Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ames!ucsd!sdcc6!mplvax!cdl
From: cdl@mplvax.EDU (Carl Lowenstein)
Newsgroups: comp.periphs
Subject: backplane-less computers
Keywords: SCSI, Ethernet
Message-ID: <842@mplvax.EDU>
Date: 30 Mar 89 17:42:37 GMT
Reply-To: cdl@mplvax.ucsd.edu.UUCP (Carl Lowenstein)
Distribution: usa
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Marine Physical Laboratory
Lines: 19
References:

There seems to be a current generation of workstations and compute
servers without backplanes.  DEC, Sun, perhaps others are making
high-performance boxes that can be connected to the world only through
a SCSI bus or an Ethernet.

How can one connect real-world I/O devices to these boxes, when the
device does not happen to be a disk drive, 8mm or 4mm tape, or
terminal?  What about more conventional things such as 9-track
magtape, A:D converters, IEEE-488 bus, CAMAC, etc.?

At the moment, the only thing I can think of is something like a
MicroVax II connected to the Ethernet as a 'backplane server.'

If you know of other solutions to this peripheral connection problem,
please send mail with answers.  I will be glad to summarize for the net.
-- 
	carl lowenstein		marine physical lab	u.c. san diego
	{decvax|ucbvax}	!ucsd!mplvax!cdl
	cdl@mplvax.ucsd.edu