[ih] bytes [Re: "network unix"]

Scott O. Bradner sob at sobco.com
Sun Oct 9 13:27:49 PDT 2016


fwiw - I DEC was using “octet” with the PDP-1s and PDP-4s in the mid 1960s
(for me it was 1966 with a PDP-4)

Scott

> On Oct 9, 2016, at 3:56 PM, Brian E Carpenter <brian.e.carpenter at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> On 10/10/2016 08:20, Scott O. Bradner wrote:
> 
> ...
>> PDP-11 were 16 bit words
> 
> I think the byte stabilised at 8 bits in my mind because of
> the PDP-11, rapidly followed by the Intel 8080 and Motorola 6800.
> Looking at my 1971 PDP11/20-15-r20 processor handbook, it's unambiguous
> that a byte is 8 bits and is the smallest addressable unit.
> 
> (However, I think the question was really settled in April 1964
> when the IBM 360 was announced. From then on, the 6 bit bytes were
> survivors.)
> 
> When did ISO start using "octet"?
> 
>    Brian
> 
> 
> 





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