Supermicrosystems Handbook

This "Supermicrosystems Handbook" by Digital Equipment Corporation serves as a concise reference guide for their family of 16-bit and 32-bit supermicrosystems, including the MicroVAX II, MicroVAX I, MicroPDP-11/83, MicroPDP-11/73, and MicroPDP-11/23.

The document provides a comprehensive overview of these systems, highlighting their suitability for various applications in technical (laboratory, factory, medical, engineering) and commercial (small business, office, banking) environments. A core theme is the compatibility and upgrade paths offered by Digital's common architectures:

• MicroVAX models (I and II) implement the 32-bit VAX architecture and run MicroVMS, ensuring compatibility with larger VAX systems.
• MicroPDP-11 models (23, 73, and 83) implement the 16-bit PDP-11 architecture and support all PDP-11 operating systems, providing compatibility with other Q-bus and UNIBUS PDP-11 systems.

The handbook details the following key aspects:

• System Hardware: Descriptions of the unique CPU modules for each system, various available enclosures (floorstand, pedestal, tabletop, rackmount, cabinet, ruggedized), and system configurations.
• System Options: A wide array of hardware options including memory modules, performance-enhancing components (e.g., floating-point processors), diverse storage devices (fixed/removable disks, flexible disks, cartridge/streaming tapes, CD-ROM), communication interfaces (asynchronous, synchronous, real-time), and a range of terminals, printers, and modems.
• System Software and Layered Products: Coverage of operating systems (e.g., MicroVMS, ULTRIX, RSX-11, RSTS, DSM), high-level programming languages (e.g., BASIC, C, COBOL, FORTRAN, Pascal, Ada), information management products, and programmer productivity tools.
• Networking Capabilities: An explanation of Digital's Network Architecture (DNA) and how it enables communication among Digital systems (DECnet), with other manufacturers' equipment (Internet), and through public packet-switched networks (Packetnet), facilitating distributed processing.
• Architectural Summary: Detailed information on the VAX and PDP-11 architectures, covering address space, memory management, registers, data types, instruction sets, exceptions, and operating modes.

The document emphasizes the cost-effectiveness and ease of migration between different supermicrosystem models due to shared components and architectural consistency.