Description of the AZ® controller

The AZ® series controllers were developed to work with PDP-11 computers using the QBUS or its analogs. The controllers were designed by engineers Max Bagaev (Russia) and Alexander Zabayratsky (Kazakhstan) in 2019. Since then, the controller has continued to evolve and improve. Unfortunately, due to health issues, Alexander has been unable to continue developing the controller since 2022, and the development is now solely carried out by Max. In total, more than 500 controllers of various modifications have been produced since 2019. This is the most widely produced PDP-11 hardware in modern times.

These controllers were produced for various Soviet clones of PDP-11 machines, such as DVK-1, DVK-2, DVK-3, DVK-4, Kvant-4S, Elektronika-60, Elektronika 60M, Slavutich PK-1, and UKNC.

A special version with extended functionality, the AZBK®, was developed for the BK-0010/BK-0010.01/BK-0011M series.

The main functionality of the AZ® series controllers is a block device with random access. Its standout feature is a higher level of abstraction, where the disk image is a file on the controller's storage filesystem. This makes disk image manipulation easy. Another distinctive feature is the ability to connect to the Internet via Ethernet. This greatly expands the controller's capabilities, including remote disk image manipulation via a built-in WebDAV server. Additionally, the controller allows working with files within disk images, thanks to its ability to open RT11 disk images as directories, enabling read, write, delete, and rename operations remotely.

The controller also includes RTC functionality and the ability to synchronize system clocks with an NTP server. Recently, the network functionality was expanded to allow the controller to use network drives provided by MAXIOL Landisk technology®. This feature enables access to the entire repository of files and disk images available at https://mirrors.pdp-11.ru/.

Classic AZ controllers

Classic AZ controllers include controllers with one STM32F407VET6 microcontroller without RAM. The main difference is that all controllers have a single firmware and are fully compatible software-wise.

AZ MPI

At the moment, 3 modifications of controllers for the MPI bus have been released (analogous to QBUS, but has different sizes of connectors and the printed circuit board itself)

V1.00

This is the first version of AZ controllers, released in a limited edition in 2019.

V1.02

This is an improved version, available for self-assembly. It uses large SMD components, quite easy to assemble yourself.

AZ v1.01 controller assembly for MPI

V2.00

This is the most "modern" version of the AZ controller for the MPI bus. Here, GALs and BH1s are replaced with EPM240s.

AZ QBUSEdit

For the QBUS bus, only one modification of the AZ controller has been released at the moment.

V1.02

This modification corresponds to modification 1.01 for MPI. It does not contain any other fundamental differences.

AZ v1.02 controller assembly for QBUS

AZ UKNC

Several modifications of the controller have been released for UKNC. The AZ UKNC series controllers are installed instead of the network adapter in the network adapter compartment. The UKNC series computers have two main modifications - different connectors for connecting the network adapter - IDC 2x20 and a blade connector on the printed circuit board.

V1.00

This version is designedintended for UKNC with IDC socket for connecting network adapter. Released in limited quantity.

V1.01

This version is available for self-assembly. It is intended for UKNC with IDC connector.

V1.02

This version is available for self-assembly. It is intended for UKNC with a wide blade connector.

V2.00

An experimental version of the controller, is an analogue of version V2 for MPI. In this version it was planned to implement autoloading of UKNC with AZ, however, due to severe time constraints, the work was suspended.

Advanced AZ ControllersEdit

Extended AZ controllers include controllers with an STM32F407VET6 microcontroller, as well as an FPGA, RAM and sound subsystem.

AZБК

This controller is a kind of combine, as it contains slightly modified microcontroller firmware.

V1.00 Consists of 2 boards

This version is available for self-assembly.