Brookhaven FASTBUS/UNIBUS Interface
G. Benenson, J. Bauernfeind, R. C. Larsen, L. B. Leipuner, William M. Morse, Robert K. Adair, J. Kevin Black, S.R. Campbell, Henry Kasha, M. P. Schmidt · IEEE Transactions on Nuclear Science · 1983
A typical high energy physics experiment requires both a high speed data acquisiton and processing system, for data collection and reduction; and a general purpose computer to handle further reduction, bookkeeping and mass storage. Broad differences in architecture, format or technology, will often exist between these two systems, and interface design can become a formidable task. The PDP-11 series minicomputer is widely used in physics research, and the Brookhaven FASTBUS is the only standard high speed data acquisition system which is fully implemented in a current high energy physics experiment. This paper will describe the design and operation of an interface between these two systems. The major issues are elucidated by a preliminary discussion on the basic principles of Bus Systems, and their application to Brookhaven FASTBUS and UNIBUS.