Sun Archive System Overview
The Sun3/3x-Series:
With the Sun3/3x-Series Sun switched to using the Motorola 68020.
A few later models had 68030's, but by that time Sun was
already moving toward SPARC processors. All models either have a 68881
or 68882 FPU installed stock or at least have a socket for one. All
models which are not in pizza box chassis are VMEbus. Two out of three
pizza box models have a "P4" connector which can take a framebuffer; the
exception is the 3/50.
Support for Sun-3's was introduced in SunOS 3.0. The last version of
SunOS to support Sun-3's was 4.1.1U1.
During the Sun-3 era, Sun introduced the handy practice of putting
the model number on the Sun badge on the front of the chassis.
There are two different kernel architectures in the Sun-3 model line.
All 68020-based models are "sun3" architecture; 68030-based models (the
3/80 and 3/4xx) are "sun3x" architecture.
Models:
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware
contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1163/1164/1208 (1074/1094/1177/1178 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
deskside
Bus:
VME, 12 slots
Memory:
16M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Notes:
First 68020-based Sun machine. Uses the
"Carrera" CPU, which is used in most other Sun
3/1xx models and the 3/75. Sun supplied 4M
memory expansion boards; third parties had up to
32M on one card; 3/160G and 3/160CXP reported as
expandable to 24M only. SCSI optional. One
variant of the memory card holds a 6U VME SCSI
board; there is also a SCSI board which sits in
slot 7 of the backplane and runs the SCSI bus
out the back of the backplane to the internal
disk/tape (slot 6 in very early backplanes). CPU
has two serial ports, Ethernet, keyboard. Type 3
keyboard plugs into the CPU; Sun-3 mouse plugs into
the keyboard. Upgradeable to a 3/260 by replacing CPU
and memory boards.
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware
contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1163/1164/1208 (1074/1094/1177/1178 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
wide pizza box
Bus:
VME, 2 slot
Memory:
16M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Notes:
Optional SCSI sits on memory expansion board in
second slot.
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware
contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1163/1164/1208 (1074/1094/1177/1178 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
deskside
Bus:
VME, 3 slots
Memory:
16M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Notes:
3/140M reported expandable to 12M only.
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware
contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1163/1164/1208 (1074/1094/1177/1178 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
deskside
Bus:
VME, 6 slots
Memory:
16M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware
contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1163/1164/1208 (1074/1094/1177/1178 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
rackmount
Bus:
VME, 12 slots
Memory:
16M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Notes:
Rackmount version of 3/160. Upgradeable to a
3/280 by replacing the CPU and memory boards.
Very early backplanes have the special SCSI
hookup on slot 6 rather than 7.
Processor(s):
68020 @ 16.67MHz, 68881, Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware contexts, 2 MIPS
CPU:
501-1134/1209
Chassis type:
deskside
Bus:
VME, 3 slots
Notes:
Similar to the "Carerra" CPU, but has 8-bit
color frame buffer on board and uses 1M RAM
chips for 4M on-CPU memory. Code-named "Prism".
Processor(s):
68020 @ 12.5/15.7MHz, 68881 (socket),
Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware contexts, 1.5 MIPS
CPU:
501-1162/1207 (501-1075/1133, 599-1219/1220/1267/1268/1399 are obsolete)
Chassis type:
wide pizza box
Bus:
none
Memory:
4M physical (documented), 256M virtual, 270ns cycle
Notes:
Cycle-stealing monochrome frame buffer. 4M
memory maximum stock, but third-party memory
expansion boards were sold, allowing at least
12M. No bus or P4 connector. Onboard SCSI. Thin
coax or AUI Ethernet. Code-named "Model 25".
Processor(s):
68020 @ 20MHz, 68881 @ 20MHz (stock),
Sun-3 MMU, 8 hardware contexts, 3 MIPS
CPU:
501-1205/1322/1334/1345
Chassis type:
wide pizza box
Bus:
P4 connector (not same as P4 on 3/80)
Memory:
24M physical, 256M virtual, 200ns cycle
Notes:
VRAM monochome frame buffer. Optional color
frame buffer (could run mono and color from same
board) on P4 connector. Onboard SCSI. SIMM
memory (100ns 1M x 9 SIMMs). High (1600*1100) or
low (1152*870) resolution mono selectable by
jumper. Thin coax or AUI Ethernet. Code-named
"Ferrari".
