IBM 1130 SIMULATOR USED TO BOOT THE CPU TEST DECKS
Brian Knittel created an IBM 1130 simulator with graphical interface, based on Supnick's simh simulator framework. I use it to run real programs from the 1130 and to sort out how various things should work, since it is a very faithful recreation.
In an earlier project I read and archived all the card decks that I had collected, which included all of the IBM maintenance/diagnostic decks that were used to troubleshoot and adjust the machine. There is a CPU test program which will exercise all the instructions and functions, with particular attention to all the special cases that might unearth even a single gate that is malfunctioning in the processor.
This CPU Test program deck is put at the rear of the Basic Diagnostics Loader deck, then the combined deck is loaded using the Program Load button on the machine. After the decks complete loading, the program stops at location x012D with 3000 as the wait instruction showing in the Storage Buffer Register. From there the instructions tell you how to make it execute and what options you can select.
The entire set of tests runs for about two minutes on the 3.6 microsecond versions of the 1130. It would be a wonderful comprehensive test to apply to this machine to be confident in the restoration.
I used the simulator to Program Load the combined card deck images, with the simulator stopping at the beginning at x012D waiting for me to continue. If I transfer the contents of the simulated 8K of storage over to the real machine, then start the machine at address x012D, it will let me run the tests exactly as if it had a card reader and I booted up those decks.
DUMP COMMAND PRODUCES TEXT FILE WITH CONTENTS
The simulator offers a command, DUMP, which puts any range of memory addresses you want into a text file in the same format as I chose for the Memory Loader tool that is installed on this system. The file begins with a reminder of the current execution address x012D, then sets the memory location to x0000 and begins entering words, one at a time with four hex characters.
It provides for a shortcut for long bursts of zero value words, Znnnn where nnnn is the number of words, in hex, to load with zeroes. The result was 8,192 words of content, some of zeroes but mostly this filled all of memory.
NEED TO TWEAK FILE TO FORMAT FOR MY LOADER PROGRAM
My loader program supports the lines that load the memory location and the lines that load a particular word value into memory, but did not handle the Znnnn entries. I could have written a simple Python program to convert these into nnnn sequential entries of 0000 but instead I combined that into a program that opens a text file on my PC, connects over the serial USB link to the tools, then reads the file and sends appropriate commands to the loader including converting Z into a series of 0000 words.
LOADING CORE CONTENTS
The loader processes entries at approximately 1 per second, since it is flipping Console Entry Switches and pushing the Prog Start button for each entry. Due to the debounce logic for the pushbuttons and other factors, I didn't want to go much faster in order to ensure reliable loading of memory.
At this rate, the entire memory is loaded in just under two and a third hours. On my own 1130 with its Storage Access Channel, I was able to use my FPGA based extension box to load that amount of memory in a couple of seconds. This machine does not have the SAC and thus I fall back to the much slower method of manipulating the console switches and buttons remotely.
An Arduino controls several relay boards, which are hooked to the console entry switches and to both the Prog Start and the Load IAR buttons. When activated, the produce the same result as if the CES switch was flipped on or the button was pushed. I would never be able to toggle in data as fast as the tool does. Slow as it is, it would beat me more than ten times as fast, much more accurate and without all the wear and tear on my hands.
STABBED IN THE BACK BY MY WINDOWS 11 BASED LENOVO PC
I kicked off the load process, ready to work on other projects for the 2.3 hours that the 1130 would be busy getting everything loaded into memory. I was more than a third of the way through the load process, almost 50 minutes after I started it, when the hardware or software decided to crash and reboot.
Now I need to modify the deck so that it will set the proper start address and begin loading where it left off, for the remaining 1 2/3 hours of load time. I don't want to get this wrong, otherwise I ruin the entire load, so I went home and will work on it when I am calmed down.
While I work to recover from this setback, you can enjoy a few minutes of loading without any comments.
Carl, I was talking to another ex-IBMer about this project and he thought he recalled that 1130s had a history of rust affecting the core memory. Obviously rusting cores would be very bad, but is that a concern in your experience? (Especially in the Florida climate?)
ReplyDeleteHi David. The machine that had the issues with core memory was the 1620 (and 1710, its process control twin). Something used with those memory stacks turned a bright green with age and ate away the wire at the solder point.
DeleteEssentially every 1620 on the planet has this corrosion issue.
Not so the 1130, its process control twin the 1800, nor the 360 models that used similar core modules. This was a process or materials choice that IBM made for San Jose based core memory in the late 1950s that was not carried over to the early 1960s and later stacks.
This particular machine was from Canada, then stored in a museum in Baltimore, then stored in my air conditioned workshop, thus safe from humidity had that been an issue.
I do see signs of rust and corrosion on some exposed metal but it didn't seem to affect any of the circuitry or components.