core memory
in [Design]
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From: Michael A. Terrell on 7 Dec 2009 11:47 John Larkin wrote: > > On Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:11:00 -0000, "TTman" <someone.pc(a)ntlworld.com> > wrote: > > > > >"John Larkin" <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message > >news:kqalh59i8jsogn1t6p3ghuaop5c137qtoj(a)4ax.com... > >> Testing some FTP stuff, threw up some test files... > >> > >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_304bits.jpg > >> > >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4K.jpg > >> > >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4Kdetail.jpg > >> > >> John > >> > >> > >I remember using those back in the early 70s. Made in Ireland.... 16K and > >32K, but I forget the width. It was for a PDP 'clone' that was designed by > >some Ex Uni boffins from Sussex. Controller board was a nightmare ( as I > >remember), full of 121 and 123 monostables :( > > The first 11, the PDP-11/20, was an asynchronous hairball, like the > PDP-8s. It was full of RCs, delay lines, and bizarre logic paths, and > was all MSI TTL, over 500 packages on two boards, no microcode. There > was a short assembly program that used the paper tape reader to cause > a metastability that totally locked up the CPU. Early 70s was about > when people started getting religion about synchronous logic design. > > >Was used as a CNC controller ( one of the first) on Herbert Machine Tools > >in Coventry. > >The machine had a 64x24 bit diode microprogram matrix ( replaced by > >otproms)and could do x+y+z in one instruction (software, that is), in a few > >microsteps...ALU had about 100+ logic chips.... > >Ahh the good old days. > > > > Actually, I don't miss them all that much. > > John I still have a box full of memory boards for the VAX, made by National Semiconductor. -- Offworld checks no longer accepted!
From: John Larkin on 7 Dec 2009 12:04 On Mon, 07 Dec 2009 11:47:51 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell" <mike.terrell(a)earthlink.net> wrote: > >John Larkin wrote: >> >> On Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:11:00 -0000, "TTman" <someone.pc(a)ntlworld.com> >> wrote: >> >> > >> >"John Larkin" <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message >> >news:kqalh59i8jsogn1t6p3ghuaop5c137qtoj(a)4ax.com... >> >> Testing some FTP stuff, threw up some test files... >> >> >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_304bits.jpg >> >> >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4K.jpg >> >> >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4Kdetail.jpg >> >> >> >> John >> >> >> >> >> >I remember using those back in the early 70s. Made in Ireland.... 16K and >> >32K, but I forget the width. It was for a PDP 'clone' that was designed by >> >some Ex Uni boffins from Sussex. Controller board was a nightmare ( as I >> >remember), full of 121 and 123 monostables :( >> >> The first 11, the PDP-11/20, was an asynchronous hairball, like the >> PDP-8s. It was full of RCs, delay lines, and bizarre logic paths, and >> was all MSI TTL, over 500 packages on two boards, no microcode. There >> was a short assembly program that used the paper tape reader to cause >> a metastability that totally locked up the CPU. Early 70s was about >> when people started getting religion about synchronous logic design. >> >> >Was used as a CNC controller ( one of the first) on Herbert Machine Tools >> >in Coventry. >> >The machine had a 64x24 bit diode microprogram matrix ( replaced by >> >otproms)and could do x+y+z in one instruction (software, that is), in a few >> >microsteps...ALU had about 100+ logic chips.... >> >Ahh the good old days. >> > >> >> Actually, I don't miss them all that much. >> >> John > > > I still have a box full of memory boards for the VAX, made by National >Semiconductor. There are still tens of thousands of VAXen in use. And there's some excellent VAX/x86 emulator software. John
From: Paul Keinanen on 7 Dec 2009 14:45 On Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:11:00 -0000, "TTman" <someone.pc(a)ntlworld.com> wrote: > >"John Larkin" <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in message >news:kqalh59i8jsogn1t6p3ghuaop5c137qtoj(a)4ax.com... >> Testing some FTP stuff, threw up some test files... >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_304bits.jpg >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4K.jpg >> >> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4Kdetail.jpg >> >> John >> >> >I remember using those back in the early 70s. Made in Ireland.... 16K and >32K, but I forget the width. It was for a PDP 'clone' that was designed by >some Ex Uni boffins from Sussex. Controller board was a nightmare ( as I >remember), full of 121 and 123 monostables :( Do you have more details about these clones ? The only PDP-11 clones that I am aware of are the Russian SM4 (PDP-11/34 clone) and the E60 (LSI-11/03 clone).
