gpib11 unibus RSX11M (not the plus) on 11/34

[John Welch]

I have acquired a CT scanner for parts. It contained a National Instruments NI GPIB11-2 Assy 179002-01 Rev G card PLUS cable. My working CT scanner has a long horrible way to transfer data, and I would like to install the NI card, find the patch and transfer images over the GPIB. Unfortunately, the controller for the hard drive in the parts scanner is gronked 😞
If someone out there remembers knows this card and remembers how to slay this dragon then I will be glad to part with many boxes of Girl Scout cookies in return!
Thanks in advance.
John Welch
.

[Ben]

Could you explain what exactly you are trying to do?

I have experience with all of the above and am a sucker for girl scout cookies (thin mints).

Ben

[John Welch]

I want to transfer image files from the CT scanner to a workstation. The image files are half a meg and typically i will transfer one to two hundred at a time. We used to do this with an RA81 that had the CT scanner 11/34 hooked up to "A" and a Microvax 3800 hooked up to "B". First I would mount the RA81 from the 11/34, copy files using PIP (10 seconds per file), dismount the RA81, poke the AB buttons to switch the RA81 to the VAX, mount the RA81 from the vax and then FTP the files to the workstation.

Lightning hit the building and the vax lost its configuration and will not "see" the RA81. The 11/34 sees it fine, checked both ports, replaced the KDA50 boards in the vax. I am now thinking that the vax needs someone to run 'configure', but I have
no experience with that.

It appears that the "Parts Scanner" was using the GPIB to transfer data. I have PC's and Mac's all over the place with GPIB cards in them so replacing the Vax is my goal.

(BTW, I have tried to use a Delua and TCPware and I am just am not smart enough to do that. First the programs were on the wrong tape format, then there was not enough memory and trial and error to figure out what programs to kill to get it to load, and then the aui thing may have worked but we could not tell... We spent months and $XXXX.00 only to finally give up.)

[Ben]

There is a guy at HP (from Compact from DEC) that works Friday Evenings and week-ends that may be able to help.

His name is Robert J. Schmalstieg. Real sharp guy. New VMS internals and Data Structures of the top of his head. If you can get in contact with him, he may be able to tell you what needs done.

After re-booting the VAX its still can't see the drive huh?

Have you looked at the errorlog? It was something like,
"Ana/err/since=" I forget the time syntax.

Have you tried all of the ports on the KDA-50?

If you get errors in the errorlog you could post a copy and I may be able to interpret.

Ben

PS See my bio to see why I understand anything you have said.

[Ben]

After thinking about what you said I am not convinced that we may just have a bad SDI port on the RA-81. Did you try swapping the cable at the RA-81 end? If I remeber correctly you could swap the comm cables at the "personality Module" end. They should be the two red cables connceted to one of the boards that fold out.

Ben

[AaronK]

Hi Ben,

I just wanted to thank you for being a regular here in the discussion forums. This question would have been really difficult for us, but thankfully you have much more experience with it. Thanks for helping make the dev exchange work!

Best Regards,
Aaron K.
Application Engineer
National Instruments

[Ben]

No problem.

Ben

[John Welch]

I still have the option of using the NI unibus GPIB card. Does anyone have any experience with one of these things?

[Ben]

No Sir!

I suggest three things.

1)Re-Post to the LV general list. There are some "old Timers" lurking there that may be able to help.

2) Call NI support and find out if there anyone left that nows how to spell Unibus.

3) Subscribe and post to info-LabVIEW (see below). That list is full of grey beards.

This is the weekly admin reminder for readers of the Info-LabVIEW mailing list and mail digest. (19oct01)

o Administrative issues such as SUBSCRIPTION and DELETION REQUESTS
MUST be addressed to the admin address, which is
.

o To post to the list, mail to . DO NOT
send subscription and deletion requests to .

o This is a use
r list, run by and for LabVIEW users. If you have a
commercially available item to announce, please make the announcement
brief.

o It is not, ever, acceptable to post "virus warnings" to this list. For
any reason.

A set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) for LabVIEW are available from our web server at <>.

Ben