TX-0: Difference between revisions
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Oops, was thinking of Whirlwind. |
Flesh out a bit, so I can understand how to use the panel. |
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The '''TX-0''' was a [[transistor]] computer (reportedly the first ever built), at the MIT Lincoln laboratory. Predecessor to the [[TX-2]] and an influence on the [[PDP-1]] design. It was in some sense a successor to the [[Memory Test Computer]], itself a spin-off of the pioneering [[Whirlwind]]. | The '''TX-0''' was a [[transistor]] computer (reportedly the first ever built), at the MIT Lincoln laboratory. Predecessor to the [[TX-2]] and an influence on the [[PDP-1]] design. It was in some sense a successor to the [[Memory Test Computer]], itself a spin-off of the pioneering [[Whirlwind]]. | ||
{{stub}} | {{semi-stub}} | ||
==Registers== | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! Name || Size (bits) || Meaning | |||
|- | |||
| MBR || 18 || Memory buffer register | |||
|- | |||
| AC || 18 || Accumulator | |||
|- | |||
| MAR || 16 || Memory address register | |||
|- | |||
| PC || 16 || Program counter | |||
|- | |||
| IR || 2 || Instruction register | |||
|- | |||
| LR || 18 || Live register | |||
|- | |||
| TBR || 18 || Toggle switch buffer register | |||
|- | |||
| TAC || 18 || Toggle switch accumulator | |||
|} | |||
==Test mode== | |||
The console has a switch to set '''test mode''' in which operations are taken from the TBR. The operations are similar to regular instructions, but with a different interpretation: | |||
{| class="wikitable" | |||
! TBR 0-1 || Instruction || Meaning | |||
|- | |||
| 00 || STO ''x'' || Store TAC in memory location ''x''. | |||
|- | |||
| 01 || ADD ''x'' || Add memory location ''x'' to AC. (Clear AC first to examine.) | |||
|- | |||
| 10 || TRN ''x'' || Change to '''normal mode''' and start running at location ''x''. | |||
|- | |||
| 11 || OPR ''x'' || Execute the instruction. | |||
|} | |||
==External links== | ==External links== | ||
Revision as of 19:00, 17 July 2023
The TX-0 was a transistor computer (reportedly the first ever built), at the MIT Lincoln laboratory. Predecessor to the TX-2 and an influence on the PDP-1 design. It was in some sense a successor to the Memory Test Computer, itself a spin-off of the pioneering Whirlwind.
Registers
| Name | Size (bits) | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| MBR | 18 | Memory buffer register |
| AC | 18 | Accumulator |
| MAR | 16 | Memory address register |
| PC | 16 | Program counter |
| IR | 2 | Instruction register |
| LR | 18 | Live register |
| TBR | 18 | Toggle switch buffer register |
| TAC | 18 | Toggle switch accumulator |
Test mode
The console has a switch to set test mode in which operations are taken from the TBR. The operations are similar to regular instructions, but with a different interpretation:
| TBR 0-1 | Instruction | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 00 | STO x | Store TAC in memory location x. |
| 01 | ADD x | Add memory location x to AC. (Clear AC first to examine.) |
| 10 | TRN x | Change to normal mode and start running at location x. |
| 11 | OPR x | Execute the instruction. |
External links
- TX-0 - documents at Bitsavers
- RLE-TR-627 TX-0 Computer History
- MIT TX-0 Computer
- C. Gordon Bell, Gerald Butler, Robert Gray, John E. Mcnamara, Donald Vonada, and Ronald Wilson, The PDP-1 and Other 18-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 - Some material on the TX-0, and also covers its descendants (including the PDP-1)
- The LINC Was Early and Small - lengthy personal memoir by Wesley Clark; it also covers the TX-0
