The program "testpattern", in /usr/local/bin/testpattern, when run in the sun window system, will generate what you want. It brings up a control panel which is intended to be self expanatory, but probably isn't.
"testpattern" must be run after sunwindows is already running: i.e. it wants to start up inside an existing sunwindow (although it then takes over the whole screen.) It can safely be run on top of other work--it essentially overlays all existing applications with itself, and then restores them reasonably when it goes away. Thus you can interrupt someones work to take a look at testpattern, and then retore their screen to them safely.
-mark
18-Jul-88 To: McCreight Remote Suns
Date: 18 Jul 88 10:16:15 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Remote Suns
To: McCreight
cc: Barth, Gunning, Richley, Gasbarro
Reply-To: Barth
Hi Ed,
Several of us have been contemplating the awfulness of having a Sun in our office (the box that is, the terminal is a more wonderful idea) and what we might do to prevent such a thing from occuring. The problem breaks down into three parts: 1) the color display - ~120MHz of bandwidth for each of R, G, and B to support the 3ns edge rates needed for the current Sun color displays. 2) the black and white display - needs ~200 MBits/s. I haven't actually measured this yet. Sun delivers this as a differential ECL signal. 3) everything else - keyboard, mouse, and RS-232 ports
One proposal is to put ~6 fibers to every office, three for color, one for b&w, and one each direction for junk i/o. I called a few vendors of fiber optic electronics and it appears that it will cost ~$5K per workstation to buy a turn-key solution.
Bill Gunning said we might be able to put a hunk of electronics at the end of the existing coax to compensate for the attenuation. This seems like a potentially cheaper solution but noone with the requisite analog design skills has stepped forward.
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 88 14:14:52 BST From: Dr R M Damerell (RHBNC) <damerell@nss.cs.ucl.ac.uk> Subject: Cables for Suns
S. Marrett's query (Sun-spots v6n134) prompts me to say what has happened at my place (Maths, RHBNC). PLEASE NOTE I am ***NOT*** telling anybody what to do, merely what happened here. I accept no liability if you do something similar & it goes sour on you. I'd like to thank everybody who gave me advice, especially H.Pelling of STC, Newcastle.
We have sun 3/60s, noisy, with monochrome screens, I think they are Phillips (yes, I have heard about these) bought about 3 months ago.
SUN engineer said they supply 40-foot cables. Both monitor and keyboard cables give problems if you try to make them too long. I think they are made only by SUN UK. Each cable costs 200 pounds. I thanked him, then ordered parts from Radio Spares.
Video cable: 4-core individually screened, R.S. 367-577, 9 pin D plugs & sockets, R.F. shields & covers. Wired thus:
This cable comes in 50 metre lengths, so before cutting it I tried a 50 metre video cable. This gave a severely degraded picture: in Suntools (with default fonts) most of the characters were illegible. With a 60-foot cable, I think I can see some degradation of the picture, but I'm not absolutely sure. I ought to say I am not very good at soldering; also maybe SUN use a better quality cable than I did.
Keyboard: Sun engineer said the keyboard gets its power through the cable, so I used a thicker cable ( R.S. part 367-735) than recommended in the hope that it would work more reliably. This comes in 25 metre lengths; I saw no problem with a 25 metre cable. The original cable is sealed into the keyboard and I didnt want to tamper with it, so I just stuck the new cable on as an extension, with jack screws.
I hope this is helpful. (I will be out of contact for all of August) Mark.
------------------------------
21-Jul-88 To: phil%conehea... Keyboard & mouse, Monochrome video rate
Date: 21 Jul 88 15:06:13 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Keyboard & mouse, Monochrome video rate
To: phil%conehead@Sun.COM (Phil Parkman-Sun Mt View Xerox Liaison)
cc: Barth
Reply-To: Barth
Hi Phil,
Well I think I can handle the extension of the RGB, at least with fiber. There are two serial in and serial out lines for the keyboard connector. Are these RS232 compatible? What is the data rate? What is the pixel rate for the high resolution monochrome monitor?
