Use of RL-02 on RL-01 controller

[Qbus]

If you’re not careful sometimes you get just what you asked for. Ok, so this last weekend I traveled up to Ohio and picked up an entire truckload of Dec stuff, couple 11/34 systems, flock of RL-01 and 02 drives and a RK drive along with a couple Dec equipment racks. Best thing about them is they have Dec signs on the top that say “PDP-11”. I am working on getting a Unibus RL controller card but before I get the card for that system and until I get the Unibus system running I figure I can test the three RL-01 drives with my 11/23 system. I would like to use the RL-02 drives with the new 11/34 system but the question is can I connect a RL-02 to a RL-01 controller to test its functioning? My 11/23 has a RLV11 card for controlling the RL-01 drives but I do not know if anyone has tried to use that controller with a RL-02? I know it won’t work to the full disk size but would like to at least see if they provide the right clock and instructions to just see if the RL-02 drives are working. The end result is to get the RL-02 drives up and running being that media for RL-02 drives is way cheaper and more common than for the RL-01, may be time to look for the RL-01/02 controller for the Qbus system.

 

[RSX11M+]

My experience is that PDP-11 RL controllers work with both RL01 and RL02 Drives.

Do not put RL02 disk packs in anything but RL02 Drives.

I have heard that RL02 drives can access RL01 Disk Packs safely in Read-Only mode, but never done it. I have always applied the rule of direct matching types.

I do recall some limits on the number of Drives a particular controller type / rev can accommodate, ( 4 vs 8 ) but not the specifics.