I bought both of these off of eBay and it seems that the Sunblade will
boot up off of the CDROM
that I'm using (Sol 10 5/08). However, I see a pixelated display
instead of something "readable"
on my HP 19" flat panel (it's locking in at 1280x10224-75 MHz).

I am not sure what to do at this point. I noticed that there are 3
jumpers on the card itself. Do
these need to be in a certain position? Do I need to somehow find a
null modem 25-pin serial to
9-pin cable to check the settings?

I'm stumped. I didn't have this kind of problem when using the same
monitor on my Sunblade 100.

-Bob

On 2008-11-18, Bob <> wrote:
> I bought both of these off of eBay and it seems that the Sunblade will
> boot up off of the CDROM
> that I'm using (Sol 10 5/08). However, I see a pixelated display
> instead of something "readable"
> on my HP 19" flat panel (it's locking in at 1280x10224-75 MHz).

You mean 1280x1024x75? (You got an extra '2' in the second
figure).

Did you buy them together, or separately?

Does the screen show garbled before you actually try to boot, or
only once the Sol-10 DVD is booted? (If you can't see the screen, how
do you boot from the DVD-ROM? You need to see to type "boot cdrom" at
the "ok" prompt.

Is it possible that the monitor is locked to a resolution which
does not work for the card? (I don't know the HP monitors, so I don't
know whether there is a configuration menu which allows you to lock to a
given resolution.

> I am not sure what to do at this point. I noticed that there are 3
> jumpers on the card itself. Do
> these need to be in a certain position?

My FEH (Field Engineer's Handbook) shows nothing about the
jumpers, so you should leave them alone.

> Do I need to somehow find a
> null modem 25-pin serial to
> 9-pin cable to check the settings?

What is wrong with *making* a null modem cable? You can find
the pinout information in many places. If you have a small soldering
iron, get the solder-tail type connectors. If you have the right
crimper, use crimp terminal connectors. Since the voltage is no higher
than about 12V at very low current, you can even leave the connectors
without enclosure shells for short term use.

Once you have that -- unplug the keyboard and the monitor, power
up (without booting), and from the "ok" prompt, type:

printenv output-device

If it just shows "screen" you should be fine. If it shows

screen:r1280x1024x75

then this is forcing your resolution. Instead, try:

setenv output-device screen

so it will go to its default 1152x900 -- or to what it decides on when
exchanging information with the monitor.

Or -- you can try to make a temporary reset to default values by
waiting until the power switch LED starts blinking, and press it twice
-- about a second apart -- shortly after the blinking starts. This will
reset the nvram settings to default -- only for the duration of this
boot cycle. You can then try typing "set default" (I may not be
remembering the words quite right -- can someone else confirm this?)

> I'm stumped. I didn't have this kind of problem when using the same
> monitor on my Sunblade 100.

You had a lot less powerful graphics card on the SB-100 --
unless you added a card to it to replace the built-in framebuffer. And
the monitor may be locked to a mode which is better for the SB-100.

Good Luck,
DoN.

__________________
Email: <> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Don;

Yep...you caught me on a typo -- it was 1280x1024x75.

I bought them seperately, from two different vendors.

LCD is blank until after the boot disk is read. NOTE: I wait
until I hear the beep, use the L1-A sequence, then type in "boot
cdrom"
to get the machine to start the boot off of the boot disk.

I will either scrounge up a cable from our IT department or consider
making
a null cable that I can use with my PC & Hyperterminal. (I'm also
going to
check around to see if I might even have one already).

I'll try your suggestion about going to the default setting as well.
I've looked at the HP menu settings and I can't seem to find a way to
set the
display options directly.

Thanks for the suggestions. I'll see what happens tonight...

