For what it is worth, here you see what my VAX 11/780 does (sad that
all it does fits into one email :-):

@140200G
         CPU HALTED,SOMM CLEAR,STEP=NONE,CLOCK=NORM
         RAD=HEX,ADD=PHYS,DAT=LONG,FILL=00,REL=00000000
         INIT SEQ DONE
         HALTED AT 00000000

         (RELOADING WCS)
         LOAD DONE, 0800 MICROWORDS LOADED
         VER: PCS=01 WCS=0E-10 FPLA=0F CON=V07-00-L
?WARNING-WCS & FPLA VER MISMATCH
 >>>TEST
ZZ-ESKAB  V14.0
ESKAD -- V13.1
01,02,03,04,
NO. OF 1K BANKS OF WCS = 0002
05,06,07,
?ERROR: 000076  TEST: 001F  SUBTEST: 0001
DATA: 1010
       1011
       0405

TRACE:
FAILING MODULES: M8234,

MIC>

What I'm really wondering is how can one see a directory listing of
the various diskettes from the console program?

How do I start the diagnostic supervisor?

And of course, whoever can interpret the source of this error
any closer than what's obvious from this, I would be forever
indebted.

Could it be that I'm missing any boards? It's so empty in there.
 From left to right:

M8236
-
FP780 slots empty
-
M8235
M8234
- empty     this and
M8238
- empty
- empty     these empty slots worry me, am I missing something?
- empty
M8232
M8231
M8230
    29
    28
     7
     6
     5
     4
     3
     2
     1
    20
    19
    18
M8237

Thanks,
-Gunther

PS: I gather that one could really tap into this WCS loading
procedure with custome microcode. That's something I want to
try. Is there any documentation where one can learn how to
do microprogramming?

-- 
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D.                    gschadow@regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist      Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistant Professor        Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960                         http://aurora.regenstrief.org