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; their other boards offered performance and capability enhancements 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:
  
 
{| class="wikitable"
 
{| class="wikitable"
−
! Product !! Part Number !! Size !! Bus or Machine
+
! Product !! Part Number !! Size !! Image || Host Bus or Machine !! Comments
 
|-
 
|-
−
| UNIVERTER || 10001 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS output)
+
| [[Able UNIVERTER|UNIVERTER]] || 10001 || quad* || Y || QBUS || UNIBUS output
 
|-
 
|-
−
| CACHE/45 || 10003? || quad + double dual || PDP-11/45, etc
+
| [[Able CACHE/45|CACHE/45]] || 10003? (main)<br>10020 (jumper) || hex (main) + double dual (jumper) || Y || PDP-11/45, etc
 
|-
 
|-
−
| REBUS || 10014 || double dual || UNIBUS
+
| REBUS || 10014 || double dual || Y% || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QUADRASYNC/B || 10015 || quad || UNIBUS
+
| QUADRASYNC/B || 10015 || quad || Y || UNIBUS || [[EIA RS-232 serial line interface|EIA]] only
 
|-
 
|-
−
| SCAT/45 || 10017 (control)<br>10025 (data) || hex (control and data) || [[PDP-11/45]], etc
+
| [[Able SCAT/45|SCAT/45]] || 10017 (control)<br>10025 (data) || hex (control and data) || Y control<br>Y% (data) || [[PDP-11/45]], etc
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QUADRASYNC/C || 10022 || quad || UNIBUS
+
| QUADRASYNC/C || 10022 || quad || Y% || UNIBUS || [[20mA current loop serial line interface|20mA]]
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QUADRASYNC/E || 10028 || hex* || UNIBUS
+
| QUADRASYNC/E || 10028 || hex* || Y || UNIBUS || EIA, [[modem]] control
 
|-
 
|-
−
| CACHE/434-440 || 10031 || double dual || [[PDP-11/34]], [[PDP-11/40]]
+
| CACHE/440 || 10031 || double dual || Y || [[PDP-11/40]] || has [[terminator|termination]] [[resistor]]s
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Dual I/O || 10039 || quad || UNIBUS
+
| CACHE/434 || 10033? || double dual || Y || [[PDP-11/34]] || none, just sockets
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QUADRACALL || 10045 || quad || UNIBUS
+
| Dual I/O || 10039 || quad || Y% || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DMAX/16 || 10048 || double hex || UNIBUS
+
| QUADRACALL || 10045 || quad || Y || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| BUSLINK || 10062 || quad || QBUS
+
| DMAX/16 || 10048 || double hex || Y% || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| INTERLINK|| 10064 || hex* || UNIBUS
+
| INTERLINK/LSI || 10062 || quad || Y || QBUS || BUSLINK
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QNIVERTER || 10067 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS input/output)
+
| INTERLINK/UNI || 10064 || hex* || Y || UNIBUS || BUSLINK
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DZ/16 || 10090 || hex || UNIBUS
+
| [[Able QNIVERTER|QNIVERTER]] || 10067 (first version) || quad* || Y || QBUS || UNIBUS input/output
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DH/DM || 10100 || hex || UNIBUS
+
| DZ/16 || 10090 || hex || Y || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| VaxDZ || 10140 || hex || UNIBUS
+
| DH/DM || 10100 || hex || Y || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| UNIMAP || 10143 || quad* || QBUS (UNIBUS output)
+
| VaxDZ || 10140 || hex || Y% || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| VMZ/32 || 10185 || hex || UNIBUS
+
| UNIMAP || 10143 || quad* || N || QBUS || UNIBUS output
 
|-
 
|-
−
| DV/16 || &nbsp; || hex || UNIBUS
+
| VMZ/32 || 10185 || hex || Y || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| [[Able ENABLE|ENABLE]] || &nbsp; || hex* (main board), quad (optional cache) || [[Modified UNIBUS Device|MUD]] (UNIBUS input)
+
| [[Able QNIVERTER|QNIVERTER]] || (second version) || quad* || Y# || QBUS || UNIBUS input/output
 
