Noname Firmware update utility instructions. 3-Aug-1995 -------------------------------------------- ---------- Contents -------- 1. Introduction 2. Update on a system running Windows NT firmware. 3. Update on a system running Digital UNIX firmware. 4. Recovery from a corrupted Flash. Revision history ---------------- 28-Oct-1994 SMcG First pass document for V1.0 firmware update utility as used on the V3.5-11 Windows NT floppy. 12-Jan-1995 SMcG Instructions for the V1.1 update utility as released on the V3.1 firmware CD 18-May-1995 SMcG Instructions for the V1.2 update utility as released on the V3.2 firmware CD 3-Aug-1995 SMcG Instructions for the V1.3 update utility as released on the V3.3 firmware CD 1. Introduction. ---------------- The V1.3 Noname firmware update utility will update the Noname CPU Flash set to the following versions (compatible OS versions in brackets) :- a) V4.36 Windows NT firmware (V3.5, V3.51) b) X4.1-1995 Digital UNIX firmware (V3.0b, V3.2, V3.2c) These instructions detail how to update the system firmware from floppy on a system running either the Windows NT or the Digital UNIX firmware. The update from Windows NT requires a FAT formatted floppy and the update from Digital UNIX requires an Alpha SRM compliant boot block floppy. It is possible to overwrite a Windows NT system with Digital UNIX firmware and vise-versa. Examples of updates on both Windows NT and Digital UNIX systems follow. There is an issue with using this utility on early versions of the Windows NT firmware. The utility uses the IO device that is selected in the Digital UNIX NVR as the display device. If this is not set up for graphics, the utility will try to use COMA for IO and the graphics display will remain blank (blue). In this case the user must attach a terminal to COMA. Setup is 9600 baud, 8 data bits, 1 stop bit and no parity. NOTE: This is only a problem in V3.5-8 and earlier Windows NT firmware. 2. Update on a system running Windows NT firmware ------------------------------------------------- This section details the actions required to update the Windows NT, ARC compliant firmware, using the FAT formatted AXPpci33 firmware update floppy, on a system running Windows NT firmware. The steps required to perform the update are :- 1. Power on the system to invoke the Windows NT firmware. 2. Select the 'supplementary menu' option. 3. Insert the FAT formatted Firmware update floppy in the floppy drive. 4. Select the 'Install new firmware' option. 5. Use the 'update arc' command to update the Flash with the V4.36 Windows NT firmware. 6. Type Y in response to the 'Ready to program device ?' prompt to start the update procedure. 7. Use the 'verify arc' command to verify the Flash contents. 8. Power cycle the system to invoke the new firmware. NOTE : Any bridged PCI option cards require to be removed from the system to perform the update. An example of an update on a system running V3.5-6 Windows NT firmware is shown. User input/comments are marked with ### :- ### 1. Power on the system Initializing firmware. Initializing device drivers: NCRC810 ...OK. ARC Multiboot Alpha AXP Version 3.5-6 Copyright (c) 1993 Microsoft Corporation Copyright (c) 1993 Digital Equipment Corporation Boot menu: Boot Windows NT Workstation Version 3.5 Boot an alternate operating system Run a program Supplementary menu... Use the arrow keys to select, then press Enter. ### 2. Select the supplementary menu ARC Multiboot Alpha AXP Version 3.5-6 Copyright (c) 1993 Microsoft Corporation Copyright (c) 1993 Digital Equipment Corporation Supplementary menu: Install new firmware Install Windows NT from CD-ROM Set up the system... Display hardware configuration Boot menu... ### 3. Insert the FAT formatted Firmware update floppy in the floppy drive. ### 4. Select the Install new firmware option ### ### At this point the Windows NT firmware will search the CD and floppy ### for file FWUPDATE.EXE. When detected the file is loaded into memory ### and run. Searching for the update tool on CD-ROM and floppy... starting console on CPU 0 ### Utility execution starts initialized idle PCB initializing semaphores initializing heap Initial heap 1c0c0 memory low limit = 700000 heap = 1c0c0, 17fc0 initializing driver structures initializing idle process PID XDELTA not enabled. initializing file system initializing 8259s initializing timer data structures lowering IPL CPU 0 speed is 5.99 ns (167MHz) Powerup process has started CPU ID = 0 Initialize configuration locks etc. Configure the memory Initialising ISA/PCI interrupts. Configure the PCI Bus Start tt class, port (graphics, keyboard, then serial) drivers entering idle loop initializing keyboard change stdin/out/err channels from nl to tt Memory size = 64MBytes testing memory from 800000 to 1816000 ... Start driver phase 4 access NVRAM Build this processor's slot