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This machine, probably an EduSystem 50, was donated by John Wilson on 12/8/2018. It originally was powered by a PDP-8/e and ran the TSS/8 operating system and could support 16 or 24 concurrent users. It supported the BASIC, FORTRAN, and FOCAL languages. The name "SID" for the system is an abbreviation of a common system message "System Is Down".
The left cabinet contains a TC08 DECtape controller and blower at the bottom and a TU56 dual DECtape drive. The indicator panel at the top shows the status of the TC08 controller. The middle cabinet holds an RF08 Fixed Disk controller is behind the indicator panel at the top, and an RS08 Fixed Disk drive is below the RF08. There is a DW08 Bus Converter at the middle of the cabinet that converts the Positive I/O bus from the PDP-8/e to the Negative I/O bus for the RF08 Fixed Disk Controller The bottom of the cabinet holds the power supply and filtered blower for the RS08 disk. The right cabinet held the PDP-8/e processor and has a PT05 Paper Tape Reader/Punch above where the PDP-8/e goes. John kept the PDP-8/e.
Mike has a second PDP-8/e that could be restored and installed in this system. It would also need KA8E Positive Bus Interface and a KD8E Data Break Interface to connect to the DECtape and DECdisk. Mike has these boards, but they are untested.
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