[comp.sys.att] combo board problems

rhaar@rcsuna.UUCP (Bob Haar CS50) (05/12/89)

I am having a problem with a combo board and need to
get some help.

My system is a 7300 UNIX PC with 1 Meg of RAM on the motherboard
running release 3.51 . I bought an EIA/RAM combo board with 
0.5 Meg and 2 serial ports. When I brought up the system
with this board, I began to experience problems. The memory
passes all diagnostics and UNIX runs fine using it. I am 
getting mixed results with the serial ports.

The board came with a floppy containing RS232 expansion port
software (v. 3.0). The auto-install proceedure failed - hangup
up with a message saying "Loading device drivers" for > 30 min.
I loaded the install software manually ( cpio -icBv </dev/rfp021 )
and ran the install using "sh -v" to see what was going on. 
The install script hung up will running cmb.rc, which seems 
to initialize the combo board serial ports.

I booted the diagnostic floppy and the expansion serial ports
failed ALL the tests (N.B. the standard serial port passed all
tests.)

There was a version 3.51 expansion port software disk in the
foundation set. This loaded and installed with no problems. 
I then configured all three serial ports for terminal 
connections (9600 baud, no hardware flow control) and was able
to log in and run on all three using a VT100 compatible terminal
emulation on an IBM-PC clone. Great. But the expansion ports
still fail the diagnostics.

Questions:

1) should I believe the diagnostics?

2) is there a different version of the diagnostics that I should
   try?

3) is the loop-back connecto that I made correct? It works for
   testing the standard serial port. The connections I made are:

	|-- pin 2 (Data transmit)
	|
	|-- pin 3 (Data receive)

	|-- pin 4 (Request to send)
	|
	|-- pin 5 (Clear to send)
	|
	|-- pin 8 (carrier detect)

	
	|-- pin 6  (Data set ready)
	|
	|-- pin 20 (Data terminal ready)
	|
	|-- pin 22 (Ring detect)

Bob Haar
G.M. Research Labs

uunet!edsews!rphroy!rcsuna!rhaar
HAAR@GMR.COM (CSNET)

wouk@romeo.cs.duke.edu (Arthur Wouk) (05/20/89)

In article <12185@rcsuna.UUCP> rhaar@rcsuna.UUCP (Bob Haar CS50) writes:
>
>
>My system is a 7300 UNIX PC with 1 Meg of RAM on the motherboard
>running release 3.51 . I bought an EIA/RAM combo board with 
         ^^^^^^^^^^^
>0.5 Meg and 2 serial ports. When I brought up the system
>with this board, I began to experience problems. The memory
>
>The board came with a floppy containing RS232 expansion port
>software (v. 3.0). The auto-install proceedure failed - hangup
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>up with a message saying "Loading device drivers" for > 30 min.

THE DISK SHIPPED WITH THE BOARD IS NOT APPROPRIATE FOR THIS USE.

that is your problem. i had this when i installed the combo board. i
called at&t and they pointed this out. you must use the expansion
port software which came with the 3.51 system. there is a specific
disk for this installation which is different for 3.51. 


since finding the appropriate disk and using it, all is well.

this
is
for
the 
news
mailer
which 
is 
causing
a 
lot
of 
unnecessary 
trouble
to
those
of
us
who
are
given
to succinct
responses!

feb@cbnews.ATT.COM (Franco E. Barber) (05/21/89)

In article <12185@rcsuna.UUCP> rhaar@rcsuna.UUCP (Bob Haar CS50) writes:
>I am having a problem with a combo board and need to
>get some help.


>3) is the loop-back connecto that I made correct? It works for
>   testing the standard serial port. The connections I made are:

>	|-- pin 2 (Data transmit)
>	|
>	|-- pin 3 (Data receive)

>	|-- pin 4 (Request to send)
>	|
>	|-- pin 5 (Clear to send)
>	|
>	|-- pin 8 (carrier detect)


>	|-- pin 6  (Data set ready)
>	|
>	|-- pin 20 (Data terminal ready)
>	|
>	|-- pin 22 (Ring detect)

>Bob Haar
>G.M. Research Labs

>uunet!edsews!rphroy!rcsuna!rhaar
>HAAR@GMR.COM (CSNET)

That connector works only for the built-in serial port.
The loopback connector for the expansion ports has to cross
connect the two ports on the card. Ie, pin 2 on port 1 to pin 3 on
port 2, etc.  The diagnostics even test the external clock inputs.

here are the appropriate connections:

   port 1                         port 2
TxD 2                   ----- 3  RxD
RxD 3                   ----- 2  TxD

RTS 4                   ----- 5  CTS and 8  CD
CTS 5 and CD  8         ----- 4  RTS

DSR 6 and RI 22         ----- 20 DTR
DTR 20                  ----- 6  DSR and 22  RI

TxClk 15 and RxClk 17   ----- 24 DTE TxClk
DTE TxClk 24            ----- 15 TxClk and 17 RxClk

GND 7                   ----- 7  GND


Franco Barber
att!cblpe!feb