PDP-8/L Minicomputer Restoration and Programming
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Schwartenback-Minshew-Thesis_vF.pdf (1.08 MB)
Date
2013-07-30
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Walk-in Access. This thesis can only be viewed on computer terminals at the <a href=http://mudd.princeton.edu>Mudd Manuscript Library</a>.
Abstract
In this project, we successfully restored a Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) PDP-8/L minicomputer and interfaced it to a modern laptop. During its restoration, we repaired the power supply, replaced a defunct cooling fan, fixed the front panel, repaired the core memory, created a library of basic programs on an emulator in PDP-8 assembly language (PAL), ran extensive diagnostics on both the CPU logic and memory stack, and designed an RS-232 to current loop interface to allow the PDP-8 to communicate with the terminal of a modern laptop.
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Princeton University Senior Theses