first step getting VAX 6000-400 booted ... - test-drb@ccmp.vtda.org

28 Oct 2001

...
  Gunther Schadow wrote:

 it still doesn't work. I booted again VMS from TK (takes hours) 
	Why not load up VMS at least for now - it should
	boot somewhat more quickly! (Althoug, quite
	worryingly, so should a TK50-based standalone backup!)

...
 trying various combinations of hardware and no success.
I have
given the RA90 a device address of 1. I have tried it on both
the KDB50 and the KDM70 without success. Now I am wondering 
whether the SDI cable crossover issue is the problem? But
why can Geoff run his RA90 in the basement of his 6000? 

The specifications clearly say that you can do this:

KDB50---->VAXbulkhead---->SA800bulkhead---->RA90

and Geoff does this 

KDB50---->VAXbulkhead---->RA90. 
	Does he? I recall him saying that he has
	an RA9x in the bottom of his 6000 but I
	do not recall him stating that he used
	an even number of cables to do this.

...
 So, the swapping issue seems more complicated than just

an uneven number of SDI cables! But I did exactly what 
Geoff did! Or did he do it differently? How? May be there
are two sorts of SDI cables with or without cross-over? 
	AFAIK, *all* SDI cables are the same. Even never
	works, odd works if everything else is right.

...
  However, VMS never detects any actual drive. So how
could I
 possibly test this link between KDB50 and drive. It could be 
 any of this:

 - KDB50 SDI interface damaged but in a way that is not
   detected by the self-test
 - KDB50 backplane cabling not screwed on tightly enough
 - SDI cabling broken
 - SDI cabling mismatched (crossover issue)
 - RA90 SDI interface damaged but in a way that is not
   detected by the self-test

Is there any resident test that will check the drive/host
interaction without requiring me to wait for another VMS
boot cycle. Each attempt at rewiring and rebooting costs me
about one hour for the VMS to boot from TK again so I need
to keep this minimal. 
	OK. If standalone backup does not see the
	drive before you get to the $ prompt then something
	is clearly wrong (it should report a set of available
	drives, one of which should be DUAn: where n is
	the unit number).

	Check the drive first. Press the TEST switch - the
	TEST light should come on. Press the FAULT switch
	and *all* lights should come on. Now you know the
	lights work - press the TEST switch to leave test mode.

	You can run a set of drive tests as follows:
		- Power up: you'll setle with a display of R AB
		- Deselect A & B
		- press TEST
		- press Write Protect
		  Now the display is T 00 with the
		  rightmost 0 flashing
		- Use A & B to select a test number
		- Start the test by pressing Write Protect
		   The display changes to S NN
		  Once the test has finished the display changes 
		   to C NN
		- Stop the test by pressing A or B
		- Press TEST to leave test mode.

	One suggested set of diags is:
		- Spin *down* the drive
		- Select T 60
		- Press Write Protect to start the test
		- The display does something like:
		    S 60
		    LOT
		    C 60
		    T 00
		- T 60 has not done anything - it will simply
		   loop the next test.
		- Select T 00
		- Press Write Protect
		This will run a set of diags repeatedly.
		Leave to simmer for 5 minutes.

		Repeat the above with the drive spun up.
		(It performs a different set of diags).

	If all that uncovers no fault, there is a 
	good chance that your drive is OK. 
	You have tried a KDB50 and a KDM70 -
	assuming those are installed according to the
	manual, and the processor can see them,
	then that leaves just the cabling. If you
	have a KDM70, I would try to use that rather
	than the KDB50 since that way you do not
	depend on a working VAXBI bus. 

...
 Do we know the pinouts and signal patterns of the SDI
(and
BTW the KLESI) so that I oculd use my scope to detect if
the wiring is O.K.? I didn't find pinouts and signals in
the KDB50, RA9x user manual (or the KLESI user manual 
respectively). 
	I've never come across a broken SDI
	cable, but it may be worthwhile doing
	a simple continuity check - each should 
	be eight cables (four differential signals IIRC).

	Antonio