VAX 4000/300 start up / KA670 issues

Mon Sep 14 11:34:51 CDT 2020

Thanks Dave. It does indeed work. I've managed to boot into a NetBSD
miniroot with the Emulex UC07 and a scsi2sd, although everything is
quite a mess at the moment.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/158497991@N05/50341435063/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/158497991@N05/50342112766/

Very happy to have this machine running :)

Aaron

On 14 September 2020 at 16:33 BST, dave.g4ugm at gmail.com wrote:

> Aaron,
> I believe a UC07 should work in a 4000. The manual says :-
>
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/emulex/UC0751001H_UC06_UC07_UC08_Host_Adapter_T
> echnical_Manual_Nov90.pdf
>
> CPU Compatibility
> The UC07/UC08 is compatible with the Q-Bus used on all DEC LSI-11 arid all
> DEC MicroVAX II, 3XXX, and 4XXX series computers.
>
> You should really use a -III but I think that the only difference is the
> shielding and cable termination. I would expect the disks to show up as DU2n
>
> http://www.bitsavers.org/pdf/dec/vax/4000/EK-337AA-TI-001_VAX_4000_Model_300
> _Technical_Information_Mar90.pdf
>
> page 1-12.
>
> You might need to tweak the q-Bus addresses.
>
> Dave
>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Aaron Jackson <Aaron.Jackson at nottingham.ac.uk>
>> Sent: 14 September 2020 15:03
>> To: dave.g4ugm at gmail.com
>> Cc: 'General Discussion: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts'
>> <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> Subject: Re: VAX 4000/300 start up / KA670 issues
>>
>> Hi Dave,
>>
>> In my ignorance I incorrectly assumed the DHQ11 was a SCSI controller
>> because it has compatible centronics sockets. Thinking about the name that
>> was obviously wrong!
>>
>> I have two Emulex UC07, one is spare and the other is in my PDP-11. If I
> install
>> this into the VAX Q22 bus do you think it will explode or work?
>>
>> Even if this did work it wouldn't be ideal but I'm not sure of any
> alternatives at
>> the moment.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Aaron
>>
>>
>> On 14 September 2020 at 14:07 BST, dave.g4ugm at gmail.com wrote:
>>
>> > Aaron,
>> >
>> > Which SCSI card do you have? These systems are normally DSSI systems
>> > not SCSI You should be able to do SHOW DEVICE then BOOT <name>
>> >
>> > Dave
>> >
>> >> -----Original Message-----
>> >> From: cctalk <cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org> On Behalf Of Aaron
>> >> Jackson
>> > via
>> >> cctalk
>> >> Sent: 14 September 2020 13:36
>> >> To: Aaron Jackson <Aaron.Jackson at nottingham.ac.uk>; General Discussion:
>> > On-
>> >> Topic and Off-Topic Posts <cctalk at classiccmp.org>
>> >> Subject: Re: VAX 4000/300 start up / KA670 issues
>> >>
>> >> On 14 September 2020 at 00:17 BST, Aaron Jackson via cctalk wrote:
>> >>
>> >> > Hi
>> >> >
>> >> > I've had a VAX 4000/300 sitting around for the past couple of years.
>> >> > The second time I tried to switch it on there was a bit pop from
>> >> > the power supply. The 12v module of the H7874 PSU is completely
>> >> > dead and despite my best efforts I have not been able to fix it.
>> >> >
>> >> > Tonight I decided to remove that module and just use the PSU to
>> >> > provide the 5v, with -12 and 12v supplied from external supplies.
>> >> > Surprisingly this worked, as long as the 12v rails are up before
>> >> > you turn on the
>> >> > H7874 (so if you have a dead H7874 you might want to try this...).
>> >> >
>> >> > After some messing around with MMJ cables and various serial
>> >> > adapters, I finally got some stuff printing to a terminal (I have
>> >> > abbreviated this slightly because I don't want to type it out.
>> >> >
>> >> > ]] KA670-A V3.4, VMB 2.12
>> >> > ]] Performing normal system tests.
>> >> > ]] 66..65.. ... 51..
>> >> > ]] 50..49.. ... 35..
>> >> > ]] 34..33.. ... 19..
>> >> > ]] 18..17.. ... 11..
>> >> > ]]
>> >> > ]] ?5F 2 0F 44 0000 0000 07     ; SUBTEST_5F_0D, DE_SGEC.LIS
>> >> > ]] P1=00000000 P2=00000000 P3=00000000 P4=00000000  P5=00000000
>> ]]
>> >> > P6=00000000 P7=00000000 P8=00000000 P9=0000080A P10=00000003 ]]
