DECstation-3000/400 Questions

From: Bob Armstrong <bob_at_jfcl.com>
Date: Sun Oct 27 16:53:00 2002

  I picked up a DECstation-3000/400 (aka PE40A) at the flea market recently.
It powers up OK (the power light comes on, the fans run, and checking the
voltages on the power supply connector gives reasonable results) and all
eight LEDs on the back panel turn on, but after that nothing. There's no
video that I can find from the PMAGD card; there's no RS232 output on the
console/printer port; changing S3 has no effect on either of these results,
and the eight LEDs never change (always a bad sign!).

  I tried removing all the SCSI devices and all the Turbo channel cards
(including the PMAG) just in case one of them was hanging it up, but it
made no difference. Now there's nothing in there except the power supply,
the mother board, and eight SIMMs on four riser cards. Same results.

  I have lots of VAXes, but this is my first Alpha machine and there might
be something I don't know. Am I doing something stupid, or is it just dead?

  BTW, I only paid $1 for it, so I won't feel bad no matter what :-)

Thanks,
Bob Armstrong
Received on Sun Oct 27 2002 - 16:53:00 GMT