"Vu" <v_le@hotmail.com> writes:

>Hi all, I just found this group via the Sun Ripened Kernels website.

8-)

>I was wondering if some of you guys might be able to identify some
>components in a SS5 system I recently picked up.

>Some pics of my machine are at http://www-personal.monash.edu.au/~vale3/sun/

>According to www.obsolyte.com, the SS5's came with several CPUs,
>up to 170MHz, which was a fujitsu processor. I noticed my main board
>doesn't have the jumpers to set the memory timing, so can anyone
>confirm for me what processor have? (it's pic is on my website)
>(btw I apologise for the crappy photos, they come from quite possibly
>THE crappiest digital camera known to man - the Kodak EZ200...)

SS5's were made in 70, 85, 110 and 170 MHz versions. The first three were
using MicroSparc-II CPU's, while the last was using the Fujitsu TurboSparc
CPU.

The original system boards had provision to clock the CPU at 125 MHz as well
but I never came across any production 125 MHz SS5 system boards. Also, the
TurboSparc CPU's (where supplied in the 'retrofit' kits for machines with
socketed MicroSparc-II CPU's) were available in both 160 and 170 Mhz
versions. I don't know why.

>Also, one more question. What sort of memory does this machine use?
>They look like SD RAM DIMMs, although the Sun documents refer to them
>as DSIMMs. I couldn't find out if they were 5v, buffered or not, ECC or
>not, Fast Page, EDO, SD, etc. I have 64MB, but if I want more, I have
>no idea what it actually is.

I'm not exactly sure, but the machines will not accept standard PC RAM since
the slotting is different.

Craig.

--
Guru Will Sellit! ** 'sunrk' on Ebay ** | Get Back on Track at the Sun Shack
Craig Dewick - aka the one4sun! | www.sunshack.org or www.sunshack.net
Main info website at www.one4sun.org +-------------------------------------
SRK's Ebay Shop is now available at www.ebayshops.com.au/sunripenedkernels

"The One4Sun - GWS" <one4sun@lios.apana.org.au> wrote in message
news:btndjm$815$1@yoda.apana.org.au...
> "Vu" <v_le@hotmail.com> writes:
>
> >Hi all, I just found this group via the Sun Ripened Kernels website.
>
> 8-)

I guess that's your site then...

> SS5's were made in 70, 85, 110 and 170 MHz versions. The first three were
> using MicroSparc-II CPU's, while the last was using the Fujitsu TurboSparc
> CPU.

Is there much of a difference between the 'MicroSparc' and 'TurboSparc'
CPUs,
other than one comes from Sun and one doesn't?

> >Also, one more question. What sort of memory does this machine use?
> >They look like SD RAM DIMMs, although the Sun documents refer to them
> >as DSIMMs. I couldn't find out if they were 5v, buffered or not, ECC or
> >not, Fast Page, EDO, SD, etc. I have 64MB, but if I want more, I have
> >no idea what it actually is.
>
> I'm not exactly sure, but the machines will not accept standard PC RAM
since
> the slotting is different.

According to
http://sunsolve.sun.com/handbook_pub...MEM_SS4_5.html
it uses 5v, 4Mx66 ECC, 60ns Past Page RAM. The 5v DIMMS are keyed
differently
to 3.3v DIMMS.

Vu.

In aus.computers.sun The One4Sun - GWS <one4sun@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:
> "Vu" <v_le@hotmail.com> writes:

>>Also, one more question. What sort of memory does this machine use?
>>They look like SD RAM DIMMs, although the Sun documents refer to them
>>as DSIMMs. I couldn't find out if they were 5v, buffered or not, ECC or
>>not, Fast Page, EDO, SD, etc. I have 64MB, but if I want more, I have
>>no idea what it actually is.

> I'm not exactly sure, but the machines will not accept standard PC RAM since
> the slotting is different.

The "slotting", I imagine, is what you're referring to as to where the
bumps/gaps are on the bottom of the RAM. "Standard" PC RAM had its
little grooves in one place, DIMMs for Sparc5's in another.

5v, buffered, sounds right. FD/EDO/SD do not apply. Find a good RAM
reseller (someone who stocks RAM for Cisco/Alpha things as well as PCs),
take your sparc along and see what fits.

These boxes (70/85/110 MHz) are now close to junk (I'm having trouble
finding people to give them away to) given that Solaris9 is the last
version of Solaris that will ever run on them.

Darren

In article <40035ee3@clarion.carno.net.au>, Darren Reed wrote:

> These boxes (70/85/110 MHz) are now close to junk (I'm having trouble
> finding people to give them away to) given that Solaris9 is the last
> version of Solaris that will ever run on them.

Buy you a pint, take one away?

--
Andre

Darren Reed wrote:

> In aus.computers.sun The One4Sun - GWS <one4sun@lios.apana.org.au> wrote:
>> "Vu" <v_le@hotmail.com> writes:
>
>>>Also, one more question. What sort of memory does this machine use?
>>>They look like SD RAM DIMMs, although the Sun documents refer to them
>>>as DSIMMs. I couldn't find out if they were 5v, buffered or not, ECC or
>>>not, Fast Page, EDO, SD, etc. I have 64MB, but if I want more, I have
>>>no idea what it actually is.
>
>> I'm not exactly sure, but the machines will not accept standard PC RAM
>> since the slotting is different.
>
> The "slotting", I imagine, is what you're referring to as to where the
> bumps/gaps are on the bottom of the RAM. "Standard" PC RAM had its
> little grooves in one place, DIMMs for Sparc5's in another.
>
> 5v, buffered, sounds right. FD/EDO/SD do not apply. Find a good RAM
> reseller (someone who stocks RAM for Cisco/Alpha things as well as PCs),
> take your sparc along and see what fits.
>
> These boxes (70/85/110 MHz) are now close to junk (I'm having trouble
> finding people to give them away to) given that Solaris9 is the last
> version of Solaris that will ever run on them.

Great little boxes, if you run something like NetBSD on them. I'd offer to
take them off your hands if I was nearby.