6-pin SSI EEB WS and 6-pin PCIe Power Incompatible!

I was just reading a Tyan manual addendeum for the S2895 (Tunder K8WE) and noticed the 6-pin (2x3) SSI EEB v3.51 Workstation power connector and 6-pin (2x3) PCI-Express x16 150W power connector are INCOMPATIBLE! Not only that, but if you use the wrong one, it's very probably you will DAMAGE your board!

There are no differentiating keys, they are EXACT SAME fitting, right down to the square and round holes. Who was the genius that came up with this?!?!?! The SSI EEB WS connector provides +3.3V on pins 1-2, +12V on pins 3-4, and GND on pins 5-6. The new PCI-Express connector provides +12V on pins 1-3, GND on pins 4 and 6 and a "sense" pin 5.

This clearly falls on the PCI-Express and video manufacturers, because the SSI EEB spec PREDATES the PCI-Express spec by YEARS. So be sure to check our power supply manual with your mainboard/video card BEFORE you connect. Yellow is typically used for +12V, but that's NO GUARANTEE.

- More about the SSI Specification

The Server System Infrastructure (SSI) specification is a set of standards devised for servers, workstations and other components you typically don't find in desktops. Although a lot of desktops to adopt SSI standards later on, many do it in a not-so-compatible, not-so-standard way. Why the desktop/consumer industry can't "get their act together" and follow the SSI standards, I'll never know -- especially since the SSI specs already exist well before the desktops need them.

The SSI Entry-Level Power Supply (EPS) (common rev 2.1) is probably best known. EPS12V power supplies quickly became commonplace after both Athlon MP and [P4-based] Xeon dual processor mainboards required more power than the ATX power supplies could provide. Proprietary power supplies were commonly used prior to the SSI EPS specification, but with the commodization of workstation and server mainboards by AMD, ServerWorks, etc..., the SSI EPS was quickly born as ATX was incapable.

The SSI Entry-Level Eletronics Bay (EEB) (common rev 3.51) is lesser known, but it is far more important. It governs the all-encompassing mechanical and electrical specifications of mainboard, expansion, electrical, power, thermal, etc... Probably the best known are the typical SSI EEB form-factor (commonly mis-represented as Extended ATX, 12"x13"), the 8-pin (4x2) "Server" (SVR) power connector (single or dual-rail +12V) and 6-pin (3x2) "Workstation" (WS) power connector (+3.3V and +12V) that is required to supply AGP Pro slots.

Delivering extra power to AGP video cards was provided by the AGP Pro slot, driven by the SSI EEB WS power connector. Why the PCI-Express (PCIe) standards group did not follow the established +3.3V/+12V design is beyond me, it just doesn't make sense -- especially when the connectors are exact, right down to the connector's individual pin shapes.

UCF Football In the News ...

My Alma Mater is generating some interest as of late. After going 0-11 last year in a not-so-tough NCAA football conference, we managed to go 8-3 this year (which ties a NCAA record for turnaround) in a someone tougher conference (although not quite a BCS conference). Most Golden Knights, including myself, are humble this year, as we know where we were last year. At the same time, it's nice to have an "about damn time!" moment after years of being snubbed by conferences in the '90s that thought we were "too good, too quickly," followed by some poor recruiting choices and failing out so many students (we've failed out so many good players that went on to play in national championships, including Brad Banks of Iowa) that depleted our talent while killing new recruiting at the same time.

While people talk about how George O'Leary has found redemption at UCF, he has redeemed our purpose far more. No players on academic suspension, an average GPA over 3.0 -- the best since we went to division I-A in 1996 -- and countless other, off-field pride can be derived by all Golden Knights from this season. The fact that after some initial player rotation and O'Leary's "giving in" to letting Freshmen carry the team has resulted in 8 wins out of the last 9 games. Although we now go into our conference championship game without our best player and conference top 3 wide out, as well as a key linebacker, we still like where we're at existing the regular season. For once, we have a team we can be completely proud of -- most importantly off-the-field as well as on.

