Seems there is software on this planet which can fix this problem.
The question is how to get a copy.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

From: "Hans Vlems" <hvlems@iae.nl>
Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
References: <IpuR7.719$8p1.3014@typhoon.bart.nl> <3C168D5A.EC9ECD52@iee.org>
<3c170b05$1@zfree.co.nz> <kjLR7.486$BK1.14284@news.cpqcorp.net>
Subject: Re: Unknown VAXstation 4000-90 ???
Lines: 74
Message-ID: <ZoNR7.834$8p1.3560@typhoon.bart.nl>
Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 18:32:25 GMT
NNTP-Posting-Host: 212.61.5.96
NNTP-Posting-Date: Wed, 12 Dec 2001 19:32:25 MET


Thanks Hoff for your comments.
Field service helped me out on this one and gave me the firmware kit.
I loaded the kit abd the console message is now:

KA49-A V1.4-0D0-V4.4   83 MHZ
08-00-2B-94-CD-C3
80MB

The version went up from V1.3 to V1.4 so I conclude that the firmware
upgrade went well.
Thank you Digital  Field Service!

Then I ran a test sequence (>>> t 100) and that started with:

KA49    V1.0   System Test CU                  0 00:00:13

Note the cpu identifier: it went to KA49. The Cougar documentation explained
that the KA49-A is the VAXstation 4000 model 90 and that the KA49 is the
VAXstation 4000 model 90A
So probably that is wrong: the firmware thinks it runs on a 4000-90 with a
fast clock apparently.

Any ideas on how to make it think it is an honest VS 4000 model 90A?

Hans


Hoff Hoffman <hoffman@xdelta.zko.dec.nospam> wrote in message
news:kjLR7.486$BK1.14284@news.cpqcorp.net...
> In article <3c170b05$1@zfree.co.nz>, "Hans Vlems" <hvlems@zfree.co.nz>
 writes:
> :
> :The ?? CRPT - Reenter bit clr message no longer appears after switching
 the
> :unit on. It had been off for three years, so that may have something to
 do
> :with that behaviour.
>
>   It might well be that a backup battery went flat, or has failed.
>   Most (all?) VAX systems have a lithium or NiCd or similar battery
>   pack for (at least) the maintenance of the system date and time,
>   and these do eventually need to be replaced.
>
> :How can I locate, and replace, the flash chip?
>
>   The flash chips I've seen are fairly obvious chips -- the ones I've
>   seen in systems are labeled with some variation of "Dallas" and/or
>   "flash".
>
>   I'd first start with a reload of the microcode for the system -- the
>   firmware microcode is available from field service and (before anyone
>   asks) it is apparently not presently available on the Compaq website.
>
>   I have asked one of the Compaq folks that deals with the old VAX product
>   line to see if the firmware could be placed onto the existing Alpha
>   firmware kits and/or onto the firmware website and firmware FTP site.
>
> :Or do I have to replace the cpu board?
>
>   I do not know if it is socketed, but all of the flash chips I've seen
>   have been.
>
>
>  ---------------------------- #include
 <rtfaq.h> -----------------------------
>       For additional, please see the OpenVMS FAQ -- www.openvms.compaq.com
>  --------------------------- pure personal
 opinion ---------------------------
>    Hoff (Stephen) Hoffman   OpenVMS Engineering
 hoffman#xdelta.zko.dec.com
>




