Introduction to the PDP-11

This student workbook serves as a foundational study guide for the PDP-11 computer system. It covers key concepts, including:

• System Architecture: Comparison between PDP-11 and traditional systems, specifically focusing on the Unibus structure versus separate memory, I/O, and DMA buses.
• Instruction Set: The benefits of a unified instruction set enabled by the common bus architecture.
• System Components: Overview of building blocks, including processors, various memory types (core, read-only, semiconductor), and I/O interface functionality.
• Addressing: Explanations of byte-oriented memory organization, low/high bytes, and word structures, as well as 16-bit and 18-bit addressing modes.
• PDP-11 Family: Summary characteristics of different models, ranging from the LSI-11/03 to the PDP-11/70, detailing their processing modes, address space, and supported hardware.