Hello Jay,
Am 25.08.2022 um 06:48 schrieb Jay B <orcljsb@xxxxxxxxx>:
I recently acquired a 9406-170 with a 2720 twinax controller and am attempting to use it with a CLI 5476 terminal, but no success with the terminal connectivity.
Congrats!
IPL (01 A M - M as in Mary) shows C6004031 on the front panel after a few minutes. A little while later the amber LED lights up and another result appears on the panel and some searching indicates the server gave up trying to reach the console. The console cursor stays in the upper right corner and never moves.
Very good diagnosis! Cursor staying on the top right means the terminal hasn't detected/been contacted by a controller. This smells to me like a physical connection problem.
Another thing to try out is to select the console with the front panel. It's a bit hairy to do, because you need to press buttons within a certain time frame. I suggest you write some notes what to press when.
Initial information is provided here:
https://www.ibm.com/docs/en/power6?topic=configuration-using-console-service-functions-6521
Console selection AFAIK hasn't changed substantially over the many hardware generations. Additional console IDs have been introduced with the availability of new console connection possibilities, though.
As far as I know, the machine tries all available console options before finally giving up. The configuration might be meant as a way to save time by providing a default. @Larry, is this correct?
If I use "01 A N" the machine appears to boot properly (takes about a half hour for the disks to settle down). I use the white power button to perform a graceful shutdown (I've never yanked the power cord).
Yes, in Normal mode, a console isn't mandatory for a successful IPL.
The white button (supposed to work only in manual "M" mode) isn't doing a proper shutdown, but just enough to keep possible object damage low. No matter if you just pull the plug or try the button: The next IPL will take longer, because more extensive checks are ran. When disk rattling has ceased, the chance of object damages is very low, even if you just pull the plug.
I have tried 2 4-port twinax blocks, one IBM and one Perle, connected to the DB9 on the 2720 using RJ45 baluns. I pressed and held the spacebar while powering on the terminal and set it to use address 0 with 3476 compatibility.
Sounds like properly done to me.
Is the CLI 5476 supported with the 2720 controller?
If it's in 3476 mode, I assert, it is.
Maybe i'm trying to do something that will never work but i've run out of ideas to troubleshoot the issue.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
As said above, I think you have a physical connection issue. AFAIK, baluns connect pins 4+5 of the 8P8 (RJ45) connector. Does your 8P8 cable connect Pins 4+5? Some cheaper Ethernet cables only connect 1+2, and 3+6 (for up to 100M Ethernet). I'm also not sure if ground is supposed to be connected. Your cable is unshielded TP, ground isn't connected.
Also, you maybe want to use a cheap connection tester to do an end-to end test between the Twinax pins themselves, and the winding (ground).
The terminal has which type if connector? I know that the "Y-Pieces" from Twinax to DB-15 (for IBM terminals, and 5250 ISA/PCI PC cards) are available in F and M "flavors". I did not yet take my time to use a connection tester to learn if the connected pins are the same on both. But if if's not and you used a simple gender changer to connect to the terminal, this could also explain the observed behavior.
Ask for further advice if in doubt.
Good luck!
:wq! PoC
midrange.com
