Processor
DEC PDP-8 processor
The parallel fixed-point processor in the original PDP-8, with a 1.6 µs computer cycle and a 3.2 µs direct-address TAD addition.
- Manufacturer
- Digital Equipment Corporation
- Architecture
- PDP-8
- Introduced
- 1965
- Computer cycle duration
- 1.6 µs
- Instruction set
- PDP-8
- Record status
- approved
Figures
| Metric | Value | Evidence | Basis | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Instruction execution time cpu | 3.2 µs | Confirmed | Vendor-rated | Addition instruction Stated by the vendorDirect-address TAD Y instruction in DEC Table 1. The table's time is for direct addressing. Indirect addressing adds one computer cycle; this is an instruction time, not a processor clock. |
2 documented absences
| Metric | Value | Evidence | Basis | Method | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clock frequency cpu | unknown The checked brochure specifies a computer-cycle duration rather than a nominal processor oscillator frequency. | Not stated | Vendor-rated | Nominal clock Stated by the vendor | |
| Peak FP32 rate cpu | not applicable The standard processor has no native floating-point hardware. DEC describes floating-point operations through a software package. | Not stated | Vendor-rated | Theoretical peak Stated by the vendor |
Fitted to
Editorial notes
The brochure's computer-cycle duration does not establish a nominal processor clock frequency. DEC lists a Floating Point Package among its programs; that does not establish native floating-point hardware in this configuration.