Talk:Taxonomy of DEC consoles

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Revision as of 08:39, 3 January 2024 by Larsbrinkhoff (talk | contribs) (Console versus front panel, and more.)
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Comments

"PDP-11/45 style" - There's a 'remote console' option for the -11/70 (intended for DEC to dial into); not quite sure how it works.

"ODT style" - There are two very different front consoles for the PDP-11/04 and /34; the KY11-LA, which is probably what you mean by 'ODT style' (there's a program in ROM, that runs on the main CPU, and interacts with the console terminal); and the KY11-LB, which has the functionality of a real front panel (but has push-buttons and 7-segment displays). I think the -11/60 is the same as the -LB, but I'd have to check. I'm not sure which the -8/A's does..

"Dishonourable mentions" - The /23, /24, /73, /83, /84 etc are all the same as the PDP-11/03. That group are all kind of different from the 2020, although both use the console terminal; the former all run on the main CPU, using microcode, but the 2020 has a separate micro. The -11/44 is the same as the 2020 - as is the 750; the /780 is like the KL10 (the fact that the front end in the KL10 has a regular front console is irrelevant; you can't control the main CPU from it in any way). Jnc (talk) 02:41, 11 August 2023 (CEST)

My intent was to classify the visual design. Probably there is a better page title to reflect this, but in any case it's not an overly serious or technical article. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 08:08, 11 August 2023 (CEST)

Panels

I saw the change from "console panel" to "front panel". Maybe the various terms merit an article of its own. In my experience the computer "console" and its panel(s) is for operating the computer, in particular for booting, debugging etc. But I have also seen console used in a wider sense as any user station, e.g. a teletype or video terminal.

As for "front panel", isn't that any type of panel facing front? So e.g. the top panels on the KA10 processor, or controllers and memories. "Indicator panel" is essentially the same.

There's also "face plate"; maybe just about any forward facing panel.

These are just some vague impressions of mine, so I'd appreciate a more thorough treatment. Larsbrinkhoff (talk) 08:39, 3 January 2024 (CET)

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