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C The VAX floating point format is derived from one of the PDP-11 FP H formats, which helps explain its strange layout. There are four formats H defined: F 32-bit single-precision, D and G 64-bit double-precision and E H 128-bit quadruple precision. For all formats, the lowest addressed F 16-bit "word" contains the sign and exponent (and for other E than H, some of the most significant fraction bits). Each successive G higher-addressed word contains the next 16 lesser-significant fraction B bits. Bit 15 of the first word is the sign, 1 for negative, 0 for G positive. Zero is represented by a biased exponent value of zero and a D sign of zero; the fraction bits are ignored (but on Alpha, non-zero C fraction bits in a zero value cause an error.) A value with biased A exponent zero and sign bit 1 is a "reserved operand" - F touching it causes an error - fraction bits are ignored. There are no 1 minus zero, infinity, denormalized or NaN values.
H For all formats, the fraction is normalized and the radix point assumed G to be to the left of the MSB, hence the following range: 0.5 less than A or equal to f and less than 1.0. The MSB, always being 1, is not G stored. The binary exponent is stored with a bias varying with type in ' bits 14:n of the lowest-addressed word.
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" < FP Exponent Exponent Mantissa (Fraction) bits, 9 Type Bits Bias including hidden bit = ========================================================== - F 8 128 24 - D 8 128 56 - G 11 1024 53 - H 15 16384 113 |
E The layout for D is identical to that for F except for 32 additional fraction bits.
C Example: +1.5 in F float is hex 000040C0 (fraction of .11[base 2], biased exponent of 129) i 14.12 Where can I find more info about VAX systems?
. Gunnar Helliesen maintains a NetBSD VAX FAQ at
|C System disks larger than 1.073 gigabytes (GB)---1fffff hexidecimal H blocks -- are not supported on any member of the VAXstation 3100 series F and on certain older members of the MicroVAX 3100 series, and are not H reliable on these affected systems. (See below to identify the affected F systems---the more recent members of the MicroVAX 3100 series systems are NOT affected.)
F Various of the SCSI commands used by the boot drivers imbedded in the console @ PROM on all members of the VAXstation 3100 series use "Group 0" G commands, which allow a 21 bit block number field, which allows access F to the first 1fffff hexidecimal blocks of a disk. Any disk references E past 1fffff will wrap---this wrapping behaviour can be of particular G interest when writing a system crashdump file, as this can potentially F lead to system disk corruptions should any part of the crashdump file be located beyond 1.073 GB.
C More recent systems and console PROMs use "Group 1" SCSI commands, ( which allow a 32 bit block number field.
E There was a similar limitation among the oldest of the MicroVAX 3100 H series, but a console boot PROM was phased into production and was made H available for field retrofits---this PROM upgrade allows the use of the D "Group 1" SCSI commands, and thus larger system disks. There was no 4 similar PROM upgrade for the VAXstation 3100 series.
( Systems that are affected by this limit:
Also see
9 Also see Section 9.5. u 14.15 What is the Accuracy of VAX the Time of Year (TOY) Clock?
F The VAX Time-Of-Year (TOY) clock (used to save the time over a reboot F or power failure) is specified as having an accuracy of 0.0025%. This + is a drift of roughly 65 seconds per month.
G The VAX Interval Time is used to keep the running time, and this has a B specified accuracy of .01%. This is a drift of approximately 8.64 seconds per day.
D Any high-IPL activity can interfere with the IPL 22 or IPL 24 (this F depends on the VAX implementation) clock interrupts---activities such D as extensive device driver interrupts or memory errors are known to slow the clock.
m Also see Section 14.8, Section 4.2. d 14.16 What are the VAX processor (CPU) codes?
