Difference between revisions of "List of Programmed Data Processors"
From Computer History Wiki
(Links to PDP-2 and CASINO.) |
(Clearly separate the first table with PDPs that really existed, from the second which did not.) |
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| Line 22: | Line 22: | ||
| [[PDP-9]] || 18 | | [[PDP-9]] || 18 | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[PDP-10]] || 36 || DEC's mainframe | + | | [[PDP-10]] || 36 || DEC's mainframe. Renamed DECsystem-10, and later added DECSYSTEM-20. |
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-11]] || 16 | | [[PDP-11]] || 16 | ||
| Line 33: | Line 33: | ||
|- | |- | ||
| [[PDP-16]] || || Not an actual computer; custom industrial controllers built out of [[Register Transfer Modules]] | | [[PDP-16]] || || Not an actual computer; custom industrial controllers built out of [[Register Transfer Modules]] | ||
| − | |||
| − | |||
|} | |} | ||
| − | A number of other | + | A number of other PDPs never existed as real machines, are minomers, or jokes: |
{| class="wikitable" | {| class="wikitable" | ||
! Family/Machine !! Word Size !! Comment | ! Family/Machine !! Word Size !! Comment | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[PDP-2]] || 24 || Never designed | + | | [[PDP-2]] || 24 || Never designed. |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | PDP- | + | | PDP-2½ || ? || Jocular moniker for "[[CASINO]]" by Ed Rawson of the American Science Institute. |
| + | |- | ||
| + | | PDP-13 || — || The unlucky number 13 was skipped. | ||
| + | |- | ||
| + | | PDP-20 || 36 || ''Not a real name!'' Sometimes used for DEC-20 computers. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| PDP-24 || 24? || Unconfirmed, mentioned in [http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp-x/03.pdf PDP-X memo 3]. | | PDP-24 || 24? || Unconfirmed, mentioned in [http://bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp-x/03.pdf PDP-X memo 3]. | ||
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[PDP-K]] || 18 || Intended as a bridge between the PDP-15 and the PDP-10 family | + | | [[PDP-K]] || 18 || Intended as a bridge between the PDP-15 and the PDP-10 family, with a PDP-11-like instruction set. |
|- | |- | ||
| − | | [[PDP-X]] || 16 || An alternative to the PDP-11 | + | | [[PDP-X]] || 16 || An alternative to the PDP-11. |
|} | |} | ||
Revision as of 10:03, 11 August 2023
Programmed Data Processor was the name adopted by Digital Equipment Corporation for all its early computers. (Reportedly, it was adopted to avoid worrying its early venture capital backers; at the time, almost all computers were large mainframes, and DEC's founders were concerned that if it appeared that they intended to compete in that market, they wouldn't be able to get funding.)
The name was dropped starting with the VAX. The other PDP families which became actual products for DEC (most included more than one model) were:
| Family/Machine | Word Size | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| PDP-1 | 18 | |
| PDP-3 | 36 | Only one built, not by DEC |
| PDP-4 | 18 | |
| PDP-5 | 12 | First minicomputer |
| PDP-6 | 36 | |
| PDP-7 | 18 | Original UNIX machine |
| PDP-8 | 12 | First commercially successful minicomputer |
| PDP-9 | 18 | |
| PDP-10 | 36 | DEC's mainframe. Renamed DECsystem-10, and later added DECSYSTEM-20. |
| PDP-11 | 16 | |
| PDP-12 | 12 | Laboratory computer, replacement for the LINC-8 |
| PDP-14 | 12 | Industrial controller |
| PDP-15 | 18 | |
| PDP-16 | Not an actual computer; custom industrial controllers built out of Register Transfer Modules |
A number of other PDPs never existed as real machines, are minomers, or jokes:
| Family/Machine | Word Size | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| PDP-2 | 24 | Never designed. |
| PDP-2½ | ? | Jocular moniker for "CASINO" by Ed Rawson of the American Science Institute. |
| PDP-13 | — | The unlucky number 13 was skipped. |
| PDP-20 | 36 | Not a real name! Sometimes used for DEC-20 computers. |
| PDP-24 | 24? | Unconfirmed, mentioned in PDP-X memo 3. |
| PDP-K | 18 | Intended as a bridge between the PDP-15 and the PDP-10 family, with a PDP-11-like instruction set. |
| PDP-X | 16 | An alternative to the PDP-11. |
