Need Help Understand Ports
Posted by SamplePhysical1700@reddit | vintagecomputing | View on Reddit | 16 comments
I found an old Digital VAXstation 4000 model 96. Definitely the oldest computer I’ve seen. I don’t recognize any of the ports on the back and haven’t been able to test to see if it works or not.
Unix_42@reddit
Congratulations. The VAXstation 4000 Model 96 was DEC's most powerful microprocessor VAX workstation ever made.
cubixy2k@reddit
God F'ing hell, this sub makes me feel old.
Token ring forever.
DjBiohazard91@reddit
Make sure the token doesn't fall out
wootybooty@reddit
Wasn’t the Tolken Ring crafted by Sauron?
probably_platypus@reddit
10 MHz was Turbo. Now our phones run at GHz. Whoa.
daveminter@reddit
So the downside is that it's very likely that the NiCad battery pack has leaked and destroyed the motherboard. They tended to. I have a VaxStation 3100 M38 that suffered that; sad times. If there's one in there and by some miracle it hasn't leaked, remove it immediately. The machine will work fine without it, but you'd need to set the clock on every boot (not a big deal on a hobby machine).
For testing, you'll need an MMJ ("Modified Modular Jack") to RS232 connector plugged into the socket with the printer illustration next to it - these double as a serial port for headless operation. Using it with a monitor will require a funky adapter cable for the video and an LK201 keyboard, so that's likely a bit too annoying.
Bitsavers should have the user manuals for it. If you manage to get it up and running and it has the original disk in it then it's a toss up between it having Ultrix (DEC's version of Unix), VMS (their own in-house operating system, very weird to Unix/PC people), or a hobbyist's BSD installed on it.
Good luck!
Bipogram@reddit
From bottom to top
IEC power socket
BNC
Ethernet (on the backend of that grey box)
Parallel (aka 'printer' port) - but could be something else using a 25pin D shell
Video - component
A DIN socket for some reason (keyboard, I'd guess)
A 9 pin (probably serial)
And then a glorious full-fat SCSI
KAPT_Kipper@reddit
Mmj-12. Not RJ11. It's for a DEC terminal. A serial port.
Deksor@reddit
The grey box is plugged into a 15-pin port that's called "aui". It's meant to be used with all sorts of adapters (aui to RJ45, aui to fiber, aui to BNC ...)
Plaidomatic@reddit
The rj11 looking things are MMJ jacks. One is serial the other is a keyboard input. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modified_Modular_Jack
wibble089@reddit
The ports have been commented on in other posts, but I have to say, that's the first time I've seen that 3 pin monitor output port, I never used a VAXstation, my VAX usage was all with serial based VT-xxx monitors (pdp-11 & VAX-9000)
Just looked this system up online up, I didn't realise they were still making VAXstations into the late 1990s (I suppose Compax killed it off after the takeover), I would have expected them to have migrated to DEC alpha based systems by then.
Cwc2413@reddit
What a box to have in your collection!
parabellun@reddit
That video connector is 3W3 connector. Commonly found on unix workstations. Signal is standard vga(sync on green). Good luck finding cable and sog capable monitor.. thay are not so common.
ElevatorGuy85@reddit
The icons above each port (if the VAXstation was “normal side up” on its feet, i.e. photo rotated 90 degrees clockwise) were pretty standard for that time period.
The Ethernet connectors are marked with a # sign. The round BNC connector is a Thinwire Ethernet connector, aka 10BASE2 using Coax. The other port is an AUI port (Attachment Unit Interface) and it has a 3rd party AUI to 10BASET twisted pair transceiver plugged into it. Based on the colored strips that are visible on it, I believe this is one from Allied Telesis.
The small modified modular jack (MMJ) port was for a printer or communications port, using what Digital (DEC) called RS423. The adjacent DB25 connector provided the ability to connect
The VAXstations were usually supplied with a keyboard that had the same connector, and used a monitor (rather than a serial “console” terminal like a MicroVAX or VAX would have).
The VAXstation 4000 Model 96 Overview can be found at
https://www.bbcusa.com/pdf/microvax-vaxstation/vaxstation-4000-model-96-overview.pdf
It lists all the various ports on the last page 2.13
But for a more detailed overview, take a look at the VAXstation 4000 Model 90 Owner’s and System Installation Guide
https://manx-docs.org/collections/mds-199909/cd1/vax/vaxoginb.pdf
Check out pages 1-7, 1-8 and 1-9
Other than performance differences it is so similar to the VAXstation 4000 Model 96 that the information is going to be good enough for what you are looking for.
doubletwist@reddit
The only one I've never seen before is that video connector. It's like miniature RGB bnc connectors. Trippy.
lacr0bat@reddit
Found some general info here that may be of use: https://web-docs.gsi.de/~kraemer/COLLECTION/DEC/vs4090.html
On the photo, the top right is a SCSI port. I can see two printer ports, the 25pin one will be parrallele and the small one serial of some sort I would think.
I'm guessing the 3 pin one is for the video output of some sort going by the icon . I have seen that connector before many years ago but can't remember on what.
Bottom left are network ports I would think. Looks like an RJ45 socket and a BNC male connector (not seen that since the 90s).