This page contains some data/information on this computer. Additions, corrections and comments are always welcome.
General
History
Processors
Graphics Options
Memory
Misc. Features
Options
Chassis
Specials
Common Problems
Further Information
The Indy was the low-end successor to the Indigo product line. All models had a built in video
input and a connection for the Indicam that was shipped with these systems (note that it usually
comes without video outputs - these were available as an option only).
Some of the processors have been released after the introduction of the first Indy systems and because of that a PROM upgrade was required when upgrading CPUs. The following table is a summary of the various "Upgrade Installation Guides" from SGI:
CPU Upgrade Requires PROM date (see 'version' in PROM) R4400SC/200 July 15, 1994 or later R4600PC/133 Sept 28, 1994 or later R5000 CPU February 12, 1996 or later
Type: 36bit wide 72pin SIMMs (fast page mode, parity, 70 or 60ns) Sockets: 8 (2 * 4 sockets) Minimum configuration: 32 MB (8 * 4 MB SIMMs) Maximum configuration: 256 MB (8 * 32 MB SIMMs)
The Indy has a single SCSI channel that allows internal and external SCSI devices to be used. The total number of devices allowed on the SCSI chain is 7 (not including the controller itself). See Chassis for details on the internal drivebays. A usual Indy has an internal floptical drive in addition to the system disk.
The Indy has two GIO32bis expansion slots on the CPU board that can be used for additional hardware (see options). The space for GIO-bus expansion cards on Indy systems is usually taken by the graphics board.
All Indy systems come in a lightgreen chassis that has the following dimensions:
width: 40.6 cm / 16" height: 7.6 cm / 3" depth: 35.6 cm / 14" weight: 7.2 kg / 16 lbs
Aside from the usual "Silicon Graphics Indy" logo and the shiny "R5000" badge on R5000 systems there are no other markings / color codes for CPU or graphics variants.
The Indy Chassis has space for two internal 3.5" SCSI devices (each up to 1" high) and the upper drive can be accessed from the outside if one of the original floptical drives is used. It is possible that other SCSI floppies or flopticals do not fit into the correct position on the Indy.
Relabeld Indigo systems were available from several companies, the most common being
Cyclone Indy: Raster Image Processor from Colorbus Corp. The system was a stock Indy but had one GIO slot occupied by the interface card for a color copier or printer.
The WebFORCE Indy was sold by Silicon Graphics with the following software package:
There is no such thing as an Indy laptop from SGI. The machines in Twister are fake systems built for the movie. However there was a one made by a third party for military applications or use in heavy industry (mining, oil & gas). The company website is available at www.rsi-cri.com and they still produce ruggedized versions of workstations, servers and supercomputers (among them special rackmount versions of O2, Octane or Origin).
There were probably various special Indy versions which were used in software development. A known version is the Indy with Ultra 64 Development Board which was used for developing games for the Nintendo N64 system. The Indy is a stock system from SGI but comes with a fullsize GIO32 option board, that contains a full N64 with it's own graphics hardware and processor (VR4300).
System suddenly freezes and won't come up again.
Verbose problem description: The system hangs without warning and cannot be shutdown with the power switch and after a power cycle it shows a red LED.
In this case unplug the power cord and check if all SIMMs are properly seated. To make sure try booting with only one set of SIMMs (4 modules) installed or try even different ones.
None available at the moment.
Layout & Text: Gerhard Lenerz, 2001
Please note: I am not working for Silicon Graphics, Inc. and I don't get their support. This website is a completely unofficial resource for people who enjoy working with SGI systems as much as I do. All product names, SGI and Silicon Graphics are (registered) trademarks of Silicon Graphics, Inc. That being said I must also add that all information on this page is provided without any warranties (I tried hard to get it all right, but still I might be wrong...).
