> 
> -8800: a VAXBI machine with SMP option
>   8-12 VUPs, max 256 MB RAM, 64 KB@45ns cache
>  the 870 was the slower version (around 6 VUPS)
> 
Actually 8800 is two KA88 (2 * ~6 VUPs), and can have 512MB memory. It has
a PRO380 as console. One of the ftp.luth.se machines is a 8800.
8830 and 8840 are 3 and 4 CPU variants of 8800, with a MicroVAX as console.
A 8800 can have up to four BI buses.
8550 is a single KA88 variant of 8800, can have 2 BIs and 320MB memory.
8530 is a slowed-down 8550; about 4 VUPs.
 
> 
> -TU81 (and in fact all "big tapes"): I think the TU81 had an own
>  interface card that spoke TMSCP with the CPU. Capacity is hard
>  to tell, it depends on the writing density, the length of the
>  tape :) These were 9-track tape drives, the TU80 could do 1600 bpi,
>  I don't know what a TU79/80/81+ could do...
> 
TU80 didn't speak TMSCP, but the same as TS05 et.al. Max 1600 bpi.
TU81/81+ speak MSCP through a special interface. 6250 bpi.
TA78/81/90/91/92 uses a SDI cable and are connected to a HSC.
TA78 and TA81 was 1/2" 6250 tapes, TA90 was a tape-robot that could handle
about 200MB, TA91 400MB and TA92 many GB/tape. These three machines 
was built by IBM but labeled DEC.

Other tapes to know about:
TS11: 1600 bpi, Massbus/Unibus.
TU45: 1600 bpi, Massbus. Maybe Unibus, don't know.
TU77: 1600 bpi, Massbus, autoload.
TU78: 6250 bpi, Massbus, autoload.

>  6200, introduced in '88, with BI and the CVAX chip, used SMP, the third
>  digit in the numbering refers to the number of CPUs
>  2.8 VUPs, 256 max memory, 1K@80ns on-chip and 256KB@160ns on-board cache
> 
>  6000-300 (in '89): CVAX+ chipset, introduced the XMI bus
>  3.8 VUPs, memory and cache as with the 6200
> 
Both 6200 and 6300 have XMI bus. The CPU cards can be intermixed :-)

>  6000-400 (same year): with the Rigel chipset and vector-processing
>  abilities
>  13 VUPs, max 512 MB RAM, 16 ns cycle time, 45-90 MFLOPS
> 
Was vector processing optional? Our machine here doesn't have vector
functionality. Was it a extra card? It's only about 6 VUPs per CPU,
the -500 is 13 VUPs.

-- Ragge