System/36 still sleepin' Suggestions?

From: Dave McGuire <mcguire_at_neurotica.com>
Date: Sat Nov 4 15:33:32 2000

On November 4, THETechnoid_at_home.com wrote:
> I checked the line voltage on the outlet and found it right at 250-253vac
> without a load. This circuit is rated at 30AMP, the machine's breaker is
> rated at 20AMP, and the machine is supposed to pull a max 8amp on the line
> making all things reasonable.
>
> So why no power-on? Nothing spins, no lights on the front-panel, nothing
> but the first-stage of the power supply humming slightly.

  You mentioned safetey interlocks...Maybe there's a panel interlock
that got jiggled during the move? Try removing and re-seating every
outside panel that you can find.

  Have you tried connecting a console terminal to it yet? This may be
way off (I don't know anything about S36 hardware) but an acquaintance
of mine once beat his head against a wall for two days trying to power
up a VAX 8700. As it turns out, you do this by typing a command on
the console processor (a DEC Pro machine) which he hadn't connected
yet.

  And...remember the "power-off" command in newer Sun OBP ROMs? A
favorite joke around here is 'why can't I type "power-on" to turn it
back on!!' ...but on newer Alpha machines (DS10, etc), you *CAN*.
There's a PIC17C44 processor in there handling console operations that
has its own little power supply. You can power-cycle the meat of the
machine from a [potentially remote] console port.


                 -Dave McGuire
Received on Sat Nov 04 2000 - 15:33:32 GMT