Digital Personal Workstation
Encyclopedia
The Digital Personal Workstation is a family of entry-level to mid-range workstation computers
developed and manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation
(DEC). These workstations are based on the DEC
Alpha
and Intel Pentium Pro
or Pentium II
microprocessors. Members of this family could run the Digital UNIX, OpenVMS
and Microsoft
Windows NT
operating system
s.
The i-Series, based on Pentium Pro, was introduced first, on 23 September 1996.
Models included the:
These workstations supported either one or two microprocessors and used standard Intel chipsets: Pentium Pro models used the Intel 440FX, Pentium II models suffixed with "i" used the Intel 440BX
whereas ones suffixed with "i+" used the Intel 440LX. A superscript "2" suffix indicated a dual processor
configuration.
The i-Series has four DIMM
slots on its main logic board and supported standard unbuffered or registered 100 MHz ECC
SDRAM
DIMMs. Using unbuffered memory
, the i-Series could support 32 to 512 MB of memory, with registered memory
, 64 MB to 1 GB was supported. Unbuffered and registered DIMMs could not be mixed in the same system. Unbuffered DIMMs had capacities of 32, 64 and 128 MB, whereas registered DIMMs had capacities of 64, 128 and 256 MB.
microprocessor. Models suffixed with "a" ran Windows NT (with AlphaBIOS) whereas models suffixed with "au" ran Digital UNIX or OpenVMS (with SRM
). At COMDEX
1997, the Digital Personal Workstation 500a was a finalist in Byte Magazine's Best of Show award for the best workstation category.
Models included the:
The Alpha microprocessor was socketed in a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket
and could be upgraded. These workstations used Digital's 21174 chipset, also known as the "Pyxis" chipset. To increase flexibility and to reduce cost, the L3 cache was optional in these models. If the L3 cache was required, a cache module that contained the SRAMs which implemented the cache would be installed into a cache slot. The cache module had two capacities: 2 or 4 MB.
Two revisions of the Miata motherboard
were produced, known as MX5 and MiataGL respectively. The later MiataGL motherboard has a revised Pyxis chipset (which fixes a PCI
DMA
bug), a different ATA
controller, an on-board QLogic
1040 SCSI
host adapter, and a USB interface.
The a-Series has a 144-bit memory bus, with 128 bits used for data and 16 bits for ECC. There are three memory banks, each consisting of two DIMM slots, for a total of six DIMM slots, which supports 32 MB to 1.5 GB of memory. The a-Series uses proprietary 72-bit DIMMs with error correcting code (ECC) that are twice as tall as standard DIMMs and contain two rows of SDRAMs per a column instead of one. These DIMMs are installed in identical pairs in order to match the width of the memory bus.
Workstation
A workstation is a high-end microcomputer designed for technical or scientific applications. Intended primarily to be used by one person at a time, they are commonly connected to a local area network and run multi-user operating systems...
developed and manufactured by Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
(DEC). These workstations are based on the DEC
Digital Equipment Corporation
Digital Equipment Corporation was a major American company in the computer industry and a leading vendor of computer systems, software and peripherals from the 1960s to the 1990s...
Alpha
DEC Alpha
Alpha, originally known as Alpha AXP, is a 64-bit reduced instruction set computer instruction set architecture developed by Digital Equipment Corporation , designed to replace the 32-bit VAX complex instruction set computer ISA and its implementations. Alpha was implemented in microprocessors...
and Intel Pentium Pro
Pentium Pro
The Pentium Pro is a sixth-generation x86 microprocessor developed and manufactured by Intel introduced in November 1, 1995 . It introduced the P6 microarchitecture and was originally intended to replace the original Pentium in a full range of applications...
or Pentium II
Pentium II
The Pentium II brand refers to Intel's sixth-generation microarchitecture and x86-compatible microprocessors introduced on May 7, 1997. Containing 7.5 million transistors, the Pentium II featured an improved version of the first P6-generation core of the Pentium Pro, which contained 5.5 million...
microprocessors. Members of this family could run the Digital UNIX, OpenVMS
OpenVMS
OpenVMS , previously known as VAX-11/VMS, VAX/VMS or VMS, is a computer server operating system that runs on VAX, Alpha and Itanium-based families of computers. Contrary to what its name suggests, OpenVMS is not open source software; however, the source listings are available for purchase...
and Microsoft
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American public multinational corporation headquartered in Redmond, Washington, USA that develops, manufactures, licenses, and supports a wide range of products and services predominantly related to computing through its various product divisions...
Windows NT
Windows NT
Windows NT is a family of operating systems produced by Microsoft, the first version of which was released in July 1993. It was a powerful high-level-language-based, processor-independent, multiprocessing, multiuser operating system with features comparable to Unix. It was intended to complement...
operating system
Operating system
An operating system is a set of programs that manage computer hardware resources and provide common services for application software. The operating system is the most important type of system software in a computer system...
s.
The i-Series, based on Pentium Pro, was introduced first, on 23 September 1996.
i-Series
The Digital Personal Workstation i-Series was based on the Intel Pentium Pro or Pentium II microprocessor and ran Windows NT.Models included the:
- 180i - 180 MHz Pentium Pro, introduced on 23 September 1996
- 200i - 200 MHz Pentium Pro, introduced on 23 September 1996
- 200i² - 200 MHz Pentium Pro, introduced on 23 September 1996
- 266i - 266 MHz Pentium II
- 300i - 300 MHz Pentium II
- 350i - 350 MHz Pentium II
- 400i - 400 MHz Pentium II
- 266i+ - 266 MHz Pentium II
- 300i+ - 300 MHz Pentium II
- 333i+ - 333 MHz Pentium II
These workstations supported either one or two microprocessors and used standard Intel chipsets: Pentium Pro models used the Intel 440FX, Pentium II models suffixed with "i" used the Intel 440BX
Intel 440BX
The Intel 440BX , is a chipset from Intel, supporting Pentium II, Pentium III, and Celeron processors. It is also known as the i440BX and was released in April 1998...
whereas ones suffixed with "i+" used the Intel 440LX. A superscript "2" suffix indicated a dual processor
Dual processor
In computer architecture, dual processor can refer to two different types of multiprocessing:# A computer with two central processing units# A dual-core central processing unit: two processors combined into a single integrated circuit or package....
configuration.
