About CPU Modules

Figure 5-3  

The UltraSPARC II CPU module is a high-performance, highly-integrated superscalar processor implementing the SPARC-V9 64-bit RISC architecture. The UltraSPARC II processor supports both 2-D and 3-D graphics, as well as image processing, video compression and decompression, and video effects through the sophisticated visual instruction set (VIS). VIS provides high levels of multimedia performance, including real-time video compression/decompression and two streams of MPEG-2 decompression at full broadcast quality with no additional hardware support.

The system's main logic board provides slots for two UltraSPARC II CPU modules. Each processor module includes one CPU chip with integrated cache memory for data and instructions, as well as 1 Mbyte or more of external SRAM cache memory.

Processor modules communicate with the system's main memory and I/O subsystem via the system's high-speed Ultra Port Architecture (UPA) data bus. The UPA's clock rate is automatically synchronized with the clock speed of the CPU modules, and the UPA clock operates at either one third or one fourth the clock rate of the CPUs. For example, if the CPUs operate at 300 MHz, the UPA will operate at a clock rate of 100 MHz.

For information on installing CPU modules, see "How to Install a CPU Module".

Configuration Rules

One or two CPU modules can be installed. Only UltraSPARC II processors are supported.

The first CPU module must be installed in the slot labeled CPU0--the one closest to the system's four PCI slots.

If you install two CPU modules, the two must operate at identical clock speeds (300 MHz, for example) and they must have the same size cache memory. This generally means the two CPU modules must have the same part number.

The following figure shows the CPU slot locations on the main logic board.

Figure 5-4