AM-6060 Computer Owner's Manual
© 1998 ALPHA MICROSYSTEMS FIRST EDITION: April 1998 To re-order this document, request part number DSO-00214-00 FCC Notice This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment.
Table of Contents CHAPTER 1 - INTRODUCING THE AM-6060 COMPUTER ......................................................... 1-1 ABOUT THIS BOOK............................................................................................................................1-2 Graphics Conventions ........................................................................................................................1-2 HARDWARE FEATURES..................................................................................
Page ii Table of Contents INSTALLING THE OPERATOR TERMINAL....................................................................................2-9 Setting the Terminal's Baud Rate and Parameters .............................................................................2-9 Connecting the Cable .......................................................................................................................2-10 INITIAL TESTING...........................................................................
Table of Contents Page iii ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTATION ...................................................................................................4-3 "I Want to Start at the Beginning" .....................................................................................................4-3 "I Want to Learn How to Maintain My Computer" ...........................................................................4-4 "I Want to Do Text Processing"............................................................
Page iv Table of Contents CHAPTER 8 - STATUS DISPLAY CODES ........................................................................................ 8-1 FRONT PANEL STATUS DISPLAY CODES .....................................................................................8-1 SELF TEST FEATURE.........................................................................................................................8-6 APPENDIX A - CONNECTOR CONFIGURATIONS ........................................................
List of Illustrations Figure 2-1: Front Panel Controls and Indicators....................................................................................... 2-4 Figure 2-2: AM-6060 Rear Panel Configuration ...................................................................................... 2-5 Figure 3-1: DAT Tape Drive................................................................................................................... 3-11 Figure 5-1: Simple Initialization File..............................
Chapter 1 - Introducing the AM-6060 Computer The Alpha Microsystems AM-6060 is a high-performance computer designed for a wide range of applications in business headquarters, departmental facilities, and professional offices. With power to support many users simultaneously via network connections, the AM-6060 lends itself to virtually any business data processing environment. The AM-6060 is constructed in modular fashion.
Page 1-2 Chapter One ABOUT THIS BOOK The purpose of this book is to get you started with your computer. After you've followed the instructions in this book, your computer will be set up and running. And, you will have a good idea of where to go next for information on the software you want to use. • This chapter contains a software and hardware overview of your system. It also discusses the configurations available, as well as warranty and service information.
Introducing the AM-6060 Computer Symbol Page 1-3 Description This symbol means STOP!, and signals an important warning or restriction you must know about before continuing. This symbol marks a hint, and identifies a shortcut or an easier way to do something. This symbol says "Don't forget!" and signals information to remember. Text Text that looks like this in our examples shows the characters the computer displays on your terminal screen, such as prompts and information messages.
Page 1-4 Chapter One AM-176 Board The AM-176 board provides the AM-6060 with: • 4GB of direct memory addressability • 64KB external cache memory SIMM • 8KB on-chip processor instruction cache memory and 8KB of data cache • On-board serial interface (not used in the AM-6060) • On-board Ethernet controller with 32-bit DMA transfer capability • Four on-board single inline memory module (SIMM) expansion slots, which support 60ns DRAMs for up to 512MB of memory • SCSI controller with standard and Wide SCSI int
Introducing the AM-6060 Computer Page 1-5 • Enter any valid system monitor and/or initialization file to use when booting. The files must be located in [1,4] of the first logical disk of the selected boot device SCSI and Wide SCSI Disk Drives The SCSI controller in the AM-6060 provides two bus interfaces, each originating at a connector on the AM-176 board. One is a 50-pin SCSI bus interface, the second is a 68-pin Wide SCSI bus interface.
Page 1-6 Chapter One SCSI Tape Drives Your computer contains one or more SCSI compatible ¼" streaming tape or DAT drives, allowing you to copy and restore files using special tape cartridges. Although your computer does not normally boot from these tape devices, if something does happen to your computer's hard disk, you can boot your computer from a special tape. See Chapter 3 for information on tape capacities.
Introducing the AM-6060 Computer Page 1-7 Real Time Clock The system has a Real Time Clock chip which is part of the CMOS system setup. Both the CMOS boot settings and the time and date are battery backed-up, providing a high level of time, date, and CMOS protection against corruption by a malfunctioning program. Rear I/O Panel The AM-6060 rear panel provides connectors for four RJ-45 serial ports. These connectors are on an AM-90 Lightning Board, cabled to the four ports on the AM-301-10 board.
