Monday, February 9, 2015

Uploaded diagnostics, loaders, some utilities and began on the COBOL compiler

READ TAPE OF 1130/1800 SOURCE CODE

My tape drive is also 1600/6250 BPI but unable to read 800 BPI tapes. I do have a lead on another volunteer at CHM who should a system that can read the tape.

SHARING OF 1130 CARD DECKS

At lunchtime I read in, tested and uploaded the diagnostic decks and related loaders. In addition, I uploaded the standalone DCIP (disk utility). The first diagnostic I ran on the 1130 simulator, the CPU function test, discovered some flaws in the simulator itself.

The Overflow condition of the 1131 is reset several ways, one of which is supposed to be any test of the condition itself. Thus, after a test such as BSC O (Skip if overflow not set), the condition should be reset if it was set before. On the simulator, it stays on after the test. I entered some code on my 1130, which turned it off after the BSC O ended, consistent with the Functional Characteristics manual.

I began to read in the COBOL compiler in order to share that with the group, but am finding the cards challenging to read. The surface is slick and the cards a bit warped due to moisture. I can't read more than about 100 cards at a time if I have any hope of getting them read and a successful verify pass afterwards. Often the verify fails but the cards are good, but sometimes the first read is bad which becomes clear when the same verify error crops up multiple times.  I processed about 500 cards before setting the task aside.

I made it through another few hundred cards in the early evening, until overcome by the tedious work of scanning the same small groups of cards a dozen times or more. At this point I am halfway through the compiler cards.

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