Octane doesn't powering up while upgrading CPU module...

[Eric Belhomme]

Hi,

I just received a refurbished CPU module for my Octane : a dual R12000 at
300 Mhz to replace my simple R12000 at 300Mhz... But it seem to doesn't
work !

When I place the new module on my system board, and then powering up, I
can hear the PSU powers up, and fans are blowing, but nothing on screen,
and no LEDs on frontside (no red light, no white light... nothing !)

From the throubleshooting on the Octane Owner Guide this means 3
possibilities :
- system board not seated,
- CPU module defective,
- front board defective.

I tried all the evening yesterday to get the module works, in vain :( So
as the Octane works again when I replace the original CPU module, I think
I can deduce the problem is localized on the new CPU module I received ?

Or maybe there is something to do ? (jumper or I don't know what) but I
found nothing on the Octane Owner Guide...

I precise my Octane is equiped with a Cherokee PSU and a V6 card, and
running IRIX 6.5.29, and flash proms are up to date.

Another problem : the Octane worked well with IRIX 6.5.29 _before_ I
started to trying the CPU upgrade, but now, IRIX crashes while booting
saying hardware errors on SCSI ? I done a hardware diagnostic and the
result was everything ok, but I don't know how to solve this... without
reinstalling Irix !

thanks for your help ;)

[Toni Grass]

Eric Belhomme wrote:

[....]

Post by Eric Belhomme
I tried all the evening yesterday to get the module works, in vain :( So
as the Octane works again when I replace the original CPU module, I think
I can deduce the problem is localized on the new CPU module I received ?
Or maybe there is something to do ? (jumper or I don't know what) but I
found nothing on the Octane Owner Guide...

There is no jumper or similar, just change CPU modules. So it seems your
dual module is dead. Anyway you should check if the memory(!) is seated
well, this also gives funny errors.

Post by Eric Belhomme
Another problem : the Octane worked well with IRIX 6.5.29 _before_ I
started to trying the CPU upgrade, but now, IRIX crashes while booting
saying hardware errors on SCSI ? I done a hardware diagnostic and the
result was everything ok, but I don't know how to solve this... without
reinstalling Irix !

Check if one of the pins on the frontplane is bent or broken (there are
a lot of them). This sometimes can happen when reseating the mainboard.

Toni

[Eric Belhomme]

Post by Toni Grass
There is no jumper or similar, just change CPU modules. So it seems
your dual module is dead. Anyway you should check if the memory(!) is
seated well, this also gives funny errors.

that's what I guessed :(
I unmounted the frontplane to clean it with a spay duster, and check the
connectors : it was clean and connectors are ok.
I also cleaned the compression connectors with spray duster, while they
looked clean.
I also tried to remove memory (I just left first bank)

But nothing changed ! the lightbar remains off with this CPU module !

So should I put it to trash ???

Post by Toni Grass
Check if one of the pins on the frontplane is bent or broken (there
are a lot of them). This sometimes can happen when reseating the
mainboard.

Everything looks nice on my Octane, except the bi-cpu module doesn't works
!

[Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler]

In article <***@212.27.42.202>,
Eric Belhomme <{rico}+no/***@ricospirit.net> wrote:

: I unmounted the frontplane to clean it with a spay duster, and check the
: connectors : it was clean and connectors are ok.
: I also cleaned the compression connectors with spray duster, while they
: looked clean.

You should never attempt to clean the compression connectors with anything other
than the exact procedure described in the octane manuals. The connectors are
extremely fragile and damage prone when they're apart, and can be destroyed
simply by touching them, contamination with any number of things, or even by too
strong a blast from a spray-duster.

<http://techpubs.sgi.com/library/tpl/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?coll=hdwr&db=bks&fname=/S
GI_EndUser/Octane_OG/apb.html>


Cheers - Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler :)

[Eric Belhomme]

Post by Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler
You should never attempt to clean the compression connectors with
anything other than the exact procedure described in the octane
manuals.

I know the excat procedure (page 287 from the Octane Owner's guide) and
that's what I done ! Moreover I replaced the old CPU module and the Octane
still works fine !

