TC59 Instruction Test

This document describes the TC59 Instruction Test, a diagnostic software series designed for the checkout and maintenance of the TC59 Magnetic Tape System. It outlines the requirements, including a PDP-9 or PDP-9/L computer, the TC59 system, and a TU20 drive with 7 or 9 track capability. The test is provided as a MACRO-9, .ABS format binary tape and includes instructions for loading and starting.

The document details 16 incremental subtests covering various functionalities, such as Input/Output Transfer (IOT) operations, command register and data buffer checks, data channel transfers, tape motion, parity (write and read), Automatic Priority Interrupt (API) functions, error handling, CRC generation (for 9-track), and manual intervention controls. Operators can select specific tests and memory configurations (ranging from 4K to 32K) using console control switches.

A significant portion of the document is dedicated to error handling and recovery. Upon detecting a hardware malfunction, the program generates an error-coded typeout on the teletype and halts the processor. This typeout provides detailed information including the error type, address, and the contents of various registers (Accumulator, Word Count, Current Address, Magtape Command Register, Magtape Status Register, and Current Address Data). Error recovery procedures allow operators to restart the program from a specific address, continue into a scope mode loop for analysis, or exit the scope loop, depending on control switch settings. Detailed descriptions of each of the 16 tests are provided, explaining their purpose and what aspects of the TC59 system they verify.