VAX/VLC firmware upgrade?

From: emanuel stiebler <emu_at_ecubics.com>
Date: Tue May 2 07:10:24 2000

----- Original Message -----
From: Chuck McManis <cmcmanis_at_mcmanis.com>
To: <classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org>
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2000 01:57
Subject: Re: VAX/VLC firmware upgrade?


> No issues in that regard. I'm running the RZ24L that came inside of it. I
> did get the occasional bit of flakiness before I got it terminated but
once
> that was done loaded VMS and NetBSD just fine.

I use for this purpose a nice expensive active terminator. Really helps if
you don't know if your termination is right, specialy, if you're mixing
SCSI1 & SCSI 2 devices.
And check the cable !

> I'm using a Sun CD-ROM to load is (I know, Horrors!)
> Its only a 2x drive but it does work.

It's definitely faster than a 72x drive which doesn't work ;-)

> >Plus I think it dislikes my 'floater' CD-ROM. This is the CD-ROM I use
on
> >*everything* that's SCSI. The wierd thing is, I've used it to load other
> >DEC systems, but I had to flip the blocksize switch, and I'm just about
> >positive I just flipped it to 2048-byte blocks, WTF!

I took mine, put in in the right block mode an labeled it "DEC !!!". And
never change it again !

> I don't think that's the issue. Perhaps your drive is attempting to
> negotiate disconnect/reconnect behaviour and the VLC isn't telling it not
> to? What happens with the drive goes off line, just it just hang or is
> there and error message to that effect? On my M76 I took off the delayed
> spin-up jumper to insure that the drive was there when probed but I don't
> think the VLC cares.

Weird idea, but: are the fans in the vlc working ? probably the drives are
getting hot (small enclosure !!) and shut down ?

> The other thing of course is to be sure that you're not running one of the
> drives as ID 6, and perhaps consider moving the disk to a different ID (I
> don't know if disconnect/recconect might "assume" the computer is 7 but
you
> never know.)

Probably wouldn't even start on ID 6.

> >I'm starting to think the only way I'll get this system up is to boot it
> >into my cluster as a diskless client! Grrr!
> Should work :-)

Try again ;-)
The VLC is a nice SCSI box, and with 24 MByte Ram not even that bad for VMS.

> >BTW, I'm 1.3 on my firmware.
>
> If I figure out how to change it I'll make it available for other VLC
owners.
(c) !

Good luck,
emanuel
Received on Tue May 02 2000 - 07:10:24 BST