K 1600

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K 1620 with Terminal K 8917 in the Technical Collections Dresden

K 1600 was a family of microcomputers with the variants K 1620 and K 1630. The ciphers in the system of small computers (SKR) of the former Comecon countries were CM 1620 and CM 1630 . They were developed from 1978 in the GDR by VEB Robotron-Elektronik Dresden in Dresden and put into series production in 1981.

The computers of the K 1600 family were the first microcomputers in the GDR to work according to the operating principles laid down in the SKR, which were based on the PDP-11 computer architecture of the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC). As a successor to the K 1600, a 16-bit microcomputer system with the designation K 1700 was designed based on the model of the PDP-11/44 on the basis of a new, unprecedented U84x circuit system. This development was discontinued in 1982 and only the VAX -compatible models K 1820 and K 1840 were supposed to meet the demand for computers of a higher performance class at the end of the 1980s.

The most important areas of application were in the field of automated production control, laboratory and test field automation for industry, research and development, and universal information processing systems.

The computer cores of the K 1620 and K 1630 models were based on the U830C series in LSI- NMOS technology developed in cooperation with the ZFTM of the Microelectronics Combination and a company of the Soviet Ministry of Electronics (MEI) . 4 and 16 KBit DRAMs were used as memory circuits , the other logic was implemented in TTL -MSI technology as in the ESER central units of the Robotron combine.

The K 1600 system was based on the 19 ″ slide-in design with regard to the main memory and the connection controls, similar to the K 1520 microcomputer system. Based on the K 1600 system, a. the final products

  • Commercial basic computer system A 6401 / A 6402
  • Process computer system A 6491 / A 6492
  • Image processing systems A 6471 / A 6472 / A 6473
  • Data collection system A 6230

sold.

Production of the K 1620 and the application systems derived from it began in 1981, and the K 1630 went into series production a year later. 280 units of the K 1620 were produced by 1987 and 1,845 units of the K 1630 by 1989.

A copy of the K 1620 is in the Technical Collections Dresden . It is probably the last available device of this variant. There are still 5 machines of the K 1630 (as of 04/2016). They are here:

  • in the RECHENWERK Computer & Technology Museum Halle (bootable again since April 1, 2016, accessible to visitors) (4-cabinet process computer from the Thierbach power plant)
  • in the Konrad-Zuse-Computer Museum Hoyerswerda (4-cupboard productive system of unknown origin)
  • in the depot of the computational collection at the University of Greifswald (former university machine for training)
  • in the computational collection of the engineering college Bautzen (former university machine for training)
  • shut down in an office of the AdW Ho Chi Minh City (formerly A6471 ​​image processing system)

hardware

The K 1600 family of microcomputers consists of the K 1620 and K 1630 computers, the shared model inventory of peripheral devices and the software required for operation. The computers are modular in 19 ″ rack technology. In addition to the differing computer cores, both computers use a spectrum of common functional units, namely

  • the internal memory (in terms of memory, the K1620 has a limited range of functions compared to the K1630)
  • the connection system
  • the power supply and
  • the structural elements (cabinet system, power supply, etc.).

By integrating special peripheral devices and supplementing them with specific software modules, final products were created (e.g. process computers through the connection of the process input and output device, production data acquisition systems through the integration of manual and machine-dependent data entry stations, CAD / CAM workstations for designers and technologists through the integration graphic terminals, digitizers and plotters etc.), for which different Robotron sales companies were then responsible.

The computer core of the K 1620 is formed by the central processing unit (ZVE) K 2662 with 64 KB address space and a computing power of approx. 0.3 MIPS . It essentially consists of four U830C (К1883ИА0) microprocessor chips, each with 8 bit processing width, the microprocessor control unit and the bus control with the following functions:

  • Realization of the micro-programmed command list of the K 1620,
  • Microprogram-supported operating function via operating peripherals,
  • Control of the exchange of information between the processor and the bus,
  • Bus allocation and interrupt control,
  • Central regeneration control for dynamic semiconductor memories.
K 1630, ZVE 2664 with 4 pieces U830C

The computer core of the K 1630 is made up of the ZVE K 2664 (expanded from the K 1620) with 256 KB address space and optionally the arithmetic processor ARP K 2061 (basis: Soviet microprocessor КР1804ВС1 = AМ2901 ). In addition to the functions of the ZVE K 2662, the K 2664

  • the implementation of the extended micro-programmed command list of the K 1630,
  • the address calculation for the arithmetic processor

and with the integrated storage switching unit SVE the functions

  • Conversion of the virtual 16-bit address into a physical 18-bit address for the address space 256 KB,
  • Storage space allocation in multi-program operation and
  • Memory protection

assign.

