HP/DEC/Compaq

Hello

I got an Apollo 715/50 and try to get access to it through a serial cable. I startet the console-session with my Octane and just plugged the serial-cable out of my AlphaStation 200 right into the Apollo 715 and startet it. But nothing happens. Serial access to my AS200 always worked flawless.

The error-LEDs of my Apollo just shows that everything seems to be ok and it trys to boot from serveral things (disk, network and so on ...). But there is no disk yet and my two LED-monitors show nothing at all, no matter how I switch the DIPs of the internal graphicscard.

Question : What can I do? ^^

are you using a null-modem cable?

Hmmm, yes. I used it for serial access to my AlphaStation last time.

If I remember correct, 715 (and 712) needs to set your firmware environment to "switch" the console from VGA/PS2 to uart.
It's safe on 715 (it means you can always go back), it's not safe on 712 (it means … if you did a mistake … then you need to hack your console, to recover the firmware environment, which is saved on flash).

have you set the environment ? oh well, it requires a VGA monitor + a keyboard

p.s.
but! 715 should also have a special mode to force the console to the serial port, but I do not remember in details, you better read the 715 user manual.

Now I have a CRT-Monitor here. Its an 15inch IBM from the Netvista-Desktop-late-90's age, but still no picture. Does it not display anything until a Keyboard is plugged in? Oh, man ...

It looks like I have buy one of those crazy HIL Keyboards.

you should see a logo with a big "HP" written in the center of the screen, and if you press a key, you should stop the bootstrap in order to enter the firmware shell, but currently your monitor might be out of synchronism, the firmware enables you to set different frequencies, if you do not set it properly, or if your CRT is not compliant with that, you will get a black screen.

I do not know if there is a multi scan procedure, my Tektronix enables me to "try" a CRT resolution just pressing a few magic keys during the bootstrap. I do not know the 715 in deep details, so I really suggest you to read the UserManual , find the section where it explain how to force the console to the serial line without the need to set the firmware (if I remember good, 715 can do it, 712 can't), and try.

If it will fail again, you might also consider an hardware trouble: RAM fault ? dust in the RAM socket ? something on the BUS which causes faults ? Giving an eye to the troubleshooting section of the UserManual may really help.

Yes, I forgot that this IBM-PC Monitor is not sync-on-green capable. I also tried my Fujitsu Siemens B19-5 TFT, which I use for my SGI Workstations through a 13w3 adapter, so that means that it is sync-on-green-capable, but no picture with my Apollo

The Apollo 715/50 has an internal graphics card with a DIP-switch to chance resolutions ... like 1024x768-72Hz. That shouldn't be a problem for my TFT-Monitor, i guess. And the error LED indicate that the computer tries to boot from Disk. I think, it wouldn't do that if there is something wrong with the CPU or RAM.

Hmm, now I will just wait for my HIL Keyboard.

Don't forget that a lot of TFTs have trouble with refresh rates above 60Hz. I'd try it with that first of all if possible.

ups, I have an 715-EISA expansion for sale, it's here collecting dust, so you can have it for just 1 euro + shipping.

I did it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes!!!!

The HIL Keyboard was delivered this morning and since I still have no output on the screen, I had to stop the boot process, navigate through the menu and chance the console output blindly! It took two hours! My nerves are wrecked, but i'm happy

ivelegacy wrote: ups, I have an 715-EISA expansion for sale, it's here collecting dust, so you can have it for just 1 euro + shipping.

I already have two of those, but thanks

55cancri wrote: The HIL Keyboard was delivered this morning and since I still have no output on the screen, I had to stop the boot process, navigate through the menu and chance the console output blindly!

Didn't you know you could press the tab key repeatedly during PROM initialization to have it cycle through video modes, until you'd find one your screen would display?

miod wrote:

55cancri wrote: The HIL Keyboard was delivered this morning and since I still have no output on the screen, I had to stop the boot process, navigate through the menu and chance the console output blindly!

Didn't you know you could press the tab key repeatedly during PROM initialization to have it cycle through video modes, until you'd find one your screen would display?

Hmm, the 715/50 only has a DIP-Switch for different resolutions and I also googled all these tricks to change the Outputdevice, but none of these tricks work on the 715/50 type. Like pressing the TOC-Button at boottime or removing the graphicscard, which isn't possible.

You can even totally mess the output up if you type somthing wrong into the outputvariable of the Bios. So, I think the Apollo 715/50 is a pretty nasty machine, but now I finally have serial output

55cancri wrote: You can even totally mess the output up if you type somthing wrong into the outputvariable of the Bios

to the environment, but the 715 has a " restoration " procedure that will restore the env to the default, while 712 has no " restoration " procedure, so … toying with the environment might be dangerous!


example, video mode change (not dangerous, you can resume pressing TAB during the bootstrap)


example of dangerous setting, ISL is loaded by the HPUX media, and if you type it wrong … your console is lost until you will desolder the NvRAM and restore it to the default value


715 has a similar procedure, but there is an hw setting which will force the NvRam to be restored to the default. For details check the UserManual, sorry I do not remember and I do not have any note like the above.

Hmmm, the 715-Manual says nothing about 'restoration' or setting back to default variables : http://ftp.parisc-linux.org/docs/platfo ... ndbook.pdf

... and not even how to chance resolutions with the tab key, or a 'monitor' bootstrap command is mentioned there. It looks like the 712 is not so very similar to the 715. The 712 came two years later.

Check out openpa.net

The 712 is most similar to the second generation of 715 machines like the 715/100XC.

I also remember the TOC button: if you hold if for 10 seconds after you hit power, then the HP715/50 should switch the console to the first serial

ivelegacy wrote: I also remember the TOC button: if you hold if for 10 seconds after you hit power, then the HP715/50 should switch the console to the first serial

Sorry, but this also doesn't work ^^ I tried it myself after reading this ---> http://wiki.NetBSD.org/ports/hp700faq/

Man, this machine just throws every rock in your way it can ^^

have you already tried to threaten it ?

something like - dear HP715, you should stop expecting from me to be patient about things you believe I will not put in practice if you do not obey my orders, so you have two choices: or you choose to put the damn console on the damn serial port, or you will be have a " full-immersion " about your duties -

sometimes, it works

Wait! I will test this later ... now I have another Problem.

I installed NetBSD 5 over Network which worked fine so far. But when I try to boot this fscking 715 from disk, which costs two weeks of sweat and tears, it just stops at single user mode and I don't see why. No error messages, rc.conf and fstab are configured.

fstab :
/dev/sd0a / ffs rw 1 1
/dev/sd0b none swap sw,dp 0 0
/dev/sd0d /usr ffs rw 1 2
kernfs /kern kernfs rw
ptyfs /dev/pts ptyfs rw
procfs /proc procfs rw

'rc_configured=YES' is enabled in rc.conf