I have a new toy - an AS800.
This box has a single manual (which is also the only "technical document"
at the web site you are referred to for "technical documents," sigh),
"AlphaServer 800 Users Guide" EK-ASV80-UG (mine is A01, the web site has
B01).
There are, theoretically, 2 console (COM1) ports on the box.
One, an MMJ port and the other a DB9 called the "Remote Console Modem
port."
Nowhere in the docs can I find the pin-outs for the MMJ or the DB9
connectors.
The MMJ is not a big deal. It works with the cables from our 2100 and 4000,
as one would expect, so one can infer that the pin-outs are identical.
However, the COM1 db9 port does not work with the console cables from the
2100 or 4000.
[I know what the RCM is and it works fine on our 4000 via the serial port
(the way one would expect it to work.) And RCM works fine on the VGA port
on the 800 despite the fact that the printed manual is wrong - fortunately
the SRM help command is correct.]
So far, we have been able to determine from Digital support that
if the cable works in the 2100 or 4000 console port, it should also work
in the AS800.... however it does not. They don't have the pin-outs either.
Additionally, besides the traditional "set console serial/graphics"
variable, the AS800 has: (where x= 1 or 2)
comx_baud
comx_flow
comx_modem
Baud is left at the default value of 9600.
I have tried both flow and modem at default values (software for flow,
and off for modem) and others. However, neither has any apparent effect.
Setting "console" to serial or graphics has no effect.
If this were a normal RS-232 port then one could apply a break-out box
to the connection to see what was happening. But since the DB9 is not
part of the RS-232 spec, it is not possible to know how DEC has decided
to wire it.
So the question is: What is necessary to get the DB9 version of the COM1
port to work? Is it just the simple fact that despite what support claims,
the 2100/4000 version has pins 2/3 (etc) flipped compared to the AS800?
T.T.F.N.
William H. Magill Senior Systems Administrator
Information Services and Computing (ISC) University of Pennsylvania
Internet: magill_at_isc.upenn.edu magill_at_acm.org
magill_at_upenn.edu
http://pobox.upenn.edu/~magill/
Received on Sat Oct 25 1997 - 00:24:14 NZDT