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woolsherpahat
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 Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:18 am Post subject: Ultra5 won't POST |
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I have an UltraSPARC5 that won't post. It came to me without a hard drive so I installed a Western Digital 10GB that I had spare. I can't get it turn on using the switch on keyboard or on the front of the case, I have to flip the switch on the power supply. Once it powers on I hear a single beep and the LEDs on the keyboard flash. Past this, nothing happens. The monitor LED still stays yellow for standby, I get no POST or any kind of visual output to speak of.
I don't know Sun hardware well enough to even know where to begin, does anyone have any ideas?
Thanks.
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inode77
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 1:57 am Post subject: |
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| Connect via serial port, Sun HW is fully useable through console; OpenBootPROM and all. |
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 3:41 am Post subject: |
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I don't have a serial cable, is there any other way to solve this problem?
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inode77
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| Posted: Tue Apr 12, 2005 12:05 pm Post subject: |
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Not that I know of. (Maybe it's just a config switch that disables video out, maybe a defective ati-rage on your mobo.....)
Ask #gentoo-sparc on freenode maybe they know a solution. |
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apaton
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| Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 3:19 pm Post subject: |
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| 10k1 wrote: | | I don't have a serial cable, is there any other way to solve this problem? |
When you have problems with Sun kit you do need to a basic serial cable to understand things.
See service manual on cable requirments or http://www.stokely.com/unix.serial.port.resources/A-B-Ycablepinout.html
But try these anyway milage may vary.
If you have a Sun keyboard, locate the STOP button (top left)
By pass post
With the Stop key held down, turn on the system by pressing the Standby (Power)
Reset NVRAM (Sun version of CMOS)
To set the system NVRAM parameters to the original default settings:
1. Press and hold the Stop and N keys while powering on the system
2. Continue to hold the Stop and N keys until the system banner displays on the monitor.
Ultra 5 service manual. http://www.sun.com/products-n-solutions/hardware/docs/pdf/805-7763-12.pdf
HTH
apaton
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Last edited by apaton on Thu Apr 14, 2005 9:45 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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stonent
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| Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2005 8:39 pm Post subject: |
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Some Sun's take a few minutes before displaying anything (on the off chance your FB is still active) Especially if they have diagnostic mode enabled.
My UltraAXe has a jumper on the motherboard to disable video. I'd check that as well.
For a serial cable, just go to a store and get a null modem cable with appropriate ends. (I use a serial laplink cable on mine) then use minicom or something similar to read the display.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 6:57 pm Post subject: |
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@apaton
I tried to bypass POST as well as reset the NVRAM without luck.
@stonet
I let it sit idle for about five minutes with no improvement. As far as I know there is no motherboard pins that controls monitor output, at least if there is the service manual doesn't list it.
I'm going to go buy a serial -> USB (My other computer's a Mac) today and see if I can get anything out of the serial console. There's also some possibilty the power supply might be bad, so I'll swap it out and try a different one.
Thanks for everyone's help.
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stonent
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| Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 7:41 pm Post subject: |
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You will still need a null modem adaptor on the end of the serial port otherwise you won't see anything.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:36 pm Post subject: |
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Okay, I'm back from the computer store with a 250% overpriced USB -> DB9 cable that doesn't work.
At the very least I need male -> female adapters and this null modem thing?
What exactly is a null modem?
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stonent
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| Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:37 pm Post subject: |
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| woolsherpahat wrote: | Okay, I'm back from the computer store with a 250% overpriced USB -> DB9 cable that doesn't work.
At the very least I need male -> female adapters and this null modem thing?
What exactly is a null modem? |
Without it, it would be like using a telephone upside down.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2005 8:40 pm Post subject: |
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| stonent wrote: | | woolsherpahat wrote: | Okay, I'm back from the computer store with a 250% overpriced USB -> DB9 cable that doesn't work.
At the very least I need male -> female adapters and this null modem thing?
What exactly is a null modem? |
Without it, it would be like using a telephone upside down. |
Ah, makes sense. Thanks for a non-techinical explaination for dumb people like me.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 6:30 pm Post subject: |
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A further update:
I still haven't been able to get my hands on the right serial cable but I have a few more questions. I can't even get it to turn on using either the button on the case or the button on the keyboard. I have to manually flip the switch on the back of the power supply. The CD-ROM tray won't go in and out if it's connected with an IDE cable to the motherboard. Do I have to have special IDE cables? Does it have to be set to specific cable setting? I have both my replacement hard drive and CD-ROM on seperate channels set as master, is this okay?
I suspect the power supply might be bad. Can I just swap in another ATX power supply?
Is there anything else I should look into?
