my NeXTstation

hi, people,
I need a bit of help, because I am a bit new to  Next systems,
even if I know some *nix

So, this is the story:
a day I decided to get a NeXT.
after struggling a bit, finally I got it: a nExt Station , witn N4000 Monitor.

I switched it on and wow! it was working!

It showed the login window, but of course no password availabe. I found there was a boot password, too

after a search I found this forum and read how to resolve..
so I removed the backup battery then switched on again

this time the system wont start :(

tried with bsd command: he tried with bsd (0,0,0) and affter a while it said "Exceprion #3"


in the same time, the monitor decided to die :(

now I bought a NU IO and today after strugling with exception #3, exception #2 , bsd -s and other fancy things, I am in

!!

the system  works but the mouse does not respond.
I can only use the keyboard
...
after a wile it seems that the keyboard also is a little tired: the  only key now working is the on/off ...

actually it does not seems a keyboard issue, because the same behaviour is with an ADB keyboard..

any hints?

(this message was written while  fidgeting, thats why it is a bit messy...)


thanks,

RIc

Hello Ric: OK pictures are going to help here . You will want to use the NeXT NON ADB keyboard and NeXT Non ADB mouse plugs into the keyboard. 

Are you getting to a NeXT > ?

If sounds like there is a hard drive?

When you removed the battery , it also resets the boot from network.

How to reset here https://youtu.be/xkw7eb6LFy0  , your non adb keyboard will have to work as your motherboard does not support ADB unless you have a monoturbo and with a 4000 monitor it is probably a NeXTstation non turbo = non adb keyboard and non adb mouse.   If you plug an adb keyboard in the only key that will work is power on and off.

Those exceptions can indicate bad Ram:

http://www.asterontech.com/Asterontech/NeXT_POST_Codes.html

This is also routinely a problem when the caps are going bad. Could also be the hdd.

hello there,

second round and some pics

It seems that something is got worse :(
As I said, in the first hours the system was  (more or less) responsive, in fact I was able to boot in single user mode and change root password. Then after some hours, the mouse stopped to move, then some keyboard keys, now the whole keyboard is dead.
Today I removed the backup battery but nothing changed:  the machine boots but no keys or mouse.

Same behavior  if using the  N4000 monitor or with a VGA + NU_IO + Macintosh keyboard (but it was  working).

Of course I also cannot go in monitor mode :(
You said it could be the RAM. I'd like to remove it and clean, but I can't, it seems locked or glued: is there any system lock?


without input devices I am really stuck :(


Thanks for ideas an support,

RIc

---

Nothing looks out of order. Can you use the keyboard with the hard drive removed? Does it work in the firmware? That drive for sure will be on its last leg. Where are you located? It may be cheaper to swap this system board with a working one than to do a board level repair if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. I honestly would have no idea where to start with this one. I guess caps. Some very strange behavior.

Hello!

after barcher174' suspects on RAM,  today I removed and cleaned the ram modules.
at the reboot all was working ,yay!

 but after a while the keyboard became unresponsive,  >:(

till I touched the Cable... :o


So for the keyboard+mouse mystery ,  I suspect a defective connection in the (handmade) cable.

I'll manage to get a new cable maker and try again


By the way, I am in Italy, I don't now other retrocomp nerds, and also it's difficult to meet somebody that knows what a NeXT is.

The one I am working on, it comes from Switzerland.

bye,

Ric