Difference between revisions of "VAX-11/780"

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== VAX-11/780 systems ==
 
 
 
{{InfoboxVAX-Data
 
{{InfoboxVAX-Data
 
| name = VAX-11/780
 
| name = VAX-11/780
| Announcement = November 1977
+
| Announcement = October 1977
 
| Codename = Star
 
| Codename = Star
 
| OS-support-VMS = VMS V1.5
 
| OS-support-VMS = VMS V1.5
 +
| CPU-name-VMS = KA780
 
| Num-proc = 1
 
| Num-proc = 1
 
| CPU-technology = Bipolar Schottky
 
| CPU-technology = Bipolar Schottky
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}}
 
}}
  
The VAX-11/780 was the first member to ship of the VAX-11 family of supercomputers.
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[[Image:Vax11-780_2.png|thumb|A 'typical' VAX-11/780 marketing image]]
It was announced on October 25<sup>th</sup>, 1977 at Digital Equipment Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders.[[#ref_4|[4]]]
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The VAX series was conceived as a follow-on to the successful PDP-11 series of minicomputers.
+
The '''VAX-11/780''' was the first member to ship of the VAX-11 family of larger computers. The VAX series was conceived as the successor to the successful [[PDP-11]] series of [[minicomputer]]s, and in order to make the VAX seem more PDP-11 friendly, they retained the -11 moniker for the first VAXen, hence the -11/780 designation.
One of the main design goals was to increase the address space available, in fact the VAX acronym originally stood  
+
 
for Virtual Address eXtension).[[#ref_3|[3]]]
+
It was announced on October 25<sup>th</sup>, 1977 at [[Digital Equipment Corporation]]'s Annual Meeting of Shareholders.[[#ref_4|[4]]]
 +
 
 +
One of the main design goals was to increase the address space available, in fact the VAX acronym originally stood for Virtual Address eXtension).[[#ref_3|[3]]]
  
 
The first VAX-11/780 systems shipped with one quarter of a megabyte of memory, built from 4Kb chips.[[#ref_3|[3]]]
 
The first VAX-11/780 systems shipped with one quarter of a megabyte of memory, built from 4Kb chips.[[#ref_3|[3]]]
  
The VAX-11/780 was given the codename "Star" and its operating system, VAX/VMS, was codenamed "Starlet".[[#ref_4|[4]]]
+
The 11/780 didn't have normal firmware, instead it loaded its [[microcode]] from floppy. There was also the [[VAX-11/785]], which was an upgraded version.
VAX/VMS Version V1.0 shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s.
+
 
 +
The VAX-11/780 was given the codename "Star" and its operating system, VAX/VMS, was codenamed "Starlet".[[#ref_4|[4]]] VAX/VMS Version V1.0 shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s.
 +
 
 +
==Operating Systems==
 +
 
 +
[[Image:DEC-VAX-11-780.jpg|thumb|An actual VAX-11/780 system]]
 +
 
 +
The 11/780 was to ship with VMS 1.0.
 +
 
 +
* [[VMS]] 1.0 - ?.0
 +
* [[32v]]
 +
* [[Ultrix]]
 +
* [[BSD]] (CSRG flavor) version 3.0 - 4.3
 +
* [[NetBSD]]
 +
* [[OpenBSD]]
  
 +
==Emulation==
  
== References ==
+
[[SIMH]] is the only known emulator for the 11/780.  SIMH can address up to 128MB of RAM emulating an 11/780.  Also the following peripherals are emulated:
 +
 
 +
*CPU VAX-11/780 CPU
 +
*TLB translation buffer
 +
*SBI system bus controller
 +
*MCTL0,MTCL1 memory controllers, MS780C with 4MB memory each, or MS780E with 8MB-64MB each
 +
*UBA DW780 Unibus adapter
 +
*MBA0,MBA1 RH780 Massbus adapters
 +
*TODR time-of-day clock
 +
*TMR interval timer
 +
*TTI,TTO console terminal
 +
*RX console RX01 floppy disk
 +
*DZ [[DZ11]] 8-line terminal multiplexer (up to 4)
 +
*CR [[CR11]] card reader
 +
*LPT [[LP11]] line printer
 +
*RP [[RP04]]/05/06/07, RM02/03/05/80 Massbus disks, up to eight drives
 +
*HK [[RK611]]/RK06(7) cartridge disk controller with eight drives
 +
*RL [[RL11]]/RL01(2) cartridge disk controller with four drives
 +
*RQ [[UDA50]] MSCP controller with four drives
 +
*RQB second UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
 +
*RQC third UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
 +
*RQD fourth UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
 +
*RY [[RX211]] floppy disk controller with two drives
 +
*TS [[TS11]] magnetic tape controller with one drive
 +
*TQ [[TUK50]] TMSCP magnetic tape controller with four drives
 +
*TU [[TM03]] tape formatter with eight TE16/TU45/TU77 drives
 +
*XU [[DEUNA]]/[[DELUA]] Ethernet controller
 +
*XUB second [[DEUNA]]/[[DELUA]] Ethernet controller
 +
 
 +
More information about SIMH's VAX 11/780 emulation can be found [http://simh.trailing-edge.com/pdf/vax780_doc.pdf here].
 +
 
 +
==References==
  
 
  <div id="ref_1">[1] VAX Hardware Handbook Volume 1 - 1986. </div>
 
  <div id="ref_1">[1] VAX Hardware Handbook Volume 1 - 1986. </div>
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  <div id="ref_3">[3] VAX Architecture Reference Manual. Timothy E. Leonard. 1987. EY-3459E-DP. ISBN 0-932376-86-X.
 