>> >> > r0=00000054 r1=20084001 r2=00000000 r3=00000000  r4=00000000 ]]
>> >> > r5=1FFFFFFC r6=C0000001 r7=00000000 r8=00004000 EPC=00000000 ]]
>> 10..
>> >> > ]]
>> >> > ]] ?5C 2 06 FF 0000 0001 00     ; SUBTEST_5C_06, DE_SHAC.LIS
>> >> > ]] P1=00000001 P2=00000000 P3=00000000 P4=00000000  P5=00000000
>> ]]
>> >> > P6=00000000 P7=00000000 P8=00000000 P9=0000080A P10=00000003 ]]
>> >> > r0=00000054 r1=0000002E r2=0000005C r3=20140784  r4=2005FFF8 ]]
>> >> > r5=20060028 r6=20065224 r7=20004000 r8=00000000 EPC=00000000 ]]
>> >> > 09..08..07..05..04..03..
>> >> > ]] Normal operation not possible.
>> >> > ]]
>> >> > ]] >>>
>> >> >
>> >> > It allows me to type at this point but does not appear to do
>> >> > anything with the input.
>> >> >
>> >> > I've looked through the KA670 manual and found a listing of the
>> >> > error codes.
>> >> >
>> >> > 5F = SGEC (Second Generation Ethernet Controller) "loopback_type
>> >> > no_ram_tests"
>> >> >
>> >> > 5C = SHAC (Single Host Adapter Chip) "shac_number"
>> >> >
>> >> > I'm not sure if it is relevant but I removed the TOY battery when I
>> >> > got it to prevent it eating everything. I've not taken apart the
>> >> > console door thing but perhaps it was too late. The SGEC might
>> >> > refer to the ethernet controller installed on that door?
>> >> >
>> >> > If anyone is better at understanding these error messages I'd
>> >> > greatly appreciate any info you could give.
>> >> >
>> >> > Cheers,
>> >> > Aaron
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> Never mind. I think these tests can be ignored, and I got rid of the
>> >> SHAC
>> > one by
>> >> putting the terminator in the right place.
>> >>
>> >> The VAX does respond to my keyboard input... when I have the terminal
>> >> set
>> > to
>> >> the right serial config.
>> >>
>> >> Need to figure out how to get it to boot from SCSI. It's picking up
>> >> my
>> > QBUS
>> >> DHQ11 and DELQA cards fine.
>> >>
>> >> I intend to replace the 12v module in the PSU with two small 12v 240v
>> > boards
>> >> and tap into the power coming into the PSU. This seems like a
>> >> reasonable approach given the nature of the H7874 PSU.
>> >>
>> >> Very happy the machine seems to be working!
>> >>
>> >> Aaron
>> >>
>> >>
>> >> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee
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>> >>
>> >> Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not
>> > necessarily
>> >> reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email
>> >> communications
>> > with
>> >> the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.
>> >>
>> >>
>> >>
>>
>>
>> --
>> Dr Aaron S. Jackson
>> Computer Vision Laboratory
>> School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham
>>
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> ~~~~~~
>> I will be on leave every Monday and Tuesday until October 2020.
>> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>> ~~~~~~
>>
>>
>> This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee and
>> may contain confidential information. If you have received this message in
>> error, please contact the sender and delete the email and attachment.
>>
>> Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not
> necessarily
>> reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email communications
> with
>> the University of Nottingham may be monitored where permitted by law.
>>
>>
>>

--
Dr Aaron S. Jackson
Computer Vision Laboratory
School of Computer Science, University of Nottingham

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I will be on leave every Monday and Tuesday until October 2020.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This message and any attachment are intended solely for the addressee
and may contain confidential information. If you have received this
message in error, please contact the sender and delete the email and
attachment. 

Any views or opinions expressed by the author of this email do not
necessarily reflect the views of the University of Nottingham. Email
communications with the University of Nottingham may be monitored 
where permitted by law.