AlphaStation 200 NVRAM Problem

Robert Jarratt robert.jarratt at ntlworld.com
Fri Apr 22 18:37:49 CDT 2016



> -----Original Message-----
> From: cctalk [mailto:cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Robert
> Jarratt
> Sent: 23 April 2016 00:17
> To: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'
> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
> Subject: RE: AlphaStation 200 NVRAM Problem
> 
> 
> 
> >
> > Someone mentioned there is a battery. It could be held by that, or a
> module
> > from ST Microelectronics or Dallas Semiconductor. The latter two tend
> > to
> be
> > plastic packages that are ~28 pins or so and taller than normal chips.
> > The Dallas and ST modules have RAM/real time clock and a battery in
> > one package.
> >
> > In the case of some arcade games (Silent Scope from Konami is a big
> > one), once the NVRAM looses it's contents the machine wont load past
> > it in the bootup process. On the Sun Workstations when the modules go
> > bad it will boot but but the MAC address is blank. It's possible to
> > reprogram the contents back on the Sun workstations.
> >
> > If the case of the AlphaStation is that it can't get past post without
> > the contents of the NVRAM, and the NVRAM is in a Dallas or STM module
> > then the easy solution is to get a dump of a working system, perhaps
> > hex edit
> the
> > contents to correct the MAC address, then plug it in (hopefully
> > socketed.)
> >
> > If the NVRam is held by a CR3202 battery and a SMD SRAM chip or
> > something, there would have to be a way around it being blank I'd
imagine.
> >
> 
> In my case there is just a CR2032, and no Dallas module. I will try
replacing the
> CR2032 again.
> 


Just tried replacing the CR2032 again, but I get the same error :-(

Regards

Rob



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