SGI: hinv

The Onyx2 + v880 had it so warm I had to open the windows in the middle of winter to moderate the temperature. At least I only had a $70 electricity bill.

jan-jaap wrote: I see you have a working textport when IRIX is loading?
Mine has some issues there (it works in PROM, but then it's frozen from the time IRIX load until the X11 login shows up). Think I'll load a different IRIX on it once to force a flash.

For the record:

With patchSG0001550 applied, everything works as expected. This patch is not rolled into the RealityEngine rollup patch (2739)

jan-jaap wrote: With patchSG0001550 applied, everything works as expected. This patch is not rolled into the RealityEngine rollup patch (2739)

Cool! So mine probably had that done at the factory as it is a late model Crimson RE. At least I assume that the patch is a one time good deal as it flashes the PROM microcode.

nekonoko wrote: So mine probably had that done at the factory as it is a late model Crimson RE. At least I assume that the patch is a one time good deal as it flashes the PROM microcode.

Were they still selling Crimsons in '96, when IRIX 6.2 was released? Anyway, I believe an IRIX install will unconditionally flash the GE8 PROM. So after a fresh IRIX 6.2 install, a Crimson will misbehave (this happened to me, with two different GE8 boards).

Patch 1550 is part of the recommended patch set for Crimson ( http://se.mirror.nekoware.net/SGI_relat ... on.tardist )

Ah okay. Seems the previous owner was meticulous regarding patches then. Good to know, thanks!

nekonoko wrote: Thanks - it's a cool system; really lucked into this one.

The textport works while booting IRIX; I shot a quick video of the boot sequence for you:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0aQ0fsQuMZs

Probably only slightly more interesting than watching paint dry for most, but oh well

I want one! -SOBS, throwing rocks at you!- Seriously I'm searching for one in South Africa

btw was there a work around for the y2K problem? i gave mine away before it would have become much of an issue (for me).

Speaking about the Crimson, my 6 fan tray arrived today from the US (thanks Zuluchas)

When i fired up my half-Crimson for the first time, the vacuum cleaner sound made a lasting impression on me. Like if you were dealing with something very powerful.

skywriter wrote: btw was there a work around for the y2K problem?

The only workaround I know is a little script to turn back the clock 15 years when you shut down, and 15 years forward when you boot. Works well as long as you don't crash the system.

n1mr0d wrote: Speaking about the Crimson, my 6 fan tray arrived today from the US (thanks Zuluchas)

When i fired up my half-Crimson for the first time, the vacuum cleaner sound made a lasting impression on me. Like if you were dealing with something very powerful.

How noisy is it in comparison to a fully loaded Onyx2 desk-side?>

Ryan Fox wrote: How noisy is it in comparison to a fully loaded Onyx2 desk-side?>

Probably the same noise level, but I find the humming of a 4D deskside more agreeable than the noise of an Onyx2. That loaded Onyx2 will eventually go into fastfan mode and then you want to run away. I believe 4Ds and Crimsons can spin the fans faster, but I've never seen it happen.

jan-jaap wrote: . That loaded Onyx2 will eventually go into fastfan mode and then you want to run away.

Weeeell Given my location it does get pretty hot during the summer months, 104F sometimes. Very uncomfortable.
Thankfully these beasts are in an air-conditioned study... However you're right... fast fan mode isn't something to poke fun at.
They really do sound like they're about to take off

The huge single fan in an Onyx looks like if it was made to take off; reversing it would probably make it hover above the ground

Well the power supply exploded when I decided to get the system set back up again (detonated right after the keyboard lights check during boot). I'll either have to track down a replacement or find a place to repair the existing supply sometime early next year.

Ugh. Is it the black (Cherokee) or silver (Power One) model?

I had a Cherokee that blew up; that was unrecoverable (PCB charred). There are a couple of threads around with my adventures with the Power One model. IMHO the Power One PSU (usually found in PowerSeries desksides) is more reliable and much better built than the Cherokee. They're also very expensive (they're marketed in medical and nuclear markets), and I've always suspected that the switch to the Cherokee PSU (mostly found in Crimsons) was due to cost savings.

I'm pretty sure it's a Cherokee supply; I'd have to double check (it's a late model Crimson though, and I seem to recall the PS is black).

Hi,

nekonoko wrote:

jan-jaap wrote: Not really, but there's another way: if you engage that breaker switch and you hear a fan humming inside before you flip the on/off switch on the front you have a PowerOne PSU. If not, you have a Cherokee PSU.

Since this is a 'late' Crimson (original configuration R4400 + RE) my guess is it has the Cherokee PSU.

A fan does come on as soon as the breaker switch on the PSU is flipped on, so it must be a PowerOne. Once the front panel switch is flipped the others roar to life. The manufacture date on the card cage door is 12/94.

nekonoko wrote: I call that a bargain

Yeah, that was my thinking as well - certainly didn't haggle on the asking price

Earlier it was thought to be the PowerOne one...


Regards,
@ndy

andyjpb wrote: Earlier it was thought to be the PowerOne one...

That was just a guess of course - I haven't opened the back and actually looked at it just yet (I did say I'd have to double check). Maybe this weekend sometime.

(I realize this is an old thread, is there a more recent one about your Crimson?)

I had a 4D/70 that did the same thing, it went pop 30 seconds after powering up. The smell of electrolyte was very strong in that area for weeks. I took the power supply out (it was an ACDC brand) and took it apart but there was no obvious damage that I could see. The ACDC supply is not modular and disassembly beyond a certain point looked hopeless.

I traded the machine for an O2 R10K, which to me was a great deal. I don't know how it's doing now...

(edited to note that it was a 4D/70, not 4D/80)

robespierre wrote: (I realize this is an old thread, is there a more recent one about your Crimson?)

Nope, this is where it's been sitting ever since.