in the hwrpb Backup Cache size = 256Kb Init SCSI class driver Start driver phase 5 AXPpci33 Common Console X4.1-1995, built on Jun 13 1995 at 06:33:10 >echo: No such command >>echo: No such command (boot pmem:180000 -flags 0) ### Update code loading bootstrap code read in base = 180000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 800000 initializing HWRPB at 2000 initializing page table at 700000 initializing machine state setting affinity to the primary CPU jumping to bootstrap code ********************************************************************** ********************** Firmware Update V1.3 ********************** ********************** System Type: AXPpci33 ********************** ********************************************************************** Update Verify Help ### 5. Use the 'update arc' command to update the Flash with the V4.36 ### Windows NT firmware. ### ### NOTE : Typing 'update srm' at this point would update the Flash with ### X4.1-1995 Digital UNIX firmware. Apu-> update arc APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED APU-I ****** ROM CONTENTS WILL BE DESTROYED ****** APU-I ****** READY TO PROGRAM DEVICE ? (Y/N ) ****** ### 6. Type Y to start the update procedure. APU-I ROM SET NOT ERASED APU-I PRECHARGING DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I ERASING ROM DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I PROGRAMMING DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I ROM 1 VERIFYING ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I PROGRAMMING COMPLETED 0x0000 0x0000 Rom Update Successful ### 7. Update completed successfully. Verify the Flash contents. Apu-> verify arc APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED 0x0000 0x0000 Rom Checksum 0x09 Rom Verify Successful Apu-> exit Hard Reset or ...Cycle Power ... ### 8. Power cycle the system to invoke the new firmware. Initializing firmware. Initializing device drivers: NCRC810 ...OK. ARC Multiboot Alpha AXP Version 4.36 Copyright (c) 1993 Microsoft Corporation Copyright (c) 1993 Digital Equipment Corporation Boot menu: Boot Windows NT Workstation Version 3.5 Boot an alternate operating system Run a program Supplementary menu... Use the arrow keys to select, then press Enter. 3. Update on a system running Digital UNIX firmware. ---------------------------------------------------- This section details the actions required to update the Digital UNIX Alpha SRM compliant firmware, using the Alpha boot block formatted AXPpci33 firmware update floppy, on a system running Digital UNIX firmware. The steps required to perform the update are :- 1. Power on the system to invoke the Digital UNIX firmware. If auto boot is enabled, press CTRL[C] to return control to the console firmware and then use the 'SET AUTO_ACTION HALT' command to disable auto boot for the update. 2. Insert the Alpha SRM compliant boot block Firmware update floppy in the floppy drive. 3. Use the 'boot -fl 0,0 dva0' command to boot the utility. 4. Use the 'update srm' command to update the Flash with the X4.1-1995 Digital UNIX firmware. 5. Type Y in response to the 'Ready to program device ?' prompt to start the update procedure. 6. Use the 'verify srm' command to verify the Flash contents. 7. Power cycle the system to invoke the new firmware. An example of an update from an ALPHA SRM compliant boot block floppy on a system running version X3.7-10101 Digital UNIX firmware is shown. Again, user input/comments are marked with ### :- ### 1. Power on the system Build this processor's slot in the hwrpb Init SCSI class driver Noname Common Console X3.7-10101, built on Sep 7 1994 at 04:08:45 >>> ### 2. Insert the Alpha SRM compliant boot block Firmware update floppy in ### the floppy drive. ### 3. Boot the update utility from the floppy >>>b -fl 0,0 dva0 (boot dva0.0.0.0.1 -flags 0,0) block 0 of dva0.0.0.0.1 is a valid boot block reading 1735 blocks from dva0.0.0.0.1 bootstrap code read in base = 10e000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = d8e00 initializing HWRPB at 2000 initializing page table at 100000 initializing machine state setting affinity to the primary CPU jumping to bootstrap code starting console on CPU 0 initialized idle PCB initializing semaphores initializing heap Initial heap 1c0c0 memory low limit = 700000 heap = 1c0c0, 17fc0 initializing driver structures initializing idle process PID XDELTA not enabled. initializing file system initializing 8259s initializing timer data structures lowering IPL CPU 0 speed is 6.00 ns (167MHz) Powerup process has started CPU ID = 0 Initialize configuration locks etc. Configure the memory Initialising ISA/PCI interrupts. Configure the PCI Bus Start tt class, port (graphics, keyboard, then serial) drivers entering idle loop initializing keyboard change stdin/out/err channels from nl to tt Memory size = 64MBytes