Difference between revisions of "Able Computer"

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'''Able Computer''' was a company based in Irvine, California which made a variety of [[device controller]]s and similar devices (e.g. [[cache]]s) for [[PDP-11]]s and other machines which used the [[UNIBUS]] or [[QBUS]].
 
'''Able Computer''' was a company based in Irvine, California which made a variety of [[device controller]]s and similar devices (e.g. [[cache]]s) for [[PDP-11]]s and other machines which used the [[UNIBUS]] or [[QBUS]].
  
The controllers were usually program-compatible to existing [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] products, but more cost-effective; the other boards offered performance and capability enhancemens that DEC themselves did not offer.
+
The controllers were usually program-compatible to existing [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] products, but more cost-effective; their other boards offered performance and capability enhancements that DEC themselves did not offer.
  
 
The following table gives the part numbers and [[DEC card form factor|sizes]] of Able products, to aid in identification of un-identified boards:
 
The following table gives the part numbers and [[DEC card form factor|sizes]] of Able products, to aid in identification of un-identified boards:
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! Product !! Part Number !! Size !! Bus or Machine
 
! Product !! Part Number !! Size !! Bus or Machine
 
|-
 
|-
| UNIVERTER || 10001 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS input)
+
| UNIVERTER || 10001 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS output)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| CACHE/45 || 10003? || quad + double dual || PDP-11/45, etc
 
| CACHE/45 || 10003? || quad + double dual || PDP-11/45, etc
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| INTERLINK|| 10064 || hex* || UNIBUS
 
| INTERLINK|| 10064 || hex* || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
| QNIVERTER || 10067 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS input)
+
| QNIVERTER || 10067 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS input/output)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| DZ/16 || 10090 || hex || UNIBUS
 
| DZ/16 || 10090 || hex || UNIBUS
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| VaxDZ || 10140 || hex || UNIBUS
 
| VaxDZ || 10140 || hex || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
| UNIMAP || 10143 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS input)
+
| UNIMAP || 10143 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS output)
 
|-
 
|-
 
| VMZ/32 || 10185 || hex || UNIBUS
 
| VMZ/32 || 10185 || hex || UNIBUS

Revision as of 01:33, 12 September 2018

Able Computer was a company based in Irvine, California which made a variety of device controllers and similar devices (e.g. caches) for PDP-11s and other machines which used the UNIBUS or QBUS.

The controllers were usually program-compatible to existing DEC products, but more cost-effective; their other boards offered performance and capability enhancements that DEC themselves did not offer.

The following table gives the part numbers and sizes of Able products, to aid in identification of un-identified boards:

Product Part Number Size Bus or Machine
UNIVERTER 10001 quad* QBUS (UNIBUS output)
CACHE/45 10003? quad + double dual PDP-11/45, etc
REBUS 10014 double dual UNIBUS
QUADRASYNC/B 10015 quad UNIBUS
SCAT/45 10017 (control)
10025 (data)
hex (control and data) PDP-11/45, etc
QUADRASYNC/C 10022 quad UNIBUS
QUADRASYNC/E 10028 hex* UNIBUS
CACHE/434-440 10031 double dual PDP-11/34, PDP-11/40
Dual I/O 10039 quad UNIBUS
QUADRACALL 10045 quad UNIBUS
DMAX/16 10048 double hex UNIBUS
BUSLINK 10062 quad QBUS
INTERLINK 10064 hex* UNIBUS
QNIVERTER 10067 quad* QBUS (UNIBUS input/output)
DZ/16 10090 hex UNIBUS
DH/DM 10100 hex UNIBUS
VaxDZ 10140 hex UNIBUS
UNIMAP 10143 quad* QBUS (UNIBUS output)
VMZ/32 10185 hex UNIBUS
DV/16   hex UNIBUS
ENABLE   hex* (main board), quad (optional cache) MUD (UNIBUS input)
Q/DH   quad QBUS
QNIMAP   double dual QBUS

* indicates a non-rectangular board; usually because there is a UNUBUS female connector on the back edge of the board

The notation "PDP-11/45, etc" means it also applies to the -11/50 and -11/55 (machines which are physically identical to the -11/45, with different main memory configurations).

In some documentation, the INTERLINK was also named the 'Interlink/UNI', and the BUSLINK the 'BUSLINK/LSI' .