PDP-8 family: Difference between revisions
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''For information about the PDP-8 [[architecture]] in general, see [[PDP-8 architecture]].'' | |||
The '''PDP-8 family''' was a range of 12-[[bit]] [[minicomputer]]s produced by [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]]. | The '''PDP-8 family''' was a range of 12-[[bit]] [[minicomputer]]s produced by [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]]. | ||
| Line 7: | Line 9: | ||
| Model Name || Introduced || Discontinued || Cost || Implementation || Notes | | Model Name || Introduced || Discontinued || Cost || Implementation || Notes | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-5]] || 1963 || 1967 || ??? || [[Transistor]] [[System Module]]s || | | [[PDP-5]] || 1963 || 1967 || ??? || [[Transistor]] [[System Module]]s || Effectively, the prototype | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8]] || 1965 || 1969 || $18,500 || Transistor [[FLIP CHIP]]s | | [[PDP-8]] || 1965 || 1969 || $18,500 || Transistor [[FLIP CHIP]]s | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[LINC-8]] || 1966 || 1969 || ??? || Transistor FLIP CHIPs | | [[LINC-8]] || 1966 || 1969 || ??? || Transistor FLIP CHIPs | ||
| Line 18: | Line 20: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8/L]] || 1968 || 1971 || ??? || TTL FLIP CHIPs || Stripped down PDP-8/I | | [[PDP-8/L]] || 1968 || 1971 || ??? || TTL FLIP CHIPs || Stripped down PDP-8/I | ||
|- | |||
| [[LAB-8]] || 1968 || || || || | |||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-12]] || 1969 || ??? || ??? || TTL FLIP CHIPs || New version of LINC-8 | | [[PDP-12]] || 1969 || ??? || ??? || TTL FLIP CHIPs || New version of LINC-8 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8/E]] || 1970 || 1978 || ??? || [[DEC card form factor|quad]] [[printed circuit board|PCBs]] || | | [[PDP-8/E]] || 1970 || 1978 || ??? || [[DEC card form factor|quad]] [[printed circuit board|PCBs]] || First [[OMNIBUS]] | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8/F]] || 1972 || ??? || ??? || quad PCBs || Smaller PDP-8/E | | [[PDP-8/E|PDP-8/F]] || 1972 || ??? || ??? || quad PCBs || Smaller PDP-8/E | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8/M]] || 1972 || ??? || ??? || quad PCBs || [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] PDP-8/F | | [[PDP-8/E|PDP-8/M]] || 1972 || ??? || ??? || quad PCBs || [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]] PDP-8/F | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-8/A]] || 1975 || ??? || ??? || single hex PCB || | | [[PDP-8/A]] || 1975 || ??? || ??? || single hex PCB || | ||
| Line 39: | Line 43: | ||
| [[DECmate III|DECmate III+]] || 1985 || 1990 || ??? || Harris 6120 || Desktop | | [[DECmate III|DECmate III+]] || 1985 || 1990 || ??? || Harris 6120 || Desktop | ||
|} | |} | ||
as well as | as well as three [[microprocessor]] implementations: | ||
* Fabri-Tek [[Fabri-Tek MP12|MP12]] | |||
* Intersil 6100 used in the [[VT78]] | * Intersil 6100 used in the [[VT78]] | ||
* Harris 6120, used in the [[DECmate]] systems | * Harris 6120, used in the [[DECmate]] systems | ||
== Operating Systems == | == Operating Systems == | ||
| Line 52: | Line 53: | ||
* [[OS/8]] | * [[OS/8]] | ||
* [[TSS/8]] | * [[TSS/8]] | ||
* [[RTS/8]] | |||
==See also== | |||
* [[PDP-8 Memory Extension units]] | |||
==External links== | |||
* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp8 PDP-8] - Original PDP-8 documents at Bitsavers | |||
* [http://www.vaxarchive.org/hardware/pdp11/pdp8rc.tar PDP-8 reference card] (images in TAR file) | |||
* C. Gordon Bell and John E. McNamara, [http://gordonbell.azurewebsites.net/Computer_Engineering/00000201.htm The PDP-8 and Other 12-Bit Computers], in C. Gordon Bell, J. Craig Mudge, John. E. McNamara, ''Computer Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design'', Digital Press, Bedford, 1978 | |||
* [https://www.pdp8online.com/ Online PDP-8 Home Page] - David Gesswein's PDP-8 site | |||
** [http://www.pdp8online.com/query_docs/query_all.html PDP-8 Document Search Results] | |||
* [http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8/ Highgate's PDP-8 Page] | |||
* [http://homepage.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/models/ PDP-8 Models and Options] - Douglas Jones' PDP-8 site | |||
* [https://ethw.org/File:OMNI-pdp8.pdf The PDP-8] - "The first ‘personal’ computer for engineers and scientists ushered in the minicomputer era", John Voelker, IEEE Spectrum | |||
* [https://www.ricomputermuseum.org/collections-gallery/equipment/pdp-8s "Rhode Island Computer Museum: Digital Equipment PDP-8/S, S/N 517"] - "The PDP-8/S ... was designed by Saul P. Dinman and was the first CPU to cost less than $10,000. It ... does not contain any integrated circuits. Just the processor contains 1001 transistors." | |||
* [https://relaysbc.sourceforge.net/devlog.html "A relay PDP-8 ?"] is a paper design by Joe Allen for a 227-[[relay]] computer implementation that executes the PDP-8 instruction set. | |||
{{Nav PDP-8}} | {{Nav PDP-8}} | ||
{{Nav DEC}} | |||
[[Category: DEC Architectures]] | |||
[[Category: PDP-8s]] | |||
Latest revision as of 14:09, 19 September 2025
For information about the PDP-8 architecture in general, see PDP-8 architecture.
