Port-sparc64 archive

[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index][Old Index]

Re: PCI graphics cards on Sun hardware



Sun Microsystems originated OpenBoot firmware (IEEE 1275), and all add- in cards (Sbus, PCI, whatever) that need boot time intialization are expected to have FCode onboard that the system will run at POST/ initialization time.

Apple Computer adopted OpenBoot firmware for its PCI-based PowerMac (PowerPC CPUs) computers, and I believe they used it until switching to Intel x86 based machines, ergo, all PCI (and AGP) video cards made for PowerMac computers will have FCode on them to do the initialization of the GPU.

Alas, there are, shall we say, "implementation differences" (Apple didn't do as complete a job of implementing IEEE 1275 as they should have, particularly in the early machines - see the archives of port-macppc%netbsd.org@localhost for that tale of woe), but it should, in principle, be possible to use a PCI graphics card intended for a PowerMacintosh in a Sun UltraSPARC with PCI and have "the right thing happen" at POST/ initialization time in the Sun.

Can anyone here speak from operational experience?

        Erik <fair%netbsd.org@localhost>



Home | Main Index | Thread Index | Old Index