FP11-E Floating Point Processor: Difference between revisions

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Formal board names
m link, typo
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* Floating Point ALU (FALU - M7881)
* Floating Point ALU (FALU - M7881)


which mounted in slots 8-11 of the CPU [[backplane]]. The main CPU can detect the presence of the FP11-E, and, if present, uses it to perform any floating point [[instruction]]s found in the [[program]].
which mounted in slots 8-11 of the [[Central Processing Unit|CPU]]'s [[backplane]]. The main CPU can detect the presence of the FP11-E, and, if present, uses it to perform any floating point [[instruction]]s found in the [[program]].


Electrically, it connected directly to the CPU and is controlled bu it; unidirectional data buses are provided to move information (including instructions) from the CPU to the FPP, and vice versa.
Electrically, it connected directly to the CPU and is controlled by it; unidirectional data buses are provided to move information (including instructions) from the CPU to the FPP, and vice versa.


The FP11-E has its own microcode, 88 bits wide, to control its operation, and interaction with the main CPU.
The FP11-E has its own microcode, 88 bits wide, to control its operation, and interaction with the main CPU.

Revision as of 01:41, 18 June 2020

The FP11-E Floating Point Processor is the optional hardware floating point unit for the KD11-K CPU of the PDP-11/60. The KD11-K provided the full FP11 floating point using microcode; the FP11-E was an option which provided considerably improved floating point performance.

It was a 4 hex board co-processor:

  • Floating Point Next Micro-Address (FNUA - M7878)
  • Floating Point Exponent (FLTEXP - M7879)
  • Multiplying Network (MULNET - M7880)
  • Floating Point ALU (FALU - M7881)

which mounted in slots 8-11 of the CPU's backplane. The main CPU can detect the presence of the FP11-E, and, if present, uses it to perform any floating point instructions found in the program.

Electrically, it connected directly to the CPU and is controlled by it; unidirectional data buses are provided to move information (including instructions) from the CPU to the FPP, and vice versa.

The FP11-E has its own microcode, 88 bits wide, to control its operation, and interaction with the main CPU.