[rescue] PDP11 adventures

[Curtis H. Wilbar Jr.]

OK... so I'm now the new (proud :-) ) owner of a PDP-11/83.

I'm new to the PDP11s, so, I'm not even powering this thing up until I get
educated.

This is the config

In the system (183QA-D2) box:

M8637-EF (2MB ECC RAM)
M8190-AE (11/83 CPU, FPJ11-AA)
X, M9047 (nothing, grant continuity)
M7196 (TSV05 controller)
M7555, M9047 (RQDX3 MFM Winchester/floppy, grant continuity)
M7513, M9404 (RQDXE RQDX extender for RQDX2/3, Q22 extender cpu end)
X (nothing)
X (nothing)

In the BA23-CA expansion:

M9405-YB, M9047 (Q22 extender far end, grant continuity)
M8053-MA (RS232/423 w/DDCMP)
M3104 (8 line ASYNC multiplexer)
M3104 (8 line ASYNC multiplexer)
M77651, M7555 (DRV11-WA 18/22 bit dma general purpose parallel 
interface, RQDX3)
M7651, M7546 (DRV11-WA, TKQ50-AA TMSCP for TK50 controller)
X (nothing)
X (nothing)


I recieved this with 1 TK50 drive in the BA23, no hard drives (I have a 
decent
selection of MFM drives, but if anyone has any spare Maxtor XT2190 or 
XT1140s
let me know).  Anyone got any DEC drive sleds ?  I could use 4.

Also have a 'port panel' that wen on the rear of the rack these two 
boxes were pulled
from... and a large cache of ribbon cables to connect everything up.

Now... for questions:

is FPJ11-AA floating point, and does that mean my cpu card has that 
built in ?

What is the max ram ?  i.e. how many more M8637-EF (or higher capacity)
cards can be aquired and put in ?

Anyone have a TSV05 tape drive local to Sharon, MA ?  Or, anyone in need of
a TSV05 controller ?

What is DDCMP control ROM ? that my M8053-MA has ?

What is a DRV11-WA general purpose 18/22 bit parallel interface ?  Can
this be used for a parallel printer ???

As I'd like to have larger storage on it at some point, I'd like to 
locate a SCSI
(or possibly ESDI ?) controller.  What should I be looking for, anyone have
one ?

I'm looking at running BSD (2.11 ?) and other PDP11 OSes... suggestions ?

There doesn't seem to be a reason to the layout of the grant continuity 
cards.
Shouldn't there be one in the left side of the 3rd slot from the top in 
the 183QA-D2
(system unit) ?

What is the minimum card config to start testing with ?

Any pointers on how the RQDX3 and RQDXE cards should wire up ?  The
RQDXE in the system unit has a wide ribbon cable running to the front
(which I presume breaks into the control/data wiring for an MFM drive
there).. but the RQDX3 doesn't connect to the RQDXE ..

Sorry for the long post... I'm new to PDP11...

Oh.. last thing... does anyone local to Sharon, MA 02067 have a 'proper'
DEC RAC enclosure the is 'correct'/'period' for a PDP-11/83 ?  (not
full size please... this 11/83 is in my 2nd floor computer room... I 
currently
do not want a full height 19" rack in there... something deskside size plz).

Thnk that covers it for now.

Thanks in adance everyone,

-- Curt