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New 3Sep2020, updated 19Nov2020 (Transtech (*1) – posters at tranputer.net)

– NONE LEFT, ALL SOLD, ALL SHIPPED! I will not answer “first name” signed mails from “no-name-in” mail addresses of any form of query. Sorry.
– 18Oct: I have shipped to all. We’ll do the money matters when you have received the units and agreed on the sum (deduction if any of the units should not work). The free “wire” (transputer link cable) is for all but one unlucky, since there was one left on the floor when I had finished packing! Also, I once promised an extra TRAM for those who bought >= 5 TRAMs – I think and hope it was conditionally: since there was indeed a buyer for all, no free TRAMs were left!
– Legend example: (3,5,8) means that 3 gets it and (5,8) that 5 gets it and 8 gets nothing.
– I have received info from the Post that there is no export toll on anything below 5000 NOK = 456€, so we don’t have that problem.

• This started as a query on comp.sys.transputer (Old TRAM boards)
  • ..and kind of ended on the same place (New documents on transputer.net – which has a broader scope than just the documents originating from below)
• Please answer there, make a comment below, or mail me
• At this stage I will not add any more names on my queue type of list. Should the present 8 interested people not empty my web based pop-up store I’ll reopen it some time later
• When I have nothing more to sell this note will be kept for documentation of some TRAM boards

Fold handling with Collapse-O-Matic plugin

I am using Collape-O-Matic (here) on many pages.

Expand All (for searching)

Collapse All

Typical fold

Intro

All these boards were “rescued” some 20+ years ago from becoming e-waste. We had used TRAMs in several products, but as the company went through a series of ownerships, those products kind of faded out. Plus, we had earlier gone to signal processors and SPoC (Southampton Portable occam Compiler) to replace transputers, which had years before been discontinued. Or rather: Inmos itself went in. These TRAMs had, for the company, zero value. Thinking about it now I assume they were extras, as related to spare parts. I must have known that they were, at the time. It then felt ethically the only right thing to do: grasp them as they fell.

The usage and products are somewhat described in the lectures I did for the local university here (NTNU). But I assume it’s only the NTNU: From hard microseconds to speedy years. Real time in the industry (2016) version that’s in English. Search for “transputer” and “occam” in [3]. Plus, there should be some in Notes from the vault – 0x01 – plus the Why sell? chapter (below).

Still, even if nobody here is ever going to use them, and if I do mean that they should come into use, some way or another, I struggle with how to depart with them the correct way. I guess, because I didn’t acquire them any formal way, which I don’t think the company had for things of zero value. Not like for discarded books from libraries: they stamp them. We had nothing like this. Do I keep, give away or sell? Update 2Oct2020: The boards are indeed mine, and I can do with them whatever I want to.

Why sell?

Notes from the vault – 0x02

That’s why.

Motherboards

• (Wanted by)
• M1: SMT-004M, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology 27-4-94. 4 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA BUS.
  This is mine, used a lot, I will keep it
• M2: [3] SMT-004M, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology 16-11-93. 4 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA BUS
• M3: [4] SMT-004M, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology 16-11-93. 4 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA BUS
• M4: [5] SMT-004A Issue A, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology. 1993. 4 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA BUS
• M5: [5] SMT-004A Issue A, Sundance Multiprocessor Technology. 1993. 4 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA BUS. This has a red label “Stopped”
• M6: [5] Transtech TMB03. 1991. 5 TRAM positions. 8 bits ISA-bus
• M7: [3,5,8] Transtech TMB16, 1991. 10 TRAM positions. 16 bits ISA-bus
• M8: [5,8] Inmos IMSB008, 10 TRAM positions. 16 bits ISA-bus. 1990. Seems to have a fixed soldering. Used a lot. I could still sell it

TRAM candy bag

There is a perhaps more detailed picture here (3.4 MB) that also shows the my position nomenclature. If you need individual pictures, and also the other side, please tell. All pins are fine, most have an extra pin row connector on them. Some of the T805 TRAMs are seen from below, since I prioritised showing the transputer.

