IRIXNetwork

mchartmann · 08-30-2018, 08:07 AM

Just bought a Onyx that Epcot center used years ago. There is no 13w3 connection and where the connectors normally is along with the other video in outs there is only a blank panel. The panel below is the normal Onyx panel with keyboard etc in outs. I could understand if it was a Challenger but not a Onyx. Is it possible they ordered this particular unit to chain :Octane: :Indigo: :O2: :Indigo2-IMP: :Onyx: :Indigo2: :Indy: together for just the graphics and use a remote terminal to access? Where would I find a graphics in out panel? its the panel just below the sheet metal that covers all the boards.

mosiniak · 08-30-2018, 09:44 AM

I know this machine, I won the auction but Seller canceled an order without reasonable reason - now I know why... This Onyx has no graphics at all and there is strange (for me) backplane - without place for RE2 or IR? It looks like there are only EBUS and VME ports - can You confirm? There is no graphics panel - there is original blank cover - so I think there never was graphic panel or graphic system in it. Probably there is no easy way of adding the graphics (Re2 or IR) to this machine without replacing the backplane, but I'm not 100% sure.

Photo of Your backplane: [Image: 06.jpg]

This is the backplane for RE or IR ready:
[Image: frontbackplanere2.jpg]

mchartmann · 08-31-2018, 07:57 AM

(08-30-2018, 09:44 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I know this machine, I won the auction but Seller canceled an order without reasonable reason - now I know why... This Onyx has no graphics at all and there is strange (for me) backplane - without place for RE2 or IR? It looks like there are only EBUS and VME ports - can You confirm? There is no graphics panel - there is original blank cover - so I think there never was graphic panel or graphic system in it. Probably there is no easy way of adding the graphics (Re2 or IR) to this machine without replacing the backplane, but I'm not 100% sure.

Photo of Your backplane:

This is the backplane for RE or IR ready:

You are correct! Seller told me original bidder was outside the US and that is why could not ship. This must have been interlinked to another Onyx to combine graphics power and will either have to convert or figure out how to run remotely through another of my SGI computers.

mosiniak · 08-31-2018, 08:09 AM

I was outside US but gave US shipping address. Never mind. This machine is in very poor configuration (single CPU, no MC3 board). I cannot understand reason for this configuration. The strongest point of Onyx was its graphics system. Without it and with single CPU it is like ordinary computing machine.

mchartmann · 08-31-2018, 08:55 AM

(08-31-2018, 08:09 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I was outside US but gave US shipping address. Never mind. This machine is in very poor configuration (single CPU, no MC3 board). I cannot understand reason for this configuration. The strongest point of Onyx was its graphics system. Without it and with single CPU it is like ordinary computing machine.

Yes its configuration is unusual almost like a Challenge system. I have various Onyx boards laying around will mix and match and see what I can come up with to make it work.

mosiniak · 08-31-2018, 09:39 AM

(08-31-2018, 08:55 AM)mchartmann Wrote:
(08-31-2018, 08:09 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I was outside US but gave US shipping address. Never mind. This machine is in very poor configuration (single CPU, no MC3 board). I cannot understand reason for this configuration. The strongest point of Onyx was its graphics system. Without it and with single CPU it is like ordinary computing machine.

Yes its configuration is unusual almost like a Challenge system. I have various Onyx boards laying around will mix and match and see what I can come up with to make it work.

Try. I'm very curious. Please post here results of Your work. Can You also post here part number of its backplane?

mchartmann · 08-31-2018, 09:52 AM

(08-31-2018, 09:39 AM)mosiniak Wrote:
(08-31-2018, 08:55 AM)mchartmann Wrote:
(08-31-2018, 08:09 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I was outside US but gave US shipping address. Never mind. This machine is in very poor configuration (single CPU, no MC3 board). I cannot understand reason for this configuration. The strongest point of Onyx was its graphics system. Without it and with single CPU it is like ordinary computing machine.

Yes its configuration is unusual almost like a Challenge system. I have various Onyx boards laying around will mix and match and see what I can come up with to make it work.

Try. I'm very curious. Please post here results of Your work. Can You also post here part number of its backplane?

Yes when it arrives Tuesday will disassemble to clean and inspect and get numbers. Seller found 4 more boards for it that are now in there slots but I only have a poor picture. Will see what they are on arrival. I looked at the Challenge manual and if graphics where needed a card was installed in the slot and 13w3 was directly on board above main in out panels. Maybe has that setup and that is unusual for Onyx. Will see what arrives, its a mystery.

jan-jaap · 08-31-2018, 01:50 PM

(08-30-2018, 09:44 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I know this machine, I won the auction but Seller canceled an order without reasonable reason - now I know why... This Onyx has no graphics at all and there is strange (for me) backplane - without place for RE2 or IR? It looks like there are only EBUS and VME ports - can You confirm? There is no graphics panel - there is original blank cover - so I think there never was graphic panel or graphic system in it. Probably there is no easy way of adding the graphics (Re2 or IR) to this machine without replacing the backplane, but I'm not 100% sure.

Photo of Your backplane:

That's the backplane of a Challenge. Left to right: 5 PowerPath II slots. The rightmost of them is taken by an IO4 w/ VCAM, which takes up the leftmost of the remaining 6 VME slots as well. This leaves 5 VME64 slots for expansion cards (FDDI, ATM, etc.)

Except for the IO4 which must always be in slot #5, you can install CPU boards (IPxx), memory boards (MC3) or more IO4s in the remaining PowerPath slots. You need at least one CPU, one MC3 and one IO4 card, so you can have up to 3 CPU boards (or 3 MCs, etc etc)

mosiniak · 08-31-2018, 02:30 PM

(08-31-2018, 01:50 PM)jan-jaap Wrote:
(08-30-2018, 09:44 AM)mosiniak Wrote: I know this machine, I won the auction but Seller canceled an order without reasonable reason - now I know why... This Onyx has no graphics at all and there is strange (for me) backplane - without place for RE2 or IR? It looks like there are only EBUS and VME ports - can You confirm? There is no graphics panel - there is original blank cover - so I think there never was graphic panel or graphic system in it. Probably there is no easy way of adding the graphics (Re2 or IR) to this machine without replacing the backplane, but I'm not 100% sure.

Photo of Your backplane:

That's the backplane of a Challenge. Left to right: 5 PowerPath II slots. The rightmost of them is taken by an IO4 w/ VCAM, which takes up the leftmost of the remaining 6 VME slots as well. This leaves 5 VME64 slots for expansion cards (FDDI, ATM, etc.)

Except for the IO4 which must always be in slot #5, you can install CPU boards (IPxx), memory boards (MC3) or more IO4s in the remaining PowerPath slots. You need at least one CPU, one MC3 and one IO4 card, so you can have up to 3 CPU boards (or 3 MCs, etc etc)

And what with graphics? It's not possible to install here - am I right?

jan-jaap · 08-31-2018, 03:16 PM

(08-31-2018, 02:30 PM)mosiniak Wrote: And what with graphics? It's not possible to install here - am I right?

It was possible to add graphics to a Challenge. I think that even makes it an "Onyx G". It was basically the Extreme graphics from an Indigo2 but in a carrier. IIRC you needs a different VCAM on the IO4 as well (GCAM??) and bulkhead connectors of course.

Going to be a challenge Tongue

to find all of that without buying an entire system.

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