Page 1-8 Chapter One • A sophisticated command language allows you to invoke a stream of commands and program input (predefined by you) by entering a single command. • The business-oriented AlphaBASIC and AlphaBASIC PLUS programming languages are uniquely suited to the programming of business applications software packages.
Chapter 2 - Installation This chapter gives general installation information for your computer.
Page 2-2 Chapter Two In addition to the equipment Alpha Micro has provided and the operator terminal, you may need the following: 1. Cabling and any additional hardware to attach your AM-6060 to your Ethernet network. 2. Any new PCs, workstations, or other devices you’ll be adding to your network to use with the AM-6060. 3. Properly configured cables for connecting your terminal to the computer. 4. The manufacturer's operator manuals for your terminals and printers. 5.
Installation Page 2-3 RECORDING THE SSD IDENTIFICATION NUMBER The Software Security Device (SSD) is a customized integrated circuit located on the AM-301-10 board inside your AM-6060 computer. The SSD uniquely identifies your computer to customized software that has been configured to run only on your computer.
Page 2-4 Chapter Two Front Panel Controls and Indicators Figure 2-1, below, shows the chassis front panel. The panel has the following controls and indicators: • The Power switch turns the computer on and off. This switch, at the top right of the computer, is not shown in Figure 2-1. • The two-character display shows various codes depending on the state of the computer. It is also used during the computer’s self-test feature. See Chapters 7 and 8 for more on this display.
Installation Page 2-5 AM-6060 Rear I/O Panel Configurations The illustration below shows the AM-6060 rear panel configuration. It shows only part of the back of the computer chassis. EXTERNAL SCSI PORT ETHERNET CONNECTION OTHER BACK PANEL CUTOUTS ARE NOT USED BY THE AM-6060, AND ARE COVERED.
Page 2-6 Chapter Two PREPARING THE SITE For your computer to do its best job for you, you must place it in a clean environment it is comfortable in. Extreme temperature or humidity can cause computer failure. But, it is not very demanding—its environmental needs are similar to your own. Physical Requirements The first step is to make sure the place you want to put your computer is large enough and sturdy enough for it. Also, leave enough room for any terminals, workstations, or printers you want to use.
Installation Page 2-7 Static Electricity and Grounding One of the greatest enemies of computers, terminals, and printers is static electricity. The chief villain is climate: dry winds and dry seasons. If you have problems on dry and windy days when humidity is low, static electricity could be your problem. You should also be aware that both carpets and the plastic mats often used under desks are a prime source of static electricity. If possible, you should place your computer in an uncarpeted area.
Page 2-8 Chapter Two A point to remember is that the closer you get to either end of the AC voltage power range, the less efficient the computer will be. If you use an Uninterruptible Power Supply (UPS) with your AM-6060, we recommend at least a 1kVA unit which provides a minimum of 20 minutes of run time on battery power.
Installation Page 2-9 Turning the Computer On Once you turn on your computer, you must be very careful never to move it while power is still on; doing so could damage the disk drives inside the unit. "Turning the Computer Off," at the end of this chapter, gives information on how to correctly turn the computer off before moving it. 1. Verify once again that your computer has been configured correctly for the AC power service in your region. 2. Place the computer in the site you have chosen for it.
Page 2-10 Chapter Two Refer to the documentation accompanying your terminal for information on setting its baud rate and the parameters listed above. Once the computer is booted with a compatible terminal, you can define your own type of terminal and tell the computer to use that terminal from now on, as long as it stays at 19,200 baud for CMOS configuration use. For more information on defining your own terminal, please refer to the System Operator's Guide.
Installation Page 2-11 If the system software is already on your hard disk, within a few seconds you’ll see a succession of boot codes on the front panel status display, then the AMOS license agreement will appear on the operator terminal, followed by system initialization file commands in rapid succession as they are executed. If nothing appears on the status display or the terminal screen after a minute's wait, contact your Alpha Micro VAR.
Page 2-12 Chapter Two THE WARM BOOT MONITOR The warm boot monitor is used in case of an emergency, when the computer cannot find the system software files it needs to boot from on the hard disk. As you become more familiar with your computer, we strongly recommend you create several warm boot tapes. In addition, if you ever change the drive configuration or AMOS version of your computer, you will almost certainly want to make all new warm boot tapes.
Installation Page 2-13 With the AM-6060, adding new users to your computer is normally a matter of adding a new workstation to your Ethernet network. This may involve modifying the system initialization command file and/or one or more of the configuration file used by AlphaTCP. Please see the AlphaTCP Administrator’s Guide for AlphaTCP setup information. Depending on the networking and/or terminal emulation software you’re using, you may also need to configure software on the workstation.
