lab (11/10/82)
DEC has produced a very handy little manual which is the ultimate specification
for the Unibus. It is:
PDP-11 Bus Handbook DEC Order Number EB-17525-20 (about $15)
Contents include: unibus technical description, unibus signal details,
unibus protocols, unibus interface design guidelines, unibus configurations,
unibus hardware, specifications for the lsi-11 Q bus.
Dave Wortman
CSRG Laboratory Manager
(decvax!utzoo!utcsrgv!lab)mo@Lbl-Unix@sri-unix (11/20/82)
From: mo at Lbl-Unix (Mike O'Dell [system]) Date: 17 Nov 1982 07:06:52-PST Sadly, however, the "Unibus Book" isn't the ultimate specification. It certianly predates Vaxen, and even some of the "OEM" documents available from DEC do not describe Vax perversities. If there is an Ulitimate Unibus Specification, is probably named Ken Omohundra (sorry if I butchered the spelling) and owns ABLE. I base this claim on ABLE having produced more boards than almost any other comer which work first time, every time, in all known Unibuses. DEC /might/ be even with him in sheer numbers, but on a percentage basis, Ken is batting near 900. If you haven't been to one of his Unibus Magic sessions at Usenix, it is hard to appreciate what a wellspring of information he is. DEC probably has people as good hidden in the closets and backrooms, but they certainly aren't seen in public very often. This is not a plug for ABLE, but it is certainly gratifying to find a compnay where the man in the front office is not merely a bussiness type, but one of the resident authorities on some of the companies deepest technical matters. -Mike