Real Time Clock - Printable Version
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Real Time Clock - Infiltratr - 09-21-2018
Do Octanes have a real-time clock/battery on the mainboards themselves?
Mine does not seem to be keeping the date and time when I turn it off but I can't see a battery there to try and replace?
RE: Real Time Clock - mosiniak - 09-22-2018
There is RTC with builtin battery. See the image (in the bottom on right hand side there is IC with alarm clock picture on it). It is RTC with builtin battery.
![[Image: octane_motherboard_front.jpg]](http://bukosek.si/hardware/collection/sgi-octane/img/octane_motherboard_front.jpg)
Probably You have to replace whole RTC (they are still available) or hack it and connect external battery to internal contacts.
RE: Real Time Clock - bjames - 09-22-2018
I thought the battery hack to the Dallas chip was only relevant on older sgi,s like the Indy. The octane has a battery on the front plane that also stores the system identification. So the octane doesn’t suffer from the memory loss if the Dallas chip runs out of power which = an easy recovery. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
RE: Real Time Clock - mosiniak - 09-22-2018
(09-21-2018, 05:07 AM)Infiltratr Wrote: Mine does not seem to be keeping the date and time when I turn it off
I focused myself on RTC. If there is second battery - I don't know.
RE: Real Time Clock - jan-jaap - 09-22-2018
(09-22-2018, 03:51 AM)bjames Wrote: I thought the battery hack to the Dallas chip was only relevant on older sgi,s like the Indy. The octane has a battery on the front plane that also stores the system identification. So the octane doesn’t suffer from the memory loss if the Dallas chip runs out of power which = an easy recovery. Please correct me if I’m wrong.
Yeah you're wrong.
The battery on the front plane that also stores the system identification *only* stores the system ID and isn't a battery at all. It's a 1-wire iButton device
The difference with an Indy is that the Indy stores the system ID in the Dallas so when it runs out, the MAC address is random and the network doesn't initialize.
It's still probably a good idea to replace or rework the Dallas when it runs out. At the very least it will keep the time and stop complaining about a preposterous date in the filesystem at boot.
RE: Real Time Clock - bjames - 09-23-2018
So the Dallas chip on the octane is similar to the Indy where there is a battery in cased in the chip?
RE: Real Time Clock - Infiltratr - 10-04-2018
Thanks, guys
.I have bought a few of these to replace them on the mainboard.
https://www.ebay.com.au/itm/1pcs-DS1687-5-Maxim-Real-Time-Clock-3V-5V-RTC/263932311765?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
I think I could hack them aok but if I only need to change an IC once every 15 years (and it's even in a chip carrier) I can do that and it would look better imo
(09-23-2018, 02:14 AM)bjames Wrote: So the Dallas chip on the octane is similar to the Indy where there is a battery in cased in the chip?
yep, seems to be.
The chip number is DS1687-5
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7pJ2F6OjyIU
RE: Real Time Clock - stormy - 05-26-2019
I'm from the Atari community and have knowledge of the Dallas RTC in the Atari Falcon. The Atari community have created a few different replacements for the Dallas RTC chip which incorporate a standard coin cell.
I was wondering if the chips could be compatible, if they are we could replace the Dallas inside our Octanes with Atari Falcon RTC replacements with coin cells.
The Octanes RTC:
https://uk.farnell.com/maxim-integrated-products/ds1687-5/rtc-w-nv-sram-242byte-edip-24/dp/2515431
The Falcons RTC:
https://eu.mouser.com/ProductDetail/Maxim-Integrated/DS12887A+?qs=0Y9aZN%252BMVCW5MO2pWUs%252BYA==
Examples of Falcon replacement coin cell units:
https://www.exxoshost.co.uk/atari/last/storenew/#0089
https://centuriontech.eu/product/rtc-falcon030/
RE: Real Time Clock - Trippynet - 05-26-2019
Jan-jaap has done this kind of "surgery" with some Dallas chips previously, albeit in a slightly more bodgey way. His method (if I recall) was to use a dremel to grind away a bit of the casing of the Dallas chip to expose the internal connections to the battery. By severing these and soldering the connectors to a coin-cell holder (stuck onto the top of the Dallas chip), you end up with a Dallas chip with a replaceable battery.
Saying that, a more bespoke unit like those Falcon ones does look good! I don't know enough about how the Dallas chips for SGIs work though to know if this kind of unit would be feasible or not. Very nice idea though!
Edit: The result looks like this: https://hackaday.com/2017/01/06/keep-an-old-real-time-clock-module-ticking/
RE: Real Time Clock - Trippynet - 05-26-2019
It is a risky fix, but worth a shot. I might have to try it when batteries in either my Fuel or Indigo2 give up. The Indigo2 still has the original Dallas in it from when I bought it from Ian, the Fuel's has been replaced, however I (foolishly) didn't keep the dead one. I do have a spare for the Fuel, but nothing for the Indigo2.