Chapter 3 - Getting Started This chapter contains two types of information: basic concepts about the way your computer is set up and operates, and general procedures for working with it. Specific topics include: • Booting the computer. • The CMOS setup procedure. • Device names and the System Disk. • Disk accounts and user names. • Logging on to the computer and transferring between disk accounts. • Your terminal keyboard. • Working with streamer tapes.
Page 3-2 Chapter Three You can change the CMOS configuration even if you can’t boot the computer under AMOS. This can be very useful in case of certain system problems. To change the CMOS configuration, you must have a terminal configured for 19.2K baud attached to port 0 on the AM-301-10 system board. This terminal is referred to as the "boot terminal.
Getting Started Page 3-3 The CMOS menu fields are: Primary Boot Device Type This parameter selects the type of device to boot from in the event that the attempt to boot from the alternate device fails or no alternate device is selected. Currently, only SCSI disks can be selected. Primary Boot Device Unit # This parameter selects which primary drive number to boot from. Valid unit numbers are 0 - 6 or 8 - 15 when using the Wide SCSI interface, or only 0-6 for the narrow SCSI interface.
Page 3-4 Chapter Three Saving the CMOS Settings When you are finished making changes press ESC . A message will appear at the bottom of the screen asking if you wish to save any changes made. Type "Y" to save the changes in the CMOS RAM, or "N" to abandon any changes made. After you enter your response, the system will boot using the saved CMOS settings.
Getting Started Page 3-5 • When your computer boots from the first hard drive (the usual state of affairs), the hard drive would be referenced as three disk devices named DSK0:, DSK1:, and DSK2:. The second drive would be called, for example, SEC0:, SEC1:, and so on through SEC5:. • If you change the CMOS settings to boot from the second disk drive, it is now called DSK0: through DSK5:, while the “first” drive might be called FIR0:, FIR1:, and FIR2:. Remember, this is only an example.
Page 3-6 Chapter Three You can also assign a password to each account on each disk. This provides limited security by making it more difficult for someone who doesn’t know the password to log into the account. See Chapter 5 for how to assign passwords. Please see the AMOS User’s Guide for more information on disk accounts, passwords, and other AMOS security measures. You can list the accounts on any device using the PPN command. Type PPN and the name of the device you want the list for, and press RETURN .
Getting Started Page 3-7 Once you're logged on to the system, you can use LOG to switch to a different account. You don't need to enter your user name again, just the account you want. For example: LOG [36,14] RETURN If the account has a password assigned, you are asked for the password before you transfer to the account. The account number list for each device on your system is separate, so you may have duplicate account numbers on different disks.
Page 3-8 Key CAPS LOCK Chapter Three Description While the CAPS LOCK key is enabled, letters you type appear in upper case. Keys other than letters are not affected by the CAPS LOCK key on most keyboards. ESC This key is used with several application programs (such as AlphaVUE) to signal the end of input, or to switch between command modes; however, you do not use ESC at AMOS command level. CTRL Use the CTRL (or CONTROL) key with other keys to enter a different kind of character—a "control character.
Getting Started Page 3-9 ABOUT STREAMING TAPE There are several different ¼" streaming tape drives available for your computer: the AM-62x series of narrow SCSI drives, and the AM-650 Wide SCSI-2 tape drive. For information on transferring data to and from streaming tape, see the System Commands Reference Manual. For information on cleaning tape drive heads, see Chapter 6. Tape Capacity The storage capacity of your tapes depends both on the drive you have and the type of tape cartridge you are using.
Page 3-10 Chapter Three Loading and Unloading Tape Cartridges To avoid static discharge, always ground yourself by touching the metal chassis before loading or unloading a tape cartridge. For the AM-62x tape drives, follow this procedure to load a tape cartridge: 1. Press the button on the drive's front panel to open the tape drive door. 2. Hold the cartridge with the metal side down. The end of the tape cartridge with the write-protect switch will enter the drive first. 3.
Getting Started Page 3-11 DRIV E ST ATU S LED s TAP E DAT EJE CT B UTT ON WIN DOW SHU T= WR ITE ENA BLE WIN DOW OPE N= WR ITE PRO TEC TED Figure 3-1: DAT Tape Drive. 3. Once the tape is loaded, the status lights on the drive will indicate the status of both the drive and the cartridge. See the manual that came with your tape drive for information on interpreting the status lights. 4.
