NAME
intro —
introduction to pmax special
files and hardware support
DESCRIPTION
This section describes the special files, related driver functions, and
networking support available in the system. In this part of the manual, the
SYNOPSIS section of each configurable device gives a sample specification for
use in constructing a system description for the
config(1) program. The
DIAGNOSTICS section lists messages which may appear on the console and/or in
the system error log
/var/log/messages due to errors in
device operation; see
syslogd(8) for more
information.
This section contains both devices which may be configured into the system and
network related information. The networking support is introduced in
netintro(4).
DEVICE SUPPORT
This section describes the hardware supported on the pmax (MIPS-based
DECstation/DECsystem) platform. Software support for these devices comes in
two forms. A hardware device may be supported with a character or block
device driver, or it may be used within the networking
subsystem and have a
network interface driver. Block and
character devices are accessed through files in the file system of a special
type; see
mknod(8). Network
interfaces are indirectly accessed through the interprocess communication
facilities provided by the system; see
socket(2).
A hardware device is identified to the system at configuration time and the
appropriate device or network interface driver is then compiled into the
system. When the resultant system is booted, the autoconfiguration facilities
in the system probe for the device and, if found, enable the software support
for it. If a device does not respond at autoconfiguration time it is not
accessible at any time afterwards. To enable a device which did not
autoconfigure, the system must be rebooted.
The autoconfiguration system is described in
pmax/pmax/autoconf(4).
A list of the supported devices is given below.
SEE ALSO
config(1),
pmax/pmax/autoconf(4)
SUPPORTED SYSTEMS
The following systems are supported:
- DECstation 2100 and 3100
- also known as "pmax". The 2100 and 3100 differ
only in CPU clock speed.
- DECsystem 5100
- also known as "MIPSMATE".
- DECstation 5000/200
- also known as "3MAX". The 5000/200 has a 25 MHz
R3000 and is the first-generation TURBOchannel platform.
- DECstation 5000/1xx
- also known as "3MIN" or "kmin". The
5000/1xx comes in 20 MHz, 25 MHz, and 33 MHz versions and is numbered
appropriately. Two 12.5 MHz TURBOchannel slots are provided.
- DECstation 5000/2x
- also known as "Personal DECstation" or
"MAXINE". The 5000/xx comes in 20 MHz and 25 MHz variants. A
baseboard 1024x786 framebuffer, and two 12.5 MHz TURBOchannel slots are
provided.
- DECstation 5000/240 and
DECsystem 5900
- also known as "3MAXPLUS". These systems have a 40
MHz R3400 CPU and three 25 MHz TURBOchannel slots. The 5900 is an
expanded-cabinet version of the 5000/240.
TURBOchannel systems (except the 5000/200) can be upgraded to an R4000 or R4400
CPU by upgrading the CPU daughterboard.
The Qbus-based DECsystem 5400 and 5500 are not supported.
The multi-processor XMI-bus DECsystem 5800 is not supported.
LIST OF DEVICES
The devices listed below are supported in this incarnation of the system.
Devices are indicated by their functional interface. Not all supported devices
are listed.
- asc
- NCR 53c94-based SCSI interface, either on DECstation
5000-series baseboard or PMAZ-AA SCSI option card.
- bba
- baseboard audio on 5000/xx systems.
- dz
- serial driver for DEC custom four-port serial device
(dc7085 DZ-11 clone) on the baseboard of DECstation 2100/31000, 5100, and
5000/200 systems.
- zsc
- serial driver for Zilog SCC asynchronous/synchronous
devices on the baseboard of DECstation 5000-series systems (excluding
5000/200).
- le
- Ethernet driver for baseboard or TURBOchannel option
cards.
- ioasic
- Adaptor for the baseboard IO ASIC on second-generation
TURBOchannel machines. An ioasic must be configured on a 5000/1xx,
5000/xx, and 5000/240 if support for baseboard devices or the TURBOchannel
bus is desired.
- wsdisplay
- Pseudo-device driver supporting glass-tty console emulation
on DEC framebuffers, DEC mice, and LK-201 family keyboards.
- sii
- DEC custom SCSI adaptor on DECstation 2100, 3100, 5100, and
VAXstation 3100.
- pm
- DECstation 2100/3100 baseboard framebuffer
- tc
- Adaptor for the TURBOchannel I/O expansion bus. This must
be included if any TURBOchannel option cards are supported, or for the
baseboard Ethernet and SCSI devices on a 5000/200.
- cfb
- PMAG-B TURBOchannel 1024x876 unaccelerated 2-D
framebuffer.
- sfb
- PMAGB-BA TURBOchannel 1280x1024 accelerated
framebuffer.
- mfb
- PMAG-AA TURBOchannel 1280x1024 mono/greyscale unaccelerated
framebuffer.
- tfb
- PMAG-JA and PMAG-RO TURBOchannel 1280x1024 unaccelerated
framebuffer.
- px
- PMAG-C TURBOchannel 2-D accelerated graphics board.
- pxg
- PMAG-D, E and F TURBOchannel 2-D/3-D accelerated graphics
boards.
UNSUPPORTED DEVICES
The following devices are not supported, due to unavailability of either
documentation or sample hardware:
- LoFi DEC Western Research
Labs audio card
-
The floppy-disk drive on the MAXINE baseboard is currently not supported.
HISTORY
This pmax
intro appeared in
NetBSD
1.2.