RK11-D and RK11-E Moving Head Disk Drive Controller Manual

This document is a comprehensive manual for the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) RK11-D and RK11-E moving head disk drive controllers, designed for use with RK05 disk drives on PDP-11 computer systems.

The manual provides a detailed theory of operation, functional descriptions, and logic necessary for understanding and maintaining these controllers. Key aspects covered include:

• System Interface: How the RK11 controllers interface with up to eight daisy-chained RK05 disk drives and communicate with the PDP-11 processor via the Unibus, utilizing Non-Processor Request (NPR) data transfers.
• Data Handling: Support for 16-bit (RK11-D) or 18-bit (RK11-E) data words, detailing the specific disk data format (preamble, header, data, checksum, postamble) for RK05 cartridges.
• Controller Architecture: A breakdown of the RK11 into four main functional modules: Status Control, Disk Control, Data Paths, and Bus Control.
• Programmable Registers: An in-depth explanation of the seven 16-bit registers (RKDS, RKER, RKCS, RKWC, RKBA, RKDA, RKDB) used for software control, enabling various functions like Control Reset, Seek, Drive Reset, Write Lock, Write, Read, Write Check, and Read Check.
• Advanced Features: Discussion of hardware polling for simultaneous operations on multiple drives and Unibus interrupt sequences.
• Installation & Maintenance: Practical information on power and cabling requirements, option configuration via jumpers, installation procedures, and diagnostic testing using provided software and a KM11-A Maintenance Panel for troubleshooting.
• Specifications: Environmental limits, drive format details, data word formats, recording methods, and data transfer paths.

The document is intended for users, technicians, and programmers involved with PDP-11 and RK05 disk drive systems, providing both conceptual and detailed technical insights into the controller's operation.