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		   DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI System Diagnostic
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This file describes the operation of the system diagnostic for the
DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI.  The controller is equipped with onboard diagnostics 
that execute automatically each time power is applied to the controller.  The 
system diagnostic verifies the proper installation of the controller, and 
provides additional information in the event of a suspected hardware failure.

This file is long, and contains information useful to have in hand during the
test process.  You may wish to print a hard copy of this text for reference.


Section 1  SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC REQUIREMENTS
-----------------------------------------

The system diagnostic is an interactive application that runs under
MS-DOS V4.01 or greater.  It is located on the DOS-format Distribution 
Diskette (Disk 1) that accompanies the controller.  The system on which 
it is to be run, must meet the following requirements:

- Be an PCI-compatible machine with 640K of memory or greater.

- Have a functioning keyboard and monitor.

- Be running MS-DOS 4.01 or greater. 

- Have the MS-DOS standard driver ANSI.SYS loaded in CONFIG.SYS.

- Have the DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI already installed. 


Section 2  SUGGESTED PREPARATIONS
_________________________________

While not necessary, the following preparations simplify the testing process:

1. Create a bootable MS-DOS diskette.  Consult the "MS-DOS User's Guide" 
   under the FORMAT command for details on how to do this. 

2. Copy the ANSI.SYS file to that diskette.  You should find ANSI.SYS in the
   \DOS subdirectory of your C: drive.

3. On that diskette, create a file CONFIG.SYS which contains the single
   line:

	DEVICE=A:\ANSI.SYS

Use this diskette to boot the system when the system diagnostic is to be run.
This boot diskette loads the minimum system configuration necessary to run 
the system diagnostic.  This eliminates the possibility of other device drivers
(which may have been loaded during the normal boot process) from interfering
with the operation of the system diagnostic. 


Section 3  RUNNING THE SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC
________________________________________

To run the system diagnostic, perform the following:

1. Boot the system with MS-DOS.  You may wish to use a boot diskette 
   dedicated to this task.  Refer to Section 2, SUGGESTED PREPARATIONS, 
   for details on how to do this.

2. Ensure that no network drivers are loaded. 

3. Place the DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI DOS-format Distribution Diskette 
   (Disk 1) into the disk drive.

4. Issue the following command:

	A:\DIAG\INSTVER.EXE

  This command invokes the system diagnostic. 

When the system diagnostic completes loading and initializing, the screen
displays an options menu.  To select the options, use the up and down arrow
keys on the keyboard.  On the screen, an arrow to the left of the list of
options indicates the currently selected option.  To execute the current 
option, press ENTER.

During initialization, the system diagnostic probes the installed devices.
If it cannot locate a DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI, the screen displays a message
indicating that the controller could not be located.

If the controller is properly inserted in the system, and the system 
diagnostic cannot locate the controller, there is a failure that is 
preventing the hardware identification from being read by the system 
diagnostic.  Take the following corrective actions:

  - Verify that the controller is correctly seated in the PCI bus expansion 
    slot.  The connectors on PCI options are very finely pitched, and can 
    easily fail to make proper contact.

  - Verify that the controller is correctly configured by the PCI BIOS. 
    Consult "DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI User Information" and the
    A:\CONFIG\README.TXT file for more details on configuring your
    controller.


Section 3  SYSTEM DIAGNOSTIC MENU OPTIONS
_________________________________________

The following list describes the menu options:

  - Run Default Test Sequence

      This function runs a series of diagnostics on the controller, and 
      reports status. The tests are described below, and may be run 
      individually (as necessary).  The tests that make up the default 
      sequence are:

		- Bus Controller Chip Test
		- DMA Controller Chip Test
		- Buffer RAM Tests
		- Internal Loopback Tests

      The External Loopback Test is not part of the default sequence, because
      some care must be used in running it.  See the description of the
      External Loopback Test later in these notes for details.

      The tests indicate pass or fail status by displaying PASSED or FAILED 
      on the monitor.  Should the system hang, or otherwise become inoperable 
      as the result of running the system diagnostic, try the following
      corrective actions before calling Digital Customer Service.

		- Reconfigure the controller with a different IRQ level 
		  setting, if possible.  

		- If you did not boot from a dedicated boot disk as
		  described in Section 2, SUGGESTED PREPARATIONS,
		  do so now and rerun the system diagnostic. 

