PDP-8/E Options

This document, Chapter 7 of the PDP-8/E handbook, details the optional equipment available for the PDP-8/E computer. It is organized into four main sections:

1. Mechanical Expansion Options: Covers system expander boxes (BA8-AA, BA8-AB, BE8-A) and front panel options (KC8-EC, KC8-EB).
2. Computer Internal Options: Details internal enhancements like the Extended Arithmetic Element (EAE), memory equipment, real-time clocks, and power fail detection.
3. OMNIBUS Input/Output Equipment Options: Lists various I/O peripherals, including teleprinters, paper tape units, displays, plotters, and mass storage (DECtape, DECMAGTAPE).
4. External Bus Input/Output Equipment Options: Describes devices connected via the external bus, such as disk drives, magnetic tape, data acquisition peripherals, and floating-point processors.

The document provides technical descriptions, programming information, and instruction sets for these options, particularly for the KE8-E Extended Arithmetic Element (EAE), which allows for high-speed arithmetic operations.