From: TTman on 7 Dec 2009 17:02 "Paul Keinanen" <keinanen(a)sci.fi> wrote in message news:ihmqh5dog4ki7o6la6jvg5u298r5c2r2i8(a)4ax.com... > On Mon, 7 Dec 2009 14:11:00 -0000, "TTman" <someone.pc(a)ntlworld.com> > wrote: > >> >>"John Larkin" <jjlarkin(a)highNOTlandTHIStechnologyPART.com> wrote in >>message >>news:kqalh59i8jsogn1t6p3ghuaop5c137qtoj(a)4ax.com... >>> Testing some FTP stuff, threw up some test files... >>> >>> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_304bits.jpg >>> >>> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4K.jpg >>> >>> ftp://jjlarkin.lmi.net/Core_4Kdetail.jpg >>> >>> John >>> >>> >>I remember using those back in the early 70s. Made in Ireland.... 16K and >>32K, but I forget the width. It was for a PDP 'clone' that was designed by >>some Ex Uni boffins from Sussex. Controller board was a nightmare ( as I >>remember), full of 121 and 123 monostables :( > > > Do you have more details about these clones ? > > The only PDP-11 clones that I am aware of are the Russian SM4 > (PDP-11/34 clone) and the E60 (LSI-11/03 clone). > > It probably wasn't a clone in the true sense of the word. I don't actually know.But it was very similar in architecture. Probably not.... The whole thing was in a 19" rack. We designed /made most of it in house. The PSU was bought in. 5V @ 20 A + , +/- 15V @ 5 amps.Boards were all A4 size, with a backplane motherboard. As I remember: ALU board Register board I/O board Core stack ( 3/4 boards in all, all bolted together, inc, cores) TTY interface DC Servo control boards with encoder feedback (14 bits) + dither control for anti stiction Front panel with 'Boot' switches Boot code was entered in octal, using 8 data switches and 10? address switches, and a 'load' switch. Data and address leds, + run led ? Simplest boot loader was a paper tape input loader, that then loaded the main program. Company naame was Micro Computer Systems, in Woking, Surrey. circa 1970 - 1977
From: TTman on 7 Dec 2009 17:22
SNIP >> The only PDP-11 clones that I am aware of are the Russian SM4 >> (PDP-11/34 clone) and the E60 (LSI-11/03 clone). >> >> > It probably wasn't a clone in the true sense of the word. I don't actually > know.But it was very similar in architecture. > Probably not.... The whole thing was in a 19" rack. We designed /made most > of it in house. The PSU was bought in. 5V @ 20 A + , +/- 15V @ 5 > amps.Boards were all A4 size, with a backplane motherboard. > As I remember: > ALU board > Register board > I/O board > Core stack ( 3/4 boards in all, all bolted together, inc, cores) > TTY interface > DC Servo control boards with encoder feedback (14 bits) + dither control > for anti stiction > Front panel with 'Boot' switches > Boot code was entered in octal, using 8 data switches and 10? address > switches, and a 'load' switch. > Data and address leds, + run led ? > Simplest boot loader was a paper tape input loader, that then loaded the > main program. > Company naame was Micro Computer Systems, in Woking, Surrey. circa 1970 - > 1977 > More info, taken from The Hansard, 1972............ http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1972/dec/12/industrial-policy For example, Alfred Herbert Ltd. has produced a superb development. It is not a machine but a computerised development called the Batchmatic, which makes it possible to have multiple control of batches of machines. It has not been seen before in British industry. It is the high point of the second industrial revolution. But these tremendous machines, which no doubt competitors in Western Germany and elsewhere will copy and produce, will not go into production simply because firms are doubtful. They are hesitant because there is a lack of confidence. Firms are unwilling to place orders for these machines. |