RAQ Hardware FAQ

From Parvi - Open source software and patches

Contents 1 Does this FAQ cover MIPS hardware? 2 What hardware is in my Cobalt? 3 Can I put a second CPU in my RaQ XTR? 4 How do I restore the CMOS? 5 What size disks can I put in my Cobalt?

Does this FAQ cover MIPS hardware?

No, this document just x86 compatible hardware. That is:

• RaQ 3
• RaQ 4
• Qube 3
• RaQ XTR
• RaQ 550

What hardware is in my Cobalt?

Cobalt hardware is roughly broken into three generations: 2000 series (MIPS based), 3000 series or GEN_III (K6 based), and 5000 series or GEN_V (Pentium III based). 2000 series systems are beyond the scope of this document. 3000 series systems are: RaQ 3, RaQ 4, Qube 3. 5000 series systems are: RaQ XTR and RaQ 550.

• RaQ 3 and RaQ4 (3000 series):
  • AMD K6-2 processor (300 or 450 MHz)
  • ALi M1541/1533 chipset
  • 2 PC100 DIMM slots
  • optional NCR 53c875 SCSI
  • 1 optional 32 bit PCI slot
  • 1 or 2 Intel 82559ER 10/100 ethernet controllers
  • 1 or 2 ATA33 disks
  • 1 USB 1.1 port
  • 2 RS232 serial ports

• Qube 3 (3000 series):
  • AMD K6-2 processor (300 or 450 MHz)
  • ALi M1541/1533 chipset
  • 2 PC100 DIMM slots
  • optional NCR 53c875 SCSI
  • 1 32 bit PCI slot
  • 2 National Semiconductor DP83815 10/100 ethernet controllers
  • 1 or 2 ATA33 disks
  • 1 USB 1.1 port
  • 1 RS232 serial port

• RaQ XTR (5000 series):
  • Intel Pentium III (Coppermine only) processor
  • 1 extra CPU socket with terminator
  • ServerWorks LE chipset with OSB4 south bridge
  • 4 PC133 DIMM slots (registered ECC DIMMs required)
  • 1 32/64 bit PCI slot
  • 2 National Semiconductor DP83815 10/100 ethernet controllers
  • 2 HighPoint HPT370 ATA100 IDE controllers
  • 1-4 ATA100 disks
  • 1 USB 1.1 port
  • 2 RS232 serial ports

• RaQ 550 (5000 series):
  • Intel Pentium III (Coppermine or Tualatin) processor
  • ServerWorks LE chipset with CSB5 south bridge
  • 2 PC133 DIMM slots (registered ECC DIMMs required)
  • 1 32/64 bit PCI slot
  • 2 National Semiconductor DP83815 10/100 ethernet controllers
  • 1 or 2 ATA100 disks

Can I put a second CPU in my RaQ XTR?

Not reliably. There are issues with the chipset and motherboard that may cause the system to lockup, crash, or corrupt data. Newer flash ROM versions should support SMP, if you decide to try anyway.

How do I restore the CMOS?

You should never need to do this. Restoring the CMOS will return the system to it's unconfigured state. It will lose it's serial number as well as the current boot configuration. For some systems, this means it will attempt to boot from the network. If you still want to do this, power the system off, hold down the 'E' button, and power the system back on. You will eventually see a message that says "CMOS restored".

What size disks can I put in my Cobalt?

All Cobalt systems used LBA24 disk controllers. This means that the largest disks you can put into a Cobalt are approximately 137 GB. Even if you put LBA48 capable disks into your system, it will not work. In fact, putting LBA48 disks on an LBA24 controller may cause some kernel version not to boot at all (see 'My Cobalt hangs at "Partition check:"').