Shattered: Created page with "History Simulator (SIMH) recreates a range of historically important computing systems, including DEC PDP-11. System console terminal for a PDP-11 system would usually be one..."

2019-08-07T20:52:02Z

Created page with "History Simulator (SIMH) recreates a range of historically important computing systems, including DEC PDP-11. System console terminal for a PDP-11 system would usually be one..."

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History Simulator (SIMH) recreates a range of historically important computing systems, including DEC PDP-11. System console terminal for a PDP-11 system would usually be one of DEC's video- or printing terminals (DEC VT100 or LA36 "DECwriter II", for example). SIMH lets its user work with simulated system from a real terminal (attached to physical serial port), or via a terminal emulator of their choice, such as MAME.

You will need:

* SIMH 3.9 or newer -- prebuilt Windows binaries: https://github.com/simh/simh/releases/download/v3.9-0/simhv39-0-exe.zip or https://github.com/simh/Win32-Development-Binaries
* MAME 0.177 or newer
* Distribution media for RT-11 5.3 operating system -- via http://gunkies.org/wiki/Installing_RT-11_5.3_on_SIMH
* Optional: user manuals
** operating system -- http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp11/rt11/v5.1_Jul84/
** terminal -- http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/terminal/vt240/EK-VT240-UG-003_VT240_Series_Owners_Manual_Dec84.pdf

=== Step 1: Configure DEC VT240 terminal emulator ===

* start MAME ('mame vt240') and wait for self-test to complete ("VT240 OK" screen)
* press F3 to enter setup menu. Use cursor keys and keypad Enter key to navigate and change options.
* reset terminal to factory default settings -- choose "Default" in "Set-Up Directory" menu.
* set serial port speed to 9600 -- enter "Comm" menu and change from "Transmit=4800" to "Transmit=9600", then exit this menu "To Directory"
* save settings to terminal NVRAM ("Save") and exit MAME.

[[File:VT240 OK Transmit 9600.png]]

=== Step 2: Configure PDP-11 simulation ===
* follow the gunkies.org guide, but alter inst.ini -- replace "boot rl1" with "set console telnet=1123" in inst.ini. This will configure a remote console on TCP port 1123, and disable automatic boot of simulated system.

=== Step 3: Install RT-11 ===
* start SIMH -- expected output is:
Listening on port 1123
sim>
* start MAME with null modem cable 'attached' to SIMH and wait for it to boot to "VT240 OK" screen:
mame vt240 -bitb socket.localhost:1123
* start simulation in SIMH -- from sim> console enter:
boot rl1
* follow the installer's prompts.

[[File:VT240 RT-11 installer start.png]]

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Shattered: Created page with "History Simulator (SIMH) recreates a range of historically important computing systems, including DEC PDP-11. System console terminal for a PDP-11 system would usually be one..."