DEC System Software and Diagnostics Manual

This document is a comprehensive manual detailing various software components, utility programs, and diagnostic tools for Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) systems. It is structured into several main sections, each covering specific software or diagnostic families.

The document begins by outlining System Software, categorizing it into operating systems (like TOPS-10, TOPS-20, and RSX-20F) and Common Used System Programs (CUSPs) such as text editors (TECO, XTECO), debuggers (DDT), and file transfer utilities (PIP). It describes their command conventions, operational procedures, and error handling.

A significant portion is dedicated to Maintenance Software, explaining its role in preventive and corrective hardware maintenance. This section details how maintenance software is organized into libraries for different DEC processors (PDP-8, PDP-11, KL10) and outlines various utility programs (e.g., bootstrap loaders, diagnostic monitors) and diagnostic program types (exercisers, operability tests), including their internal structure and operational control.

The manual then provides extensive descriptions of specific diagnostic programs and libraries for various DEC hardware platforms:

• 8/8 STD Maintenance Library: For PDP-8A processors, covering utility loaders and memory/CPU exercisers.
• 11/11 STD Maintenance Library: For PDP-11 systems, detailing a diagnostic monitor (XXDP) and various diagnostic hierarchies for processors, memory, disk, DECtape, and data communications subsystems.
• 11/10 STD Maintenance Library: For PDP-11/KL10 console front-end subsystems, including utilities like KLDCP, MEMCON, and TRACON, alongside a broad range of diagnostics for CPU EBox, MBox, memory systems, paging logic, internal channels, MF20, meter boards, and cache.

For each software or diagnostic module, the document typically provides general information, hardware requirements, loading and starting procedures, operational control, test summaries, and comprehensive error message lists.