17 Jun
2013
17 Jun
'13
1:40 a.m.
On 16/06/2013 23:33, Christian Gauger-Cosgrove wrote:
1. Is the bootstrap for the MRV11-D (the MXV11-BF boot
ROMs
apparently) "conversational" or "automatic."
Yes, it's conversational, but IIRC by default it tries to autoboot and
you have to interrupt the diagnostic process to get a menu. That lets
you boot any of several devices, and/or select non-default device
addresses. I can't remember if there's a jumper to make it enter the
menu at startup, but IIRC it eventually does that anyway if it fails to
find a bootable device.
2. Is there a 22-bit QBUS bus terminator board? (I.e.
only a 22-bit
terminator, no bootstrap/ROM, no DMA refresh, et cetera.) If there is
what is it's name?
No, there's no such board, at least not one I know of.
3. Somewhat tying into the above, but; is there a
22-bit version of
the BDV11 bootstrap ROM/bus terminator board?
Yes, there is. DEC didn't sell 22-bit BDV11s as such, presumably
because by the time it mattered, there were other options. But there's
an ECO that can be easily done as a field mod: ECO M8012-ML005.
4. This is more an opinion question but... Would
trading a KDJ11-BF, a
MRV11-D/terminator or 22-bit BDV11, and a DLV11-J be a good trade?
In terms of my question number four; I ask of that
trade because I
have a KDJ11-BF and an H9275-A backplane (that's the Q22/Q22
serpentine 9x4 one), as I'm in the process of replacing my PDP-11
system. And -- natrually -- the -BF (being PMI) won't play nice in the
H9275-A. So I would like a trade for a functionally similar set of
devices in this case a KDJ11-AC (or -AB with FPU; read my FPU
statement), some form of bootstrap, and a SLU (the bus terminator
would be nice as I plan on filling up said H9275-A).
Well, as you know, you'll never be able to use PMI memory with the
backplane you have, but you won't with a KDJ11-A either, regardless of
backplane. Also, if yours is a -BF, it's got an 18MHz clock[1], whereas
all KDJ11-A are 15MHz. So, no, I'd say it wasn't a good idea. Get some
reasonably fast Q-Bus memory, or get a different backplane if possible,
and /then/ get some PMI memory (presumably what you have isn't PMI memory?)
[1] all boards made/sold as -BF were for 11/83 systems and had an 18MHz
clock, but boards originally fitted with some lower ROM revs were for
15MHz 11/73 systems.
--
Pete Peter Turnbull
Network Manager
University of York