Our Diablo disk goes on the fritz, but who needs a disk when you can netboot? Ken demonstrates the Alto network capabilities, connects to Google, and has the Alto calculate and display a Mandlebrot set. Ken's in-depth blog entry including the fractal demo source code is found here:
We begin our very gentle and progressive power up of the seminal Xerox Alto. No magic smoke, but one power supply is faulty. Opening it up reveals that it had a tough life, having suffered a catastrophic short of some sort, hastily repaired, and some traces almost entirely corroded through. But the source of the malfunction seems to be a somewhat classic case of bad electrolytic capacitors, way too far gone for any hope of reforming. After replacing them and repairing the supply, we turn our attention to the Diablo disc drive and cartridge, and have a bit of a surprise.
Many thanks to my CHM restorers colleagues Ron Crane, Ken Shirriff, Carl Claunch and Luca Severini.
See previous video introducing this historically significant machine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Xerox_Alto
Diablo Systems Incorporated Series 30 Disk Drive Maintenance Manual
http://bitsavers.org/pdf/diablo/disk/model_30/81503-02_Serie...
Restoring Y Combinator's Xerox Alto, day 4: What's running on the system (righto.com):
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12197591
http://www.righto.com/2016/07/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-...
Xerox Alto Restoration Part 16 - our disk goes down, the Alto connects to Google and draws fractals
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adEr2aRwHnI
Our Diablo disk goes on the fritz, but who needs a disk when you can netboot? Ken demonstrates the Alto network capabilities, connects to Google, and has the Alto calculate and display a Mandlebrot set. Ken's in-depth blog entry including the fractal demo source code is found here:
http://www.righto.com/2017/06/one-hour-mandelbrot-creating-f...
Xerox Alto Restoration Part 1 - power supply restoration, disk drive surprise
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPyqQXFC2yw
We begin our very gentle and progressive power up of the seminal Xerox Alto. No magic smoke, but one power supply is faulty. Opening it up reveals that it had a tough life, having suffered a catastrophic short of some sort, hastily repaired, and some traces almost entirely corroded through. But the source of the malfunction seems to be a somewhat classic case of bad electrolytic capacitors, way too far gone for any hope of reforming. After replacing them and repairing the supply, we turn our attention to the Diablo disc drive and cartridge, and have a bit of a surprise.
Many thanks to my CHM restorers colleagues Ron Crane, Ken Shirriff, Carl Claunch and Luca Severini.
See previous video introducing this historically significant machine:
https://youtu.be/YupOC_6bfMI
For much more details and references, see Ken Shirriff's blog entry corresponding to this video here:
http://www.righto.com/2016/06/restoring-y-combinators-xerox-...
A 1970s disk drive that wouldn't seek: getting our Xerox Alto running again
http://www.righto.com/2018/03/a-1970s-disk-drive-that-wouldn...
Identify It Challenge for 7-26-2012 Answer
https://reinventingscience.wordpress.com/tag/diablo-systems-...
ARTIFACT DETAILS: Series 30 disk drive
https://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/10266694...
Description: "Not working cards missing heads may be bad" is handwritten on black marker on a sticker attached to the top of the machine.