erich@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Erich Stefan Boleyn) (03/06/91)
This is admittedly an old thread, but: >The best solution I've come up with is to place the 030 board in another >slot and not buy a NBIC for it. I have moved my current 030 board to >another slot temporarily, and it seemed to work, so I don't anticipate >any problems there. Then, I'll get my 040 board and network the two via >thin Ethernet. ...[deleted]... >To reduce load on the 040's SCSI and Ethernet channels, I'll use a 40 >MB SCSI drive that I have lying around as the boot and swap drive for >the 030. Then, I'll stick selected parts of the /usr hierarchy, /bin, >/etc, /lib, /sdmach --- all that should come to around 14 MB, giving >me room for a 16 MB swapfile. If I didn't have one, I'd set it up as >a NetBoot client (ugh!). ...[deleted]... >Naturally, I'll want to use the 040 board as my primary one, so I'll >put my MegaPixel display on that. Of course, I'll still have to start >up the other board, so (this is where conjecture comes in) I'll get a >NeXT Sound Box and hook it up to the Monitor port of the 030. Then, >with another keyboard (or by using the one usually connected to the >MegaPixel display), I can "turn on" the 030 board. This is not necessarily a problem... I'm interested in this path myself, and upon looking at the pinout for the monitor cable, it appears that the power key has its own line that you could then pull (down/ up) externally, with no other intervention required. You could build a little connector with a "power key" on it only... (see below) >All NextAnswers has to say about it is in hardware.302 --- "The >current power supply will not operate without the monitor load", so I >don't see any reason why this approach wouldn't work. It does seem >the cleanest one - no nasty wiring of connectors needed. If anyone >has any other suggestions, please post them. I'm sure the problem is that the power supply is optimized to run with the monitor loading down the power lines out of the monitor port, I don't know if it would not run at *all*, or if it just means that it would put a lot of stress on the power supply. My roommate owns a NeXTstation and made a foolish move of unplugging the monitor cable one night to "conserve on power". Upon plugging it back in, the system crashed bad (the power dropped). It appeared to be OK after a routine fsck, though. We also just tried unplugging the keyboard from the monitor, and then pluggin it back in... it worked just fine, with no problems or interruptions. This tends to imply that using a soundbox hanging off of the '030 motherboard with a little button on a keyboard connector (connected to the powerkey line) would do the trick. >Standard disclaimers apply. This approach is not for the timid, and >is most likely rather dishonest, as NeXT would like you to send back >your 030 board when you receive your 040 upgrade, and has provided a >prepaid FedEx package for you. Please think twice before trying what >I described above. Well, one could ask them about it... I think that with an extra donation they will be happier (I'm not sure though, I should contact them directly). There is also the problem about the fact that buying a 2.0 Software upgrade will only give you one software license, and though you could likely get away with it, for a minimal extra fee, they would probably give you another license (I think that the license itself is about $60 or so), which would do. SUMMARY: 1) One needs an old cube and an upgrade board (or alternately, a new cube and an old mother-board). An offering to the powers at NeXT may also be in order, since they sort of expect to get the old processor board from you (courtesy, necessity?). Maybe arrange to get an upgrade board with no fed-Ex package (or expectations) for an extra fee. I'm looking into it, will post response... Note: don't get the NBIC chip (or don't connect it), so that they won't try to interact on the bus... 2) Get another software license for the small fee that they are charging. 3) Set up the '030 board for booting (netboot would be annoying, but without a small local disk for it, it may be necessary) without the window manager on the console. 4) Either: make a monitor connector and hope that not having the soundbox will be OK (which had some evidence to suggest it), but not being able to plug in a keyboard to it again after turning it on without interrupting the system, or use a soundbox and make a keyboard connector with a powerkey on it... this also should allow you to connect a keyboard to it if you like (?) while its still running. 5) Connect the two boards by ethernet (don't forget the T-connectors ;-). 6) Have at it! COMMENTS: When (and if, from what I've heard :-( NeXT decides to implement a version of the kernel that will support multiple motherboards on the bus, it would be interesting to have them divvy up the external devices and networks amoung the boards to balance the load and speed up the machine (i.e. parallel I/O !!). Comments on anything? Erich "I haven't lost my mind; I know exactly where it is." / -- Erich Stefan Boleyn -- \ --=> *Mad Genius wanna-be* <=-- { Honorary Grad. Student (Math) }--> Internet E-mail: <erich@cs.pdx.edu> \ Portland State University / >%WARNING: INTERESTED AND EXCITABLE%< "I haven't lost my mind; I know exactly where it is." / -- Erich Stefan Boleyn -- \ --=> *Mad Genius wanna-be* <=-- { Honorary Grad. Student (Math) }--> Internet E-mail: <erich@cs.pdx.edu> \ Portland State University / >%WARNING: INTERESTED AND EXCITABLE%<
