Ramos Focal

This document serves as a programming manual for RAMOS FOCAL, an interpretive, high-level language processor adapted from the Digital Equipment Corporation FOCAL language. Developed by the Aerojet Nuclear Company for the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, this version was optimized specifically to operate within the RAMOS PDP-15 operating system.

The manual provides comprehensive instructions on using the language, including:

• Language Fundamentals: Coverage of arithmetic operations, symbols, variables, and output formatting.
• Operational Modes: Differentiation between direct mode (for immediate calculation) and indirect mode (for stored programming).
• Command Reference: Detailed explanations of commands such as TYPE, ASK, WRITE, SET, ERASE, GO, DO, IF, FOR, and LIBRARY, including the use of subroutines and chaining.
• Debugging and Error Handling: Guidance on using trace features and interpreting system error codes.
• Advanced Features: Information on utilizing RAMOS monitor facilities, such as "common" registers and time-of-day functions.
• Examples: Practical programming examples, including log-log interpolation and neutron flux determination calculations.
• Appendices: Technical summaries covering command syntax, storage formats for programs and variables, and an overview of error message behavior.