DX10 Data Channel - Revision history

Jnc: Avoid redirs

2024-02-12T18:33:59Z

Avoid redirs

Jnc: TX01 manual confirms it's an IBM channel

2024-02-12T18:31:33Z

TX01 manual confirms it's an IBM channel

Jnc: Link to coming 'IBM I/O channel' article

2024-01-23T00:57:52Z

Link to coming 'IBM I/O channel' article

Jnc: Completes the set

2023-12-24T20:16:16Z

Completes the set

New page

The '''DX10 Data Channel''' was an adapter which could interface between [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]]-produced [[peripheral]]s and a [[PDP-10]], using the PDP-10's [[PDP-10 Memory Bus]] and [[PDP-10 I/O Bus]]. (So, it could be connected to [[KA10]]s and [[KI10]]s, but only to [[KL10]]s with the optional old-style Memory and I/O [[bus]]ses (provided by the [[DMA20 Memory Bus Adapter]] and [[DIA20 IBus Adapter‎]], respectively.) The DX10 can also use an [[MX10 Memory Multiplexer]].

The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Tape Control Unit]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70]] or [[TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).

The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is apparently an [[International Business Machines|IBM]]-style channel bus, but the DX10 documentation does not say so explicitly.


==Implementation==

The DX10 is built around a [[PDP-8/A]] [[microprocessor]]; the PDP-8/A uses an OMNIBUS]] to talk to its sub-systems, and is enhanced with off-board logic to implement a number of IOT [[instruction]] operations specific to the TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem application. The PDP-8's code is held in a normal PDP-8 4K [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], the 'control storage memory', and was loaded into the DX10 by the host [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] after power-on. (The host PDP-10 can start and stop the PDP-8, and read and write its internal memory, and DX10 internal registers.) There is also an Internal Bus (IBUS) used to communicate between the sub-systems in the DX10.

The DX10 was composed of seven major sub-systems:

* PDP-8 and its sub-systems
* Memory Bus Register and Control
* Channel Command Register
* Data Channel
* I/O Bus interface
* Data Channel Interface
* Channel Bus Interface

These are held mostly on seven [[DEC card form factor|hex]] boards, and two [[DEC card form factor|quad]] boards:

* M8315 PDP-8/A CPU
* M8311 PDP-8 4KW RAM (quad)
* M8317 PDP-8 [[ROM]] [[Bootstrap]] Loader
* 2 x M8595 Memory Bus Interface
* M8596 Channel Bus Interface (quad)
* M8597 PDP-8/A Interface
* M8598 I/O and Memory Control
* M8599 Byte Assembly Logic

and a number of single-width bus interface cards:

* 4 x M564 I/O Bus Receiver
* 4 x M664 I/O Bus Driver

They plugged into a pair of [[system unit]]-sized [[backplane]]s (a 4-slot and a 9-slot), mounted in a separate cabinet (an [[H960 rack|H950]]) along with the [[power supply]].

{{semi-stub}}

==See also==

* [[DX20 Programmed Device Adapter]]
* [[DX11-B System 360/370 Channel to PDP-11 Unibus Interface]]

==External links==

* [http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/pdp10/periph/EK-DX10-MM-001_DX10_Data_Channel_Maintenance_Manual_Sep75.pdf DX10 Data Channel Maintenance Manual] (EK-DX10-MM-001)

[[Category: PDP-10 Machine Interfaces]]