Chapter 4 - Where Do I Go From Here? Your Alpha Micro computer is extremely versatile—it can do so many different things that, at this point, you might be somewhat undecided as to where to start. Your next step is to learn something about the software you can run on your computer.
Page 4-2 Chapter Four Programming Languages The AlphaBASIC programming language is a standard part of the software for your computer. AlphaBASIC contains many business oriented features. AlphaBASIC also provides an ISAM (Indexed Sequential Access Method) interface. AlphaBASIC PLUS, also provided as standard, contains advanced features such as sophisticated data structures and program control constructs.
Where Do I Go From Here? Page 4-3 Office Information Products Several office information products are available separately from your local Alpha Micro VAR. The office information products series includes: • AlphaCALC, an electronic spreadsheet program that prepares "what if" financial models quickly and easily. • AlphaWRITE, a word processing package that provides spelling checking, hyphenation, form letter preparation, automatic outlining, and much more.
Page 4-4 Chapter Four "I Want to Learn How to Maintain My Computer" If you are going to be responsible for making data backups, adding new terminals or printers to the computer, running disk diagnostics, and otherwise managing and maintaining the computer, we highly recommend you read the System Operator's Guide, and obtain a copy of the System Commands Reference Manual and the System Operator's Guide to the System Initialization Command File.
Chapter 5 - System Administration AMOS provides many program tools to support system administration functions. This chapter covers many of these procedures, including: • Backing up your data. • Allocating disk accounts. • Adding user names. • Modifying the system initialization file to add jobs and terminals and change memory allocations. • Disk diagnostic procedures. • Adding disk devices.
Page 5-2 Chapter Five Because both backup and diagnostic procedures usually must be done when only one job is accessing the disks, it is wise to run them when other users are off the computer (for example, at night or on weekends). By using the Task Manager, or the SLEEPR command within a command file, you can run backups and tests in the middle of the night when they won't interfere with other users. See the Task Manager User's Manual for details on how to do this.
System Administration Page 5-3 Adding New Accounts There is no specific number of accounts you must have; you can add as many as you wish, as long as there is room on the disk. When your computer is brand new, the only accounts are the ones the system software is stored in. You'll want to add more accounts from time to time as your business grows. To do so, use the SYSACT command, following these steps: 1.
Page 5-4 Chapter Five ADDING USER NAMES When users log onto an AMOS computer, they must identify themselves by entering a user name and, optionally, a password. As shipped from Alpha Micro, two user names are defined, Demo and System Service. You will no doubt want to add more names for your users. You can do so with the MUSER command.
System Administration VUE TEST.INI Page 5-5 RETURN If you are unfamiliar with AlphaVUE, refer to the AlphaVUE User's Manual. 4. Make all the necessary changes to TEST.INI. Save the file when exiting AlphaVUE by pressing the ESC key and typing F. Some of the common changes you may want to make are discussed below. 5. Use MONTST to insure TEST.INI is working as expected. Make sure no one else is using the computer, then type: LOG OPR: RETURN MONTST ,TEST.INI RETURN 6.
Page 5-6 Chapter Five :T ; JOBS 5 ; JOBALC JOB1 ; QUEUE 2000 ; TRMDEF TERM1,AM318=0:19200,ALPHA,200,200,200,EDITOR=15 ; PARITY ; Clear memory VER ; Unlock keyboard ; SCZDSP SCZR60.SYS ; SCSI dispatcher ; DEVTBL DSK1,DSK2,DSK3,DSK4,DSK5 DEVTBL TRM,RES,MEM DEVTBL /STR0 ; Streaming tape device ; BITMAP DSK ; Paged bitmaps for AMOS 2.X ; ERSATZ ERSATZ.NEW MSGINI 20K ; SYSTEM SYSMSG.USA SYSTEM DCACHE.SYS/N/M 1M ; Enable disk read-caching SYSTEM DVR:DSK/N 100K 60 ; Enable disk write-caching SYSTEM CMDLIN.
System Administration Page 5-7 Network Users The majority of AM-6060 users will be network users. The initialization file changes needed for a network user are different than when adding additional serial port users. In fact, after your initial setup, you may often be able to add network users without changing the initialization file at all.
Page 5-8 Chapter Five The SETJOB statement can: • Define how much memory to allocate to a specific job. • Define the specific disk and account you want the specific job to log into each time the computer boots. • Unlock the terminal’s keyboard (with the VER command). Exactly what you want to put in the SETJOB statement depends on whether a terminal, modem, or printer is attached to the port, and on many other considerations. 5.
