<s>
The	O
PDP-12	B-Device
(	O
Programmed	B-Device
Data	I-Device
Processor	I-Device
)	O
was	O
created	O
by	O
Digital	O
Equipment	O
Corporation	O
(	O
DEC	O
)	O
in	O
1969	O
and	O
was	O
marketed	O
specifically	O
for	O
science	O
and	O
engineering	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
was	O
the	O
third	O
in	O
the	O
LINC	B-Device
family	O
and	O
its	O
main	O
uses	O
were	O
for	O
applications	O
in	O
chemistry	O
,	O
applied	O
psychology	O
,	O
patient	O
monitoring	O
and	O
industrial	O
testing	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
the	O
combination	O
of	O
the	O
LINC	B-Device
computer	O
and	O
the	O
PDP-8	B-Device
and	O
can	O
run	O
programs	O
for	O
either	O
computer	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
a	O
single	O
central	O
processor	O
with	O
two	O
distinct	O
operating	O
modes	O
,	O
each	O
with	O
its	O
own	O
instruction	B-General_Concept
set	I-General_Concept
that	O
allows	O
it	O
to	O
run	O
both	O
computers	O
 '	O
programs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
PDP-12	B-Device
Basic	O
System	O
weighed	O
about	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
can	O
be	O
a	O
laboratory-oriented	O
machine	O
with	O
several	O
facilities	O
for	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
,	O
auxiliary	O
storage	O
,	O
and	O
control	O
and	O
sensing	O
for	O
external	O
equipment	O
or	O
a	O
general	O
purpose	O
computer	O
with	O
a	O
flexible	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
capability	O
that	O
can	O
support	O
multiple	O
peripheral	O
devices	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
basic	O
package	O
came	O
with	O
dual	O
LINCtape	O
drives	O
,	O
a	O
scope	O
display	O
and	O
I/O	B-General_Concept
ports	O
for	O
interfacing	O
with	O
external	O
laboratory	O
equipment	O
and	O
peripherals	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
addition	O
to	O
a	O
display-based	O
OS	B-General_Concept
other	O
software	O
packages	O
were	O
included	O
for	O
data	O
acquisition	O
and	O
display	O
,	O
Fourier	O
analysis	O
and	O
mass	O
spectrometry	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Although	O
an	O
OS/8	B-Operating_System
variant	O
named	O
OS/12	O
was	O
the	O
predominant	O
PDP-12	B-Device
operating	B-General_Concept
system	I-General_Concept
,	O
there	O
were	O
two	O
prior	O
ones	O
:	O
</s>
<s>
Less	O
than	O
a	O
year	O
after	O
its	O
introduction	O
the	O
PDP-12	B-Device
already	O
had	O
over	O
400	O
orders	O
placed	O
and	O
in	O
total	O
725	O
units	O
were	O
manufactured	O
before	O
being	O
discontinued	O
in	O
1972	O
.	O
</s>
