[weblacky]

OK, those VRM message are somewhat normal, I have that too everytime I boot. Do you get an L1 > prompt?

Try pressing the Enter key on the terminal to let it know you want a prompt. If you don't send any key presses I don't think you get a prompt because it's not interactive yet, just a display. If not, try rebooting and pressing a key repeatedly much earlier and see if it tries to get you a prompt.

Then try what I suggested above (read off your Serial sticker first, on the back of the tezro).

0000000 is whatever your serial is.

Try the: serial set 0000000

Then: reboot_l1

Then: serial

and check if it's repeating back what you typed, if so...you should be set. But this is conjecture give this is how it's done for Fuel. So we'll find things as we go.

[hamei]

OK, those VRM message are somewhat normal, I have that too everytime I boot.  Do you get an L1 > prompt?

Try pressing the Enter key on the terminal to let it know you want a prompt.  If you don't send any key presses I don't think you get a prompt because it's not interactive yet, just a display.

Ctrl-T and ctrl-D will toggle you back and forth between terminal mode and display mode (that's what I'm guessing those stand for) on the L1.  It's a bit of a pita imo but .... every time I have no display, I do one or the other and she comes back.

[khral]

No, I didn't get L1 > prompt.
I have try Ctrl-T and Ctrl-D and press Enter key repeatedly as you suggest, only get warnings about VRMs and no L1 prompt, the terminal seems not respond to key press either.
The null-modem cable I use is possibly the wrong type.
I'll try to find the proper cable or build the cable my self to see if it was the cable that was the problem.

[jwhat]

Hi Khral,

you have got to the same point as me.

Without an initialised DALLAS chip you are stuck.

Hamei , has pretty much confirmed this by putting chip from Fuel into O350 and everything is ok, but when I put DALLS chip from Numalink router I get same thing you are seeing and am unable to get to L1.

I do not think this an issue with cable... you are getting diagnostic so cable is ok.

Have a look inside the machine near where the L1 display connects and see if the LED is cycling red/green.

This indicates that the L1 boot if failing (which I believe is the case here).

Cheers from Oz,


John

[khral]

jwhat:
There is only LED near a connector left of Dallas NVRAM and it lit green, no change after I plug the power.
btw, my Tezro is the tower version.

Apparently, My Tezro did initialize the NVRAM with correct IP53 WKSTN INTFC serial that was in my Tezro, but not the machine serial number.
There is also part of L1 console log is store in NVRAM starting at offset 665, but that log didn't output to serial console.
Attempting to edit the serial to my Tezro's serial and re-program the NVRAM result it revert the serial to P0000000 due to invalid checksum.

   
The first picture with NVRAM2.BIN is after I put the blank Dallas DS1742W-120 (pull the battery out so the content get erase)
   
and second picture with NVRAM3.BIN is when I repeatably press enter key as suggest and try to cycle the power on/off to try different keys.

[weblacky]

Just to finish the cable angle, could you use a multimeter to check that the pins are connected correctly and you don’t somehow have a cable missing transmission ability? The Tezro manual should have terminal cable pinout. Just make sure that’s what you have. You can absolutely make a terminal cable that receives only, lets just verify that the pinout is correct before we go through anything else (check our fundamentals).

Everything else in your output looked good, we just need to set the serial number, not getting a prompt doesn’t make sense so let’s just verify those aspects first afterwards we can move on.

Also if you using a USB TO RS323 adapter (I assume you’re not), that may be to your issue. Same issue with serial based GPS receivers, missing serial control lines make terminal mode not work correctly.

So just because you see text does not mean you have a full pinout, that’s not how serial terminals work. Some terminals work by software flow control, some by signals with hardware flow control. Many USB adapters don’t hook up hardware flow control lines, which would mean you couldn’t interact, just watch on the terminal.

Please very cable and if you’re using an adapter, verify it is prolific or ftd because the tend to hook up hardware flow control lines correctly. Most cheap adapter don’t not (google GPS forums for this issues, many Serial based GPS receivers also require hardware flow control and don’t work with many USB adapters).

[khral]

I'm using serial port on motherboard.
The old null-modem cable I use is 3 wire style, the manual says it the minium to connect to L1 console.
I have try using self build full null-modem cable (the wiring is from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_modem...Wiring.png) and still didn't get L1 prompt. :<

Edit: Looks like I may have to buy new interface board just for the Dallas NVRAM. Seen new one listed on ebay with hopefully a working Dallas in there.
This would be the most expensive mistake I made so far...

[weblacky]

Hi,
I’m not 100% sure about the pinout statement, I don’t read the 3-wire statement that way. The Tezro manual specifically warns if you use 3-wire you have to use TTYD command devices only...which we have no way of knowing if that’s what the L1 is doing. Since this isn’t in the OS. I assume that statement is made for terminals connected to Irix.

I’ve only used a full null-modem cable when dealing with any SGI, even cables I’ve made myself have full pin outs.

You’re right in that getting that info wasn’t easy, I found only a SINGLE reference to flow control on an SGI console port here: https://techpubs.jurassic.nl/manuals/065...259-PARENT


In short, the list of serial parameters is:

Baud 38400

No parity

8 data bits

1 stop bit

Hardware flow control on (RTS/CTS)

This documentation claims hardware flow control requires an “ask” for permission to send before sending.
https://www.commfront.com/pages/3-easy-s...ices#Step1

So, while I can’t be certain, your terminal key presses may not be sending anything at all?

I hate to be stickler, but can you please hook up a full null modem cable to make sure your correctly connected, using the above serial parameters? Then we’ll know for certain, you L1 isn’t restarting/crashing/rebooting. Your statements imply it’s waiting. Typing Ctrl+t should get you a prompt, let’s make sure you’re wired to ask for one.

If I’m wrong, then at least you’re now certain the L1 is ignoring you.

[jwhat]

hi Khral & co,

if you have two computers (or one with 2 serial ports), you can test null modem cable by doing terminal comms session between them. This will not validate hw flow control signaling , but should be sufficient for this purpose.

cheers from oz,


john.

[khral]

I have using self build full null-modem cable, checked the wiring and it was correct.
I try using putty and minicom on Linux and putty on Windows with the serial setting you provide, still not get L1 prompt.

Edit: Seems like it's the case of Tezro not getting L1 prompt when system serial number is missing from NVRAM.
I have ordered new interface board with (hopefully working) a Dallas NVRAM.
It will arrive in the next month, I'll give an update once it arrive.

Thank you all for help me diagnostic the problem. :)