Article 29059 of comp.sys.sun.hardware: Newsgroups: comp.sys.sun.hardware Path: mri.com!newsfeed1.aimnet.com!news1.best.com!www.nntp.primenet.com!nntp.primenet.com!news.bbnplanet.com!cam-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!howland.erols.net!netcom.com!keyman From: keyman@netcom.com (David Evans) Subject: Re: info needed: SPARCserver 10 Message-ID: Organization: NETCOM On-line Communication Services (408 261-4700 guest) References: <56n77i$2pk@gemini.fdu.edu> Distribution: usa Date: Thu, 28 Nov 1996 03:13:22 GMT Lines: 97 Sender: keyman@netcom10.netcom.com deborah@deborah-ss20.cisco.com (Deborah Gronke Bennett) writes: >In article <56n77i$2pk@gemini.fdu.edu> luhrs@alpha.fdu.edu (Agent Luhrs) writes: > i just got a SPARCserver 10, and was wondereing if anyone has any info on > the thing.... it has an ISDN port (which i wasn't expecting) and > another that looks just like it but is marked TE. also, there are two > audio ports (probably for SUN speakerboxes). any info would be great. > btw, if you have and old manual to sell, let me know. >A SPARCServer 10 is just a packaging option of a SPARCStation 10. >There is an ISDN port (there is a DBRI interface inside), >but I really don't know if Sun ever produced any useful software >which used it. >The other interface labelled TE is twisted-pair ethernet >(that is, 10-base T). The above is not accurate. There are a total of 3 RJ45 connectors (or more accurately 2 RJ48 connectors, and 1 RJ45) on the back of a SS10. An Rj45 connector is called an RJ48 when used for ISDN. There is no physical difference between an RJ45, and an RJ48. This appears to have been done by the international standards organization, CCITT, in order to make life more confusing. On the SS10 the two RJ48 connectors that are closest to the power supply, and directly under the MBus modules, are used for ISDN. One of them that is labeled "TE" is the port that acts as a piece of Terminal Equipment. You should plug the 8 conductor cable that comes from your NT (Network Termination) device to this port. The RJ48 port that is labeled NT should not be connected to anything. It is there in order for the SS10 to act as the "network" and control an ISDN phone. It was put in the architecture when Sun had aspirations of actually doing multimedia, and integrating telephony functionality into the workstation as a standard option. This never happened. No software was ever written to take advantage of this port. It is essentially unusable. It is connected to the 2nd BRI interface of the DBRI chip mentioned above (DBRI = Dual Basic Rate Interface). [NOTE: If you plug the cable from your NT into this port, it will often function properly. That is because there are 2 relays on the motherboard that connect the two ISDN interfaces together when the computer has not specifically activated the NT (SS10 reference point) interface. This is so that an ISDN phone connected to this port will work even if the SS10 is not actively controlling the phone.] The _RJ45_ connector that is approximately in the middle of the backpannel is the one that is for TPE (Twisted Pair Ethernet). You also wanted to know about the connectors that are right next to the RJ48's. Next to the RJ48 jacks used for the ISDN interfaces is a pair of stacked uDB25 (microDB25) connectors. One of those uDB25 connectors has the signals for both the SpeakerBox, and AUI ethernet. You can access the AUI Ethernet signals via a break-out cable. [Note: all signals on this connector are digital, all of the A/D & D/A conversion is done in the SpeakerBox]. The other uDB25 connector is the parallel port. Dave Yep, I know it is long and verbose. But it is nice to have when sending the bill to someone. ----------------------------------------------------------------- Notice: All information in this message is copyright 1996 by David Evans (keyman@netcom.com) Use of any information contained in this message to generate a list of email addresses to which to send unsolicited advertisements, offers, electronic magazines, or other electronic chaff, via email, is specifically granted under the following conditions: A) a $500(USA) fee is paid to David Evans (keyman@netcom.com) per list generated. B) a $500(USA) charge is paid per sale of said list. C) a $500 (USA) fee is paid per unsolicited advertisements, offers, electronic magazines, or other electronic chaff received by David Evans (keyman@netcom.com) via email; this fee must be paid by _both_ the originator of the list, and the entity that sends the message. Use of the contents of this message to reply to this message is specifically granted. 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