Imaginary PIs [ clarification; desired i/o features ]

[Dave Olson]

In <3330 at dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> buck at drax.gsfc.nasa.gov (Loren (Buck) Buchanan) writes:

| In article <1411 at contex.UUCP> frank at contex.UUCP (Frank Perdicaro) writes:
| >A Modest Proposal
| 
...

| >Proposed Configuration 3.
| >   Very minor sheet metal modification make it possible to run a full height
| >drive in the top slot of a 4D 25.  Make these modifications and place a drive
| >there.  Cut the existing SCSI cable in half, and have the top-slot drive 
| >serve the secondary cpu.  This still provides for SCSI expansion in one cpu, 
| >but provides two independent cpu in one box.
| 

I apparently missed this when originally posted.  The top slot in
the current PI can be used for either 2 half/high devices, or
one full high, so no sheet metal (or other mods) are necessary.

Of course, this doesn't do anything for the proposed 2 cpu's in a 
single chassis!

On a related note, there has been some discussion of possibly providing
an optional second SCSI bus on some future ESD (low-end) machine,
similar to what was recently added on the IO3 board for the high end
machines.  Is this something that some of you might find
useful/desirable?  What other i/o features are folks looking for?
(Don't bother complaining about pricing, I'm only interested in
engineering related features!)

Please reply via E-mail to olson at sgi.com, unless you think it is of
general interest.

I'm only soliciting opinions, not making any promises.  I speak only
for myself, etc., etc.


--

	Dave Olson

Life would be so much easier if we could just look at the source code.