[net.unix-wizards] machine checks on VAX/780 under 4.1BSD

reece%nadc@sri-unix.UUCP (01/18/84)

Can someone decipher the following machine check? We get it about
once every two days (machine usually reboots itself). Maybe there
is a write-up on machine checks available somewhere? Here it is:

	machine check 2: cp tbuf par fault
	cpues 10084 upc 1100 va/viba 800147e6 dreg 1efd5 tber 7e01 2100
	timo 1338 parity 4000 sbier 8002 pc 80001338 psl 4150000 sbifs 2000000

Thanks for any help.

Jim Reece
REECE@NADC

sater@tjalk.UUCP (Hans van Staveren) (01/20/84)

Our VAX/750 also gives these machine checks on a regular basis.  I
heard a *rumour* from a usually trustworthy source, that this
represents a bug in the design of the processor.  It had something to
do with too slow memory chips used in the associative memory for
address translation.

My source said that DEC officials would blame 4.1BSD but DEC
technicians could be persuaded with lots of free coffee to put the
blame on the machine design.  Didn't know 780's had it also.
-- 
			Hans van Staveren, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
			..!mcvax!vu44!tjalk!sater