Rick, Jim Gasbarro stopped by last week and gave me some details about the compensation network. For us to get the exact cable lenghts you've request would be extremely time consuming and costly. However, I looked at the building occupancy/space floor plan and calculated some of the cable lenghts from the Maxc room's patch panel (1101) to the following random offices.
These lenghts are estimates and some offices have 7-wire/color cabling from more than one machine room, such as your office. I would be happy to go over what details I know about the cable runs in the 2100 and 2200 pods.
Hope this helps, David.
18-Aug-88 PeterKessler.pa Forwarding: Sun monitor specs
Date: Thu, 18 Aug 88 12:59:02 PDT
From: PeterKessler.pa
Subject: Forwarding: Sun monitor specs
To: Barth
Cc: PeterKessler
No warranties as to how reliable this is. Maybe you folks should talk to Jay.
... peter
Date: 15 Aug 88 17:38:41 PDT (Monday) From: Trow.pa Subject: Sun monitor specs To: SunFolklore^.pa Reply-To: Trow.pa
The maximum brightness for Sun monitors is as follows:
Standard Monochrome 30 ft-L Monochrome with AR panel (OCLI) 22 ft-L High Resolution Monitor (2 Megapixel) 30 ft-L Standard Gray Scale 30 ft-L Gray Scale with AR panel (OCLI) 22 ft-L 19-inch color 25 ft-L 16-inch color (Trinitron) 30 ft-L 15-inch color 25 ft-L
Sun does not specify brightness of each individual color on its color CRT's. Rather, CIE coordinates are specified at maximum brightness. They are as follows:
X = 0.313 Y = 0.329
This is equivalent to 6550 degrees Kelvin.
Contrast ratio for Standard Monochrome is 6 at 300 lux ambient. For OCLI Monochrome it is 25 at 300 lux.
Brightness can be adjusted from full bright to cut-off with the user brightness control. A contrast control is provided for on Gray Scale and Color monitors only. In such a case, contrast can be adjusted from zero to full contrast.
There is no provision made for user focus on any Sun monitor.
The maximum brightness fluctuation between scan lines at full brightness on a monochrome monitor is 20%. The maximum brightness fluctuation between scan lines on color monitors is undetermined. The maximum brightness fluctuation between characters is not specified, and is a function of the font type being displayed (which is a user variable). The maximum brightness fluctuation within a scan line is 30%.
Variation of the overall brightness affects all displayed information equally.
The standard monochrome monitor can render a pixel as either on or off, thus no provision for gray shades exist. The gray scale monitor has an analog input and is thus capable of rendering an infinite range of gray shades, limited only by the driver. The standard Sun driver provides for 256 shades of gray. The monitor makes no provision for correction of gamma. As such, there is some compression of the gray scale when approaching black. Gamma may be corrected for in soft- ware by use of lookup tables.
Phosphor pitch is as follows:
19-inch color .31mm 16-inch color (Trinitron) .26mm 15-inch color .26mm
Line width is measured at 50% only. They are as follows: Center Corner Standard Monochrome .012" .020" Standard Gray Scale .012" .020" High Resolution Monochrome .010" .016" 19-inch color .030" .040" 16-inch color (Trinitron) .022" .029" 15-inch color .025" .035"
Relative positioning accuracy is held to 2.5 mm per 25mm distance (10%) both vertically and horizontally.
In all cases, the deviation of a straight line of length L will be less than 1.0mm + (L/125)mm.
Pixel rates and bandwidth: Pixel BW Standard Monochrome 100 MHz 70 MHz Standard Gray Scale 93 MHz 70 MHz High Resolution Monochrome 200 MHz 140 Mhz 19-inch color 93 Mhz 70 Mhz 16-inch color (Trinitron) 93 Mhz 70 MHz 15-inch color 93 MHz 65 MHz
Sun monitor interfaces are proprietary. For analog products (color and gray scale), EIA RS-170 levels apply, and BNC type connectors are used on the inputs. In every case, timing is proprietary and conforms to no particular standard.
Drift is held to +/- 5 mm throughout the operating temperature range. Jitter and swim is less than .0025".
For EMI, VDE 0871 and FCC Class A limits apply. For X-ray emissions, DHHS Rule 21, Subpart J applies. Noise is 30dBA or less at one meter from 20Hz to 20kHz.
