Path: csiph.com!v102.xanadu-bbs.net!xanadu-bbs.net!feeder.erje.net!eu.feeder.erje.net!fu-berlin.de!uni-berlin.de!individual.net!not-for-mail From: Huge Newsgroups: comp.misc,alt.sys.pdp11,alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: Revamped PDP-11 in Brooklyn Date: 21 May 2014 10:32:48 GMT Organization: Piglet's Pickles & Preserves Lines: 49 Message-ID: References: <20140519154416.487cd031.rsw@therandymon.com> <20140519154736.4237c20a.rsw@therandymon.com> Reply-To: usenet@huge.org.uk Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Trace: individual.net kZKXOt31xlTXFPeNvM6EtQOWDzXVrIokSpoW5u0fXvbhBXRZHp Cancel-Lock: sha1:txcaKC55xYA+egJN/rQ0J10m1Nk= X-No-Archive: Yes User-Agent: slrn/pre1.0.0-16 (Linux) Xref: csiph.com comp.misc:2936 On 2014-05-19, RS Wood wrote: > On Mon, 19 May 2014 15:44:16 +0000 > RS Wood wrote: > >> Saw this linked at HackerNews: a revamped PDP-11/34 with all sorts of >> 1970s goodness. Very cool article, and clearly people who appreciate >> and love the era. >> >> http://www.nycresistor.com/2014/05/15/pdp-11/ >> > > I should've also provided the URL to their photos, which are very > compelling. > > https://www.flickr.com/photos/osr/14043526294/in/set-72157644327706146 Oh, nostalgia, where is thy sting? I spent a number of years jammed into various broom cupboards laughingly referred to as "computer rooms" installing PDP11/34s which were doing process control of crisp (US: chip) bagging machines - we were controlling the weighing process in an attempt to meet the regulatory requirement not to produce underweight bags of crisps while at the same time trying to reduce the "giveaway" (the amount of product over the marked weight) in each bag. The code was written in a mixture of MACRO-11 and RTL/2 and interfaced to the bagging machines using GEC "Media" interfaces which allowed us to read outputs from the weigh cells on the machines and issue commands back to them, such as "make a bag" and "start/stop feeding product into the weigh pan". Far and away the most interesting place I've ever worked in my career. I also worked on systems to weigh ingredients for biscuits (US: cookies), to weigh and count the biscuits themselves (if they're too thin, the packet is underweight, if too thick, the end seal on the pack won't close properly, exposing the end biscuit in the package), I also did stuff to weigh & control the thickness of chocolate coating on biscuits, to weigh and record the amount of waste leaving the factory - a system memorably called "WMPIGS" (after the ultimate fate of the factory waste) and to weigh pallets of finished product leaving the factory. Happy days, and as many free biscuits/bags of crisps as you could eat. -- Today is Sweetmorn, the 68th day of Discord in the YOLD 3180 "I do not believe in revealed religion — I will have nothing to do with your immortality; we are miserable enough in this life, without speculating on another." Lord Byron, 1778-1824, letter to Rev. Francis Hodgson, 1811