25 Feb
2023
25 Feb
'23
9:04 a.m.
On 2/25/2023 6:46 AM, silvercreekvalley--- via cctalk wrote:
Hi all,
I'm cooking up a new interpreter for the PDP 8. It uses a C like language (C-) and is
really a project to get my head round the PDP 8 architecture. Note its an interpreter not
compiler :-)
I have recently got my hands on a wonderful working PDP 8/a, but it would be nice to have
some actual storage e.g. a disk drive or tape of some kind. I'm not a fan of using
tape emulators etc, although thats all I have at the moment. Happy to pay the going rate
and will travel to collect. I'm in the UK - so can do anywhere in the UK or
Netherlands/Germany/France etc.
Easiest thing would be to use Kyle's SerialDisk and a spare serial port:
https://github.com/drovak/os8diskserver
Perceived speed is (depending on baud rate) similar to floppy. Better
than seeking on DECtape :-).
Another relatively easy possibility would be an RX01 or RX02 (or
emulator) with an original or replacement RX8E board. A little faster,
but a lot less storage. (Especially as the RX02 is usually emulating RX01.)
Actual RK05, RL01/2, or even DECtape would be harder.
I would also like to have a go with the FPP8/A which
is a floating point option on the 8/A. If anyone has one for sale or would be prepared to
do medium term loan that would be a great help.
That's likely to be a challenge. That board's been too difficult so far
to replicate, and not enough are around for there to be many going spare.
Vince