DECstation-3000/400 Questions

From: Peter C. Wallace <pcw_at_mesanet.com>
Date: Sun Oct 27 17:49:01 2002

On Sun, 27 Oct 2002, Bob Armstrong wrote:

>
> 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!).

If the LEDS dont change it maybe a problem with power-good from the power
supply (resulting in reset never being released)


>
> 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 would guess the problem is much earlier and more basic than anthing I/O
related, if the LEDS are stuck at FF, the CPU never started...

>
> 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?

Sounds dead to me... (Though it could possibly be resurrected)

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

Peter Wallace
Received on Sun Oct 27 2002 - 17:49:01 GMT