testing memory from 800000 to 1816000 ... Start driver phase 4 access NVRAM Build this processor's slot in the hwrpb Backup Cache size = 256Kb Init SCSI class driver Start driver phase 5 AXPpci33 Common Console X4.1-1995, built on Jun 13 1995 at 06:33:10 >>>echo: No such command echo: No such command (boot pmem:180000 -flags 0) bootstrap code read in base = 180000, image_start = 0, image_bytes = 800000 initializing HWRPB at 2000 initializing page table at 700000 initializing machine state setting affinity to the primary CPU jumping to bootstrap code ********************************************************************** ********************** Firmware Update V1.3 ********************** ********************** System Type: AXPpci33 ********************** ********************************************************************** Update Verify Help ### 4. Use the 'update srm' command to update the Flash with the X4.1-1995 ### Digital UNIX firmware. ### ### NOTE : Typing 'update arc' at this point would update the Flash with ### V4.36 Windows NT firmware. Apu-> update srm APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED APU-I ****** ROM CONTENTS WILL BE DESTROYED ****** APU-I ****** READY TO PROGRAM DEVICE ? (Y/N ) ****** ### 5. Type Y to start the update procedure. APU-I ROM SET NOT ERASED APU-I PRECHARGING DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I ERASING ROM DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I PROGRAMMING DEVICE 0x0000 APU-I ROM 1 VERIFYING ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I PROGRAMMING COMPLETED 0x0000 0x0000 Rom Update Successful ### 6. Update completed successfully. Verify the Flash contents Apu-> verify srm APU-I VERIFY LOADED ROM IMAGE 0x0000 APU-I LOADED ROM IMAGE VERIFIED 0x0000 0x0000 Rom Checksum 0x94 Rom Verify Successful Apu-> exit Hard Reset or ...Cycle Power ... ### 7. Power cycle the system to invoke the new firmware. initialized idle PCB initializing semaphores initializing heap Initial heap 1c0c0 memory low limit = 100000 heap = 1c0c0, 17fc0 initializing driver structures initializing idle process PID XDELTA not enabled. initializing file system initializing 8259s initializing timer data structures lowering IPL CPU 0 speed is 6.00 ns (167MHz) Powerup process has started CPU ID = 0 Initialize configuration locks etc. Configure the memory Initialising ISA/PCI interrupts. Configure the PCI Bus Start tt class, port (graphics, keyboard, then serial) drivers entering idle loop initializing keyboard change stdin/out/err channels from nl to tt Memory size = 64MBytes testing memory from 800000 to 1e16000 ... Start driver phase 4 access NVRAM Build this processor's slot in the hwrpb Backup Cache size = 256Kb Init SCSI class driver Start driver phase 5 AXPpci33 Common Console X4.1-1995, built on Jun 13 1995 at 06:33:10 >>> 4. Recovery from a broken Flash. ------------------------------- If for some reason the power should be removed during the Flash update procedure, it is likely that the system will not successfully startup on the next poweron. This is due to the fact that the Flash will be only partially programmed. To recover from this requires use of the Alpha SRM compliant boot block firmware update floppy, as used in section 3. The first step in the procedure is to move the SROM select jumper (J28/J29) to invoke the SROM floppy load program at poweron. --------------- Power connector| --------------- The SROM select hardware consists of two, six pin headers which -------------- are located next to the SROM and | J29 power connector, as shown. The default SROM | 6 o o o 7 setting is position zero (on J28), as | 4 o o o 5 shown. This invokes the 'load from (E72) | J28 Flash' SROM program. (27C512) | 2 o o o 3 To invoke the 'load from floppy' | 0 o=o o 1 program the header should be moved to -------------- position 4 (on J29) NOTE : The designators on the SROM select jumpers indicate the bit position of the selected SROM program, not the pin numbers of the jumpers themselves. The steps required to perform the recovery are :- 1. Move the SROM select jumper to position 4, as shown above. 2. Insert the Alpha SRM compliant boot block Firmware update floppy in the floppy drive. 3. Power on the system. The SROM will load the update utility from floppy and start execution. 4. Use the 'update srm' or 'update arc' command to update the Flash with the X4.1-1995 Digital UNIX or V4.36 Windows NT firmware. 5. Type Y in response to the 'Ready to program device ?' prompt to start the update procedure. 6. Use the 'verify srm' or 'verify arc' command to verify the Flash contents. 7. Move the SROM select jumper back to position 0. 8. Power cycle the system to invoke the new firmware. NOTE : For examples of steps 4 through 6 see section 2 steps 5 through 7 (Windows NT) or section 3 steps 4 through 6 (Digital UNIX).