TRAM table

For any discrepancies, please mail me. The pictures constitute the facit in case the table shows anything other. I have not removed any of the original labels, only added my own. This way, any “prequal” may not be seen. If this is interesting, I’ll remove the labels and have a look.
These have active components like RAM on both sides: T1:[01-08], T2:[01], T3:[01, 03, 04, 07, 08, 09, 12-14]. I had to name them with a leading zero 01-09 instead of 1-9 since the TablePress plugin doesn’t sort semantically.

With a little help from my friends.

TRAM table fold

Transtech (*1)

Observe that the link speed settings are different on the Transtech TRAMs than on Inmos TRAMs. From a mail:

The standard inmos TRAMs have the LinkSpeedA (TRAM pin6) connected with Linkspecial0 pin of the transputer and LinkSpeedB (TRAM pin7) connected with Linkspecial123 pin of the transputer. But on the Transtech trams it’s reversed. The TRAM description/standard (here) makes no specifications about the internal routing/connections, other than stating that “When LinkSpeedA and LinkSpeedB are both low, the TRAM links operate at 10Mbits/s. When they are both high, the links operate at 20Mbits/s. Other states of these pins are reserved for future enhancements.” I think this is the reason for the different interpretations.

Documentation

Ask if you need any. If not, most of it will end up at transputer.net and become scanned there.

[1] gets all if not marked by [-] (has it) or [-1] (later). Which means most non-books. [c3] means [3] would like a copy, but I don’t know how to handle this.. Update: I send them to [3] and he well scan or chop and scan and the pass on what [1] wants. Lucky (or well done!) for Michael Brüstle (Mike Bruestle) at transputer.net he was the first who contacted me! buyers[1] = Mike;

Leaflets etc.

