Core memory diagnostics advice request

From: Jay West <west_at_tseinc.com>
Date: Tue Feb 29 17:18:14 2000

Greetings;

I've finally gotten (again) my HP2100's to the point where I can run real
diagnostics. The memory architecture doesn't appear all that different from
a PDP-8E at the board level anyways (there's a memory controller board, a
load board, an ID board, an XY driver board, and the core array).

My question is this: I heard from a reseller that one should run the memory
diagnostics in loop mode for 48 to 72 hours before assuming the memory
subsystem is a good one. Bear in mind that when the diagnostic is run
without loop mode, it only takes about 8 minutes to complete. This would
mean 360 passes being made in 48 hours. From others experience, is 48 hours
really necessary? I mean, isn't a good 4 hours enough to test for heat
problems, etc? Unlike the reseller, I don't need to be 100% positive a board
is perfect before sending it to a customer, I just want to be reasonably
sure I can remove the memory system from the list of possible trouble spots
as I go on to test other things. I was hoping that there would be nothing
about the HP core subsystem that would require that long of burn in, and
thus the experience others have had with other systems might be valid
experience.

So how long do YOU loop memory diags to test a core memory system to be
reasonably sane?

Thanks in advance!

Jay West
Received on Tue Feb 29 2000 - 17:18:14 GMT