The RGB video is three .714 analog signals each capable of having one of 256 levels between the black level (which is offset from 0 volts DC) and its peak level for any pixel. The Sun monochrome video is a differ- ential digital signal of the ECL family, so it has only black or white video content, dependendent on whether the bit for any pixel is a logic high or low.
The Sun RGB video has a 16.0us horizontal cycle, a 14.98ms vertical cycle, and a 50MHz bandwidth.
The Sun standard digital monochrome video has a 16.18us horizontal cycle, a 15.161ms vertical cycle, and a 46.47MHz bandwidth.
The Sun RGB sync is a combined, negative going, horizontal + vertical TTL signal while the Sun monochrome has two separate, positive going TTL sync signals, one for horizontal and one for vertical.
The RGB video has BNC connectors on the system and the monitor, while the monochrome has 9 pin D subminiature connectors on both ends.
Date: Mon, 15 Aug 88 08:55 EDT From: Sean Marrett McConnell Brain Imaging MNI 514-284-5830 <SEAN%PETVAX%medcor.mcgill.ca@moe.mcrcim.mcgill.edu> Subject: Large distance between monitor and box
Back some time ago, I asked for help on the possibilities of installing the monitor and keyboard of a monochrome 3/180 system more than 50 feet from the system box. The response was overwhelming, and the answer was yes. I won't try to quote all of the 25 replies (thanx, everyone), but essentially all we had to do was make two long cables for our keyboard and for the video output. I heard from site's that had cables as long as 150 ft from system to keyboard/monitor combo.
The cable to get for the video display is Belden 9891 AWM Style 2919 Low Voltage Computer Cable. We used a second shielded, twisted pair cable for the keyboard. Two weeks later, no problems yet.
------------------------------
22-Aug-88 PeterKessler.pa Forwarding from Sun-Spots: long monitor ca...
Date: Mon, 22 Aug 88 10:41:00 PDT
From: PeterKessler.pa
Subject: Forwarding from Sun-Spots: long monitor cables
To: Barth, Gasbarro, Richley
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 16 Aug 88 15:58:04 EDT From: okunewck@gondor.cs.psu.edu (Phil OKunewick) Subject: Extension cables on sun video
Judging from the articles I've seen, people seem to be having a wonderful time using coaxial cable to extend their Sun monitors. The results have been somewhere between "readable" and "good".
This has me somewhat perplexed. Looking at the pinouts for the video connector, it appears to be a differential video signal with TTL dc sync signals. (Would somebody care to confirm or deny the "differential video signal"?)
If it is a differential signal, than coaxial cable is the WRONG stuff to use. TWISTED PAIR will give better results (and is much cheaper). Coax gets all the external noise on the outside conductor, thereby doing terrible things to the difference between the two voltages (this produces "snow".) In addition, the capacitance of coax will cause the "blurred" or "smeared" effect people are talking about.
Similar symptoms can be obtained on the television in your living room - just play mix-and-match between the paired and coax inputs. (There's also a problem of impedance mismatch, but we won't discuss that today.)
EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS: We are running a monitor here on a 75 foot twisted-pair cable (tested at 150 feet) with ABSOLUTELY NO smearing or snow. We're using an incredibly cheap kind of wire (I happened to have it lying around).
I think the ideal wire would be shielded pairs (belden 8777 or ethernet drop cable comes to mind.) Run both video signals in one pair, run the sync's seperately through two other pairs, and be sure to ground the shield.
---Phil OKunewick okunewck@psuvax1.bitnet
------------------------------
25-Aug-88 gunning.pa Remote Suns
Date: 25 Aug 88 14:14:48 PDT
From: gunning.pa
Subject: Remote Suns
To: Barth
cc: Richley, Gasbarro, Spink, Pirogowicz, gunning
Reply-To: gunning
Berk-tek has been our favorite color coax vendor. Their type BTM-440-4 is what we use for Dorados. The center conductor is 24 gage. The attenuation at 100 MHz is 4.7 db/100 ft. The OD is about 0.44 inches. Dave Pirogowicz orderd 6000 feet a couple of weeks ago.
