[Info-vax] KZPAC / RAID Array 230 questions

[Stephen Hoffman]

On 2020-12-18 01:36:14 +0000, Alan Frisbie said:

> I recently acquired a DS20 with a KZPAC (RAID Array 230/Plus) SCSI 
> controller.  The firmware "show config" command also reports it as a 
> Mylex DAC960.

The old Mylex DAC RAID controllers are not among my favorite RAID 
controllers, and yes, those old addressing limits are permanent. 
Wouldn't ever be my choice for controllers either, both due to the 
limits, and due to the "fun" I always had with that series.

As for the Alpha 21264 processors and processor passes...  IIRC, Alpha 
EV6 (specifically EV6 and not EV67, etc) 500 MHz pass 2.3 didn't play 
well with other 500 MHz passes, with a timing bug in the probe 
instruction implementation that could cause weirdness when used in 
mixed-pass same-MHz configurations, and mixed EV6 passes are thus best 
avoided with multi-processor configurations. Mixed-MHz wasn't something 
you'd want to do.  IIRC, EV68 is all pass 2.6, and all works. And IIRC, 
there was an FCO for this.

Some very old reading material...

> Variants
> 
> Intermixing the KN310-AA (DS20) CPU and the KN310-BA (DS20E) CPU.
> 
> The -AA or -BA variants of the KN310 cannot be used to determine 
> processor compatibility. The actual part number must be used.
> 
> DS20 processors with numbers are 54-24758-03 & -05, will work together; 
> they have the same EV chips in them (No longer orderable).
> 
> DS20 and DS20E processors 54-24758-33 & -35 will work together, as they 
> have the same EV chips in them. These cannot be mixed with -03 and -05 
> (DS20) or -43 and -45 (DS20 or DS20E).
> 
> DS20 and DS20E processors 54-24758-43 & -45 will work together; they 
> have the same EV chips in them. These cannot be mixed with -03 and -05 
> (DS20) or -33 and -35 (DS20 or DS20E).
> 
> DS20E processors 54-30060 -01, -02, -03, -04 can be mixed together.
> 
> 
> System Model Number CPU Description
> 
> DS20E 54-24758-33 KN310-BA 500 MHz CPU, EV6 4MB Motorola/IBM Pass 2.5 
> 54-24758-35
> 
> DS20E 54-24758-43 KN310-CA 500 MHz CPU, EV67 4MB IBM Pass 2.5 54-24758-45
> 
> DS20E 54-30060-01 KN311-BA,BB,BC,BD 667MHz CPU, EV67 8MB IBM/Sony Cache 
> Pass 2.2.3 54-30060-02
> 
> DS20E 54-30060-03 KN311-CA,CB,CC,CD 667MHz CPU, EV67 8MB IBM/Sony Cache 
> Pass 2.6 54-30060-04
> 
> DS20E 54-30482-02 KN312-BB,BC,BD 833MHz CPU, EV68 8MB IBM/Sony Cache


More (old) reading:

same issue on AlphaServer ES40 as with AlphaServer DS20 and DS20E processors:

https://manx-docs.org/collections/antonio/dec/EK-KN610-CL.A01.pdf

And for the Alpha EV6 21264 chip internals and passes and ilk:

https://www.star.bnl.gov/public/daq/HARDWARE/21264_data_sheet.pdf

And if you don't already have it:

https://manx-docs.org/collections/antonio/dec/MDS-2000-01/cd1/ALPHA/AS140SVA.PDF 




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