PDP-10 replica
There are plenty of projects with Raspberry Pi as the centerpiece, of all types and for all tastes and here on the blog we have already shared several projects and on this occasion we will talk about a project that I found browsing the net, which uses a Raspberry Pi 5 for a quite particular matter.
And is that The news was recently announced that a group of old computer enthusiasts unveiled the "PiDP-10" project, which aims to create a functional replica ofand the central computer DEC PDP-10 KA10 from 1968, a computer that was an icon of computing from the MIT AI Laboratory of the 60s and 70s.
The project as such it is not intended to be of general interest, since its main objective It is more focused on a small segment of enthusiasts Because it was designed to bring back an old computer, the PDP-10 was a crucial component in the history of computing and symbolized the era of innovation at the MIT AI Laboratory during the 1960s and 1970s. He was instrumental in early AI research, the development of hacker culture, and the rise of networked computing., laying the foundation for many modern computing concepts.
PiDP-10 It is centered on the basis of a plastic control panel casing, equipped with 124 indicator lights and 74 switches. The computing components and software environment have been replicated using a Raspberry Pi 5 with the Raspberry Pi operating system (based on Debian and SIMH), which allows full simulation of PDP-10, including reproduction of known bugs.
According to the Guaranteed Obsolescence group:
The “ITS Reconstruction Project” represents more than a decade of meticulous effort to revive both the hardware and software of this iconic period in a “virtual AI laboratory.” The result is the PiDP-10, a fully functional desktop-sized replica of the PDP-10 front panel, giving hobbyists the opportunity to experience that era firsthand.
This replica is not only a display piece, but encapsulates the essence of the AI Lab, including its exclusive ITS operating system and more than 400 historical applications. It is a tribute to an era in which the limits of computing were constantly expanding and gave way to the first video games and artificial intelligence programs.
It is mentioned that The PiDP-10 faithfully replicates the PDP-10 KA10 model, Combining classic design with modern technology, it not only emulates the PDP-10 but also functions as a practical Linux system. It can serve as a network storage or media server, supporting up to 10 users.
The emulator can run TOPS-10 multi-tasking and multi-user operating system, originally used in PDP-10 mainframe computers. Additionally, the alternative operating system ITS, developed in 1967 at MIT for the PDP-10, is supported as an option. More than 400 historical applications recovered from MIT tape archives are available to run on ITS.
With TOPS-10 operating system, the PiDP-10 offers a view of the first advances in operating systems, influencing later systems such as MS-DOS, as TOPS-10's support for multitasking and multiple users was advanced for its time. Along with its full suite of applications and programming, the PiDP-10 provides a hands-on historical computing experience. It also revives classic games like Adventure, combining historical exploration with practical utility.
Finally, it should be mentioned that Enthusiasts have scheduled a PiDP-10 launch event for April 1 at the MIT Computing Museum, which will include a seminar on the history of the PDP-10 at MIT.
For those interested in the project code, you should know that both the components used by the project and the script to automate the installation are available on GitHub.
If you are interested in knowing more about it, you can check the details In the following link.