New with SGI = Need some help!
#1
New with SGI = Need some help!
Hello team, I just safe SGI Octane and Fuel to be trash. I am trying to get them online....The don't have HD...Can I use SCSI2SD on this units....any other options....Do I need HD to check if the unit work?

Thanks!


Fuel Octane  O2 Looking for: Indigo
megaimg
Octane

Trade Count: (0)
Posts: 99
Threads: 23
Joined: Oct 2021
Location: Texas, USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 05:33 AM
#2
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Hi there! Congrats on a seriously nice trash find! SCSI2SD might work with adaptors, but you won't have a good time with it. I personally would suggest getting regular old hard drives for them.

The Octane uses a drive sled and old 80 pin SCA drives. It's very different from the 50 pin connector on scsi2sd and a faster connection too! The Octane sleds can be 3d printed. There is an early version on Thingiverse, but I know someone has a better version with the handle and everything. Ian Mapleson's website has a list of good choices for Octane drive, which can be ebay'd for a reasonable price.

As for the Fuel, I don't have one! I wish I did Smile It also uses a later SCSI revision. It's likely you'll want a regular drive for it as well. I don't think it uses a drive sled at least. Both of these machines can run regular platter drives faster than the supported bandwidth on scsi2sd. Good luck, and keep us updated!

---
Octane2 Octane O2
jenna64bit
O2

Trade Count: (1)
Posts: 35
Threads: 2
Joined: Apr 2020
Location: USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 11:49 AM
#3
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
(10-25-2021, 11:49 AM)jenna64bit Wrote:  Hi there! Congrats on a seriously nice trash find! SCSI2SD might work with adaptors, but you won't have a good time with it. I personally would suggest getting regular old hard drives for them.

The Octane uses a drive sled and old 80 pin SCA drives. It's very different from the 50 pin connector on scsi2sd and a faster connection too! The Octane sleds can be 3d printed. There is an early version on Thingiverse, but I know someone has a better version with the handle and everything. Ian Mapleson's website has a list of good choices for Octane drive, which can be ebay'd for a reasonable price.

As for the Fuel, I don't have one! I wish I did Smile It also uses a later SCSI revision. It's likely you'll want a regular drive for it as well. I don't think it uses a drive sled at least. Both of these machines can run regular platter drives faster than the supported bandwidth on scsi2sd. Good luck, and keep us updated!

Just to make things more difficult, for the Fuel, you will need to find 68 pin SCSI drives. I have tried a 68 pin to 80 pin adapter and no luck, but others have tried different ones and they worked, sorry, don't have links... So for the 68 pin drive, best to find a 15K RPM / 300GB drive, which will set you back around $250+ for each drive, it can hold two, maybe three if you want to tuck one in where the DVD goes or the other empty slot.. But think that it would get too hot and the box is temperamental  at best when it comes to the environmental monitoring. Also you might want to replace the power with an ATX compatible power supply as I have heard about a lot of power unit failures. Search the forum.
indigofan
Tezro

Trade Count: (4)
Posts: 294
Threads: 43
Joined: Jun 2020
Location: Catskill Mountains, NY, USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 03:49 PM
#4
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Thanks everyone, but before I go and expend some money....how can I tell if the unit are operational....The Octane does not do anything, the Fuel, will give me a White light and after that shutdown. 

Does the Octane is like the Indigo, if the Battery is bad, it will not boot? any info...

Thanks....

-Frank


Fuel Octane  O2 Looking for: Indigo
megaimg
Octane

Trade Count: (0)
Posts: 99
Threads: 23
Joined: Oct 2021
Location: Texas, USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 04:31 PM
#5
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Serial connections.

The Octane not doing anything once plugged in is not good.

The Fuel's white light could either be that it doesn't detect a keyboard and monitor, or that its ENV monitoring is dead. You won't know either way.

They each have their own serial settings. Null modem cable needed, IIRC, the serial port initializes at 9600 baud. Definitely 8-N-1, though.

For the Fuel, I think the baud is 38400 as is the Tezro's.

Null-modem cables aren't costly.

I'm the system admin of this site. Private security technician, licensed locksmith, hack of a c developer and vintage computer enthusiast. 

https://contrib.irixnet.org/raion/ -- contributions and pieces that I'm working on currently. 

https://codeberg.org/SolusRaion -- Code repos I control

Technical problems should be sent my way.
Raion
Chief IRIX Officer

Trade Count: (9)
Posts: 4,240
Threads: 533
Joined: Nov 2017
Location: Eastern Virginia
Website Find Reply
10-25-2021, 04:36 PM
#6
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Any way to test the PSU of the Octane? Their is a buss on it... Does this unit suffer from bad capacitors?


Fuel Octane  O2 Looking for: Indigo
megaimg
Octane

Trade Count: (0)
Posts: 99
Threads: 23
Joined: Oct 2021
Location: Texas, USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 06:08 PM
#7
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
It can yes. There is no way to bench test unfortunately

I'm the system admin of this site. Private security technician, licensed locksmith, hack of a c developer and vintage computer enthusiast. 

https://contrib.irixnet.org/raion/ -- contributions and pieces that I'm working on currently. 

https://codeberg.org/SolusRaion -- Code repos I control

Technical problems should be sent my way.
Raion
Chief IRIX Officer

Trade Count: (9)
Posts: 4,240
Threads: 533
Joined: Nov 2017
Location: Eastern Virginia
Website Find Reply
10-25-2021, 07:34 PM
#8
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
For the Fuel, I would recommend opening it up and inspecting the fans.. One of mine came off during shipping and was giving me the same error. I re-seeded the front fan, checked the rest and voila.. Fuel was up and running and ready to render!
indigofan
Tezro

Trade Count: (4)
Posts: 294
Threads: 43
Joined: Jun 2020
Location: Catskill Mountains, NY, USA
Find Reply
10-25-2021, 10:19 PM
#9
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Does anyone have manuals for the Octane Cherokee and Lucent power supplies? If we knew the pinout and the power rating for each voltage it would be pretty easy to rig up a resistor bank for bench testing.

Project: Temporarily lost at sea
Plan: World domination! Or something...
vishnu
Tezro, Octane2, 2 x Onyx4

Trade Count: (0)
Posts: 1,245
Threads: 41
Joined: Dec 2017
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota USA
Find Reply
10-28-2021, 01:44 AM
#10
RE: New with SGI = Need some help!
Even if they are broken don’t throw them away I love fixing junk I’d take them

O2 O2O2
mamed
Octane

Trade Count: (0)
Posts: 112
Threads: 29
Joined: Jan 2021
Location: Canada
Find Reply
10-28-2021, 05:08 AM


Forum Jump:


Users browsing this thread: 1 Guest(s)