Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation (aka DEC) built many systems from a variety of architectures during their history. At
this stage I have a number of Alphas, VAXen and IBM-PC compatbiles.
Alpha systems
Aside from a few bad Dallas RTC/NVRAM chips the Alphas are mostly fine.
Only four machines are currently known to have issues:
- The AlphaServer 1000 has a blown PSU - probably repairable
- One of the AlphaStation 200s doesn't turn on - maybe the PSU
needs recapping
- The Multia doesn't work reliably
- One of the AlphaServer 4100s had its RAM moved to the other
machine by its previous owner resulting in one machine with no
RAM and one with lots. It's a little unlikely I'll have the
space, cooling or (cheap) power any time soon to run both at
once so it's not a big problem - tempting to shift the CPUs over
too.
VAX systems
The VAXen are in a somewhat worse state than the alphas - probably in
part due to their age, and part due to the awful idea of using
rechargable NiCd batteries for keeping time. Only the VAXstation 3100
m30 is known to work right now, the TEMPEST one should also work too,
but I don't have most of the required cables to operate it:
- The VAXstation 2000s came to me after some years with leaking batteries. Currently in peieces awaiting
a repair attempt.
- One of the MicroVAX 3500s (really a 3800 I guess - KA655 CPU) also arrived with a leaking batteries.
Thankfully the mess was contained to the console bulkhead panel. Currently awaiting repairs
- The other MicroVAX 3500 now fails POST - stops at test 9
(Memory management chip). Awaiting further investigation and repairs.
- One VAXstation 4000/60 just crashed one day and failed most of its
self tests after a power cycle. A few years later its not even starting POST now - all diagnostic LEDs stay on
- The other VAXstation 4000/60
doesn't complete POST anymore for reasons unknown. The power
switch on this machine also doesn't work reliably
PCs
Digital also sold a line of PC Clients and Servers the last of which were retired sometime between February and 20 April 1999.
I currently have the following machines in my collection:
Other Hardware
Misc Documents
Notes
