VAX 6000 power requirements?

From: Geoff Roberts <geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au>
Date: Sat Jul 15 03:17:12 2000

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Bradford" <mrbill_at_mrbill.net>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Saturday, July 15, 2000 12:46 PM
Subject: VAX 6000 power requirements?


> Anybody know what the power requirements for a VAX 6000 are? I've got
> one (in a single cabinet) coming to me in a few days..

In it's original form, it is 3 phase, however, it only requires around 500w
or so.
This will vary depending on the no of cpu's (up to 6 depending on VMS
Version)
I have a personal 6000-430 and I use a 6000-440 at work.
and the ram (up to 512mb) and the no/type of adapters fitted to it.
It is convertible to single phase fairly easily, (at least for 240v) and
seems reliable in that format.
We have a couple here, one has been running in this form for nearly 3
continuous years without a hitch, so
it is a viable conversion. If you have 3 phase, just hook it up and go. It
needs a VT term for a console.
If you are so inclined and have a KDB50 SDI controller fitted, 2 RA9x drives
will fit neatly into the bottom
shelf of the system unit, feed them power from the mains distribution box
and you have a very nice self contained machine. It would also be possible
to use just about any small (physically) drive requiring 5/12 v power as the
supplies in the machine are truly awesome in capacity. (If you had a scsi
controller, you could fit/power a couple dozen conventional size drives in
there easily.)
Be aware this box weighs on the order of 350kg. Drives etc are extra and
are not normally mounted internally. If it was in a cluster, you may have a
problem, as it probably doesn't have a disk controller. These vaxen can be
fitted with SCSI, DSSI SDI/STI controllers, but in a cluster most only have
a CI bus adapter to speak to a Heirarchical Storage Controller. These are
file cabinet size and consume roughly the same amount of power as the Vax
itself, with blue semi rigid cables (2 sets of TX / RX channels) from the
HSC to a Star Coupler (sort of passive hub - and no, you can't do without
it) and from the Star Coupler to the Vax. The HSC's run an O/S of their
own, (they are essentially a PDP11) called CRONIC, and boot from a TU58 tape
(HSC50) or a 5.25" FDD (HSC70)

I've played with these vaxen more than any other, as they are not too
expensive to run on a regular basis, and don't have enormous cooling
requirements. (Also typically overspeced in various areas, the work machine
suffered a long weekend where the airconditioner died Thursday night (in mid
summer.) Temp in the room the Monday was ~45c. It was still purring
happily, the 2 week old $20k Netware server was not.)

Cheers

Geoff Roberts
Computer Systems Manager
Saint Mark's College
Port Pirie, South Australia
geoffrob_at_stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au
Received on Sat Jul 15 2000 - 03:17:12 BST