Processor(s):
68020 @ 20MHz, 68881 @ 20MHz (stock), Sun-3 MMU,
8 hardware contexts, 3 MIPS
CPU:
501-1378
Memory:
12M physical, 256M virtual, 200ns cycle
Notes:
A version of the 3/60 with no onboard
framebuffer and limited to 12M of RAM (4M of
256K SIMMs and 8M of 1M SIMMs).
Processor(s):
68020 @ 25MHz, 68881 @ 20MHz (stock), Sun-3 MMU,
8 hardware contexts, 4 MIPS
CPU:
501-1100/1206
Chassis type:
deskside
Bus:
VME, 12 slot
Memory:
64M (documented) physical with ECC, 256M virtual;
64K write-back cache, direct-mapped,
virtually-indexed and virtually-tagged, with
16-byte lines; 80ns cycle
Notes:
Two serial ports, AUI Ethernet, keyboard, and
video on CPU. Video is mono, high-resolution
only. Sun supplied 8M memory boards. Sun 4/2xx
32M boards work up to 128M. 3/260CXP model
reported as expandable to 24M only. First Sun
with an off-chip cache. Upgradeable to a 4/260
by replacing the CPU board. Code-named "Sirius."
Processor(s):
68020 @ 25MHz, 68881 @ 20MHz (stock), Sun-3 MMU,
8 hardware contexts, 4 MIPS
CPU:
501-1100/1206
Chassis type:
rackmount
Bus:
VME, 12 slot
Memory:
64M (documented) physical with ECC, 256M virtual;
64K write-back cache, direct-mapped,
virtually-indexed and virtually-tagged, with
16-byte lines; 80ns cycle
Notes:
Rackmount version of the 3/260. Upgradeable to a
4/280 by replacing the CPU board. Code-named
"Sirius."
Processor(s):
68030 @ 20MHz, 68882 @ 20 or 40MHz, 68030 on-chip
MMU, 3 MIPS, 0.16 MFLOPS
CPU:
501-1401/1537/1650
Chassis type:
square pizza box
Bus:
P4 connector (not same as P4 on 3/60)
Memory:
16M or 64M physical, 4G virtual, 100ns cycle
Notes:
Similar packaging to SparcStation 1. Parallel
port, SCSI port, AUI Ethernet, 1.44M 3.5" floppy
(720K on early units?). No onboard framebuffer.
Code-named "Hydra". Type-4 keyboard and Sun-4 mouse,
plugged together and into the machine with a small
DIN plug. Boot ROM versions 3.0.2 and later allow
using 4M SIMMs in some slots for up to 64M. 4M standard.
Processor(s):
68030 @ 33 MHz, 68882, 68030 on-chip MMU,
7 MIPS, 0.6 MFLOPS
CPU:
501-1550 (501-1299 is obsolete)
Bus:
VME, 12 slot
Memory:
128M physical with ECC, 4G/process virtual,
64K cache, 80ns cycle
Notes:
Rare.
Processor(s):
68030 @ 33 MHz, 68882, 68030 on-chip MMU,
7 MIPS, 0.6 MFLOPS
CPU:
501-1550 (501-1299 is obsolete)
Bus:
VME
Memory:
128M physical with ECC, 4G/process virtual,
64K cache, 80ns cycle
Notes:
Rare. Code-named "Pegasus." 8M standard.
Processor(s):
68030 @ 33 MHz, 68882, 68030 on-chip MMU,
7 MIPS, 0.6 MFLOPS
CPU:
501-1550 (501-1299 is obsolete)
Bus:
VME
Memory:
128M physical with ECC, 4G/process virtual,
64K cache, 80ns cycle
Notes:
Rare. Code-named "Pegasus." 8M standard.
Processor(s):
68020
CPU:
501-8028
Bus:
VME
Notes:
Single-board VME Sun-3, presumably for use as a
controller, not as a workstation. 6U form
factor.
This informations were compiled by James W. Birdsall and can be found in the
sun.hardware.FAQ some Parts of this Info
where changed and updated by Heiko Krupp.