Strange third party board in PDP-11/45

[Mattis Lind]

>
> So, my guess was wrong there. I had _assumed_ that when doing a memory
> operation, the CPU started a cycle on both busses, to minimize the delay on
> the UNIBUS cycle if the MS11 on the FastBus didn't have that location. (I
> had
> previously checked, and there is an 'I have that location' signal which the
> MS11 sends back, making the concept of a cache possible.)
>
> Well, no. In the "KB11-A CPU Maintenance Manual" (DEC-11-HKBB-D), section
> 7.7.1 ("Bus Control Introduction"), it says:
>
>   If the address applies to a Fastbus device, that device will respond in
> time
>   to inhibit the UNIBUS MSYN signal
>
> (It turns out the KB11-A is very clever; it has to delay for a bit after
> asserting the address, etc, signals on the UNIBUS, for de-skew, before it
> can
> assert MSYN, and during that delay, in parallel, it checks to see if the
> MS11
> has that location.)
>
> So my theory about what that double-card does (prevent an MSYN sent to main
> memory on a cache hit) is apparently wrong.
>
>
> Which leaves the question of what that card _does_ do...
>
> The cache _does_ need to have the A and B UNIBUS tied together, so that it
> can
> snoop UNIBUS memory cycles (which are on the A UNIBUS) via the B UNIBUS
> (which
> is what it has access to on the backplane), _but_ it doesn't need a special
> card, with i) active logic, and b) a cable back to the main board, to do
> that
> - a regular M9200 will do that.
>
> The cable back to the main card, and the logic on the two dual-width cards,
> mean it wants to interfere somehow in the connection between the A and B
> UNIBUS. But if not the MSYN thing, what else could it be?  I have pondered
> that question, but I can't think of anything.
>
> It can't be doing anything with interrupts or DMA, I would think, so no
> grant
> interception. So what else could it be? Anyone have any ideas?
>

Here are some pictures of  the mysterious bus intercept or whatever board:

https://i.imgur.com/rZOS0qt.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/6eMfCo4.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/Jodpiue.jpg

/Mattis



>
>         Noel
>