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ARCS (computing)
ARCS is a firmware bootloader (also known as a PROM console) used in most computers produced by SGI since the beginning of the 1990s. The ARCS system is loosely compliant with the Advanced RISC Computing (ARC) standard, promulgated by the Advanced Computing Environment consortium in the early 1990s. In another sense, the ARC standard is based on SGI's ARCS, which was used as a basis for generating the ARC standard itself, although ARC calls for a little-endian system while ARCS system is big-endian on all MIPS-based systems. Despite various inconsistencies between the two, both SGI's ARCS implementations and the ARC standard share many commonalities (such as device naming, calling conventions, ''etc.''). Most of the computers which use the ARCS firmware are based on the MIPS line of microprocessors. The SGI Visual Workstation series, which is based on the Intel Pentium III, also uses ARCS. The Visual Workstation series is the only commercially produced x86-compatible system w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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Firmware
In computing, firmware is a specific class of computer software that provides the low-level control for a device's specific hardware. Firmware, such as the BIOS of a personal computer, may contain basic functions of a device, and may provide hardware abstraction services to higher-level software such as operating systems. For less complex devices, firmware may act as the device's complete operating system, performing all control, monitoring and data manipulation functions. Typical examples of devices containing firmware are embedded systems (running embedded software), home and personal-use appliances, computers, and computer peripherals. Firmware is held in non-volatile memory devices such as ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, and flash memory. Updating firmware requires ROM integrated circuits to be physically replaced, or EPROM or flash memory to be reprogrammed through a special procedure. Some firmware memory devices are permanently installed and cannot be changed after manufact ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Indigo
The Indigo, introduced as the IRIS Indigo, is a line of workstation computers developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). SGI first announced the system in July 1991. The Indigo is considered one of the most capable graphics workstations of its era, and was essentially peerless in the realm of hardware-accelerated three-dimensional graphics rendering. For use as a graphics workstation, the Indigo was equipped with a two-dimensional framebuffer or, for use as a 3D graphics workstation, with the Elan graphics subsystem including one to four Geometry Engines (GEs). SGI sold a server version with no video adapter. The Indigo's design is based on a simple cube motif in indigo hue. Graphics and other peripheral expansions are accomplished via the GIO32 expansion bus. The Indigo was superseded generally by the SGI Indigo2, and in the low-cost market segment by the SGI Indy. Technical specifications The first Indigo model (code-named ''Hollywood'') was introdu ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Fuel
The SGI Fuel is a mid-range workstation developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). It was introduced in January 2002, with a list price of US$11,495. Together with the entire MIPS platform, general availability for the Fuel ended on December 29, 2006. An equivalent product for the same market segment was not provided until 2008, when the Virtu product line was introduced, based on x86 microprocessors and Nvidia graphics. The Fuel is sometimes perceived as the successor to the SGI O2, but it is not (SGI never made a new low-end system after O2). The Fuel was SGI's mid-range response to customers who only wanted a uniprocessor system, though the 4 GB RAM limit led to fewer sales than would otherwise have been the case, e.g. customers using ANSYS would have preferred at least 8 GB maximum RAM. Fuel's larger sibling is the SGI Tezro, a system that can have up to four 1 GHz R16000 CPUs with 16 MB L2 each. Both Fuel and Tezro are based on SGI's Origin 3000 ar ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Onyx2
SGI Onyx2, code name Kego, is a family of visualization (computer graphics), visualization systems developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics, SGI, introduced in 1996 to succeed the SGI Onyx, Onyx. The Onyx2's basic system architecture is based on the SGI Origin 2000, Origin 2000 servers, but with the inclusion of graphics hardware. In 2000, the Onyx2 was succeeded by the SGI Origin 3000 and Onyx 3000#Onyx 3000, Onyx 3000, and it was discontinued on June 27, 2003. These systems run either IRIX 6.4 or 6.5. Models Microprocessor The Onyx2 uses the MIPS architecture, MIPS R10000 microprocessor clocked at 150, 175, 180 and 195 MHz, later increased to 250 MHz, courtesy of a process shrink from 0.35 to 0.25 micrometers. Later 300 and 400 MHz R12000, and 500 MHz R14000 CPUs were made available. Graphics subsystem At the time of their introduction, the Onyx2 could be configured with the InfiniteReality#Reality, Reality, InfiniteReality, or InfiniteReali ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Origin 2000
The SGI Origin 2000 is a family of mid-range and high-end Server (computing), server computers developed and manufactured by Silicon Graphics (SGI). They were introduced in 1996 to succeed the SGI Challenge and POWER Challenge. At the time of introduction, these ran the IRIX operating system, originally version 6.4 and later, 6.5. A variant of the Origin 2000 with graphics capability is known as the SGI Onyx2, Onyx2. An entry-level variant based on the same architecture but with a different hardware implementation is known as the SGI Origin 200, Origin 200. The Origin 2000 was succeeded by the SGI Origin 3000, Origin 3000 in July 2000, and was discontinued on June 30, 2002. Models The family was announced on October 7, 1996. The project was code named ''Lego'', and also known as SN0, to indicate the first in a series of scalable node architectures, contrasting with previous symmetric multiprocessor architectures in the SGI Challenge series. The Origin 2100 is mostly the same a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Origin 200
The SGI Origin 200, code named ''Speedo'', was an entry-level server computer developed and manufactured by SGI, introduced in October 1996 to accompany their mid-range and high-end Origin 2000. It is based on the same architecture as the Origin 2000 but has an unrelated hardware implementation. At the time of introduction, these systems ran the IRIX 6.4, and later, the IRIX 6.5 operating systems. The Origin 200 was discontinued on 30 June 2002. Hardware The Origin 200 consists of one or two modules. In configurations with two modules, the NUMAlink 2 (originally CrayLink) interconnection fabric is used to connect the two modules together. Using two modules, the Origin 200's capabilities (the number of processors, the amount of memory, etc.) is doubled. The Origin 200 and the Origin 200 GIGAchannel enclosures can be configured as a tower with "skins" that covered the bare metal for cosmetic purposes, or as a rackmountable enclosure compatible with 19- or 21-inch racks. Mo ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Octane
