A while back when visiting an ex-SGI employee, I obtained three NTT Indys. These were not the usual "branded" configuration of the Indy, but instead are black with the NTT logo, and are in a set-top box configuration with an IR port on front and a custom video board, with composite outputs and an ATM network connection.
The story about these NTT Indys that I was told, was that SGI collaborated with NTT (the Japanese telecom) to develop them as an ATM video conferencing solution. NTT would provide the ATM network, and SGI would provide the hardware. The ex-SGI employee I talked to was a member of the project (as well as the WebForce project, etc.). Apparently the video conferencing initiative never panned out, but he still had three of the prototype units.
I will put up pictures eventually (and Ciao has some, as well as one of the units I gave to him), however it's worth noting that it's not just the hardware in these units that is custom, but also the boot PROM as well.
Here is what is presented over the serial console at boot time:
The machines want to boot over the network and do not contain a hard drive or any local IRIX installation:
PROM monitor options and environment variables are somewhat different...
They also output a bit of video out from the composite graphics port, which I will capture and upload here along with pictures of the unit, at a later date.
The story about these NTT Indys that I was told, was that SGI collaborated with NTT (the Japanese telecom) to develop them as an ATM video conferencing solution. NTT would provide the ATM network, and SGI would provide the hardware. The ex-SGI employee I talked to was a member of the project (as well as the WebForce project, etc.). Apparently the video conferencing initiative never panned out, but he still had three of the prototype units.
I will put up pictures eventually (and Ciao has some, as well as one of the units I gave to him), however it's worth noting that it's not just the hardware in these units that is custom, but also the boot PROM as well.
Here is what is presented over the serial console at boot time:
Code:
PROM Export Version 2.7
Init took 629 msec
PROM menu
1) Boot settop
2) Enter PROM monitor
r) Restart PROM
Option?
Code:
Option? 1
Starting settop download.
Loading params bootp()nt:bootparams.08:00:69:09:46:f8
Cannot open 'bootk(nt:bootparams.08:00:69:09:46:f8)nt:tvkern' - server not responding
bootk(nt:bootparams.08:00:69:09:46:f8)nt:tvkern: boot error - server not responding
PROM menu
[...]
Code:
Option? 2
PROM monitor, type 'exit' to return to menu.
>> help
Commands, args within [] are optional
setenv [-p] var val - Set environment variable
unsetenv var ... - Remove environment variable(s)
printenv [var ...] - Print environment variable(s)
resenv [-p] - Reset environment variables and NVRAM
version - print verbose version of PROM
date - Print date of RTC chip
boot - boot system ($bootdev/$bootfile)
off - Power-down
hinv - Hardware inventory
exit - Return to PROM menu
res - Restart PROM
resa - Reset ATMizer
loada [-d] bootp()[host:]file.xx [[bootp()[host:]]file.cnf]
- Load ATMizer code
help - Print command overview
? - Print command overview
Devices, args within [] are optional
bootp()[host:]file
bootk([[host:]paramsfile])[host:]kernel
boota([bootvpi],[bootvci])[host:][kernel]
>> printenv
dbaud=9600
rbaud=14400
netaddr=208.99.99.2
eaddr=08:00:69:09:46:f8
autoload=n
console=d
bootdev=bootk(nt:bootparams.08:00:69:09:46:f8)
bootfile=nt:tvkern
vcxo=0x7ed
volume=87
nbootries=9999
passwd
interactive=y
tvmode=ntsc
usedebugger=1
ng1=ntsc
ide=g
logtype=3
logsize=512
verbose=BT
noir=1
ipfsn=0
>>
