SGI Onyx 300

SGI Onyx 300

Onyx 300 rack: InfiniteReality graphics module and power bay at the bottom, compute, NUMAlink, PCI expansion and TP900 modules above, L2 controller on the roof (SGI User's Guide drawing)
Specifications
Manufacturer	Silicon Graphics
Type	Rackmount visualisation system
Released	January 2002 (announced)
Discontinued	End of production 31 December 2003
CPU	Two or four MIPS R14000 processors per compute module, at 500 or 600 MHz
Memory	512 MB to 4 GB per compute module
Storage	One or two Ultra3 SCSI drives per compute module; optional TP900 storage modules
Display	—
Sound	—
Graphics	One to eight InfiniteReality pipes, one or two per graphics module
Power	Compute module 110/220 V AC, about 275 W; graphics module 180–254 V AC, about 2000 W, from its own outlet
Dimensions	39U rack 192.6 cm high, 60 cm wide, 104.8 cm deep; graphics module 80 × 48.3 × 50.8 cm
Weight	Graphics rack up to 385 kg; graphics module 98 kg; compute module 16.4 kg
OS / Firmware	IRIX 6.5
Predecessor	SGI Onyx2
Successor	SGI Onyx 350

The SGI Onyx 300 is a rackmount visualisation system Silicon Graphics announced in January 2002, pairing 2U compute modules with the 18U InfiniteReality graphics module of the SGI Onyx 3000. SGI describes it as using the same NUMA3 architecture as the Onyx 3000, built from separate modules that do not interchange with Onyx 3000 bricks. The compute module is the Onyx counterpart of the SGI Origin 300 server: sgistuff.net covers the two together, and SGI's Onyx 300 guide refers to the Origin 300 NUMAlink module guide for the router. Production ended on 31 December 2003, and the SGI Onyx 350 followed in 2003.

Configurations

Each InfiniteReality pipe needs its own compute module, connected from the module's XIO port to the Ktown2 board of the graphics module. SGI sold two layouts. The base configuration is a single rack with one or two compute modules (2 to 8 processors), one graphics module with one or two pipes, an L2 controller and a PDU, with optional TP900 storage and a PCI expansion module, and no NUMAlink module. The NUMAlink configuration joins two to eight compute modules (4 to 32 processors) and one to eight graphics modules (one to eight pipes) through a NUMAlink module, in one or more racks.

Compute module

Each 2U compute module holds two or four 64-bit MIPS processors with 2 MB of secondary cache each, 512 MB to 4 GB of memory, one or two Ultra3 SCSI drives and two PCI slots. Its own L1 controller sequences power, monitors the module and stores its identity. sgistuff.net lists R14000 processors at 500 MHz, and at 600 MHz with 4 MB of cache.

At the front are the L1 display, the power button, reset and NMI buttons, and service-required, failure and drive LEDs. At the rear are the NUMAlink (LINK) and XIO connectors, the L1 console port and USB L1 port, two serial ports, two USB ports, real-time interrupt jacks, 10/100 Ethernet, an external SCSI connector and four heartbeat LEDs, one per processor. The module runs from 110 or 220 V AC through its own cord to the PDU and has no power switch.

The module's power supply, fans, memory and disks are described on the SGI Origin 300 pages.

InfiniteReality graphics module

The graphics module is 18U high and holds one or two InfiniteReality pipes in eleven rear slots, with a Ktown2 board between them. The six right-hand slots (seen from the rear) form a pipe with a Geometry Engine (GE) board, one, two or four Raster Manager (RM) boards and a DG5 display generator; the four left-hand slots form a second pipe with a GE, one or two RMs and a DG5. The top Ktown2 connector serves the right-hand pipe and the bottom one the left. SGI's guide names the InfiniteReality2 board set (with RM9 raster boards) and InfiniteReality3 (RM10), and SGI later added InfiniteReality4 (GE16-4, RM11).

The module has its own power supply, on the front of the midplane, which plugs into a 220 V outlet outside the rack PDU, and a rear power switch for its L1 controller. Its front has the L1 display, the On/Off button and service-required and failure LEDs.

DG5 options (SGI User's Guide, Table 1-2)

Option	Description
DG5-2	Default board, two high-resolution video outputs
DG5-2/DPLEX	Multiplexes two or more pipes into one display
DG5-2/GVO	Real-time graphics-to-video output
DG5-2/HDGVO	High-definition graphics-to-video output
DG5-2/DDO2	Daughtercard for hardware-in-the-loop simulation
DG5-8	Eight high-resolution outputs (VIO5H daughtercard)

SGI gives 1920 × 1200 at 66 Hz as the default resolution with its 24-inch SuperWide monitor, and about 300 Mpixel/s as a pipe's total output; each pipe can drive up to eight monitors. The monitor connects to the DG5 through a 9.1 m cable.

Control and power

The L2 controller sits at the top rear of the rack and connects by USB to the L1 controllers of the compute modules (directly, or through the NUMAlink module) and of the graphics modules; a graphics module in another rack connects through a USB hub. The L2 takes about 30 W at 48 V DC.

The PDU feeds the compute modules, storage, USB hub, power bay and L2 controller supply. A power bay, with two or three of its six supply positions filled, gives 48 V and 12 V standby, 1840 W and 90 W with N+1 redundancy, to a DC-powered NUMAlink module, PCI expansion modules and the L2 controller. From May 2002 the NUMAlink module and the L2 were AC-powered, the L2 through a small 48 V supply on the side of the rack, and a power bay was needed only with a PCI expansion module.

SGI's guide warns that racks joined by NUMAlink or Xtown2 cables must not differ in ground potential by more than 0.25 V.

Known faults

The faults owners report on the compute module, failed fans, false readings from the Dallas DS1780 monitoring chips and power supply failures, are covered on the SGI Origin 300 pages. jpstewart reports that No L1 comm on the L1 display is the message an Origin 300 gives when its Dallas battery has died. No owner reports specific to the Onyx 300 graphics module have been found.

Documentation

• File:SGI Onyx 300 Graphics System User's Guide (007-4509-002).pdf, SGI, May 2002, 188 pages
• File:SGI InfiniteReality4 Addendum to Onyx2, Onyx 3000 and Onyx 300 Guides (007-4525-001).pdf
• File:SGI L1 and L2 Controller Software User's Guide (007-3938-006).pdf
• The Origin 300 user's guides are listed on SGI Origin 300 Documentation.

See SGI Onyx 300 Documentation for contents.

Gallery

• 
  Onyx 300 rack with InfiniteReality graphics module (SGI drawing)
• 
  Compute module, front and rear (SGI drawing)
• 
  Compute module rear panel (SGI drawing)

Related pages

• SGI Onyx 300 General Maintenance
• SGI Onyx 300 Troubleshooting Guide
• SGI Onyx 300 Capacitor Replacement Guide
• SGI Onyx 300 Documentation
• SGI Origin 300
• SGI Onyx 3000
• SGI Onyx 350