1GHz PDP-11 (Re: Prints for an 11/70)

From: Douglas Quebbeman <dhquebbeman_at_theestopinalgroup.com>
Date: Thu Dec 13 15:55:27 2001

> > I bought a CGA-compatible video cards a few years back
> > (80s), that had an incompatible hi-res mode in addition
> > to the CGA, and a mouse interface.
> >
> > The manual kept referring to "the connector of the ten ways".
> > This sounded *SO* Zen that I was sure than once I had it
> > figured it, it'd be the secret to life.
> >
> > Finally dawned on me that this was "10-pin connector".
>
> In the UK (I have no idea if the expression is used in the States), the
> term n-way connector is common. It means (of course) an connector with n
> indepedant connections. It's often used for things like jack plugs ('phone
> plugs' in the States) which don't really have pins. Calling the plug on
> the end of a pair of stereo headphones a '3 pin plug' seems strange...

Of course, we've some of the same linguistic heritage; but here,
that usage's most frequent occurance is in a phrase relating to
ways that deviate from each other, i.e. a four-way stop. The
four ways all go away from each other.

A cable with connectors like that might not be very useful
(of course, as soon as I say that I envision an old-style
RGB video cable with BNCs each "going their own way."

-dq
Received on Thu Dec 13 2001 - 15:55:27 GMT