At 09:29 PM 4/23/98 -0400, you wrote:
>[ On Thu, April 23, 1998 at 19:56:40 (-0400), Thor Lancelot Simon wrote: ]
>> Subject: Re: Source for AlphaPC 164SX?
>>
>> Be *very careful* to ensure that any AlphaPC64 machines you buy either
>> already have SRM on them or can be returned.  There seems to be some
>> kind of bug in the flash writer utility that occasionally *completely
>> erases* the flash part, leaving no way to return the machine to a
>> useful state without converting the entire SRM image to S-records and
>> uploading it via the SROM debugger, using a special serial cable
>> (which I don't have.)
>
>I don't know how similar the 64's are to the UDB, but with the latter
>there's a "fail safe load" jumper (presumably it uses SROM code) that'll
>boot a floppy even if the Flash-ROM is completely erased.

i have a semi broken srm install on my axppci33 i fear :(
do you have the aforementioned fail safe floppy and the
related update floppy?

thanks
nick


>Indeed the process of installing a new SRM on the UDB starts out by
>completely erasing the Flash-ROM, so if you interrupt it, or it dies for
>some reason, in the middle of the upgrade you must open the machine up,
>remove the floppy and hard drive, and move the FLS jumper, boot with the
>special Fail-safe boot floppy (and if I remember right it then asks you
>for the update floppy), then put it all back together and start over,
>then undo the change once you've successfully re-"burned" the flash.
>
>One of my mostly dead Multias will still get thorugh the FSL boot, and
>sometimes even part way through the re-burn, but inevitably it dies.
>I'm hoping that replacing the parts jack@jupiter.com mentioned will
>resurrect at least that one, if not also the one that won't even FSL any
>more.
>
>BTW, those "special" serial cables are available through almost all of
>those mail-order places like Black Box, Innmac, Misco, etc.
>
>> The firmware is available as part of the "EBSDK", the Evaluation Board
>> Software Development Kit which cost $100 when I ordered mine from DEC.
>
>I saw a note somewhere on digital's site that the motherboard SDK would
>be available for the 164LX in the fall (but maybe they meant fall of
>1997!).  It would be nice if that was still the price, and was a legit
>way to acquire the SRM firmware.  There's probably other nifty stuff in
>the kit too!
>
>Of course AlphaBIOS support in NetBSD would be the ultimate answer to
>this red-tape nightmare.
>
>-- 
>							Greg A. Woods
>
>+1 416 443-1734      VE3TCP      <gwoods@acm.org>      <robohack!woods>
>Planix, Inc. <woods@planix.com>; Secrets of the Weird <woods@weird.com>
>