Subject: Re: VS2000 bits
To: None <port-vax@netbsd.org>
From: der Mouse <mouse@Rodents.Montreal.QC.CA>
List: port-vax
Date: 09/13/1998 13:45:00
Well, thanks to you people, I know have a better idea what my VS2000 is
like.  I managed to get it opened right up, after having no luck
getting so much as a ROM banner out of it, either on the printer-port
serial console or the graphics console.

And I once again I find myself in need of either some kind of VS2000
FAQ or help from the kind souls on port-vax.

After trying it out of the box (ie, the cpu cards in their metal
brackets loose, with everything standing on its end), I turned it off,
felt the foil side of the main card, and found that *something* was
running hot enough to concern me.  So I managed to take it the rest of
the way apart, and found it's composed of four pieces: the main cpu
card (with two chips that look like MicroVAX CPUs from my uVAX-II days,
which were what were running hot), a piece marked "NETWORK INTERFACE",
a piece marked "2/4 MB MEMORY OPTION", and a piece marked "VS40X 4
PLANE COLOR OPTION".  Figuring that if they were marked OPTION, they
were optional, I laid these last two aside, connected the network
interface back up with its ribbon cables, and turned the thing on
again.  (I was careful to stand it so the CPUs, with their cooling
towers, were in the exhaust airflow from the power supply fan.)

Now I get something.  Four "ESC [ c" terminal type probes, a banner
"KA410-B V2.1", a countdown and a failure:

F...E...D...C...B...A...9...8...7...6...5...4_..3_..2_..1?..


 ?  E  0040  0000.0045
 ?  D  0050  0000.0005
 ?  C  0080  0000.4001
 ?  6  00A0  0000.4001
??  1  00C0  0011.700E

After the E on the last line, I get CR LF ^Q ESC \ ESC [ 4 i ^Q CR LF
and the text "?15 CORRPTN", then the >>> prompt.

Of course, I hardly expected it to boot, since I had no possible boot
medium hooked up.  But when I did have it put together, I got a boot
failure similar to this, ending with the ?15 CORRPTN banner.  (The
terminal I have connected takes the ESC \ as a clear-screen, so I
couldn't tell what came before it.  Now, I have the terminal in monitor
mode.)

The CPU chips are running hot enough that, despite being directly in
the airflow from the fan, I can't stand to leave my finger on their
little cooling towers for more than a few moments.  Hot enough to worry
me, certainly.

I've seen references to a T command, which is not something I'm
familiar with from the MicroVAX-II; I also have no idea what the boot
device names are for the VS2000.  Is there a command summary I could
pick up from somewhere?

Does anyone know whether it's normal for the CPUs to run that hot?

					der Mouse

			       mouse@rodents.montreal.qc.ca
		     7D C8 61 52 5D E7 2D 39  4E F1 31 3E E8 B3 27 4B