[pups] Advice on which PDP-11 processor handbook to buy

[Guy Sotomayor]

Ross Tucker wrote:
> Hello all-
> I'm a n00b on this list, so please forgive me my sins as I forgive
> those who.... uh, never mind. Anyway, I am looking to get a "PDP-11
> Processor Handbook" from Amazon or eBay (so I can understand the Lions
> book) and there are so many different editions and versions... Lions
> writes about the 11/40, but supposedly, that's not too different from
> the /45 or /70. My simh boot images for v6 are for the /45 (though
> supposedly I'm supposed to be able to modify them to run on the
> others, right?).
>   
There are a number of differences between the /40 & /45 and /70:

    * 45 & 70 are split I & D machines
    * /40 has it own floating point that is incompatible with any others
    * 11/34 is basically an 11/40 (but can have the compatible floating
      point)
    * 70 has a Unibus map that allows it to have > 128KW (256KB).
    * 45 & 70 have user/supervisor/kernel mode while others just have
      user/kernel mode
    * there are a few other differences that escape me at the moment

> What I'm asking is your advice on which Handbook to buy. Here is a
> synopsis on the editions and prices from amazon:
> /04/34A/44/60/70  (1979) $10
> /04/34/45/55/60  (1978) $40
> /70 (1975) $16
> /04, 24, 34A, 70 (Jun 1981) $16
> /04/05/10/35/40/45 (1975) $45
>
>   
If you're trying to understand Lyons, then I'd probably go with the last 
book as the /40 & /45 were the ones most likely to be running v6 
originally (although I did run it on a /34 back in the day).

-- 

TTFN - Guy