TC11 DECtape controller

From Computer History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
TC11 controller

The TC11 is the DECtape device controller for the UNIBUS. It supported, and was normally provided with, TU56 dual DECtape drives. (In theory, it could probably have controlled the earlier TU55 single drive, but this is not confirmed.)

There is only one version of the TC11, the TC11-G (although it is almost never referred to by that full name).

Like many of the earlier large peripheral controllers for the PDP-11, the TC11 was a large custom wire-wrapped backplane which bolted into the front of a 19 inch rack, such as an H960; into it plugged about 40 small M-Series FLIP CHIPs.

Device registers

Register Abbreviation Address
Control and Status Register TCST 777340
Command Register TCCM 777342
Word Count Register TCWC 777344
Bus Address Register TCBA 777346
Data Register TCDT 777350

777340: Control and Status Register (TCST)

ENDZ PAR MTE ILO SELE BLKM DATAM NEX UPS CLK MMT DT0-2 XD17-16
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00

777342: Command Register (TCCM)

ERROR Unused MAINT DINHB REV Unit READY IE EXBA Function DO
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00

777344: Word Count Register (TCWC)

WC15 <---> WC00
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00

777346: Bus Address Register (TCBA)

BA15 <---> BA00
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00

777350: Data Register (TCDT)

Data15 <---> Data00
15 14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05 04 03 02 01 00

Board chart/count table

TC11 controller cards

The Flip Chip module utilization chart for the TC11 backplane is as follows (* = Connector):

Slot A B C D
1 UNIBUS in
2 UNIBUS out
3
4 M798 M105 M307 M141
5 M784 M7821 G736 M307
6 M784 M796 M111 M113
7 M795 M113 M203
8 M783 M783 M115 M113
9 M149 M149 M115 M602
10 M302 M307 M627 M302
11 M206 M205 M611 M307
12 M239 M112 M161 M111
13 M113 M113 M127 M112
14 M205 M205 M206 M115
15 M121 M121 M207 M119
16 M205 M205 M121 M111
17 M121 M121 M113 M117
18 M161 G879 M228
19 M611 M502 M115 M205
20 M908* G888 M117 M113
21 G888 G888 M115 M113
22 W032* M202 M112
23 G888 G888 M117 M606
24 M050 M904*
  • The M908 is the command connector
  • The W032 is the analog signal connector
  • The M904 is the light cable

Module counts

Module counts (drawn from the module count chart, not yet confirmed in the module utilization drawing):

Single height boards:

  • 1 - G736 - Jumper module
  • 1 - G879 - Transport detector
  • 5 - G888 - Manchester read/write amplifier
  • 1 - M050 - Inverter Driver
  • 3 - M111 - Inverters
  • 3 - M112 - NOR Gates
  • 8 - M113 - 2-Input NAND Gates
  • 5 - M115 - 3-Input NAND Gates
  • 3 - M117 - 4-Input NAND Gates
  • 1 - M119 - 8-Input NAND Gates
  • 5 - M121 - 4-input AND-NOR Gates
  • 1 - M127 - 2-2-2-3 AND-NOR Gates
  • 1 - M141 - 2-2-2-2 AND-NOR gates
  • 2 - M149 - 2-Input NAND Wired OR
  • 2 - M161 - Binary to Octal/Decimal Decoder
  • 1 - M202 - J-K Flip Flops
  • 1 - M203 - S-R Flip Flops
  • 6 - M205 - D Flip Flop
  • 2 - M206 - D Flip-Flops
  • 1 - M207 - J-K Flip-Flops
  • 1 - M239 - 4 Bit Counter/Registers
  • 2 - M302 - One Shot Delay
  • 4 - M307 - Integrating One Shot
  • 1 - M502 - Negative Input Converter
  • 1 - M602 - Pulse Amplifier
  • 1 - M606 - Pulse Generator
  • 2 - M611 - High Speed Power Inverter
  • 1 - M627 - 4-Input NAND Power Amplifier

Extended single height boards:

  • 1 - M105 - UNIBUS Address Selector
  • 1 - M7821 - UNIBUS Interrupt Control, 7 bits
  • 2 - M783 - Bus Drivers
  • 2 - M784 - Bus Receivers
  • 1 - M796 - UNIBUS Master Control
  • 1 - M798 - Non-inverting UNIBUS Drivers

Double height boards:

  • 1 - M228 - Mark Track Decoder

Extended double height boards:

  • 1 - M795 - Word Count and Current Memory Address

External links