PDP8 KV graphics PCB design

[Roland Huisman]

I found somewhat fascinating pictures in a PDP8 small computer handbook.
It is a KV graphics system. According to the book it was used to design new
computer circuit boards. So I got very curious to that KV system.
I found a maintenance manual about the system. It even had a joystick!

I wonder if any of that PCB software has been rescued?







Regards, Roland

 

[Roland Huisman]

Just want to bring this topic back on top. Does anyone have this PCB design software?

Regards, Roland

 

[vrs42]

I haven't found any pointers to the software.

I fear that it was something DEC used internally, and so may not have been sold to outsiders.

(Chapter 1 of the e/f/m handbook talks about it's use in creating modules within DEC, with the illustrations you linked to.)
http://vandermark.ch/pdp8/uploads/PDP8/PDP8.Manuals/DEC-S8-OSSCH-A.pdf

Vince

 

[Hugo Holden]

I haven't found any pointers to the software.

I fear that it was something DEC used internally, and so may not have been sold to outsiders.

(Chapter 1 of the e/f/m handbook talks about it's use in creating modules within DEC, with the illustrations you linked to.)
http://vandermark.ch/pdp8/uploads/PDP8/PDP8.Manuals/DEC-S8-OSSCH-A.pdf

Vince

That book is awesome. I like the way is shows an English car (Triumph Stag I think) undergoing pollution testing. Those darn British cars would always run far too rich.

 

[MattisLind]

I was thinking that perhaps "KV graphics system" is a reference to the KV8/I vector drawing option for the PDP-8/I. The KV8/I was made for the VT01 which essentially is a Tek 611 although any storage CRT should work.

 

[daver2]

That's my understanding as well. The KV is the graphical hardware.

I would assume the PCB layout software was "DEC homegrown". I must admit, it would be great to find a copy and get it to run though...

Dave

 

[AK6DN]

I started at DEC out of college in 1975 and got involved with PCB design by about 1978 or so. The PCB system DEC was using then (at least in the PDP-11 and VAX world) was based on the PDP-15/76 using stroke vector graphics terminals.The entire PCB was laid out by hand on the graphics terminal, then printed on glass plates for production. I never saw any of the above PCB systems which I think were more manually oriented; the PCB was laid out using tape on plastic film, and then used the above system to digitize the layout (hole positions, etc).

A DEC brochure ( DEC 1957 to present, which was then 1978 ) mentions the PDP-15 based system. Here is a picture and some text description.

 

[MattisLind]

Many years ago my father saved a big lot of PDP-15 documentation along with source listings for the REDAC PCB system that was thrown out from Philips here in Sweden. Judging from the hardware manuals it was a PDP-11/76 with GT15 screens.

I think I have seen somewhere that DEC used REDAC system on PDP-15 but I might be mixing things up. Anyway, the source listings is with Al now and the remaining PDP-15 docs has been scanned and is on bitsavers now.

 

[leegleason]

I found somewhat fascinating pictures in a PDP8 small computer handbook.
It is a KV graphics system. According to the book it was used to design new
computer circuit boards. So I got very curious to that KV system.
I found a maintenance manual about the system. It even had a joystick!

I wonder if any of that PCB software has been rescued?

View attachment 1066516

View attachment 1066517

View attachment 1066518

Regards, Roland

Hate to resurrect an old thread, but I thought I'd point out that one of these is for sale on Ebay right now, misidentified as a VT101. https://www.ebay.com/itm/125869790631?hash=item1d4e6c95a7:g:dZEAAOSw5sJkMDAq&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAwEDt9qW5ZeidXhtpmcAhaf0tXc/fr2ltDqZ5Krz9cEahwMZ5LIIs9Sz2jLDMHMeEh/VCdU5dMWzsb/N6iFhca4QEskJcVbN+VgY1L65kui7l/zIjjV/4ajDXMG6FLxh1vNFEgDp+YqvViLMWS6De/psIg2LEthhCiFwuVIZQdqaYEtAZqeg8wQ5w5Qaaf0EG4dErQJwafK/JW731+rL9lks6T0SMNXyTNhuJVnid+B7qZp5IJzAcbZTmrtm91RuiRg==|tkp:Bk9SR4SVnNTrYQ

 

[cchhrriiss11]

Hate to resurrect an old thread, but I thought I'd point out that one of these is for sale on Ebay right now, misidentified as a VT101. https://www.ebay.com/itm/125869790631?hash=item1d4e6c95a7:g:dZEAAOSw5sJkMDAq&amdata=enc:AQAHAAAAwEDt9qW5ZeidXhtpmcAhaf0tXc/fr2ltDqZ5Krz9cEahwMZ5LIIs9Sz2jLDMHMeEh/VCdU5dMWzsb/N6iFhca4QEskJcVbN+VgY1L65kui7l/zIjjV/4ajDXMG6FLxh1vNFEgDp+YqvViLMWS6De/psIg2LEthhCiFwuVIZQdqaYEtAZqeg8wQ5w5Qaaf0EG4dErQJwafK/JW731+rL9lks6T0SMNXyTNhuJVnid+B7qZp5IJzAcbZTmrtm91RuiRg==|tkp:Bk9SR4SVnNTrYQ

FYI - this same seller has been selling all sorts of really neat DEC stuff, he's got quite the collection!

-Chris

 

[Roland Huisman]

Interesting! You can see that Digital brand also in the black and white picture. Never noticed that, but now I've seen the real DEC version, it is quite obvious...



I've paid 200 Euro's for my Tek 611... Doesn't sound too bad when I read about 1500 Dollar for the DEC thing...



Regards, Roland

 

[jackrubin]

KV8I joystick: