ttya on Sunblade 100
I have a Sunblade 100 and for an age I've been using graphics input, but now need to use my serial port instead. I bought a straight thru DB9 to DB9 cable and connected it to my pc, and in eeprom I've set the input and output devices to ttya. I don't get any connection?
Does anybody know what the problem is?
I've tried to change the flow control from hardware to none and back again, and this doesn't make much different. All other settings are the same and pretty standard for serial connections, 9600, 8, n, 1.
I've even got a software serial port monitor, and I'm not getting any output from the blade end.
It's killing me, as it should be pretty simple!
[698 byte] By [
Reckless] at [2007-11-26 6:31:56]
# 1
Hi,
ttya-mode=9600,8,n,1,-
You should have the mouse, monitor and keyboard disconected from the Sun Blade - very important!! so the output gets directed to the serial port; connect your cable (Null cable) to your serial port at a WIndows PC, open hyperterminal and connect with the setting mentioned, turn off/on the sun blade, you need to press 'enter' at the terminal window so you get a response. I did this many times and it works, are you missing any of these steps?
# 2
Hi,
Yes, I disconnected the keyboard and mouse by default. There is nothing plugged into the back of the blade except for the serial connection and my ethernet connection (and power of course! ;))
I use TeraTerm, as it's far superior to HyperTerm, but the effect is the same - nothing! Not even sending a break gets any joy.
Any other suggestions about prom settings?
Thanks!
# 3
This is what I have on my Blade100/OBP, maybe something different..
$ /usr/sbin/eeprom
test-args: data not available.
diag-passes=1
pci-probe-list=7,c,3,8,d,13,5
local-mac-address?=false
fcode-debug?=false
silent-mode?=false
scsi-initiator-id=7
oem-logo: data not available.
oem-logo?=false
oem-banner: data not available.
oem-banner?=false
ansi-terminal?=true
screen-#columns=80
screen-#rows=34
ttyb-rts-dtr-off=false
ttyb-ignore-cd=true
ttya-rts-dtr-off=false
ttya-ignore-cd=true
ttyb-mode=9600,8,n,1,-
ttya-mode=9600,8,n,1,-
output-device=screen:r1024x768x75
input-device=keyboard
load-base=16384
auto-boot?=true
network-boot-arguments: data not available.
boot-command=boot
diag-file: data not available.
diag-device=disk
boot-file: data not available.
boot-device=disk
use-nvramrc?=false
nvramrc=devalias disk /pci@1f,0/pci@5/scsi@2/disk@1,0
devalias cdrom /pci@1f,0/ide@d/cdrom@0,0:f
security-mode=none
security-password: data not available.
security-#badlogins=0
diag-script=none
diag-level=max
diag-switch?=false
error-reset-recovery=boot
$
# 4
Since you dont have a keyboard connected to the Blade, once you turn it on press the on/off button really fast twice (right after you hear the 'beep'), try the press/twice 2 or 3 times it shuld send a STOP+A signal to stop it at the OK prompt and give you a input to your terminal.
# 5
Still not getting anything, and my settings seem to be pretty much the same as yours, with the exception of aliases etc.
I have an Expert3D Lite card in the machine. Do you think output is still being directed to this even though I've set the output to ttya?
I'm thinking of taking it out, and also, I've just seen that there is a more up-to-date boot prom which probably needs to be applied. Only thing is I now have to plug-in the keyboard/mouse/monitor to flash it!
Any more words of wisdom would be hugely appreciated.
# 6
Since you have an extra card, I can tell you what I did on my Ultra5 awhile back, on that I had an extra card too and needed some changes on the OPB:
I had to make some changes on pcib-pobe-list, I dont rememebr the defaults but when I change it to "1,3" only it skiped the ouput from tty and send it to the added card, I dont have this entry in my Blade since I am using the built-in video... do you have this on your OPB, if you do make a note and change it to the default, check the OBP comands.
ttya-mode=9600,8,n,1,-
pcia-probe-list=1,2,3,4
pcib-probe-list=1,3
;-/
# 7
A straight-through cable is incorrect.
You'll need to use a null modem cable, or at least add a null modem
adapter to one end of your existing DB9-DB9 cable
The cross-over is required so that one system's "send" goes to the other system's "receive", and vice versa.
pin 2 -- pin 3
pin 3 -- pin 2
pin 7 -- pin 7
For example, in the USA, Radio Shack sells one for $7.99
[url=http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2062210&cp=& origkw=null+modem&kw=null+modem&parentPage=search]DB9 Null Adapter, part # 26-264[/url]
It's a normally stocked item in all of their thousands of retails stores.
# 8
Ahh, that might be one of the reasons it's not working then! I had read (using link below) that a straight through cable was required, but what you have said makes more sense.
http://www.idevelopment.info/data/Unix/Solaris/SOLARIS_UsingSerialConsoles.shtm l
I'll pop into Radio Shack at the weekend.There is one down the street. I'll report back with my findings!
Thanks for the reply.
# 9
It was easy to overlook, but in the SB100/SB150 section of that page...
Immediately after describing the type of cable,
it states that you'll also need a null adapter.
Best of luck to you,
happy 'puting.
Once you master the TIP connection, you'll wonder what the fuss was all about.
# 10
Well, just to conclude this post, I got my null modem connector as suggested above, and now it works like a charm!
So, for anybody else in this situation, to connect a Sunblade 100 to your PC's serial port you need a straight thru serial cable (Female/Female DB9), and then a null modem adapter.
The straight thry cable I got from tigerdirect.com - item #C184-09448
The null modem adapter I got from radioshack.com - item #26-264
The only other thing I did was to set things up in eeprom or via the OBP.
input-device=ttya
output-device=ttya
Rather than using HyperTerm, I use TeraTerm which is far superior, and you are also able to send a CTRL+B to send a break signal to the console (much like a STOP-A).
Thanks for everybodies help and advice, it's appreciated!
