[weblacky]

Wait? Perhaps this is a dumb question, you can run multiple CADDuo cards? And those cards work in ANY modern SGI with a PCI (correctly keyed) bus? For some reason I've only associated the cards with Octane...so I thought they were an Octane specific option. Can you use DCD outputs or do you need actually separate graphics cards?

[Raion]

CADDUOs are working on Octane, and the Onyx2/Origin 2000.

I've never tried on a Tezro or Origin 350.

[kaigan]

Wait? Perhaps this is a dumb question, you can run multiple CADDuo cards?  And those cards work in ANY modern SGI with a PCI (correctly keyed) bus? For some reason I've only associated the cards with Octane...so I thought they were an Octane specific option. Can you use DCD outputs or do you need actually separate graphics cards?

The information I can find on the CADDuo cards seems to indicate that it needs a dedicated graphics card per CADDuo in the Octane. With that as the case, I have a feeling that it may not work with a DCD, but it would be an interesting experiment for someone with the hardware.

At some point, I can try one of the cards out with my rackmount O350/Onyx4/Tezro setup and see what I can get out of it. My understanding is that the Onyx4 specifically was designed to handle multi-user implementations, but I haven't read into the details to see what hardware SGI recommended to handle that. More bedtime reading for me, I suppose.

[ghost180sx]

It seems like the Onyx2 IO6 already has two keyboard and mouse ports built in, and the lower end DG5-2 has two monitor outputs. So if you want to try just two users on one system, it's feasible without a CADDUO card. That would be super fun for gaming regardless of the possibility of having even more users, like 4+

[kaigan]

It seems like the Onyx2 IO6 already has two keyboard and mouse ports built in, and the lower end DG5-2 has two monitor outputs. So if you want to try just two users on one system, it's feasible without a CADDUO card. That would be super fun for gaming regardless of the possibility of having even more users, like 4+

The Onyx2 (even the deskside) does have those multiple inputs, yes. However, the issue, like I mentioned in my other thread (https://forums.irixnet.org/thread-2907.html) seems to be that IRIX can't/won't divide a single graphics pipe into multiple X displays. The documentation on the Onyx2 from SGI only talks about multi-seat configurations for Onyx2 systems with multiple graphics pipes. Since a deskside only has one IR graphics pipe, it seems like the DG is limited to presenting a single X display, but spread across multiple monitors.

I just received a modified SI card from Raion that should fit in the Onyx2. I'm going to install it and see what the Onyx2 thinks of it. If it acts as a separate graphics pipe properly, then it may be possible to do similar modifications to other Octane cards and fit up to four of them into the deskside. If that works, that would allow for five players total - one on the IR pipe and four on the Octane pipes.

[kaigan]

Looks like the card works in the Onyx2, but IRIX is freezing early in the initial startup when I try to reinstall it on the system. I'll have to play around and see if I can find a way to make it work.

[Raion]

It's because subsystems are incompatible between the IR and MGRAS systems. There's similar issues if you mix VPro and MGRAS

[ghost180sx]

That's so strange. I wonder why the put two keyboard and mouse ports. What would be the use case? The IO6 is clearly for desk-sides, but can be used on the rack systems too. So is this just a case of the same module being used but it only really benefits you on a rack config with a IR chassis and two pipes? Hmm...

I see what you mean about mixing graphics subsystems. That's also a bummer. In an O2K tho, that wouldn't matter if you used a ton of SE or SI cards...

[Raion]

Yep yep. You can modify the SE card somewhat easily.

[kaigan]

It's because subsystems are incompatible between the IR and MGRAS systems. There's similar issues if you mix VPro and MGRAS

Do we know if they're completely incompatible, though? VPro and MGRAS have some issues, but they will work in the same Octane, for example.

But if they are, then an O2K would definitely be the best candidate for this sort of thing with hardware from that era.