[kwlug-disc] Advanced(?) Git usage question

Bob Jonkman bjonkman at sobac.com
Sat Apr 19 15:47:04 EDT 2014


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Gandalf made "terminal routers" or trouters.  I administered several
PACX (Private Automated Computer eXchange) devices, which were later
upgraded to the Gandalf Starmaster device.  Our installation had about
48 terminals that could connect to any one of 6 hosts. This was in the
late 80's, and it wasn't long before it was all replaced with the much
more modern Token Ring network :)

At the same site we also had IBM PC-Network equipment.  I think it was
a token-passing bus using co-ax that looked very much like ARCnet.
Devices would transmit on one frequency to a frequency translator at
one end of the bus, which would re-transmit the packet on the receive
frequency on the same bus.  Horribly flakey equipment, and I spent
much time swapping out network cards hoping to find one that worked
better.  It was all eventually upgraded to Token Ring too :)

- --Bob.



On 14-04-19 03:36 PM, John Johnson wrote:
> From: Glenn Henshaw <thraxisp4 at me.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [kwlug-disc] Advanced(?) Git usage question 
>>>> Date: April 18, 2014 at 9:13:54 PM PDT To: KWLUG
>>>> discussion<kwlug-disc at kwlug.org>
>>>>>> It used to be in a building on Colonnade Dr in South
>> Ottawa, until the '90s when Nortel took over the building. As I
>> recall they were modems and subscriber equipment. Datapac was
>> Nortel gear that was retired about 5 years ago.
>> 
> IIRC Gandalf (the company, not the wizard) got it start with a
> large distributed multiplexer that ran  over coaxial cable and
> allowed N+M terminals (w/serial IO ports) connect with N
> minicomputer (e.g. Digital VAX730/750/780) IO serial ports, but
> only N ports at a time. There was a Gandalf box at the terminal and
> (I assume) a much larger box at the minicomputer. The Gandalf
> systems were in wide use in colleges and universities before LANs (
> & WANs MANs) and the Internet as well as PCs arrived on the scene.
> 
> Gandalf expanded its product line with Limited Distance Data Sets
> (a sort of modem) that had higher speeds than dial up modems and
> worked over copper wire spans of up to 1 or a few kilometres, but
> not over telephone circuits. The company continued to expand its
> product line in the data-communications area until the company
> folded.
> 
> Wikipedia: /DATAPAC/ was Canada's packet switched X.25-equivalent
> data network. Operated first by Trans-Canada Telephone System, then
> Telecom Canada .... discontinuing the service at the end of 2009.
> 
> And, Glenn is probably correct, in that Datapac was probably a
> Nortel customer and used their equipment in the network.
> 
> On X.25, I recall working with a Memotec PAD in an employers  R&D
> dept.. Found on the Google: /Memotec was a leading provider of
> inter-office voice and data networking solutions, specifically the
> packet assembler/disassembler (PAD) device commonly found in X.25
> networks./
> 
> John
> 
> 
> 
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> 
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