Re: Looking for a 1998 era Sun VME computer. Photo attached.

Thanks Simon and all for your interest in this problem.  I've attached a 
photograph of the computer with part numbers overlaid.  A local expert told me 
that the cards are VME (maybe MVME?) but the power connector is not one which he 
had seen.  The computer does run on either of the two power supplies (they 
backup each other.)  Technicians here have learned that the power supply 
provides a single voltage, 28 VDC.  The computer is used in our Motorola Trunked 
Radio System (Smartzone) controller.  We have removed one of the two power 
supplies and had it repaired with mixed results.



----- Original Message ----
From: Simon Fryer 
To: suns-at-home <[email protected]>
Cc: 
Sent: Mon, January 17, 2011 5:01:15 PM
Subject: Re: [Suns-at-Home] Looking for a 1998 era Sun VME computer

Hi,

On 18/01/2011, Craig Dewick  wrote:
> On Fri, 17 Dec 2010, William Merrill wrote:
>
>> I am the NASA radio manager at Kennedy Space Center and am in need of a
>> power supply for a 1998 era Sun computer.  My request is not for home
>> use so I hope this doesn't violate a policy of this email list.  The
>> computer was re-badged by Motorola and sold as the "Zone Controller" in
>> our two-way radio system.  The box is 19" wide by 32" tall 25" deep.
>> Ours is 16 port model containing two power supply cards (and two 115 VAC
>> power plugs), two CPU cards, a DB15 connector for Ethernet (we use an
>> adapter to convert to RJ45), a horizontal fan module, and several I/O
>> cards.  Cards are inserted from the front and back of the computer.  It
>> was originally made by the British telecom supplier "Integrated Micro
>> Products" which Sun acquired in 1996.  Any leads are much appreciated!
>> T. William Merrill
>
> If you can provide maybe the Sun part number (if the power supply even has
> one) it could be helpful to tracking one down.
>
> Sun's system handbooks do have references to a few wierd systems like some
> Cray servers, etc. so you at least might be able to figure out what you're
> looking for and go from there. 1998 is not that old in Sun history.

I was going to reply to this earlier but the original message got
pushed down out of sight in my inbox. :(

Some photos would be great. I an not sure of any *Sun* VME systems
that used cards in the front and rear. After reading the email a few
times, and a couple of years of searching for VME stuff on ebay for my
own collection, I think this may be a MVME or similar system.

As for a replacement power supply. Without either the Sun part numbers
or a photo, it is difficult to tell if the power supplies have any
self monitoring intelligence, or if they blindly provide +12V, +5V and
-5V to the card cages.

Given the rack has two power supplies, I am guessing this is a
redundent configuration and hence it would probably be a bad idea if
the box was down for any period of time. Is it possible to remove the
old, I assume failed, power supply, and have it repaired? If a like
for like is not possible, does the machine form part of a safety
system that would require large amounts of change control and
revalidation if you graft in non-standard modules?

Simon

-- 
------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Well, an engineer is not concerned with the truth; that is left to
philosophers and theologians: the prime concern of an engineer is
the utility of the final product."
Lectures on the Electrical Properties of Materials, L.Solymar, D.Walsh

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