PDP-10 (was Re: EDSAC on your desk.) - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

4 Oct 1998

Eric:

This is just the kind of restoration that interests me.  Also, I noted that
in another
message, you refered to a PDP-10 simulator, the kx10.  Where can I get a
copy
of the simulator?  If you have information about the availability of
hardware, I
would very much like to receive same.

William R. Buckley

-----Original Message-----
From: Eric Smith &lt;eric(a)brouhaha.com&gt;
To: Discussion re-collecting of classic computers
&lt;classiccmp(a)u.washington.edu&gt;
Date: Monday, September 21, 1998 10:38 PM
Subject: PDP-10 (was Re: EDSAC on your desk.)

...
 Huw Davies &lt;H.Davies(a)latrobe.edu.au&gt; wrote:
> It's just that there are so many circuits in a -10 that getting one to run
...
   (even when
new) required a full time field service engineer 
As I recall, the 2060 I used to use ran for months at a time without needing
...
 repair (i.e., just scheduled PM).

  (our -10 was delivered in 1973 so if it were
still here it'd be 25 years
 old) 
Must have been a KI, then.  I'm told that those were relatively easy to keep
...
 running (at least compared to the KL).

  I'd expect the probability of it running
would be close to zero. The
 maintenance fiche is about a foot deep.... 
A former DEC field service engineer has told me that I'm a madman for wanting
...
 to try, but he didn't put the probability anywhere
near that low.  The
system was in perfect working order when it was decommissioned, and not
much has happened to it since.  Aside from testing the power supplies and
checking for oxidation on the connectors, I'm not really expecting that
much to be wrong with it.  And I think I know where to find spare modules
if it is necessary.

Cheers,
Eric