Sender: eric@ruckus.brouhaha.com From: Eric Smith Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: AS/400 ILMI CISC processor X-Disclaimer: Everything I write is false. Organization: Eric Conspiracy Secret Labs X-Eric-Conspiracy: There is no conspiracy. Date: 21 Jun 2000 10:05:26 -0700 Message-ID: Lines: 24 X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.5/Emacs 20.3 NNTP-Posting-Host: ruckus.brouhaha.com X-Trace: 21 Jun 2000 10:09:01 -0700, ruckus.brouhaha.com Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!nyc-news-feed1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!colt.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!feeder.via.net!enews.sgi.com!news.sgi.com!news.spies.com!ruckus.brouhaha.com Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:58242 Now that I actually own an old AS/400 (9406-B45), I'm more curious than ever about the IMPI CISC processor. Did IBM ever publish any description of the architecture, even in general terms? How different is it from the System/38 processor architecture (and was anything published on that)? Unfortunately some of the disks were damaged in transit. It looks like I still have enough 600M drives to be able to rebuild the system, and I have some OS/400 R3V2 distribution tapes, but I don't have the system password, the Internal Licensed Code tape, or the external breakout box for the #6040 Twinax adapter. I'm hoping to find a #6250 Ethernet adapter. I've never worked on a machine with a single-level store, so I'm eager to learn about it. Fortunately IBM has almost all of the software manuals available online, but I'm having trouble finding hardware info, such as the function of the Feature #6031 and #6130 adapters. I even found a place selling AS/400 timesharing over the internet for $30/month; if I get stuck I guess I can try that. Cheers, Eric ###### Message-ID: <39515B57.26A26AF8@caloundra.qld.gov.au> From: Bernie Dwyer Reply-To: berniez@caloundra.qld.gov.au Organization: Very little X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.05 [en] (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: AS/400 ILMI CISC processor References: Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Lines: 54 Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 10:18:31 +1000 NNTP-Posting-Host: 203.52.54.71 X-Complaints-To: abuse@telstra.net X-Trace: nsw.nnrp.telstra.net 961633101 203.52.54.71 (Thu, 22 Jun 2000 10:18:21 EST) NNTP-Posting-Date: Thu, 22 Jun 2000 10:18:21 EST Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!newsfeed-zh.ip-plus.net!news.ip-plus.net!News.Amsterdam.UnisourceCS!newshunter!cosy.sbg.ac.at!newsfeed.Austria.EU.net!nmaster.kpnqwest.net!npeer.kpnqwest.net!news.maxwell.syr.edu!intgwpad.nntp.telstra.net!nsw.nnrp.telstra.net!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:58312 Eric Smith wrote: > > Now that I actually own an old AS/400 (9406-B45), I'm more > curious than ever about the IMPI CISC processor. Did IBM ever > publish any description of the architecture, even in general > terms? How different is it from the System/38 processor > architecture (and was anything published on that)? When I went to the AS400 introduction "event", one of the IBM customer service reps told me it was a souped-up S38 under the covers, with a S36 menu-type interface. I migrated our system/36 to an AS400 B30. The B30 was a stage I processor, identifiable (IIRC) by NOT having processor activity LEDs on the control panel - if you've got the LEDs, you've got a stage II processor - very important when you're ploughing through VLIC error codes and remedies. > > Unfortunately some of the disks were damaged in transit. It > looks like I still have enough 600M drives to be able to rebuild > the system, and I have some OS/400 R3V2 distribution tapes, but > I don't have the system password, the Internal Licensed Code tape, > or the external breakout box for the #6040 Twinax adapter. I'm hoping > to find a #6250 Ethernet adapter. > Funny about that - the demo machine at the "event" actually fell over in transit and sprung some of the boards - the external damage was evident - dents in the covers - but the machine still IPL'd. You can try "11111111" or "22222222" for the system password, but if you don't have the MULIC tape, you're stuffed. That tape is supposed to follow the processor board wherever it goes, and IBM WON'T sell you a replacement (I had enough trouble getting one on a different format when we bought a processor upgrade, taken from a machine with a different format tape drive) > I've never worked on a machine with a single-level store, so I'm > eager to learn about it. Fortunately IBM has almost all of the > software manuals available online, but I'm having trouble finding > hardware info, such as the function of the Feature #6031 and #6130 > adapters. Single-level store is handy, and fun at times. You could ask your friendly local IBM business partnet to look up the feature codes - alternately, try a second-hand IBM dealer. There's also USENET - bound to be an AS400 group there ;-) > > I even found a place selling AS/400 timesharing over the internet for > $30/month; if I get stuck I guess I can try that. > > Cheers, > Eric -- Bernie Dwyer dump the z before replying *************************** ###### From: Guenther Vieth Newsgroups: alt.folklore.computers Subject: Re: AS/400 ILMI CISC processor Date: Fri, 23 Jun 2000 12:46:21 +0200 Organization: KAUFRING AG, D-40465 Duesseldorf, Germany Lines: 45 Message-ID: <39533FFD.820C6E2E@kaufring.de> References: Reply-To: guenther.vieth@kaufring.de NNTP-Posting-Host: 195.62.122.250 Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-Trace: news-in.kamp.net 961757409 3645 195.62.122.250 (23 Jun 2000 10:50:09 GMT) X-Complaints-To: usenet@news.kamp.net NNTP-Posting-Date: 23 Jun 2000 10:50:09 GMT To: Eric Smith X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.7 [en-gb]C-CCK-MCD NSCPCD47 (Win95; U) X-Accept-Language: en Path: chonsp.franklin.ch!pfaff.ethz.ch!news-zh.switch.ch!news-ge.switch.ch!isdnet!newsfeed.online.be!carrier1.net!news.kamp.net!not-for-mail Xref: chonsp.franklin.ch alt.folklore.computers:58345 There are two books about the AS/400 internals: SA21-9540-0 IBM Application Systems/400 Technology First Edition (June 1988) ca. 200 pages S325-6020-00 IBM Application System/400 Technology Journal Version 2 First Edition (January 1992) ca. 250 pages A similar book about the S/38 was available at that time. gv Eric Smith wrote: > > Now that I actually own an old AS/400 (9406-B45), I'm more > curious than ever about the IMPI CISC processor. Did IBM ever > publish any description of the architecture, even in general > terms? How different is it from the System/38 processor > architecture (and was anything published on that)? > > Unfortunately some of the disks were damaged in transit. It > looks like I still have enough 600M drives to be able to rebuild > the system, and I have some OS/400 R3V2 distribution tapes, but > I don't have the system password, the Internal Licensed Code tape, > or the external breakout box for the #6040 Twinax adapter. I'm hoping > to find a #6250 Ethernet adapter. > > I've never worked on a machine with a single-level store, so I'm > eager to learn about it. Fortunately IBM has almost all of the > software manuals available online, but I'm having trouble finding > hardware info, such as the function of the Feature #6031 and #6130 > adapters. > > I even found a place selling AS/400 timesharing over the internet for > $30/month; if I get stuck I guess I can try that. > > Cheers, > Eric