[m***@yahoo.com]

Post by Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler
You should never attempt to clean the compression connectors with anything other
than the exact procedure described in the octane manuals. The connectors are
extremely fragile and damage prone when they're apart, and can be destroyed

Cleaning them with compressed inert gas is ok *IF* it is done properly.
The biggest
mistake one can make is aiming the gas across the connector in the
wrong direction,
and one should definitely not aim the gas straight at the connector
face-on.

One side of a connector has a smooth, rounded-off surface. The other
side
has a square edge with a small gap. If the gas is blown into this gap,
then the
connector can be completely ruined. Any cleaning action must be done
across the face of the connector from the smooth side to the square
side, thus
preventing the gas from going into the gap. There's some good diagrams
of
this in the owners guide.

Post by Tony 'Nicoya' Mantler
... or ven by too
strong a blast from a spray-duster.

Indeed. Use carefully, and don't buy a cheap can that may have grud
knows what
mixed up with the compressed air.

Ian.

SGI Depot: http://www.futuretech.blinkenlights.nl/sgidepot/
Email: ***@yahoo.com (eBay ID: mapesdhs)
Backup email (send copy to this too): ***@blueyonder.co.uk
Home: [phone] (best to call this number first)
Mobile: [phone] (usually off; leave a message and I'll call back)

[Eric Belhomme]

Post by Toni Grass
There is no jumper or similar, just change CPU modules.

Just a question : i noticed there is a DIL40 socket on the system board,
nammed U10 (between the cpu module connector and the upster compression
connector.

This socket is empty on my system board... Is it normal ???

[R10000]

Post by Eric Belhomme

Post by Toni Grass
There is no jumper or similar, just change CPU modules.

Just a question : i noticed there is a DIL40 socket on the system
board, nammed U10 (between the cpu module connector and the upster
compression connector.
This socket is empty on my system board... Is it normal ???

it's for a replacement bios or emulator and is supposed to be empty.

[Eric Belhomme]

Post by R10000
it's for a replacement bios or emulator and is supposed to be empty.

ok, thanks ;)

[Eric Belhomme]

So it seems your dual module is dead.

The seller assured me he tested the module on two machine (a Octane and a
Octane2) and worked well (I believe he's honest)
Moreover the module was very well packaged : a box 5 times bigger than the
module, boble plastics, polystiren...

The seller suggested me to remove radiator from the module to check if cpu
chips are not displaced (he said me that chips are fcpga packages (with no
pins) and are just maintained with the radiators. He said me he already had
to replace a chip on a R12K single module...

Fo you confirm this ? can I safely remove the radiator and replace (if they
are displaced) the chips ???

regards,

[Toni Grass]

Post by Eric Belhomme

So it seems your dual module is dead.

The seller assured me he tested the module on two machine (a Octane and a
Octane2) and worked well (I believe he's honest)
Moreover the module was very well packaged : a box 5 times bigger than the
module, boble plastics, polystiren...

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
Hm, sounds probably like an electrostatic problem

Post by Eric Belhomme
The seller suggested me to remove radiator from the module to check if cpu
chips are not displaced (he said me that chips are fcpga packages (with no
pins) and are just maintained with the radiators. He said me he already had
to replace a chip on a R12K single module...

Yes, the MIPS CPU has no pins but there is a socket as I remember. I never
head about such displacement (although I bought 5 Octanes until now and
some more CPU modules).

Post by Eric Belhomme
Fo you confirm this ? can I safely remove the radiator and replace (if they
are displaced) the chips ???

You have to care for the pads between CPU resp. cache memory and
heatsink. I opened a 195MHz single CPU module from Octane to get the CPU
for tuning an Indigo2. Be _VERY_ carefull not do destroy them!
<http://hardware.majix.org/computers/sgi.indigo2/tuning.shtml>
(sorry this description is only availble in german) Also be carefully
when removing the CPU which often sticks at the heatsink, it has a
ceramic case which could break easily! In this case the CPU is definetly
dead.

As I remember there is a description out there which deals about tuning
an Octan 360 MHz CPU to 425 MHz and which has a detailed description how
to disassemble the CPU module but I could not find it and I also could
not connect to nekochan.net (it was also discussed there AFAIR)

Toni