Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!ogicse!decwrl!ucbvax!ICAEN.UIOWA.EDU!dbfunk
From: dbfunk@ICAEN.UIOWA.EDU (David B Funk)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apollo
Subject: Re: Dwarf Disk Drives
Message-ID: <9008290852.AA07622@icaen.uiowa.edu>
Date: 29 Aug 90 08:46:58 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: Iowa Computer Aided Engineering Network, University of Iowa
Lines: 53

> In article <2437@polari.UUCP> lampi@polari.UUCP (Michael Lampi) writes:
> >I have a couple of Maxtor XT8760E disk drives connected to a DN-3500, and
> >have run into a couple of problems:
>
>   2. Power-on diagnostics fail at the first disk test:
>      Self test failed
>      Test #1
>      Expected 00000000 actual=00000011 addr=01001000 pc=00007B24
>   3. Mnemonic Debugger commands attempting to access the drive(s) fail,
>      but DEX works perfectly and reports no problems.
>       That is, using the WIN.DEX diagnostic loaded from a partner node and
>       operating on the local disk.
> .
> 
> Add the following information:
>     4. CPU motherboard revision is 6.
>     5. O.S. is 10.2
>     6. When booted from a partner we have no problems accessing the drive.
>
> Sounds like a motherboard rev problem to me, but HP Service wants $ to
> replace the motherboard so it will work with the HP-supplied WD controller,
> even though the 3500 is under maintenance.
> 
> Any other ideas before the money is spent?

My bet would be a mother board problem, either a real failure or just
a boot ROM compatability problem. If I'm reading your symptoms right, the
ONLY time there's a problem is when you ask the MD (boot ROM monitor) to
talk to the disk. Software loaded into the node (DEX, the OS, INVOL, SALVOL,
etc) like it & have no problems. So it just looks like the boot ROM isn't
a happy camper. Here's one easy check:

There are TWO different kinds of DN3500 mother boards, the original
with a part number of 011858 and a newer layout with a part number
of 015652. (Rumor has it that the engineers figured out how to
reduce the number of layers needed and came up with a new layout that
was cheaper to produce).  The WD7000 controller will NOT work with
early versions of either board, there are minimum board revision numbers
for use with the WD controller. According to the references that I've
seen they are:

CPU #       minimum rev #
011858          rev 09
015652          rev 04

So if your CPU is part # 011858, then your revision 6 is too old to
understand the WD controller. The only guaranteed fix would be to get
the board up-reved (replaced).

One trick that might get you by: if you can find a DN3500 with a 011858 rev 9
CPU board, you might be able to clone its boot ROM & use it in your machine.

Dave Funk