PDP-10 (was Re: EDSAC on your desk.)

From: Huw Davies <H.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au>
Date: Tue Sep 22 21:14:30 1998

At 05:31 AM 22-09-98 +0000, Eric Smith wrote:
>Huw Davies <H.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au> 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).

Indeed it was a KI. We had weekly scheduled PMs. During this period, apart
from anything else, the engineer checked for defective bulbs. I seem to
recall that he used to replace 10 or so each week. (For those of you not
fortunate enough to see a -10, ours consisted of about 25 cabinets, each of
which had a minimum of 144 bulbs. That makes for lots of bulbs....

>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.

Access to spare modules is a must. Lack of such access is one of the
reasons why I doubt most informed users would be able to run a -10. You
would ideally need access to a former -10 engineer who can fill you in on
all the "tricks". I've never done maintenance on a -10 but I did look after
three VAX-8800s for three years. Spare parts and a sympathetic engineer
were essential. The problem was at the end of three years, I got a
reputation as someone who knew about 8800s and people used to ask me
questions :-)

 Huw Davies | e-mail: Huw.Davies_at_latrobe.edu.au
 Information Technology Services | Phone: +61 3 9479 1550 Fax: +61 3 9479
1999
 La Trobe University | "If God had wanted soccer played in the
 Melbourne Australia 3083 | air, the sky would be painted green"
Received on Tue Sep 22 1998 - 21:14:30 BST