Re: VAXstation 4000/90 questions

[Isildur <mrfusion%vaxpower.org@localhost>]

have you tried flat out replacing the memory?
running with just a subset of modules at a time?
just curious, ive seen these kind of failures in various machines
when some parts of memory were subtly by definitely toast.



On Fri, 27 May 2011, Johnny Billquist wrote:

> Date: Fri, 27 May 2011 18:43:59 -0700
> From: Johnny Billquist <bqt%softjar.se@localhost>
> To: John Klos <john%ziaspace.com@localhost>
> Cc: port-vax%NetBSD.org@localhost
> Subject: Re: VAXstation 4000/90 questions
>
> On 2011-05-27 18.36, John Klos wrote:
> > Hi, VAX fans,
>
> [...]
>
> > So here are my questions:
> >
> > 1) am I correct in assuming that there's NO software crash that could
> > cause the system to hang and not drop to the boot ROM chevron prompt
> > from a break?
>
> I would believe so, yes.
>
> > 2) has anyone seen issues like this with similar machines, and if so,
> > was the root of the problem discovered?
>
> The only times I've heard of something similar, it was overheating.
>
> > 3) does anyone have suggestions about anything else to check or try?
> >
> > 4) I think the only thing I haven't tried is replacing the heat sink
> > compound on the CPU. Any thoughts on whether this could be an
> > overheating CPU issue?
>
> To me, overheating definitely sounds like a possibility.
>
> > 5) unrelated to the crashing, how does one tell the difference between a
> > 4000/90 and a 4000/90a? The casing doesn't seem to match the guts. Does
> > someone have the specific results from a NetBSD benchmark on either a
> > 4000/90 or a 4000/90a, or both?
>
> Well, the difference between the machines, as far as I know, is the speed. So 
> I'd look at the output of a SHOW CONFIG in the boot monitor, or check the 
> hardware.
> I don't have any benchmarks numbers, unfortunately. And only a /90 to play 
> with.
>
>         Johnny