-Bob

On Nov 17, 11:56 pm, "DoN. Nichols" <dnich...@d-and-d.com> wrote:
> On 2008-11-18, Bob <ham_extra_cl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > I bought both of these off of eBay and it seems that the Sunblade will
> > boot up off of the CDROM
> > that I'm using (Sol 10 5/08).  However, I see a pixelated display
> > instead of something "readable"
> > on my HP 19" flat panel (it's locking in at 1280x10224-75 MHz).
>
>         You mean 1280x1024x75?  (You got an extra '2' in the second
> figure).
>
>         Did you buy them together, or separately?
>
>         Does the screen show garbled before you actually try to boot, or
> only once the Sol-10 DVD is booted?  (If you can't see the screen, how
> do you boot from the DVD-ROM?  You need to see to type "boot cdrom" at
> the "ok" prompt.
>
>         Is it possible that the monitor is locked to a resolution which
> does not work for the card?  (I don't know the HP monitors, so I don't
> know whether there is a configuration menu which allows you to lock to a
> given resolution.
>
> > I am not sure what to do at this point.  I noticed that there are 3
> > jumpers on the card itself.  Do
> > these need to be in a certain position?
>
>         My FEH (Field Engineer's Handbook) shows nothing about the
> jumpers, so you should leave them alone.
>
> >                                          Do I need to somehow find a
> > null modem 25-pin serial to
> > 9-pin cable to check the settings?
>
>         What is wrong with *making* a null modem cable?  You can find
> the pinout information in many places.  If you have a small soldering
> iron, get the solder-tail type connectors.  If you have the right
> crimper, use crimp terminal connectors.  Since the voltage is no higher
> than about 12V at very low current, you can even leave the connectors
> without enclosure shells for short term use.
>
>         Once you have that -- unplug the keyboard and the monitor, power
> up (without booting), and from the "ok" prompt, type:
>
>                 printenv output-device
>
> If it just shows "screen" you should be fine.  If it shows
>
>                 screen:r1280x1024x75
>
> then this is forcing your resolution.  Instead, try:
>
>                 setenv output-device screen
>
> so it will go to its default 1152x900 -- or to what it decides on when
> exchanging information with the monitor.
>
>         Or -- you can try to make a temporary reset to default values by
> waiting until the power switch LED starts blinking, and press it twice
> -- about a second apart -- shortly after the blinking starts.  This will
> reset the nvram settings to default -- only for the duration of this
> boot cycle.  You can then try typing "set default" (I may not be
> remembering the words quite right -- can someone else confirm this?)
>
> > I'm stumped.   I didn't have this kind of problem when using the same
> > monitor on my Sunblade 100.
>
>         You had a lot less powerful graphics card on the SB-100 --
> unless you added a card to it to replace the built-in framebuffer.  And
> the monitor may be locked to a mode which is better for the SB-100.
>
>         Good Luck,
>                 DoN.
>
> --
>  Email:   <dnich...@d-and-d.com>   | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
>         (too) near Washington D.C. |http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
>            --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Hi Don!

Thanks for the tip about using the power switch to bring the system
up in a "default" state. It worked!

I saw the logo for the graphics card on the screen and also text
about the system (here I thought I got a 1 Gb system, when now
I find it has 8Gb of ram).

I went into the nvram entries and found that entry 0 was corrupted.
I checked my monitor to see what mode it locked onto (1280x1024x60),
and programmed that value into location 0. I was then able to reboot
the
machine and see the banner & logo show up on my display.

Looks like all I have to do now is to buy another fc-al disk drive (I
only have a 33 Gb drive
in this box).

Thanks again!

