Subject: RE: RiscServer 4200 and Serial Console
To: Noriyuki Soda <soda@sra.co.jp>
From: Zach Lowry <zach@zachlowry.net>
List: port-arc
Date: 12/24/2002 08:10:33
 
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: Noriyuki Soda [mailto:soda@sra.co.jp]
> Sent: Tuesday, December 24, 2002 5:22 AM
> To: zlowry@directvinternet.com
> Cc: Zach Lowry; port-arc@netbsd.org
> Subject: Re: RiscServer 4200 and Serial Console
> 
> 
> >>>>> 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.

That's what I figured. It was pretty much garbage, after all. 

> 
> > 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.)

My luck is that it is. I've set a couple of the jumpers, I think
there's only one jumper left to try. One did something interesting,
it was labled "VGA EN". 

I'm starting to wonder if these machines are even worth saving... :)

> 
> 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.
> 

I've now tried 4800, 2400, 1200, etc, even with 7bit ASCII and flow
control. Still nothing.

> 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....)

I figure now I'll either have to do that, or pull the chip and have
it sent off to be reprogrammed. Maybe I'll take this opportunity to
break down and buy that EEPROM Burner!

> 
> If one needs serial console with NetBSD/arc, I recommend to add a
> character `s' into to the "OSLOADOPTIONS" of the ARC BIOS....
> --
> soda
> 
If I hadn't been quite so gung ho, I'd of probably done that. 

Zach Lowry || Murfreesboro, TN || www.zachlowry.net
Linux / *BSD / Irix / Solaris / Apple / Unix Network Administration

Registered Linux User #264589
13 Different NetBSD-Supported Machines


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