Subject: Re: adding a PCI card on ultra 10
To: Manuel Bouyer <bouyer@antioche.eu.org>
From: Brian A. Seklecki <lavalamp@spiritual-machines.org>
List: port-sparc
Date: 05/27/2002 05:55:23
On Fri, 29 Mar 2002 @ 8:22pm (-0500), Brian A. Seklecki wrote:

BAS> On Fri, 29 Mar 2002, Manuel Bouyer wrote:
BAS>
BAS> > On Fri, Mar 29, 2002 at 02:38:10PM -0500, Brian A. Seklecki wrote:
BAS> > > On Fri, 29 Mar 2002, Manuel Bouyer wrote:
BAS> > >
BAS> > > > On Fri, Mar 29, 2002 at 09:31:17AM -0700, RJ45 wrote:
BAS> > > > > I Was thinking also to add a Adaptec 2940 scsi board on Ultra 10, may it
BAS> > > > > work?
BAS> > > >
BAS> > > > Yes, as long as they're supported by NetBSD they should work.
BAS> > > > But you need current.
BAS> > > >
BAS> > >
BAS> > > Wait, a 2940 in an ultra5?  How would that even remotely work?  How would
BAS> > > you get access to the configuration menu system from sparc hardware?
BAS> >
BAS> > This is not needed. This board can run without BIOS support.

To celebrate the release of Solaris 9, I'm going to carve out a 2 gig
partition from solaris and bootstrab sparc64 -current.  I have an old
aha-2940 dated 96 that I'll try in my U5.  If this indeed works, I will be
very pleased >:}

-lava

BAS> There's more than just BIOS support in there.  IIRC, 99% of the time the
BAS> card wouldn't work properly on an i386 with the default settings.  From
BAS> the menu system you have a great many features:
BAS>
BAS> *) Low level formatting
BAS> *) Low Level sector checking
BAS> *) The ability to adjust transfer rates, parity, disconnect, etc. on a per
BAS> ID basis
BAS> *) The ability to enable/disable on-board termination
BAS> *) A great number of other features...
BAS>
BAS> ...I must investigate this further on my Ultra5 (assuming solaris 8
BAS> drivers exist).
BAS>
BAS> But my point is: all the functionality provided via that menu system would
BAS> have to be provide through other means -- perhaps a userland utility?
BAS>