UNIBUS backplanes

UNIBUS backplanes from DEC, the DD11 backplanes, were system units which were normally installed in a BA11 mounting box. (Some CPU and device backplanes also had UNIBUS slots.)

They came in several different generations: the earliest ones provided only quad Small Peripheral Controller slots; later ones also provided hex Modified UNIBUS Device slots (along with two SPC slots, in the end slots, where the UNIBUS entered and left the backplane on BC11A cables)).

Each slot held six 'connectors', DEC's term for a group of edge connector pins, denominated 'A'-'F'.

The earliest one, the DD11-A (used in the PDP-11/20) got its power through a paddle card which plugged into the 3A slot/connector. All the later ones used one or more standard DEC power distribution connectors.

They were:

• DD11-A backplane - 4 slot
• DD11-B backplane - 4 slot, with early power distribution connector
• DD11-C backplane - 4-slot MUD, with later power distribution connectors
• DD11-D backplane - 9-slot MUD
• DD11-P backplane - modified DD11-D used to hold the PDP-11/34 CPU

Other manufacturers, including Plessey, also produced UNIBUS backplanes, such as the Plessey PM-D11/SPC-1, a 9-slot unit.

External links

• Douglas Electronics still sells extender cards for DEC backplanes
  • 6-DE-11-C dual extender
  • 6-DE-8-C quad extender