RK06/RK07 Disk Drive User's Guide

This document is a User's Manual for the RK06/RK07 Disk Drive Subsystems, including the RK611 Disk Controller, published by Digital Equipment Corporation in February 1978.

Key aspects covered by the manual include:

• Purpose and Scope: It provides information on the capabilities, installation, operation, programming, and user maintenance of the RK611/RK06 and RK611/RK07 Subsystems. Installation and service are explicitly stated as requiring qualified Digital Equipment Corporation field engineering and maintenance personnel.

• System Components:

  • RK06 and RK07 Disk Drives: High-performance, moving-head disk drives.
  • RK06K and RK07K Disk Cartridges: Dual-platter magnetic cartridges serving as the storage medium, with formatted capacities of 6.3-6.9 million (RK06K) and 12.6-13.8 million (RK07K) 16/18-bit words, respectively. RK06K and RK07K cartridges are not interchangeable.
  • RK611 Disk Drive Controller: Interfaces the disk drives to a PDP-11 system via the Unibus, handling command control, data transfer (using a 66-word Silo memory), and managing various device registers.

• Key Functionality:

  • Data Handling: Utilizes Modified Frequency Modulation (MFM) encoding and phase-locked oscillator (PLO) for constant bit density. Supports both 16-bit and 18-bit word formats.
  • Error Control: Features advanced data error detection and correction (ECC) logic capable of correcting error bursts up to 11 bits. It also includes head offset capability for data recovery from misaligned heads and a bad sector file.
  • Diagnostic Capabilities: An extensive status/error reporting network and a software-controlled diagnostic mode (DMD) enhance serviceability by allowing isolation and testing of controller operations.

• Manual Structure:

  • Introduction: General description, specifications, and options.
  • Subsystem Description: Detailed technical characteristics of the drives, cartridges, and controller.
  • Site Considerations and Preparations: Environmental requirements (temperature, humidity, cleanliness crucial) and physical site setup.
  • Installation: Procedures for qualified personnel, including unpacking, safety, module installation, cabling, and initial checks (e.g., voltage, head alignment).
  • Field Acceptance Test Procedure: Protocols for diagnostic testing before user acceptance.
  • Operator's Guide: Practical instructions for operating the disk drive, including controls and cartridge loading/unloading.
  • Programmer's Guide: In-depth reference for software interaction, detailing device registers, disk commands, and programming examples for error handling.
  • Customer Maintenance Guide: Limited user-level maintenance (external cleaning) and clear instructions for professional servicing.
  • Dual-Access Option: A detailed chapter on configuring and operating the system with two controllers accessing the same drives, including arbitration and error handling.

In essence, the document serves as a comprehensive technical guide for the RK06/RK07 disk drive family, covering everything from physical installation and maintenance (for technicians) to low-level programming and operational procedures (for users and programmers), with a strong emphasis on data integrity and the advanced features of the RK611 controller.