VAX-11/730

[Ethan Dicks]

On 4/19/05, Tony Duell <ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk> wrote:
> The 11/730 CPU... normal configurations seem to be :
> 
> A rack containing the CPU _only_, with the TU58 cartridge tape drive
> under it, both drivs accessible from the front of the rack. You need a
> second rack for disks, etc. Actually, I've never seen that one.

That's the one I haven't seen either.  I'd be curious to find if
there's room in the CPU bay for a DD11-DK or two.

> A rack containg the CPU box, with one TU58 cartridge on the front of the
> CPU and one round the side...
> 
> Much the same, but with a TS05 (Cipher F880) 9-track mag-tape drive in
> place of the RL02, and a TSU05 controller in one of the Unibus slots.

Ah... I'd forgotten about that configuration, but I don't think it was
very common.  A TU80 alongside was somewhat common.
 
> There are 2 serial ports (Console and Remote Diagnostics) built into the
> CPU. You can add things like the DZ11 if you want more.

There's room in the I/O bulkheads for a DMF-32 (8 async, 1 sync, 1
printer), and IIRC, it was somewhat common.

> I am not sure how much spare capacity there is on the CPU power supply.
> You may well need an external BA11 mounting box for some of those boards.

I personally wouldn't try to run 5 memory boards, and a full Unibus if
that Unibus was trying to power a DEUNA/DELUA or a UDA50 without first
calculating _exact_ DC consumption.  I've loaded the memory bus and
the Unibus, but not with such power-hungry devices.

> I am _still_ looking for the CPU board printset... I don't think it's on
> bitsavers.

Hmm... I had no idea.  I have a several-inch-thick stack of prints for
the 11/730-Z (the configuration we've been discussing)... I know it
covers cable runs (which are quite intricate in that box), and it
_may_ have CPU board prints; I'll have to check.

-ethan