Ebay: PDP 16/M Super MiniComputer

From: Eric Smith <eric_at_brouhaha.com>
Date: Tue Dec 12 13:45:09 2000

Marvin wrote:
> I just looked at Ebay and found out that the PDP 16/M is a roll-your-own PDP
> 8 or PDP 11. I sure wish DEC had let me know this information when I took
> the maintenance classes on it at the Maynard training facility. Here I
> always thought it was just a glorified solid state controller. We could have
> saved some money instead of buying the 11/05 and 11/45s :). The URL is:

It *is* a glorified solid state controller, and it is *NOT* a "Super
MiniComputer". There is an example design for an *almost* PDP-8, but
AFAIK they have not been used to implement complete PDP-8s or -11s, and
would not really be very good at that.

The PDP-16 is basically a set of building blocks for time-state machines
(which is how early PDP-xx machines were designed). However, it is
intended for building dedicated controllers, not general-purpose computers.
Why? Because a general-purpose computer built out of PDP-16 Register
Transfer Modules is larger, slower, and more expensive than the same
computer built using more conventional techniques (even when using
DEC M-series modules).

It took me several readings of the book to understand how the PDP-16
modules are intended to be used. I wish I had the bucks to buy the
thing and play with it. Sigh.
Received on Tue Dec 12 2000 - 13:45:09 GMT