|-
 
|-
−
| Q/DH || &nbsp; || quad || QBUS
+
| VMZ/LP || &nbsp; || quad || Y || UNIBUS
 
|-
 
|-
−
| QNIMAP || &nbsp; || double dual || QBUS
+
| DV/16 || &nbsp; || hex || Y || UNIBUS
 +
|-
 +
| [[Able ENABLE|ENABLE]] || &nbsp; || hex* (main board), quad (optional cache) || Y || [[Modified UNIBUS Device|MUD]] || UNIBUS input, output (optional)
 +
|-
 +
| Q/DH || &nbsp; || quad || Y || QBUS
 +
|-
 +
| QNIMAP || &nbsp; || double dual || Y || QBUS
 +
|-
 +
| EASYWAY || &nbsp; || hex || Y || UNIBUS || [[Ethernet]]
 
|}
 
|}
  
−
''*'' indicates a non-rectangular board; usually because there is a UNUBUS female connector on the back edge of the board
+
''*'' indicates a non-rectangular board; usually because there is a UNIBUS female connector on the back edge of the board
 +
 
 +
''%'' indicates a poor image, from a sales brochure
 +
 
 +
''#'' indicates we have images of a card that is probably the second version, but no confirmation from Able docs
  
 
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).
 
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' .
+
==External links==
 +
 
 +
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/able/ Able] - manuals at [[Bitsavers]]
 +
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/able/brochures/Able_Computer_Product_Summary.pdf ABLE product summary] - synopsis and small image of all products
 +
** [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/able/brochures/Able_Computer_Product_Brochures_1982.pdf ABLE product brochures] - header sheet, and brochures for about a dozen ABLE products
 +
 
 +
[[Category: Board Manufacturers]]

Latest revision as of 17:48, 5 December 2022

Able's logo

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 Image Host Bus or Machine Comments
UNIVERTER 10001 quad* Y QBUS UNIBUS output
CACHE/45 10003? (main)
10020 (jumper) 		hex (main) + double dual (jumper) Y PDP-11/45, etc
REBUS 10014 double dual Y% UNIBUS
QUADRASYNC/B 10015 quad Y UNIBUS EIA only
SCAT/45 10017 (control)
10025 (data) 		hex (control and data) Y control
Y% (data) 		PDP-11/45, etc
QUADRASYNC/C 10022 quad Y% UNIBUS 20mA
QUADRASYNC/E 10028 hex* Y UNIBUS EIA, modem control
CACHE/440 10031 double dual Y PDP-11/40 has termination resistors
CACHE/434 10033? double dual Y PDP-11/34 none, just sockets
Dual I/O 10039 quad Y% UNIBUS
QUADRACALL 10045 quad Y UNIBUS
DMAX/16 10048 double hex Y% UNIBUS
INTERLINK/LSI 10062 quad Y QBUS BUSLINK
INTERLINK/UNI 10064 hex* Y UNIBUS BUSLINK
QNIVERTER 10067 (first version) quad* Y QBUS UNIBUS input/output
DZ/16 10090 hex Y UNIBUS
DH/DM 10100 hex Y UNIBUS
VaxDZ 10140 hex Y% UNIBUS
UNIMAP 10143 quad* N QBUS UNIBUS output
VMZ/32 10185 hex Y UNIBUS
QNIVERTER (second version) quad* Y# QBUS UNIBUS input/output
VMZ/LP   quad Y UNIBUS
DV/16   hex Y UNIBUS
ENABLE   hex* (main board), quad (optional cache) Y MUD UNIBUS input, output (optional)
Q/DH   quad Y QBUS
QNIMAP   double dual Y QBUS
EASYWAY   hex Y UNIBUS Ethernet

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

% indicates a poor image, from a sales brochure

# indicates we have images of a card that is probably the second version, but no confirmation from Able docs

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).

External links

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