CBS: With UCF revival, O'Leary gets our nod for coach of the year
Sports Illustrated: Season awards (Coach of the Year)
Sports Illustrated: Comeback Kid (George O'Leary)
USA Today: South Florida, UCF get spotlight in Sunshine State

And for those who still haven't forgotten or forgiven George O'Leary for the alleged resume fiasco almost 5 years ago, give it a rest. How many of you out there, before your first "real" job, didn't fill out an application with a few tidbits that could be taken the wrong way? Don't think that's what happened to O'Leary? Maybe you should do some research!

He fib'd on his 1980 application for his first college coaching job, listing a Masters Degree he didn't complete in the "Education" section, and listing "3 yrs letrd" (even abbreviated, in hand scribble) with regards to his Rhode Island status as a football player on the application. He took Masters classes, but didn't get his Masters Degree (something many people do, and why applications have a "Graduate?" checkbox or "Graduation Date" column), and he only played 2 years with Rhode Island, and didn't letter either year. That was what he HAND SCRIBBLED on his application for his first coaching job -- BACK IN 1980! Everything else has been forwarded on his bio since then, which is what he didn't even notice until it was too late.

He's been punished enough for what he did 25 years ago that affected him some 5 years ago. Everyone man has a right to a second chance. He wasn't guilty of any inpropriety or other non-sense countless other coaches have been -- and the ONLY proof that George himself "lied" is only available on his 1980 application. So, he was in his young '30s and smudged his first application with about 5 extra words -- the "Education" part that probably wasn't a lie (you often list, even if you didn't graduate), although he shouldn't have added the "lettered" even if abbreviated. It's amazing how much small details mean everything to people, yet major ethical issues -- let alone crimes -- by players and coaches all over the NCAA mean nothing to others!

Should he have resigned from Notre Dame? I think O'Leary's statements at the time showed exactly why it didn't matter if the charges were overblown based what he put on an application from 20 years earlier, it cast doubt with regards to him, so he didn't question it in the least. He is a man of honor, and I will respect anyone who is. Those who knew him, including former player under him (in high school) -- Minnesota Vikings Head Coach Mike Tice -- knew the type of man he was. And if there is one thing every Golden Knight knows, O'Leary has been a model coach when it comes to character -- at least for us, especially with regards to our student-athletes off-the-field as much as on.

How I Would Lie To a Grand Jury ...

- Perjury Means I'm Guilty

If I am called before a Grand Jury to talk about my involvement with the White House on the leak of CIA Operative Plame's name to the press, I would have to say I wasn't involved and leaked no such name. And should a political enemy of mine come out and say I perjured myself on the stand, because a journalist finally admits after being thrown in jail that I'm their unnamed source -- or worse yet -- someone else says they have an unnamed source that says I'm lying, I would have lied to a grand jury.

Does anyone here besides me see a bit of McCarthy'ism going on?
Throwing people in jail for not exposing witnesses?
Throwing around names like anyone is a suspect?
And my personal favorite ...

Completely ignoring the original charge whether or not someone actually broke a crime other than the alleged perjury? We'll come back to that thought in a second ...

- Turnabout Is Fair Play? But Is It Really To the American People?

It wasn't long before this quickly was compared to the Clinton v. Lewinski affair, and the investigations of Clinton both during and before that. And I've spend the last few months hearing from both Democrats and Republican how the two are completely different -- each not just saying, but demanding that the Plame or Lewinski incidents, respectively, were important while the other is not.

Oh my how far and how much the American public has forgotten their basic civics!

The only thing I've been able to learn from the whole thing is that the select portions of the American public don't really care about laws anymore. They really don't care if people have done something wrong. What they are about today is whether or not the discussion at hand aligns itself with their political views! Denial on both sides combined with the hypocrisy of their demand for justice -- it's almost laughable until you realize the obviousness of the truth.

