Nextra X1 questions / boot issues 1

[toronto416]

I currently received 3 nextr1 x1 servers, with no mem. Purchased 1-256mb pc-133 chip and installed. Made null db9 to rj45 cable. Connected but can't seem to get hyperterm to accept #. lom request. Have I missed a step or set something up incorectly.

Any suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

[burtsbees]

Try changing baud rate

 

[toronto416]

Thanks burtsbees,

I have tried to alter the baud rate to no effect. Are ther signs of a dead system ? I received three yellow flashes from the wrench symbol when I plugged the power cord in, yet when I depress the power button it turns on.

I have used COM inspector 2.1 to try all the com baud rates and get a com fail notice at end or run.

I have made a null cable based on the diagram from the sun manual for DB-9 adapter for the serial link, but no other way to test cable.

I am at a loss as to how to verify if the netra units I have are functional or dead.

Any suggestions in this area ?

Thanks again for your help.

 

[burtsbees]

I'll have to dig up my notes on tip hardwire...that's an option at low-level (OBP).

Burt

 

[burtsbees]

Here's a link to the pinouts, in case they are wrong...

http://www.sunhelp.org/unix-serial-port-resources/serial-pinouts/

Here are some notes from a class I attended long ago...


The terminal input Command (tip)

The tip hardwire command establishes a full-duplex terminal connection to a remote host. It provides a way to use a serial input/output device for troubleshooting purposes (such as viewing POST) when an ASCII terminal is not available.

A. The tip command establishes a connection to a remote host, either through a modem or null modem cable. This technique of troubleshooting is valuable in reviewing a remote system’s POST, boot, and error messages when you do not have a dumb terminal.
B. The faulty system must have diagnostic mode enabled. You can do this by typing diag-switch?=true command or by pressing the stop-d key sequence.

Input/output must be directed to ttya. This is achieved in one of several ways:

A. Pulling the keyboard cable from the system
B. Pressing stop-f key sequence
C. Typing setenv output-device ttya at the ok prompt.

A null modem cable is connected from the faulty system to the healthy system. The pin configurations for creating your own null modem cable are listed on the web and in Sun Field Engineer Handbook.

HANDOUT of PINOUTS
Website

http://www.sunhelp.org/unix-serial-port-resources/

serial-pinouts/

The healthy system (host) must be booted and running a graphical user interface such as CDE. The tip hardwire command is enabled in a shell or terminal window.
At the ok prompt of the bad system (client) enter printenv command with the ttya option to determine how serial port A on your system is configured:

{1} ok printenv ttya-mode
ttya-mode = 9600,8,n,1,-

Serial Values are as follows:

A. Baud rate = 9600
B. Data bits = 8
C. Parity = none
D. Stop bit = 1
E. Handshaking = -(none)

If the settings are not as shown as in the list above, use the setenv command to change the NVRAM properties for serial port A

{1} ok setenv ttya-mode ttya 9600,8,n,1,-

Below is a list of tip commands:

{1} ok ~?
~! shell
~< receive file from remote host
~> send file to remote host
~t take file from remote UNIX
~p put file to remote UNIX
~| pipe remote file
~C connect program to remote host
~c change directory
~. exit from tip
~^D exit from tip
~$ pipe local command to remote host
~^Y suspend tip (local only)
~^Z suspend tip (local+remote)
~s set variable
~? get this summary
~# send break

Never exit a tip window by quitting the shell tool window or by halting the processes
(this can hang the tip session). Do not press Stop-A key sequence to abort the faulty system because the Stop-A key sequence aborts the healthy system instead (brings system down to the ok prompt).

For more information on tip do a man tip from the Solaris Operating Environment.


Good luck...

Burt

 

[toronto416]

Thanks again Bert,

Unfortunately I can't get the OK prompt or the LOM prompt. I have jumped JP13 to reboot the system but still get the 3 yellow spanner led flashes when I plug the power cord in or power on the system.

I have contacted Sun Tech services to see if they can help but have to see it I am covered under their policy or have to pay.

I just don't understand this thing !! It shouldn't power on if there is a fatal error so what gives.

Anyway thanks again for taking the time out to help.

Pete

 

[toronto416]

Bert,

By some trick of fate I reversed the TX and RX wires and now have a LOM prompt. I have typed the poweron command and am receiving a long flow of PSTATE information. Will get back once this has completed

 

[toronto416]

Bert,

Ok now I have it up and running. But I get the following

lom>poweron
lom>
LOM event: +0h25m18s host power on
@(#) core 1.0.1 2001/02/19 09:55
Hardware Power ON
Verifying NVRAM...Done
Bootmode is 10
Bootmode: skip diags
MCR0 = 36a0b004
MCR1 = c0804000
MCR2 = f11000a
MCR3 = 86
Ecache Size = 256 KB
Clearing E$ Tags Done
Clearing I/D TLBs Done
Probing memory
Done
MEMBASE=0x0
MEMSIZE=0x10000000
Clearing memory...including Unix retained memory...Done
Turing ON MMUs Done
Copy ROM to RAM (148440 bytes) Done
Orig PC=0x1fff0007efc New PC=0xf0f07f54

**********************************************
PSTATE=0000000000000015 TBA=00000000f0f00000 DCU Control=0000000000000000
AFSR=0000000000000000 AFAR=00000000213eeed8 PIL=000000000000000f
I-SFSR=0000000000210008 D-SFSR=0000000000950fe5 D-SFAR=ffffffefebffffbf
TL=0005 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0f04200 TNPC=00000000f0f04204
TL=0004 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0f04200 TNPC=00000000f0f04204
TL=0003 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0f04200 TNPC=00000000f0f04204
TL=0002 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0f00d00 TNPC=00000000f0f00d04
TL=0001 TT=0068 TPC=00000000f0f18264 TNPC=00000000f0f18268
**********************************************

**********************************************
PSTATE=0000000000000015 TBA=00000000f0000000 DCU Control=0000000000000000
AFSR=0000000000000000 AFAR=00000000213eeed8 PIL=000000
I-SFSR=0000000000210008 D-SFSR=0000000000950fe5 D-SFAR=ffffffefebffffbf
TL=0005 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0004200 TNPC=00000000f0004204
TL=0004 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0004200 TNPC=00000000f0004204
TL=0003 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0004200 TNPC=00000000f0004204
TL=0002 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0000200 TNPC=00000000f0000204
TL=0001 TT=0010 TPC=00000000f0003a00 TNPC=00000000f0003a04
**********************************************

****************************************


On and on it goes. Is this a memory compatability issue ? Somewhere I have seen a thread that had this problem.

Any suggestions.

Pete