Thinking about acquiring PDP stuff

[allison]

On 11/30/16 3:15 PM, Rich Alderson wrote:
> From: Brad H
> Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2016 9:16 AM
>
>> That was kind of why I thought buying a PDP in pieces over time might be my
>> way to go, even if it took eons to get everything I needed to rebuild one.
>> It'd be fun to try and piece one back together.  But yeah, I'm trying to
>> think of what I would do with it afterwards. :)
> So what kind of system are you interested in?  There is no such thing as a
> generic "PDP".  Before giving up the naming convention, DEC produced 7
> different architectures all named "PDP-n" for small integers n (and designed 2
> that were never built by DEC):
>
> PDP-1:  18 bits, 6 instruction + 12 address (System Modules)
> PDP-2:  24 bits (design only) (System Modules)
> PDP-3:  36 bits (design only) (System Modules)
> PDP-4:  18 bits, 5 instruction + 13 address (System Modules)
> PDP-5:  12 bits (System Modules)
> PDP-6:  36 bits, 9 instruction, 9 AC+index+indirect, 18 address (mainframe)
> PDP-7:  18 bits (PDP-4 upwards compatible) (FlipChips)
> PDP-8:  12 bits (PDP-5 upwards compatible) (FlipChips)
> PDP-9:  18 bits (PDP-7 upwards compatible) (FlipChips)
> PDP-10: 36 bits (PDP-6 upwards compatible) (mainframe)
> PDP-11: 16 bits (FlipChips)
> PDP-12: 12 bits (PDP-8 + LINC compatible) (FlipChips)
> PDP-14: 12 bits (NOT compatible with the PDP-8 family) (FlipChips)
> PDP-15: 18 bits (PDP-9 upwards compatible) (FlipChips)
> PDP-16: register-transfer module machine, with 8-, 12- or 16-bit memory as
> 	needed for particular application design.
>
> Later members of each family were designated by suffixes (e.g. 8/i, 8/e, 8/A
> and 11/40, 11/70, etc.) or newer names (DECsystem-10, DECSYSTEM-20).  The VAX
> was the first new architecture from DEC not to have a PDP-n designation at all.
>
>                                                                  Rich
>
> P. S. For most of us, I think, "DG" = Data General, not Digital Group.
>
>
> Rich Alderson
> Vintage Computing Sr. Systems Engineer
> Living Computer Museum
> 2245 1st Avenue S
> Seattle, WA 98134
>
> mailto:RichA at LivingComputerMuseum.org
>
> http://www.LivingComputerMuseum.org/
>
Rich,

You missed posting approximate volumes made. Some of those like the 
PDP1,4, 6 and 12
have very low production volumes.

Yes on DG, however there are use that did play with Digital Group.
A Digital group system fully bown out is likely about 60 pounds or so.
They were on a par with other S100 8080 systems for size and weight.

Allison