[SunRescue] Trying to save Sun2

[Jonathan Katz]

On Thu, 22 Jun 2000, Camiel Vanderhoeven wrote:

:OK. I've got part numbers for you. Also, I noticed that the backplane isn't made
:by Sun. It says "DT36E0121A COMPUTERVISION CORP. BEDFORD MASS. (C) 1984". I did a
:search on "Computervision" and I found out that they have made a 68010 machine
:with a Multibus structure called the "CDS3000", so I guess what I have on my
:hands is a Computervision CDS-3000.

Hahahhahaha. Great. This is an excellent peice of history.

Once upon a time there were two computer companies. One was called Prime
and one was called Computervision. Computervision made some CAD stuff but
had some lagging sales. Prime wanted to enter into the CAD marketplace. 
Prime bought Computervision. Meanwhile, Computervision was essentially
selling renumbered/labeled Sun hardware as its end-to-end CAD solution.
Prime was also moving in that direction, moving from its own hardware to
massive Sequent-like intel SMP-based machinery as well as using Sun hardware
to run its database product on. I'm a youngin, and was barely learning to 
type at my Apple2 while all this was going on. I'm CC'ing an old co-worker
of mine who worked at Prime as an FE in a former life while all of this was 
going on. Hopefully I didn't butcher this story too badly. Maybe he can
even add in more history.

:Backplane: Part# DA36E012D Func Rev B Stock# 930-01090 Serial# F505062 RevCntrl#E

Since that's a part of the computervision chassis I won't bother to
look that up... FWIW it is probably a custom-made backplane that is a lot
like a Sun2/120 (does such a beastie exist?)

:CPU Board: 270-1007-04 Rev A Part# K500-1007 Func Rev E Stock# 930-00106 Stock#
:930-00105RevCntrl# G (yes, two different stock#'s...)

It's definately not a Sun3 based part. All Sun3 (and later) parts usually
start out with '501-XXXX' -- Sun2 used both '501-xxxx' and '500-xxxx' p/n's.

I think the '500' vs. '501' thing came about when Sun started doing its own
in-house manufacturing. I could be very wrong here, as this is an assumption
I'm making out of the blue.

In plugging in 500-1007 it comes out as a Sun2 MultiBus system board
(big surprise.) It also pre-dates Rev 1.1.2 of the firmware. I also found
a later rev of that board as 501-1007. Cross checking it at
http://www.inmartech.com/sunpl.html inmartech shows it as a
"SUN2 CPU PCB PRIME MULTIBUS". Congradulations, you have a Multibus-based
Sun2 with a 68010... with a p/n that was specifically reserved for the
systems that Prime made/sold. w/in Sun I seem to find
that system board was used in 2/160s and 2/120s
In double-checking with http://sunhelp.org/faq/sunref3.html It shows
that CPU board was used in a 2/120 and 2/170.

:Mem1: 270-1013-02 Rev B "5357"
:Mem2: 270-1013-02 Rev B Ass'y K500-1013 Rev 03E F/R D#1
:Mem3: 270-1013-02 Rev B Stock# 930-00120 Part# 500-1013-03 Rev C Artwork Rev B

>From what I can gather the '270' prefix is just as interchangable as '500'
and '501'. Was the 270 stuff designated for Prime/computervision?

I found a 501-1013 p/n and not 500-1013. Sun doesn't have a lot of older
documents laying around. Based on what we know about the '500' and '501'
being near-interchangable I assume that 501-1013 is going to be similar. 
Making that assumption each one of those cards has a single meg of RAM.
This also check's out at http://sunhelp.org/faq/sunref3.html

:Ass'y Rev 03D B/M Rev 02A Schematic Rev 02A Serial# A4310119 #3
:Framebuffer: 270-1003-06 Rev A Stock# 930-00101 "A4310653"

Swapping 270-1003 for 501-1003 we get:

MONOCHROME VIDEO PCB PRIME MULTIBUS (care of Inmartech.)
http://sunhelp.org/faq/sunref3.html gives us a little more info saying:
monochrome video/keyboard/mouse TTL only

:SCSI: 270-1006-02 Rev A

Again swapping 270/501:

Sun-2 SCSI/serial comes out of http://sunhelp.org/faq/sunref3.html
SUN 2 MULTIBUS SCSI HOST ADAPTER out of Inmartech's list.

:SMD Controller: 370-1012-07 X6171206 900-450-905 038 Rev N

There are 370-based partnumbers. Methinks those are for cards made
by Xylogics. I have an old Xylogics tape controller (VME) nailed to 
my wall at home and it is 370-based. According to 
http://sunhelp.org/faq/sunref3.html you have a
Xylogics 450 SMD controller

In a short list I found Sun has it as 'SMD Disk Controller'

Remember, in hardware of this vintage SMD was FASTER than SCSI.

:Ethernet: 3Com ME CONTROLLER ASSY 0111-01 Rev D S/N 5961 Ethernet Address
:02608C-022779

This is pretty obvious... accept I can't find that p/n anywhere. I think 
these are some of the first 10Mbit-capable controllers (remember, original
ethernet was 3Mbit IIRC...)

If I find aynthing more I'll let you know.

Enjoy.

-- 
Jonathan Katz
e-mail: jon at jonworld.com 
website: http://jonworld.com
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