DEC RK07 drive interface specs wanted

From: Tony Duell <ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk>
Date: Fri May 14 18:49:28 2004

>
> On Thu, 13 May 2004 22:34:22 +0100 (BST)
> ard_at_p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell) wrote:
>
> > To me, a classic computer system=20
> > is more than just the CPU. The peripherals are part of it as well.=20
> > Running a PDP11 with flash memory mass storage is not the same as
> > running one with a demountable hard disk.=20
> Very true. The sound of a spinning disk...=20

And of the headcrash ... :-)

> But I have only one RK07 medium. So I can not benefit from the
> posibility to swap media.
> And: Disk drives are prone to fail. Lots of mechanical stuff that weres
> out much faster then electronic. The ideal solution is to have the solid

Mechanical parts can be rebuilt....Some of them (although admittedly
probably not the really precision parts for a hard disk drive) can be
made in a good home workshop. Certainly fan and motor bearings can be
rebuilt at home.

I hate to say this, but you're proposing replacing one device (the old
disk drive) with maintenance problems with another device with even worse
maintenance problems (do you believe that CF cards and the same FPGAs
will be available in 20 years time??)

> > > I don't know. I suspect that I would need a FPGA for bus glue logic
> > DEC managed with a handful of TTL.=20
> Sure. But a FPGA is run time reconfigurable so I can emulate what ever

Provided you have the compiler software and something to run it on...

Personally, I find a soldering iron to be a lot easier to use (and
quicker for small changes, bug fixes, etc) than any FPGA software I've
seen. And it's certainly a lot easier to keep a soldering iron working
than a PC...


> interface I want. I can even emulate multiple different interfaces at
> the same time as a FPGA has enough complexity. (Maybe a RK07 and a TS11)

A hardwired logic system could do that too.

-tony
Received on Fri May 14 2004 - 18:49:28 BST