Date   : Sat, 27 Mar 2004 11:55:22 +0100 (GMT)
From   : Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...>
Subject: MDFS incomplete startup

Hi all,

Some weeks ago I - at last - finilised a complete overhaul of the MDFS
setup. Starting it up yesterday, the system comes to a stand still at
the slow flashing yellow LED 'Disc Free' stage, and stops.


One of the last things I've done was the battery replacement. I couldn't
find a 100mAh one, so placed an 140mAh, which is NiMH. The old one has no
remark about its inners.

Then I played with the system as it works quite well. Happy me!!!
With two manuals belonging to it, I also have quite some fun in the reading.
Learning my way, I also had the system close down, switch off and then on
again, and finding out how the commands 'Fast' and 'Finish' works. :-)

Attached a double floppy disc unit and did some disc formatting. Then I
did a safety copy of the hard disc on two floppies. Then I left it running
for about 4 days to allow the battery to be charged.
Then I switched it off.


So yesterday I found its rest for more than a month is enough, and decided
to check someting (on a Master) with the filse server on. From what I
remember there are two accesses to the media (disc). In between there is a
delay of about 4 to 5 seconds. After the delay the file server programme is
loaded and started, so the LED 'On Line' comes on, and 'Discs Free' off.

The first hd acces is about a second; a few flashes of the hd LED. The
loading of the programme is a bit longer IIRC, about 3 to 4 seconds?

The problem is that the MDFS stops after the first disc access, and the LED
'Discs free' turns back to flashing slowly. According to the manual(s), this
is the wait for loading the FS programme.

I had it left on during the (last) night, but there was no change this
morning. A couple of restarts was unsuccesful again.

Trying the floppy drives and discs with/without the hard discs was
unsuccessfull too. 


The system doesn't seem to be crashed. Pressing the button works: the LED
switches to fast flashing, and the same first access to disc seems to be
repeated. But the result is same, leaving a slowly flashing LED again.

A small difference is there while doing the button press with the key in
'System' position instead of 'Secure'. Then there is moment with all the LEDs
on, except for 'No clock'
The clock is provided by a SJ Resarch bridge: the one with a small LCD (1
line of 8 chars) display. 
Period and Mark are 10 and 2 resp.


Can anybody give me a hint or two where to look for, as my ideas are fully
dried up now, and don't know where to look or even start to look for.:-(((


greetings,
Johan

-- 
Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...              >
  aka  waarland

  The best place is a Riscy place
 
The problem with the gene pool is that there is no lifeguard.