DEC 10-HAAB-D SitePrep May70

This document, the PDP-10 Site Preparation Guide, provides comprehensive instructions and specifications for customers to plan and prepare an efficient and reliable installation site for a PDP-10 computer system.

Key aspects covered include:

1. Site Planning Schedule: A recommended timeline for site preparation, starting six months before system delivery, to determine requirements for power, air conditioning, floor, layout, and component delivery checks.
2. Site Considerations: Factors for selecting a site, such as adequate power, efficient workflow, proper air conditioning, floor loading capacity, fire and safety, storage space for supplies, and provisions for future expansion and communication equipment.
3. Physical Infrastructure:
   • Flooring: Recommends raised flooring for cable routing, personnel safety, and layout flexibility, specifying it must withstand weight, be anti-static, and properly grounded.
   • Acoustics: Suggests acoustical treatment for walls, ceilings, and floors to dampen noise from mechanical devices.
4. Environmental Requirements:
   • Temperature & Humidity: Defines operating (60-95°F / 15-35°C, 20-80% RH) and storage (40-110°F / 5-45°C, 10-80% RH, no condensation) ranges, with optimal conditions for reliability being 70°F (20°C) and 50% RH. It details how environmental factors like high/low humidity, dust, vibration, and electrical noise impact system reliability and provides advice on humidity control and air cleanliness.
   • Air Conditioning: Guidance on estimating heat dissipation and the recommendation for a separate computer room AC system.
5. Electrical Service:
   • Power: Specifies power requirements for both 60-Hz (115/200V, 3-phase WYE) and 50-Hz (230/400V, 3-phase WYE) systems, including voltage tolerances, current, circuit breaker recommendations, and connector types (Hubbell for 60Hz, pressure connector blocks for 50Hz).
   • Safety: Stresses the importance of a main circuit breaker, emergency lighting, lightning arrestors, waterproof receptacles, and that the PDP-10 system shuts down automatically and safely on power failure.
   • Grounding: Provides detailed specifications for a ground mesh system using #4 gauge copper wire, connecting all cabinets to a substantial earth ground (e.g., building beam, water pipe) to control electrical noise and differential potentials.
6. Cabling Considerations: Outlines maximum cable length restrictions for various buses (PDP-10 I/O Bus, Memory Buses, Channel Bus, and interfaces to PDP-8/9/15 systems) and peripheral devices to ensure proper system operation.
7. Communications: Advises on ordering and installing customer-supplied communications data sets (e.g., Bell System 103A2 and 103E5) well in advance, detailing recommended features.
8. Component-Specific Data: The bulk of the guide consists of individual "Installation Data Sheets" for each PDP-10 component (e.g., processors, various memory types, disk controls, tape transports, printers, plotters, displays, interfaces). These sheets provide specific power/heat dissipation, physical dimensions, weight, operating/storage environmental ranges, and maximum cable lengths for each device.

In essence, the guide is a critical resource for ensuring that the physical, electrical, and environmental conditions of a PDP-10 computer installation meet the stringent requirements for optimal performance and reliability.