i860: Re: modern stuff

[Kevin Bowling]

That’s interesting stuff, get it done! :)

On Sat, Nov 3, 2018 at 3:01 PM William Donzelli <wdonzelli at gmail.com> wrote:

> I have quite  few NSFnet backup tapes that need to go to Al at some
> point. They likely have good stuff on them.
>
> --
> Will
> On Sat, Nov 3, 2018 at 5:03 AM Kevin Bowling <kevin.bowling at kev009.com>
> wrote:
> >
> > Do you have software or docs for any of this stuff? I run
> ps-2.kev009.com
> >
> > On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 3:41 PM William Donzelli via cctalk <
> cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >>
> >> OK, I assumed the 6611s used the NSFnet type cards. Artic960s are
> >> different animals - but probably very similar in idea.
> >>
> >> My memory is hazy, but I think the NSFnet cards were referred to as
> Hawthornes.
> >>
> >> Somewhere around here I have one of the really early 386 based routing
> >> cards - a weird double height Microchannel card (the RS/6000s were
> >> RPQ'd with extra tall chassis to accommodate them).
> >>
> >> Anyway, I would like to get a 6611, but I do not think very many were
> >> made at all.
> >>
> >> --
> >> Will
> >> On Thu, Nov 1, 2018 at 6:19 PM Paul Berger via cctalk
> >> <cctalk at classiccmp.org> wrote:
> >> >
> >> > The machine type was 6611 and there where three model, the smallest
> was
> >> > based on a 7011 the mid size one was based on a 7012 and the largest
> was
> >> > based on a 7013.
> >> >
> >> > The base card is an Artic 960 card which is just a processor card with
> >> > some memory that gets an application loaded on the fly.  The top
> >> > interface card has a lot to do with determining what the function of
> the
> >> > card sandwich is, there should be a X-Y type code on the back of the
> >> > card that would define the interface.  They where used for all kinds
> of
> >> > things like Synchronous communications, X25 and network accelerators.
> >> > Some of the interfaces cards used in the 6611 where unique to it and
> >> > never made it to the "standard" RS/6000 line.  There was also a PCI
> >> > version of the Artic 960 but by the time it came along the 6611 was
> long
> >> > gone.
> >> >
> >> > Paul.
> >> >
> >> >
> >> > On 2018-11-01 1:15 PM, William Donzelli via cctalk wrote:
> >> > >> So, what is this i960-based card for?
> >> > > They were the routers. At the core nodes of the network, there would
> >> > > be a big RS/6000s (very early POWER1 types) that would each do about
> >> > > 4-5 high speed interfaces (FDDI, HSSI, and 10base2). Each interface
> >> > > was one of these cards, so each of the big RS/6000s would have about
> >> > > 4-5 of these cards.
> >> > >
> >> > > IBM tried to commercialize the design, but it was doomed - the
> routing
> >> > > engines were very fast, but the internet quickly outgrew the
> >> > > architecture of the engines, and they apparently needed a complete
> >> > > redesign to compete. IBM did release very few of these RS/6000s to
> the
> >> > > public (I think RS/6000-320Hs with a fancy tag - machine type
> 6767?).
> >> > > I have only seen one of these routers in the wild, but most of the
> >> > > real NSFnet ones (I was decommissioning them, one time with a
> Sawzall
> >> > > because of some live tangled cables).
> >> > >
> >> > >> Could it be related to what you
> >> > >> say in your post?
> >> > >>
> >> > >> https://imgur.com/NIvQPBv
> >> > > Possibly related, but that card is not one of the NSFnet ones.
> >> > >
> >> > > --
> >> > > Will
> >> >
>