DEC RK07 drive interface specs wanted

From: Paul Koning <pkoning_at_equallogic.com>
Date: Fri May 14 08:59:48 2004

>>>>> "Patrick" == Patrick Finnegan <pat_at_computer-refuge.org> writes:

 Patrick> So, what devices would give us the largest range of
 Patrick> possibilties for software compatibilty at the larges size?

 Patrick> <reaches for pdp11 peripheral handbooks>

 Patrick> In 1970 pdp11 handbook: - no disks, just a teletype and
 Patrick> papertape reader are listed.

 Patrick> Added in 1973/4 pdp11 peripherals handbook: - RK11/RK05 -
 Patrick> 2.4MB disk pack - RP11/RP03 - 40MB disk pack

You left out the RC11 and RF11 :-)

 Patrick> Added in 1975 pdp11 peripherals handbook: - RP04 - 100MB
 Patrick> (presumably same RP11 interface as RP03)

Nope. RP11 controls the RP03 and RP02 (half of the RP03) drives --
basically IBM 2314 lookalikes.

The RP04 is the first PDP11 Massbus disk; it uses the RH11 (or RH70
for 11/70s) controller. It's 88 MB (half of the RP06).

 Patrick> Added in 1975 pdp11 peripherals handbook: - RL11/RL01 - 5MB
 Patrick> disk pack

 Patrick> Added in 1978/9 pdp11 peripherals handbook: - RK06 - RK11,
 Patrick> 14MB disk pack - RK07 - RK11, 28MB disk pack - RM02/03 -
 Patrick> RM11 MASSBUS interface, 67MB disk pack

RH11... there is no such thing as RM11.
The RK06/07 controller is called RK611. (RK11 is the RK05
controller.)

 Patrick> Added in 1981/2 pdp11 peripherals handbook: - RL02 - 10MB
 Patrick> disk pack - RP06 - 176MB disk pack - RP07 - 516MB winchester
 Patrick> - RM05 - 256MB winchester - RM80 - 124MB winchester

 Patrick> So, it looks like to me the best choices would be an
 Patrick> RK11/RK05(06,07), an RP11/RP04(05,06,07), an RX11/RX01 and
 Patrick> and RL11/RL01(02) emulator. If I were to pick a single
 Patrick> choice right now, I'd probably pick the RP11 controller, for
 Patrick> the breadth of possible sizes (from 40MB in 1973 to 516MB in
 Patrick> 1981), and put RL11 as a second choice, simply because I've
 Patrick> got one. :) RK11/RK05 seems too small to be worthwhile, but
 Patrick> the RK06 and RK07 aren't bad sizes.

So actually that would be the RH11 for max flexibility; that gives you
RP04/5/6/7, RM02/3/5, and RM80. You can have up to 8 drives (that's
true for most of the others -- but RL11 is limited to 4). Also, two
RH11/RH70 controllers per system is a standard config that most DEC
operating systems support, while more than one of the other disk
controllers isn't.

RK11 may be a good choice -- even though the drive is quite small --
for *very* old OS versions. RP11 (RP03 drive) might also serve, but I
suspect support for that isn't as common. For example, I know DOS-11
V4 works on RK11, I don't know if there's an RP03 version for it.

Speaking of block access devices -- for supporting old OSs, a TC11
emulator might be helpful... :-)

            paul
Received on Fri May 14 2004 - 08:59:48 BST