[rescue] SM81 CPUs anyone?

[Skeezics Boondoggle]

On Thu, Mar 9, 2017 at 10:00 AM, various Rescuers wrote:

>
> From: adh at an.bradford.ma.us (Sandwich Maker)
>
> " From: Jonathan Katz <jon at jonworld.com>
> "
> " I have 2x 125Mhz or 150Mhz Ross Hypersparcs... Looking to go to
> " SM81/SM82s or similar so I can run OpenStep on my SS20....
>
> will sm82s work in a ss20?  i'd always heard that the 2M cache cpus
> would only work in sc1000 et a;, though not why.
>
>
They will work in an SS20, but only 1MB of cache is recognized if you drop
an SM82 into anything but the dual-XDbus SC2000/2000E.  In the 2K, ISTR
that the cache was split across the XDbuses, so 1MB on each -- with only 1
XDbus, the SS1000 only uses 1MB, and the Mbus-only SS20 ignores the 2nd MB
as well. (Was that an Mbus/MXCC limit?  I don't recall any SPARC modules of
that era with more than a meg of cache.)

FWIW, the CS6400 version of the SM82 has a different form factor
(quad-XDbus, so different connectors) but is otherwise identical as far as
Solaris is concerned.  It too will use 2MB, but I'm not entirely sure if
that's similarly partitioned as in the SunDragon.  Haven't tickled those
grey cells in a while. :-/


------------------------------
>
> Message: 2
> From: Michael-John Turner <mj at mjturner.net>
>
> On Wed, Mar 08, 2017 at 11:11:41AM +0000, Peter Stokes wrote:
> >Anyone have any SM81 85Mhz CPUs they want to move on?
>
> I have a pair (in the UK!) but I'm not sure I want to get rid of them. I
> ran them for a while in an SS20 but the heat output was rather concerning -
> when I get a chance I'm going to have to try them again with some
> additional cooling.
>
> Hmm, I wonder if NeXTSTEP/sparc supports them?
>
>
Yes!  NeXTSTEP and OpenStep for SPARC supports a single SuperSPARC,
including the SM81.  An SS20 so equipped is a sweet NS/OS machine; since
the maximum RAM that you can use with NS3.3 is 256MB, you don't sacrifice
memory by dropping in a VSIMM.  I can't recall if OpenStep/Mach 4.x raises
the memory limit on SPARC...

You could also run Solaris and track down the OpenStep/Solaris packages if
you want to run the same-ish environment atop Solaris/X11, including
multi-CPU configurations.  But are there any apps for it?

As for cooling, I found that the CPU fan from an Ultra 1 fit perfectly in
the small gap between the SS20 motherboard and the metal frame.  I'd slip a
couple of those in, powered off an unused floppy or CD power connector, and
you can still close the lid.  The extra airflow reeeeally helps with
HyperSparcs, or the SM71/SM81 modules which run hot (especially in pairs).
I ran a variety of fully-loaded '20s for years reliably with supplemental
cooling.  Great machines!


------------------------------
>
> Message: 3
> From: Steven M Jones <smj+rescue at crash.com>
>
> On 03/08/2017 12:18, Sandwich Maker wrote:
> > " From: Jonathan Katz <jon at jonworld.com>
> > "
> > " I have 2x 125Mhz or 150Mhz Ross Hypersparcs... Looking to go to
> > " SM81/SM82s or similar so I can run OpenStep on my SS20....
> >
> > will sm82s work in a ss20?  i'd always heard that the 2M cache cpus
> > would only work in sc1000 et a;, though not why.
>
> Well, the SM91 modules will work in an SS20... briefly. It would run for
> a few to tens of minutes and inevitably wedge, bork, puke, or otherwise
> stop running Solaris as soon as I looked away.
>
>
Wow, I thought SM91 modules were extinct.  Never heard of anyone still
actually trying to run one, especially in anything with less airflow than a
SC2k.  That's probably the only Mbus/XDbus platform with enough cooling to
let those run without cooking.  I'd love to see photos or prtdiag output
("pics or it didn't happen!"). :-)

There were rumors that a 90Mhz module for the Cray CS6400 was produced, but
those are probably mythical (and, again, would have had a different form
factor).  That machine could move some air; in comparison, a wind tunnel
might be considered "breezy".  The sound of all those squirrel cage fans
coming online at powerup was impressive too.  Gosh, I miss the big iron.



> Still hoping an SS1000E will come my way some day...
>
>
I'm not quite ready to part with mine yet... 8 x SM81, 2GB, DAT, CD, and a
boatload of 4- and 9GB disks on multiple SCSI buses, running Solaris 7
(wanted to do OpenStep/PDO on it as a backend for a goofy app I was
considering years ago :-) but sadly almost no time these days to fire it
up.   I guess if or when the last great purge of my collection comes, I'll
offer it up...

Cheers,

-- c
<skeezicsb at gmail.com>