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PDP-10 / -READ--THIS-

Information about the PDP-10 group.
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I'd like to join #7

Closed dabridgham closed 7 years ago

dabridgham commented 7 years ago

I'm new to git and GitHub but seeing your work here caused me to finally get an account. I've been slowly working on a PDP-10 in an FPGA for a while now after the pattern of Dave Conroy's work. It's running most of the processor diagnostics in simulation but I got distracted with another project so I don't think I'll have it running ITS for the 50th anniversary of the KA.

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

You're welcome!

So now I've heard of six FPGA implementations in total:

aap commented 7 years ago

Don't forget my fpdpga-6! (not quite a 10, but whatever) https://github.com/aap/pdp6

dabridgham commented 7 years ago

Definitely I'd include the PDP-6 in the list.

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Sorry, there's just too many for me to keep track of!

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Reimplementing the 10 has been a fun hack for ages:

aap commented 7 years ago

We should found our own company and make 10s! I want a PDP-10 laptop with a Knight TV as display...or maybe a Raspberry PDP :D

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

The people behind the PiDP-8 are supposedly making a PDP-11 replica. The logical progression would be to make a 10 next. I'd so be all over that!

aap commented 7 years ago

Yup, I saw Oscar's PiDP-11 in November at VFCE CH (Jörg Hoppe and I even stayed at his place. And meeting Johnny Billquist was also very nice). He certainly wants to make a PDP-10 panel replica, but it will still take a while before he can tackle that...he hasn't even decided whether to do a KA or KI panel. We'll see...

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Maybe we should list the software implementations as well:

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Rumor has it cisco tried to make a clone as well.

aap commented 7 years ago

That's what Johnny Billquist told me too. They wanted to make PDP-10 clones but first needed to get some money by selling network gear. Later the same people founded XKL and ended up selling network gear as well.

dabridgham commented 7 years ago

I have thought about adding a Knight TV once the -10 is running. Either that or a 340 display for Spacewar. Thing is, I've never actually seen a Knight TV and haven't found any documentation for the things so I'm not entirely sure what I'd be building.

I'd love to see what Oscar comes up with for a PDP-10 replica console panel for a PiDP-10. You can see on my website what my thinking has been for a console for my KV10. I wanted it to be reminiscent of the KI10 but in trying to keep costs under control it's built with capacitive touch switches and it's shrunk down so it could fit in a 19" inch rack. My general approach is that I'm not trying to build a replica of any particular -10 but rather just build a new implementation of the -10 architecture. I intend for it to have an optional serial or USB interface so it could use used with a software PDP-10 emulation as well.

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Here's what we know about the Knight TV so far: https://github.com/PDP-10/its/issues/279

dabridgham commented 7 years ago

Looks like a bit of archeology will be involved with recreating any Knight TVs. I'll just focus for now on getting my PDP-10 working. Well, and the QSIC first which what has pushed the KV10 project to the back burner at the moment.

jfcl commented 7 years ago

On 1/20/2017 5:49 AM, David Bridgham wrote:

I have thought about adding a Knight TV once the -10 is running. Either that or a 340 display for Spacewar.

There was a 340 display attached to the Penn State KA10.

I used a schematic capture program that used the 340 display. I tended to use it mostly off-hours because it was unusable when the system was busy. It might have been a 339 display.

Rob.

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Wouldn't it be awesome if there were a replica PDP-10 connected to a replica PDP-11 controlling a replica Knight TV? I'm swooning.

aap commented 7 years ago

We should definitely do this. But it'll take some time :)

dabridgham commented 7 years ago

I like the way you think, Lars. As I work on the QSIC, I can't help but think how little a change to the hardware it would take for the board to be able to act as a processor card as well as the purpose we're intending for it. Want to put a PDP-10 on the QBUS?

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Of course I'd like to put PDP-10s everywhere. But for now, I run a strictly software-only shop here at home, so no pressing need for QBUS.

larsbrinkhoff commented 7 years ago

Quoth Alderson:

Len wanted to build a TOAD ("10 on a desktop") in the 70's, when he worked for DEC; cisco Systems' original business plan was to do just that.

larsbrinkhoff commented 6 years ago

@obsolescence is completing his PDP-11 replica right about now, and says he's planning to do a KA10.

Need to get back to working with @rcornwell to ensure the SIMH KA10 can run ITS!

rcornwell commented 6 years ago

Lars you forgot to mention my KA10/KI10 sim in your list of software sims. Also mine originally started life as a prototype for a FPGA implementation.

Right now I am cleaning up bugs in my Ibm 7000 simulators to get them moved into the main tree. However if you want to generate some test images and tell me where they are breaking I will fix any bugs.

Someone might be doing a software front panel for my KA10/KI10 in the near future also.

larsbrinkhoff commented 6 years ago

Sorry, I'll add it to the list! Always happy to see more. :-)