INTRO(4)             NetBSD/pmax Kernel Interfaces Manual             INTRO(4)

NAME
     intro -- introduction to pmax special files and hardware support

DESCRIPTION
     This section describes the special files, related driver functions, and
     networking support available in the system.  In this part of the manual,
     the SYNOPSIS section of each configurable device gives a sample specifi-
     cation for use in constructing a system description for the config(1)
     program.  The DIAGNOSTICS section lists messages which may appear on the
     console and/or in the system error log /var/log/messages due to errors in
     device operation; see syslogd(8) for more information.

     This section contains both devices which may be configured into the sys-
     tem and network related information.  The networking support is intro-
     duced in netintro(4).

DEVICE SUPPORT
     This section describes the hardware supported on the pmax (MIPS-based
     DECstation/DECsystem) platform.  Software support for these devices comes
     in two forms.  A hardware device may be supported with a character or
     block device driver, or it may be used within the networking subsystem
     and have a network interface driver.  Block and character devices are
     accessed through files in the file system of a special type; see
     mknod(8).  Network interfaces are indirectly accessed through the inter-
     process communication facilities provided by the system; see socket(2).

     A hardware device is identified to the system at configuration time and
     the appropriate device or network interface driver is then compiled into
     the system.  When the resultant system is booted, the autoconfiguration
     facilities in the system probe for the device and, if found, enable the
     software support for it.  If a device does not respond at autoconfigura-
     tion time it is not accessible at any time afterwards.  To enable a
     device which did not autoconfigure, the system must be rebooted.

     The autoconfiguration system is described in autoconf(4).  A list of the
     supported devices is given below.

SEE ALSO
     config(1), autoconf(4)

SUPPORTED SYSTEMS
     The following systems are supported:

           DECstation 2100 and 3100
                    also known as "pmax". The 2100 and 3100 differ only in CPU
                    clock speed.
           DECsystem 5100
                    also known as "MIPSMATE".
           DECstation 5000/200
                    also known as "3MAX".  The 5000/200 has a 25 MHz R3000 and
                    is the first-generation TURBOchannel platform.
           DECstation 5000/1xx
                    also known as "3MIN" or "kmin".  The 5000/1xx comes in 20
                    MHz, 25 MHz, and 33 MHz versions and is numbered appropri-
                    ately.  Two 12.5 MHz TURBOchannel slots are provided.
           DECstation 5000/2x
                    also known as "Personal DECstation" or "MAXINE".  The
                    5000/xx comes in 20 MHz and 25 MHz variants.  A baseboard
                    1024x786 framebuffer, and two 12.5 MHz TURBOchannel slots
                    are provided.
           DECstation 5000/240 and DECsystem 5900
                    also known as "3MAXPLUS".  These systems have a 40 MHz
                    R3400 CPU and three 25 MHz TURBOchannel slots.  The 5900
                    is an expanded-cabinet version of the 5000/240.

     TURBOchannel systems (except the 5000/200) can be upgraded to an R4000 or
     R4400 CPU by upgrading the CPU daughterboard.

     The Qbus-based DECsystem 5400 and 5500 are not supported.

     The multi-processor XMI-bus DECsystem 5800 is not supported.

LIST OF DEVICES
     The devices listed below are supported in this incarnation of the system.
     Devices are indicated by their functional interface.  Not all supported
     devices are listed.

           asc      NCR 53c94-based SCSI interface, either on DECstation
                    5000-series baseboard or PMAZ-AA SCSI option card.
           bba      baseboard audio on 5000/xx systems.
           dz       serial driver for DEC custom four-port serial device
                    (dc7085 DZ-11 clone) on the baseboard of DECstation
                    2100/31000, 5100, and 5000/200 systems.
           zsc      serial driver for Zilog SCC asynchronous/synchronous
                    devices on the baseboard of DECstation 5000-series systems
                    (excluding 5000/200).
           le       Ethernet driver for baseboard or TURBOchannel option
                    cards.
           ioasic   Adaptor for the baseboard IO ASIC on second-generation
                    TURBOchannel machines.  An ioasic must be configured on a
                    5000/1xx, 5000/xx, and 5000/240 if support for baseboard
                    devices or the TURBOchannel bus is desired.
           wsdisplay
                    Pseudo-device driver supporting glass-tty console emula-
                    tion on DEC framebuffers, DEC mice, and LK-201 family key-
                    boards.
           sii      DEC custom SCSI adaptor on DECstation 2100, 3100, 5100,
                    and VAXstation 3100.
           pm       DECstation 2100/3100 baseboard framebuffer
           tc       Adaptor for the TURBOchannel I/O expansion bus.  This must
                    be included if any TURBOchannel option cards are sup-
                    ported, or for the baseboard Ethernet and SCSI devices on
                    a 5000/200.
           cfb      PMAG-B TURBOchannel 1024x876 unaccelerated 2-D frame-
                    buffer.
           sfb      PMAGB-BA TURBOchannel 1280x1024 accelerated framebuffer.
           mfb      PMAG-AA TURBOchannel 1280x1024 mono/greyscale unacceler-
                    ated framebuffer.
           tfb      PMAG-JA and PMAG-RO TURBOchannel 1280x1024 unaccelerated
                    framebuffer.
           px       PMAG-C TURBOchannel 2-D accelerated graphics board.
           pxg      PMAG-D, E and F TURBOchannel 2-D/3-D accelerated graphics
                    boards.

UNSUPPORTED DEVICES
     The following devices are not supported, due to unavailability of either
     documentation or sample hardware:

           LoFi DEC Western Research Labs audio card

     The floppy-disk drive on the MAXINE baseboard is currently not supported.

HISTORY
     This pmax intro appeared in NetBSD 1.2.

NetBSD 5.0_STABLE                July 29, 2006               NetBSD 5.0_STABLE
