video cards on old Sparcs
2007-12-25 11:28:00
information/help I was looking for.
Original question in brief:
I have a SparcServer10 and a SparcStation2 that currently have no video
cards. I noticed both have a port on the back with a monitor picture but it
looks like no way that a card could fit it there. Can I use an Sbus card in
these machines?
Answers:
I got many replies that said "Sure you can use an SBus card"
The details I needed to unconfuse me came from a few people but Christopher
Barnard gave me the best response:
"There were two types of motherboards for the SS10. One had an onboard
video output so you wouldn't have to use an Sbus slot. The other one, the
one that you have, does not have that video port. There is no way to use
that opening in the back except by swapping the entire motherboard. The
SS10 does have 4 Sbus slots, though, (the two nearest the power supply look
like Sbus but are actually Mbus slots for processors) so you can put your
Sbus card in one of those slots."
My reply:
AH HA, NO WONDER I WAS CONFUSED,TOO MUCH WORK IN THE PC AND MAC WORLD WHERE
YOU ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE LITTLE MONITOR PICTURE:-) OK, SO PART 2 WAS TRYING
TO GET ONE OF THE SBUS CARDS IN THE SLOT BUT NO WAY WERE THE CARDS I HAD
GOING TO FIT THROUGH THE FACEPLATE ON THE BACK. AGAIN, CHRISTOPHER TO THE
RESCUE:
"At some point Sun changed the size very slightly of the faceplates for Sbus
cards. I don't remember which one is on the SS10. Sun at least had the
decency to give us a metal strip to go on the card to make it fit. Some
cards have this strip installed, and some cards come with the metal strip
in a ziplock baggie. The metal strip is about 1/16" of an inch high with
two tiny screws in the corners. They add two small metal tabs pointing up
when installed on an Sbus card. The Sbus card, when this filler is not
installed, has a flat top and two very small (unused obviously) screwholes
in the two upper corners of the faceplate."
I REMOVED THE TINY STRIP AND VOILA!! THE CARD FIT.
Thanks also to the following people who replied:
Adrian Stovall, Anthony Worrall, Brandon Devlin, Carl Brewer, Jochen Bern,
Joseph Chiu, Kevin Sheehan, Luke Kaines, Michael Pins and Ken ?
As always you guys are great!!
Lisa
******************************************************************
Lisa Weihl, System Administrator E-mail: lweihl@cs.bgsu.edu
Department of Computer Science Office: Hayes 225
Bowling Green State University Phone: (419) 372-0116
Bowling Green, Ohio 43403-0214 Fax: (419) 372-8061
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