Chilton::ACD::PERQ Display Boards (original) (raw)

PERQ Display Boards

PERQ Hardware

This board gives a good schematic of the PERQ hardware and the main points:

• CPU and Memory
  • 16 bit ALU up to 1 Million PASCAL P-codes/sec
  • 4K of 48 bit Writeable Control Store
  • 256 Kbytes of 680ns cycle time
• Input/Output
  • Z80 Microprocessor controlling
  • RS232
  • GPIB
  • IEEE 488
  • Speech Output
• Storage
  • 24Mbyte Winchester disc
  • 1Mbyte floppy drive

The Winchester drive is mounted vertically and takes up the whole of the cabinet. The 4K WCS (Writable Control Store) was a major problem early on being only sufficient for handling the PASCAL P-codes so any other extensions or change of operating system needed a larger control store. The 256 Kbyte memory soon got increased to 512 Kbytes and eventually 1 Mbyte.

PERQ Hardware, March 1981

Full image ⇗
© UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council

PERQ Architecture, March 1981

Full image ⇗
© UKRI Science and Technology Facilities Council