VAX11/780 memory / UNIBUS interaction???

From: Gunther Schadow <gunther_at_aurora.regenstrief.org>
Date: Tue Jul 16 23:07:48 2002

Hi, I'm still debuggingmy VAX 11/780 that doesn't pass full
diagnostics. Here is a dump of the micro-diagnostic run and
second stage SBI/memory/options diagnostics:

        CPU HALTED,SOMM CLEAR,STEP=NONE,CLOCK=NORM
         RAD=HEX,ADD=PHYS,DAT=LONG,FILL=00,REL=00000000
         INIT SEQ DONE
         HALTED AT 00000000

         (RELOADING WCS)
         LOAD DONE, 0800 MICROWORDS LOADED
         VER: PCS=01 WCS=0E-10 FPLA=0F CON=V07-00-L
?WARNING-WCS & FPLA VER MISMATCH
>>>TEST

         ?FILE NOT FOUND
>>>TEST
ZZ-ESKAB V14.0
ESKAD -- V13.1
01,02,03,04,
NO. OF 1K BANKS OF WCS = 0002
05,06,07,08,09,0A,0B,0C,0D,0E,0F,10,11,12,13,14,15,16,17,
18,19,1A,1B,1C,1D,1E,1F,
ESKAH-V13.2
20,
SYSTEM ID REGISTER = 0140B63E
KE780 FPLA NOT PRESENT
21,22,23,24,25,26,27,28,29,2A,2B,2C,2D,2E,
2F,30,31,32,33,34,35,36,37,38,39,3A,3B,3C,
END PASS 0001
MOUNT FLOPPY ZZ-ESZAD & TYPE "DI"
MIC>DI

ESKAR-V2.0
3D,3E,
CPU TR = 00000010
MS780H 256K CHIP AT TR 00000001
   LOWER CNTRLLR MAX ADDRESS+1= 01000000
   UPPER CNTRLLR MAX ADDRESS+1= 01000000
DW780 AT TR 00000003
RH780 AT TR 00000008
RH780 AT TR 00000009
3F,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,4A,4B,4C,4D,4E,4F,50,51,52,
MS780-E/H IO BASE ADDRESS = 20002000
LOWER CONTROLLER MAX ADDR + 1 = 01000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000000
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000001
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000002
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000003
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
MS780-E/H IO BASE ADDRESS = 20002000
UPPER CONTROLLER MAX ADDR + 1 = 01000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000000
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000001
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000002
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
   BOARD NUMBER = 00000003
      NUMBER OF CRD ERRORS = 00000000
53,
MS780-H 256K CHIP AT TR 00000001
   M8376 ROMS OK
54,
?ERROR: 10B8 TEST: 01FF SUBTEST: 0001
DATA: 20002000
       20002008
       FFFFFFFF
       FFFFFF00
       FFFFFFFF
       FFFFFFFF
       00000000
       00000000

TRACE: 00,
FAILING MODULES: M8375-L, M8376,

I had two more M8375 and another M8376 that came with the
VAX 11/785 board set that I bought from Jeffrey Sharp last
year. But none of the M8375s changed the problem. When I
replaced the M8376 it was even worse:

ESKAR-V2.0
3D,3E,
CPU TR = 00000010
DW780 AT TR 00000003
RH780 AT TR 00000008
RH780 AT TR 00000009
NO MEMORY CNTRLLRS
DEP MS780EH ADDR IN RC0, TYPE LO

?ERROR: 11FA TEST: 0180 SUBTEST: 0001

TRACE: 00,
FAILING MODULES: M8376,

this time it didn't even go beyond test 3F. So, I put the old
M8376 back. And tried to swap the lower and upper M8375s to
see if I'd get the problem on the other end. After all, I
assume that the message:

54,
?ERROR: 10B8 TEST: 01FF SUBTEST: 0001
DATA: 20002000
       20002008
       FFFFFFFF
       FFFFFF00
       FFFFFFFF
       FFFFFFFF
       00000000
       00000000

TRACE: 00,
FAILING MODULES: M8375-L, M8376,

means that the M8375-L with "L" for LOWER is causeing the
problem. So, I expected M8375-U to be blamed next. But not
so. I always get M8375-L, M8376 error.

However, what's really strange and the focus of my question
is that the outcome depends on whether or not the UNIBUS
cabinet is powered on or off. If I have the UNIBUS powered
on I get that above error. However, when I have the UNIBUS
off, I get this:

54,
?TIMEOUT IN TEST 01FF UPC= 1241

That is, TEST 01FF always fails, but when UNIBUS is off it
just times out, when UNIBUS is on we get that failing modules
error.

Isn't there a way to decouple the UNIBUS issue from the
memory subsystem diagnostics?

I sort of hope that the boards really aren't broken but
some other wires are crossed?

I appreciate any advice of you VAX veterans out there!

thanks,
-Gunther

-- 
Gunther Schadow, M.D., Ph.D.                    gschadow_at_regenstrief.org
Medical Information Scientist      Regenstrief Institute for Health Care
Adjunct Assistant Professor        Indiana University School of Medicine
tel:1(317)630-7960                         http://aurora.regenstrief.org
Received on Tue Jul 16 2002 - 23:07:48 BST

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.3.0 : Fri Oct 10 2014 - 23:35:02 BST