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stonent
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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| woolsherpahat wrote: | A further update:
I still haven't been able to get my hands on the right serial cable but I have a few more questions. I can't even get it to turn on using either the button on the case or the button on the keyboard. I have to manually flip the switch on the back of the power supply. The CD-ROM tray won't go in and out if it's connected with an IDE cable to the motherboard. Do I have to have special IDE cables? Does it have to be set to specific cable setting? I have both my replacement hard drive and CD-ROM on seperate channels set as master, is this okay?
I suspect the power supply might be bad. Can I just swap in another ATX power supply?
Is there anything else I should look into? |
I think the power supply is proprietary.
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Magic Michael
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:22 pm Post subject: |
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| stonent wrote: |
I think the power supply is proprietary. |
I just opened my Ultra 5, the PSU looks like a normal 200W-ATX-PSU to me.
I used several "normal" IDE cables in Suns, so go tiger, try PC-equipment for this beast 
You can either jumper your drives as master or try cable select and connect them to the end of the IDE cable. |
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stonent
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:46 pm Post subject: |
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| Magic Michael wrote: | | stonent wrote: |
I think the power supply is proprietary. |
I just opened my Ultra 5, the PSU looks like a normal 200W-ATX-PSU to me.
I used several "normal" IDE cables in Suns, so go tiger, try PC-equipment for this beast
You can either jumper your drives as master or try cable select and connect them to the end of the IDE cable. |
Well well well, looks like I'm wrong:
Link
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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| Magic Michael wrote: | | stonent wrote: |
I think the power supply is proprietary. |
I just opened my Ultra 5, the PSU looks like a normal 200W-ATX-PSU to me.
I used several "normal" IDE cables in Suns, so go tiger, try PC-equipment for this beast
You can either jumper your drives as master or try cable select and connect them to the end of the IDE cable. |
The only other ATX power supply I have is a 350W, would that be too powerful to swap in?
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stonent
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 8:48 pm Post subject: |
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| woolsherpahat wrote: | | Magic Michael wrote: | | stonent wrote: |
I think the power supply is proprietary. |
I just opened my Ultra 5, the PSU looks like a normal 200W-ATX-PSU to me.
I used several "normal" IDE cables in Suns, so go tiger, try PC-equipment for this beast
You can either jumper your drives as master or try cable select and connect them to the end of the IDE cable. |
The only other ATX power supply I have is a 350W, would that be too powerful to swap in? |
It's not a matter of too powerful, that doesn't really matter. The wattage rating is the most it can safely feed to the system.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Mon Apr 25, 2005 9:06 pm Post subject: |
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It was the power supply!
I swapped my spare in and it booted up to OpenBoot PROM command line. Sweet!
Thanks for the help.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:18 am Post subject: |
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Alright, sorry to bother you again but I have another question. My replacement power supply is non-switchable type. It doesn't have that on/off switch on the back. This means as soon as I plug in the power cable the machine is turned on. Since the shutdown switch on keyboard and case won't work during POST the only way to turn off the computer is to pull to cable. Do I need a switchable power supply for this to work?
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stonent
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| Posted: Tue Apr 26, 2005 3:41 am Post subject: |
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You need to boot the OS and shut it down so that it powers off. Then the power button on the keyboard will work normally. If you pull the power again and plug it in, it will come on by itself.
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:38 pm Post subject: |
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Alright, sorry for bring this thread back from the dead but I have another SPARC-hardware related question. I'm trying to configure my wireless card and it's not being reconized like it should be. Is there anything special I have to do? I tried setting the local-mac-address? variable to true with no improvements.
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apaton
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| Posted: Wed May 18, 2005 11:53 pm Post subject: |
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| woolsherpahat wrote: | | Alright, sorry for bring this thread back from the dead but I have another SPARC-hardware related question. I'm trying to configure my wireless card and it's not being reconized like it should be. Is there anything special I have to do? I tried setting the local-mac-address? variable to true with no improvements. |
Ive got [EDIT] NO [EDIT] knowlege of installing a wireless card on SPARC, but Im 100% sure that your not going to see it at the OBP (OpenBootProm)
Only device which the OBP knowes about or has FCODE (FCODE = firmware on an PCI/SBUS device that will talk to OBP) will be seen at OBP level.
So comands like show-network or watch-net-all will not work with a wireless card.
Maybe Im way of course with my answer, but I just wanted to get in to double figures on the number of posts 
APATON
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woolsherpahat
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| Posted: Fri May 20, 2005 1:36 am Post subject: |
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Hmmm, well I guess that sort of rules that out. I just wondered if I had to "activate it" or something using some OBP command or variable.
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kalisphoenix
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| Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2005 7:58 pm Post subject: |
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| I just developed this problem last night after loading down my Ultra 10 with new hard drives. Does anyone know of any other information regarding this problem, and why exactly a Sun machine should shit itself when someone changes the hard drives (and, might I add, following all applicable precautions)? |
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