Chris, see Mark Abene's efforts with this from a year ago: 
http://mail-index.netbsd.org/port-arc/2000/09/

Looks like you can do it, with caveats.

David

Chris Rupnik wrote:
> 
> Hi
>  Can someone confirm with me that it is possible to boot an ARC
> bios/firmware machine from the _serial port_ without anything connected to
> the keyboard or video?
> 
>  From what I have read below, the answer is YES, and this is the second time
> that someone has mentioned this.
> 
> Chris
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Hopper" <dhop@nwlink.com>
> To: <port-arc@netbsd.org>
> Sent: Thursday, September 13, 2001 5:44 PM
> Subject: Re: FW: NEC RiscStation and NetBSD
> 
> > I'm very close, I think, to getting Bob's 1.51 image onto this 2000 model;
> I
> > just need a quick pointer.  It's a fresh install, on an existing NT
> system.
> > Upon asking for a root device, do I need to have a root install filesystem
> on a
> > floppy (bummer, since this floppy's toast).
> >
> > Here's the startup from the 1.51 arc.iso-- from the COM port, as there's
> no
> > video; it's a Jazz VXL 484 video card, according to arcdiag and the
> jzvxl484.sys
> > driver in NT.
> >
> >                 class: Controller, type: DisplayController
> >                  flags: ConsoleOut|Output
> >                  version: 0, revision: 1
> >                  key: 0
> >                  affinity_mask: 0xffffffff
> >                  config_data_len: 32
> >                  id: 4:[VXL\x00]
> >                  config data version: 1, revision: 0, count: 1245188
> >                  resource count 1245188 too big: use 1 instead
> >                   type: Null
> >                    share_disposition: Undetermined, flags: 0x6000
> >                    data:
> [0x0:0x0:0x20:0x0:0x0:0x80:0x0:0x60:0x0:0x10:0x0:0x0]
> >                  raw count: [0x4:0x0:0x13:0x0]
> >                  raw data:
> >
> 24:[0x0:0x0:0x0:0x60:0x0:0x0:0x20:0x0:0x0:0x80:0x0:0x60:0x0:0x10:0x0:0x0:0x0
> :0x0:0x0:0x40:0x0:0x0:0x20:0x0]
> >
> > NetBSD 1.5S (RAMDISK) #3: Thu Mar 22 09:44:29 PST 2001
> >     bobm@client.cci.net:/u/usr/src/sys/arch/arc/compile/RAMDISK
> > NEC-R94
> > total memory = 32768 KB
> > avail memory = 22856 KB
> > using 435 buffers containing 1740 KB of memory
> > mainbus0 (root)
> > cpu0 at mainbus0: MIPS R4400 CPU (0x450) Rev. 5.0 with MIPS R4010 FPC Rev.
> 0.0
> > cpu0: L1 cache: 16KB/32B instruction, 16KB/32B data, direct mapped
> > cpu0: L2 cache: 512KB/64B mixed, no snooping
> > jazzio0 at mainbus0
> > aclock0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0004000 intr 0: mc146818 or compatible
> > lpt0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0008000 intr 1
> > fdc0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe000c000 intr 2
> > fd0 at fdc0 drive 0: 1.44MB 80 cyl, 2 head, 18 sec
> > sn0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0001000 intr 4: bufsize 28480 address
> 00:00:4c:75:27:fd
> > arcsiop0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0002000 intr 5: SCSI ID 7
> > scsibus0 at arcsiop0: 8 targets, 8 luns per target
> > pckbc0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0005000 intr 7
> > pckbdprobe: reset response 0x0
> > pms0 at pckbc0 (aux slot)
> > wsmouse0 at pms0 mux 0
> > pms at jazzio0 addr 0xe0005000 intr 8 not configured
> > com0 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0006000 intr 9: ns16550a, working fifo
> > com0: txfifo disabled
> > com0: console
> > com1 at jazzio0 addr 0xe0007000 intr 10: ns16550a, working fifo
> > com1: txfifo disabled
> > isabr0 at mainbus0
> > isa0 at isabr0 isa_io_base 0xe2000000 isa_mem_base 0xe3000000
> > scsibus0: waiting 2 seconds for devices to settle...
> > sd0 at scsibus0 target 0 lun 0: <DEC, DSP3107LS, 441H> SCSI2 0/direct
> fixed
> > sd0: 1021 MB, 3117 cyl, 8 head, 83 sec, 512 bytes/sect x 2091144 sectors
> > cd0 at scsibus0 target 4 lun 0: <NEC, CD-ROM DRIVE:500, 2.5> SCSI2 5/cdrom
> > removable
> > md0: internal 3072 KB image area
> > boot device: <unknown>
> > root device (default md0a):
> >
> > Thanks,
> > David Hopper
> > dhop@nwlink.com
> >
> > "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary
> > safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." -- Benjamin Franklin
> >
> >
> > brian@onehumanfamily.com wrote:
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Brian Armstrong
> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 9:30 AM
> > > To: 'Bob Meader'
> > > Subject: RE: NEC RiscStation and NetBSD
> > >
> > > Hi Bob,
> > >
> > > Can you send me the link to the new directory.
> > >
> > > I'll let you know if there are any issues on the NEC RiscStation 2000.
> > >
> > > Thanks.
> > >
> > > Brian Armstrong.
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Bob Meader [mailto:bob@cci.net]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 12, 2001 9:18 AM
> > > To: brian@onehumanfamily.com; port-arc@netbsd.org
> > > Subject: RE: NEC RiscStation and NetBSD
> > >
> > > Hi,
> > >
> > > I've read through the archives for the NetBSD port-arc project, and seen
> > > that there was a release 1.51 which somebody had made an install as an
> ISO
> > > image.  I tried to go to the FTP link suggested but no dice, the link is
> > > broken now.  Does anybody have this ISO image that I can download from
> > > somewhere?
> > > I did the "iso" build, the ftp site is still there, the image just
> > > 'moved' to different directory...
> > >
> > > Also, I will be trying to install this build on an NEC RiscStation 2000,
> not
> > > a 2200 which is the posted support build, are there any issues I should
> be
> > > aware of?
> > >
> > > Every RiscStation/RiscServer I am aware of is slightly different from
> each
> > > other requiring specific support in kernel to boot...ie I don't know
> > > if the image will work...I heard of RiscStation 2200/2250 didn't know
> > >  there was RiscStation 2000.
> >