To: Linuxbierwanderung Mailing List <lbw@eartha.cyberware.co.uk>
From: Brad Knowles <brad.knowles@skynet.be>
Subject: Old memory?
Cc:
Bcc:
Folks,

	I'm in the process of trying to upgrade the memory on the 
Twinhead Twinstation 5G (Sun SPARCstation 5 clone) that I bought a 
few months ago (and onto which I have recently installed NetBSD 
1.5.2), and I was wondering if anyone on the list could help me out 
with figuring out the type of memory it requires.  I've done some 
searching online, and I've looked at the memory modules that are 
currently installed.

	I know that it uses 72-pin SIMMs (maximum of 32MB in size, 
according to the page at 
<http://www.sunrise.com.pl/english/frames/wstn_5g.html>), and looking 
at the SIMMs that are currently installed, I note that they are very 
tall, with a total of eight surface-mount memory chips and one SOJ 
mount memory chip (although I'm not sitting in front of the machine 
at the moment, so I don't have the chip part numbers, nor can I give 
you a diagram of the layout).


	Based on this, and the age of the machine, I figure that the 
memory in question is probably fast page mode (FPM) with parity 
(hence the 9th chip), and by looking at the part numbers on the chip 
(ending with a -6), I figure that it is 60ns.  Searching on the 'net, 
I find relatively few places with this kind of memory, and none of 
them seem to be in Europe or ship to Europe.

	Does anyone have any thoughts as to good places where I could buy 
this kind of stuff?  We have local used parts sales places (on the 
shady side of town), and I bought some 32MB 72-pin SIMMs at one of 
the shops there that I thought would be good.  However, at best 
guess, I think these things are EDO (which I'm not sure hurts or 
helps), but they certainly don't have parity, and they don't seem to 
work in the machine.

	Also, does anyone have any thoughts on what kinds of SCSI-2 disks 
I could buy that would be relatively large in capacity, relatively 
high speed, and relatively reliable?  It's been so long since I did 
anything with systems this old that I don't remember what kinds of 
drives from this era were reliable, and what kinds of speeds and 
capacities would be available.

	AdvThanksance!

-- 
Brad Knowles, <brad.knowles@skynet.be>

"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."
     -Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania.