KS10
| KS10 | |
| Manufacturer: | Digital Equipment Corporation |
|---|---|
| Architecture: | PDP-10 |
| Year Introduced: | 1978 |
| Form Factor: | small mainframe |
| Word Size: | 36 bits |
| Logic Type: | LS TTL ICs |
| Design Type: | clocked synchronous microcoded |
| Microword Width: | 96 |
| Microcode Length: | 2K |
| Clock Speed: | 300 nsec (micro-cycle) |
| Cache Size: | 512 words |
| Cache Speed: | 300 nsec |
| Memory Speed: | 0.9 μsec |
| Physical Address Size: | 19 bits (some had 20) |
| Virtual Address Size: | 18 bits |
| Memory Management: | paging, 512-word pages |
| Operating System: | TOPS-10, TOPS-20, ITS, TYMCOM-XX |
| Predecessor(s): | KL10 |
| Successor(s): | None |
The KS10 was the fourth and last generation of PDP-10 processors (themselves, exact re-implementations of the earlier PDP-6 architecture). It was intended as a small, low-cost entry model, not as a replacement for the earlier KL10 mainframe. A few documents refer to it as the SM10, maybe "small 10".
Its main memory, specific to the KS10, used ECC for error detection (and possibly correction).
For I/O, it used a pair of UNIBUSes, driven by adapters which interfaced them to the KS10's internal bus. One was for the disks only, the other for all other devices (magnetic tape, asynchronous serial lines, etc).
Internal details
8 different sets of CPU registers were provided, to speed up interrupt handling. Separate page tables mapped the UNIBUS address space into the KS10's main memory for DMA operations.
The UNIBUS which is used for the disks was run in 18-bit mode (the two parity lines on that UNIBUS were recycled into two extra data lines). That UNIBUS had only an RH11-C, mounted in the main CPU rack (although apparently on its own backplane) to drive the MASSBUS to the disks. (Only MASSBUS disks were supported on that RH11, apparently both for performance reasons, and since 18-bit data storage was needed).
The device controllers on the second UNIBUS were mounted in a BA11-K mounting box, mounted in the main cabinet. These included a second RH11-C in DEC-supported systems, since DEC required a tape drive for loading diagnostics; the usual choice was a TU45 interfaced via a TM02.
CPU details
It was built out of LS TTL chips, along with AMD 2901 4-bit-wide bit slice chips. The CPU was on four super hex cards:
- M8620 DPE - data path
- M8621 DPM - data path
- M8622 CRA - control store
- M8623 CRM - control store
Additional super hex cards held:
- M8616 CSL - the console (driven by an Intel 8080A), and bus arbitrator
- M8618 MMC - main memory controller
- M8629 MMA - DRAM memory array modules (2 to 8)
- M8619 UBA - UNIBUS adapters (2, optionally 3)
The CPU and main memory mounted in a single backplane, consisting of two 9-slot system units wire-wrapped together:
| Connector | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slot | A | B | C | D | E | F |
| 1 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 2 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 3 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 4 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 5 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 6 | Extra M8629 Memory | |||||
| 7 | M8629 Memory | |||||
| 8 | M8629 Memory | |||||
| 9 | M8618 Memory Controller | |||||
| 10 | M8623 CRM Control Store | |||||
| 11 | M8622 CRA Control Store | |||||
| 12 | M8620 DPE Data Path | |||||
| 13 | M8621 DPM Data Path | |||||
| 14 | "Reserved for I/O" | |||||
| 15 | M8619 UBA | |||||
| 16 | M8619 Optional UBA | |||||
| 17 | M8616 CSL Console | |||||
| 18 | M8619 UBA | |||||
Note: There appear to be several errors in the the 'disk' RH11 section of the 'Module Utilization' chart, Figure 1-5 (page 1-9, 18 of the PDF), in the KS10 Technical Manual (EK-OKS10-TM-002):
- The M9200 'thin' UNIBUS jumper used to connect together the two UNIBI (see here for the explanation of why this is needed) is mis-labelled "M9300" (the M9300 is a terminator).
- The "M8014" in the UNIBUS 'A' In slot must be an M9014 (UNIBUS to 3 flat cables; the M8014 is an RLV11 board).
External links
- [www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/KS10/ KS1] - BitSavers KS10 directory
- KS10-Based DECSYSTEM-2020 Technical Manual (EK-0KS10-TM-002)
- ITS KS10 support - includes microcode source
- KS10 FPGA Processor Manual - reimplementation of the KS10 in an FPGA
- DECSYSTEM-2020 KS10, S/N 4224 - has images of the internals
