PDP-11 Bus Devices on K Bus

This technical memorandum from February 1970 explores the compatibility between PDP-11 bus devices and the proposed K Bus. The document evaluates whether PDP-11 character-oriented devices (such as teletypes and paper tape readers) and NPR/DMA devices can be utilized on the K Bus, and vice versa. It discusses necessary electrical and physical modifications, specifically addressing bus width, data bit assignment (16 vs 18 bits), device addressing schemes, and interrupt sequences. The author concludes that while device compatibility is economically advantageous, it introduces complexities regarding bus performance, future expansion, and potential engineering overhead, suggesting that the initial investigation raised more questions than definitive answers regarding the long-term viability of such a compatible architecture.