Subject: Re: RiscServer 4200 and Serial Console
To: None <zlowry@directvinternet.com>
From: Noriyuki Soda <soda@sra.co.jp>
List: port-arc
Date: 12/24/2002 20:22:21
>>>>> On Mon, 23 Dec 2002 23:21:22 -0600,
	"Zach Lowry" <zlowry@directvinternet.com> said:

>> This is a test to see if this list is working, and if anyone got my
>> last message about the Serial Console on a NEC RiscServer.

> Obviously not. That's odd.

NetBSD mailing lists are using contents-based filter to block spams,
and your first message which was sent 18 hours ago was blocked by the
filter, because the message included long garbage (output from serial
console of ARC BIOS). The bounced message was forwarded to the mailing
list owner (it's me in this case), and it's waiting for approval (by
me) for delivery. Sorry for late response for the approvement.

If you still want the delivery of the message, I'll approve it.
But I guess you don't need it any more. 
If you need the delivery, please tell me privately.

> Anyhow, here's my original question.

> I set my CONSOLEIN and CONSOLEOUT variables to multi(0)serial(0) to
> use the serial console for ARC. Trouble is, all I get is garbage. Can
> anyone easily diagnose what's wrong, I'm on 9600 8N1, also tried
> 19200.
> Really, it's more of a sentence. Browsing the archives, it looks like
> I'm screwed, as this seems similar to the Indy MAC Address problem.
> But. I havn't used serial stuff in a looonnngg time, so here's a
> representative sample of the crap I get.

Mmm...
Changing CONSOLEIN/CONSOLEOUT is not recommended on ARC machines.

At least some ARC machines don't really support changing the
CONSOLEIN/CONSOLEOUT variables. And there is no way to make the
CONSOLEIN/CONSOLEOUT settings revert to the orignal state on
such machines. (I don't know whether RiscServer 4200 supports it
or not, though.)

BTW, was the output in your first message produced by 9600bps?
Or 19200bps? If it's produced by 9600bps, I recommend you to use
4800bps instead, because there are many byte patterns with continuous
bits set (e.g. 0x30, 0xce, 0xf0) in the output.

Izumi TSUTSUI once recovered a machine from scuh state by removing
backup battery from the motherboard. But the way is not decent, and
has some drawbacks. (e.g. the machine is now never be able to remember
bios settings....)

If one needs serial console with NetBSD/arc, I recommend to add a
character `s' into to the "OSLOADOPTIONS" of the ARC BIOS....
--
soda