SPARCstationSTACK comes to life . . .

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

. . . so long after I bought them!

It all started with the IRS Refund Madness binge a couple of years ago:


Here is the missing piece of the puzzle, finally picked it up today, for $15 at a thrift shop!


It's a 2002 SUN GDM 5510 21" Trinitron with a DB13W3 Cable, VGA Input and A/B switching.


Luckily one of the KBDs I snagged with the other five 'ZAstations worked just fine.









Now to source a mouse . . .
. . . and maybe just one KBD with ALL the Keys!

THEN, I'll figure out what to do with all this crap!

. . . and I'll need more than a bit-o-help . . .

[bbraun]

Very nice, I'm jealous of the SS2. My attempt to get one on ebay yielded a dead one I'm still scratching my head on.
I can send you with an optical mouse and matching metal mouse pad for it. Sadly, my spare type5 keyboard is also missing keys. You're welcome to it, and maybe between all of them you can get one full set of keys!

You could throw NeXTStep on one or more of those, get some MAE action on another one, and get some old timey SunOS4 based OpenWindows going on the SS2!

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I'm trying to pick the best one to run Debian/GNU Linux on and from what I've seen the Ss2 ain't gonna get me there!

So make an offer, a mouse and the empty shell of the one from eBay would be a good start!
I think that's the one for which have three more memory modules!

Got any RAM for an Ss5? Those seem to be the ones listed as Linux capable.

[bbraun]

The mouse was just something to help out a fellow 68kmla'er, so if you need it (or the keyboard), it's yours. Sadly, I don't have any SS5 ram though.

If you plan on slowly accumulating parts for these beasts, the SS20 is probably your best bet in the long run. Of the stack, that's the one I'd keep (it's my primary sun4* architecture machine too). 24bit graphics, plenty of sbus slots, plenty of CPU options (you can probably get decent CPUs for it in trade, I picked up a pair of SM61's for cost of shipping from someone who had upgraded). It also has a wide spectrum of OS options.

The last thing I need is an SS2 to spend more time with. But on the other hand, I've got to feed the old computer addiction. So I'll contemplate useful bits I could offer up in trade.

[jruschme]

Got any RAM for an Ss5? Those seem to be the ones listed as Linux capable.

Can you use two pieces of Sun p/n 501-2480? I've got two here gathering dust that you can have.

What is the state of Linux support for pre-Ultra Sparcs these days? I've got an SS20 that I should really fire up one of these days. I'd probably got NetBSD on it, if they'd sort out the multiprocessor issues (it has 2 SM71 modules).

[ClassicHasClass]

I wish somebody would properly support the Solbournes. I have a S3000 with the sexy orange plasma screen I'd love to get doing something practical other than OS/MP.

[bittin]

i have an extra keyboard that i can send you from Sweden, if you pay some like 15 USD and shipping to where you live

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Thanks for the offers guys, I'll have to research what I REALLY need later on. The KBD I have works, it's only missing the "5" KeyCap on the Numeric KeyPad and the Down Arrow KeyCap in the middle of the Cursor Array. Key switches work fine AFAIK, I just need two caps for this one. I'll post pics of the KeySwitch Tops and the Bottoms of the KeyCaps along with the Model/Serial nos. etc.

As for the offer of the matching optical mouse & metal pad, bbraun, THX! I'll definitely take you up on that one. I'll pimp out the Ss2 as far as I can get it and post another Screen pic. You don't need to have much more than the empty Ss2 case from your eBay head-scratcher. It's the best looking design of the lot, so I'll hack something into the DOA units case and use it as a shelf in my Rack or to support the 21 incher. Dunno what I'll do, but I really like that heatsink/monitor support system in there! You can keep all the extra parts from the DOA's innards, I just need the plastics and inner framing members.

After all, I paid less than the $5 ea, asking price for the entire SPARCstack, so anything you want to throw into the empty shell of yours will be welcome, I'll send you mine in a custom box so that you can turn the carcass, Rodent & its bed around without doing much in the way of packing! PM me!

