Subject: SCSI mostly...
To: None <port-sun3@netbsd.org>
From: Andy Ball <ball@cyberspace.org>
List: port-sun3
Date: 03/30/2001 01:46:00
Hello Greg!

  GAW> I had (have, but the whole works is powered down and
     > out in the garage now) one 3/60 in with my 3/280, and
     > I had four 32MB RAM cards and a Sun3 SCSI (si) in
     > there too.

It's good to hear from someone who has actually done this -
confirming the theory.  It makes me wonder whether the chap
who designed the 3/50 and 3/60 had something this in mind.
Anyone know who this was?  Do you have any clear plans for
your SUN 3 gear?

  GAW> With only one disk and one tape drive in it there was
     > still lots of power.

That's a good point. I imagine a modern SCSI drive is likely
to draw less current than an old one, leaving more available
for boards.  I have a 170Mb SCSI drive (no idea if the thing
works), but imagine 500Mb would be more comfortable. I guess
a tape drive draws less power when it's not in use (I think
that's my obvious statement for the day! ;o)

  GAW> Wonder no longer.  Sun made money on building custom
     > adapter boards and frames (take a look at any SCSI
     > card, for example :-).

I've seen pictures of them, and curious critters they look
too.  As mentioned previously, I've been offered a 3/110
'Prism' processor card, but it lacks on-board SCSI and is
apparently incompatible with common 'Carrera' style memory
boards.  I have no idea which SCSI cards it might work
with.

There's a page in front of me now that suggests the Computer
-Vision boards may be 'Sirius' style, 3/2x0 ish things.  If
I ever get around to picking some of these up, I may find
out more about them.

Regards,
  - Andy.