SUMMARY- Upgrading a SPARC 1000

From: Craig Gruneberg (clg@zygote.csph.psu.edu)
Date: Tue Mar 26 1996 - 08:37:32 CST


Thanks to all that repsonded. My original post was:

>
> I have a 2 processor 1000 ( don't think it is an E- just the
> 40Mhz XDBus variety ) that I would like to add another system
> board to.
>
> I am shopping the refurbished market and it looks like I can pick
> 60Mhz or 85Mhz modules for use in the 1000.
>
> I was wondering if anyone has upgraded their 1000 or added processors.
> Can the hypersparcs be used?

And the edited summary follows:

 
From: Butch Deal NRL <deal@ait.nrl.navy.mil>
  
  can not use hypers in the 1000
  I do not think you can use the 85Mhz supersparc cpu's in a 1000 (non E
  model).
  you can not mix module speeds in the 1000/2000 systems
  you will have to get 50Mhz modules.
  I would suggest that you instead upgrade the system to 1000E and in the
  process the one mother board to have two 85Mhz cpu's. This will cost
  slightly more, and will give you slightly better results than just adding
  two more 50Mhz cpu's but you will be able to more cheaply add another
  mother board with 85Mhz cpu's latter.
  
From: John Cheshire <john@stellarperformance.co.uk>
  
  It would be great if hyperSPARC modules could be used in the 1000 and
  2000, but sadly, then can not.
  
  The 1000 and 2000 use the same SuperSPARC modules as the SS20, but in
  the SS20, the modules run as MBus modules, and in the 1000/2000 they
  run as XBus modules. A SuperSPARC M61 module, for example has an XBus
  to MBus protocol converter so that it can work on both buses.
  
  hyperSPARC modules are MBus and only MBus. They have no XBus protocol
  capability. This is not surprising, since the XBus is a proprietary
  bus which Sun own, and only Sun. ROSS Technology designed the MBus,
  so obviously they are well placed to design good CPU modules for the
  MBus, but there is simply nothing they can do for the XBus.
  
From: Butch Deal NRL <deal@ait.nrl.navy.mil>
RE: Upgrading a non-E 1000 to an E
  
  you need to upgrade the controll board and the one mother board you have.
  to do just that and keep the existing ram and two 50Mhz cpu's you would need
  UG-SB1000-SBE 1000 to 1000E mother board upgrade list $5,500
  UG-CB1000-CBE 1000 to 1000E controler board upgrade list $ 950
  
  to upgrade the two 50Mhz cpu's to two 85Mhz cpu's:
  UGS1000-M61-M81 51 or 61 module upgrade to 81 module need 2 at $5,000 each
  also will need
  UG-SVENT-1000 vent kit for 85Mhz modules in 1000 list $ 30
  
  so it looks like $16,480 to get you a 1000E with two 85Mhz modules
  this is list price there should be some good discounts for you for educational
  use to get that price down alot. as gov. we get 23% dixcount which makes it
  $12,689 edu discounts should be more though.
  
From: Butch Deal NRL <deal@ait.nrl.navy.mil>
  
  you should note that there are major differences in the 85Mhz cpu's
    they are SuperSparcII not SuperSparcI like the 50Mhz modules you have
    they can access ram concurently unlike the 50Mhz modules you have which
       have to refference ram one at a time.
  Sun claims they are 45% improvement over 60Mhz modules which are identical
  to the 50Mhz modules you have with the exception of the clock. The spec
  ratesing support this claim. You should expect better than 50%
  improvement in the upgrade, also much better throughput because of the
  faster bus in the 1000E.
  
From: Daniel.Blander@ACSacs.com
  
  You might try your local Sun Reseller who should have
  Sun's refurbished equipment list available....Sun refurb's
  parts and sells them at some decent discounts, and supports
  them as if new.
  
  The 85MhZ modules are the best you can do on the 1000. No
  other faster SPARCmodules are supported.
  
  I know that refurb 1000 parts should be available through
  Sun in about 2 weeks (we just checked on it for one of
  our customers and parts were just coming on line for the
  1000)...
  
From: "Jon R. Ramsey" <ramsey@scr.siemens.com>
  
  I have installed 4 Ross hyperSPARCs 90 mhz in a Sparc 10. This required
  setting the system clock speed to 40 Mhz via three jumpers on the main
  logic board, installing a prom supplied with the CPUs, and installing
  the CPUs in the two MBUS slots. Since the machine is running Solaris
  2.5 software support is built it, (SunOS requires a patch that comes
  with the CPU's)
  
  As far as I can tell Ross only makes processors for 600, 10, and 20
  models, but you should probably check with them at www.ross.com or
  512.892.7802.
  
  As far as the installation goes it was really easy..... however, it
  would be good to have a prom extractor.
  
From: John Justin Hough <john@oncology.uthscsa.edu>
  
    I was looking at upgrading my 1000. My Sun Sales rep' said, basically, that
    you don't have to upgrade the backplane to an 'E' or the motherboards either.
    What the is designation is for is that the SBus and the
    backplane run at 50MHz
    for the E's and 25 and 40 respectively for the older 1000's
    like yours and mine.
    What you do have to do, though, is upgrade the fan(s). Because these CPUs
    are hotter, especially because there isn't as much air flow around the one
    near the XDBUS.
  
    As an edu you should get a 60% discount, are the price you see for 60MHz or
    85MHz modules that much less?
  
    I was also given the notion that regular SuperSPARC MBus modules are not
    suitable in a 1000. Is that your impression?
  
From: juntunen@ocelot.trs.ntc.nokia.com (Timo Juntunen)
  
  We have now 6 x 50MHz CPU and will upgrade next weekend into 8 x 85MHz
  CPU. We are upgrading all CPUs into faster ones so I don't know if I
  can answer into your question but at least 85MHz should work in SS1000.
  
  Rgds,
          Timo Juntunen
  
From: szh@zcon.com (Syed Zaeem Hosain)
  
  No. The hyperSparc modules are MBUS only, and does not work with the
  XDBUS like the Sparc 1000 wants.
  
From: Markus Storm <storm@math.uni-paderborn.de>
  
> I am shopping the refurbished market and it looks like I can pick
> 60Mhz or 85Mhz modules for use in the 1000.
  
  Get the 85's. Price/performance is better.
  
>
> I was wondering if anyone has upgraded their 1000 or added processors.
  
  Make sure all processors have the same clockrate. Our SS1000 kept crashing
  with a mix of 50's & 60's.
  Be aware that changing system boards & cards usually causes controller
  renumbering and the like. Carefully check it afterwards, in particular
  the /dev/* -> /devices/... links. Especially with Online Disksuite.
  We once trashed 100 GB due to this.
  
> Can the hypersparcs be used?
  
  No.
                    



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