----- Original Message -----
From: Christian Johansson <cjn@isd.se>
To: <port-vax@netbsd.org>
Sent: Wednesday, November 03, 1999 11:30 PM
Subject: OT: VAX 6000 number of CPUs?


> Hi!
>
> We have two VAX 6000 machines here which are operated by a computer club
in
> Sodertalje/Sweden. They are currently two 6430/256Mb, but we have laid our
> hands on 3 500 CPUs which we will put in one of them.

Danger, Will Robinson!

A 500 or 600 series cpu requires a 6000-2xxx,3xxx or 4xxx to have either:-

1)  A backplane mod

2) A special card that provides the necessary extra voltages to the CPU's
that
    are otherwise accomplished by the backplane mod.  Sort of a plug in
backplane
    mod kit.   I don't know the module id though...  (Post on comp.sys.dec
or comp.sys.vms and
    Steve Hoffman or one of the other Vax Gurus will no doubt fill in the
blanks.

That said, a 6530 would be a nice box...

> How many 400 CPUs can one put in one machine? I thought the maximum was
> 4 but then I have heard theese rumors that one could have 6 400 CPUs in
> a 6000 I you ran OpenVMS 6.2 or later?

6 x cpus on versions after VMS 6.2 is correct AFAIK.   I am uncertain if
that includes 6.2, but I
think it does.

> One of theese beast could probably be made available for NetBSD
development
> as soon as we have found a new ISP which is willing to sponsor us...

Ok.  Hmm, email me off list, I have several 6000's.

Cheers
Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie, South Australia.
geoffrob@stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au