Berk-tek has promised to send a quote by next Wednesday on a design using 20 gage center conductor. The expected attenuation at 100 MHz is about 2.7 db/100 ft. The OD is expected to be about 0.57 inches. They wouldn't guess the size of the cost increase.
This may be an attractive alternative for remote Sun color displays.
Ed Rolins at Maxim is the local Rep. He also knows that we are considering a possible change.
Bill
30-Aug-88 Pirogowicz.PA Re: Large distance between Monitor and Pro...
Date: 30 Aug 88 10:55:47 PDT (Tuesday) From: Pirogowicz.PA Subject: Re: Large distance between Monitor and Processor To: Gunning, Richley, Gasbarro, Barth cc: Pratt, Strelecky, Pirogowicz, Hibbert
You folks have expressed interest in remoting Suns. Perhaps it's time for a technical update as far as where we stand. Anyone interested in making a few comments.....?
thanks, David. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 30 Aug 88 9:42:02 PDT From: Hibbert.pa Subject: Large distance between monitor and box To: Pratt
This came from Sun-spots, the arpa-net wide digest on suns.
Chris ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 15 Aug 88 08:55 EDT From: Sean Marrett McConnell Brain Imaging MNI 514-284-5830 <SEAN%PETVAX%medcor.mcgill.ca@moe.mcrcim.mcgill.edu> Subject: Large distance between monitor and box
Back some time ago, I asked for help on the possibilities of installing the monitor and keyboard of a monochrome 3/180 system more than 50 feet from the system box. The response was overwhelming, and the answer was yes. I won't try to quote all of the 25 replies (thanx, everyone), but essentially all we had to do was make two long cables for our keyboard and for the video output. I heard from site's that had cables as long as 150 ft from system to keyboard/monitor combo.
The cable to get for the video display is Belden 9891 AWM Style 2919 Low Voltage Computer Cable. We used a second shielded, twisted pair cable for the keyboard. Two weeks later, no problems yet. ----------------------------------------------------------------
30-Aug-88 To: Pirogowicz Re: Large distance between Monitor and Pro...
Date: 30 Aug 88 18:28:28 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Re: Large distance between Monitor and Processor
In-reply-to: "Pirogowicz's message of 30 Aug 88 10:55:47 PDT (Tuesday)"
We are working on it. Right now we think we understand how to deal with the keyboard, mouse, and color display with the existing coax and 7-wire cable already in the walls. We are working on the black and white and do not anticipate that any insurmountable problems will arise. For runs of less than 100 feet it appears that just building the appropriate adapter cables to get compatibility between the Sun cables and the 7 wire cable and putting a remote power supply in the office will solve the problem. For distances greater than that a box has to be built that I expect will cost between $300 and $500. It will work at least to 250 feet. We have not checked to see how much further it might go.
Rick
31-Aug-88 Pirogowicz.PA Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary
Date: 31 Aug 88 09:50:25 PDT (Wednesday) From: Pirogowicz.PA Subject: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary To: Gunning, Richley, Gasbarro, Barth, Strelecky, Hibbert, Barth cc: Pirogowicz, Esser, Pratt
You folks are probably aware of the following, but just as a fyi......
------------------------------ Date: Mon, 01 Aug 88 14:15:23 EDT From: Daniel R. Ehrlich <ehrlich@blitz.cs.psu.edu> Subject: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary
Attached are the responses I have recieved to date regarding extending Sun monitors and keyboards. Thank you to everyone who responded to my original request.
