SYSRUTH@UTORPHYS.BITNET.UUCP (04/22/87)
VAXstations are a little tricky for adding options since DEC has very cleverly filled half the bus slots with glue. The simplest and cheapest way around it is to buy and expansion box, which is about $3000 (Canadian). It has a couple of cards with a cable that come with it, and we have and RC running now with this setup. You may have to wheedle a bit with your sales rep to get one - DEC hates selling them. You may find an OEM in your area who might have a couple. Or there is a third-party box we are about to test in the next couple of days - I can let you know how it works out. Certainly DEC's own works just fine. This pretty well means you need to rackmount it, but you'd probably want to put the disk, and possibly the tape as well, in the same rack. As far as disk and tape drive interfaces are concerned, you have lots of third-party choices. We get our disk interfaces from System Industries (who may get them from Emulex). For system disks we use their QDA50's, for others we use their 9900 controller. Tape drive interfaces we got from Aviv, although SI also has the same thing. Note: these are multi-layered boards, quite thick, loaded with components right out to the edges, and often not easy to get in. But they work fine. Aviv has them for both STC and PERTEC protocols; SI/Emulex may as well (although I'm told that STC is faster). They use the standard DEC TSDRIVER. (Re disks: the QDA uses the standard DEC DUDRIVER, 9900's use an SI driver). The other alternative is to replace the backplane so that you have all the slots available. This is cheaper, but much tougher both to do and to obtain the parts for. The backplane costs about $500, plus a couple of hours' labour (and manual-poring). However they are almost impossible to get. Last I heard DEC was insisting on selling them only in lots of 50. So your only chance here is OEM/VAR's, and still it's a long shot. I personally would recommend going with the expansion box. It's cheap, it's easy, and it works. Running cables may not be as neat and tidy as you might like, but it isn't a total mess, either. Any questions, just ask. Oh, the brand X box is made by a company called Sigma. They also make a BA123-sized box that is *rack-mountable*. And we run :-) *VMS* on *all* our uVAXes. Ruth Milner Systems Manager University of Toronto Physics SYSRUTH@UTORPHYS.BITNET P.S. Those of you planning on being at DECUS next week - I've been trying to find a time slot with nothing interesting in it. Maybe Wednesday at 6, after all the sessions are over for the day? Discussion followed and/or over dinner somewhere? Or I'll be there on Friday evening, as well. Any other ideas? Please let me know - I would like to co-ordinate something. Check under INFO-VAX on the message board if you don't see anything on the list. Looking forward to seeing you all!
cetron%ced@CS.UTAH.EDU (Ed Cetron) (04/24/87)
I disagree with ruth to go with vaxstation gpx small box and an expander. I found that going with a gpx ba123 and NO expander just a rack for the big disk and tape was a big plus - you have all the slots you need, you can add big 5.25 disks (i here the maxtor is really nice) and it is MUCH easier to work on then the ba23 styles (i know, we have many of each). As for get together, a start will be sunday night at the decus reception around the rsx table just look for the short balding gentleman with a mustache, glasses and several drinks in his hands :-) -ed
mf@savax.UUCP (04/24/87)
In article <8704241431.AA16001@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, SYSRUTH@UTORPHYS.BITNET writes: > VAXstations are a little tricky for adding options since DEC has very cleverly > filled half the bus slots with glue. The simplest and cheapest way around it I think that you may be a little mistaken. The VAXstation II/RC (restricted configuration) WAS sold with a backplane filled with glue, which is why it was so cheap. I haven't seen or heard of any GPXs being sold this waY /marc -- Marc Fleischmann Sanders Associates, Inc. - Nashua N.H. (603) 885-5050 UUCP: ihnp4!decvax!savax!mf