From bosse@snoddas.ericsson.se  Ukn Jun 29 08:43:22 1993
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Date: Tue, 29 Jun 93 14:37:23 +0200
From: bosse@snoddas.ericsson.se (Bo-Erik Sandholm)
Message-Id: <9306291237.AA08082@snoddas.ericsson.se>
To: riscy@pyramid.com
Subject: How I would configure the Board :-)
Status: RO
X-Status: 


This is a unsolicted tip on how i would configure a 
board.
I am a member of a computer club and we discussed 
how to build a CPU board based on a 68K processor for a unix box
but I imagine that the needs a much the same for another CPU.
We did not build it due to the low prices on 486 PC boards.

If the idea is to build a mother bord then I would put on it in order of
priority

1. 8 sockets for 72 bit SIMM's 4MB or 16MB, 33 or 36 bit simms. the same ones
 used in Sun IPX.
2. 256 Kb EEPROM for a boot rom monitor
3. Realtime clock chip suitable for unix, there are several out on the market.
4. SCSI controller.
5. UART with 2 serial ports and 1 Parallell.
6. Floppy controller.
7. Onboard ethernet.
8. Advanced Videocontroller with 1 or 2 MB vram on board.

This is the vish list, the problem is that for small production runs
even if you don't charge for your own time.
It's probably going to cost a lot mor than a Taiwanese mother board for a
50MHz 486. the only thing you might win is the price on the CPU.

Whats needed for a decent price is extreamly good connection with
componet suppliers and somebody making the production of the board
below cost or just charging you the same price as they would charge per
card in a large production run.

Sorry to be so pessismistic, I wish you good luck.

Bo-Erik Sandholm
Bosse@ericom.ericsson.se



 
