Re: VAX-11/785 microdiagnostics help requested

iking@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx skrev:
Progress:

I've determined that the microdiagnostic monitor loads into LSI-11
memory just fine. However, its first block is all zeros - I've
verified in the listing that this is correct. So it loads a block of
zeros at 70000 (octal), with a jump instruction into the code at
71000. After loading this file, the console jumps to 70000, where of
course it halts. I note that the value in R1 is 70000. Does anyone
have any thoughts on this?

I've also tried loading the diagnostic supervisor. This wasn't
working. Then, while digging into the engineering drawings, I
realized that the TOY clock gets its power from the battery backup
unit, whether or not its batteries work (which, after all these years,
ours don't). Contrast this with any given MicroVAX, where the battery
backup is just that, and if the machine is powered up the TOY is
powered off the internal mains. Not on a VAX-11/78x.... After
reconnecting the BBU, I can successfully load and run the DS, and the
VAX autosizer reports all my devices - hooray! But I'd still like to
run some diagnostics....

Sounds somewhat similar to the 86x0 machines. If the BBU isn't ok, the TOY won't work, and the machine will not boot at all.
You just get dumped into uODT of the T11.
There is a way of cheating the 86x0 machines when the BBU don't work anymore (which is probably common if you have one, since the batteries are probably dead). The workaround is to strap a signal on the backplane, so that it looks like you have a power ok-signal from the BBU.

Does anyone out there have a copy of RX8 from the VAX-11 diag set
(also known as AS-E161N-DF), and RX25, AS-F748H-DE? I would be
incredibly grateful if someone can share a copy with me. I can
restore a disk image, or would be happy to pay for shipping both ways
of a couple of floppies for copying. I really want to run some
serious diagnostics on these olde beastes before launching into a VMS
install.... Thanks -- Ian

You know what files they contain?

Johnny

--
Johnny Billquist || "I'm on a bus
|| on a psychedelic trip
email: bqt@xxxxxxxxxx || Reading murder books
pdp is alive! || tryin' to stay hip" - B. Idol
.

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