68kMLA Classic Interface

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Is there a diag ROM available?
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-04 13:36:57
Is there a diag ROM for the Mac which outputs information via the serial port as it tests hardware as other platforms have?

I really could do with something which checks the hardware before the display and NuBus are initialised on the IIci. Something like a minimal RAM test and basic hardware tests would do.
Posted by: Phipli on 2023-06-04 13:52:28
Is there a diag ROM for the Mac which outputs information via the serial port as it tests hardware as other platforms have?

I really could do with something which checks the hardware before the display and NuBus are initialised on the IIci. Something like a minimal RAM test and basic hardware tests would do.
You're in luck 🙂 The stock ROM already does that.
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-04 14:45:04
You're in luck 🙂 The stock ROM already does that.

Ooo... That's good. I take it that it's the printer port 9600, 8-n-1?
Posted by: cheesestraws on 2023-06-04 15:04:04
This might help you get started:

Diagnostic Mode - mac68k - Confluence

web.archive.org web.archive.org

You don't need the VIA thingy though, just press the debug switch early in boot to trigger death chimes. That should work.
Posted by: volvo242gt on 2023-06-05 03:26:02
Seems like something that @j2theLj might find handy with troubleshooting his LCII...
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-05 13:16:25
Hmmm... It would help if there was documentation on the return values.

Most of the tests on my IIci return nothing it seems.

The critical memory test does fail but I'm not sure what the error code actually is. Is it the address? Is it the value it read? Who knows? There doesn't seem to be any documentation.


IMG_3156.jpeg
Posted by: Phipli on 2023-06-05 13:31:32
Hmmm... It would help if there was documentation on the return values.

Most of the tests on my IIci return nothing it seems.

The critical memory test does fail but I'm not sure what the error code actually is. Is it the address? Is it the value it read? Who knows? There doesn't seem to be any documentation.


View attachment 57638
Do you have a picture of what it outputs from the failed RAM test?

Perhaps it matches the format of SadMac codes for Mac IIs?
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-05 14:21:16
The image shows the error code 000025A40100. If I go into normal debug mode with the programmer switch then the error code is 000025A41760 (from what I remember) on the same test, i.e. "*T000200010000"
Posted by: Phipli on 2023-06-05 14:37:09
The image shows the error code 000025A40100. If I go into normal debug mode with the programmer switch then the error code is 000025A41760 (from what I remember) on the same test, i.e. "*T000200010000"
Really? I thought it just spammed that number regardless. It spams something like that even if there is no error.

What commands did you type in? It doesn't echo them all so I can't tell from the photo.

I don't know enough to say it isn't the result, but the examples shown on the webpage include data in that information string anyway, even just at boot. What does it say if you shut it up with *S (I see you did, yet it still seems to be spamming) and then type *R?

I realise you might have done exactly this - but I can't tell from the photo.
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-06 11:08:29
When it boots into diag mode it constantly spams "*APPLE*876543210000*7*", as the article showed.

If I *S and the *R it prints the same value as the initial spam, i.e. 876543210000

One thing with the IIci ROM it doesn't have the "*V" version command.
Posted by: Stephen_Usher on 2023-06-07 14:18:54
Unfortunately it turned out to be not much use.
In other news, found a broken trace to the A9 pin on the SWIM. Fixed that and the machine booted.

Looks like the memory test error was spurious so not much use.
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