Re: [foxboro] Legacy Fox 300 Systems

Re: Yes, this is the plan and thank you for the confirmation.  What exactly
are the differences between the Fox 1A and the Fox 1Aplus?


Generically, the term Fox 1/A is used to refer to a family of machines and
OSs. 


The original Fox 1 was a Sylvania machine designed to run MinuteMan missle
silos. They did not get the contract so we bought all of the prototypes (30
or so). This machines are shaped like an X when viewed from the top. The
"circuit boards" are cardboard with discrete components on them. You see one
of these beasts and you don't forget it.


The Fox 1/A was the successor line. It was build by The Foxboro Company and
when through four revisions: Fox 1/A Styles A, B, C, and D.


The micro-processor was an AMD bit slice processor which used the
instruction set of the original machine (a 24 bit word by the way).


The Fox 1/A+ was the common term for the Fox 1/A Style D. The Style D had a
number of hardware improvements over the Style C - more RAM, solid state
Megastore, Winchester Hard Drives, etc.


I had a "hybrid" machine that supported both Winchester and Diablo drives.
Very useful and long gone.


Thanks for the chance to remember the past.


Regards,

Alex Johnson
Invensys
10707 Haddington
Houston, TX 77043
713.722.2859 (office)
713.722.2700 (switchboard)
713.932.0222 (fax)
ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx <mailto:ajohnson@xxxxxxxxxxx> 
For the latest information on ArchestrA, go to
www.invensys.com/Archestra.html
<http://www.invensys.com/divisions/Archestra.html> .



        -----Original Message-----
        From:   Terence W. Wright [SMTP:terry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx]
        Sent:   Wednesday, January 29, 2003 4:53 AM
        To:     foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        Subject:        Re: [foxboro] Legacy Fox 300 Systems

        In message <E5392A1FFE3E1F4088CD898965083DF0169917@ntserver>, Ken
        Heywood <kheywood@xxxxxxxxx> writes
        >
        >Terry
        >
        >The timing for Diablo disks should be in the User Manual along with
        >other troubleshooting data. These were reprinted in the Foxboro
Service
        >Manuals. Consider an up-to-date replacement product as Diablos are
        >scarce. We can be repair them, but current technology is more
reliable
        >and cost effective. that's why PCS
        ><http://www.processcontrolservices.com/home/spectrum_products.html>
        >developed replacements.

        Thanks Ken.  As you may know, my team in the UK designed the
original
        Vermont Research 8256 hard cartridge disk emulators that were
supplied
        by PCS for the Fox 1A and the Fox 300.  That 8256 product is now
itself
        obsolete and is being replaced by emulators from the product range
shown
        on the "Legacy" page of our Reactive website
www.reactivecomputers.com.
        We have an excellent Fox 1A disk emulator solution to replace either
the
        8256 or the old disks, but the Fox 300 uses subtly different
interface
        timing (two soft sectors in each hard sector, I believe).  I doubt
this
        detailed timing is available in any Service Manual, unless you know
        otherwise and can provide or direct me to a source?

        We are in the process of integrating an emulator as a Fox 300 disk
        replacement, but the customer is in dire straits as he has crashed
all
        the old disks from which we would normal take timing details.  If
you
        could effect a temporary repair on one of these - this could be of
        interest.          
        >
        >The line printer is a standard Centronics interface. Again, try a
        >Laserjet replacement like one from PCS
        ><http://www.processcontrolservices.com/home/spectrum_products.html>
.

        Yes, this is the plan and thank you for the confirmation.  What
exactly
        are the differences between the Fox 1A and the Fox 1Aplus?

        >And yes, we have one of everything running in our lab.

        If this includes a Fox 300 and Diablo (or 8256 SSD) we should talk
about
        a possible co-operation.   

        Best regards

        Reactive Computer Services Ltd
        Queen Eleanor House,
        Unit 9,
        Kingsclere Business Park
        Kingsclere
        Hampshire.
        RG20 4SW
        UK

        Phone +44 (0) 1635 291440
        Fax   +44 (0) 1635 291468
        Home/office +44 (0) 1372 450641 
        Mobile +44 (0) 7850 843948
        Email address is terry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx, 
         
        Terence W. Wright
        Business Development Manager   
        >
        >
        >Best Regards,
        >
        >Ken Heywood, Marketing/Project Consultant
        >Process Control Services, Inc.
        >401 Industrial Drive
        >Plymouth, MI 48170-1885
        >
        >Business Phone: (734) 453-0620
        >Mobile Phone: (508) 241-2040
        >Text Message: 5082412040@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx (110 character limit)
        >PCS Web: http://www.pcsmi.com
        >Corporate Phone: (800) 377-7271
        >
        >CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE - The information contained in this
transmittal
        >is confidential. It is intended for the addressee(s) stated above.
If
        >you are not an addressee you should not disclose, copy, circulate
or in
        >any other way use the information contained in this transmission.
Such
        >unauthorized use may be unlawful. If you received this transmission
in
        >error, please reply to me immediately so that the error can be
corrected
        >promptly.
        >
        >
        >
        >
        >
        >-----Original Message-----
        >From: Terence W. Wright [ mailto:terry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
        ><mailto:terry@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> ]
        >Sent: Tuesday, January 28, 2003 4:52 AM
        >To: foxboro@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
        >Subject: [foxboro] Legacy Fox 300 Systems
        >
        >
        >Greetings
        >
        >1) Does anyone know of a site with an operational Fox 300 system
that
        >still uses an old (working) CDC Hawk removable media disk?  Ideally
a
        >system in the UK or USA.  I am looking for precise information on
the
        >timing of the old "Diablo" class interface between the disk and
        >controller.
        >
        >2) Another Legacy question.  Is the line printer interface on the
old
        >Fox 1A the same as that on the Fox 1A plus?
        >
        >Regards
        >
        >Terry Wright
        >Reactive Computer Services Ltd
        > =20
        >
        >
        >--
        >Terence W. Wright
        >
        >
        
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        -- 
        Terence W. Wright
         
         
        
_______________________________________________________________________
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Process
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