Date: Fri, 13 Oct 2000 07:59:29 -0400 From: "Person, Roderick" <personrp@ccbh.com> To: 'Heredity Choice' <stork@QNET.COM> Cc: "'questions@FreeBSD.ORG'" <questions@FreeBSD.ORG> Subject: RE: OT: Alpha hardware help. Message-ID: <ABC15E2D8FBCD311B4A200805FA7D59B0260405E@1upmc-msx6.isdip.upmc.edu>
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Thanks alot for the info. I found a manual for this board at
ftp.digital.com.
I still wasn't sure about the PCI power (were all pci card 3.3v and such).
And I noticed that there were only 10 video cards that were tested and
worked with this thing. They are all older cards. I have tracked down one of
the cards - a high end digital card that is $150 used.
You say you have never completed the boot process, so am I in for lots of
head aches to get FreeBSD to run on this??
Roderick P. Person
Programmer II
Crystal Administrator
(412)454-2616
personrp@ccbh.com
"If it floats your boat, it must be water."
RnR - circa 1993
-----Original Message-----
From: Heredity Choice [mailto:stork@QNET.COM]
Sent: October 13, 2000 3:29 AM
To: Person, Roderick
Cc: 'questions@FreeBSD.ORG'
Subject: Re: OT: Alpha hardware help.
The 3.3 volt connection is used only by relatively rare PCI cards. To be
safe, you had best contact the maker of each PCI card you plan to use and
ask whether it needs 3.3 volts. J33 takes standard AT connectors.
If you really need 3.3 volts, several companies make AT power supplies
with 3.3 volts, but these are not cheap. You can take any ATX power
supply and splice 2 sets of AT connectors on it in place of the ATX
connector. To connect the wires correctly you will need to look in a
computer manual that gives the voltage to each pin of an AT and an ATX
connector, as well as the J34.=20
On the pair of AT connectors that go into J34 you will have to do a little
filing to eliminate the ridges that are there to stop you putting them in
the wrong place.
When you boot, "BIOS Emulation Ver. 1.7" refers to the SROM. The latest
SRM firmware for this board is Ver. 1.6, downloadable from www.compaq.com.
You cannot use ARC for FreeBSD, and the flash ROM is only big enough to
hold one or the other.
These boards will not boot with just any video card. They seem to prefer
the older ones.
The boot process should take about 2 minutes. Mine has never completed the
boot process. After displaying the SROM version it goes to a blue screen
with a flashing cursor.
Paul Smith
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<TITLE>RE: OT: Alpha hardware help.</TITLE>
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<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Thanks alot for the info. I found a manual for this =
board at ftp.digital.com.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>I still wasn't sure about the PCI power (were all pci =
card 3.3v and such). And I noticed that there were only 10 video cards =
that were tested and worked with this thing. They are all older cards. =
I have tracked down one of the cards - a high end digital card that is =
$150 used.</FONT></P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>You say you have never completed the boot process, so =
am I in for lots of head aches to get FreeBSD to run on this??</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Roderick P. Person</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Programmer II</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Crystal Administrator</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>(412)454-2616</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>personrp@ccbh.com</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>"If it floats your boat, it must be =
water."</FONT>
<BR><FONT =
SIZE=3D2> &nb=
sp; &nb=
sp; &nb=
sp; RnR - circa 1993</FONT>
</P>
<BR>
<BR>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>-----Original Message-----</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>From: Heredity Choice [<A =
HREF=3D"mailto:stork@QNET.COM">mailto:stork@QNET.COM</A>]</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Sent: October 13, 2000 3:29 AM</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>To: Person, Roderick</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Cc: 'questions@FreeBSD.ORG'</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>Subject: Re: OT: Alpha hardware help.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>The 3.3 volt connection is used only by relatively =
rare PCI cards. To be</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>safe, you had best contact the maker of each PCI =
card you plan to use and</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>ask whether it needs 3.3 volts. J33 takes standard =
AT connectors.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>If you really need 3.3 volts, several companies make =
AT power supplies</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>with 3.3 volts, but these are not cheap. You =
can take any ATX power</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>supply and splice 2 sets of AT connectors on it in =
place of the ATX</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>connector. To connect the wires correctly you will =
need to look in a</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>computer manual that gives the voltage to each pin =
of an AT and an ATX</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>connector, as well as the J34.=3D20</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>On the pair of AT connectors that go into J34 you =
will have to do a little</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>filing to eliminate the ridges that are there to =
stop you putting them in</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>the wrong place.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>When you boot, "BIOS Emulation Ver. 1.7" =
refers to the SROM. The latest</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>SRM firmware for this board is Ver. 1.6, =
downloadable from www.compaq.com.</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>You cannot use ARC for FreeBSD, and the flash ROM is =
only big enough to</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>hold one or the other.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>These boards will not boot with just any video card. =
They seem to prefer</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>the older ones.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>The boot process should take about 2 minutes. Mine =
has never completed the</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>boot process. After displaying the SROM version it =
goes to a blue screen</FONT>
<BR><FONT SIZE=3D2>with a flashing cursor.</FONT>
</P>
<P><FONT SIZE=3D2>Paul Smith</FONT>
</P>
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