VAXBI fun continues - seeking DEBNT installation docs

From: Paul Thompson <thompson_at_mail.athenet.net>
Date: Thu Mar 14 19:39:05 2002

On Thu, 14 Mar 2002, Ethan Dicks wrote:

SPAM>
> Since I have the hood open on my 8200, I thought I'd diagnose the
> troubles I've been having with getting a DEBNT working in there.
> The 8200 I have came with a KDB50, 4MB RAM and one CPU. Nothing
> else (and was $13,000 when my former employer bought it - I just
> re-found the receipt). The only serial ports are the four console
> ports. No DMB32 or anything like that (not that I would mind locating
> one of _those_ either).
>
> Since it first arrived, I put in more RAM, COMBOARDs (that we made)
> and a DWBUA (which I'm diagnosing for its own problems). I am now
> attempting to use a DEBNT I received some time back. Here's what
> it looks like inside...
>
> T1001 KA820 - 8200 CPU
> T1010 DWBUA - Unibus adapter
> T1001 KA820 - 8200 CPU (not installed at present)
> T1002 KDB50 - KDB50 SDI adapter
> T1003 KDB50 - KDB50 Processor board
> T1019 MS820-BA - 4MB RAM for VAXBI processor
> T1019 MS820-BA - 4MB RAM for VAXBI processor
> T1019 MS820-BA - 4MB RAM for VAXBI processor
> T1008 MS820-AA - 2MB RAM for VAXBI processor
> T1008 MS820-AA - 2MB RAM for VAXBI processor
> 1294 CBSBI - COMBOARD-BI (sync comms front end processor)
> T1032 DEBNT - Ethernet and TK50 controller
>
> (I used http://www.stmarks.pp.catholic.edu.au/vax/VAXBI.html for reference)
>
> As you can see, it's a full boat - 16MB of RAM in 5 cards. I'd love to
> run across an inexpensive MS820-CA or two. I wouldn't mind pulling the
> MS820-AAs out, but 16MB is an OK amount of memory for a single user. I'm
> also on a long-term quest for free or nearly free KA825 boards - I'd be
> nice to bring this up to an 8350.
>
> The disks are 3rd-party ESDI (1.2Gb each) drives on a 3rd-party ESDI-
> to-SDI controller. Very nice. Beats an RA81 hands down. At the moment,
> I'm running VMS 5.4 and plan to continue for some time (due to
> compatibility needs for the COMBOARD stuff I used to write). I do have
> a pair of RA70s I was thinking of putting on it as well.
>
> So... the DEBNT itself fails self-test if there is nothing attached
> to the AUI connector. If I attach a DEC loopback connector to the
> AUI plug, ISTR I get the yellow LED telling me it passed. If I put
> a 10BaseT transceiver on there, the TX light stays lit with no networking
> drivers/software loaded.
>
> First and foremost, I'm attempting to verify I put the cables on the
> right places. I have 30-pin connector off one end of the AUI cable.
> I have a 30-pin connector with one wire attached that seems to be a
> jumper block of some kind. At the moment, they are attached to the
> BI backplane at block "E", I think because that's what seemed to be
> right from looking at where the Lance chip is on the DEBNT. If anyone
> has installation instructions, particularly cabling instructions,
> those would be very helpful.
>
> Once I get the hardware happy, I'll need to move to software. Since
> I want to stay at VMS 5.4, what are my TCP/IP options as a hobbyist?
> The only other VAX I have set up with Ethernet is also running 5.4 -
> a uVAX-II with a DEQNA. I do have VMS 6.1, but I'm not using it
> at the moment.
>
> Thanks for any DEBNT and VAXBI tips and hints. I have some docs, but not
> everything. Mostly, I'm drawing on general VAX experience combined with
> observation and experimentation. I know my way around the VAXBI bus, but
> not around some of the peripherals.
>
> -ethan
>
>
>
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-- 
Received on Thu Mar 14 2002 - 19:39:05 GMT

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