Difference between revisions of "PDP-7"

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The '''PDP-7''' is a [[minicomputer]] produced by [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]]. Introduced in 1965, the first to use their [[FLIP CHIP|Flip-Chip®]] technology, with a low cost, it was cheap but powerful. The PDP-7 was the third of Digital's 18-bit machines, with essentially the same [[instruction set]] and [[architecture]] as the predecessor [[PDP-4]] and successor [[PDP-9]]. It was the first [[wire-wrap]]ped PDP.
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The '''PDP-7''' is a [[minicomputer]] produced by [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]], introduced in 1965; with a low cost, it was cheap but powerful. There were two models, the second being the -7/A, but the difference is not yet clarified.
  
In 1969, Ken Thompson wrote the first [[UNIX]] system in assembly language on a PDP-7, then named Unics as a somewhat treacherous pun on [[Multics]], as the operating system for [http://cm.bell-labs.com/cm/cs/who/dmr/spacetravel.html Space Travel],  a game which required graphics to depict the motion of the planets. A PDP-7 was also the development system used during the development of [[MUMPS]] at [[MGH]] in [[Boston]] a few years earlier.
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The PDP-7 was the third of Digital's 18-bit machines, with essentially the same [[instruction set]] and [[architecture]] as the predecessor [[PDP-4]] and successor [[PDP-9]]. It was the first [[wire-wrap]]ped PDP. It was the first to use their [[FLIP CHIP|Flip-Chip®]] technology, but also included the older [[System Module]]s.
  
There are a few remaining PDP-7's still in operable condition, along with one under restoration in Oslo, Norway.
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In 1969, Ken Thompson wrote the first [[UNIX]] system in assembly language on a PDP-7, then named Unics as a somewhat treacherous pun on [[Multics]], as the operating system for [https://www.bell-labs.com/usr/dmr/www/spacetravel.html Space Travel],  a game which required graphics to depict the motion of the planets. A PDP-7 was also the development system used during the development of [[MUMPS]] at [[MGH]] in [[Boston]] a few years earlier. 
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There are a few remaining PDP-7's still in operable condition.  One under restoration in Oslo, Norway, has been thrown away.
  
 
== Emulation ==
 
== Emulation ==
  
The PDP-7 can be emulated with [[SIMH]]. DECSys and some other software is available and can run on the emulator.
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The PDP-7 can be emulated with [[SIMH]]. DECSys, [[PDP-7 Unix|Unix]], [[Space Travel]] and some other software is available and can run on the emulator.
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
  
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* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp7/ PDP-7] - Original PDP-7 documents
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* [https://www.soemtron.org/pdp7.html Digital Equipment Corporation PDP-7] - Extensive site with a large amount of material
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** [https://www.soemtron.org/downloads/decinfo/pdp7brochure1.pdf PDP-7 brochure]
 
* [http://belllabs-microsite-unixhistory.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pdp7.html ''"The famous PDP-7 comes to the rescue"''] (Bell Labs' Unix history)
 
* [http://belllabs-microsite-unixhistory.s3-website-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/pdp7.html ''"The famous PDP-7 comes to the rescue"''] (Bell Labs' Unix history)
 
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* http://research.microsoft.com/~gbell/Digital/timeline/1964-3.htm PDP-7 entry from Year 1964 in the DIGITAL Computing Timeline
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* [http://research.microsoft.com/~gbell/Digital/timeline/1964-3.htm DIGITAL Computing Timeline - 1964] - PDP-7 entry
* http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~toresbe/dec PDP-7 restoration project located in Oslo, Norway
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<!-- * http://heim.ifi.uio.no/~toresbe/dec PDP-7 restoration project located in Oslo, Norway -->
  
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[[Category:DEC Systems]]
 
[[Category:DEC Systems]]

Revision as of 06:46, 24 August 2021


PDP-7
Pdp7-oslo-2005.jpeg
A PDP-7 in Oslo, Norway
Manufacturer: Digital Equipment Corporation
Year Introduced: 1965
Form Factor: minicomputer
Word Size: 18 bits
Logic Type: PNP Transistor FLIP CHIPs
Memory Speed: 1.75 μsec
Physical Address Size: 15 bits (32K words)
Virtual Address Size: 13 bits (direct), 15 bits (extended)
Operating System: DECSYS-7
Predecessor(s): PDP-4
Successor(s): PDP-9
Price: US$72K


The PDP-7 is a minicomputer produced by DEC, introduced in 1965; with a low cost, it was cheap but powerful. There were two models, the second being the -7/A, but the difference is not yet clarified.

The PDP-7 was the third of Digital's 18-bit machines, with essentially the same instruction set and architecture as the predecessor PDP-4 and successor PDP-9. It was the first wire-wrapped PDP. It was the first to use their Flip-Chip® technology, but also included the older System Modules.

In 1969, Ken Thompson wrote the first UNIX system in assembly language on a PDP-7, then named Unics as a somewhat treacherous pun on Multics, as the operating system for Space Travel, a game which required graphics to depict the motion of the planets. A PDP-7 was also the development system used during the development of MUMPS at MGH in Boston a few years earlier.

There are a few remaining PDP-7's still in operable condition. One under restoration in Oslo, Norway, has been thrown away.

Emulation

The PDP-7 can be emulated with SIMH. DECSys, Unix, Space Travel and some other software is available and can run on the emulator.

External links