Lets keep this thread going, guys. Maybe we can get something worthwhile (and FREE!) running on these WIN 3.1-WIN 95 era beauties!

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

CARE Packages arrived this afternoon guys. Thanks a million!

I'll be editing in some new pics here this evening . . .

SPARCstation 20/128/CD: compliments of jruschme, thanks!


SPARCstation 20/128/CD/Optical Mouse & Special Pad, compliments of bbraun, thanks!


Full set of SPARCstation peripherals, less a few KeyCaps!


SUNny side up!

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Quick cut of some of the details in the overview of the SUN Side of the PentagonalPlayPen™

I've mentioned the ubuntuGIMPbox™ hack in passing . . .


Here's one I haven't mentioned much as yet: the DECstation6500™


What you can't see in the photos would be the WorkStool6400™ that I've never mentioned . . . have I mentioned that I loathe that particular case design?

The entire 6500's contents, including the SubWoofer, will fit neatly into that DECbox! It already has the ZIP drive from the hole in the 6400's forehead and if you look very closely, you'll get a glimpse of the Sonnet Tempo Trio that's installed in there to run the extra HDDs and Opticals. I just can't decide if that'll go into the hack for which this will be the Hardware/Software TestBed or not. The only thing holding me up on this one is the decision to mung up the Decstation's Derrier by adapting the pathetic . . . never mind, it'll get an ATX PSU transplant and I'll have an extra Mac PSU on hand!

Oh well, that image upload/link is borken, maybe I'll take a few more pics that are better a little later . . . or in the AM . . .

[jruschme]

Okay, I'm confused... in the first pic, the SS20 had 96mb RAM. I sent you 128mb, but now it has 128mb.

So what happened to the original 96mb? Did you move it to one of the other boxes or is something not showing up?

JR

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

I got yours mixed up with a pair of sticks I had laying around . . .

I'll try again tomorrow . . . bbraun tells me these same DIMMs will fit in my Netra t 1125 . . . but in fours . . .
. . . so I can rob four 32MB sticks from the SS20 and put your 128 in . . .
. . . if I can just figger'out how to get to the slots . . .
. . . that means lifti . . . . . . .

edit: Holy CRAP! The piccie link is got iss'elf unborken all on its ownsome!

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

OK, I lost 'em and I found 'em again . . . why do all antistatic bags look the same after a while?

Those are your two sticks nearest what bbraun tells me is likely a Frame Buffer or some such.


Sorry about the vertigo gang, but I realized the legends on the important bits were easier to read upside down!
Is there some crazy SPARCstation initiation or rite of passage that involves dripping blood on the memory card slots? YOWCH!!!!!
Rounding off the corners of PCBs I've done before . . . but next time I delve into one of these diabolical SUNthing's guts . . .
. . . I'll be wearing dishwashing gloves, a grounding strap and will have soldered and taped a ground lead to the file!


Here's the new MemTest result, thank you, j.


I finally cleaned the pricing off the face of the CRT, but when I took the business card taped to the bezel off, I found magic marker under it.
Cleaning these up seems to be quite a process, is there some rule that says the beigeish and gray parts have to have lavender scuff marks?

Here's a nicer shot of the first three buttoned Rodent I've had since I used a Logitech Serial Mouse w/Generic CAD for friggin' DOS to make signs!
. . . and no . . . weirdly acting scroll thingies DO NOT COUNT! Thanks for the gift, bbraun!



I'll go through the rest of the SPARCstack™ to try to fill up all remaining receptacles.

[jruschme]

It's not the frame buffer, per se, but the VRAM.

Working from memory...
The last two memory slots can take either a) video ram, b) regular memory, or c) a special NFS accelerator card. The idea is that you could max out the ram to 512mb (8x64) and run with a serial console or install VRAM and use the built-in SX framebuffer.

IIRC, the VRAM comes in two sizes- 4MB or 8MB.