--Dan Ehrlich
=> From: "Doug Arnold" <dna@emmy.umd.edu> => => Here is a submission on the same subject from an old Sun-Spots => ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- => Date: Tue, 22 Dec 87 07:12:24 EST => >From: crepea@spam.istc.sri.com => Subject: Re: Sun consoles and keyboards => => > From: John L. Shelton <jshelton@ads.arpa> => > To: crepea@spam.istc.sri.com => > Subject: Your request about Sun consoles and kbds => > => > We regularly run Sun color consoles 100 feet away with ribbon cable => > extensions for the keyboard, and normal RG-59U coax for the video. You => > should be able to go to 1000 feet on the video, but I haven't tried. (If => > necessary, you can get low-loss coax.) => > => > I suspect the keyboard can be extended further if you build some gauge 20 => > cables to do the job. Make sure you get low capacitance cable. => > => > =John= => => John, => => We have successfully remoted the keyboard 500` with 22g shielded pair => cable. The voltage drop was less than .4v for the 5v line. => => We used 500` rolls of Belden 8281 cable to remote the video. The picture => was fair, but slightly blurred. We are going to look at better connectors => for both the monitor/cpu and the cables. We are also looking at some => video compensation amplifiers on the market. These are EXPENSIVE. => => Ken C. => => ------------------------------------------------------------------ => This pin definitions may also be useful to you: => Pin definitions for keyboard and video. => => Keyboard pinout => => pin signal => => 1 RXD0(keyboard) => 2 GND => 3 TXD0(keyboard) => 4 GND => 5 RXD1(mouse) => 6 GND => 7 TXD1(mouse) => 8 GND => 9 GND => 10 VCC => 11 VCC => 12 VCC => 13 OPEN => 14 VCC => 15 VCC => => => => Video pinout => => pin signal => => 1 Video+ => 2 Open => 3 HSync => 4 VSync => 5 Open => 6 Video- => 7 Gnd => 8 Gnd => 9 Gnd => => ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- => Hope this is of some help. => => -- Douglas N. Arnold (dna@emmy.umd.edu)
=> From: Roger Hartmuller <roger@TIS.COM> => => We have the same need to extend out monochrome monitor and keyboard => about 50-75 feet. I am told that monochrome is mnuch more difficult => than color or grayscale. Anyway, Sun now sells two cables that will => supposedly do the job, as follows: => => CBLVIDMON50FT - $175 => CBLKYBD50FT - $200 => => I have ordered them, but was quoted a 60-day delivery time. If I get => them, and they work, I'll let you know. If you come up with a cheaper => solution that works, could you let me know? Thanks. => => Roger Hartmuller (roger@tis.com)
=> From: Roland Schneider <sch%ee.uofm.cdn%ean.ubc.ca@RELAY.CS.NET> => => We have been running our Sun systems (3/160's, 3/260's) with 100 ft => video and keyboard cables for a long time. We just made up a bundle of => four RG-59/U coax cables for the video and a 15 conductor stranded cable => for the keyboard and held them together with wire ties. Of course, you => have to put connectors on the ends of the coax and solder 15 pin D connectors => on the keyboard cable. Hint: don't be tempted to use ribbon cable with => insulation displacement connectors for the keyboard -- the conductors are => too thin for that distance (too much voltage drop: it may or may not work) => and the wire is too sensitive to abrasion damage. => => Roland Schneider => University of Manitoba => Canada
=> From: John L. Shelton <jshelton@ads.com> => => We have extended keyboard 50+ feet using ribbon cable extension => cords, and more than 200 feet using ordinary gauge 22 wire. => We have extended monochrome video over 40 feet using 22 gauge wire => (twisted pair), and color over 200 feet using RG-59/U coax. We => haven't tried extending monochrome further; it could be done using => coax, I suspect. => => No active components are needed to do this. => => =John=
=> From: okunewck@gondor.cs.psu.edu (Phil OKunewick) => => In theory it couldn't be done, which is a darn good reason to try it. => => The console for Sol4 is now located in 323 Whitmore, by the door to 321. => There is a 75 foot cable connecting it. There appears to be no loss => of video resolution! (I made sure to run the video signal on a twisted => pair.) => => ---Phil
=> From: owens@shire.cs.psu.edu (Robert Michael Owens) => => there is still a chance you will blow a [ttl] driver quicker. => => owens
