27 Aug
2015
27 Aug
'15
8:28 p.m.
Hi,
I fired my VAXstation 4000 Model 60 up after a while dormant and it
keeps asking me for a language in the SRM prompt after the self-test.
I know it asked for it previously but I don't remember it needing it
more than once, particularly between power switch cycles.
Is there an issue here, maybe a dead battery I need to look at somewhere
or something else?
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
27 Aug
27 Aug
8:53 p.m.
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the battery is probably ?gone. It may be
replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
It did boot, right?
Hans
? Origineel bericht ?
Van: Mark Benson
Verzonden: donderdag 27 augustus 2015 20:28
Aan: DECtec
Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Cc: HECnet
Onderwerp: [HECnet] VAXstation 4000/60 parameter RAM?
Hi,
I fired my VAXstation 4000 Model 60 up after a while dormant and it
keeps asking me for a language in the SRM prompt after the self-test.
I know it asked for it previously but I don't remember it needing it
more than once, particularly between power switch cycles.
Is there an issue here, maybe a dead battery I need to look at somewhere
or something else?
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
9:03 p.m.
El 27/08/2015, a les 20:53, Hans Vlems <hvlems at
zonnet.nl> va escriure:
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the battery is probably gone. It may be
replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
It did boot, right?
Hans
The battery can?t be replaced by itself, since it is embedded in the TOY chip, which is a
DS1287A. That chip is not made anymore, but there is a drop-in replacement (Maxim
DS12887A) which can be obtained quite easyly. The datasheet is this one:
http://datasheets.maximintegrated.com/en/ds/DS12885-DS12C887A.pdf
Alternatively, it is posible to plug in another battery to the dead DS1287A:
http://www.mcamafia.de/mcapage0/dsrework.htm
I try to do it and failed, so I got some 12887 to keep my 4000? running.
10:04 p.m.
On 27/08/2015 19:53, Hans Vlems wrote:
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the
battery is probably gone. It may be replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
Nope. It doesn't look like the battery is still working then.
It did boot, right?
Yeah, it works just fine, just like when I last used it. Apart from the
time was wonky (battery) and the licenses have all expired ;)
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
11:06 p.m.
Hello!
Mark, Jordi is right, the original part number isn't made anymore,
worse luck, but MAXIM does make a drop in replacement as he shown.
They are designed to have a (approximately) five year life time, so
when did you last use your rig? You're what, based in the UK? Farnell
is your best bet there.
-----
Gregg C Levine gregg.drwho8 at gmail.com
"This signature fought the Time Wars, time and again."
On Thu, Aug 27, 2015 at 4:04 PM, Mark Benson <md.benson at gmail.com> wrote:
On 27/08/2015 19:53, Hans Vlems wrote:
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the battery is probably
gone. It may be replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
Nope. It doesn't look like the battery is still working then.
It did boot, right?
Yeah, it works just fine, just like when I last used it. Apart from the time
was wonky (battery) and the licenses have all expired ;)
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
11:36 p.m.
On 27/08/2015 22:06, Gregg Levine wrote:
Hello!
Mark, Jordi is right, the original part number isn't made anymore,
worse luck, but MAXIM does make a drop in replacement as he shown.
They are designed to have a (approximately) five year life time, so
when did you last use your rig? You're what, based in the UK? Farnell
is your best bet there.
Gregg: It was last switched on about 9 months ago, before that it was
used once every few months. If the TOY clock has ever been replaced I'd
be surprised. Is there a way to test the battery voltage on the TOY
clock pins?
I can land a new one off eBay for 10GBP, I suspect Farnell will charge a
lot more but the resulting item will at least be guaranteed.
Brian: Yep, my Alpha PWS 500au takes a standard coin cell.
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
11:58 p.m.
I didn't bother with the replacement units. It's far cheaper to write down the
boot parameters and set the Sysgen variable that forces vms to ask for the date and time.
I have 7 4000 model 60's and 3 90A's, so that would set me back ?150...
Hans
? Origineel bericht ?
Van: Mark Benson
Verzonden: donderdag 27 augustus 2015 22:04
Aan: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Onderwerp: Re: [HECnet] VAXstation 4000/60 parameter RAM?