The people driving this are the lawyers and media.
And the only reason they can is because enough Americans would FAIL civics today!

- Defending a Big Mouth and the Self-Righteous Before Him

Let's get something straight off-the-bat. The person who leaked Plame's name as a CIA operative first was none other than her big-mouthed husband. And there's no bigger complainer than that same big-mouthed husband. So in the end, there was no leak in the White House. It was commonly known that Plame was a CIA Operative, and anyone around Wilson knew this! And there's still the question if anyone leaked the name from the White House! Now the Democrats look like asses in some eyes. But even stupidier was the fact that the White House continues to deny things, instead of just coming out and putting that on Wilson. So that's why the non-sense continues. And I have no respect for the Republicans on this matter either.

And let's get another thing straight, Clinton was a big-time womanizer and adulterer, a small-weed user (let alone half of his original staff were using far heavier stuff than him) and no where near ethical. But in the end, Clinton didn't break any actual laws in the Grand Jury investigation, until he perjured himself. But why did he have to perjure himself? Because of all the Democrats who wanted to believe he wasn't, when the reality of who and what Clinton was well known. He should have just come out and said it and gotten past it -- because when he finally did, who looked like asses as well? That's right, Republican Bill McCollum thought he could ride the noteriety right into the US Senate, and he got beat -- rather bad IIRC.

So why are people defending the Big Mouth? Or playing his game?
Just like they defended the Womanizer? Or the self-righteous who wouldn't give it up?

The media and lawyers. They hope you don't care about the things that matter. They hope you tune into whatever argument that aligns itself with your political ideals. Civics? What's that? We want to "get the other guy anyway we can!" And no one wins -- except the media and lawyers.

- If You Think This Is Bad, Wait Until the Next Democrat President!

This is getting worse every President. Things that matter like ... say, the real fact Clinton administration stomping on the CIA investigation into the Loral tech leak to China ... don't mean much to the media. Or how about Able Danger, let alone all the Executive and Military Orders that have been going on since the end of the Clinton administration through the current?!?!?! Those actually have national security stakes! But who cares?!

We need sex. We need lies. We need video after video after video of testimony. The media wants it. The lawyers want it.

It was bad enough when the Clinton administration had to deal with accusations throughout the term. Even Rush Limbaugh stated mid-Clinton term that if you want to get the President on anything, you should do it in his first year and then drop it. The Kenneth Star saga (Star being a registered Democrat who heavily respected Clinton if you didn't know, and the media didn't want you to know) resulted in lots of money in waste. We're now getting the same out of the Plame incident, which is just a continuation of the constant investigations of W.

Again, turnabout is fair play I guess? But I would argue, not to the American people as a whole. But apparently the American people driving the media focus, which is then driven by the over-abundance of lawyers, are who are responsible. And we all lose.

- Woodward Is a Genius

Back in the "Good Old Days," we didn't even put people in jail for withholding sources when they accused an adminstration of illegal wire taps. Then again, I guess 2 decades before that, we did do so when it came to naming Commists. Now we're back to throwing sources of unnamed sources into jail because someone might have perjured him/herself, and not because any law was actually broken.

Hmmm, we must be on some sort of 20-30 year cycle where we actually care about what's important, and what is not? Or maybe it's a ratings thing with the media? Or a glutton of lawyers in circulation?

Woodward stayed out of this thing because I'm sure he didn't want to be prosecuted. But once someone was indited he finally came out of the woodwork. Some have suggested it's because he now has ties to the White House, and that he's defending it to maintain an avenue into it. At this point, it's anyone's guess, but you have to give respect to Mr. Woodward because this isn't some "Deep Throat" but more like a 1-2 decade-long "Sore Throat" of politicians who just want to make trouble for whoever is in the White House -- Democrat or Republican.