System Administration Page 5-9 If you decide to change the amount of memory allocated to a job, or the memory pool, you can modify the system initialization file following the instructions below. Be very careful when changing memory allocations. Most of the memory on an AM-6060 is used for AlphaTCP processes and users connected via the network, and allocating memory incorrectly could make it impossible for some or all network users to access the computer.
Page 5-10 Chapter Five ANALYZING THE DISK A disk diagnostic program reads data from a disk. If it cannot read an area of the disk, it reports the problem to you. Checking your disk frequently with disk diagnostic programs helps prevent data loss— the sooner you catch a malfunction, the less data is likely to be affected. The type of problem found by disk diagnostics is known as a "hard error," because it means data is lost.
System Administration Page 5-11 3. REDALL now tells you the number of blocks it is reading. For example: REDALL DSK2: RETURN Reading 13800 blocks EXIT 4. REDALL ends when it finishes reading the blocks. If any errors occur, REDALL displays the appropriate error message on your screen. The DSKANA Command The DSKANA command is an important part of your disk maintenance routine.
Page 5-12 Chapter Five DSKANA DSK1: RETURN [Begin analysis of DSK1:] [1,2] . [100,20] [The following blocks were marked in use but not in a file] 1767 1772 2562 3456 6265 [The following blocks were in a file but not marked in use] [Rewriting BITMAP] No file errors If you see the "No file errors" message, the file structure on the disk is intact. If DSKANA lists a number of file errors, there is a problem with the disk's file structure.
System Administration Page 5-13 The CHECK Option and Automatic Backups At times, you may want to have DSKANA examine a disk without re-writing the bitmap, especially when using an "automatic" backup method such as a command file or the Task Manager to perform the backup. The reason for this is simple: assume you run DSKANA at night as part of an automatic backup procedure.
Chapter 6 - Preventive Maintenance Your computer requires little care. However, preventive maintenance is an integral part of keeping any computer running at peak efficiency. To safeguard your investment, we recommend you establish a regular maintenance schedule for your equipment. This chapter contains some recommended maintenance procedures for: • DAT and streamer tape cartridges. • The DAT and streaming tape drives. • The main enclosure.
Page 6-2 Chapter Six • Dip a lint-free cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol (at least 91% strength) • The head is a brass-colored metal square that can be seen in the tape slot. Rub the surface of the head with the moist cotton swab. • Rub the head with a dry swab to prevent residue buildup. When cleaning tape drive heads, never use 70% rubbing alcohol. Make sure you use isopropyl alcohol of at least 91% strength.
Chapter 7 - Troubleshooting Procedures We are sure you will find your Alpha Micro computer easy to install and use, and be pleased with its exceptional reliability. However, if a problem should occur, look at the list of symptoms below to find practical information on diagnosing and correcting the problem. Some of the problems below are the result of improper installation, while others can occur through user error.
Page 7-2 Chapter Seven Symptom #2: Scrambled Characters on the Terminal Screen If the characters you see on the screen after you boot are not legible text, perform the procedures listed below in the order given: [ [ [ [ [ [ ] Check Power and Activity Lights ] Check the System Status Codes ] Check Terminal/Printer ] Power-up/Reset ] Self Test ] Alternate Boot (Procedure #1) (Procedure #2) (Procedure #4) (Procedure #3) (Procedure #5) (Procedure #6) Symptom #3: Computer Does Not Finish Booting The operato
Troubleshooting Procedures Page 7-3 Procedure #1: Check Power and Activity Lights A. Are the power light and fan on? If yes, go to Step B. If the fan is on but the power light isn't, your power light may be burnt out. Go to Step B. 1. Press the power button to turn the computer off. Make sure the power cord is not damaged and is the correct type for your geographical area. Make sure it is plugged in firmly on both ends.
Page 7-4 Chapter Seven Procedure #2: Check the Computer Status Codes The section below assumes your computer is not running the self test. For information on the status codes you can see when running the self test, refer to "Procedure #5: Self Test." For more information on the status codes mentioned below, refer to Chapter 8. Look at the front panel Status Display. As the computer boots, a series of status codes appears on the display in rapid succession.
Troubleshooting Procedures Page 7-5 Code 80 8C Meaning and Action to Take The computer is in self-test mode. Perform "Procedure #3: Power-up/Reset." If the computer boots normally, your problem is fixed; if it doesn't, call your VAR. Other If the Status Code is a number not discussed above, your computer is probably a victim of random noise on the power lines or a software error. Perform "Procedure #5: Self Test.
