IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
#1
IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
Just trying to revive an old R3000 Indigo 1, entry level graphics.

MB battery ok, PSU caps replaced (4x 3300 uF), PSU voltages are ok.

Boot tune plays, serial console is alive, all tests pass, except the graphics board: it is not detected at all.

Error-- cannot open console "gfx(0)"

The graphics board is not listed in hinv at all. Keyboard is connected and detected. Printenv shows gfx=dead (but not "no keyboard").

Already purchased a replacement gfx board, the same issue with it. I can't believe both cards are defective.

Any hint?
(This post was last modified: 01-22-2025, 09:53 PM by mc68k.)
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01-22-2025, 09:46 PM
#2
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
Your backplane is probably damaged.

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01-22-2025, 10:34 PM
#3
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
Meanwhile I have examined the backplane. It contains passive components only, except the EEPROM. I see no damage on the PCB. There are no elcaps. Contacts are cleaned with a contact cleaner spray. Measured the voltage when the CPU board and gfx board are plugged in. The voltages are okay.

Unfortunately I have no 2nd machine to test the CPU board and the gfx board.

Any idea?
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01-25-2025, 08:37 AM
#4
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
(01-25-2025, 08:37 AM)mc68k Wrote:  Meanwhile I have examined the backplane. It contains passive components only, except the EEPROM. I see no damage on the PCB. There are no elcaps. Contacts are cleaned with a contact cleaner spray. Measured the voltage when the CPU board and gfx board are plugged in. The voltages are okay.

Unfortunately I have no 2nd machine to test the CPU board and the gfx board.

Any idea?

I don’t have any personal experience with this machine. I own one, but I’ve never even started it because I have other things to get to. But since it appears to be a brutally basic connection problem (cannot even detect the presence of the card), I would assume you have a cracked solder joint in one or more places in your backplane or connector. So as was suggested I would go back to your backplane and very carefully use a multimeter to start toning out connections, and see if you can find a higher resistance connection or an intermittent connection that might explain this.
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01-25-2025, 03:18 PM
#5
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
As I have no spare machine to test the main system components (CPU board, gfx board, backplane), can someone conduct the following test:

1. in PROM system diagnostic when the lg1 board is installed issue the following command:

lg1_ginit

Results?

2. when the lg1 board is *removed*, issue the command:

lg1_ginit

Results?

Thank You! Smile
(This post was last modified: 01-26-2025, 06:30 PM by mc68k.)
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01-26-2025, 07:16 AM
#6
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
I was planning to test a ZuluSCSI device in the Indigo later this week, so I will run those commands and report back.

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01-28-2025, 11:37 AM
#7
RE: IRIS Indigo no gfx card detected
Unfortunately my only working Indigo at the moment is the R4000 with GR2 graphics, the PSU of the R3000 with LG1 isn't working at the moment.

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02-17-2025, 10:01 PM


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