[Info-vax] DEC 3000/900 bootup problem

[Vance Haemmerle]

Vance Haemmerle wrote:
> johnwallace4 at yahoo.co.uk wrote:
> 
>> On Jan 5, 10:46 am, Vance Haemmerle <va... at toyvax.Glendale.CA.US>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> It looks like the sun has set on my 3000/900 system.
>>> After removing and backing up my disks on another
>>> system (the system disk had one problem with a decw font
>>> that had a lost header - which I recovered from a backup
>>> and then it passed ANALYSE/DISK), now my system has a scsi
>>> hardware error on power up (?? 002 0008).  The console
>>> "test scsi" fails the data Trans test...
>>>
>>> ? T-ERR-SCSI A - Data Trans Test - nondma/virt inq data miscompare
>>>
>>> but "show device" correctly sees all the drives and sizes.  I
>>> removed all the drives I had pulled before and I still get the
>>> error. Perhaps I did something to the cables though they seem ok.
>>>
>>> -- 
>>> Vance Haemmerle
>>
>>
>>
>> Before you write this off forever...
>>
>> Have you done the obvious things like reseating memory (and, if
>> appropriate, IO) cards?
>>
>> Is there a more in-depth memory diagnostic on this box than the power-
>> on default check?
>>
>> Although it's been said earlier that "you've proved that the hardware
>> isn't at fault", that's not strictly true - you've just shown that the
>> hardware doesn't have any problems picked up by simple diagnostics.
>>
>> Others may well have other suggestions but those would be my first
>> recommendations.
> 
> 
> 
>   I did remove and reseat the memory.  I also put an external
> tape drive on the B (external bus) and it also showed a data
> trans test failure.  If the internal bus and external bus
> are completely cable separate (I believe they are) this may
> point to a controller problem.  Perhaps I disturbed it when
> I cleaned out dust from the system.
> 
>   There is an extensive memory test available from the
> SRM console ("test mem") that does read/write and address tests
> all of which pass.
> 
> -- 
> Vance Haemmerle


   I got a hold of a copy of the DEC 3000 600/600S/800/800S
Service manual.  Seeing where the Scsi controllers are makes
me think that cleaning the dust was not the reason as I did
not clean near the I/O board where both the scsi controller
and the battery backed TOY/NVR chip are.  In fact they are
on a board where the mounted components face inward and are
not exposed.

--
Vance Haemmerle