<div dir="ltr"><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#0000ff">FYI: Tim was Mr. 36-bit kernel and I/O system until he moved to the Vax and later Alpha (and Intel).</font><br></div><div class="gmail_default" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#0000ff">The CMU device he refers is was the XGP and was a Xerox long-distance fax (LDX). Stanford and MIT would get them too, shortly thereafter.</font></div><br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">Timothe Litt</strong> <br>Date: Thu, Dec 21, 2023 at 1:52 PM<br>Subject: Re: Fwd: [COFF] IBM 1403 line printer on DEC computers?<br>To: Clem Cole <br><br></div><u></u>
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<p>I don't recall ever seeing a 1403 on a DECsystem-10 or
DECSYSTEM-20. I suppose someone could have connected one to a
systems concepts channel... or the DX20 Massbus -> IBM MUX/SEL
channel used for the STC (TU70/1/2) tape and disk (RP20=STC 8650)
disk drives. (A KMC11-based device.) Not sure why anyone
would. <br></p>
<p>Most of the DEC printers on the -10/20 were Dataproducts
buy-outs, and were quite competent. 1,000 - 1,250 LPM. Earlier,
we also bought from MDS and Analex; good performance (1,000LPM),
but needed more TLC from FS. The majority were drum printers; the
LP25 was a band printer, and lighter duty (~300LPM).</p>
<p>Traditionally, we had long-line interfaces to allow all the dust
and mess to be located outside the machine room. Despite filters,
dust doesn't go well with removable disk packs. ANF-10 (and
eventually DECnet) remote stations provided distributed printing.</p>
<p>CMU had a custom interface to some XeroX printer - that begat
Scribe.<br>
</p>
<p>The LN01 brought laser printing - light duty, but was nice for
those endless status reports and presentations. I think the guts
were Canon - but in any case a Japanese buyout. Postscript.
Networked.</p>
<p>For high volume printing internally, we used XeroX laser printers
when they became available. Not what you'd think of today - these
are huge, high-volume devices. Bigger than the commercial copiers
you'd see in print shops. I(Perhaps interestingly, internally
they used PDP-11s running 11M.) Networked, not direct attach.
They also were popular in IBM shops. We eventually released the
software to drive them (DQS) as part of GALAXY.</p>
<p>The TU7x were solid drives - enough so that the SDC used them for
making distribution tapes. The copy software managed to keep 8
drives spinning at 125/200 ips - which was non-trivial on TOPS-20.<br>
</p>
<p>The DX20/TX0{2,3}/TU7x <b>was </b>eventually made available for
VAX - IIRC as part of the "Migration" strategy to keep customers
when the -10/20 were killed. I think CSS did the work on that for
the LCG PL. Tapes only - I don't think anyone wanted the disks by
them - we had cheaper dual-porting via the HSC/CI, and larger
disks.</p>
<p>The biggest issue for printers on VAX was the omission of VFU
support. Kinda hard to print paychecks and custom forms without
it - especially if you're porting COBOL from the other 3-letter
company. Technically, the (Unibuas) LP20 could have been used,
but wasn't. CSS eventually solved that with some prodding from
Aquarius - I pushed that among other high-end I/O requirements.</p>
<p></p>
<div><font color="#ff0000">On 21-Dec-23 12:29, Clem Cole wrote:<br>
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<div style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif"><font color="#ff0000"> <span style="font-family:Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif">Tim - care to take a stab at this?</span></font><br></div></div>
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