RX02 Debugging

[Kirk Davis]

Cool tnx. Lyle - I’ll be there on Sat. I’ll bring the emulator if I get all the parts by then. Looking forward to it.

Kirk

> On Aug 2, 2016, at 11:00 PM, COURYHOUSE at aol.com wrote:
> 
> yea  these are nasty  sounding  drives  when they load!  ---Ed#
>  
> Re: You'll hear a serious "clunk" when they load.
>  
> In a message dated 8/2/2016 10:49:06 P.M. US Mountain Standard Time, lbickley at bickleywest.com writes:
> On Tue, 02 Aug 2016 21:43:03 -0700
> Kirk Davis <kirkbdavis at me.com> wrote:
> 
> > Thanks for the suggestions. I’m in Sunnyvale, CA.
> > 
> > I actually got the rx02 from another hobbyist that
> > used it with the 44 in 2008 so I suspect it is configured correctly.
> > The other drive doesn’t have a belt so I’m unable to test with it.
> > I’ve verified the cable direction. It’s a sweet 44 - super clean,
> > runs great and is like a tank.
> > 
> > One of the problems is I don’t know normal behavior of the drive. The
> > motor is aways spinning for unit 0. When I try booting I don’t hear
> > the heads load or seek. I’m new to the 44 monitor commands & boot
> > process etc so I’m learning as I go.
> 
> The motors always spin. The heads should engage whenever selected.
> You;ll hear a serious "clunk" when they load.
> 
> If you're coming to the VCF this coming weekend, Bob Rosenblum and I
> will have a running RX02 attached to a PDP-8/M. You can hear all of
> it's "sounds" there. You'll also be able to play "Spacewar!" with our
> VC8/E and XY monitor, etc.
> 
> BTW: Make sure you have the correct switch settings on the RX02
> mainboard for your PDP-11...
> 
> > I’m also making one of these to help isolate if it’s a
> > drive/cable/controller problem:
> > 
> > http://www.torok.info/computing/pdp11/rx02/index.htm
> 
> That looks like a cool project. Would like to see it when you've got it
> running!!!
> 
> Lyle
> 
> > > On Aug 2, 2016, at 3:24 PM, Paul Anderson <useddec at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 
> > > Hi KIrk,
> > > 
> > > The H771 is a rock solid power supply. I never saw one go bad while
> > > in field service, but they are getting old. Checking the output
> > > voltage and ripple is not a bad idea.
> > > 
> > > forgive me for asking, but where are you located?  The RX02 had 4
> > > different power hanesses for i20, 220, 50 hz and 60 hz. Also
> > > different belts amd pulleys.  if any of this is wrong you cn see
> > > weird problems. A lot of RX02s and replacement drives were soul
> > > through brokers who never asked or were never told where the unit
> > > was going.  if you aren'y useing 120/60 that would be my first
> > > thought.
> > > 
> > > Is the problem the same when booting off either drive?  Also check
> > > the switches and the resistors on the head cables.
> > > 
> > > Good luck, Paul  
> > 
> > > Jerry Weiss wrote:
> > >
> > >If you haven’t already, check the cable seating, orientation and for
> > >bent pins.   
> > > On the RX211 board J1 - TT is the location of the AC LO - Active
> > > Low signal.
> > > 
> > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2016 at 4:06 PM, Kirk Davis <kirkbdavis at me.com>
> > > wrote: 
> > >> I’m a noob using RX02’s but thought I’d run this past people that
> > >> may have debugged them in the past and see if they agree with what
> > >> I’m finding:
> > >> 
> > >> I’m trying to get a RX02 + RX211 + 11/44 going. The RX02 appears
> > >> to power up OK (fan and motor spinning). I verified I have the DY
> > >> boot rom in the 44. Attempt booting from the console:
> > >>   
> > >>>>> b dy  
> > >> 
> > >> S
> > >>  17777707 173436
> > >> 
> > >> Which halts in the DY boot rom. I look at the base RX211 register:
> > >>   
> > >>>>> e 17777170  
> > >> 17777170 104040
> > >> 
> > >> From the manual this like the controller is present but the high
> > >> order bit is set indicating an error
> > >> 
> > >> Looking at the status register;
> > >>   
> > >>>>> e 17777172  
> > >> 17777172 000010
> > >> 
> > >> Bit 3 == RX AC LO - This bit is set by the interface to indicate a
> > >> power failure in the RX02 sub- system.
> > >> 
> > >> So start looking at the RX02 power supply?
> > >> 
> > >> 
> > >>   
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> -- 
> 73      AF6WS
> Bickley Consulting West Inc.
> http://bickleywest.com
> 
> "Black holes are where God is dividing by zero"