pdp-8/f

Serial Number 3034




The pdp-8/f was a 'half-size' Omnibus pdp-8 - identical in features and options to the pdp-8/e, but with a half-size chassis and power supply, and only space for one 20-slot Omnibus backplane. The same chassis was used in the OEM version, the pdp-8/m. The only difference worthy of note was that the power supply in the 8/f (and 8/m) lacked the +8V output required to operate 8/e front panel incandescent lights; the front panel on the 8/f uses LEDs instead.

I picked this unit up from Kevin Murrell in the UK - its precise provenance is unknown - who had found it in *very* ratty condition, literally in a hedge, I believe. It required a LOT of restoration!




Wot a mess!




It's now in New York, fully-restored operationally and electrically, but it has not as yet been repainted:




Tested and working... load FOCAL from a PC via the serial port (PC emulating a paper tape reader).




Inside it presently has just the basics: CPU boards, M837 memory control, M8655 serial port, and a 16KW 'Dataram' 3rd-party memory board - big enough to run OS/8 :-)




Sticker on the rear reveals the original configuration, and date of manufacture - 21/9/72


http://www.ps8computing.co.uk/PDP8/pdp8f.htm Kevin Murrell, the original rescuer of this machine, has an *excellent* page on its restoration
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dec-faq/pdp8-models/section-9.html the pdp-8/f FAQ is worth reading...
http://www.technology.niagarac.on.ca/people/mcsele/pdp8.htm Marc Csele has one...
http://www.cs.uiowa.edu/~jones/pdp8/collection/ ...as does Doug Jones...
http://world.std.com/~mbg/move_step21.jpg ...and Megan Gentry...
http://highgate.comm.sfu.ca/pdp8/pdp8.jpg ...and indeed Kevin McQuiggin; all the usual suspects, really :-)