Page 7-6 Chapter Seven 1. Turn off the power to any terminals, printers, and other peripheral devices connected to the computer. You do not need to turn off any device connected to the computer via the network. 2. Turn off the computer and wait a few seconds. 3. Turn on all of the terminals, printers, and peripheral devices connected to the computer. 4. Turn on the computer. Do not hold in the Reset button while you do so. 5. Return to Step C, above, to see if the computer is up and running.
Troubleshooting Procedures G. Page 7-7 Check the terminal option settings against the terminal manufacturer's manual. Check for: 1. Correct baud rate. Your computer as shipped from Alpha Micro assumes the terminal it boots on is set for 19200 baud. 2. Set for full duplex (not half duplex) operation. 3. Set for remote (not local) operation. 4. Set for a data word length of 8 data bits. 5. Set for no parity. 6. Set for 1 stop bit. 7. Set for conversational (not block) mode. 8.
Page 7-8 Chapter Seven Procedure #5: Self Test A. Read the introduction in The Self Test User's Guide that came with your computer to get an overall idea of the test, the terminal display, and the front panel Status Display. B. Now look over the Self Test Checker below. These codes are taken from the full list of normal and error codes given in The Self Test User's Guide. The error codes to watch for on the front panel Status Display are listed in the Blinking column.
Troubleshooting Procedures Page 7-9 After the self test finishes testing all the devices, wait until it's performing the system configuration inventory again and press the Reset button to end the test. There is a slight chance you might damage the data on the disks if you interrupt the test while it is testing one of the storage devices. If the test loops on the configuration test, stays on error code 80 or 8F and won't go further, press the Reset button to stop the test.
Page 7-10 Chapter Seven Procedure #6: Alternate Boot You perform this procedure when previous procedures indicate something may be wrong with the software on your System Disk. This procedure sees if the computer can boot off some other device— whether or not this succeeds tells your VAR quite a bit about what might be wrong with your computer. First, make sure the device and unit number settings for the alternate device you are trying to boot from are correct on the CMOS menu.
Chapter 8 - Status Display Codes Your computer provides various tools for you to use to assure yourself your computer is healthy and operating as it should. For instance, your computer is capable of testing itself and checking most of its own internal components for proper operation. Besides letting you know when things are working correctly, if a problem should occur, these tools help you find the cause.
Page 8-2 Chapter Eight Front Panel Status Code Description 0 Computer is functioning normally. 4 System has gone under 100 queue blocks remaining. This code displays until replaced by another, even if the system now has over 100 queue blocks. At a convenient time, allocate more system queue blocks in the system initialization file. 7 LEVEL7 debugger is active. Will occur only when the LEVEL7 software is loaded in system memory. Refer to the LEVEL7 documentation for details.
Status Display Codes Page 8-3 Front Panel Status Code Description 24 Reading the Master File Directory (MFD) from disk. An error at this point indicates disk problems in the alternate boot device. 25 Searching for the User File Directory (UFD) account [1,2] on the first logical of the alternate boot device. 26 Searching for a BADBLK.SYS file in account [1,2] on the first logical of the alternate boot device. Valid only on disk drives that use a BADBLK.SYS file. 27 Loading BADBLK.
Page 8-4 Chapter Eight Front Panel Status Code Description 35 Searching for the User File Directory (UFD) account [1,2] on first logical of the primary boot device. 36 Searching for a BADBLK.SYS file on the first logical of the primary boot device. Valid only on disk drives that use a BADBLK.SYS file. 37 Loading BADBLK.SYS on the first logical of the primary boot device. Valid only on disk drives that use a BADBLK.
Status Display Codes Page 8-5 Front Panel Status Code Description 48 An internal fault has been detected in the UPS. 49 An internal fault has occurred in the UPS and it is in bypass. 4A - 4E Not valid. 4F UPS cable has been unplugged from UPS port. 88 Trying to execute an unimplemented SVCA (Monitor) call. 95 Logger CREATE error. 96 Logger CLOSE error. 97 Logger FILOTX error. 98 Logger OPENA error. 99 Logger semaphore not available. B0 CMOS batteries need to be replaced.
Page 8-6 Chapter Eight Front Panel Status Code Description F5 TRAPV instruction. F6 Privilege violation. F7 TRACE return. F8 Coprocessor protocol violation. F9 EM1111. FA FPCP branch or set on unordered condition, or FPCP inexact result, or FPCP divide by zero, or FPCP underflow, or FPCP operand error, or FPCP overflow, or FPCP signaling NAN, or FPCP unimplemented data type.
