[Simh] LGP-30

Mon Jun 7 06:54:29 EDT 2010

Hi, 

cool "box", this LGP-30 ... the Stuttgart University (where the software download links below point to) has/had a fully restored and working model (I've seen it in operation when I was there a few years ago - quite impressive, but no chance to "play" with). In contrary to most other computers of that time (the 50s, remember !), it was designed for individual use - one of the first (or the first ?) "Personal Computers" ! It occupies the space of one single desk only (instead of a full room, or several cabinets ...), plus the typewriter (including the paper tape reader) for the operator (so, no bulky IO-Devices), can be operated on a single-phased standard wall socket (1700W power consumption), and handled by "relatively unskilled" people, as the manual states :-)

Talking about manuals - the full maintenance manual is here
ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/cm/lgp30/docs/WHB.pdf 
(pity it's in german, I didn't find any english version yet)

About loading the "tapes" - AFAIK, the system needs either manual input of a program, or a bootstrap loader has to be keyed in and stored on the drum (permanent storage ... even survives a power down - if the correct shutdown procedure is observed ... nothing new in Windows, see ?) before it could read any paper tapes.

I don't know if the emulator comes with that loader already "built in", but that might be one item that's missing. Also, I am not sure if the tape files (.TX) are in the correct encoding (Flexowriter vs. ASCII code).
ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/cm/lgp30/papertapes/Utils/README states some info about that, but gives no clue if any conversion is required before they can be used with SIMH.

Christian Corti (of UNI Stuttgart) wrote an emulator for the LGP-30 (available from the above FTP server as well), and I assume it can read the files as they are. See here:
ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/cm/lgp30/simulator/lgp30sim.zip

and consider reading
ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/cm/lgp30/simulator/lgp30_en.txt
because the ZIP contains the German doc only ... and the simulator is in German as well :-(

Btw, the ZIP contains all the papertape files referred to in the other links, plus some more.

See the Example section in the above TXT to get an idea how to operate the LGP-30 as "unskilled operator" :-)
It's not just click and run ... think of a programmable pocket calculator, to get some idea of handling the LGP.

I did try the example (running the simulator on a XP system in a standard CMD box): Loading and compiling Lunar Lander (requires the compiler, compiler component routines, sqrt subroutines and the program itself to be loaded and run in the correct order), then running the program - it works fine !! Really cool to run a program that is 50 years old ... absolutely amazing !
(remember to key in all positive numbers with a leading + sign, like +100 - and don't press ENTER after the input. Hit F1 instead, to continue execution). 

If you need further hints, please let me know.

Getting this simulation to run might give you a clue how to work with SIMH, and if not, you at least have something operational to show :-)

Andreas
Relatively Unskilled LGP-30 Operator :-)

> -----Original Message-----
> From: simh-bounces at trailing-edge.com 
> [mailto:simh-bounces at trailing-edge.com] On Behalf Of Jason Stevens
> Sent: Saturday, June 05, 2010 10:59 AM
> To: Michael Richter; simh at trailing-edge.com
> Subject: Re: [Simh] LGP-30
> 
> here is what I tried....
> 
> set cpu tape
> set cpu 6b
> set cpu input=ptr
> set cpu output=tto
> set ptr ascii
> attach -a ptr bkjck.tx
> run
> 
> I've also tried 4bit as well..  (flex format, and different 
> cpu types too) no luck..  there is no sample programs in the 
> software kits ( http://simh.trailing-edge.com/software.html 
> ), and somewhere it mentions it's run some hand prepared 
> stuff..... so I guess thats the real hint, you'll have to 
> massage this data...
> 
> On Fri, Jun 4, 2010 at 2:04 AM, Michael Richter 
> <ttmrichter at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 
> 	Silly question, but how are those tape images actually 
> used in SIMH?  I seem to be missing something, likely 
> something blindingly obvious (given that I've never used an 
> LGP-30 in my life and have only seen one from a distance).
> 	
> 	
> 	On 3 June 2010 23:40, Al Kossow <aek at bitsavers.org> wrote:
> 	
> 
> 		On 6/3/10 12:08 AM, Michael Richter wrote:
> 		> I hear persistent rumours of a collection of 
> transcribed tapes for the
> 		> Royal McBee LGP-30 somewhere out there.
> 		
> 		
> 		
> ftp://ftp.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de/pub/cm/lgp30/papertapes/
> 		
> 		along with other information
> 		
> 		
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