DECsystem 5500 available (fwd)

DECsystem 5500 available (fwd)

[Maciej W. Rozycki]

Hello folks,

 We may be interested in getting this system to add Linux support.  It is
quite rare and despite having an R3000 processor as its main computational
unit it actually has a VAX processor as well, which is used for executing
diagnostics.  There is some programming-level documentation available --
much enough I think a port should be moderately easy, at least from the
hardware point of view.  Code may require major surgery here and there,
though.

 I'd take the system myself as it would be a good check for portability of
code, but it's out of reach for me at the moment.

  Maciej

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Message-ID: <200411221559.53350.rupp@chello.at>
Date: Mon, 22 Nov 2004 15:59:53 +0100
From: Wolfgang Rupp <rupp@chello.at>
To: port-pmax@NetBSD.org
Cc: port-vax@NetBSD.org
Subject: DECsystem 5500 available


I have a DECsystem 5500 ("Mipsfair-2") located in Vienna, Austria, to a
good home. 

This is basically a  Mayfair VAX, but with a MIPS CPU card instead.
You could change it to a VAX with an appropriate CPU card.

64MB RAM, 2x 1GB DSSI disks, 1x1GB (I think) SCSI disk, Ethernet onboard.
Modules: M7637, M7638, M7639. BA420 case, Ultrix 4.4 installed, original
system manual, lots of extra stuff (ID jumpers for DSSI, the strange power
cable, etc.)

The box has been under DEC support, probably until I bought it in 2000.
It looks like new. Even the DEC service card is still on the system door.

Weight: 70kg / 150lbs. Local pickup only, or you organize and pay
shipping. Cost: any offer is welcome, DEC stuff preferred. I try to loose
weight, so don't offer beer :-)

Wolfgang

Re: DECsystem 5500 available (fwd)

[Ralf Baechle]

On Wed, Nov 24, 2004 at 10:36:32PM +0000, Maciej W. Rozycki wrote:

>  We may be interested in getting this system to add Linux support.  It is
> quite rare and despite having an R3000 processor as its main computational
> unit it actually has a VAX processor as well, which is used for executing
> diagnostics.  There is some programming-level documentation available --
> much enough I think a port should be moderately easy, at least from the
> hardware point of view.  Code may require major surgery here and there,
> though.
> 
>  I'd take the system myself as it would be a good check for portability of
> code, but it's out of reach for me at the moment.

As long as I won't have to learn VAX assembler ;-)

  Ralf

Re: DECsystem 5500 available (fwd)

[Dave Airlie]

> >  I'd take the system myself as it would be a good check for portability of
> > code, but it's out of reach for me at the moment.
>
> As long as I won't have to learn VAX assembler ;-)

ah it's not really that bad Ralf :-), no branch delay slots!!

and think of all the wonderful things you can do with a single instruction
CRC...

Dave.

-- 
David Airlie, Software Engineer
http://www.skynet.ie/~airlied / airlied at skynet.ie
pam_smb / Linux DECstation / Linux VAX / ILUG person

Re: DECsystem 5500 available (fwd)

[Ralf Baechle]

On Wed, Nov 24, 2004 at 11:11:21PM +0000, Dave Airlie wrote:

> > As long as I won't have to learn VAX assembler ;-)
> 
> ah it's not really that bad Ralf :-), no branch delay slots!!
> 
> and think of all the wonderful things you can do with a single instruction
> CRC...

My microcode is itching ;-)

  Ralf