Appendix A - Connector Configurations The rear panel of your AM-6060 contains four serial connectors for the four serial ports found on the AM-301-10 board, in addition to the RJ-45 10BaseT Ethernet connector for attaching your AM-6060 to your network. This appendix discusses connector and cable considerations for both network and serial connections. ETHERNET RJ-45 10BASET CONNECTOR The Ethernet RJ-45 10BaseT port functions exactly like a DB-15 Ethernet AUI port.
Page A-2 Appendix A SERIAL I/O CONNECTORS The AM-6060's I/O interface board, the AM-301-10, includes four on-board RS-232 serial ports, numbered 0 - 3. All four serial ports have standard RJ-45 connectors and use the AM318.IDV interface driver. The following sections discuss the RS-232 standard, considerations if you want to build your own cables, and cable kits available from Alpha Micro for connecting the serial ports to various types of device. What Is RS-232? All AM-6060 serial ports support RS-232.
Connector Configurations Page A-3 CABLE CONSTRUCTION GUIDELINES If you want to construct your own cables, there are a few things you should keep in mind: Cable Length We strongly recommend that RS-232C cables attached to the AM-6060 use twisted-pair cable with an overall shield. As you increase the cable length beyond 100 feet, the reliability of the data signal decreases.
Page A-4 Appendix A • PDB-00359-53—Four RJ-45 to male DB25 adapters for connecting modems to the AM-6060. This kit requires a shielded parallel patch cord with RJ-45 connectors at each end, like the 10foot PRA-00189-10 cable in the PDB-00359-56 cabling kit described below. • PDB-00359-54—Four modular RJ-45 to male DB25 adapters for connecting printers and terminals to the AM-6060.
Connector Configurations Page A-5 PDB-00359-54 Use this kit to connect all terminals and printers to the AM-6060.
Page A-6 Appendix A PDB-00359-57 Use this kit to connect to existing DB-9 male connectors. FOUR FOOT CABLE AM-6060 SIGNAL FEMALE DB9 AM-355 PINOUTS SIGNAL WHT/BLU BLU/WHT 2 5 RXD RTS 3 6 WHT/ORG ORG/WHT 3 9 TXD DTR P3+ P3- 2 7 WHT/GRN GRN/WHT 4 7 CTS GND P4+ P4- 8 1 WHT/BRN BRN/WHT 8 1 DCD SHLD PAIR # RJ-45 RXD RTS P1+ P1- 5 4 TXD DTR P2+ P2- CTS GND DCD SHLD PDB-00359-57 External Cabling Kit AM-6060 Computer Owner's Manual, Rev.
Appendix B - The Control Characters Your terminal keyboard allows you to type control characters which perform special functions. A control character is the signal transmitted to the computer when you hold down the CTRL key and press another key at the same time. The following list contains the most important control characters. The AMOS User's Guide contains a complete list of control characters and their functions. Control-C Control-C is the system interrupt command.
Page B-2 Control-Q Appendix B When you press CTRL / S (described above) to freeze the screen display, you must press CTRL / Q to resume the screen display. If you have typed anything while the Control-S was in effect, a Control-Q tells AMOS it can now go ahead and act upon that input. Try this: Press CTRL / S , then type DIR RETURN , and then PRINT RETURN . The commands aren't displayed on the screen and it appears that nothing happened.
Appendix C - Super I/O Super I/O is designed to significantly increase character output for all serial ports using the AM318.IDV driver. This includes the AM-6060's four on-board serial ports. Super I/O handles character output in a much more efficient manner than any other previously released AMOS serial port driver, which reduces the load on the CPU and makes more CPU cycles available for other tasks. In earlier versions of AMOS, Super I/O was a separate, optional feature.
Appendix D - SCSI Termination The preferred way to terminate the SCSI bus in an AMOS based computer is the installation of an external terminator. Using an external terminator makes installing an add-on subsystem (like a portable CD-ROM drive) easier, eliminating the need to remove terminators from a SCSI device located in the host computer. In the AM-6060, the external terminator must be an “active” terminator. An active terminator is included with your AM-6060.
Page D-2 Appendix D ATTACHING EXTERNAL DEVICES To attach an external SCSI device, you must remove the terminator from the external SCSI port. However, you must make sure the SCSI bus is still terminated at both ends. To do so, install the external active terminator in the unused SCSI I/O port of the external SCSI device. For most reliable Wide SCSI-2 performance, it is critical to follow the bus length limitations of the SCSI specifications.
