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SGI Visual Workstation 330 Troubleshooting Guide

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SGI Visual Workstation 330 system board layout (User's Guide Figure 3-1)
M25D system board of the Silicon Graphics 330 (SGI User's Guide, Figure 3-1)

Fault-finding on the SGI Visual Workstation 330, from SGI's Silicon Graphics 330 Visual Workstation User's Guide (007-4278-001): its BIOS error table, corrective steps and the Adaptec SCSISelect chapter.[1][2] The 330 is a standard PC with an Acer-designed M25D dual-processor board, so it reports faults as BIOS messages during the power-on self-test (POST). The single-processor SGI Visual Workstation 230 uses the same chassis and an Acer BIOS; see SGI Visual Workstation 230 Troubleshooting Guide for its version of the table.[3]

First checks

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SGI's corrective steps for any power-on error message:[1]

  1. Run Setup (Ctrl+Alt+Esc during POST) and compare the settings with the values recorded when the system worked.
  2. Remove the side panel and check the jumpers on the board and on any cards.
  3. If a new disk cannot be reached, partition and format it.
  4. Check that all connectors and boards are firmly plugged in.

If the message persists with correct settings and a good battery, SGI's guide suspects a damaged or defective chip. Messages ending "Press F1 to continue" usually mean a configuration problem; equipment faults are more likely to stop the system.[1]

BIOS error messages

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Silicon Graphics 330 system error messages (User's Guide, Table 3-2)
Message SGI's action
CMOS battery bad Replace the lithium battery
CMOS checksum error Run Setup
ECC facility fail The SDRAM might be bad; contact your dealer
Equipment configuration error Modify the memory configuration
Hard disk controller error Run Setup or check the hard disk cable
Hard disk 0 or 1 error; IDE channel master or slave drive error Check all cable connections; replace the hard disk
I2C interface or device(s) error, system halt Shut down and disconnect the power cable
Memory error at: MMMM:SSSS:OOO (W:XXXX, R:YYYY) Contact your dealer
Memory size mismatch; CPU clock mismatch Check the memory size against the specification and run Setup
NVRAM checksum error Contact your dealer
Real time clock error Run Setup and set the time and date
PS/2 keyboard error or no keyboard connected Check and connect the keyboard
Press Esc to turn off NMI, any key to reboot Esc ignores the NMI error; any other key reboots. Contact your dealer if it repeats

[1] SGI's table also covers floppy drive, IRQ and I/O conflict, pointing device, parity and system management memory messages.[1]

Power and fans

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  • No power: check the mains cable, the 110 V / 220 V switch, and that both supply connectors, PWR1 and PWR2, are plugged into the board.[4][5]
  • Shutdowns or lock-ups under load: check that the front, rear and power supply fans and both processor fans turn. The processor fans plug into JP2 (CPU 1) and JP1 (CPU 2); the board also has thermal sensor connectors for each socket, CN1 and CN12.[5]
  • A short press of the power button either turns the system off or suspends it, depending on the "Power switch < 4 sec." setting in Setup's Power Management menu.[6]
  • A failed supply is replaced as a unit; SGI's guide warns that it can hold dangerous voltages when unplugged.[7] See SGI Visual Workstation 330 General Maintenance.

Memory faults

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  • "ECC facility fail" points to a bad SDRAM module.[1]
  • The board takes 3.3 V ECC registered SDRAM at 100 MHz or 133 MHz, but not both at once; SGI warns that mixing them can make the system malfunction. Only SGI-tested memory is supported.[5][8]
  • "Memory size mismatch" after a change: run Setup and confirm the total.[1]

Processors

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  • Each processor sits with pin 1 (the notched corner) at hole 1 and the socket lever down; the heat sink bracket must be locked on both sides and both fan cables connected.[9]
  • SGI's guide lists the supported processors as 733, 800 or 866 MHz Pentium III on a 133 MHz bus in its installation section, and 733 to 800 MHz in the board overview.[5][9]

SCSI faults

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  • A device not seen or an unreliable bus: check SCSI IDs for conflicts and the termination. Channel A's on-board terminator is set by JP3X (1-2 on, the default).[5]
  • Use SCSISelect (Ctrl+A at the Adaptec banner during start-up) to check IDs, termination and boot settings, or to low-level format a new disk. The defaults are host adapter ID 7, parity checking enabled, termination automatic, boot from channel A ID 0.[2]
  • If the controller settings have been changed and the cause is not obvious, F6 in SCSISelect resets the host adapter to its defaults.[2]

Settings lost or clock wrong

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"CMOS battery bad", "CMOS checksum error", "Real time clock error" and repeated "Run Setup" messages point to the CMOS RAM losing its contents. Replace the lithium battery at BT1.[1][5]

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References

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  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 67-71, Table 3-2. System error messages and corrective measures.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 109-116, Table 5-1. SCSISelect utility, defaults, F6 reset.
  3. ↑ Silicon Graphics, Inc., Silicon Graphics 330 Visual Workstation User's Guide, 007-4278-001, June 2000, front matter (File:SGI Visual Workstation 330 User's Guide (007-4278-001).pdf). Chapters 3 and 4 by Acer Incorporated, chapter 5 by Adaptec.
  4. ↑ SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 1-8. Fans, power supply voltage switch.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 55-62, Figure 3-1 and Table 3-1. M25D board, memory, processor speeds, connectors and jumpers.
  6. ↑ SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 73-74 and 89. Entering Setup; Power Management "Power switch < 4 sec.".
  7. ↑ SGI, 007-4278-001, p. 28. Power supply warning and replacement.
  8. ↑ SGI, 007-4278-001, p. 65. Memory modules.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 SGI, 007-4278-001, pp. 63-64. Processor speeds and installation.


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