- Forget Your Political Alignments, Remember Your Civics

This has absolutely NOTHING to do with any criminal act -- let alone nothing to do with national security interest -- just like Clinton before W. Woodward knows this, and I can't believe the people slinging mud at him for not wanting to be a part of it before the inditements finally came that forced his hand. If you really care about this country, don't be a part of this political non-sense.

Be it during the Clinton administration, the current W. administration, or the next Democrat Executive administration who will find itself under the same barrage of litigation that has little to do with finding any criminal act (let alone intent), but causing enough confusion and investigation so someone finally screws up on the stand. Because it's then and only then that someone actually "breaks the law" -- which has absolutely nothing to do with any criminal intent, let alone whatever criminal investigation going on.

If I want to beat up the Republicans, I've got spending and a war that provides plenty of ammo. And if I want to beat up on Democrats, I've also got spending and a revisionist history of war that provides just as much ammo. Spending and wars or revisionist history of both accounts, I really don't like Democrats and Republicans -- so most people have at least 1 thing they can hate my views for too.

We Love You Houston!

Southern Miss 24, Houston 27

Houston had so many mistakes in the kicking game at home, just like Marshall did a week earlier at home against Southern Miss. But Conference USA's leading offense was just too hard for Southern Miss to put down, and Houston came out on top. Dropping to 2 conference losses, Southern Miss no longer has tie-breaker over UCF when UCF self-destructed against them earlier in the season on the road.

So, UCF now controls its own fate. As long as we beat 1-8 Rice, we're in the title game. I don't know if we stand a chance to beat UTEP. But when you are UCF, the "underdog" of 2.5-11 points week in and week out and you beat every every damn team thrown your way, a shot at the title is well deserved.

Especially when people thought our glory days of being an underdog were over, we gave up the concept of "moral victories" back in the '90s.
Especially when every major football program in Florida was glad to see us stay an independent so long that we had to settle for the MAC conference -- who majority benefitted in recruiting from our Sunshine Network TV contract over those 3 years while our program tanked in a minor conference.
Especially when everyone has written us off as the largest undergraduate college in the SE US destined to have a meager football program forever.

Florida, Florida State and Miami have always laughed at us. Some continue to laugh in disbelief as UCF beats teams that are better than Florida barely beats or losses to, and Florida State is having no joy. We'll see how we play against Miami when we take them on for the next few years (at least Miami has guts to play us). South Florida continues to snub us, as they wish to pass by us, although you can count on the second Florida legislation to be presented and passed to make the UCF v. USF game an annual requirement. USF has NO EXCUSE as they typically play 1-3 I-AA schools per year, they clearly have an opening for UCF that is "more than enough of a challenge" than the I-AA crap they spend 1-3 weeks playing (so the "we want to play teams stronger than UCF" is BS!).

We are here to stay, laugh, snub or just generally hate. We are the largest undergraduate school in the SE US, and we are soon to take over Florida as the largest school period once our Medical School and other facilities open in the next few years. We are UCF, and I'm sorry so many wrote us off so quickly. We're here to stay, even if you want to consider us a meager football program.

Humble Pie Never Hurt Anyone

USF could learn a lot from UCF. I'll be the first to say that USF is the better team than UCF this year, and the Sagarin ratings agree, 25 (81.23) to 5 (71.39), but their fans have always been arrogant to an extreme, right down to their Athletic Director (AD). While I'll readily admit that Conference USA doesn't deserve to be a BCS conference, USF should know that everyone knows the Big East is no longer a BCS conference either! BCS conferences are defined largely by members (if not multiple) easily breaking into the top 10.

Apparently, the polls show this too -- with the USAToday/ESPN snubbing USF with no votes while UCF received 4. Even the AP poll delivered Humble UCF with 5 versus USF's single 1. Only in the Harris poll is where USF received 5 to UCF's 4. Again, I'll be the first to say UCF doesn't deserve to be in the top 25, although USF is borderline too.

