[itsvince725]

I have an Indigo2 that is faulty, and I want to use serial to see if I can get any kind of output from it since it does not POST or output video. I have a working Indy I plan to use as the terminal, and an Apple serial cable that should work. However, I cannot figure out how to configure the terminal within IRIX 5.3 to have the proper settings for serial transmission, and trying to find the answers via Googling wasn't helping. How can I do this?

[weblacky]

I've only done a serial to PC terminal connection on an Indigo2 recently (Serial 1), not using another SGI station as the terminal.

But I'll describe what I did anyway in case it helps you:

The cable I used was a cut up Apple ADB (Min Din 8) Male Cable with a serial DB9 connector I soldered on to it and used a NULL-MODEM Adapter between the DB9 serial cable end and the PC's serial port. I used TeraTerm for the terminal (Free Software) and it worked great!.

SGI Indigo2 Cable pin out is in the SGI Indigo2 Manual, it's called "Serial Devices Using a PC Adapter Cable". I made that cable and stuck a Null Modem adapter to it, the terminal settings I used were indicated on this website: https://software.majix.org/irix/admin-serial.shtml

Restated here:
9600, 8 bit, no parity, 1 stop bit, no flow = 9600 8n1

I did this on a good quality USB Serial adapter on an MS Surface Pro 3 as a portable terminal to "correct" the previous owner dumbly configuring the PROM never to show on the monitor!

I found however that I had to issue a "resetenv" in the PROM, but this PROM command doesn't come FROM the PROM, it comes from an active Irix installation! So I had to install Irix using the Surface Terminal interface to INST, then once running, I had to go back to the PROM (on MS Surface terminal only) and issue resetenv, and it worked...then PROM variables reset to Graphics. If I tried setting "setenv console g" it would say it took...but wouldn't cause the PROM to show! I tried all the variables I could find...in the end resetenv cured it...but it comes from a work Irix install (chicken/Egg) and can't be issued by Irix, it must be issued by PROM terminal.

I recommend you start there,

Good Luck!

[itsvince725]

I appreciate the idea but I don't have the money to buy tools to make cables at the moment...

[weblacky]

I bought the male to male serial mini din 8 for 2$ at my local PC Recycler and you could just buy and chop existing cables for under $5. But you'll have to use the signal assignments to map the correct pin out if you want to get it in one shot.

Either way, you'll need to make a cable. Don't expect a normal, straight, m/m cable to do anything.

Serial is all about the correct wire going to the correct pin position. You can't just re-assign pin functionality in software to emulate any cable you want (I wish we could do that). Without the correct cable, your plan won't work.

But you might get away with the "3-wire" dumb terminal cable pin out in the Indigo2 manual, by repeatedly twisting chopped adb cables ends together in cross over combinations until it works. All the signal wires are the same voltage so mismatched wiring shouldn't cause damage (no warranty in that statement).

Good luck.

Edited post: incorrectly labelled Mini din 8 as ADB, corrected.

[itsvince725]

This isn't an ADB cable, it's an 8 pin serial cable that came with an Apple printer.

[weblacky]

Ah, you're right, my jargon was off. I did pickup a mini-din 8 serial cables, yes apple serial modem cables were also around, I just found a lot of male to male 6ft cables new in package. I didn't buy the mini-din 8 to DB25 cables from my recycler, I thought it was a waste to cut them up.

If you cannot find a mini-din 8 cable to cut into I can sell you one new in bag, I have several and I'm not going to really use them. PM me if you're interested and I can provide pics of the cable. I'd be looking at $12, prices includes Small Package Priority USPS shipping to Lower 48 states. That would at least give you something to start with.

Let me know.

[NoodlesMcPastaMan]

Use a linux box, and install minicom. Super easy.

[itsvince725]

It's been a few days but I managed to get in via serial using an old Mac Color Classic and ZTerm. I have menus and error messages and honestly I don't know what any of them mean, aside from the obvious stuff like a faulty RAM SIMM and the keyboard and mouse not being connected.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7dYzv-XsAA-...=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7dY0kAXkAAl...=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7dY1lqXsAA2...=4096x4096

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/D7dY2dxWkAIJ...=4096x4096

However I still have no idea why the system wouldn't POST with the graphics board connected or how to access the contents of the PROM, so I didn't really accomplish anything...

[weblacky]

Ok, To be clear

Your pictures show you're at the PROM now. That menu is the SAME 5 item menu (just not in graphics) that's presented when you enter the PROM graphically. It also shows your Dallas RTC chip battery has likely (may have) failed (not a big issue, you can get replacements). The system starting and mounting shows you have some kind of OS installed and it's trying to boot. So things look pretty good for now...

Are you saying you don't get this same menu (on the serial terminal) when the graphic card is installed? I'm unsure I understand what's been tried here...now that you have terminal access. Can you please confirm if you get the same menu (via serial terminal) when your graphics card is installed and you have a keyboard and mouse hooked to it?

As I mentioned in my previous post, half the PROM commands seem to come from a working Irix install. So if that's not there (or messed up), many PROM commands will just produce an error.

Did you let it try to boot all the way, what happened then?

For my experience (stated earlier in the thread), I had a unit with an old OS install, the PROM would never come up, but when the OS fully booted...I did get a login (graphical) display on the monitor. I'm trying to see if that's what happening here to you as well. The last line I can make out of the pictures if the complaint of ec0 carrier (no ethernet plugged in), which isn't a big deal.

What happened afterwards? Did it boot to a login prompt on the serial terminal?

[itsvince725]

When the graphics card is installed the hard drive doesn't spin up. I have no idea if that's caused by being in a headless mode or something else but I'm not sure I'll even get a menu if I try booting with the graphics board fitted.