17 Jun
2024
17 Jun
'24
12:05 p.m.
I remember running this program at school in the mid 1970's.
This runs on 4K Focal '69 without the extended functions enabled. So it
should run on a 4K PDP-8/L.
I think I might have actually run it on a 4K PDP-8/L with an ASR-33
Teletype sometime between 1972 and 1975. I know I ran it on a PDP-8/E
with 12K and a TD8E DecTape system based Edusystem 20 in 1975.
It was available as FOCAL8-81 from DECUS (Submitted 20-Jan-1970):
Abstract:
This program realistically simulates an Apollo moon landing using NASA
figures. It begins with
module at fJ seconds, 120 miles above the moon, carrying 16000 pounds of
fuel, with a velocity
of 2600 miles per hour. Upon radar checks of velocity, altitude,
remaining fuel, and time each
10 seconds, you /nay decide upon fuel rate for next time interval. The
object is to land safely
on the moon.
RESTRICTIONS
You cannot retain FOCAL's extended functions (LOG, EXP, etc).
I have attached a scan of the DECUS Program Library documentation on
it. This has the source on page 4 of the PDF
On 6/17/2024 4:40 AM, cz via cctalk wrote:
Didn't know the source code had been released in
FOCAL. I wonder if it
will run on a 4k pdp8/L.
One way to find out.....
On 6/17/2024 4:38 AM, emanuel stiebler via cctalk wrote:
> Interesting reading, as I believe, we all played it at least once :)
>
>
https://arstechnica.com/gaming/2024/06/retired-engineer-discovers-55-year-o…
>
>