1. Dual Inline Transputer Modules (TRAMs). Technical note 29. Inmos. 10 Dec 87. By Paul Walker. http://www.transputer.net/tn/29/tn29.html
2. IMS B404 TRAM. Inmos, January 1988. 42-1256-00. Referenced in Transputer Development and iq Systems Databook, see http://www.transputer.net/ibooks/72-trn-219-01/book.asp (but I don’t think they are scanned)
3. IMS B418 Flash ROM TRAM, size 2. Same ref as above
4. IMS B418 User Guide. Inmos SGS-Thomson, 72-DIT-011-00, Nov 29, 1989. Not completely equal to http://www.transputer.net/ibooks/72-trn-219-01/iqsys2nd.pdf [c3]
5. IMS B418 Errata, 72-5292-01. 4 Dec 1989 [c3]
6. Transtech TRAMs TTM1 and TTM2. TTMINST0989. 1989
7. Transtech TTM12 EPROM loader module. Received autumn 1990
8. Transtech TRAMs TTM12, EEPROM loader / Bootstrap TRAM. TTM12FLY0789. 1989
9. Mark Ware Associates TM264K1
10. Mark Ware Associates transputer products, 22 June 1990
11. Inmos prototyping TRAM IMSB430, leaflet
12. IMS B439 Prototyping TRAM User Guide. 42 1478 00. Oct 1990
13. IMS B411 TRAM, from systems book, Dec. 1990
14. Sundance SMT211 (and SMT210), Aug 1992
15. Transtech TTM21 RS232 & TTM23 RS422 TRAM, 23 Nov 1992 (none here) (now at transputer.net)
16. Transtech Transputer Product Guide, 1994. Leaflet
17. Transtech T9000 Transputer Product Guide, 1994. Leaflet
18. Transtech Product Overview, April 1991. Leaflet
19. Transtech parallel technology, 1989. Leaflet
20. IMS B430 Prototyping TRAM Use Guide, Inmos, October 1990 (now at transputer.net)
21. Blue Inmos IMS A100 poster (about A2) (now at transputer.net) (other posters here)
22. Nexis Technology, Windows 3.1 File Server. Leaflet
23. Transputer Education Kit. CSA Computer System Architecture, 1990. Folder
24. The Virtual Channel Router (VCR). Debbage, Hill, Nicole. 4Jan1991. TTS Transputer Technology Solutions. Printout [-1] [c3] (See (*VCR))
    • VCR 1.8c release notes, user guide, technical notes. Printouts. (See (*VCR))
    • Virtual channels: The Next Generation of Transputers. Dick Pountain. BYTE April 1990. Printout
25. VCR 2.0 Release notes. Debbage, Hill, Nicole. June 27 1991. + User Guide + VCR 2.0 RPC Support and Run-Time Library, University of Southampton, 19June1991. Printouts [c3]. (See (*VCR))
26. occam 2.1 reference manual. SGS-THOMSON Microelectronics Limited. 12May1995. Printout [-]
27. A tutorial introduction to OCCAM programming. Dick Pountain. 77 pages. Including language definition by David May, 29 pages. Inmos. March 1987 [-]
28. Transputer Applications. Volume 1(2), Dec 1993. TTC The Transputer Consortium
29. Transputer Applications. TTC The Transputer Consortium. 1994?
30. Transputer communications, Wiley. August 1993 (Volume 1 number 1) to October 1996 (Volume 3 number 4), 10 magazines, probably complete collection? [-] [c3]
31. Occam user group [c3]
    1. Newsletter. No.11, July 1989 [-]
    2. List of members, Dec. 1989 [-]
    3. Newsletter. No.12, Jan 1990 [-]
    4. Transputer and Occam Bibliography, July 1990 [-]
    5. Newsletter. No.13, July 1990 [-]
    6. Supplement to List of Members, Dec. 1990. With my name! Yess! [-]
    7. Newsletter No.14, Jan 1991 [-]
    8. Transputer and Occam Bibliography, Supplement, July 1991 [1]
    9. Newsletter. No.15, July 1991 [-]
    10. Newsletter. No.16, Jan 1992 [-]
    11. Newsletter. No.17, July 1992 [-]
    12. WoTUG News. No.18, August 1993 [-]
    13. WoTUG News. No.19, Nov 1993 [-]
    14. WoTUG News. No.20, June 1994 [-]
32. T9000 Development Tools. Preliminary Datasheets. SGS-Thomson, Inmos is a member.. 106 pages. 1993 [c3]
33. Several kilos of books that I think transputer.net would already have. Extra copies for tearing and scanning could perhaps then be supplied. See below
34. Toolset manuals (Inmos, SGS-Thomson). See below
35. WoTUG and CPA proceedings that I myself published in (IOS)
36. Several red, empty Toolset boxes
37. occam 2 Toolset. Language and libraries. Reference Manual. SGS-Thomson. Inmos a member. D7305. March 1993. In red binder and box [-]
38. F editor, Preliminary version. Inmos. March 1991 [-1] (now at transputer.net) (Also see Wishes for a folding editor)
39. occam 2 toolset handbook. Inmos. March 1991. Overview of all the tools and libraries of D7205
40. occam 2 toolset handbook. Inmos. March 1993. Overview of all the tools and libraries of D7305 [-]
41. Inmos Dx314 ANSI C Toolset. Master Index. SGS-Thomson. Inmos a member. October 1992 [-]
42. Inmos Dx305 occam 2 Toolset Master Index. SGS-Thomson. Inmos a member. March 1993 [-]
43. D7405A occam 2.1 Toolset. SGS-Thomson. Inmos a member. Feb. 1996
    1. Toolset Reference Manual. May 1995
    2. occam 2.1 Toolset User Guide. Aug. 1995
    3. occam 2.1 Toolset Language and Libraries reference Manual. Aug. 1995
    4. INQUEST Debugger Tutorial. Oct. 1995
    5. AServer Programmer’s Guide. May 1995
    6. occam 2.1 Toolset 386 PC Delivery Manual. Oct. 1995
    7. INQUEST User and Reference Manual. Oct. 1995
    8. occam 2.1 Reference Manual. Aug. 1995

(*VCR): I found all the VCR documentation mentioned here and much more at http://wotug.org/parallel/occam/compilers/vcr/msdos/ 

Books

I assume these are already at transputer.net:

44. Transputer instruction set. A compiler writer’s guide. Inmos. 1988 [-]
45. The transputer applications notebook. Architecture and Software. Inmos. First ed. May 1989 [-]
46. The transputer databook. SGS-Thomson. Inmos a member.1992 [-]
47. Transputer reference manual. Inmos.1988 [-]
48. The transputer development and iq systems databook. SGS-Thomson, Inmos a member. First ed. 1989. [-]
49. The T9000 transputer products overview manual. SGS-Thomson, Inmos a member. First ed. 1991 [-] (Containing T9000 poster ,now at transputer.net) (other posters here)
50. Networks, routers & transputers. Function, performance and applications. Edited by M.D. May, P.W. Thomson and P.H. Welch. SGS-Thomson, Inmos a member. IOS Press. 1993 [-]
51. Should any more appear, I’ll make an appendix here. Here:

