[comp.os.vms] 11/730 hardware problems

tdavis@unocss.unomaha.edu (tdavis) (06/14/90)

     The local student chapter of ACM has a VAX 11/730 donated to
them.  This VAX came with for documentation the field service
drawings, and that was it (no installation manual or anything else
specific to a 730).

     The 730 refuses to boot; in fact, all it displays on the console
is a CONV011 code.  Now, from a book that I've scrounged up, it says
the 730 will print 'CONSOLE', and then place you at the >>> prompt. 
If the system does not print out 'CONSOLE', it means one of the self
tests failed.  The book had no other help concerning what the error
could be.

     If some could help us with this, we would be very grateful..

davidd@ttidca.TTI.COM (David Dantowitz) (06/16/90)

The VAX-11/730's that I worked on had microcode loaded from a small tape.
As the microcode loaded, various lines were written to the console.

You should check that the tape is present and good (if possible ?).

Your best bet would be to see if anyone has an old VAX hardware handbook.
I remember these things (there were many editions) containing useful
information on console commands and booting.

Good luck.-- 
David Dantowitz

Singing Barbershop when not computing