[Simh] TU-56

[Christian Gauger-Cosgrove]

On 24 March 2016 at 18:13, Bill Cunningham <billcun at suddenlink.net> wrote:
>     My apologies for posting carlessly and not entering a subject. I do now
> indeed have the latest simhvmaster mar 2006. OK. I see vax780 supports
> TU-50. Will that also support TU-56. Sorry for my ignorance. Maybe I am
> overlooking TU-56 support somewhere.
>
Neither the "vax780" (VAX-11/780) or "vax8600" (VAX-11/790... sorry, I
mean VAX 8600) simulators support the TU56 DECtape, but they do
support TU58 DECtape II.

Supported tape devices for both simulators are:
1. MASSBUS tape transports (TE16, TU45, and TU77) attached to a TM03
formatter (device TU)
2. TS11 UNIBUS attached tape transport (device TS)
3. TMSCP tape, UNIBUS attached as either TK50, TK70, or TU81 (device TQ)
4. Serial attached, TU58 DECtape II (device TDC)

MASSBUS tapes, the TS11, and the TU81 are standard 9-track magtape,
while TK50 and TK70 are cartridge tape drives (DLT, I believe?). TU58s
are DECtape II "it's like a disk, but slower and cheaper"; it is *not*
the same as, or compatible with TU56 "original DECtape", though in
principle both are magtapes formatted in blocks that pretend to be
very slow disks just different form factors and controller schemes.

The DECtape II device is the TDC device, which is disabled by default.
"SET TDC ENABLED" to enable it, of course.


Regards,
Christian
-- 
Christian M. Gauger-Cosgrove
STCKON08DS0
Contact information available upon request.