IP30 - Revision history

Ralf at 09:28, 17 August 2012

2012-08-17T09:28:20Z

Onion at 07:00, 8 October 2010

2010-10-08T07:00:04Z

Kumba: Add images of the dreaded compression connector.

2009-04-17T07:50:17Z

Add images of the dreaded compression connector.

Ryanaxp: Added pic; reworked some of the initial description for clarity (I hope) and enhanced precision

2006-08-20T15:48:36Z

Added pic; reworked some of the initial description for clarity (I hope) and enhanced precision

Skylark: status update

2005-10-07T01:12:09Z

status update

Skylark: progress bar increase

2005-07-16T10:52:09Z

progress bar increase

Ralf: Expansion options - make MENET a link

2005-06-29T14:00:54Z

Expansion options - make MENET a link

Skylark: compression connectors suck rocks

2005-06-28T08:46:55Z

compression connectors suck rocks

Skylark at 17:33, 10 June 2005

2005-06-10T17:33:08Z

Skylark: update web page

2005-04-12T07:55:42Z

update web page

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:28, 17 August 2012
Line 56:		Line 56:

	[[Category:SGI]]		[[Category:SGI]]
		+	[[Category:workstation]]

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:00, 8 October 2010
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	\|[[Image:IP30 Compression Connector Inside.jpg\|thumb\|none\|300px\|Inside View of an IP30 Compression Connector]]		\|[[Image:IP30 Compression Connector Inside.jpg\|thumb\|none\|300px\|Inside View of an IP30 Compression Connector]]
	\|}		\|}
		+
		+	[[Category:SGI]]

@@ Line 43: / Line 43: @@
 == Compression connectors ==
-For reasons unknown, SGI decided to employ the IBM compression connector system for XIO boards. This decision seems somewhat foolish, because more often than not, the connectors become dislodged when carrying the system and lose contact. The problem can be easily identified by looking at the small 7 green LEDs hidden behind the frontpanel (next to a 15-pin connector of unknown purpose). The top left LED corresponds to the system board BRIDGE (the bottom system board XIO connector), the top right is PCI cage BRIDGE, bottom right is system board HEART (the top system board XIO connector). The other 4 LEDs correspond to the four quadrants of the PCI module.
+For reasons unknown, SGI decided to employ the IBM compression connector system for XIO boards. This decision seems somewhat foolish, because more often than not, the connectors become dislodged when carrying the system and lose contact. The problem can be easily identified by looking at the small 7 green LEDs hidden behind the front panel (next to a 15-pin connector of unknown purpose). The top left LED corresponds to the system board BRIDGE (the bottom system board XIO connector), the top right is PCI cage BRIDGE, bottom right is system board HEART (the top system board XIO connector). The other 4 LEDs correspond to the four quadrants of the PCI module.
-If any of these LEDs is dark while it should be alight, you can suspect the compression connector is loose. Try to take the respective device out, blow clean air at the connector surface ('''never''' touch it). Refer to the Octane Owner's Guide at SGI for exact cleaning procedures. Then reseat the device and try again.
+If any of these LEDs is dark when it should be lit up, you can suspect the compression connector is loose. Try to take the respective device out, blow clean air at the connector surface ('''never''' touch it). Refer to the Octane Owner's Guide at SGI for exact cleaning procedures. Then reseat the device and try again.
 If it doesn't help, try again. If it is still wrong, and you are a brave soul, you can try taking the connector off the board and reseating it. It helps sometimes, and it helped the original IP30 port author, so it's probably good. It's a not widely advertised fact that the compression connectors connect to the PCB using the same mechanism as they use to mate. You just need to unscrew the two small hex screws that hold the metal securing hooks, then unscrew the two similar screws that hold the connector to the thick metal backside. This operation will leave you with a loose compression connector. Reseat it and it might work...

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== General information ==
+[[Image:SgiOctane.jpg|thumb|right|200px|An SGI Octane workstation]]
-The Octane, known also as IP30 or internally as the Speedracer or simply Racer, was a high-end graphics workstation manufactured from 1997 until 2000. From 2000 to 2004 a newer version was available (Octane2), which shares most of the architectural features with its predecessor. Both versions supported by Linux.
+The distinct green (or blue, in case of Octane2), squat, somewhat blobby shape of the Octane is instantly recognizable as a Silicon Graphics machine.
-−
-Its distinct green (in case of Octane2, blue), squat, somewhat blobby shape is instantly recognizable as a Silicon Graphics machine.
 Linux support requires the linux-mips.org CVS tree and a patch from [http://www.linux-mips.org/~skylark/]. You can load those kernels from disk using [[ARCLoad]].

