QBUS

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The QBUS, previously known as the "LSI-11 bus", was intended as a cheaper alternative to the UNIBUS system by Digital Equipment Corporation.

It was widely used in PDP-11s and VAXen.

The bus had multiplexed address and data lines, and was available in 16-, 18-, and 22-address-bit configurations (data width remained 16 bits in all three versions).

Important note: The 16-bit and 18/22-bit backplanes are electrically incompatible and mixing the two may damage cards on the bus.

It is possible to upgrade 18-bit backplanes to 22-bit; see Upgrading QBUS backplanes.

Signalling

Like the UNIBUS, there are three basic kinds of cycles on the QBUS: data read/write cycles (in which a 'master' reads or writes data to/from a 'slave', which is usually, but not always, memory); DMA cycles (in which a device gains control of the bus so that it can do a read/write cycle); and interrupt cycles, in which a device causes the CPU to perform an interrupt.

All QBUS transactions are asynchronous, and use interlocked request/response signals for control and timing.

Pinout

QBUS pins are identified in the standard UNIBUS manner; there are two connectors, A and B; pins on the component side are 1, those on the solder side are 2. Pins are identified by the 'DEC alphabet', A-V, with G, I, O and Q dropped.

By signal

Ground || AM1 Ground || AT1 Ground || AC2 Ground || BJ1 Ground || BM1 Ground || BT1 Ground || BC2 +5 || AA2 +5 || BV1 +5 || BA2 +5B || AE1 * +5B || AS1 * +5B || AV1 +12 || AD2 +12 || BD2 +12B || AS1 * +12B || BS1 -12 || AB2 -12 || BB2 BDAL00 || AU2 BDAL01 || AV2 BDAL02 || BE2 BDAL03 || BF2 BDAL04 || BH2 BDAL05 || BJ2 BDAL06 || BK2 BDAL07 || BL2 BDAL08 || BM2 BDAL09 || BN2 BDAL10 || BP2 BDAL11 || BR2 BDAL12 || BS2 BDAL13 || BT2 BDAL14 || BU2 BDAL15 || BV2 BDAL16 || AC1 BDAL17 || AD1 BDAL18 || BC1 BDAL19 || BD1 BDAL20 || BE1 BDAL21 || BF1 BBS7 || AP2 BDIN || AH2 BDOUT || AE2 BREF || AR1 BRPLY || AF2 BSACK || BN1 BSYNC || AJ2 BWTBT || AK2 BDCOK || BA1 BEVNT || BR1 BHALT || AP1 BINIT || AT2 BPOK || BB1 BDMGI || AR2 BDMGO || AS2 BDMR || AN1 BIAKI || AM2 BIAKO || AN2 BIRQ4 || AL2 BIRQ5 || AA1 BIRQ6 || AB1 BIRQ7 || BP1 SRUN || AH1 * ASpare2 || BU1 MSpareA || AK1 MSpareB || AL1 MSpareB || BK1 MSpareB || BL1 PSpare1 || AU1 PSpare2 || BU1 PSpare4 || BS1 SSpare1 || AE1 * SSpare2 || AF1 SSpare3 || AH1 * SSpare8 || BH1
Signal Pin
Ground AJ1

Signals marked with a "*" show cases where two signals use the same pin (not at the same time, obviously).

By pin

 BIRQ5		AA1  (old BSpare1)
 BIRQ6		AB1  (old BSpare2)
 BDAL16	AC1  (old BSpare3)
 BDAL17	AD1  (old BSpare4)
 SSpare1	AE1  (alt +5B)
 SSpare2	AF1  (alt SRUN/SMENBL on CF1)
 SSpare3	AH1  (alt SRUN on CH1)
 Ground	AJ1
 MSpareA	AK1
 MSpareB	AL1
 Ground	AM1
 BDMR		AN1
 BHALT		AP1
 BREF		AR1
 +5B/+12B	AS1  (old PSpare3)
 Ground	AT1
 PSpare1	AU1
 +5B		AV1
 
 +5		AA2
 -12/-5	AB2
 Ground	AC2
 +12		AD2
 BDOUT		AE2
 BRPLY		AF2
 BDIN		AH2
 BSYNC		AJ2
 BWTBT		AK2
 BIRQ4		AL2 (was BIRQ)
 BIAKI		AM2
 BIAKO		AN2
 BBS7		AP2
 BDMGI		AR2
 BDMGO		AS2
 BINIT		AT2
 BDAL00	AU2
 BDAL01	AV2
 
 
 BDCOK		BA1
 BPOK		BB1
 BDAL18	BC1 (old SSpare4)
 BDAL19	BD1 (old SSpare5)
 BDAL20	BE1 (old SSpare6)
 BDAL21	BF1 (old SSpare7)
 SSpare8	BH1
 Ground	BJ1
 MSpareB	BK1
 MSpareB	BL1
 Ground	BM1
 BSACK		BN1
 BIRQ7		BP1  (old PSpare6)
 BEVNT		BR1
 PSpare4/+12B	BS1
 Ground	BT1
 PSpare2	BU1
 +5		BV1
 
 +5		BA2
 -12/-5	BB2
 Ground	BC2
 +12		BD2
 BDAL02	BE2
 BDAL03	BF2
 BDAL04	BH2
 BDAL05	BJ2
 BDAL06	BK2
 BDAL07	BL2
 BDAL08	BM2
 BDAL09	BN2
 BDAL10	BP2
 BDAL11	BR2
 BDAL12	BS2
 BDAL13	BT2
 BDAL14	BU2
 BDAL15	BV2