<Peter.Hettkamp@kassel.netsurf.de> (Peter Hettkamp)  wrote:
 > One of the apollos claims to be a 425e, with a 68040 25MHz CPU and some
 > on-board graphics. I obtained the linux version of rbootd, and SYS_INST from
 > netbsd.org (from the 1.3.1 version of port-hp300), plugged a spare Seagate 
 > ST31200N into the box, attached a HP-IL keyboard, and fired the thing up.
 > The apollo starts up alright, senses the presence of the rbootd server and
 > offers to boot the SYS_INST. Then, the screen goes blank. And that's it.
 > Nothing more happens, no prompt, no beep, nothing I could see on any of the
 > three serial ports this machine has (but I've been only looking for 9600bd,
 > 8N1). Has anyone any idea what might be going wrong here?

We don't support the frame-buffer on the 425e so you'll have to use serial
console.  I'm not sure why it didn't spit anything out to the first serial
port; but you might try setting it to 'remote' mode before trying to boot
the OS.  on a 4xxT or S model, you do that by typing "C<return>" when the
thing says "Searching for system"... Wait a couple of seconds and you should
see a menu that says something like "I/O Configuration". Choose "rs232" or 
"serial" (can't remember which), set it to 'r' for remote, execute changes,
and the thing will reset.  Then on the screen, you should see a message that
indicates it's in remote mode and pressing 'l' will bring it back to local
mode...

At this point, everything is being sent to the first serial port.

Again, that's for a T or S. Not sure whether it works the same on an E.

 > The other machine has a label on it saying it is a 400t, and another label
 > beside it saying "Upgrades to 425". Inside, there is a fairly large,
 > L-shaped daughter card sitting on the CPU socket, containing a SC14075RC50
 > from Motorola and next to it a 68882 coprocessor. I have never before seen
 > nor found any reference to SC14075. What might that be? (Besides, I have one
 > spare of these daughter boards.)

well, the sticker is lying to you.  The presence of the daughterboard means
that the thing is just a 400t, and while maybe one day had been upgraded, it
has since been downgraded... (Or someone thought that the sticker would make
the thing think it was faster).

In any event, the "SC14075rc50" is basically a 50Mhz 68030.  In order to 
upgrade the thing to a 425t, you need to take out the daughterboard, put a
68040 in place, put a 50Mhz oscillator on the motherboard, and replace the
ROM.  I have images on ftp.canuck.com:/pub/hpeyerl/srecords... I just noticed
I'm missing the 380 image... I wonder where that went? Nonetheless, the
one you want is in there.

 > Then, there is a large board plugged into the rear of the machine, which
 > might just be a graphics board, except it is mainly populated by regular
 > 74xxx, some PALS, resistor packs etc. and has only two rams of type 44C250.
 > This board is labelled A1630-20003 REV02 on the component side, and bears a
 > sticker saying A1630-66003. It has a 9-pin male sub-d connector. What is
 > this?

sounds like a mono board.  I don't know offhand the part number of the
monitors these take..