@@ Line 30: / Line 30: @@
 The Octane can be equipped with one of two graphics families. The older one is [[IMPACT]], that is inherited from the [[IP28|Indigo2]] workstation series.
-These are the SI, SI+T, SSI, MXI cards and their updated (and accelerated) versions ESI, ESI+T, ESSI and EMXI (also known as SE, SE+T, SSE and MXE). The S?+T and MX? cards contain texture modules that allow the Octane to do hardware texturing. Support for the IMPACT series is available in the Speedracer Linux kernel.
+These are the SI, SI+T, SSI, MXI cards and their updated (and accelerated) versions ESI, ESI+T, ESSI and EMXI (also known as SE, SE+T, SSE and MXE). The S?+T and MX? cards contain texture modules that allow the Octane to do hardware texturing. Support for the IMPACT series is available in the Speedracer Linux kernel; also there is experimental, shadowfb-based support for the X.org implementation of the X Window System.
-Newer Octanes and all Octane2s contain the [[ODYSSEY]] series graphics. These cards, known as VPro, are integrated single-chip solutions. They come in four versions: V6, V8, V10 and V12. None is supported yet. The [[ODYSSEY]] series graphics is also used in [[IP35|Tezro]] and [[IP35|Fuel]] machines.
+Newer Octanes and all Octane2s contain the [[ODYSSEY]] series graphics. These cards, known as VPro, are integrated single-chip solutions. They come in four versions: V6, V8, V10 and V12. All of them are supported on the basic text-console level; there is no X support yet. The [[ODYSSEY]] series graphics is also used in [[IP35|Tezro]] and [[IP35|Fuel]] machines.
 == Expansion options ==

@@ Line 40: / Line 40: @@
 A PCI cage can be slid into a specially shaped XIO slot. The cage contains a BRIDGE chip and three 64-bit PCI sockets (one of the cards has to be shorter because of the mechanical constraints). From programmer's point of view, there is no difference between the system board BRIDGE and the PCI cage one.
-There are also quad and single Fast Ethernet XIO cards (MENET - they contain a BRIDGE and four IOC3s), a Gigabit Ethernet XIO card, XIO horseshoes (a mini-cage for a single PCI card) and a very mysterious XIO Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) of which not a single piece was ever seen (which naturally makes it interesting). None of them (except maybe MENET) are supported.
+There are also quad and single Fast Ethernet XIO cards ([[MENET]] - they contain a BRIDGE and four IOC3s), a Gigabit Ethernet XIO card, XIO horseshoes (a mini-cage for a single PCI card) and a very mysterious XIO Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) of which not a single piece was ever seen (which naturally makes it interesting). None of them (except maybe MENET) are supported.
 == Compression connectors ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 08:46, 28 June 2005
Line 41:		Line 41:

	There are also quad and single Fast Ethernet XIO cards (MENET - they contain a BRIDGE and four IOC3s), a Gigabit Ethernet XIO card, XIO horseshoes (a mini-cage for a single PCI card) and a very mysterious XIO Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) of which not a single piece was ever seen (which naturally makes it interesting). None of them (except maybe MENET) are supported.		There are also quad and single Fast Ethernet XIO cards (MENET - they contain a BRIDGE and four IOC3s), a Gigabit Ethernet XIO card, XIO horseshoes (a mini-cage for a single PCI card) and a very mysterious XIO Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) of which not a single piece was ever seen (which naturally makes it interesting). None of them (except maybe MENET) are supported.
		+
		+	== Compression connectors ==
		+
		+	For reasons unknown, SGI decided to employ the IBM compression connector system for XIO boards. This decision seems somewhat foolish, because more often than not, the connectors become dislodged when carrying the system and lose contact. The problem can be easily identified by looking at the small 7 green LEDs hidden behind the frontpanel (next to a 15-pin connector of unknown purpose). The top left LED corresponds to the system board BRIDGE (the bottom system board XIO connector), the top right is PCI cage BRIDGE, bottom right is system board HEART (the top system board XIO connector). The other 4 LEDs correspond to the four quadrants of the PCI module.
		+
		+	If any of these LEDs is dark while it should be alight, you can suspect the compression connector is loose. Try to take the respective device out, blow clean air at the connector surface ('''never''' touch it). Refer to the Octane Owner's Guide at SGI for exact cleaning procedures. Then reseat the device and try again.
		+
		+	If it doesn't help, try again. If it is still wrong, and you are a brave soul, you can try taking the connector off the board and reseating it. It helps sometimes, and it helped the original IP30 port author, so it's probably good. It's a not widely advertised fact that the compression connectors connect to the PCB using the same mechanism as they use to mate. You just need to unscrew the two small hex screws that hold the metal securing hooks, then unscrew the two similar screws that hold the connector to the thick metal backside. This operation will leave you with a loose compression connector. Reseat it and it might work...

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Its distinct green (in case of Octane2, blue), squat, somewhat blobby shape is instantly recognizable as a Silicon Graphics machine.
-Linux support requires the linux-mips.org CVS tree and a patch from [http://skylark.cs.put.poznan.pl/ip30/]. You can load those kernels from disk using [[load64]].
+Linux support requires the linux-mips.org CVS tree and a patch from [http://skylark.cs.put.poznan.pl/ip30/]. You can load those kernels from disk using [[ARCLoad]].
 == Architectural features ==