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" CPU: Platform: ----- --------- * KA41-A : MicroVAX 3100 Model 10 and 20 + KA41-B : VAXserver 3100 Model 10 and 20 KA41-C : InfoServer , KA41-D : MicroVAX 3100 Model 10e and 20e - KA41-E : VAXserver 3100 Model 10e and 20e , KA42-A : VAXstation 3100 Model 30 and 40 , KA42-B : VAXstation 3100 Model 38 and 48 % KA43-A : VAXstation 3100 Model 76 * KA45 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 30 and 40 % KA46 : VAXstation 4000 Model 60 # KA47 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 80 KA48 : VAXstation 4000 VLC ) KA49-A : VAXstation 4000 Model 90/90A % KA49-B : VAXstation 4000 Model 95 % KA49-C : VAXstation 4000 Model 96 # KA50 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 90 # KA51 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 95 KA52 : VAX 4000 Model 100 KA53 : VAX 4000 Model 105 KA54 : VAX 4000 Model 106 # KA55 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 85 # KA56 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 96 KA57 : VAX 4000 Model 108 # KA58 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 88 # KA59 : MicroVAX 3100 Model 98 KA85 : VAX 8500 KA86 : VAX 8600 KA88 : VAX 8800 ' KA600 : VAX 4000-50 (aka VAXbrick) 0 KA610 : MicroVAX I, VAXstation I (aka KD32) KA620 : rtVAX (VAXeln) KA62A : VAX 6000-200 KA62B : VAX 6000-300 ' KA630 : MicroVAX II, VAXstation II ) KA640 : MicroVAX 3300, MicroVAX 3400 H KA650 : VAXstation 3200, MicroVAX 3500, MicroVAX 3600, MicroVAX III KA64A : VAX 6000-400 8 KA655 : MicroVAX 3800, MicroVAX 3900, MicroVAX III+ KA65A : VAX 6000-500 ( KA660 : VAX 4000-200, VAX 4 upgrade KA66A : VAX 6000-600 KA670 : VAX 4000-300 KA675 : VAX 4000-400 KA680 : VAX 4000-500 KA681 : VAX 4000-500A KA690 : VAX 4000-600 KA691 : VAX 4000-605A KA692 : VAX 4000-700A KA693 : VAX 4000-605A KA694 : VAX 4000-705A KA730 : VAX-11/730 KA750 : VAX-11/750 # KA780 : VAX-11/780, VAX-11/782 KA785 : VAX-11/785 KA7AA : VAX 7000-600 KA7AB : VAX 7000-700 KA7AC : VAX 7000-800 KA800 : VAXrta KA820 : VAX 8200, VAX 8300 KA825 : VAX 8250, VAX 8350 KA865 : VAX 8650 |
< Please contact the HP Customer Support Center. Services and G information, manuals, guides, downloads, and various other information % is available via the support link at:
: Various hardware and system documentation is available at:
C TSM (Terminal Server Manager), DEChub, DECserver, etc. information:
F The owner and maintainer of current DECserver and related hardware is & DIGITAL Network Products Group (DNPG):
zF The HP Parts Directory and the HP Parts Reference Guide (arguably the D most direct descendents of the HP Assisted Services program, of the C Compaq Assisted Services program, and of the now-ancient DECmailer D program) are available to customers that wish to maintain their own H system(s) (self-maintenance), but that wish some level of assistance in H acquiring specific parts, hardware diagnostics and hardware manuals for G the system(s), and that wish to have access to spares and module-level 5 repairs for customer-performed hardware module swaps:
F The HP Parts Reference Guide replaces the CAS-Catalog and DAS-Catalog % parts catalogs and related resources.
D Details of the available self-maintenance programs and services can A vary by geography and by the particular services channel(s), and ; current program specifics are available via the above URLs. } 14.19 Why does my system halt when I power-cycle the console terminal?
A Various VAX and Alpha consoles are designed to process the BREAK & signal, treating it as a HALT request.
> A BREAK is a deliberately-generated serial line framing error.
E When a serial line device such as a terminal powers up (or sometimes B when powering down) it can generate framing errors. These framing 0 errors are indistingushable from a BREAK signal.