=> From: brian@ucsd.edu (Brian Kantor) => => Just use low-loss 75 ohm cable (such as RG6/U, which is standard for => cable-TV work) to extend the video. Clarity drops off with distance => because the high frequencies are attenuated and edges become softer. => We've run over 100 feet of cable and had an acceptable picture. => => Extending the keyboard/mouse is similar, except that the keyboard and => mouse derive their 5-volt power from the cable and a long run will => suffer from too much voltage drop. We ran more than 100 feet of cable => and the mouse and keyboard wouldn't work until we disconnected the => 5-volt supply from the cable and put a little 5-volt power supply at the => keyboard itself - about $30 from the campus physics stockroom. The => cable we used for this was standard 6-pair telephone inside wire so just => about anything would work. => => It's been working just fine for over two years now. => => Brian Kantor UCSD Office of Academic Computing => Academic Network Operations Group => UCSD B-028, La Jolla, CA 92093 USA => brian@ucsd.edu ucsd!brian BRIAN@UCSD
=> From: cinelli!beaty (steve beaty) => => Dan, => lots of people have been asking this question recently so you should => post your results. we did it here because we had a machine room available => and have a hot and noisy 260 to put in it. my desk is ~40 feet from the => room so we made two 60' cables. one is for the keyboard that is 15 => conductor (i think) wired straight through to 15 pin Sun keyboard-style => connectors. the other is simply four lengths of RU58 A/U coax wired => in the same fashion as Sun's short monitor cable (we took the cover off => one end of the Sun cable to see how it's wired). it was pretty straight => forward (mostly straight through except the shielding went to pins 7&8 or => something). make sure you use coax for the monitor cables, it's ugly but => it works. if you have any questions, let me know => steve => => beaty@handel.colostate.edu ----------------------------------------------------------------
1-Sep-88 PeterKessler.pa Forwarding: Re: Sun monitor/keyboard exten...
Date: Thu, 01 Sep 88 17:13:03 PDT
From: PeterKessler.pa
Subject: Forwarding: Re: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary
To: Barth, Gasbarro, Richley
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Aug 88 14:31:00 PDT From: paladin@sun.com (Joe Davis) Subject: Re: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary Reference: v6n205
>From: Daniel R. Ehrlich <ehrlich@blitz.cs.psu.edu> => Video pinout => => pin signal => => 1 Video+ => 2 Open => 3 HSync => 4 VSync => 5 Open <---this should say VCC ******* => 6 Video- => 7 Gnd => 8 Gnd => 9 Gnd =>
later, Joe
------------------------------
6-Sep-88 weiser.pa Sony monitors for Suns
Date: Tue, 06 Sep 88 18:16:39 PDT
From: weiser.pa
Subject: Sony monitors for Suns
Reply-To: weiser
To: crow, pier, overton, barth
Cc: weiser
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 23 Aug 88 10:01:15 PDT From: celeste@coherent.com (Celeste C. Stokely) Subject: More on color monitors
I, too, am impressed with the Sony monitors, so I've been shopping around for prices/availability. Now, jffowler@icarus.cns.syr.edu has heard that Sony makes some modifications to their monitors (16"=GDM-1601, 19"=GDM-1953) before they send them to Sun, so I've got to look into that.
However, considering the quality of the picture, and the reasonable price you can get from Sony, if the modifications are none or slight, the decision is a no-brainer.
Sun list for Hitachi 19" color $5050 Sun list for Sony 16" color $3700 Sony list for 19" color $3400 Sony list for 16" color $2400
These Sony prices are "you pick them up from the Oakland, CA warehouse". Sony warranty is 2 years on the tube, 1 year on parts, 90 days on labor, but, frankly, if a Sony works out of the box, it's likely that it's going to keep on working long after you tire of it. Sure beats Sun's 90 day total.
The Sony contact I used is Jim Howell, in the San Francisco Bay area, (415)866-8620.
I am not connected with Sony in any way. Include standard disclaimers.
..Celeste Stokely Coherent Thought Inc. UUCP: ...!{ames,sun,uunet}!coherent!celeste Domain: celeste@coherent.com Internet: coherent!celeste@ames.arpa or ...@sun.com or ...@uunet.uu.net VOX: 415-493-8805 SNAIL:3350 W. Bayshore Rd. #205, Palo Alto CA 94303
------------------------------
7-Sep-88 Hibbert.pa Re: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- sum...
