Subject: DSSI opcodes
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis@mcmanis.com>
List: port-vax
Date: 03/10/2000 16:32:49
Hello port-vax,

So I've been looking for some way to contribute to the VAX port of NetBSD
without interfering with anyone else (and without incurring too much stress
as this is still just a hobby as yet). I decided I would try my hand at
adding support for the on-board DSSI interface on the VAX 4000/300 and the
MicroVAX/VAXServer 3400. 

To further this end I have acquired the technical manuals on both CPUs
(KA640 and KA670) but while they describe the hardware for DSSI in great
detail (its very similar to SCSI btw) they both reference, but don't
include, the list of valid DSSI opcodes and their parameters!

Needless to say that makes it a bit difficult to implement. :-)

I'm looking for any documentation on the DSSI opcodes, or a reference to a
DEC EK-xxx document that documents same if you know of one. Can anyone help
out here?

On a related note, I was musing that as I attached disk and tape units I'd
call them 'dd0, dd1, ..., dt0, dt1 ...' (as in DSSI Disk 0, DSSI Tape 0,
etc) My /dev directory doesn't seem to have any devices by that name so
they would appear to be free for use, but you never know ...

--Chuck