  <div id="ref_3">[3] VAX Architecture Reference Manual. Timothy E. Leonard. 1987. EY-3459E-DP. ISBN 0-932376-86-X.
 
  <div id="ref_4">[4] Nothing Stops It! VAX Open VMS At 20.
 
  <div id="ref_4">[4] Nothing Stops It! VAX Open VMS At 20.
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 +
{{Nav VAX}}

Revision as of 14:02, 29 July 2017


VAX-11/780
Summary
Announcement date: October 1977
Codename: Star
OS support (VMS): VMS V1.5
CPU Details
CPU name (VMS): KA780
Number of processors: 1
CPU technology: Bipolar Schottky
CPU cycle time: 200ns
Instruction-buffer: 8 bytes [1]
Translation-buffer: 128 entries [1]
Control store: 4K 99-bit words [1]
Gate delay: 3ns
User Writable Control Store: 2K 99-bit words [1]
Cache: 8KB [1]
Compatibility mode: Yes [1]
Console processor: LSI-11 [1]
Console device: RX01 [1]
Memory
Minimum memory: 2MB
Maximum memory: 64MB
Physical address lines: 30
Memory checking: 8-bit ECC/longword [1]
I/O
Max I/O throughput: 5.0MB/s
MASSBUS: 4 @ 2.0MB/s
UNIBUS: 4 @ 1.5MB/s
LAN support: optional
Performance
VUPs: 1.0


A 'typical' VAX-11/780 marketing image

The VAX-11/780 was the first member to ship of the VAX-11 family of larger computers. The VAX series was conceived as the successor to the successful PDP-11 series of minicomputers, and in order to make the VAX seem more PDP-11 friendly, they retained the -11 moniker for the first VAXen, hence the -11/780 designation.

It was announced on October 25th, 1977 at Digital Equipment Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders.[4]

One of the main design goals was to increase the address space available, in fact the VAX acronym originally stood for Virtual Address eXtension).[3]

The first VAX-11/780 systems shipped with one quarter of a megabyte of memory, built from 4Kb chips.[3]

The 11/780 didn't have normal firmware, instead it loaded its microcode from floppy. There was also the VAX-11/785, which was an upgraded version.

The VAX-11/780 was given the codename "Star" and its operating system, VAX/VMS, was codenamed "Starlet".[4] VAX/VMS Version V1.0 shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s.

Operating Systems

An actual VAX-11/780 system

The 11/780 was to ship with VMS 1.0.

Emulation

SIMH is the only known emulator for the 11/780. SIMH can address up to 128MB of RAM emulating an 11/780. Also the following peripherals are emulated:

  • CPU VAX-11/780 CPU
  • TLB translation buffer
  • SBI system bus controller
  • MCTL0,MTCL1 memory controllers, MS780C with 4MB memory each, or MS780E with 8MB-64MB each
  • UBA DW780 Unibus adapter
  • MBA0,MBA1 RH780 Massbus adapters
  • TODR time-of-day clock
  • TMR interval timer
  • TTI,TTO console terminal
  • RX console RX01 floppy disk
  • DZ DZ11 8-line terminal multiplexer (up to 4)
  • CR CR11 card reader
  • LPT LP11 line printer
  • RP RP04/05/06/07, RM02/03/05/80 Massbus disks, up to eight drives
  • HK RK611/RK06(7) cartridge disk controller with eight drives
  • RL RL11/RL01(2) cartridge disk controller with four drives
  • RQ UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
  • RQB second UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
  • RQC third UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
  • RQD fourth UDA50 MSCP controller with four drives
  • RY RX211 floppy disk controller with two drives
  • TS TS11 magnetic tape controller with one drive
  • TQ TUK50 TMSCP magnetic tape controller with four drives
  • TU TM03 tape formatter with eight TE16/TU45/TU77 drives
  • XU DEUNA/DELUA Ethernet controller
  • XUB second DEUNA/DELUA Ethernet controller

More information about SIMH's VAX 11/780 emulation can be found here.

References

[1] VAX Hardware Handbook Volume 1 - 1986.
[2] Systems & Options Catalog. European Edition. Spring 1990.
[3] VAX Architecture Reference Manual. Timothy E. Leonard. 1987. EY-3459E-DP. ISBN 0-932376-86-X.
[4] Nothing Stops It! VAX Open VMS At 20.