-Bob

On Nov 18, 9:09 am, Bob <ham_extra_cl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Don;
>
> Yep...you caught me on a typo -- it was 1280x1024x75.
>
> I bought them seperately, from two different vendors.
>
> LCD is blank until after the boot disk is read.  NOTE:  I wait
> until I hear the beep, use the L1-A sequence, then type in "boot
> cdrom"
> to get the machine to start the boot off of the boot disk.
>
> I will either scrounge up a cable from our IT department or consider
> making
> a null cable that I can use with my PC & Hyperterminal.  (I'm also
> going to
> check around to see if I might even have one already).
>
> I'll try your suggestion about going to the default setting as well.
> I've looked at the HP menu settings and I can't seem to find a way to
> set the
> display options directly.
>
> Thanks for the suggestions.  I'll see what happens tonight...
>
> -Bob
>
> On Nov 17, 11:56 pm, "DoN. Nichols" <dnich...@d-and-d.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> > On 2008-11-18, Bob <ham_extra_cl...@yahoo.com> wrote:
>
> > > I bought both of these off of eBay and it seems that the Sunblade will
> > > boot up off of the CDROM
> > > that I'm using (Sol 10 5/08).  However, I see a pixelated display
> > > instead of something "readable"
> > > on my HP 19" flat panel (it's locking in at 1280x10224-75 MHz).
>
> >         You mean 1280x1024x75?  (You got an extra '2' in the second
> > figure).
>
> >         Did you buy them together, or separately?
>
> >         Does the screen show garbled before you actually try to boot, or
> > only once the Sol-10 DVD is booted?  (If you can't see the screen, how
> > do you boot from the DVD-ROM?  You need to see to type "boot cdrom" at
> > the "ok" prompt.
>
> >         Is it possible that the monitor is locked to a resolution which
> > does not work for the card?  (I don't know the HP monitors, so I don't
> > know whether there is a configuration menu which allows you to lock to a
> > given resolution.
>
> > > I am not sure what to do at this point.  I noticed that there are 3
> > > jumpers on the card itself.  Do
> > > these need to be in a certain position?
>
> >         My FEH (Field Engineer's Handbook) shows nothing about the
> > jumpers, so you should leave them alone.
>
> > >                                          Do I need to somehow find a
> > > null modem 25-pin serial to
> > > 9-pin cable to check the settings?
>
> >         What is wrong with *making* a null modem cable?  You can find
> > the pinout information in many places.  If you have a small soldering
> > iron, get the solder-tail type connectors.  If you have the right
> > crimper, use crimp terminal connectors.  Since the voltage is no higher
> > than about 12V at very low current, you can even leave the connectors
> > without enclosure shells for short term use.
>
> >         Once you have that -- unplug the keyboard and the monitor, power
> > up (without booting), and from the "ok" prompt, type:
>
> >                 printenv output-device
>
> > If it just shows "screen" you should be fine.  If it shows
>
> >                 screen:r1280x1024x75
>
> > then this is forcing your resolution.  Instead, try:
>
> >                 setenv output-device screen
>
> > so it will go to its default 1152x900 -- or to what it decides on when
> > exchanging information with the monitor.
>
> >         Or -- you can try to make a temporary reset to default values by
> > waiting until the power switch LED starts blinking, and press it twice
> > -- about a second apart -- shortly after the blinking starts.  This will
> > reset the nvram settings to default -- only for the duration of this
> > boot cycle.  You can then try typing "set default" (I may not be
> > remembering the words quite right -- can someone else confirm this?)
>
> > > I'm stumped.   I didn't have this kind of problem when using the same
> > > monitor on my Sunblade 100.
>
> >         You had a lot less powerful graphics card on the SB-100 --
> > unless you added a card to it to replace the built-in framebuffer.  And
> > the monitor may be locked to a mode which is better for the SB-100.
>
> >         Good Luck,
> >                 DoN.
>
> > --
> >  Email:   <dnich...@d-and-d.com>   | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
> >         (too) near Washington D.C. |http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
> >            --- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

On 2008-11-19, Bob <> wrote:
> Hi Don!
>
> Thanks for the tip about using the power switch to bring the system
> up in a "default" state. It worked!

Great!

> I saw the logo for the graphics card on the screen and also text
> about the system (here I thought I got a 1 Gb system, when now
> I find it has 8Gb of ram).

The maximum it will hold. Congratulations!

> I went into the nvram entries and found that entry 0 was corrupted.
> I checked my monitor to see what mode it locked onto (1280x1024x60),
> and programmed that value into location 0. I was then able to reboot
> the
> machine and see the banner & logo show up on my display.

Great. But "entry 0" rather puzzles me. From what you
programmed, I presume that you mean the "output-device" entry.

> Looks like all I have to do now is to buy another fc-al disk drive (I
> only have a 33 Gb drive
> in this box).

Note that they can be quite happy with the 156 GB 1" drives.
I'm using several in various systems. That is enough so you can put
everything on a single drive and mirror that onto a second drive every
so often.

> Thanks again!

You're welcome. Glad that it worked for you.

Hmm ... a corrupt value may suggest that the coin cell clipped
into the system board near the second CPU should be replaced. If you
find it going incommunicado again after being powered off for a while,
that is likely to be the cause.

Good Luck,
DoN.

__________________
Email: <> | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

[TymnEnall]

I like the vp with chisel for comps using weighs in front and none in back.If your looking for tires to run indoors like at fnfs look at using another tire than the flat irons they dont hook up good , but they do hook up outdoors.