Date: Wed, 7 Sep 88 17:10:39 PDT From: Hibbert.pa Subject: Re: Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary In-Reply-To: "Pirogowicz's message of Wed, 31 Aug 88 9:50:25 PDT" To: Pirogowicz cc: Gunning, Richley, Gasbarro, Barth, Strelecky, Barth, Esser, Pratt
The summary you sent out last week didn't quite cover my situation. I'm not sure I've seen anything say that you can remote a hi-res monochrome display by 75 feet, and that's about what I need. Have you tried anything that's worked that far on a hi-res machine?
Chris
References Pirogowicz's message of Wed, 31 Aug 88 9:50:25 PDT -- Sun monitor/keyboard extensions -- summary
7-Sep-88 Gunning.pa Remote Suns
Date: 7 Sep 88 11:27:40 PDT
From: Gunning.pa
Subject: Remote Suns
To: Barth
cc: Richley, Gasbarro, Spink, Pirogowicz, Gunning
Reply-To: Gunning
I received a fax of the specification for the 20 gage coax this morning. The attenuation at 100 MHz is 2.7 db/100 ft. The OD is 0.606 inches. The increase in OD is caused in part by new NEC code requirements on computer cables longer than 10 feet. It must pass a vertical flame test. The type number is CL2.
The type CL2 version of the 24 gage coax has attenuation at 100 MHz of 4.7 db/100 ft. The OD is about 0.44 inches.
The price for 24 gage is $1,300/1Kft; 20 gage is $1,345/1Kft.
The minimum order for either is 5Kft. Delivery is estimated by Ed at 8 to 10 weeks.
Dave called me this morning with a plea for us to decide which type to order. I gather that he will be willing to go either way.
My inclination is to try the larger stuff on Dave's present order since it will allow a longer length to be used without equalization for Remote Suns.
Bill
9-Sep-88 To: Richley, Gas... 20 gage coax
Date: 9 Sep 88 14:40:15 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: 20 gage coax
To: Richley, Gasbarro, Spink, Pirogowicz, Gunning
cc: Barth
Reply-To: Barth
The consensus is to go with the 20 gage coax rather than the 24 gage coax.
Rick
10-Sep-88 Mark Weiser <mark@arisia.Xero... Sun is also working on remoting
Return-Path: <mark@arisia.Xerox.COM> Received: from arisia.Xerox.COM ([13.1.100.206]) by Xerox.COM ; 10 SEP 88 09:48:07 PDT Received: by arisia.Xerox.COM (5.59++/IDA-1.2.3) id AA17605; Sat, 10 Sep 88 09:42:55 PDT Date: Sat, 10 Sep 88 09:42:55 PDT From: Mark Weiser <mark@arisia.Xerox.COM> Message-Id: <8809101642.AA17605@arisia.Xerox.COM> To: barth.pa, weiser.pa Subject: Sun is also working on remoting
While at Sun yesterday to hear about their plans for live video in sun windows (also an interesting project) I asked about their plans for remoting. They said their is a project working on that, and the person to call about it is Joe Miseli, at 336-2191. Would you follow up and see if they are going to have something we will want to just purchase, or if they are interested in building on what we have (I bet they didn't think of remoting the RS-232C port, for instance), or if their is other room for cooperation, sharing etc.? Thanks. -mark
My brother claims that one of the companies that he reps, could supply a long distance (prob 2Km) fiber optic remoting of SUN displays and keyboards for a few $K. He has tlaked with SUN which is working on a product. However, he feels that SUN does not have the expertise to do the job right. He would be interested in making upa few sets of these special modems if he could find a customer. If you want, I could put you in touch with him.
Henry
--------------------------------------
6-Oct-88 Pirogowicz.PA Isolating Sun Processors
Date: 6 Oct 88 16:07:25 PDT (Thursday) From: Pirogowicz.PA Subject: Isolating Sun Processors To: Gasbarro cc: Strelecky, Richley, Barth, Pirogowicz
Jim,
There's a large number of PARC personnel outside of CSL that have requested to isolate their B/W high resolution monitors from their Sun processors. I'm aware that Ed and you have tested a color workstation isolated from its processor through some widgets you guys have built. It's my understanding there isn't any work being done with B/W isolation at this time.
