DECsystem-10 Documentation
DECsystem-10 Documentation describes four Digital Equipment Corporation documents for the DECsystem-10, with the PDF of each, and lists further DEC maintenance material on bitsavers.
DECsystem-10 Technical Summary (1971)
[edit | edit source]DEC's 1971 sales and technical summary, 98 pages with a text layer. Contents: introduction and performance range; system descriptions of the DECsystem-1040, 1050, 1055, 1070 and 1077 with the comparison table "DECsystem-10 at a glance" (p. 16); the monitor; languages; KA10 and KI10 central processors including safety features and programmable voltage margins (p. 49); ME10 and MD10 core memory (pp. 51–53); communications; peripherals; custom equipment; services.[1] It is a product description, not a service manual.
Download: DECsystem-10 Technical Summary (1971).pdf
KL10 Maintenance Guide, Volume I (EK-OKL10-MG-003)
[edit | edit source]DEC Educational Services' field reference for KL10-based DECsystem-10 and DECSYSTEM-20 systems, third edition April 1985 (first edition February 1979), marked for internal use by DEC Field Service. The scan has 409 pages and no text layer.[2]
Tabbed sections: general information (support numbers, bootstrap ROMs, front-end option addresses, Unibus pins, general power supply specifications on p. 10, KL10 system and processor designations on p. 11, module revision compatibility, drawing indexes, instruction formats, the seven steps of fault analysis on p. 44, error-gathering procedures on pp. 46–48, fault isolation tables, memory and tape formats, diagnostic functions); switches and jumpers; tables and maps; checks and adjustments; diagrams and module utilisation lists; multi-CPU; DECnet-10/20. Volume II, on bitsavers, covers the CI and NI interconnects, HSC and cluster troubleshooting, the RP07 and RP20, the maintenance software and the operating systems.[2]
Download: KL10 Maintenance Guide Volume 1 (EK-OKL10-MG-003).pdf
DECSYSTEM-20 Power System Description (EK-PWR20-SD-001)
[edit | edit source]DEC's description of the power system of the KL10-C processor as used in the DECSYSTEM-20 model 2040, first printing January 1976, second printing April 1976, 137 pages, scanned without a text layer.[3]
Contents: 1 system level (cabinet layout, Table 1-1 supplies and regulators, Table 1-2 power requirements, Table 1-3 electrical characteristics, Table 1-4 reference drawings); 2 interface level (block diagram, switch panel, power-failure protection, automatic restart); 3 unit level (863 and 861 power controls, H7420, H744, H745, H754 and H770 regulators, the H760 power supply on p. 3-74, the capacitor assembly on p. 3-78, and the H761 series pass assembly).[3]
It covers the 2040's three-cabinet KL10-C. The DECsystem-10 KL10 machines are packaged differently, but use the same supply and regulator types; the schematics themselves are in the field maintenance print set, not in this manual.[3][4]
Download: KL10-C Power System Description (EK-PWR20-SD-001).pdf
MH10 Maintenance Manual (EK-MH10-MM-003)
[edit | edit source]DEC's manual for the MH10 core memory, first edition November 1976, third printing (revised) August 1977, 94 pages with a text layer.[5]
Contents: 1 introduction and specifications (Table 1-1); 2 installation (cabling, terminators, AC power, power control, ground mesh, address switches); 3 operation (maintenance panel, Table 3-4); 4 principles of operation, including the power system in section 4.4.5 (857 power control, H7420, H744, H754, H770); 5 maintenance (preventive maintenance schedule, margins, voltage measurement and adjustment, parity errors, troubleshooting chart and waveforms).[5]
Download: MH10 Core Memory Maintenance Manual (EK-MH10-MM-003).pdf
Further material on bitsavers
[edit | edit source]Bitsavers holds DEC's KA10 maintenance manuals and engineering drawings, the PDP-10 site preparation and installation manuals, the KI10 maintenance manuals and schematics, the KL10 maintenance guide volume II, maintenance handbook, physical description, 1080/1090 system description, KLINIK guide, KLAD10 diagnostics cookbook and print sets, the MF10, MG10 and MH10 memory manuals and schematics, and DEC power supply drawings and parts lists (H742, H744, H745, H754, 861 power controller).[6]
Pages that cite these documents
[edit | edit source]- DECsystem-10 – models, processors, memory, power features
- DECsystem-10 General Maintenance – site, interlocks, preventive maintenance, margins
- DECsystem-10 Troubleshooting Guide – power faults, memory parity, KL10 error gathering
- DECsystem-10 Power Supply Guide – supply types and limits, power control, ECL supply, adjustment
References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ Digital Equipment Corporation, DECsystem-10 Technical Summary, 1971, contents. Source: bitsavers.org.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Digital Equipment Corporation, KL10 Maintenance Guide, Volume I, EK-OKL10-MG-003, title page, "To the Reader" and general information contents. Source: bitsavers.org.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Digital Equipment Corporation, DECSYSTEM-20 Power System, System Description, EK-PWR20-SD-001, title page, foreword and contents. Source: bitsavers.org.
- ↑ "PDP-10", Wikipedia, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PDP-10. Packaging of 10xx and 20xx KL10 systems.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Digital Equipment Corporation, MH10 Maintenance Manual, EK-MH10-MM-003, title page and contents. Source: bitsavers.org.
- ↑ Directory listings of bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/ (KA10, KI10, KL10, memory) and bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/powerSupply/, retrieved 2 October 2026.