B When a BREAK is received on a serial line console for various VAX H systems---including most VAXstation, MicroVAX, and VAX 4000 series---it B is typically interpreted as a HALT. Alpha systems will also often 9 process a BREAK in a similar fashion, halting the system.
? There is no uniform or generally-available way to disable this ? behaviour on every VAX or Alpha system. On some systems, BREAK D processing can be disabled in favor of [CTRL/P], or [CTRL/P] is the only way to halt the processor.
G The most common way to avoid these halts is to disable the serial line D console or to simply not power-cycle the console terminal. There is E certain important system state information that is displayed only on A the console, OpenVMS expects to always have access to the system console.
9 Also see Section 5.6. t 14.20 Can I reuse old keyboards, mice and monitors with a PC?
C Older HP keyboards (those with the DIGITAL logo and the RJ modular C jacks), older HP mice (those with the DIGITAL logo and with the RJ D modular jacks, or with a DIN connector with pins in a configuration E other than the PC-standard DIN connector pin orientation), and older A video monitors (with RGB synch-on-green video signaling) all use G signaling formats and/or communications protocols that differ from the ? PC standards, and are not (easily) interchangable nor (easily) H compatible with typical PC peripheral device controllers. The LK201 and F LK401 keyboards, the VSXXX series mice, the VR260 and VR290 monitors, etc., A are incompatible with most PC systems and with most KVM switches.
E Newer HP (and Compaq) keyboards (those with with PC-style DIN plugs, D and the HP, Compaq or DIGITAL logo), newer HP mice (with PC-pin DIN E plugs, and the HP, Compaq or DIGITAL logo), and newer video monitors D (multi-synch) are often interchangeable with "industry standard" PC > systems, and can often be used with most PC peripheral device A controllers. LK461, LK463, LK46W, LK471, PC7XS-CA, VRC16, VRC21, C TFT-series LCD flat-panel displays, etc., are typically reasonably F compatible with most PC systems, and will usually perform as expected " within the limits of the hardware. > (For details of CRT and LCD display compatibility, please see 3 Section 14.21.)
H Rule of thumb: if the peripheral device component was sold for use with E the DEC 2000 (DECpc 150 AXP), an AlphaServer series, an AlphaStation G series, or a more recent Alpha system, it will probably work with a PC A peripheral controller or with a PC-compatible KVM switch. If the D peripheral device component was sold for use with an VT420 or older G terminal, most VAX, most VAXstation, and most Alpha systems with names F in the format DEC [four-digit-number], it probably won't work on a PC # system or with a PC-compatible KVM.
F Note that the above is a general guideline, and should not be read to H indicate that any particular peripheral device will or will not work in E any particular configuration, save for those specific configurations & the device is explicitly supported in.
G Software Integrators sells a video adapter card called Gemini P1 which H will drive many of the older HP (DIGITAL-logo) fixed-frequency monitors on a PC system:
G The DIGITAL (classic 2-5-2-style) part number 29-32549-01 converts the F output from the RGB cable (3 BNC, synch-on-green) that comes with the VAXstation 3100 and VAXstation C 4000 series to a female SVGA D connector. You may be able to find @ third-party converters or adapters (3 BNCs with synch-on-green : signaling to 5 BNCs with VGA/SVGA, or to 15-pin VGA/SVGA.
H This adapter will allow PC multisync monitors with the needed frequency D specifications to be used with the VAXstation series synch-on-green F video connection. It may well also work with a VAXstation 2000 series C systems, but specifics and performance of that combination are not " immediately known at this writing.
? The protocol definition for the old DIGITAL keyboard and mouse @ interfaces is buried at the back of the QDSS section in the old C VAXstation II manual, specifically, in the back of the VCB02 Video B Subsystem Technical Manual (EK-104AA-TM). The keyboard wiring and H protocol is in appendix B, and occupies circa 44 pages. The mouse is in appendix C, circa 12 pages.
