[jan-jaap]

Also, from memory, I think the numeral after the model number is the amount of battery-backed storage the in chip.  Good to know putting in a larger storage chip isn't an issue. But I think that's all it is.

Interesting.  I had assumed that the -120 and -150 were access times:  i.e., 120ns and 150ns parts like so many RAM chips with similar suffixes.  But I don't know where that assumption came from.

I think you are right.

Maybe weblacky got the Dallas chip mixed up with the yellow snaphat battery. That one comes in two versions, where the suffix indicates the battery capacity.

[weblacky]

Ah,
yeah, I should have looked up the datasheet, I thought it was the KB of the battery-backed NVRAM storage. it's just the access time, which is....lame to even differentiate with such little difference between the two values.

[packrat]

Hello, I have a O300 where the TOD went bad. I replaced the battery like you guys have done int this thread. when I go to power up I get this message:
06/15/20 19:55:10 Invalid SSN format.
06/15/20 19:55:10 SSN: L0000000
06/15/20 19:55:10 First character must be 'M'

the system will not go any further in booting up.

In searching I have seen some mention of needing a SGI temporary security Key to do a manual assignment.
Any suggestion as to what I can to do to get the system back up?

Thanks for any help!

[Raion]

You need an L2 controller or a machine running the L2 emulator poking around to reset the serial number. Alternatively, you can numalink another O300 to it and reset the S/N that way.

Would you by chance be Packrat691 on eBay?

[packrat]

Hello, Thank you for the advice, unfortunately i do not have a L2 or other O300 to NUMAlink. However on that thought do you think a O350 would NUMAlink to the O300 without damage?

To your question, yes that's me.

[Raion]

I believe you /can/. They both use the same numalink protocol and I believe at least one other person here has done it. However I'd hold off until someone confirms for real.

And hey, welcome. Hopefully we can see more of your stuff for sale here.

[indy99]

Hello, I have a O300 where the TOD went bad. I replaced the battery like you guys have done int this thread. when I go to power up I get this message:
06/15/20 19:55:10 Invalid SSN format.
06/15/20 19:55:10 SSN: L0000000
06/15/20 19:55:10 First character must be 'M'

the system will not go any further in booting up.

In searching I have seen some mention of needing a SGI temporary security Key to do a manual assignment.
Any suggestion as to what I can to do to get the system back up?

Thanks for any help!

If you have access / can borrow an L2 controller or the L3 software version, that's the safest route. Assign your preferred SSN to the L2 or L3 and it will write that info when you connect it to / boot your O300.

You can numalink an O300 and O350, but some care will be required. You'll want to be certain the system with the good serial number is the master, or it will also end up with a bad s/n.  Been quite some time, but best I can recall slave assignment is done by via the rackid setting. The Ip35 field engineers handbook will have the necessary details. There are PDF copies of that handbook floating around, but if push comes to shove run the help command at an L1 prompt and look for the rack I'd section.

BTW I think the quick key you're thinking of is "let the carnage begin", but as the name suggests, I'd use that one with some caution.

[jpstewart]

What version of the L1 firmware is your O300 running?  Older versions don't require the  security key to change the serial number.  The "help" text says they do, but reality is that they don't.

My machine has 1.2x L1 firmware that lets me re-set the serial number with no security key required.  I've flashed the secondary firmware image with 1.4x which won't let me change things.  So it's just a few L1 commands to switch to the older firmware image, reboot the L1 controller, change the serial number, and then switch back to the up-to-date firmware.

If you have or can get an older firmware image into the L1, you can easily re-set the serial number.  I don't know exactly when the change was made to require the security key. Somewhere between 1.2x and 1.4x, though.

[jan-jaap]

I believe at least one other person here has done it.

I think that was Regan Russel a.k.a. PymbleSoftware from Nekochan.

[Raion]

I thought his name was Robert Pymble. No?