On 27/08/2015 19:53, Hans Vlems wrote:
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the
battery is probably gone. It may be replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
Nope. It doesn't look like the battery is still working then.
It did boot, right?
Yeah, it works just fine, just like when I last used it. Apart from the
time was wonky (battery) and the licenses have all expired ;)
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
28 Aug
28 Aug
12:05 a.m.
It's nice there are multiple solutions to the problem!
M.
On 27/08/15 23:58, Hans Vlems wrote:
I didn't bother with the replacement units.
It's far cheaper to write down the boot parameters and set the Sysgen variable that
forces vms to ask for the date and time. I have 7 4000 model 60's and 3 90A's, so
that would set me back ?150...
Hans
Origineel bericht
Van: Mark Benson
Verzonden: donderdag 27 augustus 2015 22:04
Aan: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Onderwerp: Re: [HECnet] VAXstation 4000/60 parameter RAM?
On 27/08/2015 19:53, Hans Vlems wrote:
Did it remember ?its bootdevice? If not then the
battery is probably gone. It may be replaced, but I've never taken the trouble.
Nope. It doesn't look like the battery is still working then.
It did boot, right?
Yeah, it works just
fine, just like when I last used it. Apart from the
time was wonky (battery) and the licenses have all expired ;)
9:14 a.m.
On 27/08/2015 22:58, Hans Vlems wrote:
I didn't bother with the replacement units.
It's far cheaper to write down the boot parameters
In my case that's pretty easy, just Language 4 and hit the interrupt
switch and boot DKA0, so it's no sweat really :)
and set the Sysgen variable that forces vms to ask for the date and time.
Do you have the details of that variable?
I have 7 4000 model 60's and 3 90A's, so that would set me back ?150...
EEP! Yeah I see the issue there! :)
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
9:24 a.m.
On Fri, 28 Aug 2015 08:14:32 +0100, Mark Benson wrote:
SETTIME in SYSGEN :)
Set it to 1 and VMS will ask for date and time at every boot. Anyway, if the
battery is completely dead, the TOY clock should stay at zero, and that should
be enough to trigger the date and time request.
HTH,
G.
and set the
Sysgen variable that forces vms to ask for the date and time.
Do you have the details of that variable?
3:42 p.m.
Yup, that's what my memory thought it was. I've learned to mistrust my own memory
s?ubsystem somewhat....
Anyway, SETTIME set to 1 makes VMS behave like standalone backup: it asks for the date and
(optionally) time.
Hans
? Origineel bericht ?
Van: G.
Verzonden: vrijdag 28 augustus 2015 09:24
Aan: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Beantwoorden: hecnet at Update.UU.SE
Onderwerp: Re: [HECnet] VAXstation 4000/60 parameter RAM?
On Fri, 28 Aug 2015 08:14:32 +0100, Mark Benson wrote:
SETTIME in SYSGEN :)
Set it to 1 and VMS will ask for date and time at every boot. Anyway, if the
battery is completely dead, the TOY clock should stay at zero, and that should
be enough to trigger the date and time request.
HTH,
G.
and set the
Sysgen variable that forces vms to ask for the date and time.
Do you have the details of that variable?
7:09 p.m.
On 28/08/2015 14:42, Hans Vlems wrote:
Yup, that's what my memory thought it was.
I've learned to mistrust my own memory s?ubsystem somewhat....
Anyway, SETTIME set to 1 makes VMS behave like standalone backup: it asks for the date
and (optionally) time.
Hans
OpenVMS 7.3 appears to save the time when you shut it down and resume
from that time when you boot it up. When I started mine it was still on
August 2014. Like a fool I set the time correctly (and invalidated all
my licenses).
I just booted it up again and it thinks it's 8:49pm last night. Which is
when I shut it down yesterday.
--
Mark @ DECtec.info
twitter.com/DECtecInfo
3374
days inactive
3375
days old
11 comments
6 participants
participants (6)
-
gerry77＠mail.com -
gregg.drwho8＠gmail.com -
hvlems＠zonnet.nl -
jg＠jordi.guillaumes.name -
mark＠wickensonline.co.uk -
md.benson＠gmail.com