SL-100/CS-2100 boot process

[joe_z]

Hello Everyone!

First off, I know this isn't quite the right forum for the SL-100/CS-2100, but I don't know where else to go.

For context, the short version of the story is that I like to tinker with electronics and technology and I went and bought myself a Nortel SL-100/CS-2100 PBX. If you want to read the long version, it's all here [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.dms-100.net/telephony/dms-100/story/[/url]

Anyway, I've been working on powering this system up and I figured I had enough to make an attempt at booting. I've got the XA-core, the message switches, and the MCAM wired up (which contain IOMs, that give you serial ports for terminals and other devices).

I put a terminal emulator on what should be the MAP port on the IOM as well as the RTIF in the XA-core shelf and powered it up. I can see the XA-core running through the core and message switch boot processes, and then it settles down. Full logs are here [URL unfurl="true"]http://www.dms-100.net/telephony/dms-100/blog/log/20221209-00.log[/url] (a bit messy because the RTIF is a full screen interface and the status bar updates kind of pollute the main output).

Anyway, everything seems to be more or less OK, but I don't ever get any activity on any of the IOM ports I've tried. The manuals I've read seem to suggest I should have MAP access at this point, and they seem to suggest as well that I should have MAP access via the RTIF, albeit with some limitations. I've tried sending serial breaks, and I've watched for any indication of activity with my RS232 breakout, but I just don't see any.

One concerning pair of messages I see on the RTIF are the following, but I'm not sure what they indicate exactly or if they're normal or not:

TTYs initialized
Issued kill for LOGIN

Anybody have any hints on where to look? Is there a piece of the switch I'm forgetting that might be necessary to at least get MAP access? This was converted to a CS-2100 at some point, perhaps I've got some misunderstanding of the way this should work.

 

[joe_z]

Alright, I figured it out (on accident) and now I feel dumb.

It was a bad DS-30 cable between the NTFX34 and the IOM bulkhead. I grabbed the cable on top of the pile and didn't know enough to know that a red light on the NTFX34 means a problem.

I had some thought in my head that maybe I needed more TTYs plugged in or something weird, or else the switch wouldn't like things. So I pulled out 3 more cables and wired up RS232 dongles to where terminals were likely to be defined based on the notes I had and.... lo and behold, the 3 more cables produced GREEN lights on the RS232 dongles.

An hour later once the switch finished booting, and I've got myself logged in under the one set of credentials I have.

So just in case anybody finds this post ever, note that your IOM smart dongles should have GREEN lights and if they're RED then check your cables!

 

[AvayaRed]

I read your full post on your site and I have to say, this might be the most interesting post I have ever read on this website. Many of the SL-100/CS2100 were using in Universities, Hospitals, Large enterprise companies and Military bases (I am speaking from an Enterprise load standpoint and not carrier side). I would have never thought anyone would bring one home since there are so many moving parts and the amount of space it takes up.

Just out of curiosity, what is your goal with this, to get it up and running or preservation?

You may be the only person with a SL-100/CS-2100 in their home. If that is the case, congratulations . If I am wrong, please comment who else does, I am very curious who else has these systems and what you do with them. I heard mostly partners keep these for break/fix parts if they are servicing them still.

 

[joe_z]

The goal is mixed. Preservation for sure, but what's the point of preserving a thing if it doesn't run, and you can't use it.

So it's more than making a display out of it, I want to be able to let people poke at it, test things on it, learn about it in a hands on way to some extent.

And beyond all that, I just like learning how things work. I'm the kind of guy who took thing apart and put them back together a lot when they were young. I never really stopped doing that, and this isn't an exception.

I'm not aware of any other DMS-100/CS-2000 family switches in the hands of a private individual.

 

[AvayaRed]

You might be the only one. I wanted to do the same thing with a IP Office or a BCM but this one takes it next level. It is also very nice that you extracted all the files for others to download of those devices. Any other switches you were interested in getting your hands on?