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''DX10 Data Channel''' was an adapter which could interface between [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]]-produced [[peripheral]]s, and a [[PDP-10]], using the PDP-10's [[PDP-10 Memory Bus]] and [[PDP-10 I/O Bus]]. (So, it could be connected to [[KA10]]s and [[KI10]]s, but only to [[KL10]]s with the optional old-style Memory and I/O [[bus]]ses (provided by the [[DMA20 Memory Bus Adapter]] and [[DIA20 IBus Adapter‎]], respectively.) The DX10 can also use an [[MX10 Memory Multiplexer]].
-The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Magnetic Tape Controller]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70]] or [[TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).
+The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Magnetic Tape Controller]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70 Magnetic Tape Drive‎|TU70]] or [[TU71 Magnetic Tape Drive‎|TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).
 The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is an [[IBM I/O channel]] bus.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 The '''DX10 Data Channel''' was an adapter which could interface between [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]]-produced [[peripheral]]s, and a [[PDP-10]], using the PDP-10's [[PDP-10 Memory Bus]] and [[PDP-10 I/O Bus]]. (So, it could be connected to [[KA10]]s and [[KI10]]s, but only to [[KL10]]s with the optional old-style Memory and I/O [[bus]]ses (provided by the [[DMA20 Memory Bus Adapter]] and [[DIA20 IBus Adapter‎]], respectively.) The DX10 can also use an [[MX10 Memory Multiplexer]].
-The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Tape Control Unit]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70]] or [[TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).
+The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Magnetic Tape Controller]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70]] or [[TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).
-The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is apparently an [[IBM I/O channel]] bus, but the DX10 documentation does not say so explicitly.
+The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is an [[IBM I/O channel]] bus.
 <!-- It can act as either a channel controller or a control unit on the channel bus. When operated as a control unit, in theory it could have been used to attach a [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] machine to a [[IBM System/370]] (appearing as a device to the /370). -->

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-The '''DX10 Data Channel''' was an adapter which could interface between [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]]-produced [[peripheral]]s and a [[PDP-10]], using the PDP-10's [[PDP-10 Memory Bus]] and [[PDP-10 I/O Bus]]. (So, it could be connected to [[KA10]]s and [[KI10]]s, but only to [[KL10]]s with the optional old-style Memory and I/O [[bus]]ses (provided by the [[DMA20 Memory Bus Adapter]] and [[DIA20 IBus Adapter‎]], respectively.) The DX10 can also use an [[MX10 Memory Multiplexer]].
+The '''DX10 Data Channel''' was an adapter which could interface between [[Original Equipment Manufacturer|OEM]]-produced [[peripheral]]s, and a [[PDP-10]], using the PDP-10's [[PDP-10 Memory Bus]] and [[PDP-10 I/O Bus]]. (So, it could be connected to [[KA10]]s and [[KI10]]s, but only to [[KL10]]s with the optional old-style Memory and I/O [[bus]]ses (provided by the [[DMA20 Memory Bus Adapter]] and [[DIA20 IBus Adapter‎]], respectively.) The DX10 can also use an [[MX10 Memory Multiplexer]].
 The original intended configuration was with a [[TX01 Tape Control Unit]], along with one or more (up to eight, maximum) [[TU70]] or [[TU71]] [[magnetic tape drive]]s; the ensemble was designated a 'TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem' (or 'TU71' as appropriate).
-The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is apparently an [[International Business Machines|IBM]]-style channel bus, but the DX10 documentation does not say so explicitly.
+The 'channel bus' between the DX10 and the TX01 is apparently an [[IBM I/O channel]] bus, but the DX10 documentation does not say so explicitly.
 <!-- It can act as either a channel controller or a control unit on the channel bus. When operated as a control unit, in theory it could have been used to attach a [[Digital Equipment Corporation|DEC]] machine to a [[IBM System/370]] (appearing as a device to the /370). -->
 ==Implementation==
-The DX10 is built around a [[PDP-8/A]] [[microprocessor]]; the PDP-8/A uses an OMNIBUS]] to talk to its sub-systems, and is enhanced with off-board logic to implement a number of IOT [[instruction]] operations specific to the TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem application. The PDP-8's code is held in a normal PDP-8 4K [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], the 'control storage memory', and was loaded into the DX10 by the host [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] after power-on. (The host PDP-10 can start and stop the PDP-8, and read and write its internal memory, and DX10 internal registers.) There is also an Internal Bus (IBUS) used to communicate between the sub-systems in the DX10.
+The DX10 is built around a [[PDP-8/A]] [[microprocessor]]; the PDP-8/A uses an [[OMNIBUS]] to talk to its sub-systems, and is enhanced with off-board logic to implement a number of IOT [[instruction]] operations specific to the TU70 Magnetic Tape Subsystem application. The PDP-8's code is held in a normal PDP-8 4K [[Random Access Memory|RAM]], the 'control storage memory', and was loaded into the DX10 by the host [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]] after power-on. (The host PDP-10 can start and stop the PDP-8, and read and write its internal memory, and DX10 internal registers.) There is also an Internal Bus (IBUS) used to communicate between the sub-systems in the DX10.
 The DX10 was composed of seven major sub-systems: