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SGI Onyx 350

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SGI Onyx 350
SGI Onyx 350 InfiniteReality rack (User's Guide Figure 1-1)
Onyx 350 InfiniteReality rack: graphics module and power bay at the bottom, compute, NUMAlink, PCI expansion and TP900 modules above (SGI User's Guide drawing)
Specifications
ManufacturerSilicon Graphics
TypeRackmount visualisation system
ReleasedAnnounced April 2003[1]
DiscontinuedEnd announced July 2006; last systems shipped by the end of March 2007[1]
CPUTwo or four MIPS R16000 processors per compute module, 600 MHz to 1 GHz[2][1]
Memory1 to 8 GB per compute module[3]
StorageOne or two Ultra3 SCSI drives in the base module; optional DVD-ROM and TP900 storage[2]
Display—
Sound—
GraphicsUp to eight InfiniteReality pipes in 18U graphics modules, or up to eight InfinitePerformance pipes, one in each compute/graphics module[4][5]
PowerCompute module 120/240 V AC, about 563 W, one or two 500 W supplies; InfiniteReality module 180–254 V AC, about 2000 W, from its own outlet[2][3][6]
DimensionsCompute module 2U, 8.8 × 43.4 × 68.6 cm with bezel; tall rack 192.6 × 60 × 104.8 cm[3]
WeightCompute module 17.9–20.2 kg; tall rack up to 499 kg[3]
OS / FirmwareIRIX 6.5, up to 6.5.30[1]
PredecessorSGI Onyx 300
SuccessorSGI Onyx 4

The SGI Onyx 350 is a rackmount visualisation system Silicon Graphics announced in April 2003, built from the same 2U compute modules as the SGI Origin 350 server and using the same NUMA3 architecture as the SGI Onyx 3000.[1][4] It was sold in two forms: with InfiniteReality graphics in separate 18U graphics modules, or with InfinitePerformance graphics, a VPro graphics board built into each compute module.[4][1] sgistuff.net places it with the Origin 350, the SGI Onyx 4 and the rackmount SGI Tezro in one hardware family that SGI called Chimera.[1] It replaced the SGI Onyx 300, and SGI announced the end of the line in July 2006.[1]

The compute module's power supplies, boards and known faults are described in full on the SGI Origin 350 pages, and are summarised here only where they bear on the graphics system.

Configurations

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With InfiniteReality graphics, every system ships in one or more 39U racks. A base system has one or two compute modules (2 to 8 processors), one graphics module with one or two pipes, an L2 controller with its own AC supply and a PDU; a NUMAlink system has two to eight compute modules and one to eight graphics modules. Each InfiniteReality pipe needs its own compute module, connected from the module's XIO port.[4]

With InfinitePerformance graphics, each compute/graphics module carries one pipe. A base system is one or two such modules, in an SGI rack or the owner's own, and the L2 controller is optional without a NUMAlink module; a NUMAlink system has up to eight. Compositor modules can combine two to four pipes into one display.[4][7] A system uses one kind of graphics only.[3]

Compute module

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Onyx 350 compute module (SGI User's Guide, Table A-3)
Feature Base module Expansion module
Processors 2 or 4 2 or 4
Memory 1 to 8 GB 1 to 8 GB
Expansion slots 1 PCI and 2 PCI-X 4 PCI-X
Serial ports 4 1, more with SIO cards
Ethernet 10/100/1000 Only with an optional IO9 card
3.5-inch drive bays 2 Only with an optional IO9 card
NUMAlink 3 port 1.6 GB/s each direction 1.6 GB/s each direction
XIO port 800 MB/s each direction 800 MB/s each direction

[3]

The IP53 node board carries the processors, soldered to the board, their 4 MB secondary caches, eight DIMM slots and the Bedrock ASIC. The IO9 card in the lowest PCI slot of the base module gives Gigabit Ethernet, external SCSI, real-time interrupt ports, serial ports and PS/2 ports through a daughtercard, and the NVRAM and time-of-day clock. The interface board carries the L1 controller logic, the power supply interface, voltage regulators and the NUMAlink and XIO connectors.[2] SGI's 2003 guide does not name the processor; sgistuff.net lists R16000 parts at 600, 700 and 800 MHz and 1 GHz.[1]

Each module takes one or two power supplies, each rated 500 W from 110–220 V; they are hot-swappable only when two are fitted and working.[2]

InfiniteReality graphics

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SGI's Onyx 350 guide describes the InfiniteReality graphics module in the same terms as the Onyx 300's graphics module: 18U high, up to two pipes in eleven rear slots, with a Ktown2 board between them, its own L1 controller and its own power supply on the front of the midplane, fed from a wall outlet outside the rack PDU.[8][9] SGI's Onyx 350 guide says only that the module supports several InfiniteReality board sets, distinguished by their GE and RM boards.[8] jwhat, who built an Onyx 350 with InfiniteReality4 graphics in 2021, lists GE16-4 geometry boards, DG5-2 boards with TVO daughterboards, an RM11 raster board and a Ktown2 board (030-1593-001) in his graphics module.[10]

InfinitePerformance graphics

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The InfinitePerformance compute/graphics module is a 2U compute module with an InfinitePerformance graphics board fitted behind the PCI riser, leaving two PCI or PCI-X slots free. The pipe has one DVI-I monitor port (DVI-A and DVI-D), genlock, swap-ready and StereoView connectors. A Dual Channel Display (DCD) daughterboard lets one pipe drive two monitors. Because of where the graphics board sits, the redundant cooling fan and the DMediaPro DM3 option cannot be fitted.[2][5][3] The first, base, module carries the IO9 card and the USB keyboard and mouse card.[5]

Control and power

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The L2 controller, at the top of the rack, connects by USB to the compute modules (directly, or through the NUMAlink module) and to each InfiniteReality module; a graphics module in another rack connects through a USB hub. It comes as standard with every NUMAlink-connected system.[7] It needs 48 V DC, from a small supply fed by the PDU, or from a power bay in systems with a DC-powered 4U PCI expansion module.[7] jwhat ran his from a D-Link DSA-0421S-50 48 V adaptor wired to an HD50 plug, using pin details from jan-jaap.[10]

The compute modules, MPX modules, NUMAlink module and storage plug into the PDU; a second PDU or power strip is added when more than ten outlets are needed. A graphics-only rack has no PDU, because the InfiniteReality module always plugs into a wall outlet.[4] SGI warns that racks joined by NUMAlink or Xtown2 cables must not differ in ground potential by more than 0.25 V.[7]

Known faults

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  • Compute module faults: Delta power supplies with a failing PFC diode, regulators on the interface board, Dallas DS1780 monitoring chips that report false readings, and flat SNAPHAT clock modules. These are described on SGI Origin 350 Troubleshooting Guide and SGI Origin 350 Capacitor Replacement Guide.
  • L1 configuration loss. jwhat explains that these machines keep the L1's clock and configuration, including the system serial number, in a Dallas DS1742W-120 with a built-in battery, separate from the SNAPHAT that runs the system clock. When the Dallas battery is flat, the L1 forgets the date and serial number, and the machine may not boot; a cleared replacement chip is initialised automatically by the L1.[11]
  • An L1 that stops responding altogether. hamei reports that an Onyx 350-family interface board can fail this way after its Dallas battery has run flat, and that a new Dallas chip did not revive it for him or for other owners he knew of.[12]

Documentation

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See SGI Onyx 350 Documentation for contents.

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  • Onyx 350 InfiniteReality rack (SGI drawing)
    Onyx 350 InfiniteReality rack (SGI drawing)
  • Compute module with its doors open (SGI drawing)
    Compute module with its doors open (SGI drawing)
  • Removing a power supply (SGI drawing)
    Removing a power supply (SGI drawing)
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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 Gerhard Lenerz, "Origin 350 / Onyx 350 / Onyx 4 (Chimera)", sgistuff.net, sgistuff.net (accessed 22 October 2026). Family, announcement and end dates, processor options, IRIX support.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 SGI, 007-4632-001, chapter 3, pp. 47–61. Compute module, IP53 node board, IO9 card, interface board, power supplies.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 SGI, 007-4632-001, appendix A, pp. 150–156, Tables A-3 to A-5 and A-13. Compute and compute/graphics module, rack specifications.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 Silicon Graphics, SGI Onyx 350 Visualization System User's Guide, 007-4632-001, June 2003, chapter 1, pp. 1–11 (File:SGI Onyx 350 Visualization System User's Guide (007-4632-001).pdf). Modules, InfiniteReality and InfinitePerformance configurations, PDUs.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 SGI, 007-4632-001, chapter 4, pp. 73–79. InfinitePerformance graphics and compute module, DCD option.
  6. ↑ SGI, 007-4509-002, appendix A, p. 128, Table A-3. InfiniteReality graphics module input power.
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 SGI, 007-4632-001, chapter 2, pp. 32–45. Power connections, L2 controller, ground potential caution.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 SGI, 007-4632-001, chapter 5, pp. 89–100. InfiniteReality graphics module.
  9. ↑ Silicon Graphics, SGI Onyx 300 Graphics System User's Guide, 007-4509-002, May 2002, chapter 1, pp. 8–19 (File:SGI Onyx 300 Graphics System User's Guide (007-4509-002).pdf).
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 John Hartley (jwhat), "SGI Onyx 350 - Racking and Stacking", Just Graphica, 12 July 2021, just.graphica.com.au (accessed 22 October 2026).
  11. ↑ John Hartley (jwhat), "SGI NVRAM & Time Keeper Chips", Just Graphica, October 2020, updated March 2022, just.graphica.com.au (accessed 22 October 2026).
  12. ↑ kaigan, hamei and weblacky, "O350 Interface Board L1 Issues", IRIX Network forum, June 2020, forums.irixnet.org.


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