The PDP-8 family was a range of 12-bit minicomputers produced by DEC.
Models
| Model Name | Introduced | Discontinued | Cost | Implementation | Notes |
| PDP-5 | 1963 | 1967 | ??? | Transistor System Modules | Effectively, the prototype |
| PDP-8 | 1965 | 1969 | $18,500 | Transistor FLIP CHIPs | |
| LINC-8 | 1966 | 1969 | ??? | Transistor FLIP CHIPs | |
| PDP-8/S | 1967 | 1970 | $10,000 | Transistor FLIP CHIPs | Serial, unbelievably slow |
| PDP-8/I | 1968 | 1971 | ??? | TTL FLIP CHIPs | |
| PDP-8/L | 1968 | 1971 | ??? | TTL FLIP CHIPs | Stripped down PDP-8/I |
| LAB-8 | 1968 | ||||
| PDP-12 | 1969 | ??? | ??? | TTL FLIP CHIPs | New version of LINC-8 |
| PDP-8/E | 1970 | 1978 | ??? | quad PCBs | First OMNIBUS |
| PDP-8/F | 1972 | ??? | ??? | quad PCBs | Smaller PDP-8/E |
| PDP-8/M | 1972 | ??? | ??? | quad PCBs | OEM PDP-8/F |
| PDP-8/A | 1975 | ??? | ??? | single hex PCB | |
| VT78 | 1978 | 1980 | ??? | Intersil 6100 | Desktop |
| DECmate I | 1980 | 1984 | ??? | Harris 6120 | Desktop |
| DECmate II | 1982 | 1986 | ??? | Harris 6120 | Desktop |
| DECmate III | 1984 | 1990 | ??? | Harris 6120 | Desktop |
| DECmate III+ | 1985 | 1990 | ??? | Harris 6120 | Desktop |
as well as three microprocessor implementations:
Operating Systems
See also
External links
- PDP-8 - Original PDP-8 documents at Bitsavers
- PDP-8 reference card (images in TAR file)
- C. Gordon Bell and John E. McNamara, The PDP-8 and Other 12-Bit Computers, in C. Gordon Bell, J. Craig Mudge, John. E. McNamara, Computer Engineering: A DEC View of Hardware Systems Design, Digital Press, Bedford, 1978
- Online PDP-8 Home Page - David Gesswein's PDP-8 site
- Highgate's PDP-8 Page
- PDP-8 Models and Options - Douglas Jones' PDP-8 site
- The PDP-8 - "The first ‘personal’ computer for engineers and scientists ushered in the minicomputer era", John Voelker, IEEE Spectrum
- "Rhode Island Computer Museum: Digital Equipment PDP-8/S, S/N 517" - "The PDP-8/S ... was designed by Saul P. Dinman and was the first CPU to cost less than $10,000. It ... does not contain any integrated circuits. Just the processor contains 1001 transistors."
- "A relay PDP-8 ?" is a paper design by Joe Allen for a 227-relay computer implementation that executes the PDP-8 instruction set.
| v • d • e PDP-8 Computers, Software and Peripherals |
|---|
| PDP-8s: PDP-5 • PDP-8 • LINC-8 • PDP-8/S • PDP-8/I • PDP-8/L • PDP-12 • PDP-8/E • PDP-8/F • PDP-8/M • PDP-8/A
Workstations: VT78 Also: PDP-8 family • PDP-8 architecture • PDP-8 Memory Extension units |
| v • d • e Digital Equipment Corporation |
|---|
| 18-bit machines - PDP-1 • PDP-4 • PDP-7 • PDP-9 • PDP-15
12-bit machines - PDP-5 • PDP-8 • LINC-8 • PDP-12 36-bit machines - PDP-3 • PDP-6 • PDP-10 16-/32-/64-bit machines - PDP-11 • VAX • MIPS • Alpha Also: Buses • Peripherals • Part numbers • Engineering drawings |
