[Info-vax] Old junk breaks

[John H Reinhardt]

On 9/7/2023 1:06 AM, Steven Schweda wrote:
>> If needed, I cut off the old plug and splice it onto the new one.
>> But nicer to find one with the right plug already.
> 
>     The problem here is that the DEChub Work Group Units (such as the
> DECSserver 90M) have two connectors for power: a two-row x 16-pin
> male odd-ball, and a 7-pin female Mini-DIN.  The DEChub backplane uses
> the 32-pin odd-ball; the individual-unit supply (which I don't recall
> ever seeing) uses the Mini-DIN.
> 

I got one (individual unit supply), an H7867 dual voltage 5/12v which came with the pile of DECservers and DECrepeaters mentioned below.  It's just a small, thin(ish) rectangular beige brick.

>        https://manx-docs.org/collections/mds-199909/cd2/network/dehubom1.pdf
> 
>     I'd expect that finding an adapter with either of these is unlikely,
> at best.  What I use is a spliced-on cable with an 8-pin male Mini-DIN,
> which seems to be close enough.  (The extra pin on the 8-pin male falls
> neatly into the keyhole of the 7-pin female, contrary to the impression
> given by the picture here:)
> 
>        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mini-DIN_connector
> 

By golly, you're right. I never noticed.  Here is a spec sheet for a series of Mini-DIN connectors and it clearly shows what you mean.

https://www.mouser.com/datasheet/2/222/kyco_s_a0000255670_1-2271771.pdf

Mouser has 1100+ of the 7-pin ones for $1.56 (quan:1, $1.42 quan:10). I just ordered a few as I have a small pile of DECserver 90M's I got on Ebay and they all need power.  Taking this connector and a 5vDC regulated wall wart is all they need. With the diagram on VCF it should be an easy job.

https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads/looking-for-decserver-mneng2-sys-mneng3-sys-and-mneng4-sys-boot-files.62810/#post-773655


>     According to that article, PS2 mice used 6-pin connectors, so it's
> more likely that I got my 8-pin stuff by bisecting some kind of
> serial-modem cables.  It's been a while, so I don't remember what I
> chopped up to get the 8-pin male Mini-DIN.
> 

I think there were modem connections that were 8-pin.  Somewhere back in my fuzzy memory.

John H. Reinhardt