Greg,
<<It is interesting to note that the Silkworm is half the weight of the MKII-16.>>
I could be wrong on this, but it appears as if the SilkWorm could be using a plastic case, which would account for the lower weight. Based on a couple of conversations that I have had with Cal, I doubt that Ancor would develop a high-end switch in a plastic case. (Too much industrial design drilled into these guys.)
<<Am I wrong to think that the power supply is the major heat source, and that by using an external power supply most of the thermal energy would be removed?>>
The power supply probably does dissipate most of the heat in a Fibre Channel switch, although the ASICs, the I960, and the components on the GBICs also generate some heat. (I was never able to touch a working MKII, so I couldn't tell which components generated the most heat.) The heat dissipation patterns have undoubtedly changed with the MKII-8. If the integration level is higher, the heat dissipation for the ASICs would be lower, although the GBICs have probably not been changed.
<<Is the Intel processor a power hog? Do the Ancor ASICs have cooling fins? If the MKII-8 dissipates 115W what fraction is not from the power supply? If not for the need to accommodate 8 GBICs, couldn't the PCB be quite small?>>
Unfortunately, I don't know where the majoritity of the power goes in the MKII. I don't recall seeing any heat sinks on the ASICs, or on the I960. If you didn't have the 8 GBICs you wouldn't be able to connect anything to the switch. <g>
<<Clearly there is no market there today, but why not an FC LAN/SAN in every house?>>
I like your vision, but I think it is still a ways off. <g>
Craig |
