VAXstation 4000 VLC  ("PVAX2" )

 
Click here for more computer pictures, or here to see some OpenVMS screen captures.

General Technical Information

HOSTNAME MANTICORE
SYSTEM CPU SOC* @25MHz
KA48-A V1.3-343-V4.0
CACHE (2nd, 1st D/I) 0 KB, 0 KB / 6 KB
RAM  24 MB (Max. 24 MB)
SCSI BUS NCR53C94 SCSI (5 MB/s)
OPTION BUS N/A
GRAPHICS LCG 8-plane 1280x1024 @66Hz
HARD DISK DRIVES 4.5 GB 10K RPM internal SCSI disk and 1 GB 5400 RPM SCSI disk in a BA42 Storage Expansion
CD-ROM DRIVE Toshiba 6x external SCSI CD-ROM drive in a BA42 Storage Expansion
NETWORK 10 Mbps ethernet AUI, LANCE AM7990 and AMD 79C30 ISDN
OS OpenVMS V7.3, OpenVMS V6.2
YEAR 1991
SPEED 6.2 VAX MIPS
POWER CONSUMPTION (MAX. / MEASURED) 108 W / 52 W
COMMENTS This little machine will only run either OpenVMS or NetBSD. It doesn't run ULTRIX. Support for the VLC was added in VMS 5.5.
ESTIMATED PRICE '91 $8,000
ORIGINAL PRODUCT DESCRIPTION (Scanned from DEC's SOC Nov. 1992)

*= SOC, in this context, means "System On a Chip", designed for low cost VAXen.

System console screen capture


History and other comments

I bought this machine from Germany. It's the smallest of all VAX computer systems. VLC stands for "very low cost", so it is indeed a cost-down VAX system.

In the summer 2005 I installed OpenVMS/VAX Version 7.3 on the "little pizzabox". OpenVMS/VAX is somewhat tricky to install but once you get a hang of it, it all becomes clear. For those wondering why it's not that simple, I can mention that the VAX version doesn't simply boot up straight to an installation program from the CD, as one would expect, so without proper documentation you will find yourself pretty lost. I recommend reading either some OpenVMS tutorial or the official documentation at HP's website.

Once I got all the required license PAKs in place (one would want at least "DW-MOTIF", "VAX-VMS" and "UCX") and had installed the additional DECwindows/Motif software package located on the installation CD, the VAXstation booted up to DECwindows. The "UCX" PAK is for getting TCP/IP package installed. One may think that it's odd that the basic installation procedure excludes both Motif and TCP/IP functions, but there are some historical reasons for this kind of setup. A VAX will run perfectly without either one of those software packages.

 I find the VLC clearly faster to use compared to the older VAXstation 3100's when used as a graphical desktop. It feels slower than any DECstation I suppose (and certainly slower than any DEC ALPHA computer), but I could recommend it to anyone that want to give OpenVMS/VAX a go, on real VAX hardware. The advantages of a VLC for hobby use are obvious; it's small, it's light, it supports enough RAM for OpenVMS/VAX and it's pretty quiet too.

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Last updated:  16-7-2008