Sun-2

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Sun 2/120 Server with SMD Disk Tower

Sun-2 was the name given to a series of UNIX computer workstations and servers produced by Sun Microsystems, launched in 1983. As the name suggests, the Sun-2 represented the second generation of Sun systems, superseding the original Sun-1 series. The Sun-2 series used a 10 MHz Motorola 68010 microprocessor, which enabled it to be the first Sun architecture to run a full virtual memory UNIX implementation, SunOS 1.0, based on 4.1BSD. Early Sun-2 models were based on the Intel Multibus architecture, later ones using VMEbus instead, which was also used in the later Sun-3 and Sun-4 families.

Sun-2 systems were supported in SunOS until version 4.0.3. Remarkably, support for Multibus Sun-2 systems has also been included in NetBSD since NetBSD 1.6, released in 2002.

1 Sun-2 models
2 Sun-2 Hardware
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Sun-2 models

Model	CPU board	Max. RAM	Chassis
2/120	Sun-2 Multibus or Sun-2 Multibus Prime	7 or 8 MB	9-slot Multibus (deskside)
2/170	Sun-2 Multibus or Sun-2 Multibus Prime	7 or 8 MB	15-slot Multibus (rackmount)
2/50	Sun 2050	7 MB	2-slot VME (desktop)
2/130	Sun 2050	7 MB	12-slot VME (deskside)
2/160	Sun 2050	7 MB	12-slot VME (deskside)

Sun-1 systems upgraded with Sun-2 Multibus CPU boards were sometimes referred to as the 2/100U (upgraded Sun-100) or 2/150U (upgraded Sun-150).

A typical configuration of a 2/120 cost more than $50,000.

[edit] Sun-2 Hardware

Sun-2 Multibus Prime CPU

Sun 2/120 (9 slot deskside) and 2/170 (15 slot rackmount) systems were based on the Multibus architecture. The CPU board was based on a 10MHz 68010 processor and could address 8MB of physical and 16MB of virtual memory. The top 1MB of physical memory address space was reserved for the monochrome frame buffer. The CPU supported the Sun-1 parallel keyboard and mouse as well as two serial ports.

Sun provided 1MB and 4MB memory boards but only supported configurations with a maximum of 4MB RAM. Companies like Helios Systems also made 4MB memory boards that would work in the Sun systems.

A common frame buffer was the Sun-2 Prime Monochrome Video. This board provided an 1152x900 monochrome display with TTL or ECL video signals, and keyboard and mouse ports. It normally occupied the top 1MB of physical memory address space. There was also a Sun-2 Color Video board available that provided an 1152x900 8-bit color display. This board occupied the top 4MB of address space.

42MB MFM disks were commonly used for storage. Two disks could be connected to an Adaptec MFM/SCSI and then to a Sun-2 Multibus Serial/SCSI Host Adapter. The SCSI board provided two additional serial ports. For larger storage requirements 65, 130, and 380 MB SMD disks were connected to a Xylogics 450 SMD Controller. The SMD controller could support four disks even though Sun only supported two. A 20 MB QIC tape drive could be connected through an Archive QIC/SCSI converter. The system also supported 1/2" tape drives connected to a Computer Products Corporation TAPEMASTER or a Xylogics 472 board.

An Ethernet connection was provided by a Sun board based on the Intel 82586 chip, or a 3Com 3c400 board. The server could support diskless 2/50 clients through the Ethernet board.

Other supported Multibus boards included the Sky Computer floating Point Processor, Sun ALM with 8x serial ports, Sun Sunlink Communications Processor,