OpenBSD/hp300 Frequently Asked Questions

Table of Contents

• H.1 - Can OpenBSD/hp300 boot across the network?
• H.2 - What is the situation with X11 on the hp300?
• H.3 - What does 'UNEXPECTED USE OF FFFFFFC4' mean?

Boot ROM Information

• H.4 - What commands does the HP Boot ROM understand?
• H.5 - What order does the Boot ROM use to search for bootable devices?
• H.6 - Switching your Series 400 machine from Domain to "HP-UX Compatible Boot Mode"
• H.7 - Where could I get a more recent Boot ROM for my 400s or 400t?

Serial Port Information

• H.8 - What are the different types of serial ports, and how do I access them?
• H.9 - Setting up a serial console on a 98561, 98562, 98626, 98628, 98642, or 98644
• H.10 - Setting up serial console on a Model 340
• H.11 - Setting up serial console on a Series 400 machine or a 345,375, 380, 382, or 385
• H.12 - How do I build the cable to get at the hidden serial ports on a Series 400 machine?

Other sources of information

• HP9000/300 hardware FAQ - maintained by Ross Sponholtz.
• The fatmac HP9000/300 guide - made available by Michael Wolfson
• General OpenBSD FAQ - questions not specific to OpenBSD/hp300.

H.1 - Can OpenBSD/hp300 boot across the network?

To set up your OpenBSD/hp300 workstation, follow the diskless(8) man page.

H.2 - What is the situation with X11 on the hp300?

H.3 - What does 'UNEXPECTED USE OF FFFFFFC4' mean?

Boot ROM Information

H.4 - What commands does the HP Boot ROM understand?

At any time after it recognizes the keyboard, while it is doing its self test or searching for a bootable system, you can hit reset to return it to a cold-boot configuration. On HIL keyboards, this is <control>-<shift>-break for non-AT layouts (where break is the key in the upper left, where escape is on sane keyboards), and <control>-<shift>-pause for AT layouts. There is no equivalent over serial terminal -- you'll need to power-cycle your machine.

After it beeps (i.e. recognizes the HIL keyboard), press <return> twice to get the list of bootable devices. To perform simple hardware checks, hit <control>-C before it starts booting an OS. You can then type T to perform an extended self test or L to perform the extended self test infinitely until it finds a fatal error or L is typed again.

The newer HP Boot ROM, present on Series 400 machines and some of the later 300s (345, 375, 380, 382, 385) is capable of a little bit more. To select which device to boot from, press <return> once, after it beeps twice (i.e. recognizes the HIL keyboard). To get to a configuration and test menu, press:

   C <return>

For more information, Michael Wolfson has scanned in parts of the HP Apollo 9000 Series 400 HP-UX Owner's Guide, which has some good information on this topic.

H.5 - What order does the Boot ROM use to search for bootable devices?

Revision A Boot ROM Specifications

ROM systems are assigned a single letter ID (only "B", for BASIC, is presently supported on Series 300).

All system files found are assigned an ID of the form "nna", where "a" is either the same letter "a" mentioned above (if an ASCII letter), or "Z" (if not an ASCII letter). "nn" is a number of the form " 1" to "99" denoting the order of occurrence of systems which result in the same ID letter "a". The range of system IDs is " 1A" to "99Z".

The boot ROM loads the first system found unless characters (other than that system's ID) are typed on the boot control keyboard (see below). The search order used by the boot ROM is:

• For select codes 7 thru 31: disc or tape (HPIB) at bus address 0, unit 0, volume 0
• SRM at select code 21, node 0, volume 8, "/SYSTEMS" directory
• 98259A Bubble system at select code 30
• 98255 EPROM "disc"-type system at unit 0 (lowest address of all 98255s installed)
• ROM systems (from lowest to highest ROM address)
• For select codes 0 thru 31, bus addresses 0 to 7, units 0 to 16, volumes 0 to 7: all remaining discs or tapes (HPIB)
• For select codes 0 thru 31, nodes 1 thru 62, volumes 1 to 50: any other SRM system files in "/SYSTEMS" directories
• For select codes 0 thru 29, and 31: remaining 98255 Bubble systems
• Remaining 98255 "disc"-type EPROM units.

Revision B and later also support booting over the network, using a 98643 card or built-in ethernet. For older systems, the best choice is to make your boot drive on HPIB at address 0. Remember, you'll need to capitalize the letters.

