===== AlphaPC 164RX ===== ^ AlphaPC 164RX ^^ ^ CPU | [[wp>Alpha_21164#Alpha_21164PC_(PCA57)|21164PC]] (PCA57), 525 or 600 MHz | ^ Core logic | [[hardware:chipsets#polaris|VLSI Polaris]] | ^ Memory | 4 DIMM slots, SDRAM, up to 512 MiB | ^ Buses | 32-bit PCI, ISA | ^ Form factor | ATX | ^ Onboard I/O | IDE, 10/100 Ethernet, floppy, 2 serial, parallel, keyboard, mouse, 2 USB | ^ Firmware | AlphaBIOS, MILO | ^ Kernel option | ''CONFIG_ALPHA_RX164'' | ^ Linux | Untested | The AlphaPC 164RX is an ATX form factor motherboard from Digital's OEM line, based on the 21164PC (PCA57) microprocessor and the VLSI Technology Polaris system controller. Its Linux platform name is RX164. It was announced in 1998, but only a small number of boards were built. It can only boot Linux through MILO, and no current kernel has been reported to boot on it. ==== Specifications ==== * 525 or 600 MHz 21164PC CPU [(>{{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_product_brief.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Product Brief}})] * 1 MiB pipelined burst SRAM L2 cache * VLSI Technology Polaris system controller, memory bus at 75 MHz * 2 or 4 168-pin PC100 unbuffered SDRAM DIMMs, supports 64 MiB to 512 MiB * 5x 5V 32-bit 30 MHz PCI slots (one behind a PCI-to-PCI bridge, shared with the ISA slot) * 1x ISA slot (shared) * 10/100 Mb/s Ethernet * PCI IDE (PIO mode 4) with UltraDMA support * Floppy, 2x UARTs, parallel port, keyboard and mouse, real-time clock * 2x USB ports [(>{{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_data_sheet.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Data Sheet}})] * 1 MiB flash ROM * Windows NT AlphaBIOS firmware * ATX form factor and standard ATX power supply [(>{{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_product_brief.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Product Brief}})] ==== Firmware ==== No SRM console was released for the board, [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2000-August.mbox#L9150|"Re: switching from ARC back to SRM"]], Jay Estabrook, axp-list, 16 Aug 2000)] so Tru64 UNIX and the current distribution installers, which boot from SRM, cannot be used. ==== Linux ==== Current kernels include support for the board (''CONFIG_ALPHA_RX164'', or a generic kernel, with Polaris support in ''core_polaris.c''), [(>[[https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/tree/arch/alpha/Kconfig?h=v7.3-rc1|arch/alpha/Kconfig]], Linux 7.3)] but it can only boot Linux through a [[software:boot_loaders:milo|MILO]] built for it by Jay Estabrook. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2002-January.mbox#L3183|"Re: RX (was RE: Kernel 2.4.17)"]], Rich Payne, axp-list, 8 Jan 2002)] Released MILO versions cannot load kernels from Linux 2.6.23 on, which added a program header that MILO mistook for a loadable segment; a MILO fix was committed in May 2026 but has not been tested on this board. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/milo/commit/7a6701b734208c4fd36bb628996b32f811f6542a|"boot: skip non-PT_LOAD segments when loading kernel image"]], Matt Turner, MILO, 31 May 2026)] See [[software:boot_loaders:milo#booting_linux|MILO: Booting Linux]]. ==== History ==== Digital announced the AlphaPC 164RX together with the AlphaPC 264DP in November 1998. Both were in beta at the time and were expected to enter production in January 1999. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/1998-November.mbox#L8619|"Re: New Alphas (ev57 164+264) and boards"]], Aaron Spink, axp-list, 4 Nov 1998)] The board would have been the first to use the PCA57, a respin of the PCA56 (21164PC) that performs nearly as well as the EV56, and the Polaris core logic, which supports only 32-bit PCI. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2002-January.mbox#L2348|"Re: Kernel 2.4.17"]], Jay Estabrook, axp-list, 8 Jan 2002)] Production was reportedly delayed by a bug in the chipset [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/1999-April.mbox#L8968|"Re: 164RX"]], Maurice Hilarius, axp-list, 4 Apr 1999)], and the board was never sold as a product. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2000-August.mbox#L9150|"Re: switching from ARC back to SRM"]], Jay Estabrook, axp-list, 16 Aug 2000)] At least 12 boards were built, and some reached users. [(>[[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2000-March.mbox#L4500|"RE: Questions on Alpha/Linux."]], Rich Payne, axp-list, 1 Mar 2000)] ==== Conflicting information ==== The following sources conflict with each other or with the account given above. They are listed here for further investigation. * **CPU speeds** * {{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_product_brief.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Product Brief}}: "operating at speeds of 525 or 600 MHz" * [[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2002-January.mbox#L2348|"Re: Kernel 2.4.17"]], Jay Estabrook, axp-list, 8 Jan 2002: "RX164 PCA57 (525) POLARIS AlphaPC164-RX (no product)" * **PCI slots** * {{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_product_brief.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Product Brief}}: "One ISA expansion slot (shared with the bridged PCI slot)" * [[https://github.com/alphalinux/mailing-list-archives/blob/main/axp-list-mbox/2000-March.mbox#L4908|"RE: Questions on Alpha/Linux."]], Chris Boyer, axp-list, 1 Mar 2000: "6 PCI slots (all 32s) / 1 ISA Slot" ==== Documentation ==== ^ Document ^ Part number ^ Date ^ | {{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_product_brief.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Product Brief}} | EC-RE0MA-TE | October 1998 | | {{wiki:hardware:motherboards:pc164rx:pc164rx_data_sheet.pdf?linkonly|AlphaPC 164RX Motherboard Data Sheet}} | EC-F9499-56 | 1998 | {{tag>hardware motherboard 21164pc digital}}