The PDP-16 (Programmed Data Processor-16) was mainly intended for industrial control systems, but with more capability than
DEC's
PDP-14
The PDP-14 was a specialized computer from Digital Equipment Corporation’s Industrial Products Group designed to replace industrial level relay controls for machinery and machine tools that performed repetitive tasks. It was specifically designed ...
.
Overview
The PDP-16 family of modules was introduced in 1971,
and a pre-assembled system using these modules, the PDP-16/M
was introduced in 1972.[ The 16/M was nicknamed "Subminicomputer" and described as "a small microprogrammable computer."]
The general-purpose modules included:
# components to build a data path (registers, memories, ALUs, etc.)
# components to build a control structure (evoke an operation in the datapath, branch on a condition from the datapath, merge, etc.)
# other components necessary to complete a digital system (lights, switches, bus termination, backplane, etc.)
The control structure was similar to a flow chart
A flowchart is a type of diagram that represents a workflow or process. A flowchart can also be defined as a diagrammatic representation of an algorithm, a step-by-step approach to solving a task.
The flowchart shows the steps as boxes of va ...
,
which was very familiar to software developers.
As a result, the PDP-16 opened up digital system design to those with experience writing software but less hardware design experience than was traditionally required for this work.
These modules were in the company's M series of Flip-Chip modules
A Flip-Chip module is a component of digital logic systems made by the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) for its PDP-7, PDP-8, PDP-9, and PDP-10 computers, and related peripherals, beginning on August 24, 1964.
Description
As used by DEC, the ...
, which used TTL circuit technology.
The economic strength of the PDP-16 was that it was effective "for designing unique (or relatively low production volume) systems."[
]
References
DEC computers
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