Subject: Re: How to revive an old DECstation 5000/33
To: Tiago de Aviz <tiagoaviz@onda.com.br>
From: Dennis Grevenstein <dennis@pcde.inka.de>
List: port-pmax
Date: 09/16/2001 18:45:48
Hi,

Tiago de Aviz wrote:
> 
> I also got the manuals (Original from DEC!), and they
> said i wouldn't get anything if i didn't have a terminator for the SCSI
> and AAUI ports. But i mean, the firmare boots up even before that,
> meaning that at least i should get the two initial blinks, right?

Yes. The network selftest will fail when the machine does not have
network connection or an AUI Terminator and the SCSI Terminator
may only produce SCSI errors. You should get to the bootprom
without any terminators.

> i'm making a null-modem serial cable here. But first, i think it would
> be better to see if the firmware comes up here.

How do you access your DECstation? If you are you using monitor,mouse
and keyboard then try a serial terminal. You won't get any output
other than the framebuffer selftest when no keyboard is connected.
If you don't even see this selftest you may have a dead framebuffer
or monitor.

> Considering that both boards that i have here have been off-line for
> more than two years, what could be wrong? That Dallas Realtime battery
> could be discharged or something?

Even if the RTC is discharged you should get into the bootprom.

HTH
Dennis

-- 
Cats are smarter than dogs.  You can't make eight cats pull a sled through
the snow.