Memory modules with up to 248 KB DRAM and with programmable read-only memories (PROM) of up to 16 KB could be added to the computer cores - depending on the configuration with or without error correction. Here, DRAM circuits with 4 KBit (KP565PY1 = 2107) or 16 KBit (KP565PY3 = U256 = 4116) or PROMs with 2 KBit (U555 = 2708) were used. To use the existing software of the predecessor Robotron R 4000 ( Honeywell DDP 516 ), an emulator processor K 2063 based on the Soviet replica К589ИКxx of the bit-slice processor family Intel 3000 was developed.

Various magnetic tape, diskette, hard disk and removable disk systems from our own production or from the SKR / ESER network were available for the computers of the K 1600 family. The circuit family К589ИКxx was also used for the connection control for cassette disk storage ("Winchester" removable disks analogous to IBM 3440) K 5160 (K 5164). The U83x circuit family was used for the connection control for floppy and hard disk drives K 5161 (K 5163) or K 5165.

Depending on customer requirements, various connection control modules ( V.24 , IFSS, IFSP, IFLS, IMS) for connecting peripheral devices (terminals, printers, plotters, digitizers), for multi-computer networks (computer coupling) or for laboratory or process automation (e .g . CNC control CNC H645) can be added. The K 8911, K 8912 or K 8917 terminals for operating the K 1600 systems were connected via the IFSS interface.

A specially developed bus control circuit U834 (К1883ВА4) was used on all modules to connect the K 1600 system bus to the microprocessors or LSI interface circuits. A bus converter BUM K 4162 was used to connect the K 1600 system bus to the SKR standard bus. In addition, modules from western PDP 11 computers (with DEC-UNIBUS) could be used via a special controller insert called “C-RES”.

In contrast to other Eastern Bloc PDP11 clones, the GDR developed a completely independent platform with its own form factor, connectors, bus and processor structure, system terminal connection and bootloader ROMs. As a result, the K1600 systems are not 1: 1 compatible with DIGITAL PDP11 and rely on DDR operating systems.

Operating systems and software

As operating systems , the modular operating system MOSS, 1600 (partially compatible with RSX 11M DEC), whose successor OMOS 2.0, 1600, the operating system for the laboratory automation LAOS (partially compatible with RT11 DEC) and the Unix V clone sold mutos 1630th For the K 1600 compilers were available for the programming languages BASIC , Fortran IV as well as for C , COBOL , Pascal and CDL . Special problem-oriented application software for process automation was created with the K 1630 for numerous projects. For example, were

  • process monitoring at Block IV of the Thierbach lignite power station (in connection with the audatec process control system from VEB GRW Teltow)
  • the process management of a ladle metallurgy plant in the VEB Edelstahlwerk Freital ,
  • process monitoring and production control in the VEB ferrosilicon plant Spremberg,
  • process monitoring as well as dispatch and loading control in the VEB fertilizer plant in Rostock,
  • preparation of recipes and process control for raw rubber production together with Bühler-MIAG GmbH Braunschweig and
  • Production planning, control and accounting at VEB Metallgusswerk Leipzig

realized.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ M. Lauermann: Microcomputer system K 1700, status 1/80 (rough concept) . In: VEB Robotron Center for Research and Technology (Ed.): Theses for problem advice K 1700 . VVS DR I / 9-14 / 80. February 12, 1980, p. 11 ff . (Saxon Main State Archive Dresden 11594-1366 / 4).
  2. ↑ Günter Salzmann: K 16N system and processors . Final report A4. Ed .: VEB Robotron Center for Research and Technology. May 20, 1981 (Saxon Main State Archive Dresden 11594-1366 / 4).
  3. ↑ Claus Preußler, Klaus-Dieter Weise: Compilation of the computer technology products produced in the VEB Kombinat Robotron, Part 1: Computers and computer systems (p. 6/7) (PDF; 140 kB)
  4. ↑ corresponds to DEC- UNIBUS
  5. ↑ K1600 computer at www.robotrontechnik.de. Retrieved December 7, 2010 .

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