erich@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Erich Stefan Boleyn) (03/07/91)
Found some loose ends in the last posting... erich@eecs.cs.pdx.edu (Erich Stefan Boleyn) writes: >SUMMARY: > Note: don't get the NBIC chip (or don't connect it), so that > they won't try to interact on the bus... Don't know about the NBIC chip... I read this from an old posting, I'll wait until I get my old cube (should be here in a couple of days). > 4) Either: make a monitor connector and hope that not having the > soundbox will be OK (which had some evidence to suggest it), but > not being able to plug in a keyboard to it again after turning > it on without interrupting the system, or > use a soundbox and make a keyboard connector with a > powerkey on it... this also should allow you to connect a > keyboard to it if you like (?) while its still running. Problem: using the power key powers up the whole machine... will powering up one of the two motherboards be enough (I assume trying to power up both would be confusing to the poor power supply). > Erich "I haven't lost my mind; I know exactly where it is." / -- Erich Stefan Boleyn -- \ --=> *Mad Genius wanna-be* <=-- { Honorary Grad. Student (Math) }--> Internet E-mail: <erich@cs.pdx.edu> \ Portland State University / >%WARNING: INTERESTED AND EXCITABLE%<
zazula@uazhe0.physics.arizona.edu (RALPH ZAZULA) (03/08/91)
In article <2840@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca>, jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Joseph Chin) writes... >As much as I like to have the 030 and the 040 running in my Cube, there is >one more factor to consider: > >NeXT has taken a big step in after-sales support by allowing owners of older >systems (030 Cubes) to upgrade to the new system board (040) at a very >affordable and what I consider to be very reasonable price ... in exchange >for the return of the old system board (prepaid!). > >Are we prepared to take this good will for granted and possibly ruin any >chance of future upgrade plans from NeXT by keeping the 030 system board? > >I am by no mean condemning those who choose to try out the "dual processor" >NeXT idea. I am still contemplating it myself ... > >:-) Joe >jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca > >-- > ************************************************************** > * "Kill the body and the head will die" (Hunter S. Thompson) * > * NeXT --> The ultimate electronic publishing platform! * > ********** Joseph Chin --> jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca ********* Speaking for myself: *N*O*!!! I intend on trying to find a way to purchase and license software for the '030 once I upgrade to an '040. In no way did I mean to imply that I would keep, on a permanent basis, the '030 board without an agreement with NeXT. I hope no one else is planning on violating this trust... Ralph |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | Ralph Zazula "Computer Addict!" | | University of Arizona --- Department of Physics | | UAZHEP::ZAZULA (DecNet/HEPNet) | | zazula@uazhe0.physics.arizona.edu (Internet) | |----------------------------------------------------------------------| | "You can twist perceptions, reality won't budge." - Neil Peart | |----------------------------------------------------------------------|
jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca (Joseph Chin) (03/08/91)
As much as I like to have the 030 and the 040 running in my Cube, there is one more factor to consider: NeXT has taken a big step in after-sales support by allowing owners of older systems (030 Cubes) to upgrade to the new system board (040) at a very affordable and what I consider to be very reasonable price ... in exchange for the return of the old system board (prepaid!). Are we prepared to take this good will for granted and possibly ruin any chance of future upgrade plans from NeXT by keeping the 030 system board? I am by no mean condemning those who choose to try out the "dual processor" NeXT idea. I am still contemplating it myself ... :-) Joe jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca -- ************************************************************** * "Kill the body and the head will die" (Hunter S. Thompson) * * NeXT --> The ultimate electronic publishing platform! * ********** Joseph Chin --> jchin@van-bc.wimsey.bc.ca *********