photos:Onyx2 Resurrection

Onyx2 Resurrection

I got this Onyx2 as a freebie awile ago. It was a really basic configuration, with a single 180MHz CPU, only 192MB RAM and the 'Reality' graphics option with a single RM8-16.

It worked exactly once (when the previous owner demonstrated it). When I came home, I discovered it was easily the dirtiest system I'd ever seen, and that I couldn't possibly start it up inside the house or near any of my other systems because it would blow a fine black dust everywhere.

I proceeded to completely disassemble it and clean it out (with the hose where necessary!). After that it would throw fan faillures at me and shortly afterwards the power supply decided to commit harakiri.

I thought of thrashing it, but found a new fantray, and after the CPU upgrade of the SGI2100 I'm left with two dual 250MHz nodeboards and a boatload of RAM. Also still have an MSCSI and an XTALK-PCI with gigabit ethernet card, so it's going to be revived!

A look at the midplane
Jumpered for 360MHz operationDate: 2007:03:01 23:06:37
Zoomed in
Date: 2007:03:01 23:06:37

Midplane configuration:
  1. 180MHz nodeboards: jumper for 360MHz operation.
    Jumpers: D4M0: pins1-2, C2L2: open (see photo)
  2. With 195MHz or better nodeboards: jumper for 390MHz operation.
    Jumpers: D4M0: open, C2L2: pins1-2
Source: Usenet archives
Album created by album from David Ljung's MarginalHacks on Sat Jan 8 20:54:05 2011