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devel / comp.sys.dec / Re: testing VAXstations

SubjectAuthor
* testing VAXstationsPhillip Helbig (undress to reply
`* Re: testing VAXstationsZane H. Healy
 `- Re: testing VAXstationsJohn H. Reinhardt

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testing VAXstations

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From: hel...@asclothestro.multivax.de (Phillip Helbig (undress to reply)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.os.vms
Subject: testing VAXstations
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2021 11:33:50 +0000 (UTC)
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 by: Phillip Helbig (undr - Tue, 6 Jul 2021 11:33 UTC

Finally I have time to do some inventory, so I am testing old hardware
(with the aim of knowing what works and what doesn't and deciding what I
might pass on to a good home). It's been a while since I've done
anything with a VAX (about 10 years). On a VAXstation 4000, I have the
S3 switch set to UP. I am using a terminal and cable which I normally
use for an Alpha console (9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity,
receive=transmit, 1 stop bit) so I am assuming that that is not the
problem (IIRC VAXes, in contrast to Alphas, won't boot if they don't
sense the console). The cable is MMJ on both VAX (printer port) and VT.

When I power the box on, all the LEDs light up, but stay lit. From the
old days, I remember flashing (and maybe some sounds) then some output
on the console terminal. Now, nothing.

Any ideas?

Re: testing VAXstations

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From: heal...@avanthar.avanthar.com (Zane H. Healy)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: testing VAXstations
Date: Tue, 6 Jul 2021 22:01:31 -0000 (UTC)
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 by: Zane H. Healy - Tue, 6 Jul 2021 22:01 UTC

In comp.os.vms Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) <helbig@asclothestro.multivax.de> wrote:
> Finally I have time to do some inventory, so I am testing old hardware
> (with the aim of knowing what works and what doesn't and deciding what I
> might pass on to a good home). It's been a while since I've done
> anything with a VAX (about 10 years). On a VAXstation 4000, I have the
> S3 switch set to UP. I am using a terminal and cable which I normally
> use for an Alpha console (9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity,
> receive=transmit, 1 stop bit) so I am assuming that that is not the
> problem (IIRC VAXes, in contrast to Alphas, won't boot if they don't
> sense the console). The cable is MMJ on both VAX (printer port) and VT.
>
> When I power the box on, all the LEDs light up, but stay lit. From the
> old days, I remember flashing (and maybe some sounds) then some output
> on the console terminal. Now, nothing.
>
> Any ideas?

One of the things I've done the last couple months, is to test my VAXstation
4000's. The VLC and 60 will boot with a dead Dallas RTC chip (the battery
is built in). The 90 won't, and if I remember correctly this was the
failure I saw. I simply bought some DS12887A+ RTC's, and swapped them out
in my 90, VLC, and one 60. I still need to swap the chip on the 60 that
runs 24x7 (DECnet area router).

Something I did notice with the spare 60 and the VLC is that they needed to
be sitting plugged in a bit before they come up, before I swapped the RTC
chip. IIRC, I saw this on my AlphaStation 200's, and the 500 as well.

Once I had the 90 running, I put a SCSI2SD board in it, and got it working
with an LCD monitor, and I'm now using it again.

Zane

Re: testing VAXstations

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From: johnhrei...@thereinhardts.org (John H. Reinhardt)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec,comp.os.vms
Subject: Re: testing VAXstations
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 by: John H. Reinhardt - Wed, 7 Jul 2021 03:09 UTC

On 7/6/2021 5:01 PM, Zane H. Healy wrote:
> In comp.os.vms Phillip Helbig (undress to reply) <helbig@asclothestro.multivax.de> wrote:
>> Finally I have time to do some inventory, so I am testing old hardware
>> (with the aim of knowing what works and what doesn't and deciding what I
>> might pass on to a good home). It's been a while since I've done
>> anything with a VAX (about 10 years). On a VAXstation 4000, I have the
>> S3 switch set to UP. I am using a terminal and cable which I normally
>> use for an Alpha console (9600 baud, 8 bits, no parity,
>> receive=transmit, 1 stop bit) so I am assuming that that is not the
>> problem (IIRC VAXes, in contrast to Alphas, won't boot if they don't
>> sense the console). The cable is MMJ on both VAX (printer port) and VT.
>>
>> When I power the box on, all the LEDs light up, but stay lit. From the
>> old days, I remember flashing (and maybe some sounds) then some output
>> on the console terminal. Now, nothing.
>>
>> Any ideas?
>
> One of the things I've done the last couple months, is to test my VAXstation
> 4000's. The VLC and 60 will boot with a dead Dallas RTC chip (the battery
> is built in). The 90 won't, and if I remember correctly this was the
> failure I saw. I simply bought some DS12887A+ RTC's, and swapped them out
> in my 90, VLC, and one 60. I still need to swap the chip on the 60 that
> runs 24x7 (DECnet area router).

>
> Zane
>
>

If you want to future proof your RTC even more, look into the DS12887 RTC replacements from Glitch Works. You can buy built up replacements from his Tindie Shop <https://www.tindie.com/products/glitchwrks/gw-12887-1-ds12887-rtc-replacement-module/#shipping> for $20 US plus shipping

Or kits where you supply your own Dallas chip for $10 US plus shipping. <https://www.ebay.com/itm/274450106673>
Built up version same as Tindie shop <https://www.ebay.com/itm/274503108836>

I put one in each of my DS10's when I was refurbishing them last year and they have worked great. I wish my MV3100 could use one. The nice thing is that they use a CR1225 coin battery which you can easily replace when needed and those batteries are highly leak resistant.

--
John H. Reinhardt

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