SGI Origin 200
| Company type | Server |
|---|---|
| Industry | Computer hardware |
| Founded | October 1996 |
| Founder | Silicon Graphics, Inc. (SGI) |
| Defunct | June 30, 2002 |
| Products | Origin 200 server |
The SGI Origin 200, internally referred to as Speedo, was a budget-friendly server created by SGI and introduced in October 1996. It debuted simultaneously with the mid-tier and premium Origin 2000 models. Although it shared its architectural foundation with the Origin 2000, its hardware components were uniquely designed. The system initially operated on IRIX version 6.4, later upgrading to IRIX 6.5, before being phased out on 30 June 2002.
Hardware
The Origin 200 can accommodate either one or two modules connected through the NUMAlink 2 interconnect, effectively doubling processing power and memory capacity when configured with dual modules. Both the main unit and its GIGAchannel expansion enclosures are available as tower configurations with aesthetic panels or as rackmount versions suitable for 19- or 21-inch racks. Additionally, an optional drive enclosure supports up to six 3.5-inch drives along with either one full-height or two half-height 5.25-inch drives.
Module
Each module is composed of a motherboard along with seven bays designed for 3.5-inch drives and two bays for 5.25-inch drives. When integrated with a GIGAchannel expansion cabinet, a Crosstown board is added, connecting directly to the motherboard. Modules are capable of supporting up to two central processing units.
Motherboard
On the motherboard resides the Hub ASIC, which functions alongside a PCI bridge, two SCSI controllers, a pair of UARTs, and an Ethernet controller. The PCI bridge manages the PCI bus that provides three PCI-X slots and interfaces with the I/O controllers.
Processor
Processors are installed on a PIMM (Processor-Included Memory Module) that slots into the motherboard. At launch, the Origin 200 supported one or two R10000 CPUs, each equipped with either 1 MB or 4 MB of L2 cache. In August 1998, a faster 225 MHz R10000 PIMM became available, followed by models featuring 270 MHz R12000 processors. PIMMs are offered in both single- and dual-processor variants; however, upgrading from a single-processor to a dual-processor configuration is not feasible because there is only one PIMM slot on the motherboard.
Memory
Memory capacity ranges from 32 MB up to 2 GB using eight DIMM slots organized into four banks on the motherboard. Compatible DIMM sizes include 16, 32, 64, and 256 MB modules, which must be installed in pairs for proper operation.
GIGAchannel
The GIGAchannel expansion cabinet for the Origin 200 connects through two XIO cables and provides an additional four PCI-X slots alongside five XIO slots. It incorporates a Crossbow (Xbow) ASIC—a crossbar switch featuring eight ports—that directs five data paths to XIO slots, one path to the PCI bridge, and two paths to XIO connectors interfacing with Origin 200 modules.