WOW!!!! $15k DEC PDP-8 CLASSIC MINICOMPUTER SYSTEM DIGITAL PDP8

[Ethan Dicks]

On 7/7/05, Paul Koning <pkoning at equallogic.com> wrote:
>  Vintage> DEC used standard components.
> 
> Sort of -- if you ignore the bus transceivers.

Some were proprietary DEC (DC003, DC004, DC005, DC013...), but some
were somewhat standard (Nat'l Semi 8640, 8641...)  Unfortunately, even
some of the "standard" chips that they used (7438, 7401?) were graded
for leakage current (not that someone couldn't do it now, but it adds
to the complexity and expense).

Of course, one _can_ take risks and violate the letter of the bus
specs and try some other sort of part, and it will probably work for a
small system, but it also has a chance of not working in the larger
multi-backplane kinds of systems.

-ethan