Aux documents

52. Seem Audio (Norway) digital broadcast mixer SEELECT, brochure and folder (1995). One of their range of mixers was transputer based [4 gets this]
53. ST20 Micro core family. Brochure and data sheet of ST20450 (almost like this), May 1995
54. ETI Electronics Sept 1994 (like this). Pp24-28 has “Transputer Based Single Board Computer – An introduction” by Papageorgiou and Robinson
55. DS-Link Serial Interconnection System. IEEE P1355. SGS-Thomson 1994. Brochure introducing the STC101 and STC104 chips
56. transputing, issue 4, Nov. 1994
57. IEEE Parallel & Distributed Technology. Winter 1994. Magazine with two transputer and occam articles
58. OCCAM by David May, part of SIGPLAN Notices, V18 #4 April 1983. Bad copies. Original is here, with the same bad copy
59. Parsytec brochure. Two articles reprinted from Electronics magazine, 1988 [4 gets this]
60. Transputer guide, folder by SGS-Thomsom containing several brochures.
    1. iq systems, Inmos Spectrum with overview of all chips and boards, March 1987 (front page with a small cut-out)
    2. Inventing the future, 1988 (now at transputer.net)
       Transputer development, Aug 1989
    3. The Transputer Family, Aug 1989 and March 1989
    4. The IMS T400 Transputer, Jan 1990
    5. Transputer Development Kits (P.C. based), Aug 1989 and June 1992
    6. iq Systems product overview, June 1992 (now at transputer.net).
       Developing with the transputer, Oct 1992.  (now at transputer.net)
    7. List of customers who have publicly announced transputer based products, Jan 1990 (copy)
    8. Software development tools for C, Fortran, Pascal, occam and Ada, Aug 1989
    9. Transputer Developent Tools for the IBM and NEC P.C.’s, undated, received 4.1989
    10. ANSI C Toolset for the Transputer Family, undated
61. Computing Surface Overview. Meiko, with some inlays, 1990 [c3]
62. Parallelogram International, Sept 1989 and July 1990 [c3]
63. The T9000 Transputer: Overview, Mar1991. Multiprocessing made simpler, undated. A leaflet, undated [c3]
64. Letter from Michael D. Poole at Inmos about supporting standardisation of occam. Signed February 21, 1991 (copy)
65. Parsytec, Parallel Products, 48 pages, 1989 [4 gets this]
66. The Transputer Compilers, 3L, brochure, undated
67. Perihelion Software, Making it work, brochure, undated [c3]
68. The PARSYS SuperNode 1000 Series, brochure, undated
69. helios brochure, by Distributed Software Limited, 1991 [c3]
70. Parallax, Parallel processing power, brochure by Sension, undated
71. Several copies and printouts of several articles
72. Transputing ’91,22-26 April 1991, Sunnyvale, California, brochure
73. I guess this finalised this list (11Oct2020)

Dot matrix TRAM

I also have some alphanumeric LED dot-matrix TRAMs that I and R.O. designed. I would be able to test them, since I have a board that uses them, that works. I also may have circuit diagram (I did!) and occam driver (not yet!).

Update 4Nov2020: [1] (transputer.net) wrote his own driver, and the result is clearly seen as the top picture in this blog note! “Øyvind Takk” (“.. Thanks”). Thanks to you, Mike!

Each size 1 TRAM has two lines of 8 red chars 5*5 LEDs (two Siemens SCD 5582). Plus one light sensor (read by occam and then used to control the intensity) and a button (also read by occam). One IMS C011, one HC132 and one HC02.

The circuit diagram is below. I had to do three A4 scans and then merge them, as my rather worn paper original was an A3 sheet.

Wanted by:
[3 gets one], [5 gets one], [6 gets one], [1 gets the rest]

References

1. http://www.transputer.net
2. http://www.geekdot.com/hardware/transputer/
3. https://www.teigfam.net/oyvind/pub/pub.html