pdp8/e Problems: KE8-E EAE debugging

[Charles H. Dickman]

I added support to SPCWR3.PA for the VC8/I.

http://www.chd.dyndns.org/pdp8/VC8/SPCWR3_vc8i.PA

This requires an EAE and now I find out that my untested EAE does not work.

The first sign of problems was that the processor paused while running 
and the only way to stop it was to turn off power. The HALT switch did 
nothing.

I got a copy of MAINDEC-8E-D0LB-D which is EAE test 1 and it locked up 
pretty much the same way. I removed the EAE and the diagnostic halted at 
a reasonable place insteading of locking up.

The EAE stops the main processor sequencer and then does it's thing and 
when it is finished, restarts the processor sequencer. I seems to me 
that this handoff is not occuring properly. The front panel shows that 
the processor is stuck in Execute (E) State with a 7 in the IR and the 
PC within one of an EAE instruction.

This not gonna be easy to fix. The over-the-top connectors prevent the 
use of an extender card, so I can't probe anything easily.

Since the MAINDEC tests won't run, I will try to figure out which if any 
of the EAE instructions function and which to not. Since, so far, 
everything seems to hang, it might be something fundamental, and that 
might be easier to find.

Suggestions, comments please.

-chuck