What is the Rarest Piece of SGI Hardware you own?
- Thread starter GameBreaker64
- Start date
Indigo2 High Impact R4400 "MardiGras Prototype" is probably the rarest I own. It does not have a serial number / model nameplate in the back, only a faded piece of paper on it that is almost impossible to read with naked eye. With some photo enhancements, you can see the original prototype sticker there.
Attachments
Some odd things I own, all pictures credit to Ciao (I only shoot film and haven't done a good series of SGI photos yet):
NTT Indy
ATM video conferencing set top box collaboration between NTT and SGI
White Prototype Indy
Brown (PIris color) Prototype Indy
NTT Indy
ATM video conferencing set top box collaboration between NTT and SGI
White Prototype Indy
Brown (PIris color) Prototype Indy
Prototype O2
Photos by Ciao
Internal sticker
Interestingly the plastics on this prototype O2 are less brittle than the production version and of a slightly different (lighter) color. There were two such prototypes with different sets of numbers on the skins, in ratio format, possibly referring to the plastic mix.
Photos by Ciao
Internal sticker
Interestingly the plastics on this prototype O2 are less brittle than the production version and of a slightly different (lighter) color. There were two such prototypes with different sets of numbers on the skins, in ratio format, possibly referring to the plastic mix.
To answer the original question I'd guess that the brown Indigo 1 above (dubbed the "browndigo" by Dodoid) is probably the rarest although it's hard to say amongst the prototypes what is the most rare. I also have other things like oddly colored (and differently constructed) O2 A/V modules, the double O2 rackmount tray and so on.
The Personal IRIS style colors are referred to as brown due to common consensus, although personally I think they are somewhere between brown and a deep purple.
The Personal IRIS style colors are referred to as brown due to common consensus, although personally I think they are somewhere between brown and a deep purple.
Hello fellow SGI enthusiasts! I put all my SGI into storage 15 years ago and hung up the 'Reality Engine'. I'm going through a nostalgia phase and decided to go through my collection and see what I have, what still works, and what I lost through a couple moves. Forgive me if I don't get the image posts right the first time, I'm a bit rusty. I'll put up a few rare items here as I run across them.
I have two Crimson, one is a complete RE and the other contains a GTX boardset with a Video Creator board. I'm going to try and get the GTX going but I seem to have misplaced the two edge connectors. I'm sure they will turn up. I have the IO3b board but not in this picture. The GTX and Video Creator came from a dual tower 4D that someone scrapped back in the 90s. I managed to rescue these boards. Boy I wish I had that dual tower today.
I have two Crimson, one is a complete RE and the other contains a GTX boardset with a Video Creator board. I'm going to try and get the GTX going but I seem to have misplaced the two edge connectors. I'm sure they will turn up. I have the IO3b board but not in this picture. The GTX and Video Creator came from a dual tower 4D that someone scrapped back in the 90s. I managed to rescue these boards. Boy I wish I had that dual tower today.
This is probably pretty rare now also. GE Medical Systems (GEMS) R10k Indigo2. The rare bit here is the larger Impact Midplane, you can see it says GEMS on the PCB. I haven't fired it up yet, possibly this weekend. I have two other I2 Impact, one R4400/250 and the other R10k, the r10k doesn't post but the Power supply works so I know I have a spare for the GEMS if needed. Back in the day my plan was to run dual head Max Impact. Wish I had bought those cards then, prices are crazy. Dual Solid Impact will have to do.
Hi Elf! Its a great case but heavy as a tank though. I picked it up around 2002, fired it up to make sure it worked at the time and it has been sitting since. Looks like the mainboard may be custom. Ian Mapleson list an IP22 variant on his site and Mashek has an IP22 version on ebay, but I haven't run across info on an IP28 version of the GEMS I2. I need to still pull the mid-plane to get at the main board part number. The the db9 on the back runs into the custom electronics in the first picture below. Looks like there was some control boards in the card cage that I didn't get, based on the schematic.
From Ian's page:
"Motherboard for R4K Indigo2: 2750 UKP (SGI PN 030-0844-004. V11 PROM fitted, but add extra for CPU if required. This is a special board for medical systems) "
From Ian's page:
"Motherboard for R4K Indigo2: 2750 UKP (SGI PN 030-0844-004. V11 PROM fitted, but add extra for CPU if required. This is a special board for medical systems) "
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Elf, you have a beautiful collection of Prototypes! The brown indigo is my favorite. Looks like the Indigo video board might be prototype too based on all the blue wires. How about the R3K system board, is it prototype? I'm partial to Indigo as an R3K/XS was my first SGI. I have a prototype Elan board (Rev P*). The sticker on the GE board doesn't show well in the picture, it is Rev. P7. If I look down between the boards at the GE, I can see all 4 present and the main GE has an unusual stacked socket, for instrumentation I assume. Threw in a Song and Dance board and a regular production Indigo video board for good measure.
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Thank you! I'm not quite sure whether the system board is a prototype or not, but there are some pictures of it here:
Wow, this is neat. I super-zoomed in to your SRV1 picture and your part number is 030-8059-001 and the caption indicates Rev. 2.5 -> 2.7 . Normally Rev. numbers are letters, not numbers. I'm pretty sure that having a Rev number indicates it is a prototype or an extremely early productions board.
Judging by Google searches, 030-8059-002 is the normal part number. Mine is 030-8059-003 Rev. C. Searching for mine doesn't turn up any hits. So you have the first off the line and mine is the last!
Judging by Google searches, 030-8059-002 is the normal part number. Mine is 030-8059-003 Rev. C. Searching for mine doesn't turn up any hits. So you have the first off the line and mine is the last!
This is neat and rare. Challenge Vault M. The Indigo2 powersupply for molex blows my mind a bit lol. Also why the heck does it have a molex resistive heater in one bay. Ok and weird drive interposer too. I've had this forever. I've never ran it but I'm thinking it should happen. I have the matching Challenge S but can't seem to find my 8 pin serial cable.
I have the same thing; I believe the resistors are to put a minimum load on the switching power supply for stability (rather than for heat).
This one doesn't seem to be any more or less brittle than the other Indigo2s I have; not Indy tough but reasonable, and nothing near O2 brittle.
I used it a bit last year although I don't really keep it in ongoing service. Runs pretty much like other external SCSI enclosures
It reminds me though that the little power distribution board inside may be useful for figuring out the Indigo2 power supply, so I should dig it out again.
An SGI Origin 3400 with 1 I-Brick, 7 C-Bricks, 2 R-Bricks, 2-Power Bays, an L2 Controller with the touchscreen, and the enclosure