But for a team that was snubbed by conferences when we were a strong independent, only to go 0-11 last year, and spend the first 3 games this year trying out different freshmen at different positions simply because we didn't have depth at all, we are the story now. And we don't play for "moral victories" either. We play to win, and for some reason -- we find ways to win as the underdog week in and week out.

Sure, we might self-destruct against UTEP in the title game like we did against Southern Miss -- heck, even versus Rice before we even get there. But I'm damn proud of my Alma Mater, a team with 0 academic suspensions at a huge metropolitan school known for high turnover because so many people want to get in. I'm proud of the over 3.0 GPA of the team. I'm proud of the teamwork, the lack of fingerpointing, and the character I've seen in a team -- a team that takes the field without names on the back of their jerseys.

A team of characters who's names I've learned out of the student-athlete name they make for themselves as part of our team. A team that is very humble every week they take the field, and prove why they are winners despite what everyone says. That's always been and has always said what UCF is.

Ellis Update ... Stop the Lies!!!

I want to kill something before the unwarranted comments I've seen go any farther.

UCF has been playing Freshmen at all 4 cornerback positions for a couple of weeks now. This is because Junior CB Ron Ellis was suspended starting with the Saturday, November 5th game against Houston for various team/rule violations during that week. We just found out this week what those violations were -- charges, including his arrest on November 3rd, for sexual assult.

O'Leary is extremely tough on the smallest of infractions, and if Ellis was out past curfew (let alone drinking after midnight), that's all O'Leary needed. According to various news reports now, O'Leary was not privy to what occurred at that time other than Ellis was arrested. He was immediately suspended and we now know it is indefinite. At no time since his arrest 2 weeks ago -- which occurred the same week as the incident (before the next game at Houston) -- has Ellis played or been off suspension.

Yet another "omission" by the news that has not only failed to note this, but now people are even talking about a "coverup."

Anyone who knows the first thing about law should respect the right to privacy here, including UCF's strict laws on the matter. That includes O'Leary withholding any judgement with respect of the charges (Ellis was already suspended just for being out past curfew, and then some! -- "detrimental to the team image", etc... in O'Leary's original statements on November 5th), which will be formally addressed by the student displinary panel. UCF has never protected students from displinary action, and that includes both failing and kicking out a great number of major football, basketball and other scholorship holders -- from Iowa's future Brad Banks (who was to succeed Culpepper before failing out of UCF after his Freshman year) to almost half the starters of our football team just a couple seasons ago (decimating our line-ups), kicking out our QB who was gonig to break Culpepper's school records because he didn't get slips signed that said he went to class to this year's key basketball transfer from Marquette.

UCF is a massive metropolitan university, and the turnover/fail-out rate is extremely higher than most of the other 5 large Florida universities, despite higher high school GPA and SAT scores than the same. We make no exceptions for our student-athletes, which is why we have always kicked out a great number of our own student-athletes over the years (and the NCAA has never had to even come close to looking at us). O'Leary changed that this year -- "getting rid of the cockroaches and bringing in ants" (to paraphrase the coach) which has led to 0 football student-athletes on academic probation and an average GPA well over 3.0.

This fact alone is why I believed O'Leary was the best thing for our school, even when we were extending our football losing streak to 16 and, then even, 17 games. Which is why the snips and slurs I've seen regarding this story, in absence of the full details and facts, really pisses me off!

Jerry Green of the Orlando Sentinel has documented the full non-sense of ABC affliate WFTV Channel 9.

AGP, AGP Pro, PCI and PCI-X voltage keying (WIP)

Just today this came up on 3 different lists, so it's definitely time for a blog entry!