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

Well you've seen the front so here is the SPARCstack's Business Side:



Here is the SPARCstack's dirty business side:


The SPARCstation 10's bits:


The SPARCstation 10's Processor Card:


The SPARCstation 10's Video Card:


The SPARCstation 5A's Bits:


The SPARCstation 5A's & 5C's Video Cards:


The SPARCstation 5B's Bits:


The SPARCstation 5B's Video Card:


The SPARCstation 5C's Bits:


See above for the SPARCstation 5C's Video Card:


Here's one bbraun will be glad to see!

The SPARCstation 2's Bits:


The SPARCstation 2's Video Card:

I'm wondering if I've ever seen that much ZIP VRAM on one card in the wild before, but I'm too tired to look into the . . .


I should have taken better pics here and there, but this'll do.

First there was a stack AND THEN there were TWO!

The 10's beyond help, so hopefully its Processor Card matches the one in the, soon to be fully pimped out, SPARCstation 20 closely enough for them to play well together. The SPARCstation 2 will be heading its way into the able hands of bbraun. I'll cobble together whatever bits from the three 5s into one 5 with a CD, a full drive set and 64MB of RAM. The other two will be parted out and recycled.
The FDD in one of them is certainly going to be nesting under the CD-ROM in the SPARCstation 20!

Maybe I'll try to keep enough parts to hack into one of those cute little SPARCboxThingies as a . . .

[jruschme]

I'll go on a limb and say that it looks like the 5's and the 10 all have some variant of the GX framebuffer, which was Sun's workhorse 8-bit card. Based on the screenshot, the SS2 has the early two-slot version.

What's the deal with the SS10 that makes it beyond help? You should be able to use its CPU in the SS20. They are definately compatible electrically and there is definately no problem so long as they have the same speed. What I don't recall is what happens with unmatched CPUs. (I think it is a YMMV situation depending on the specific CPUs.)

Interesting note... the SS5/SS20 case design is referred to as Aurora. It appears that SS5B has the later Aurora II case (hence the full-height CD-ROM). I'm guessing that it is also the one with the later PROM version. Personally, I'd try to target that one as the keeper.

[Bunsen]

IIRC, some of those Suns will run NextSTEP/OpenSTEP.

[protocol7]

Yep. I ran it briefly on mine (got some SS5s and a SS20 a while back).

[Trash80toHP_Mini]

What's the deal with the SS10 that makes it beyond help? You should be able to use its CPU in the SS20.

Was there a question in there somewhere?

On the serious side, externally, the case is missing one piece already, two of the corners have serious cracks. The front right crack runs entirely up the corner and extends along the top so a large chunk is ready to break off. The feets are in bad shape and I couldn't hack what's left into anything worthwhile. Internally, much of the galvanized (electro-plated, but they really should have prepped this one with hot dipped for where it was used or stored) steel members are well started on achieving the look of a finely browned musket barrel. The cabling installed for the missing drives doesn't look trustworthy, having what looks like rotting fabric components . . .
. . . this thing is in great shape! Anybody want it for $10 plus shipping?

I thought I'd try the Proc Card in the 20 and maybe stick the VidCard into the 2. The RAM is already in the first slot of the 20 . . .
. . . the PSU I'll keep for a spare and I can tell my girlfriend I got rid of THREE computers!
If I could find another SPARCstack for a comparable amount of $ I'd buy it in a heartbeat and Part it out just pad the downsizing report!

< . . . hrmmm . . . gotta take a few more pics of the 20 and the funky 10baseTX NIC . . . and . . . >

It's not the frame buffer, per se, but the VRAM.

Then why does it have what looks like an ASIC with a really thin cooling fan?

edit: on closer inspection, it looks like a really neat little Clear PURPLE (of course!) Plastic Passive Convection Cooler. The PCB on the back says Mirror VRAM, where the VRAM is conspicuously MIA along with a soldered over BGA pad, which probably explains the ASIC/Cooler on the front, piccies up soon!