[Simh] TU-56

[Johnny Billquist]

On 2016-03-25 00:57, Christian Gauger-Cosgrove wrote:
> On 24 March 2016 at 19:20, Alan Frisbie <Frisbie at flying-disk.com> wrote:
>> Because it *could* be done?
>>
> I wasn't sure, since I never actually worked with the real hardware. I
> assume the UBA on the VAX provides a "normal" UNIBUS, right? In that
> case you could probably connect other "old" and "weird" devices to the
> VAX. RP11 (RP01, RP02, RP03 anyone?), TA11 (TU60 DECcassette), VT11...

Of course. Yes, it's a normal Unibus just like any other Unibus. Which 
is why I agree with Paul. While I don't mind default to have some stuff 
disabled, anything you could hook up to the real hardware should also be 
possible to enable in simh. Who cares if there is a driver for some OS 
or not. What is there to say that not some just decided that they wanted 
to write such a device driver.

>> I saw a TU56 running on a VAX-11/780 at the 10th VMS anniversary
>> celebration at the 1987 Fall DECUS symposium in Anaheim.   It was
>> done by Andy Goldstein, who kindly sent me a copy of the driver
>> he wrote for it.   My intent was to hook my TC11/TU56 via an ABLE
>> Q-Bus-to-Unibus converter to my MicroVAX-II, but I never got around
>> to it.   I still have all the stuff, so I might yet get around to
>> doing it.   Just because it *can* be done.  :-)
>>
> That TU56's were hooked up to a VAX-11/780 running VMS amuses me
> greatly. And echoing Mark, yes please do provide us with the driver,
> if you can.
>
> Now, to putting DECtape on a MicroVAX... let me use a quote here:
> "Science isn't about WHY. It's about WHY NOT."
>
> Also, hmm QBUS<->UNIBUS bridges... you could stick a TC11/TU56 into a
> MicroVAX 3900 or VAX 4000 Model 200.

Right. It would be pretty interesting to see in real life.

	Johnny

-- 
Johnny Billquist                  || "I'm on a bus
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