
DEC Opcodes
Reference for DEC computers
Free · In‑App Purchases · Designed for iPad
Back when computers came with ash-trays.
Dec Opcodes – DEC Architecture Reference
Before the microprocessor, there was DEC. The minicomputers built by Digital Equipment Corporation didn't just advance computing - they defined it. Unix was born on a PDP-7. Spacewar! ran on a PDP-1. The VAX powered universities and research labs worldwide for a generation.
DecOpcodes puts the complete instruction sets of these legendary machines in your pocket.
Five iconic architectures covered: PDP-1 (1960) · PDP-8 (1965) · PDP-10 (1966) · PDP-11 (1970) · VAX (1977)
For every instruction:
• Full description of what the instruction does
• Octal and hex encoding
• Flags affected
• Addressing modes, word count, and cycle counts
• Assembly code examples and implementation notes
More than just opcodes:
• Complete system specifications and register architecture
• Historical context and cultural impact
• Archival photographs - front panels, system cabinets, and more
• Notable installations and the systems they powered
• Architecture variants and successors
Built for exploration:
• Search across all systems instantly
• Filter by instruction category
• Sort alphabetically or by category
• Favorite instructions for quick reference
Beautifully designed:
• System-specific accent colours
• Five themes including Terminal green and Blinkenlights orange
• Full Dark Mode support
From the 18-bit simplicity of the PDP-1 to the 32-bit sophistication of the VAX, DecOpcodes is a fascinating journey through the machines that made modern computing possible.
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Updated PDP-1 mnemonics for IOT and PDP-1D.
Fixed crashing bug when running app on an Apple Silicon Mac.
The developer, John Kennedy, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
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Information
- Seller
- John Kennedy
- Size
- 11.6 MB
- Category
- Education
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 18.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 18.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 18.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 15.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 2.0 or later.
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- In-App Purchases
Yes
- Buy Me a Coffee $0.99
- Copyright
- © 2026 John Kennedy