The i-Series has four DIMM
DIMM
A DIMM or dual in-line memory module, comprises a series of dynamic random-access memory integrated circuits. These modules are mounted on a printed circuit board and designed for use in personal computers, workstations and servers...
slots on its main logic board and supported standard unbuffered or registered 100 MHz ECC
Forward error correction
In telecommunication, information theory, and coding theory, forward error correction or channel coding is a technique used for controlling errors in data transmission over unreliable or noisy communication channels....
SDRAM
SDRAM
Synchronous dynamic random access memory is dynamic random access memory that is synchronized with the system bus. Classic DRAM has an asynchronous interface, which means that it responds as quickly as possible to changes in control inputs...
DIMMs. Using unbuffered memory
Unbuffered memory
Unbuffered memory is RAM where there is no hardware register between the memory controller and the RAM chips. Unbuffered memory is the opposite of registered memory. Registered memory is more stable, one clock cycle slower, and more expensive than unbuffered memory...
, the i-Series could support 32 to 512 MB of memory, with registered memory
Registered memory
Registered memory modules have a register between the DRAM modules and the system's memory controller. They place less electrical load on the memory controller and allow single systems to remain stable with more memory modules than they would have otherwise...
, 64 MB to 1 GB was supported. Unbuffered and registered DIMMs could not be mixed in the same system. Unbuffered DIMMs had capacities of 32, 64 and 128 MB, whereas registered DIMMs had capacities of 64, 128 and 256 MB.
a-Series
The Digital Personal Workstation a-Series, code named "Miata", used the Alpha 21164AAlpha 21164
The Alpha 21164, also known by its code name, EV5, is a microprocessor developed and fabricated by Digital Equipment Corporation that implemented the Alpha instruction set architecture . It was introduced in January 1995, succeeding the Alpha 21064A as Digital's flagship microprocessor...
microprocessor. Models suffixed with "a" ran Windows NT (with AlphaBIOS) whereas models suffixed with "au" ran Digital UNIX or OpenVMS (with SRM
System Reference Manual
The SRM firmware is the boot firmware written by Digital Equipment Corporation for computer systems based on the Alpha AXP microprocessor...
). At COMDEX
COMDEX
COMDEX was a computer expo held in Las Vegas, Nevada, each November from 1979 to 2003. It was one of the largest computer trade shows in the world, usually second only to the German CeBIT, and by many accounts one of the largest trade shows in any industry sector...
1997, the Digital Personal Workstation 500a was a finalist in Byte Magazine's Best of Show award for the best workstation category.
Models included the:
- 433a/433au - 433 MHz Alpha 21164A
- 500a/500au - 500 MHz Alpha 21164A
- 600a/600au - 600 MHz Alpha 21164A
The Alpha microprocessor was socketed in a zero insertion force (ZIF) socket
CPU socket
A CPU socket or CPU slot is a mechanical component that provides mechanical and electrical connections between a microprocessor and a printed circuit board . This allows the CPU to be replaced without soldering....
and could be upgraded. These workstations used Digital's 21174 chipset, also known as the "Pyxis" chipset. To increase flexibility and to reduce cost, the L3 cache was optional in these models. If the L3 cache was required, a cache module that contained the SRAMs which implemented the cache would be installed into a cache slot. The cache module had two capacities: 2 or 4 MB.
Two revisions of the Miata motherboard
Motherboard
In personal computers, a motherboard is the central printed circuit board in many modern computers and holds many of the crucial components of the system, providing connectors for other peripherals. The motherboard is sometimes alternatively known as the mainboard, system board, or, on Apple...
were produced, known as MX5 and MiataGL respectively. The later MiataGL motherboard has a revised Pyxis chipset (which fixes a PCI
Peripheral Component Interconnect
Conventional PCI is a computer bus for attaching hardware devices in a computer...
DMA
Direct memory access
Direct memory access is a feature of modern computers that allows certain hardware subsystems within the computer to access system memory independently of the central processing unit ....
bug), a different ATA
AT Attachment
Parallel ATA , originally ATA, is an interface standard for the connection of storage devices such as hard disks, solid-state drives, floppy drives, and optical disc drives in computers. The standard is maintained by X3/INCITS committee...
controller, an on-board QLogic
QLogic
QLogic Corporation is an Aliso Viejo, California-based designer and supplier of storage networking, high performance computing networking, and converged infrastructure solutions...
1040 SCSI
SCSI
Small Computer System Interface is a set of standards for physically connecting and transferring data between computers and peripheral devices. The SCSI standards define commands, protocols, and electrical and optical interfaces. SCSI is most commonly used for hard disks and tape drives, but it...
host adapter, and a USB interface.
The a-Series has a 144-bit memory bus, with 128 bits used for data and 16 bits for ECC. There are three memory banks, each consisting of two DIMM slots, for a total of six DIMM slots, which supports 32 MB to 1.5 GB of memory. The a-Series uses proprietary 72-bit DIMMs with error correcting code (ECC) that are twice as tall as standard DIMMs and contain two rows of SDRAMs per a column instead of one. These DIMMs are installed in identical pairs in order to match the width of the memory bus.