Difference between revisions of "DECstation"

Revision as of 15:29, 27 September 2005

DECstation is the name for a MIPS-based workstation series manufactured by DEC during the 90s. The major models have been the DECstation 2100/3100, the DECstation 5000/1xx, the DECstation 5000/2xx and the Personal DECstation 5000/xx series. They are supported to a varying degree by Linux/MIPS. The major Linux distribution that supports them is the Debian/mipsel port.

Processor Options

DECstations have been equipped with various CPU types ranging from the MIPS R2000 (in the models 2100 and 3100), MIPS R3000 (in the models 5000/20, /25, /33; 5000/120, /125, /133, 5000/200 and /240) over the MIPS R4000 (in the models 5000/50 and 5000/150) to the MIPS R4400 in the model 5000/260.

Memory

The models 2100 and 3100 can be equipped with up to 24MB of RAM, for the 5000/xx the limit is at 40MB, the 5000/1xx can take up to 128MB and the /2xx models can be brought to a maximum of 480MB.

Memory modules are DEC-specific:

• the 2100 and 3100 use small-sized 80-pin SIMMs with 2MB of RAM,
• the 5000/xx and /1xx use the same as the above or similar SIMMs with 8MB of RAM,
• the 5000/2xx use quite big daughtercards with either 8MB or 32MB of RAM per card; a battery-backed-up non-volatile module with 1MB of SRAM may be used in one of the slots instead

Graphics Options

The Personal DECstation 5000/xx has onboard graphics which can display 1024x768 pixels with 8-bit color. The DECstation 5000/1xx and /2xx series do not have onboard graphics but are normally equipped with a TurboChannel graphics adapter. The DECsystem 5000/1xx and /2xx are headless variants of the equivalent DECstation series, which can be "converted" to a DECstation by adding a graphics board.

Up to now, only a few graphics options are (at least partially) supported by Linux-MIPS:

• Personal DECstation onboard graphics: 8-bit color, 1024x768 pixels, dumb
• PMAG-A aka MX: monochrome frame buffer (MFB), 1280x1024 pixels, dumb
• PMAG-B aka CX: 8-bit color frame buffer (CFB), 1024x864 pixels, dumb
• PMAGB-B aka HX: 8-bit color smart frame buffer (SFB), variable resolution with 1280x1024 pixels by default, basic acceleration (acceleration features unsupported in Linux/MIPS)
• ZLX-E2 (PMAGD-B) aka HX+: 24-bit color smart frame buffer plus (SFB+), variable resolution with 1280x1024 pixels by default, basic acceleration (using the TGA driver)
• ZLX-E2 (PMAGD-C) aka HX+: 24-bit color with Z-buffer smart frame buffer plus (SFB+), variable resolution with 1280x1024 pixels by default, basic acceleration (using the TGA driver)

Storage Options

SCSI controller (PMAZ-AA) is based on the NCR 53C94 (aka asc) or the Emulex ESP216 which are interchangeable.

TODO

Networking Options

• PMAD-AA: 10 Mbps Ethernet controller based on the AMD Am7990 (LANCE) chip, AUI -- supported with a patch
• DETRA-AA (PMAT-AA): DEC TRNcontroller 700, Token Ring controller -- unsupported
• DEFZA-AA (PMAF-AA): DEC FDDIcontroller 700, SAS/MMF -- support in progress
• DEFZA-CA (PMAF-CA?): DEC FDDIcontroller 700C, SAS/STP and /coax -- support in progress
• DEFTA-FA (PMAF-FA): DEC FDDIcontroller/TURBOchannel, SAS/MMF -- fully supported
• DEFTA-AA (PMAF-FS): DEC FDDIcontroller/TURBOchannel, SAS/MMF -- fully supported
• DEFTA-DA (PMAF-FD): DEC FDDIcontroller/TURBOchannel, DAS/MMF -- fully supported
• DEFTA-UA (PMAF-FU): DEC FDDIcontroller/TURBOchannel, SAS/UTP -- fully supported
• DGLTA-FA: DEC ATMworks 750 adapter, OC-3 SONET/SDH, MMF -- unsupported
• DSYT1-AA: DEC WANcontroller 720 dual synchronous serial adapter, T-1/E-1 -- unsupported

Firmware

TODO

External Links

• Karel's DECStation Linux info