This chapter covers:
The SBus Expansion Subsystem is supported with the following computer systems:
Note - The SPARCstations 1, 1+, or IPC do not support the SBus Expansion Subsystem.
The Expansion Adapter card is an SBus card. You must install one Expansion Adapter card in the computer system for each SBus Expansion Subsystem you are connecting. For example, if you are connecting two SBus Expansion Subsystems, install two Expansion Adapter cards.
Figure 3-1 Expansion Adapter card
There are no jumper or switch settings to set on the card. You can install the Expansion Adapter Card into any SBus slot in a supported system.
To install the Expansion Adapter card in the computer system, refer to the manual Installing SBus Cards in Desktop SPARCstations or Installing SBus Cards in Deskside and Data Center Cabinet Systems.
Note - After inserting the card, do not turn on the power switch to the SBus Expansion Subsystem and the computer system. Continue with the hardware installation.
You can install up to three single-wide SBus cards into the SBus Expansion Subsystem.
Note - Do not install the Expansion Adapter card into the SBus Expansion Subsystem.
Note - Refer to the latest Price List for the designations of supported SBus cards.
Caution - Do not install more than two monitor frame buffer cards into an SBus Expansion Subsystem. Adding a third SBus card may oversubscribe the address space and result in the dropping of the third buffer card.
To install an SBus card into the SBus Expansion Subsystem, refer to the manual Installing SBus Cards in Desktop SPARCstations. Use the instructions for 3-slot SPARCstations to remove and replace the cover.
If you ordered hard disk drives, do not replace the cover after installing the SBus card(s). Install the hard disk drives next. Refer to the Section "Installing Hard Disk Drives in the SBus Expansion Subsystem".
The SBus Expansion Subsystem is transparent to the computer system to which you have connected the subsystem. Because of this, when you are connecting multiple SCSI devices to a computer system using a SBus Expansion Subsystem, you are still limited to the parameters of the SCSI standards of the computer system to which your Expansion Subsystem is attached. The additional ports of the SBus Expansion Subsystem do not necessarily guarantee additional SCSI ports. Your Systems administration manual or your operating system documentation should provide you with this information.
If you ordered optional hard disk drives, install the drive(s) into your SBus Expansion Subsystem. Refer to the manual you received with your disk drive for installation instructions.
This section describes:
Select an appropriate work area and use the following information to set up properly.
Typically, you will place the SBus Expansion Subsystem under, on top, or to the side of your computer system. The SBus Expansion Subsystem is the same size as the SPARCstation 2 and has the following dimensions:
Caution -
Figure 3-2 Areas to remain open
The SBus Expansion Subsystem is a sturdy peripheral, but must be treated properly. Avoid extremes in temperature and other environmental hazards. Generally, if the working conditions are comfortable for you, then the environment is suitable for the SBus Expansion Subsystem.
The acceptable environmental ranges are the following:
Temperature: Use the SBus Expansion Subsystem between 50 and 104 degrees Fahrenheit. (10 and 40 degrees Celsius)
Humidity: Use the SBus Expansion Subsystem between 15 and 80 percent relative humidity.
Ventilation: Keep the work area well-ventilated or air-conditioned.
Dust: Keep the work area as dust-free as possible.
When placing the SBus Expansion Subsystem, follow these stacking rules:
Note - Although you may stack up to three devices, if you place your monitor on top of the computer system, the monitor may be too high for comfortable use. In this case, place the monitor to the side of your computer system or place the SBus Expansion Subsystems next to the computer system.
To connect SBus Expansion Subsystems to a computer system:
You must be superuser on the system you are installing.
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tutorial% su Password: (Enter superuser password) tutorial# halt (System messages are displayed) Type b(boot), c(continue), or n(new command mode) ---------------------------------------------------
>
The green light on the SBus Expansion Subsystem and the computer system should not be lit and the fans should not be running. The power cord should be attached from the SBus Expansion Subsystem and to the wall outlet.
Refer to "Installing the Expansion Adapter Card in the Computer System." .Make sure that the optional hard disk drives and optional SBus cards are installed in the SBus Expansion Subsystem.
Refer to "Installing SBus Cards in the SBus Expansion Subsystem." and also refer to "Installing Hard Disk Drives in the SBus Expansion Subsystem".
Caution -
Note - The figures showing how to set up the SBus Expansion Subsystems may not show connection to ac power. The figures only show possible stacking combinations.
Caution -
Check that both ends of the cable are firmly connected.
Figure 3-7 Connecting an SBus Expansion Subsystem to a SPARCstation 2
Figure 3-8 Connecting two SBus Expansion Subsystems to a SPARCstation 2
Refer to the installation manual that came with your SCSI device for complete installation instructions.
Note - SCSI cables are optional items for the SBus Expansion Subsystem. If you require a SCSI cable, contact your local Sun equipment provider for information on ordering cable.
A terminator resembles a SCSI cable plug, except that a cable is not attached.
Note - If for some reason you did not power up the components of your system in the correct order, type reset at the ok prompt and press Return.
If you installed an SBus card in the SBus Expansion Subsystem and you need to boot from a device connected to it each time the SBus Expansion Subsystem is powered up, go to the next step.
If you do not need to boot from a device connected to an SBus card installed in the SBus Expansion Subsystem, boot your system in the usual manner. For complete booting instructions, refer to the installation guide for your system.