Chuck Strelecky, of the Electronic Prototype Shop,is more than willing to look into the problems and solutions to isolated B/W workstations (high & low resolution).
If you would like Chuck to help develop the necessary hardware needed to drive B/W, I propose a meeting so all pertinent information can be communicated and we can build on your experiences.
What do you think? Would you like to meet sometime next week?
thanks, David.
12-Oct-88 To: Pirogowicz Re: Isolating Sun Processors
Date: 12 Oct 88 10:41:36 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Re: Isolating Sun Processors
In-reply-to: "Pirogowicz's message of 6 Oct 88 16:07:25 PDT (Thursday)"
To: Pirogowicz
cc: Gasbarro, Strelecky, Richley, Barth
I think we should all get together at least to share state. Would you like to suggest a time and place? We don't seem to have any constraints on this end.
I finally got in touch with Phil Parkman at Sun, who filled me in on what to expect in the near future (6 months) in the way of new products.
First, nothing until first quarter 1989, and so we essentially have to spend now out of the current catalog.
Second, Xerox is apparently entitled to at least one (perhaps two) beta versions each of the new 12MIP sparc desktop machine, and the new 20MIP CMOS machine. These machines are available now. Someone named Les Hanson at Xerox is in charge of this. Phil did not know if any of these were intended for PARC.
Third, Phil will be getting back with me on giving us a presentation here at PARC on the new super high end machines (>20MIPS), also to be available in first quarter 1989. He said that these will probably NOT be available in deskside configurations, but only rack-mounted, and are intended for server use. So we are going to need even more urgently Rick Barth's remoting hardware if we intend to use them for personal workstations.
-mark
18-Oct-88 To: weiser Re: new machines from Sun
Date: 18 Oct 88 11:09:17 PDT
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Re: new machines from Sun
In-reply-to: "Your message of Tue, 18 Oct 88 09:37:20 PDT"
To: weiser
cc: Barth
I'd prefer that it not be referred to as "Rick Barth's remoting hardware" since Ed Richley is doing 99% of the work while Gasbarro and I stir the pot occasionally.
I talked to the guy at Sun who is working the remoting problem. He claims to have a prototype working now and should have reasonable quantities available in January. He informally said that it should cost under $1000. Marketing has not set the real price yet. It doesn't look like the Sun box will make use of the cables already in our walls. For a variety of reasons reusing the cable in the wall is a very good idea, so we continue to pursue our home brew solution. I expect we'll know how the problem will be solved within a month or so.
First, thanks to all of you who replied to my request for extension cables.
The situtation for extension cables is as follows:
1) buy the cable & connectors and make them yourself, or
2) buy them from Artecon. Artecon sells extension kits (which include video, keyboard, and mouse(?) extension cables) in either 70 or 100 ft length. High resolution monchrome monitors can only be extended 70 ft before the video signal begins to breakup (although I imagine a signal booster could be used.) The Artecon kits run for $695.00 (that's not a typo!!). The vital info for Artecon is: Phone 619-931-5500 or 800-USA-ARTE (872-2783). Ask for Katherine Hartsell or Lucky Morrison.
Chuck Williams Contel Federal Systems All remarks made here are my own, etc., etc., etc.
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30-Nov-88 To: Strelecky.pa Remote Suns
Date: 30 Nov 88 10:01:50 PST
From: Barth.pa
Subject: Remote Suns
To: Strelecky.pa
cc: Barth, Richley, Gasbarro, Pirogowicz
Reply-To: Barth
We have the schematic for the board. We need to do the length sensitivity experiment before we go on and build anything. Do you have the 7 wire and color cables built?
Rick
11-Jan-89 Strelecky.PA Re: Remote Suns
Date: 11 Jan 89 17:02:17 PST (Wednesday) From: Strelecky.PA Subject: Re: Remote Suns In-reply-to: Your message of 11 Jan 89 15:47:32 PST To: Barth cc: Strelecky,Richley, Gasbarro, Pirogowicz
Rick, Ok, again and a request. Please include Frank <Vest.pa> in the messages as he will be doing the PCB. Also, please include Jim <Schodowski.pa> as he will be doing the packaging.