VAX 6000 power requirements?

----- Original Message ----- From: "Bill Bradford" <mrbill(a)mrbill.net> To: <classiccmp(a)classiccmp.org> Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 12:46 PM Subject: VAX 6000 power requirements? In it's original form, it is 3 phase, however, it only requires around 500w or so. This will vary depending on the no of cpu's (up to 6 depending on VMS Version) I have a personal 6000-430 and I use a 6000-440 at work. and the ram (up to 512mb) and the no/type of adapters fitted to it. It is convertible to single phase fairly easily, (at least for 240v) and seems reliable in that format. We have a couple here, one has been running in this form for nearly 3 continuous years without a hitch, so it is a viable conversion. If you have 3 phase, just hook it up and go. It needs a VT term for a console. If you are so inclined and have a KDB50 SDI controller fitted, 2 RA9x drives will fit neatly into the bottom shelf of the system unit, feed them power from the mains distribution box and you have a very nice self contained machine. It would also be possible to use just about any small (physically) drive requiring 5/12 v power as the supplies in the machine are truly awesome in capacity. (If you had a scsi controller, you could fit/power a couple dozen conventional size drives in there easily.) Be aware this box weighs on the order of 350kg. Drives etc are extra and are not normally mounted internally. If it was in a cluster, you may have a problem, as it probably doesn't have a disk controller. These vaxen can be fitted with SCSI, DSSI SDI/STI controllers, but in a cluster most only have a CI bus adapter to speak to a Heirarchical Storage Controller. These are file cabinet size and consume roughly the same amount of power as the Vax itself, with blue semi rigid cables (2 sets of TX / RX channels) from the HSC to a Star Coupler (sort of passive hub - and no, you can't do without it) and from the Star Coupler to the Vax. The HSC's run an O/S of their own, (they are essentially a PDP11) called CRONIC, and boot from a TU58 tape (HSC50) or a 5.25" FDD (HSC70) I've played with these vaxen more than any other, as they are not too expensive to run on a regular basis, and don't have enormous cooling requirements. (Also typically overspeced in various areas, the work machine suffered a long weekend where the airconditioner died Thursday night (in mid summer.) Temp in the room the Monday was ~45c. It was still purring happily, the 2 week old $20k Netware server was not.) Cheers Geoff Roberts Computer Systems Manager Saint Mark's College Port Pirie, South Australia geoffrob(a)stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au