Contents:
- Voltage keying of 32-bit and 64-bit PCI
- Voltage keying of 64-bit PCI-X 1.0 and 2.0
- Voltage keying (and headaches) of AGP 1.0 (2x/1x), 2.0 (4x/2x) and 3.0 (8x/4x)
- Power ratings of AGP and AGP Pro slots

- Voltage keying of 32-bit and 64-bit PCI

Nearly all "commodity" mainboards are still have 5V-only 32-bit PCI slots. This is because most PCI cards at the superstore are still either 5V or universal (3.3V with 5V tolerance). Although universal PCI cards are becoming commonplace, there is virtually no such thing as a universal PCI slot on a mainboard -- they are almost always 3.3V or 5V.

• 5V 32-bit PCI cards have a "cut" at the "front" (away from the bracket)
• 3.3V 32-bit PCI cards have a "cut" at the "back" (towards the bracket)
• Universal 32-bit PCI cards have both notches, typically being designed for 3.3V with a tolerance for 5V input.

• 5V 32-bit PCI slots have a "key" at the "front" (away from the rear of the mainboard/case)


• 3.3V 32-bit PCI slots have a "key" at the "back" (towards the rear of the mainboard/case)


• There is virtually no such thing as a universal voltage PCI slot

64-bit PCI is the exact same, with a 3rd notch/key. This separates the additional 64-bit address/data lines from the 32-bit address/data lines. This is not a voltage or other compatibility key, but so 64-bit PCI cards can fit in 32-bit PCI slots (they notch on the card just allows insertion at the "front end" of the 32-bit PCI slot). It's important not to confuse this notch on a 64-bit PCI card at the 5V key on a 32-bit PCI slot.



SIDE NOTE This discussion has nothing to do with clock signaling of PCI. PCI may be 33MHz or 66MHz, and there is absolutely no keying for clock signaling. In the overwhelming majority of cases, a 66MHz capable PCI card changes its signaling to 33MHz in a 33MHz PCI slot, and a 66MHz capable PCI slot changes its signaling for a 33MHz PCI card. Now this may have unforseen consequences as the entire bus changes its signaling (reducing performance of all other boards).

- Voltage keying of 64-bit PCI-X 1.0 and 2.0

...

- Voltage keying (and headaches) of AGP 1.0 (2x/1x), 2.0 (4x/2x) and 3.0 (8x/4x)

Through AGP 2.0 (4x/2x), AGP was as simple as PCI. Unfortunately, starting with AGP 3.0 (8x/4x), it became far more complex as keys were re-used. So it almost becomes completely useless today and technical consumers need to be dillgent to check technical manuals (many of which are severely lacking for AGP x8 cards).

In a nutshell, AGP is as follows ...

(add images for keying through AGP 2.0, and the re-use for AGP 3.0)

	Commonly Known Features
AGP	Width	Modes"	Signal (MHz)	DTR (GBps)
1.0	32-bit	2x/1x	133/66	0.5/0.25
2.0	32-bit	4x/2x	266/133	1.0/0.5
3.0	32-bit	8x/4x	533/266	2.0/1.0

	Mainboard		Card
AGP	Voltage	Tolerance (Optional)	Voltage	Tolerance (Optional)
1.0	3.3V		3.3V
2.0	1.5V	3.3V	1.5V	3.3V
3.0	0.8V	1.5V	0.8V	1.5V

The real kicker is that the AGP spec defines the support, not the "mode" (speed). An AGP 4x card could be anything from a 3.3V tolerant card to one that requires 0.8V, because it could be an AGP 2.0 1.5V card with 3.3V tolerance, or even an AGP 3.0 card that requires 0.8V without any 1.5V support. In most cases, AGP 4x cards do make the best selections because they typically support all mainboards.

AGP 8x on the other hand is the current issue. Many, many AGP 8x cards are coming out with only 0.8V support. The GPUs are designed for 0.8V only, and it's up to the board manufacture to add 1.5V tolerance. Most do not due to added cost, hence the requirement of an AGP 3.0 mainboard these days for most, newer cards.

- Power ratings of AGP and AGP Pro slots

...