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Date:      Tue, 20 Mar 2001 06:43:26 -0500
From:      "Andrew C. Hornback" <hornback@wireco.net>
To:        "FreeBSD Questions" <questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Subject:   Hardware Compatibility...
Message-ID:  <000201c0b132$f9d45fe0$0e00000a@tomcat>

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Mornin',

	Just wanted to see if anyone is running any hardware I plan to use in my
"monster" workstation that I'm working on.  Basically, I'm using a lot of
good, quality standard parts... problem is, some of these parts don't exist
in the current HCL.  So, I thought I'd ask to see if there was anyone out
there with experience with these parts:

1.  I plan on using a Turtle Beach Cancun FX add-on for my SoundBlaster AWE
32 card.  Eventually, I'd like to use this workstation to do some music
composition, etc., and this was the best solution that I found that I could
use with my AWE 32.  Yes, I know it's an old card, but, it's got 32 Megs of
Parity RAM onboard... which is more than I can say for the newest SB Live!
cards.

2.  I'm also planning on using a multi-serial adapter from Equinox, their
Megaport 12CS card.  Basically, this is an EISA (looks vaguely more ISA,
IMHO) with a break-out box with 12 separate serial ports on it.  I'm looking
at adding a terminal or two, in addition to a couple of plotters, etc., and
figured that this would be a good choice.  This card appears to have SCO
Unix/Xenix drivers available, along with HP/UX and AIX drivers.  If there
isn't currently a driver or a workaround for this card, just how hard would
it be to write a driver for it?  (I have all of the documentation that came
with this board, if that would help any)

3.  From a time when I was on the FreeBSD lists in the past, someone
mentioned a Berkshire Watchdog board.  After doing some research, I've
decided that I would like to have one of these in my workstation, based on
the idea that I may need to work on it remotely, and if it hangs up from a
remote session, I would most likely need it to come back up.  Since I
learned about this item from the list here, I would assume that someone
would have one and that it would be in use.  The version that I am looking
at purchasing is the PCI version.  If anyone has any caveats or tips for use
of this card, please let me know.

4.  Since this is going to be a high performance workstation and I plan to
use it to finish the curriculum for my Mechanical Engineering degree, I
figured that a digitizer would be a good item to have.  So, I picked up a
CalComp 12"x12" tablet with the 4 button puck.  This is a serial device, and
while I haven't tested it, I would assume that it would work properly via a
standard serial connector without a driver.  Is there anyone out there
currently using a digitizer with a FreeBSD box?  If so, what kind of
tips/tricks would you recommend when I finally install it?

5.  Last but not least, I plan to connect my HP ScanJet 6200CSe once I get
the workstation up and running.  Since this scanner can use USB or SCSI, I
was wondering if there would be an advantage of using one interface or the
other.  If I go with SCSI, it will be connected to an Adaptec AHA-2740.  If
I go with USB, it will be connected to an ADS Technology PCI to USB Adapter
card, as per the HCL.

	Thanks guys, and I appreciate any feedback regarding these hardware
choices.

--- Andy


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