PC04 cables

Noel Chiappa jnc at mercury.lcs.mit.edu
Mon Aug 6 05:30:35 CDT 2018


So, for needs of my own I've been studying up on the PC04 and PC05, and also
the differences between them (which cables they use, etc, etc).

I decided I should write up what I've learned, since there's no simple source
for all this stuff; the remaining documentation is kind of spotty (lots of
things are no longer extant, or at least not available online), and I've
gathered data from far and wide. So I have most of it now written up,
available here:

    http://gunkies.org/wiki/PC04/PC05_Paper-Tape_Reader/Punch

(and feedback, comments, corrections, etc would be most gratefully received),
but one area which I wasn't able to cover as definitively as I'd have liked is
the PDP-8 connectivity (cabling, etc). I was able to glean a few details from
the PC04'05 Manual (DEC-00-PC0A-D), but the details of the cables, etc for all
PDP-8 models _other_ than the PDP-8/E I couldn't locate.

So, can I appeal to anyone who has, or can point me at, documentation for the
connection of the PC04 to _other_ PDP-8 models please lend a hand -
_especially_ if you have paper documentation which is not available online?


And speaking of online documentation, it turns out (to my initial surprise,
but it makes sense) is that the M7810.is _not_ the first PC11! There was an
earlier one, the M781 card, which (like the KL11->DL11) is program compatible,
but is a dual card which one uses with an M105 and an M7821.

So I have access to a set of prints for that, and will scan them and make them
available at some point - but if anyone has any use for it, please let me
know, and I will accelerate that.

If uses BC08F cables, the details of which _aren't_ included in the drawing
set (grrr!), so again, if anyone has that info, I'd appreciate a copy.


Finally, speaking of missing stuff, several DEC manuals refer to the "Roytron
Model 500 Maintenance Manual" (alternative title "Royal-McBee Model 500
Maintenance Manual"), which again I couldn't find. Does anyone have a copy
of this?

Thanks!

	Noel


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