Difference between revisions of "MD10 core memory"

From Computer History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
(+parity, access time)
(big-endian numbering)
Line 3: Line 3:
 
It was a [[multi-port memory]], with 4 ports per memory system: the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] uses one port (in a [[multi-processor]] system, one per CPU); the others are used by  [[channel]]s (such as a [[DF10 Data Channel|DF10]]) for [[mass storage]] such as [[disk]]s.
 
It was a [[multi-port memory]], with 4 ports per memory system: the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] uses one port (in a [[multi-processor]] system, one per CPU); the others are used by  [[channel]]s (such as a [[DF10 Data Channel|DF10]]) for [[mass storage]] such as [[disk]]s.
  
Each port on each module could be independently set for its address, and for two-way [[interleaving]] (using address bits 20 and 35); each port can also be four-way interleaved (on all modules at once), using address bits 19 and 34.
+
Each port on each module could be independently set for its address, and for two-way [[interleaving]] (using address bits 20 and 35); each port can also be four-way interleaved (on all modules at once), using address bits 19 and 34 (recall that the PDP-10 uses [[big-endian]] numbering, so bit 35 is the low-order bit).
  
 
Internal interleaving (among modules in a single MD10) is not productive; the whole MD10 is tied up whenever any module is active.
 
Internal interleaving (among modules in a single MD10) is not productive; the whole MD10 is tied up whenever any module is active.
  
 
Each port and each module can independently be completely disabled (i.e. all modules from a single port, or all ports from a single module; but not a single module from a single port).
 
Each port and each module can independently be completely disabled (i.e. all modules from a single port, or all ports from a single module; but not a single module from a single port).
 +
 +
==See also==
 +
 +
* [[PDP-10 memories]]
  
 
[[Category: PDP-10 memories]]
 
[[Category: PDP-10 memories]]

Revision as of 20:28, 19 April 2021

The MD10 was a core main memory system for the early PDP-10s, principally the KA10. An MD10 could contain two to four 32KW memory modules, for a maximum of 128KW; access time is 0.8 μseconds, and the cycle time is a maximum of 1.8 μseconds. It connected to the so-called external memory bus of the 18-bit address form; parity is provided to protect the memory contents.

It was a multi-port memory, with 4 ports per memory system: the CPU uses one port (in a multi-processor system, one per CPU); the others are used by channels (such as a DF10) for mass storage such as disks.

Each port on each module could be independently set for its address, and for two-way interleaving (using address bits 20 and 35); each port can also be four-way interleaved (on all modules at once), using address bits 19 and 34 (recall that the PDP-10 uses big-endian numbering, so bit 35 is the low-order bit).

Internal interleaving (among modules in a single MD10) is not productive; the whole MD10 is tied up whenever any module is active.

Each port and each module can independently be completely disabled (i.e. all modules from a single port, or all ports from a single module; but not a single module from a single port).

See also