Appendix E - Read-Ahead and Write Buffering INTRODUCTION Earlier AMOS systems achieved high levels of performance by using an intelligent disk controller (such as the AM-520) to offload a large portion of the CPU overhead associated with disk access. A benefit of this offloading is that extra cycles are available on the controller to perform functions such as read-ahead and write buffering.
Page E-2 Appendix E Programs that do significant random disk access (such as RNDRED) tend to slow down with this readahead scheme. Most of the slowdown is caused by "thrashing" of the disk cache, where cache entries that will be used again are removed from the cache due to the allocation requirements of the read-ahead blocks (which typically are never used).
Read-Ahead and Write Buffering Page E-3 Write buffering can speed up the write process. When write buffering is enabled, all writes to the SCSI disk are first transferred into a buffer. If the write buffer becomes at least half full, or around three quarters of a second passes with no reads, or if a preset "guaranteed flush" time-out occurs, the SCZR60.DVR disk driver will begin scanning through the write buffer, finding blocks that need to be written out to the drive.
Page E-4 Appendix E For example: SYSTEM DVR:DSK/N 200K 60 The buffer-size is the size of the write buffer (you specify the size in Kilobytes). We advise a buffer size of 100K to 200K. The flush-period is the maximum number of seconds data may be left in the write buffer without being written to the disk. For example, if you specify 30, you will know that after 30 seconds any pending writes will be written to the disk. This is true even if the disk is constantly busy servicing reads.
Index 1 C 10BaseT connections · A-1 Cables · A-2 connecting terminal · 2-10, 7-6 construction guidelines · A-3 length · 2-8, A-3 printer cable · A-2 type · A-3 Cabling network · 2-10 CD-ROM · D-2 Central Processing Unit · 1-4 CMOS error codes · 3-2 menu · 1-4 menu options · 3-2 setup procedure · 3-1 CMOS setup procedure · 7-10 Command buffer · B-2 Commands DEVTBL · 3-5 DIR · 3-6 DSKANA · 5-11, 7-5 FMTS2 · 5-13 LOG · 3-6, 5-3, C-1 MEMORY · 5-9 PPN · 3-6 REDALL · 5-10 SET DSKERR · 5-10 SETJOB · 5-8, 5-9 SL
Page 2 Index D H DAT drive · 1-6, 3-9 cleaning · 6-2 using · 3-10 Data cables · 2-8 Defining user names · 5-4 Deskside chassis · 1-1 front panel · 2-4 Device drivers · 4-2 names · 3-4 system disk · 3-5 DEVTBL command · 3-5 Diagnostic programs · 8-1 DSKANA · 5-11, 7-5 REDALL · 5-10, E-1 Diagonstic programs · 8-6 Directory · 3-6 Disk accounts · 3-5, 5-2 analysis · 5-10 bitmap · 5-13 blocks · 5-11 diagnostic programs · 5-10, 5-11, 5-13, 7-5 Disk activity light · 2-4 DSKANA command · 5-11, 7-5 CHECK option
Index Page 3 MUSER command · 5-4 S N SCSI disk drive · 1-5, D-1 external termination · 1-5, D-1 SCSI termination · 1-5, D-1 Self test · 7-4, 8-1, 8-6 Self test checker · 7-8 Serial I/O · 1-6 Service information · 1-8 SET DSKERR command · 5-10 SETJOB Command · 5-8, 5-9 Setup procedure · 3-1 Shipping damage · 2-2 Site preparation · 2-6 environmental requirements · 2-6 physical requirements · 2-6 SLEEPR command · 5-2 SMEM statement · 5-8 Software · 1-7, 4-1, 4-3 Software Security Device (SSD) · 1-3 locati
Page 4 TRMDEF statement · 5-7 Troubleshooting · 7-1 alternate boot · 7-10 computer locks up · 7-2 incomplete bootup · 7-2 no display · 7-1 powerup/reset · 7-3, 7-5 printer · 7-6 procedures · 7-2 scrambled characters · 7-2 self test · 7-4, 7-8, 8-1, 8-6 status display · 7-3, 7-4, 7-8, 8-6 symptoms · 7-1, 7-2 terminal · 7-6, 7-7 Turbo button · 2-4, 7-10 Turbo light · 2-4 Turning off power · 2-12 Turning on power · 2-9 TXTFMT · 4-2, 4-4 U Index User names · 5-4 Utility programs · 4-2 V VersiCOMM · 4-3 Volta