; Also see Section 14.21. v 14.21 Which video monitor works with which graphics controller?
G To determine the answer to the "will this video monitor or this G LCD panel work with this graphics controller?" question, please > first locate the resolution(s) and the frequencies that are I possible/supported at both ends of the video cable (on the display and E on the graphics controller, in other words), and then determine if C there are any matching settings available. If there are multiple H matches, you will need to determine which one is most appropriate for your needs.
A You will also need to determine if the video monitor or graphics A controller requires the 3 BNC signaling with the synchronization G signals on the green wire, or the 5 BNC signalling common on many PCs, G or other connections such as the DB15 video connector or USB connector used on various systems.
H If there are no matches, you will likely need to change the hardware at $ one or both ends of the video cable.
= The refresh frequencies for many devices have been posted to F comp.os.vms and/or other newsgroups. Search the archives for details. Also see:
H LCD-based and plasma-based flat-panel displays are generally compatible = with all recent OpenVMS Alpha systems and supported graphics E controllers. For best results, you should generally set the graphics D controller to match the native LCD or plasma display resolution and G (for LCD displays) also set the controller refresh rate to 60Hz. Check @ your graphics controller and your display documentation for any B device-specific requirements and/or configuration recommendations.
; Also see Section 14.20. m 14.22 Where can I get information on storage hardware?
C Information on various HP (Compaq, DIGITAL) OpenVMS and other disk G storage hardware and controllers, and related technical information on , SCSI, device jumpers, etc., is available at:
# There are several modes of failure:
C Check the firmware revision on the keyboard. Hardware revision B01 F introduced an incompatability with the device driver which causes the G keyboard to not be recognized correctly. There is a patch available to H fix this problem: [AXPDRIV06_061] - the fix is also included in OpenVMS G V6.2. The rev A01 keyboard, and the LK450 should work without problems.
F If you are working from another operating system platform, please see C the DECxterm tool and related information on OpenVMS Freeware V5.0. r 14.25 Which DE500 variant works with which OpenVMS version?
H Ensure you have a version of the Alpha SRM console with support for the B DE500 series device. Apply ALL mandatory ECO kits for the OpenVMS E version in use, and also apply the CLUSIO, ALPBOOT, and ALPLAN kits, 8 and apply any available ALPCPU ECO kit for the platform.
F To check the DE500 device hardware id from OpenVMS, use the following command:
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" $ ANALYZE/SYSTEM SDA> SHOW LAN/DEVICE=EWcu: |
$ The "hardware id" will be displayed.
F To set the DE500 speed via the Alpha SRM console environment variable:
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" ' EWx0_MODE setting Meaning @ -------------------------- -------------------------------- : Twisted-Pair 10 Mbit/sec, nofull_duplex 8 Full Duplex, Twisted-Pair 10 Mbit/sec, full_duplex : AUI 10 Mbit/sec, nofull_duplex : BNC 10 Mbit/sec, nofull_duplex ; Fast 100 Mbit/sec, nofull_duplex 9 FastFD (Full Duplex) 100 Mbit/sec, full_duplex > Auto-Negotiate Negotiation with remote device |
. To override the console setting and use LANCP:
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" $ RUN SYS$SYSTEM:LANCP LANCP> SET DEV EWA0/SPEED=10 - LANCP> SET DEV EWA0/SPEED=100/full_duplex |
C Fast Ethernet (100Base, 100 megabit) controllers such as the DE500 @ series have a pair of connections available---while traditional D Ethernet (10Base, 10 megabit) is inherently a half-duplex protocol, D Fast Ethernet can be configured to use one or both of the available D connections, depending on the controller. Fast Ethernet can thus be < half- or full-duplex depending on the configuration and the G capabilities of the network controller and the Ethernet network plant. H Some Fast Ethernet controllers can also operate at traditional Ethernet G speeds, these controllers are thus often refered to as 10/100 Ethernet controllers.
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