Difference between revisions of "KDF11 CPUs"

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[[Category: DEC Processors]]

Revision as of 14:46, 17 February 2018

There are several single-board CPUs which all use the 'Fonz' F-11 chip set:

Like the LSI-11 models, as a cost-reduction measure they do not have a front panel to control them; instead, when the CPU is halted, specialized microcode used the main serial line as a operating console. The command set is named Octal Debugging Technique (ODT); there are commands to read and write memory, start the CPU, etc. The main serial interface is normally configured so that when the CPU is running, sending a break on the console serial line halts the CPU.

Floating point

All the KDF11 CPUs have two choices for floating point support (full PDP-11 FP11 floating point): a on-board single chip, the KEF11-A floating point chip, which implements floating point using microcode; and a higher-performance separate quad board, the FPF11 (M8188).

The FPF11 communicates with the KDF11 via a cable that plugs into the socket on the KDF11 where the KEF11-A is installed; is unusual that it can plug into either a QBUS or UNIBUS backplane, since it only draws power from the backplane - all signals come over the cable to the KDF11.