--- Lord Isildur <mrfusion@uranium.vaxpower.org> wrote:
> there had been a thread about this on port-vax some months ago.. yes, 
> IIRC, the problem was fixed in some late-model 1.5/current version and is 
> fixed in 1.6. 
> 
> 
> 
> On Tue, 14 Jan 2003, Jonas Ohlsson wrote:
> 
> > Just for the record, my VAXstation 4000/96 is happily running 1.6-RELEASE
> > and autobooting, so I guess that either this bug has been eradicated in
> > 1.6 or the bug is not present on the 4000/96.
> > 
> > Best regards,
> > Jonas Ohlsson
> > 
> > On Tue, 14 Jan 2003, Lord Isildur wrote:
> > 
> > > this is a case of the infamous rom munching that happened as a result of
> > > a mis-probe for a DZ11, (right?)... something in the netbsd autoconf
> > > probes would walk on some addresses which in a 4k90 were in the rom, and
> > > in just the right mode so as to clobber them. The problem is not fatal,
> > > though we dont know how to fix a broken rom. it doesnt seem to break
> > > anything except autobooting- the monitor will find an error and halt,
> > > instead of autoboot.. manually booting will work fine.
> > >
> > > isildur
> > >
> > > On Tue, 14 Jan 2003, Baby Peanut wrote:
> > >
> > > > Now autostart has become hosed after running
> > > >
> > > > ftp://ftp.netbsd.org/pub/NetBSD/arch/vax/kernels/boot.mop.991023
> > > >
> > > > Seems I'm not the first one see the USENET post below.
> > > >
> > > > Any ideas how to correct this?
> > > >
> > > > ----------------------
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Message-ID: <3BA5A53E.38F3@DECUS.DECUS.DE>
> > > > From: Bernhard Wulf <WULF@DECUS.DECUS.DE>
> > > > Organization: without any ...
> > > > X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.03C (WinNT; I)
> > > > MIME-Version: 1.0
> > > > Newsgroups: comp.os.vms
> > > > Subject: VAX 4000-90 trouble after testing NETBSD CD with error ?? 000
> 8 sys
> > > > 0512 in POST
> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
> > > > Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
> > > > Lines: 60
> > > > Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 09:24:46 +0200
> > > > NNTP-Posting-Host: 172.17.100.209
> > > > X-Complaints-To: newsmaster@is.shell.com
> > > > X-Trace: wwwserv3.shell.nl 1000711509 172.17.100.209 (Mon, 17 Sep 2001
> 09:25:09
> > > > MET DST)
> > > > NNTP-Posting-Date: Mon, 17 Sep 2001 09:25:09 MET DST
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Hello,
> > > >
> > > > hope I'm right here, to ask some questions about
> > > > the NetBSD port and some hardware details to VAX 4000-90 ?
> > > >
> > > > What happend...
> > > >
> > > > There was a time, a happy 4000-90 running OpenVMS7.x
> > > > doing the POST ( power on selftest ) without fatal ( ?? )
> > > > or nonefatal ( ? ) errors, did an autostart like configured
> > > > in BOOTDEV and started without any further trouble in OpenVMS...
> > > >
> > > > Then I tried out my freshly burned NETBSD CD-Rom on that VAX.
> > > > The ISO image I used had the following name /description "VAX BOOT
> > > > 1.5.1"
> > > > Everything worked fine, hardware detection, boot up to installation.
> > > > I stopped here without writing stuff to disks.
> > > >
> > > > After that, the VAX is a bit confused now...
> > > >
> > > > The POST will give an error like "?? 000 8 sys 0512" and the
> > > > autostart didn't work anymore ( the error is fatal ).
> > > > Giving ">>> boot" will bring up VMS like before, no further
> > > > problems, errors or messages.
> > > > The use of VMS will not delete the problem, I tried to do a set time,
> > > > various set's on the bootprompt ( >>> ). Also I deleted the entire
> > > > NVRAM... no way to get rid of the message.
> > > >
> > > > By the way, this error is not mentioned in the 4000-90 docs ?
> > > > The FRU part 000 is not assigned,
> > > > The 8 / SYS test is used for "other system functions", a deeper
> > > > look will end up with a "system ROM test" which
> > > > "Checks the system ROMs one byte at a time to ensure that they
> > > > contain the correct manufacturing check data and the correct
> > > > checksum."
> > > > The subcode of 512 is not assigned to a proper message.
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > I want my AUTOSTART back ;-)
> > > >
> > > > What did NetBSD on that machine ?
> > > >
> > > > Are there any sources available to trace the process of hardware
> > > > detection and specific 4000-90 things.
> > > > Are there adresses in memory NetBsd will write to ?
> > > > Highly interesting are regions in the area where NVRam, Flash
> > > > or other memories with memory are located.
> > > >
> > > > I'm not the first one with this trouble, see on Google and use
> > > > the error shown above as searchargument...
> > > > But the problem seems not to be fixed by now.
> > > >
> > > > There seems something wrong with NetBSD and VAXStation 4000-90.
> > > >
> > > > If you need further datails please contact me.
> > > >
> > > > Have a nice day.
> > > >
> > > > Bernhard.
> > > > wulf@decus(dot)decus(dot)de
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > __________________________________________________
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> > >
> > 
> > 


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