Difference between revisions of "VAX-11/780"

From Computer History Wiki
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Spelling corrections)
(Add a bit of history the the VAX-11/780 page.)
Line 1: Line 1:
The first [[VAX]] Introduced in 1977.
 
  
{{Infobox VAX
+
== VAX-11/780 systems ==
 +
 
 +
{{InfoboxVAX-Data
 
| name = VAX-11/780
 
| name = VAX-11/780
| codename = Star
+
| Announcement = November 1977
| year introduced = October 1977
+
| Codename = Star
| vups = 1.0
+
| OS-support-VMS = VMS V1.5
| cpu = KA780
+
| Num-proc = 1
| clock speed = 200 ns
+
| CPU-technology = Bipolar Schottky
 +
| CPU-cycle = 200ns
 +
| Instruction-buffer = 8 bytes [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Translation-buffer = 128 entries [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Control-store = 4K 99-bit words [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Gate-delay = 3ns
 +
| UWCS = 2K 99-bit words [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Cache = 8KB [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Compatibility-mode = Yes [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Console-processor = LSI-11 [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Console-device = RX01 [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Minimum-memory = 2MB
 +
| Maximum-memory = 64MB
 +
| Physical-address-lines = 30
 +
| Memory-checking = 8-bit ECC/longword [[#ref_1|[1]]]
 +
| Max-I/O-throughput = 5.0MB/s
 +
| BUS-MASSBUS = 4 @ 2.0MB/s
 +
| BUS-UNIBUS = 4 @ 1.5MB/s
 +
| LAN-support = optional
 +
| VUPs = 1.0
 
}}
 
}}
  
[[Image:Vax11-780_2.png|thumb|A 'typical' Vax-11/780 setup.]]
+
The VAX-11/780 was the first member to ship of the VAX-11 family of supercomputers.
[[Image:DEC-VAX-11-780.jpg|thumb|A real VAX-11/780 install]]
+
It was announced on October 25<sup>th</sup>, 1977 at Digital Equipment Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders.[[#ref_4|[4]]]
 
+
The VAX series was conceived as a follow-on to the successful PDP-11 series of minicomputers.  
 
+
One of the main design goals was to increase the address space available, in fact the VAX acronym originally stood
This was the first VAX from [[Digital Equipment Corporation]]The VAX was the successor to the PDP-11, 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. The 11/780 didn't have normal firmware, instead it loaded its microcode from floppy. 
+
for Virtual Address eXtension).[[#ref_3|[3]]]
 
 
== 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
 
<br><br>
 
More information about SIMH's VAX 11/780 emulation can be found [http://simh.trailing-edge.com/pdf/vax780_doc.pdf here].
 
 
 
== Operating Systems ==
 
 
 
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]]
 
  
 +
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]]]
 +
VAX/VMS Version V1.0 shipped in 1978, along with the first revenue-ship 11/780s.
  
There was also the [[VAX-11/785]], which was an upgraded version.
 
  
 +
== References ==
  
{{Nav VAX}}
+
<div id="ref_1">[1] VAX Hardware Handbook Volume 1 - 1986. </div>
 +
<div id="ref_2">[2] Systems & Options Catalog. European Edition. Spring 1990. </div>
 +
<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.

Revision as of 18:14, 23 July 2017

VAX-11/780 systems

VAX-11/780
Summary
Announcement date: November 1977
Codename: Star
OS support (VMS): VMS V1.5
CPU Details
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


The VAX-11/780 was the first member to ship of the VAX-11 family of supercomputers. It was announced on October 25th, 1977 at Digital Equipment Corporation's Annual Meeting of Shareholders.[4] The VAX series was conceived as a follow-on to the successful PDP-11 series of minicomputers. 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 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.


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.