Newer Boot ROM Search Order

The Scan for Systems selection searches mass storage devices for an operating system to boot. The first mass storage device found with an HP-UX Compatible operating system on it boots. Mass storage devices are searched by the priority shown in this table.

So, for these newer systems, your best bet is to make your boot drive a SCSI drive at address 6 (7 is the system controller on the motherboard).

It is also possible to configure the Boot ROM to default to a specific device from the configuration menu.

H.6 - Switching your Series 400 machine from Domain to "HP-UX Compatible Boot Mode"

Copyright 1990,                         
Hewlett-Packard Company.                
All Rights Reserved.                    
                                        
BOOTROM  Series 400  Rev. 1.1           
MD12 REV 1.2 1990/08/07.14:27:08        
MC68030 Processor                       
MC68882 Coprocessor                     
Configuration EEPROM                    
Utility Chip at 41                      
HP-HIL.Keyboard
[...]

CF
2
2
P
E

Be sure to turn off "service mode" when you're done. I found it prevented me from selecting which device I wanted to boot from. Moreover, on the 425e, the service switch selects the OpenBSD console.

H.7 - Where could I get a more recent Boot ROM for my 400s or 400t?

See The fatmac HP9000/300 guide for instructions on upgrading.

Serial Port Information

H.8 - What are the different types of serial ports, and how do I access them?

H.9 - Setting up a serial console on a 98561, 98562, 98626, 98628, 98642, or 98644

• 98561-66530 (Human Interface)
  Locate the bank of 4 DIP switches
  One of them should be labeled REM
  Set the switch to ?
  
• 98562 (System Interface)
  Locate the middle bank of DIP switches (4 switches)
  The third switch is labeled REM
  Set the switch to one (depress the end labeled one)
  Note: you need a non-null cable
• 98626 (dca)
  Locate the jumper by the two banks of DIP switches
  Remove the jumper
  
• 98628 (dcl)
  Locate the bank of DIP switches by the card-edge connector
  The last switch (labeled 7) is the remote switch
  Set the switch to zero (depress the end labeled zero)
• 98642 (dcm)
  Locate the 8 DIP switches
  The first switch (labeled 1) is the remote switch
  Set the switch to one (slide the bump to one)
  Note: According to the manual, the Boot ROM on older machines does not know how to use this for console, but OpenBSD (and HP-UX) will, so you won't see anything until the bootloader loads.
• 98644 (dca)
  Locate the 10 DIP switches
  The last switch (labeled 1) is the remote switch
  Set the switch to one (depress the end labeled one)
  

Now, reinsert the card and power on your machine. All console messages will be sent over the serial port at 9600 bps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. Theoretically, you should be using a null-modem cable, but I found that for my 98562, I needed a non-null modem cable.

H.10 - Setting up serial console on a Model 340

Now, all console messages will be sent over the serial port at 9600 bps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit.

H.11 - Setting up serial console on a Series 400 machine or a 345,375, 380, 382, or 385

1
5
3
R
X
N

(If your machine does not have an HP-IB controller, replace 5 with 4 in the instructions above)

This is the full procedure captured from a serial console on my 400s. It may be slightly different for the 300 series machines (345, 375, 380, 382, 385).

Note that the 425e does not support serial console setup in the ROM. However, OpenBSD will use the first serial port (on apci0) as the console if the service/normal switch on the back is set to the service position; no other setup is necessary.

Now, your machine will reset and then send all console messages over the serial port at 9600 bps, 8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit. Use a null-modem cable.

If you want to convert from serial console to monitor/keyboard console, follow the same procedure, except type L instead of R.

You may also temporarily override this setting by typing L<return> or R<return> after your system beeps twice and recognizes the keyboard. This will work even if you have a Domain keyboard.

Since the serial console will be mapped to /dev/console, you do not need to add an entry in /etc/ttys. You just need to verify that the /etc/ttys line for /dev/console is marked as being on. You probably want to change the terminal type from vt220 to vt100 or whatever terminal type you will be connecting to it.

H.12 - How do I build the cable to get at the hidden serial ports on a Series 400 machine?

This table gives the pinout for the serial connector on the rear panel.
Source:
HP Apollo 9000 Series 400 Domain/OS Owner's Guide (1990)
HP Order No. A1630-90005