Title: NeXTStation Turbo - fun with first power on and mysteries still remain...
Post by: halfpress on December 04, 2024, 10:18:56 AM
Post by: halfpress on December 04, 2024, 10:18:56 AM
Per a previous post, I'm new to the group and thrilled to be restoring my first NeXT units - a Dimension Cube and a NeXTStation Turbo.
Upon getting the machines home this weekend from their donor, I carefully inspected the insides of both before firing them up. They were filthy on the outside (the slab in particular cleaned up beautifully with just a damp wipe down), but both were absolutely spotless inside like they were hermetically sealed. No spider eggs or mouse nests, leaky caps or even any real dust. Sort of shocking compared to others systems I've restored (and don't get me started on the insides of 80s era arcade machines when you first get them).
I came to realize I didn't have a proper monitor cable for the Cube yet (ordered one from Rob due here this Friday) such that I could power it up with a working keyboard, but I did verify it comes on and the display I received is good. I did the 470ohm resister short on pin six of the monochrome output and it came right up (though I can't know yet if the HD is good other than it's spinning... with a new battery and no keyboard, I only can reach the netboot screen for now and I'm not bothering with setting up a server for that at the moment). Set that aside until the cable arrives as well as a MegaPixel N4000A I'm picking up from someone this weekend. Jazzed!
The slab was a different story since I have all the parts. I put in a new battery before starting and got nothing. Then I noticed I could hear a FAINT pop from the soundbox and that the fan did a little tiny wiggle when hitting power, but nothing more. Signs of life anyway.
On a whim, I unplugged power to the Seagate drive and, after that, it powered right up immediately and landed on the netboot screen. I messed with the ROM monitor, too - but more on that later...
Curious about the HD, I took it out and attached it to a standard external power adapter designed to run internal drives externally (12v / 5v with the proper hard drive power connector, etc). The moment I gave it power, I heard a crackling sound and it started releasing the magic smoke out the front between the metal housing and circuit board. So... that's toast. I have to assume it was shorted already and perhaps triggering a fault that prevented power up. Keep this in mind as I tell you more.
I had already ordered a BlueSCSI v2 internal kit, so I assembled it the next day with the hope of bringing the slab online. No config I created would work to boot it up. The extended self tests I enabled in the ROM monitor always said SCSI checked out, but attempts to boot always said "Waiting for drive to be ready" and endless periods. I've become worried the SCSI bus is damaged (recall the shorted Seagate), but I couldn't rule out the BlueSCSI having an issue as well.
To test it, I moved the BlueSCSI to a Mac SE I have and put it in place of an older BlueSCSI already working in that machine. I threw an image on that I thought would work, but the Mac also would never see it nor boot. Coincidentally, I then had trouble getting the image off the SD card in the Mac's existing BSv1 unit and determined its SD card appeared to be failing (it wouldn't boot off either new or old card at that point).
I won't get into details, but I broke my usual very meticulous problem solving protocol here and, in the process, damaged my BlueSCSI v2 board before managing to get the known good image for that Mac off its older SD card. The Mac now works again with its original image and BSv1, but by then, I had damaged the new card in a way I've not been able to repair... so I can't know yet if the NeXT unit has a problem or if it's been the BSv2 all along.
I have two new BSv2 card kits on the way and I'll not make the same mistake. Hoping above all it was the card and that the slab's SCSI is healthy and I'll finally get it to boot maybe this weekend.
Long story, I know... but I suppose that's what this forum is for. :)
More soon!
Upon getting the machines home this weekend from their donor, I carefully inspected the insides of both before firing them up. They were filthy on the outside (the slab in particular cleaned up beautifully with just a damp wipe down), but both were absolutely spotless inside like they were hermetically sealed. No spider eggs or mouse nests, leaky caps or even any real dust. Sort of shocking compared to others systems I've restored (and don't get me started on the insides of 80s era arcade machines when you first get them).
I came to realize I didn't have a proper monitor cable for the Cube yet (ordered one from Rob due here this Friday) such that I could power it up with a working keyboard, but I did verify it comes on and the display I received is good. I did the 470ohm resister short on pin six of the monochrome output and it came right up (though I can't know yet if the HD is good other than it's spinning... with a new battery and no keyboard, I only can reach the netboot screen for now and I'm not bothering with setting up a server for that at the moment). Set that aside until the cable arrives as well as a MegaPixel N4000A I'm picking up from someone this weekend. Jazzed!
The slab was a different story since I have all the parts. I put in a new battery before starting and got nothing. Then I noticed I could hear a FAINT pop from the soundbox and that the fan did a little tiny wiggle when hitting power, but nothing more. Signs of life anyway.
On a whim, I unplugged power to the Seagate drive and, after that, it powered right up immediately and landed on the netboot screen. I messed with the ROM monitor, too - but more on that later...
Curious about the HD, I took it out and attached it to a standard external power adapter designed to run internal drives externally (12v / 5v with the proper hard drive power connector, etc). The moment I gave it power, I heard a crackling sound and it started releasing the magic smoke out the front between the metal housing and circuit board. So... that's toast. I have to assume it was shorted already and perhaps triggering a fault that prevented power up. Keep this in mind as I tell you more.
I had already ordered a BlueSCSI v2 internal kit, so I assembled it the next day with the hope of bringing the slab online. No config I created would work to boot it up. The extended self tests I enabled in the ROM monitor always said SCSI checked out, but attempts to boot always said "Waiting for drive to be ready" and endless periods. I've become worried the SCSI bus is damaged (recall the shorted Seagate), but I couldn't rule out the BlueSCSI having an issue as well.
To test it, I moved the BlueSCSI to a Mac SE I have and put it in place of an older BlueSCSI already working in that machine. I threw an image on that I thought would work, but the Mac also would never see it nor boot. Coincidentally, I then had trouble getting the image off the SD card in the Mac's existing BSv1 unit and determined its SD card appeared to be failing (it wouldn't boot off either new or old card at that point).
I won't get into details, but I broke my usual very meticulous problem solving protocol here and, in the process, damaged my BlueSCSI v2 board before managing to get the known good image for that Mac off its older SD card. The Mac now works again with its original image and BSv1, but by then, I had damaged the new card in a way I've not been able to repair... so I can't know yet if the NeXT unit has a problem or if it's been the BSv2 all along.
I have two new BSv2 card kits on the way and I'll not make the same mistake. Hoping above all it was the card and that the slab's SCSI is healthy and I'll finally get it to boot maybe this weekend.
Long story, I know... but I suppose that's what this forum is for. :)
More soon!