time to upgrade the video card in my Sun SPARCstation 1+.
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hmm, maybe my adapter board (configured for H/V sync) will not work with this card that puts out CSYNC only.
no CSYNC comes out. checked it with a scope. OK, maybe the monitor sense pins being floating is a problem? i think it should still come up even with nothing (1152x900 66Hz).
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no CSYNC comes out. checked it with a scope. OK, maybe the monitor sense pins being floating is a problem? i think it should still come up even with nothing (1152x900 66Hz).
that wasn't it either. no change.
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looks like the people who designed it left their names on the circuit board. i guess some of them are crossed out because they left the team?
@tubetime no, everyone gets added to the pcb silk screen at the start, and then gets crossed out if your work causes a new revision
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that wasn't it either. no change.
quick sanity check with the old video card, and that still works OK.
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looks like the people who designed it left their names on the circuit board. i guess some of them are crossed out because they left the team?
@tubetime we don't talk about curtis anymore
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quick sanity check with the old video card, and that still works OK.
could be an old PROM version. the previous screen shows ROM Rev 1.1, but here it looks like I need PROM 2.0 or higher.
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could be an old PROM version. the previous screen shows ROM Rev 1.1, but here it looks like I need PROM 2.0 or higher.
PROM is 525-1043-07, which is for a SPARCstation 1, not a 1+. uhh, looks like i actually own a SPARCstation 1 but the lid has the wrong logo on it!
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PROM is 525-1043-07, which is for a SPARCstation 1, not a 1+. uhh, looks like i actually own a SPARCstation 1 but the lid has the wrong logo on it!
looks like The Retro Web has a PROM image i can use.
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/sun-sparcstation-1 -
looks like the people who designed it left their names on the circuit board. i guess some of them are crossed out because they left the team?
@tubetime Silicon designer burn book.
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looks like the people who designed it left their names on the circuit board. i guess some of them are crossed out because they left the team?
@tubetime harsh!!
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could be an old PROM version. the previous screen shows ROM Rev 1.1, but here it looks like I need PROM 2.0 or higher.
@tubetime I remember adding a GX framebuffer to my SS20, and it did need a PROM upgrade. The eBay seller who sold me the FB included a new PROM chip.
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quick sanity check with the old video card, and that still works OK.
@tubetime I'm not sure it helps, but can you actually put both cards in and get through the prom on the one that works, but only get the other in the OS?
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looks like The Retro Web has a PROM image i can use.
https://theretroweb.com/motherboards/s/sun-sparcstation-1new PROM programmed and ready to go.
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new PROM programmed and ready to go.
with the monochrome video card, the new PROM boots up. NVRAM is invalid since it probably remaps everything, but at least it is smart enough to recover the MAC address. i was expecting to have to reconfigure the whole thing manually, because Sun.
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with the monochrome video card, the new PROM boots up. NVRAM is invalid since it probably remaps everything, but at least it is smart enough to recover the MAC address. i was expecting to have to reconfigure the whole thing manually, because Sun.
yeah looks like the color card works (this is the green video channel) but i will need a way to convert the sync signals to this monitor.
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yeah looks like the color card works (this is the green video channel) but i will need a way to convert the sync signals to this monitor.
@tubetime indeed looks green
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yeah looks like the color card works (this is the green video channel) but i will need a way to convert the sync signals to this monitor.
my 13W3 Video Snake Oil (https://github.com/schlae/13W3) lets you wire up the adapter in a number of ways. on a hunch, let's try and wire pin 5 (CSYNC) up to the HSYNC on the VGA video connector.
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my 13W3 Video Snake Oil (https://github.com/schlae/13W3) lets you wire up the adapter in a number of ways. on a hunch, let's try and wire pin 5 (CSYNC) up to the HSYNC on the VGA video connector.
oh yeah! it boots in color now. just check out that cool 3D-rendered SUN logo with colorful shapes.
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oh yeah! it boots in color now. just check out that cool 3D-rendered SUN logo with colorful shapes.
i should boot an operating system, but i stole the SCSI2SD in this box for use with another system and i'm too lazy to find it. maybe the Amiga 1000?
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i should boot an operating system, but i stole the SCSI2SD in this box for use with another system and i'm too lazy to find it. maybe the Amiga 1000?
anyway, setting up a new video card on a Sun machine is super easy and total jumperless! all you have to do is burn a new EPROM and solder some wires, then update your NVRAM config, and presumably some OS shenanigans, maybe recompiling a kernel or something lol.
