SAC Interface loads IBM 1130 core from PC file

SAC INTERFACE FOR ADDING PERIPHERALS TO THE 1130

Load 1130 core from PC file

I took the new code out to the workshop to try out my Python code that uses the SAC Interface box to load core memory with the contents of a Simh memory dump file made on the IBM 1130 simulator. I have an image of the DCIP utility which initializes disk packs, which I will use to check out the functionality of this memory load.

I commenced my testing of the capability to load the real 1131 core memory with data from a simh dump file written by the IBM 1130 simulator on the PC.  It worked perfectly on the first shot. I shot some video of the process of loading the core memory from the dump file of the DCIP utility program sitting in the IBM 1130 simulator on a PC, plus I began running the utility to show that the code was good.

I didn't have my console typewriter working which kept me from a more compelling demonstration, but this is a milestone that I didn't want to ignore. The video is visible at Video of PC file loading into core of IBM 1130

Design decisions

It would be most useful if I could sense and trigger interrupt levels 0 and 1, in addition to levels 2-5 which are included on the SAC lines. I did some study of how I might rewrite my 1131 to make this happen. I would have to repurpose two outbound and two inbound signals from the SAC interface, which makes my box a bit less universally usable on other 1130 systems.

I could put in a configuration option in my box that will either use the universal signal meaning for the four chosen lines or use them for IL0 and IL1 support. Two signals are easy to pick, the Meter in and Meter out lines, since I don't care about billing or spinning a usage meter. I have two output signals that I don't need to use, Block Clock Advance and Advance IO Entry, either of which could be re-purposed to request one of the interrupt levels.

The last of the four lines will take more care in choosing, because there is no other easy input signal to commandeer. My choices at this point are CPU Parity Check and one of the X clock states. I am not using all four of the X clock state signals, which is why I could steal that line. The Parity Check signal is only used to signal an error, but it is a rare enough condition that I might be safe ignoring it so that I can borrow the line.

If I update my box to handle the first two interrupt levels, I can then have my box take on the role of the 1132, 1442 and console keyboard devices. Although I have these real devices on my system, I can easily block their action by interrupting the signals that tell the adapters when their area code is specified in an XIO instruction. If the adapter thinks the XIO is for a different device, it ignores it.

I can see how this would be quite handy, because currently I would need to generate an entirely different disk cartridge to run with the 2501 and 1403 devices I am able to emulate on the vanilla SAC interface, but my current systems are configured for the 1442 and 1132. This would let me substitute other physical readers and printers or use virtual devices on PC files.

I think I see the gate/backplane locations for the signals I need to support IL0/IL1, but I also need a way to get that to the driver/receivers for the four repurposed SAC cable lines. This may introduce some undesirable compartment to compartment or even gate to gate cabling. More study is needed.

Upcoming additions to the interface box

Next development tasks for the interface:

• hardware adapter for my replica 1627 plotter
• hardware adapters for paper tape reader and punch
• virtual 2501 card reader in the PC
• hardware adapter to emulate 2501 using Documation card reader
• virtual 1403 printer in the PC

Implementing 1627 plotter adatper using SAC Interface Box

I decided to pull out my plotter replica since interfacing this should be fairly simple and only require the use of six of my diagnostic lines. This plotter is built using a Strobe Model 100 drum plotter plus some logic I constructed to change its behavior into that of the Calcomp unit (which IBM relabeled as the 1627).

I implemented the adapter logic that would have been installed inside the 1131 if the 1627 plotter was configured in the system, but my machine did not have this feature. The SAC Interface Box adds that adapter function into the system. This would equally work with my replica or a real 1627 or Calcomp equivalent.

I had to write some code to draw with the plotter, test it on the IBM 1130 simulator in order to load it to the real machine using the interface box. Testing everything took quite a bit of time on Saturday.