VAX Maintenance Handbook VAX-11/780

This document is the "VAX Maintenance Handbook, VAX-11/780 1983 Edition," published by Digital Equipment Corporation. Its primary purpose is to provide a compact, quick-reference source for troubleshooting, maintenance, operation, and programming information specifically for the VAX-11/780 processor.

The handbook is organized into nine chapters covering various technical aspects:

1. Introduction: Outlines the document's purpose and lists other relevant VAX-11/780 hardware manuals.
2. Hardware Diagrams: Provides detailed block diagrams for the VAX-11/780's central processing unit (CPU), various CPU modules (e.g., cache, translation buffer, instruction buffer, data path, clock module, control stores), console interface, floating-point accelerator, and includes module utilization charts and jumper configurations.
3. Microcode: Delves into the system's low-level firmware, detailing control store field maps, microcode routines, branch enable functions, microtrap vectors, memory control functions, scratch pad operations, and control ROM field definitions.
4. Console: Covers interaction with the system console, including Q-Bus registers, explanations of console booting version numbers, help files, error messages, microdebugger commands, console subsystem configuration, module jumper configurations, and Q-Bus signal descriptions. It also outlines the console boot/troubleshooting flow.
5. Internal Registers: Provides detailed information on processor register addresses and bit configurations, ID-Bus map and register configurations, silo register interpretation, microcode machine check error logout, double error halt, and V-Bus channel configurations.
6. System Backplane Interconnect (SBI): Explains the SBI's configuration, parity fields, information transfer formats, I/O register addressing, interrupt vector generation, faults, and configuration rules for TR (Transaction Request) selection, along with backplane pin details.
7. SBI Nexus: Focuses on memory and I/O interactions via the SBI, detailing memory configuration registers, memory array addresses, module utilization (MS780A, MS780C), memory block diagrams, and various multiport memory modules and UNIBUS/MASSBUS adapters (e.g., DW780, RH780, MA780).
8. Processor-Specific Diagnostics: Describes microdiagnostic monitor commands, pseudo-instruction definitions, and control ROM field definitions for in-depth system diagnostics.
9. Miscellaneous: Includes integrated circuit diagrams for various specific chips used in the VAX-11/780 system.