You can boot from a bootable SBus card installed in an SBus Expansion Subsystem. Consult the manual accompanying your SBus card to determine if the SBus card is bootable. The following describes one example, the bootable Ethernet card. You boot from all bootable SBus cards the same way.
In this case you are booting from an Ethernet card that you installed in the SBus Expansion Subsystem slot 2 and the Expansion Adapter card in slot 1 of the computer system. Type the following:
>b/sbus/SUNW,xbox@1/CGsix@2
The following is a description of the syntax used:
/ Main logic board of your computer system
sbus Resides on the main logic board of your computer system in the MMU chip (Memory Management Unit)
/SUNW,xbox@1 Expansion Adapter card installed in slot 1
/CGsix@2 Bootable Framebuffer card installed in slot 2 of the SBus Expansion Subsystem
Note - If your default prompt is the ok prompt, type ok boot /sbus/SUNW,xbox@1/CGsix@2.
Note - SBus cards manufactured by different suppliers may have different card SBus Expansion Subsystem codes. Therefore, you should get the proper card code from the source of the SBus card.
You must know the SBus slot numbers of the Expansion Adapter card controlling the SBus Expansion Subsystem and the bootable SBus card installed in the SBus Expansion Subsystem. if you don't know the slot numbers, type the following:
% dmesg filename
This dmesg command will move all messages that you see during bootup of the system, including the slot numbers you need to the file. Use the | more command or a text editor to view the results of the dmesg command on the screen of your terminal.
If your system fails to boot and there is no indication of the problem on your console, you should attach a monitor to the serial port of your system to see these messages. (Refer to the SPARCstation Installation Guide which accompanies your computer system for instructions on how to attach a monitor to a serial port.) Except where noted, you should correct the indicated problem and restart the installation of the device driver from the beginning.
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Test failed, expected <# observed <#'> ----------------------------------------
Explanation: During the selftest the system expected more resluts than it received.
Action: Review the test results and determine probable cause of error. Take steps to correct the problem and rerun the installation procedures.
Error message
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No child hardware -------------------
Explanation: The system will generate this message if there is no SBus Expansion Subsystem hardware in the system.
Action: Make sure the Sbus Expansion Subsystem cable is properly plugged in to the Expansion Adapter card and that the power is on. Retry the installation.
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Invalid XBox slot number <#'> -------------------------------
Explanation: When decoding a child slot address, the system found a slot out of range (0 through 2 or 3 depending on the system). The system provides the slot number that is in error.
Action: Replace the SBus card reported. If that fails, replace the Adapter card in the computer system.
Error message
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Invalid FCode in SBus <# XBox at <#'> ---------------------------------------
Explanation: While probing at the child level, the system found something that isn't an FCode header. The system provides the number of the slot identified by the code. Either you have a bad SBus card or the autoconfig won't work
Action: Change the SBus card. If the problem still exists, contact your authorized Sun technical support person for assistance.
Error message
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Invalid FCode start byte <cr'> --------------------------------
Explanation: The probe-self command detects a bad FCode header in child FCode image. This is the result of a bad SBus card
Action: Replace the SBus card with a good SBus card.
Error message
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Nothing there <cr'> ----------------------
Explanation: The probe-self command, while in diagnostic mode, did not find the proper code present.
Action: Reset the equipment and retry the installation. If the problem still exists, check the cables to see if they are making the proper contact.
Error message
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The card in slot <# of SBus <# XBox uses too much address space.<cr'> ------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation: During auto-configuration the system detected a card size that was too large.
Action: Change the order of the sbus cards in the Sbus Expansion Subsystem slots. Always place the SBus cards in the slots in order of their address size. The SBus card with the largest address space requirements should be in the lowest available slot. If rearranging your cards does not fix this error, you may have to remove one or more cards before you reboot
Error message
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Unable to clear errors for S Bus <# XBox <cr -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Explanation: A test detected errors persisting after test completion.
Action: Your system has bad hardware. Check your computer system and SBus Expansion system for problems. Either fix the hardware or exchange the bad equipment for good hardware.
Error message:
---------------------------------
SBus <# XBox xac-error <# <cr'> ---------------------------------
Explanation: This a severe warning message. This message, although severe, is not normally fatal. It is an indication of a problem in the system that will manifest in another error at a later time.
Action: Continue running the system
Error message:
---------------------------------
SBus <# XBox xbc-error <# <cr'> ---------------------------------
Explanation: This a severe warning message. This message, although severe, is not normally fatal. It is an indication of a problem in the system that will manifest in another error at a later time.
Action: Continue running the system.
Error message
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XBox at SBus <# child not ready --<cr'> perhaps the cable is not plugged in<cr'> or the expansion box is not turned on.<cr'> ------------------------------------------------
Explanation: During initial setup, the system did not detect the SBus Expansion Subsystem hardware that it was expecting.
Action: Turn off the SBus Expansion Subsystem and reset. Check the SBus Expansion Subsystem's power cable connections and the ac on/off switch. Then reinstall the software.
Error message
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Dictionary overflow - here ffecdb62 limit ffece800 -----------------------------------------------------
Explanation: All of the SBus cards require more dictionary space than is available.
Action: Adjust the sbus cards as described in the routine described in step 3 of the "SBus Card Problems" in Section 4, "In Case of Difficulty" and then reboot.
