Re: Anyone got any Axil material?

On Mon, 19 Aug 2013 17:25:50 -0700
Alan Perry <[email protected]> wrote:

> On 8/19/13 5:19 PM, Hessel Keegstra wrote:
> > On Aug 20, 2013, at 12:23 AM, Alan Perry wrote:
> >
> >> On 8/19/13 1:48 PM, Hessel Keegstra wrote:
> >>> On Aug 19, 2013, at 10:29 PM, Alan Perry wrote:
> >>>
> >>>> On Aug 19, 2013, at 8:13 AM, David Brownlee <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>>
> >>>>> On 19 August 2013 13:20,  <[email protected]> wrote:
> >>>>>> Solbourne made a lot of SPARC machines. I don't know if made
> >>>>>> clones though.
> >>>>> AFAIK the Axils were all clones and ran the same
> >>>>> SunOS/Solaris/BSD/etc as a genuine Sun box.
> >>>> How about the h/w?  I would like to put more memory in my Axil
> >>>> and the SS20 memory available on memoryx is a lot less expensive
> >>>> for a real SS20 vs an Axil 320.
> >>>>
> >>>> Also, there is a socket next to the memory sockets that I don't
> >>>> recognize.
> >>>>
> >>> If it is a SS20 clone, there are two extra sockets next to the
> >>> 200 pin SIM socket J0304 and J0305 that allow for special VSIM
> >>> modules to be installed. VSIM modules are special RAM modules
> >>> holding video RAM enabling the onboard CG14 (SX) video board.
> >>> Installing a VSIM reduces the total amount of main memory that
> >>> can be installed. Nowadays these VSIMs are pretty close to
> >>> unobtainium.
> >>>
> >>> If memory serves me well there were also special battery backed
> >>> SIM modules that could be installed in J0304 and J0305. I have
> >>> several SS20 machines with VSIM modules but never encountered any
> >>> of these battery backup SIMs.
> >>>
> >>  From my web searches, it looks like the Axil 320 is laid out
> >> internally and labelled more like a SS10 than SS20.  The VSIMM
> >> socket extensions are J0401 and J0402 and are on the SBus 2/3 side
> >> of the SIMM sockets.
> >>
> > After some digging in my garage I found a SS10 and indeed the two
> > SIMM sockets with the video SIM extension connector are labelled
> > like yours, J0401 and J0402. Well, perhaps your machine is more
> > like a SS10 clone. I am not a big fan of the SS10 and I hope Axil
> > did not copy the dismal airflow as in the SUN SS10 original. The
> > airflow in the SS10 (or better the lack of any) is even worse
> > compared to the poor cooling in the later SS20. If your machine is
> > more like a SS10 then please also take into account that a SS10 is
> > more picky accepting SIMM modules. My SS10 machines categorically
> > refuse to accept any of my 32MB SIMM modules (I have piles of those
> > from a mix of different vendors), modules that work perfectly in my
> > SS20s and Ultra1s.
> Everything that I have found on the Axil 320 describes it as a SS20
> clone.

Now that I've been watching the emails fly by regarding Axil - I
remember having had one myself - and it was a 320. I found that it was
an excellent clone - and I experimented with several different Sun
multiprocessors in the Axil w/o experiencing any problems.

Cooling was an issue in both the 10 and 20 (and Axil) as has been
mentioned - and I remember adding a small, high-speed fan internally to
help move more air - especially on a loaded system (multiprocessor,
video, two HDD, floppy, etc.)...

BTW: I often look at the OpenBSD site to better understand clones.
Take a look here: http://www.openbsd.org/sparc.html

You'll see that the Axil 320 is indeed a Sparc 20 clone...

Cheers,
Lyle

-- 
Bickley Consulting West Inc.
http://bickleywest.com

"Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"