[time-nuts] Questions about Austron 5000 Loran C receiver

Jim Lux jimlux at earthlink.net
Sun Mar 4 00:45:19 UTC 2012


On 3/3/12 4:13 PM, Azelio Boriani wrote:
> Geez, I have read and I don't think it is possible to replicate the CALOC
> PDP-8/E software nor it is useful to use the Austron 5000 Loran receiver,
> my understanding is that it was used to control and steer the system. It
> seems they were in use until the year 2000! Maybe that using MATLAB it is
> possible to exploit the Austron 5000 functionality nowadays, provided that,
> someway, the 12bit samples from the Austron are transferred to the PC.
> Anyway to start with, at least the receiver connectors pinout is
> mandatory...
>

There are PDP8 emulators out there.  Not to mention actual 
microcontrollers that implement the PDP8 instruction set (aside from the 
no-doubt out of production Intersil part).

And a fair number of FPGA implementations in your choice of language.

While it might not be as scenic as that nice plastic see through housing 
with all those discrete DTL circuit cards in the original straight 8.  I 
used a 8/i way back in the early 70s and I was bummed that it was just a 
single box in the rack.



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