• 1974

Hardware Description

This machine seems to be a mid- life "kicker" for the Eclipse Architecture as well as the basis for the Nova 4 . This machine supports several things which were previously optional in the Eclipse line, these being the real- time clock, reader and punch controls, the MAP, and the TTY interface. This system may be one of the first Eclipses to use the "soft console" in which the console TTY is used to interact with a halted system instead of the traditional "lights- and- switches" front panels. I regard this as a loss. While certainly less attractive than a full panel, this incarnation does allow conversation with a halted machine over serial lines. Unlike the MicroNovas, however, one can't set.