Posts Tagged DGC NOVA
The Nova 3/12 Console is repaired
Posted by Tommie in Data General Minicomputer Projects, The Data General Nova 3 Restoration Project on Wednesday 24 February, 2010
The ”Stop/Reset” toggle switch wouldn’t toggle back to its center position so I took a switch from my other Nova 3 console. Turns out that this switch would not make contact in the “Stop” position and I had to grab yet another switch from my other front panel. Looks as this front panel rapidly is becoming an assembly to salvage parts from.
All indicator lights are now replaced. The leads of the ones that did work where extremely brittle and since incandescent lamps have limited lifetime I decided to replace all lamps. Lights 7 – 12 would not lit or if they did, they lit very dimly and sporadic. The driver chip, DG part # 113-7748 was faulty and I replaced it with a NTE74LS06 chip (Hex Inverter Buffers/Drivers With Open-Collector High-Voltage Outputs).
Now that the console is working (apart from lacking the XX2065 key which I have ordered), I can start testing the cpu and memory.
Nova 3 Console disassembled
Nova 3 Console Lamp Driver DG part 113-7748
Nova 3 Console Lights works fine after replacing all lamps and a driver IC
Data General Nova 3/12 Power Supply drawings
Posted by Tommie in Data General Minicomputer Projects, The Data General Nova 3 Restoration Project on Sunday 7 February, 2010
I have two Nova 3/12’s. One equipped with:
- NOVA 3 CPU, PWRFAIL, PRLOAD, 256KW
- NOVA 3 TRIPPLE OPT, MMPU, PAR, MUL/DIV, RTC
- 64KW Plessey, 128K SC, W PAR, 0-127
- DGC NOVA CASSETTE I/O, $TTI/O, 9600 B, RTC
- DISK CARTRIDGE CONTROL DGC NOVA, DKP, 4234, 6030
- DGC NOVA CASSETTE I/O, $TTI/O, 9600 B, RTC
The other is an empty chassis, both with faulty power supplies. I contacted Bruce Ray of Wild Hare Computer Systems and Bruce provided me with Nova 3/12 Power Supply and backplane drawings. I still have to troubleshoot and repair the power supplies, but at least I now have the drawings and the tools.
Picked up a Nova 3/12 from my friend Bjarni
Posted by Tommie in Data General Minicomputer Projects, The Data General Nova 3 Restoration Project on Monday 16 November, 2009
A fellow Data General minicomputer collector offered me his Nova 3/12 a while back and today me and friend went to his place to pick up the Nova 3. Bjarni, as the friendly guy he is, also offered me to take his Model 4234, Diablo drive which I did. I now have a DG 19” rack, the Nova 3/12 CPU with:
- NOVA 3 CPU, PWRFAIL, PRLOAD, 256KW
- NOVA 3 TRIPPLE OPT, MMPU, PAR, MUL/DIV, RTC
- 64KW Plessey, 128K SC, W PAR, 0-127
- DGC NOVA CASSETTE I/O, $TTI/O, 9600 B, RTC
- DISK CARTRIDGE CONTROL DGC NOVA, DKP, 4234, 6030
- DGC NOVA CASSETTE I/O, $TTI/O, 9600 B, RTC
- A 4234 Diablo disk drive and a 6026 Vacuum Tape Transport
I believe the Diablo disk drive was part of the Nova 3/12 system since it has a disk controller installed for the Diablo drive.