NORD-12¶
A compact NORD-10 for less money. Same instruction set, same microcode, smaller box.
| Introduced | 1974-75 [?] |
| Type | Configuration of NORD-10 |
| Word length | 16-bit |
| Needs a host? | No, runs on its own |
| Replaced | - |
| Replaced by | ND-100 (1979) |
| Survivors | Serial 85, Telemuseum (marked 8004) |
The short version¶
Program-compatible with the NORD-10 because it uses the same instruction set and the same microcode ROM. What it gives up is memory: 64K words maximum, and no memory management option. What it keeps is the whole peripheral range - every NORD-10 interface works on it, and moving up to a NORD-10 meant carrying your peripherals across.
Specification¶
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| CPU | Microprogrammed; 490-500 ns per microinstruction (NORD-10: 300 ns) |
| Memory | MOS, 4K to 64K words in 4K steps |
| Memory width | 18 bits with the parity option - 16 data plus one parity bit per byte |
| Address space | 64K words. No memory management option - this is the main limit versus the NORD-10 |
| Control store | 65 ns ROM, shared with the NORD-10. Up to 1024 customer instructions in an added PROM |
| Interrupts | 16 program levels with their own registers; context switch 2.0 microseconds. 2048 vectored I/O interrupts |
| Floating point | Standard hardware. Results are truncated (the NORD-10 rounds) |
| Options | Power fail with auto restart, and 30 minutes of memory standby power |
| Operating system | SINTRAN III/12 |
What was new¶
- Same ROM as the NORD-10, which is what guarantees compatibility.
- MOS memory instead of core.
- Peripherals and interfaces interchangeable with the NORD-10 - an upgrade path, not a dead end.
Configurations¶
| Machine | What differs |
|---|---|
| NORD-42 | The same machine, badged for Norcontrol |
Sources¶
- Primary: the NORD-12 Reference Manual is not held - it exists in the mirror, see ../OCR-WANTED.md
- Secondary: ndwiki NORD-12, largely transcribed from that manual
Full context: MACHINE-TIMELINE.md.