Re: Dead Vaxstation?

[Matt Dainty <matt%bodgit-n-scarper.com@localhost>]

* Tobias Nygren <tnn%NetBSD.org@localhost> [2016-03-15 06:16:12]:
> On Tue, 15 Mar 2016 06:09:24 -0400
> Matt Dainty <matt%bodgit-n-scarper.com@localhost> wrote:
> 
> > I came to power on my Vaxstation 4000/90, S3 switch is up which I believe
> > is correct for using a serial terminal however I get nothing displayed.
> > 
> > The power LED lights up, I can hear the fans humming, the hard disk spins up
> > and the eight diagnostic LEDs are all lit but don't ever change, even when I
> > press the halt button. I know the serial terminal is good as it works on my
> > DEC 3000/600.
> > 
> > Anything I can try? I figure the Dallas DS1287 timekeeper chip probably has
> > a dead battery by now but that wouldn't stop the machine powering up
> > would it?
> 
> That's what I figured too, but it actually does prevent it from POSTing.
> My 4000/90 also appeared completely dead until I bodged a fresh lithium
> cell into the RTC, after which it came back to life.

That's good to know, I won't junk the Vaxstation just yet then. I think
my DEC 3000/600 has the same problem as it's forgetting settings across
cold boots but will at least boot to the SRM albeit with an NVR fault so
I think I've got two DS1287's to fix up or replace.

I notice you can get DS12887's which are the replacement part. Aside from
the problem that these still contain the timebomb of an embedded battery,
do they work?

I've done a similar fix for the timekeeper chip on Sun Sparcstations in
the past where it's actually preferred to fix the existing chip with a
replacement battery as the newer chips have slightly different
characteristics and prevent the machine booting automatically.

Matt