SGI may refer to: Companies *Saskatchewan Government Insurance *Scientific Games International, a gambling company *Silicon Graphics, Inc., a former manufacturer of high-performance computing products *Silicon Graphics International, formerly Rackable Systems, which acquired the former Silicon Graphics, Inc. *Smoking Gun Interactive, a video game company * Synthetic Genomics, Inc., an alternative fuels company Other uses * Saanich-Gulf Islands, a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada *Silicon Graphics Image, a graphics file format for Silicon Graphics workstations *Soka Gakkai International, a Nichiren Buddhist movement and also a non-governmental organization (NGO) * SGI, the IATA code for Mushaf Airbase in Pakistan *''Stargate Infinity'', an animated television series *Spheroidal graphite iron, another name for ductile iron *Sustainable Governance Indicators The Sustainable Governance Indicators (SGI), first published in spring 2009 and updated in 2011, an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI O2
The O2 was an entry-level Unix workstation introduced in 1996 by Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) to replace their earlier Indy series. Like the Indy, the O2 used a single MIPS microprocessor and was intended to be used mainly for multimedia. Its larger counterpart was the SGI Octane. The O2 was SGI's last attempt at a low-end workstation. Hardware System architecture Originally known as the "Moosehead" project, the O2 architecture featured a proprietary high-bandwidth Unified Memory Architecture (UMA) to connect system components. A PCI bus is bridged onto the UMA with one slot available. It had a designer case and an internal modular construction. Two SCSI drives could be mounted on special caddies (1 in the later R10000/R12000 models due to heat constraints) and an optional video capture / sound cassette mounted on the far left side. CPU The O2 comes in two distinct CPU flavours; the low-end MIPS 180 to 350 MHz R5000- or RM7000-based units and the higher-end 150 to 40 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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R10000
The R10000, code-named "T5", is a RISC microprocessor implementation of the MIPS IV instruction set architecture (ISA) developed by MIPS Technologies, Inc. (MTI), then a division of Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). The chief designers are Chris Rowen and Kenneth C. Yeager. The R10000 microarchitecture is known as ANDES, an abbreviation for Architecture with Non-sequential Dynamic Execution Scheduling. The R10000 largely replaces the R8000 in the high-end and the R4400 elsewhere. MTI was a fabless semiconductor company; the R10000 was fabricated by NEC and Toshiba. Previous fabricators of MIPS microprocessors such as Integrated Device Technology (IDT) and three others did not fabricate the R10000 as it was more expensive to do so than the R4000 and R4400. History The R10000 was introduced in January 1996 at clock frequencies of 175 MHz and 195 MHz. A 150 MHz version was introduced in the O2 product line in 1997, but discontinued shortly after due to customer ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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R8000
The R8000 is a microprocessor chipset developed by MIPS Technologies, Inc. (MTI), Toshiba, and Weitek.Hsu 1994 It was the first implementation of the MIPS IV instruction set architecture. The R8000 is also known as the ''TFP'', for ''Tremendous Floating-Point'', its name during development. History Development of the R8000 started in the early 1990s at Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI). The R8000 was specifically designed to provide the performance of circa 1990s supercomputers with a microprocessor instead of a central processing unit (CPU) built from many discrete components such as gate arrays. At the time, the performance of traditional supercomputers was not advancing as rapidly as reduced instruction set computer (RISC) microprocessors. It was predicted that RISC microprocessors would eventually match the performance of more expensive and larger supercomputers at a fraction of the cost and size, making computers with this level of performance more accessible and enabling deskside ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Onyx
SGI Onyx is a series of visualization systems designed and manufactured by SGI, introduced in 1993 and offered in two models, deskside and rackmount, codenamed Eveready and Terminator respectively. The Onyx's basic system architecture is based on the SGI Challenge servers, but with graphics hardware. The Onyx was employed in early 1995 for development kits used to produce software for the Nintendo 64 and, because the technology was so new, the Onyx was noted as the major factor for the impressively high price of – for such kits. The Onyx was succeeded by the Onyx2 in 1996 and was discontinued on March 31, 1999. CPU The deskside variant can accept one CPU board, and the rackmount variant can take up to six CPU boards. Both models were launched with the IP19 CPU board with one, two, or four MIPS R4400 CPUs, initially with 100 and 150 MHz options and later increased to 200 and 250 MHz. Later, the IP21 CPU board was introduced, with one or two R8000 microprocessor ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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SGI Indy
The Indy, code-named "Guinness", is a low-end multimedia workstation introduced on July 12, 1993. Silicon Graphics Incorporated (SGI) developed, manufactured, and marketed Indy as the lowest end of its product line, for computer-aided design (CAD), desktop publishing, and multimedia markets. It competed with Intel x86 computers, and with Windows and Macintosh, including using their files and running their applications via software emulation. It is the first computer to come standard with a video camera, called IndyCam. Indy was repackaged as a server model called Challenge S. Indy was discontinued on June 30, 1997 and support ended on December 31, 2011. Hardware The Indy is one of the smaller form factors of the time (41 cm × 36 cm × 8 cm). The sturdy, electric-blue colored " pizza box" chassis is comparable to a contemporary small desktop PC, and is intended to fit underneath a large CRT monitor. Designed for multimedia use, the Indy includes analog and dig ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |