Data Systems Design DSD-880 8" floppy and hard drive?

From: Frank Arnold <fm.arnold_at_gmx.net>
Date: Thu Jul 24 02:20:01 2003

>Message: 39
>Date: Wed, 23 Jul 2003 06:59:49
>To: cctalk_at_classiccmp.org
>From: Joe <rigdonj_at_cfl.rr.com>
>Subject: Re: Data Systems Design DSD-880 8" floppy and hard drive?
>Reply-To: cctech_at_classiccmp.org
>
>At 10:19 PM 7/22/03 -0400, you wrote:
>>>Bob Shannon wrote:
>>
>>> The DSD boxes I used do not emulate DEC drives, and made the 45 meg hard
>>> drive
>>> available as a single device.
>>
>>Jerome Fine replies:
>>
>>As far as I know, the DSD 880/8 and the DSD 880/30 all used
>>only a Qbus controller. And they accepted the standard DEC
>>device drivers in RT-11.
>>

Ok, I can enhance this info somewhat.

I used both DSD 880 -8 and -30. (with great pleasure!)

They interfaced via a 26 pin flatcable to a host Adapter, and I had both
adapters for Q-bus and Unibus. Q-bus adapter was 22-bit.
(in fact, we used a 25 pole data-switch in this flat-cable to switch this
storage-system between 2 machines, as desired)

I used this storage subsystem under RSX11-M with standard drivers, DSD provided
a utility diskette with some handouts about RSX and RT and some driver-patches
(eg for 8-meg extended RL01, or RX03) that I never used. Should have this disk
still sopmewhere. Any interest?

If it is an DSD880 for pdp11, then the emulation is RX / RL. If it is emulating
MSCP its probably the DSD 9xx series of devices.

DSD440 is a dual 8" floppy, in 5" enclosure (Half RX02-formfactor!)
and providing RX01, -02, -03 emulation for all DEC OS's of those days.

I remember there were also adapters for other architectures / busses, DSD did
not limit the 440 or 880 to DEC-machines.


>>There may have been other DSD boxes in addition the the DSD 880
>>and DSD 440, but I had not heard about them, let alone the details.
>
> FWIW I was looking through my Intel docs last night and found a manual
>for a DSD Multibus hard drive controller.
>

I think there was also an adapter for some Motorola 68k based system...

Frank Arnold
Received on Thu Jul 24 2003 - 02:20:01 BST