SC072-PDS Frequently Asked Questions

How do I buy a SC072-PDS?

If you would like to purchase a SC072-PDS, just click on the Buy Now button above.

Can I really put a SC072-PDS next to my desk?

The SC072-PDS draws only 300 watts, less than a typical desktop PC. It fits easily next to your desk (or on it if you want to show it off) and makes very little noise. Just make sure that you allow at least three inches of clearance on the fan side so that it can breathe.

What I/O cards can I use with a SC072-PDS?

The SC072-PDS comes with two built-in Gigabit Ethernet ports — one for the built-in Workstation and the other for direct access to the 72 SiCortex processors.

The SC072-PDS also has three 8-lane PCI Express card slots. Any PCI Express card with a Linux driver should work. The only known exceptions are cards that expect an x86 BIOS at boot time.
SiCortex has qualified the following PCI Express cards with the SC072. SiCortex does not resell these interfaces, but they are widely available.

I/O Vendor Part Number Firmware Notes
10 Gb/s Ethernet Optical Myricom 10G-PCIE-8A-R+E myri10ge 1.3.1 Single Port, Req's XFP Txr
4 Gb/s FC Optical QLogic QLE2462 qla24xx 8.01.06b2 Dual Port
10 Gb/s Infiniband 4X Mellanox MHEL-CF256-TC ibgd 1.8.3 Dual Port, copper
1 Gb/s Ethernet, RJ-45 Marvel SK-9E22 sk98 2.109 11/28/06 Dual Port
1 Gb/s Ethernet Intel Intel PRO/1000 e1000 6.1.16-k2 RJ-45 and Optical avail
1 Gb/s Ethernet,RJ-45 Silicom PEG2 tg3 3.66d 09/01/06 Dual Port, Broadcom 5715
SATA/SAS 3Gb/s, (internal) LSI Logic SAS3041E-R — Quad Port, RAID

What kind of storage does the SC072-PDS support?

You can install up to six 3.5” SATA drives in the SC072-PDS chassis. The SC072-PDS can also support externally mounted drives using the FibreChannel or Infiniband I/O cards that have been qualified for the SC072-PDS.

In addition, the System Service Processor (SSP) inside the SC072-PDS comes with its own 250GB drive. This drive has the boot images and management software pre-installed. There is also room for local storage on that disk. One can also add a second disk to the second SATAII port on the SSP.

How do I connect to the SC072-PDS?

You can use the SC072-PDS as a self-contained workstation or as a server that you can connect to from any desktop workstation. The user environment is the same in both cases — you can choose whichever one is more convenient.

If you choose to use the SC072-PDS as a self-contained workstation, plug a keyboard and mouse into the USB ports on the back of the SC072-PDS, and a display into the 15-pin VGA port.

What software does the SC072-PDS run?

The SC072-PDS runs the same software base as all of the other products in the SiCortex line. Information on the SiCortex software environment can be found on the SC072-PDS data sheet or in our white papers.

What support options does SiCortex offer for the SC072-PDS?

The SC072-PDS comes with a two-year return-to-factory warranty and one-year software and compiler upgrades. You can also purchase additional hardware and software/compiler warranty extensions.

Can the x86 SSP have a second disk added?

There is a second SATAII port next to the one that is cabled to the 250GB disk. Just add the disk, connect power, and connect a SATA cable from the unused port to the new disk.

What documentation is available?

In addition to the Quick Start Guide, there is the SC072-PDS User Guide , System Administration Guide and the Programming Guide.