11/34A/RK07 not booting. Help wanted

From: Christian Fandt <cfandt_at_netsync.net>
Date: Thu Nov 19 19:20:18 1998

At 22:22 11/19/98 +0000, you wrote:
>> Switch 2 is OFF on the 9312 therefore, registers printout onscreen and the
>> system prompt (_at_ in this case) appears after CNTL/BOOT keys are
>> simultaneously pressed. Seems okay so far. However, the 11/34-11/34A user's
>> manual says the prompt should be a '$' (?).
>
>I seem to remember that the M9301 and M9312 cards have different prompts.
>You do have _only_ the M9312 I take it...

Hi Tony, that's right, only the 9312 is in the box. Hmmm, I just went to
the attic and dug through a couple of heaps of non-DEC and DEC manuals. I
pulled out a 9312 technical manual of all things from that bunch of stuff.
And yes, the '_at_' prompt is indeed the system prompt.

Well Tim S., you were asking about the ROM numbers figuring they might have
something to do w/different prompts. The ROM number in my 9312 for the
RK06/07 is the '752 ROM you figured. This says that the E20 ROM on the 9312
has the prompt. Digging further through the 9312 manual I learn that the
E20 ROM, numbered 23-248F1, is in fact the Console Emulator and Diagnostic
ROM. I don't have the ROM part numbers for the M9301 Bootstrap/Terminator
module as I don't have a manual but now I bet they are different!

>
>>
>> The system was said to have two RK07's which of course aree controlled by
>> the RK611. There was no mention of what hung on the UDA50. I surmised the
>
>The boot ROM shoudln't care what controllers you have in the machine or
>what drives you have hung off them _provided_ the controller you want to
>boot from is at the standard address. Having the UDA50 with no working
>drives is not the problem.


I kinda figured that. So the ornery RA60 is not a complication toward this
problem for sure.

>
>> I cabled everything up except for just one RK07 is hooked up. I took the
>> terminator off the #1 RK and put it on the #0 device. The 'A' switch is
>> depressed, 'B' is not as this is not a dual-access drive system.
>
>Let's check the obvious :
>
>You have the cable from the RK611 going to 'A in' on the RK07. You have a
>terminator in 'A out'.

Yes, 'A in' has the cable, 'A out' has the term.

>
>You are using the right cable for the RK07. It may look like an RL cable,
>but it isn't. The RK07 cable has more wires connected. Don't ask how I
>found that one.

Seems I recall you or somebody having a problem with confusing cables and
reporting it here some time back. Therefore I was careful to keep the RK
cables and RL cables separated when I picked up this truckload of DEC gear
back in July. The RK cables were kept w/the RK's. I'm quite sure the
correct cable is strung between the RK07 and the flat cable from the RK611.
 BUT, I'll check to make darned sure the previous owner didn't swap them
around! I recall there's an ID tag on that cable w/part number. I'll check
it out.

>
>You've got the ribbon from the RK611 to the bulkhead adapter connected
>the right way round. Try turning one end over - it won't do any damage if
>it's wrong, but it sure won't work.

I'll try turning it over. I could have accidentally turned it over while
doing the pre-powerup checkout (had all the boards out.) I'm usually quite
careful like you when yanking stuff apart and putting it back together.

>
>You have an RK611 boot ROM in the machine. Somebody else will know the
>part number for that.

As indicated above it's 23-752A9 which lives in ROM socket #1 (E35). FYI,
the ROM for the RA-type drives (DU devices) is 23-767A9 which resides in
ROM socket #2 (E33).

>
>> Upon trying to boot the thing I am instructed to simply type DM onto the
>> terminal and the 11/34A will boot off the RK07 #0. Well, nothing happens.
>> The RK 'Ready' light is on but the 'A' light stays off and no other action
>
>Just to check for a silly again - pull the 'A' cap and the bulb. Test
>said bulb. We don't want to be searching for nasty faults if all the time
>it's been working but the disk isn't bootable...

Hmmm, I'll check that but there is absolutely no disk activity when I
enter DM at the console. I had the cover off the back of the RK07 so I can
see any hint of head motion. I would think that at minimum one stroke of
the head actuator would scan for bootable code at this point. Nada.

>
>> printsets for most of this hardware *except* for the RK07s and RA60, plus
>
>I have the RK07 prints somewhere. Don't have the RA60 ones, though (but I
>do have an RA60 to sort out sometime....)

When I find RA60 prints I'll try to figure a way to copy them full size and
send them to you.

Okay folks, that's two people who need RA60 prints! (Hint, hint :) )

>
>-tony
>

Thanks for the help so far Tony.

Regards, Chris
-- --
Christian Fandt, Electronic/Electrical Historian
Jamestown, NY USA cfandt_at_netsync.net
Member of Antique Wireless Association
        URL: http://www.ggw.org/freenet/a/awa/
Received on Thu Nov 19 1998 - 19:20:18 GMT

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