HP9831 operating manual

[Tony Duell]

> 
> At 09:24 PM 8/26/05 +0100, you wrote:
> >It sounds like my house is similar to others on this list....
> >
> >Anyway, while extracting an off-topic device, I came across a ring 
> >binder that I had labelled 'HP9831 Manual' Inside were the 2 volumes of 
> >user documentation for that machine -- the Operating/Programming Manual 
> >and the I/O Manual.
> 
>    COOL!  When are you going get it copied or scanned so the rest of us can
> see it? :-)

Firstly, here are the exact titles of the 2 manuals I found : 

9813A Operating & Programming (09831-90000)

9831A Peripheral Control (09831-90020)

The first of those lists 'related publications' which I don't have, but 
which are as follows :

Basic Reference Boolklet (09831-90010)
System Test Booklet (09831-90031)
Fliexible Disk Operating and Programming Manual (09885-90050)
Matrix/Plotter ROM Programming Manual (09831-90021)
HP9896 System Installation Manual (09896-90030)
HP9896 System Operators Guide (09896-90000)

>From what I've read elsewhere (particularly on http://www.hpmuseum.net), 
the 9896 was a desk with a 9831 on top and a couple of 9885 8" drives in 
the pedestal.

I can look into getting a friend to scan it sometime. It's a fairly thick 
manual, and I don't want to lend it out (since it's not exactly common), 
but I will see what I can do.

> 
> >
> >[The HP9831 has similar hardware to the 9825, but has BASIC, not HPL, in ROM]
> 
>    The 9831 is a 9825 with HP 9830 ROM code in it. I was told by one of the

Not exactly. The 9831 ran a BASIC which is compatible with the 9830 
BASIC, but 2 machines have rather different processors, so the binary 
contents of the ROMs are different. You can't, for example, use 9830 
machine code programs or ROMs with the 9831.

> it's developers that it had ALL the 9830 ROMs built into it and this is the
> first time that I've heard that there were ROMs available for it. Do you
> have any idea of the part numbers for them? I have seen a couple of

Sure : 
HP98223A/B Matrix/Plotter ROM (-A for the 9862A plotter, -B for the 9872A 
plotter). 

HP98218A Flexible Disk ROM (controls up to 8 9885M (Master) Flexible Disk 
drives; if needed up to 3 9885S (slave) drives can be connected to each 
master drice) [ Hang one, that's 32 disk drives ! -- ARD]

The manual claims there were also 'Tape cartridges and flexible disks 
containtain programs for solving problems from many disciplines'. Alas no 
list is given, just the instruction to contact an HP sales office.

[9877 tape drive]

> >Unfortunately it says nothing about the actually interface for the 9877 
> >-- for all other peripherals (printers, card reader, paper tape punch, 
> >paper tape reader), it says that the interface is a 98032 16 bit parallel 
> >module with the approriate 'option' (cable and link settings). Does 
> >anyone know if the 9877 _definietly_ connected via a 98032 as well?
> 
>   Yes it does. I have (had?) a picture of one at one time.
> 
> 
>  Even 
> >better, does anyone know the wiring?
> 
>    No. There were a lot of modified 98032 interfaces available for
> different peripherals and I've been looking for any of them but I've only

As I understand it (from the 98032 operating/service manual), the 
modifications consisted of the correct connector for the peripheral, the 
connections of the 98032 cable to that connector, a set of soldered links 
on the cable connector PCB in the rear shell of the 98032 itself and 
possibly a capacitor on that PCB to slow down the handshake. The 2 main 
boards in the 98032 were not changed.


> found a couple of them and I think I only have docs (and schematic) for ONE
> of them.  I SHOULD set up an automatic E-bay search for HP 98032 and see if

The only wiring I have details of is the Option 085 Flexible Disk one. I 
buzzed out the wiring in mine.

I've posted a couple of times here and to MoHPC asking if anyone has the 
docs for other Options (or the interfaces themselves that can be buzzed 
out), but no response.

> I can turn up more of the modified interfaces but I haven't done it.
> Regarding the 9877, as you know I have two of them. Kennedy Space Center
> also has one and we have both been looking for interfaces, docs and
> software for them but with little luck. KSC does have an interface but they
> weren't willing to let me examine it. They did sent me a picture of it but
> it just looks like any other modified 98032. It's marked 98032 option 77.

OK, it is, presumanbly, just the wiring and links that I need. Pity you 
can't take it apart :-(. I have a hand-drawn schematic of the 9877 which 
gives the pinout of the connector on the back (50 pin Blue Ribbon), all I 
need to know is how to link that to the 98032.

-tony