System Module: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:19, 1 January 2021

Revision as of 13:37, 19 August 2021

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[[File:Dec SYSTEM BUILDING BLOCKS 1103.jpg|thumb|System Module 1103 hex-inverter card (both sides)]]

'''System Modules''' (originally known asass '''System Building Blocks'''; the name was changed around 1961) are a [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] modular [[digital logic]] family which preceded the later [[Flip Chip (PDP module)|FLIP CHIP]]s.<ref name=DECLogicp56>"Digital Logic Handbook", pg. 56</ref> They connect to the units they are plugged into via a set of 22 gold-plated discrete pins along one edge.<ref name=SysModvii>"System Modules", pg. vii</ref>

They use [[transistor]] inverter circuits, with the transistors operating saturated, to avoid dependence on tight tolerances; they use -3V and 0V as logic levels. Intended for prototyping as well as production, they include design features intended to avoid damage. They are provided with design advice which includes loading rules and wiring instructions.<ref name=SysMod4>"System Modules", pg. 4.1-4.9</ref>