                                        [Eric Dittman]

MISC5.

Where can I find performance info and specs for older systems?

    http://www.digital.com/alphaserver/archive/index.html

MISC6.

What does "failure on back translate address request" mean?

Use the DECNET_REGISTER mechanism (on the destination node) to register or modify the name(s) and the address(es) of the source node. Check the source node namespace, as well.

Typically, the nodes involved are using a LOCAL namespace, and the node name and address settings are not coherent across all nodes. Also check to make sure that the node is entered into its own LOCAL namespace. This can be a problem elsewhere, however. Very rarely, a cache corruption has been known to cause this error. To flush the cache, use the command:

    NCL> flush session control naming cache entry "*"

Also check to see that you are using the latest ECO for DECnet-Plus for the version you are running.

DECnet-Plus can use the following namespaces:

• DECdns: DECnet-Plus distributed name services.
• LocalFile: a local file containing names and addresses.
• DNS/Bind: the IP distributed name services.
• The UCX local host file.

                                        [Steve Hoffman]

MISC7.

How to determine the network hardware address?

The system console power-up messages on a number of VAX and Alpha systems will display the hardware address, particularly on those systems with an integrated Ethernet network adapter present.

If you cannot locate a sticker on the system, if the system powerup message is unavailable or does not display the address, and if the system is at the console prompt, start with the console command:

  >>> HELP

  >>> SHOW DEVICE
  >>> SHOW ETHER
  >>> SHOW CONFIG

  >>> E/P/W/N:5 20001920

If the system is a VAX system, and another VAX system on the network is configured to answer Maintenance and Operations Protocol (MOP) bootstrap requests (via DECnet Phase IV, DECnet-Plus, or LANCP), the MOM$SYSTEM:READ_ADDR.EXE tool can be requested:

  >>> B/R5:100 ddcu
  Bootfile: READ_ADDR

If the system is running, you can use DECnet or TCP/IP to display the hardware address with one of the following commands.

    $ MCR NCP SHOW KNOWN LINE CHARACTERISTICS    ! DECnet Phase IV

    $ MCR NCL SHOW CSMA-CD STATION * ALL STATUS  ! DECnet-Plus

    $ UCX SHOW INTERFACE/FULL    ! TCP/IP versions prior to V5.0

    $ TCPIP SHOW INTERFACE/FULL  ! TCP/IP versions V5.0 and later

    http://www.openvms.digital.com/wizard/swdev/ethernVMS.html

  $ NCP SET MODULE CONFIGURATOR KNOWN CIRCUIT SURVEILLANCE ENABLED

  $ NCP SHOW MODULE CONFIGURATOR KNOWN CIRCUIT STATUS TO filename.txt
  $ NCP SET MODULE CONFIGURATOR KNOWN CIRCUIT SURVEILLANCE DISABLED

Information on the DECnet MOP SYSID messages and other parts of the maintenance protocols is included in the DECnet network architecture specifications referenced in section DOC9.

MISC8.

Why does my system halt when I powercycle the console terminal?

A BREAK is a deliberately-generated serial line framing error.

When a serial line device such as a terminal powers up (or sometimes when powering down) it can generate framing errors. These framing errors are indistingushable from a BREAK signal.

When a BREAK is received on a serial line console for various VAX systems - including most VAXstation, MicroVAX, and VAX 4000 series - it is typically interpreted as a HALT. Alpha systems will also often process a BREAK in a similar fashion, halting the system.

There is no uniform or generally-available way to disable this behaviour on every VAX or Alpha system. On some systems, BREAK processing can be disabled in favor of CTRL/P, or CTRL/P is the only way to halt the processor.

The most common way to avoid these halts is to disable the serial line console or to simply not power-cycle the console terminal. There is certain important system state information that is displayed only on the console, OpenVMS expects to always have access to the system console.

                                               [Stephen Hoffman]

MISC9.

Why can't I use PPP and RAS to connect to OpenVMS Alpha?

                                               [Stephen Hoffman]

MISC10.

Which video monitor works with which graphics controller?

You will also need to determine if the video monitor or graphics controller requires the 3 BNC signaling with the synchronization signals on the green wire, or the 5 BNC signalling common on many PCs, or other connections such as the DB15 video connector or USB connector used on various systems.

If there are no matches, you will likely need to change the hardware at one or both ends of the video cable.

The refresh frequencies for many devices have been posted to comp.os.vms and/or other newsgroups. Search the archives for details. Also see:

    http://www.repairfaq.org/
    http://plop.phys.cwru.edu/repairfaq/REPAIR/F_monfaq.html
    http://www.mirage-mmc.com/faq/

MISC11.

Where can I get information on storage hardware?

  http://theref.aquascape.com/

MISC12.

Does DECprint (DCPS) work with the LRA0 parallel port?

DECprint (DCPS) requires more than just the simple handshaking provided by the LRA0: port, therefore DCPS does not work with the LRA0: port.

                                     [Paul Anderson]

MISC13.

How do I check for free space on a (BACKUP) tape?

Tape media is different than disk media, as disks have a known and pre-determined fixed capacity. Modern disks also appear logically perfect, based on bad block revectoring support and the extra blocks hidden within the disk structure for these bad block replacements.

The capacity of tape media is not nearly as pre-determined, and the capacity can vary across different tape media (slightly different media lengths or different foil markers or other variations, for instance) and even on the same media over time (as bad spots in the media arise). Tapes can vary the amount of recording media required, depending on the remaining length of the tape, the numbers of correctable and uncorrectable media errors that might occur, the numbers and sizes of the inter-record gaps and related tape structure overhead, the particular media error recovery chosen, the tape density, the efficiently of any data compression in use, and the storage overhead required by BACKUP, tar, and other similar commands.