[Simh] Virtual PDP-10 KI10 console panel

[Timothe Litt]

On 23-Oct-14 07:22, Jörg Hoppe wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> Finally I finished work on the PDP-10 KI10 panel.
> This is another "blinkenlight" panel connected with the "BlinkenBone"
> system to SimH ...
> but what a beast compared to the PDP-11/40 panel introduced before!
>
> It was shown on VCFB in Berlin in Oct 2014:
> https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-q3FIntCK68Q/VDLhe2Y-wMI/AAAAAAAAJyg/wbKQT52VrBU/w1024-h683-no/IMG_6753.JPG
>
>
> But more important to you, the physical panel is now virtualized as
> Java application ... ready to run on your desktop.
>
> Here are the pages:
> http://retrocmp.com/projects/virtual-pdp-10-ki10-panel-on-simh
> and here are the downloads (scroll down):
> http://retrocmp.com/projects/virtual-pdp-10-ki10-panel-on-simh/228-virtual-pdp-10-ki10-panel-the-holy-gral-of-blinkenlights-on-your-desktop
>
>
> Feel free to contact me if there are holes in the docs or errors in
> the simulation.
>
> Enjoy!
> Joerg
>
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That looks entertaining, and reminds me of a bit of history that's
documented only in obscure places.  Until now.

The KI-10 console was the height of consoles at DEC.  An analysis done
during the design of the KL showed that the lights, their drivers,
wiring and switches represented 1/3 of the manufacturing cost of the
machine.  Not to mention the Field Service and downtime costs of
replacing the incandescent bulbs.  (Later, they were often replaced with
LEDs, but while LEDs lasted forever they weren't as useful for
diagnosing a running machine.)  That's why the KL was designed with an
11/40 front end replacing all the lights and switches (except the few
that the 11 came with).  Lower cost brought even more visibility and
control - except for losing the dynamic glow of the old light, which
some of us could read in detail.  But while the visibility and control
was exposed to hardware diagnostics, programmers, especially customers
found the console less capable.  Such is 'progress' in technology.  The
learning and design style was passed on to the 11/780 (LSI-11 console,
even fewer lights); then the console function moved into microcode
(except for the 8600, 8800 & 9000 big-box machines).


This communication may not represent my employer's views,
if any, on the matters discussed. 


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