Re: Ultra10 Creator 13w3 cards issues

From: dion_b (dion_b_at_nospam.no)
Date: 10/28/05

  • Next message: james hal-pc.org: "Re: Ultra10 Creator 13w3 cards issues" 
    Date: Fri, 28 Oct 2005 16:16:50 +0200

    I recently struggled with getting my Ultra 10 to work with a Creator3D,
    a process that initially was frustrating but turned out to be so simple...

    "james <at> hal-pc.org" wrote:
    > disclaimer: sorry for my ignorance here. my knowledge of Sun hardware
    > is limited to the sun4c. please bear with me.
    >
    > I just got an Ultra10 "Creator". it has 2 13w3 cards (not marked with
    > a model that i saw but i /assume/ they are Creator3d) that i can't seem
    > to get working. I've installed Solaris 10 using the on-board ATI video
    > (setenv output-device screen) and it's working well, but i'd like to use
    > my 20" Sun monitor i have from my SparcStation2 on one of the better
    > "Creator" cards.
    > what i've tried:
    >
    > ok devalias screen1 /pci@.../pci../DOME,Md5PCI@1 (they're in slot 1 & 4)
    > ok setenv output-device screen1
    > <NO VIDEO so flying blind i:>
    > [stop]-a then "setenv output-device screen" then "reset" and i'm back on
    > the ATI again, so i tried:
    > ok setenv output-device screen1:r1024x768x75 (and 800x600x60 and
    > 1024..x70 and ... god knows what others) thinking it may just not
    > support the default 1152x? resolution, but the Sun monitor still
    > wouldn't init. It *does* however work on my SS2.
    > I then connected a 13w3-db9 adaptor and hooked it to the same monitor
    > the ATI was using with a unique result.. the monitor shows "NO SIGNAL"
    > as if the cable isn't connected to anything however the same monitor and
    > adaptor hooked to my SS2 work fine.
    > i've done this with both cards, taking one card out, then the other, but
    > no luck.
    >
    > question:
    > Do these cards have a unique pin-out that would require a special
    > adaptor for a regular monitor to "see" that it's plugged in, or do you
    > think the cards are just no good?

    Neither actually. Here I'm running on a good old GDM-20E20. Note that
    this is a multisync monitor. If yours is fixed frequency (many of the
    older Sun monitors are), you will need to set exactly the required
    values. But first there's one more thing to do...

    > this was supposedly a working workstation at GE before being "retired"
    > and handed down to me by a guy in their IT dpt. everything else w/ the
    > machine seems to work (extra SCSI/NIC, external backplane, MO drive, and
    > a slew of other toys)
    >
    > any help would be appreciated. thanks!

    Firstly only one of the 13W3 cards is a Creator3D as the Creator3D is a
    UPA card and the U10 only has one UPA slot. To simplyfy matters I'd
    recommend removing the PCI 13W3 card (almost certainly inferior tot the
    Creator3D in the UPA slot). That leaves you with a single 13W3 card.
    Then boot with both monitors (D15sub and 13W3) connected.

    I would expect the OBP to come up on the Creator3D, but as soon as
    Solaris goes into X, X will come up on the onboard m64.

    If you get this far you know that the hardware is working correctly.
    Then you need to install the drivers for the Creator3D (you say you've
    done a clean Solaris 10 install - quite possibly Solaris did not
    automatically do this). You'll need the following packages:
    SUNWffb.u (the driver)
    SUNWffbw (the window driver)
    SUNWffbcf (config utilities)

    If you have CD install media, the drivers are on the first CD and the
    config on the second. Otherwist it's wherever the rest of your install
    came from ;)

    Run ffbconfig, set a resolution that sounds sensible with the monitor
    (1152x864@76Hz would seem a reasonable default for a Sun monitor) and
    reboot. If all is well, everything should now come up on the 13W3 output :)

  • Next message: james hal-pc.org: "Re: Ultra10 Creator 13w3 cards issues"

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