Re: Sun Enterprise 3500 server boot/video issue

From: Matthias Schulz (stratix_at_gmx.de)
Date: 11/17/04 

Date: Wed, 17 Nov 2004 13:32:42 +0100

David Kirkby schrieb:
> First, I don't know that hardware, but I think there are a couple of
> points you should perhaps clarify, before anyone can help you.
>
>> I've just inhereted a Sun Enterprise 3500 server (4 processors and from
>> what I can tell 1GB RAM) and know little about its operation. Tonight I
>> powered it up to get a better idea of what I've got, and even though it
>> powered on, fans kicked in, and the hard drive spins up, I get no
>> video at
>> all.
>
>
> What monitor are you using? It is a Sun one? Does it have the standard
> Sun (13W3) or VGA connector ?
>
> Do you have a keyboard connected? A Sun will work quite hapilly without
> one, but it will not spit video out of the monitor connection, but
> instead down the serial port.
>
>> No beep codes, no error signals of any kind. Just no video. I
>> reseated all of the cards in the back to make sure that wasn't the issue
>> and it still acts the same. Then I pulled an old PCI video card from
>> stock
>> and installed it into the system... same issue. No video.
>
>
> When you say that, do you mean you took a non-Sun PCI video card?

You cannot put a PCI video card in a E3500 unless you are the lucky
owner of a board that supports PCI on a E3500 - or do the x500 have such
a board as common equipment ? I'd like to get one of these PCI-capable
boards for my E5000 ........ (btw, it's SUN P/N : 501-3023 or 501-4881)

>
>> Like I said, I don't know much about this system at all (read _zero_)
>> si U
>
>
> I guess you must be plugging the monitor in somewhere, but it is quite
> possible a server like that would have no framebuffer (video card in PC
> language) fitted.
>
> As I say, I don't know the hardware, but I suggest you dig around, find
> serial port A, wire up a null modem cable (look on a Sun related web
> site to find out the *exact* way to do it), and connect hyperterminal
> and run 9600,n,1 and look what comes out the serial port with no
> keyboard connected when powered up.

That's about the best thing, you can do. And, be VERY patient ! My E5000
takes up to 5 minutes until video is shown on the screen ..... it has a
lot of POST / OBP tests to run through. But after these 5 minutes,
graphics should show up on your SUN (13W3) monitor. And, certainly, a
keyboard must be plugged in.

Best reagrds,
Matthias