Hardware For Sale/Trade

That's an Elan graphics card, in an PowerPath-GIO32 adapter. My Crimson had Elan graphics too when I got it. If you look carefully you'll be able to spot the slot bracket and everything. It lacks only one thing wrt. the Indigo Elan board: the two plastic handles to insert it into the Indigo chassis.

robespierre wrote: If that's an Extreme, does it mean Extreme gfx exists for Indigo GIO32?

No, but a similar contraption existed to add Extreme graphics to a Challenge deskside.

Elan graphics for Personal Iris existed also: that required yet another adapter.

I'd actually consider that, but as mentioned my power supply doesn't currently work.

Are there any available schematics for this PSU?
Does your machine have intact skins?

Axatax_ wrote: Are there any available schematics for this PSU?

I wish If anybody has anything please get in touch with me.

First: there are two different types of PSUs used in the Crimson / PowerSeries.

Originally, these systems shipped with a PowerOne PSU. This is a silver box. The Crimson in the eBay auction has this PSU.
Later (mostly Crimsons), these systems shipped with a Cherokee PSU. This is a black box.

Both PSU's provide the same output power: 1050W. If you search the comp.sys.sgi archives you'll find references to 1500W PSU's (presumably RE ready), but this is a mistake. 1500W is the max input power of the PowerOne design. These PSUs are connected to the backplane of the system with laminated steel rods (!), and the position of the terminals of the Cherokee is different from the PowerOne, so you can't simply transplant a 'bare' PSU into a chassis made for the other design, you need the corresponding wire harness.

I've always disliked the Cherokee design because it gives a much cheaper impression than the PowerOne design. It is a mess inside, like a PC PSU on steroids. The PowerOne design was marketed in nuclear and medical markets so they probably weren't cheap, and it shows. Also, I've had both designs fail on me: the Cherokee went up in smoke (literally: scorched PCBs), the PowerOne PSUs shut down and refuse to start the system.

I have given up on the Cherokee, and have PowerOne PSUs in my 4D/380 (works), 4D/440 (failed), Crimson (works) + at least 1 failed spare.

I have some info available here:
http://www.vdheijden-messerli.net/sgist ... wersupply/
http://www.vdheijden-messerli.net/sgist ... -powerone/
PowerOne has been acquired by another company in the mean time and I think most of the links are MIA now. I have copies of these documents.

I have also reverse engineered the schematics of the bias inverter on the mainboard. The mainboard is where (in my case) the problems are. I have enough of these things that I can swap modules around to make sure of that.

This is a work in progress but I rarely have time for it. I hope to fully understand these PSUs before the last working specimen kicks it.

FWIW: these PSUs are modular. There's always a rectifier board, a main (controller) board, and some modules which generate the low voltage / high current output. Different configurations of these power supplies were used in Teradyne testers. If you're sure the problem is in the mainboard you could try to find one on eBay (search:"power one spm5") and transplant the output modules used by SGI. I never tried that (these things are too expensive to ship for me to try). It may not work. It may even explode and/or kill you, you're on your own .

PS: there's an even bigger version of the PowerOne design around. It's 220VAC only and puts out 250A @ 5V. Seriously screwdriver melting stuff. You find them in PowerSeries 'SkyWriter' and 'Predator' racks, like my 4D/380.

Axatax_ wrote: Does your machine have intact skins?

The skins are mint - it was used in a Hollywood effects studio and was treated kindly. It's an original Reality Engine config (from the factory) with all labels intact.

There are a bunch of pics/hinv/etc. in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=14&t=16720515

Your right, I was thinking Elan but typing Extreme, d'oh. If you look at the top plate in one of my pictures you'll see the Elan badge.

jan-jaap wrote: That's an Elan graphics card, in an PowerPath-GIO32 adapter. My Crimson had Elan graphics too when I got it. If you look carefully you'll be able to spot the slot bracket and everything. It lacks only one thing wrt. the Indigo Elan board: the two plastic handles to insert it into the Indigo chassis.

robespierre wrote: If that's an Extreme, does it mean Extreme gfx exists for Indigo GIO32?

No, but a similar contraption existed to add Extreme graphics to a Challenge deskside.

Elan graphics for Personal Iris existed also: that required yet another adapter.

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/sys/4944374471.html

He wants too much ($16K) but it's all there, even the manuals.

Asking price on eBay is $10K less .

Just walk up to him and throw $1000 cash at him. He'll take it. He'll be sitting on it forever to try and get even $5K.