      If all the "Default Tests" pass, run the External Loopback Test to
      complete the device verification. 


  - Bus Controller Chip Test

      This test verifies the proper operation of the Bus Controller Chip.
      A failure during this test indicates that the module may not be
      addressed properly by the system.

  - DMA Controller Chip Test

      This test verifies the proper operation of the DMA Controller Chip. 
      A failure during this test indicates that the module cannot properly
      receive or transmit data. 

  - Buffer RAM Tests

      These tests verify the integrity of the Buffer RAM on the controller. 
      A failure during either of these tests indicates that the RAM cannot
      reliably store data.

  - Internal Loopback Tests

      This test group verifies the controller's ability to send and receive 
      an FDDI frame by way of an internal loopback path.  The frame does not
      go onto the fiber network.  A failure during any of these tests
      indicates that the controller cannot reliably receive or transmit data. 

  - External Loopback Test

      This test verifies the controller's ability to send and receive an FDDI
      frame over the network.  The test frame that is transmitted is actually
      sent out over the network.

      In order for this test to run, the controller must either be connected
      to a functioning FDDI-compliant concentrator (such as the
      DECconcentrator 900MX) or have a loopback connector installed.

      In general, you may run this test on a live FDDI network, and have
      little impact on network performance.  A malfunctioning controller 
      may disrupt the normal operation of the FDDI network causing other 
      users of the network ring to experience an interruption of network 
      service. 

      A successful completion of this test indicates that the controller 
      hardware is installed correctly, and that it can be used to send and
      receive data on the network.

      A failure in this test indicates one or more of the following faults:

	  - If the Internal Loopback Tests pass, and the External Loopback
	    Test fails, the network cable may be attached incorrectly at 
	    either the controller or concentrator.  Check the connections
	    and rerun the test.  Verify the proper functioning of the
	    concentrator.  If necessary, replace the network cable.

	  - If any Internal Loopback Test fails, the External Loopback Test
	    also fails.  In this circumstance, the failure is most likely a 
	    controller hardware fault or a configuration problem.
	    Reconfigure the controller with a different IRQ level.  
	    Consult "DEC FDDIcontroller/PCI User Information" for details 
	    on how to perform this task.


  - Display Adapter Address

      Use this function to display the physical address of the controller.
      The address is typically a sequence of six hex bytes in the form:

		08-00-2B-xx-xx-xx   or  00-00-F8-xx-xx-xx

      where the last three bytes are unique to each controller.  If this 
      operation fails, the screen displays an error message instead
      of the controller address. 

  - Display Revisions

      This function displays the hardware and firmware revision information
      for the controller.  If this operation fails, the screen displays an
      error message instead of the revision information.

  - Test Options

      Choosing this option activates the Test Options menu.  There are three
      options on this submenu: 

	 
      1.  Set Pass Count

	   The pass count determines the number of times a test, or group of
	   tests, will be run.  The default pass count is 1.  You can set the
	   pass count to any positive number from 0 to 4294967295.
	   If you set the pass count to 0, the test or test group loops
	   infinitely. 

	   You can terminate any test run of more than one pass by
	   pressing the <ESC> key.  If you are looping on a single test, the
	   loop terminates at the end of the current run of that test.  If
	   you are looping on a group of tests, such as the internal
	   loopback tests, the sequence terminates after the last test in
	   the group runs.

	   The current pass count displays at the top of all menus.

      2.  Set "Continue on Error"

	   This option controls the behavior of diagnostic runs of 
	   more than one pass.  If "Continue on Error" is selected, the
	   current diagnostic sequence continues, even if a test fails,
	   until the current pass count is exhausted.  If the pass count
	   is 0, the sequence continues until the operator presses the
	   <ESC> key.

      3.  Set "Halt on Error"

	   This option, like the Set "Continue on Error" Option, controls the
	   behavior of diagnostic runs of more than one pass.  If "Halt on
	   Error" is selected, the current sequence stops upon detecting the 
	   first failure. 

	   By default, the system diagnostic "Halts on Error".

	   At the top of each menu, the screen displays the current option,
	   "Halt on Error" or "Continue on Error".


			***TRADEMARKS***

  DEC, Digital, DECconcentrator, and DECpc are trademarks of 
  Digital Equipment Corporation. 

  Microsoft, MS, and MS-DOS are registered trademarks and Windows
  and Windows NT are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
