[SPARCbook] Tadpole Viper IDProm

[stephen price]

Gary -
Let's chat off list.
BTW - the Tadpole OBP does "not" incorporate the
Forth tools correctly.
You're lucky that they only quoted you $165 <grin>.
regards
steve

--- On Sat, 8/21/10, Gary Borgen Old <gary.borgen at verizon.net>
wrote:

> From: Gary Borgen Old <gary.borgen at verizon.net>
> Subject:
[SPARCbook] Tadpole Viper IDProm
> To: "SPARC-based Portable Workstations"
<sparcbook at sunhelp.org>
> Date: Saturday, August 21, 2010, 2:23 PM
> I
recently repaired a non-posting
> Tadpole Viper by  resoldering several dozen
connections
> on the memory sockets.  During the repair I was forced
> to
remove the NVRam/IDProm battery to get to some of the
> connections.  As a
result, the Viper now posts to an
> IDProm error, "The IDPROM contents are
invalid", with an
> invalid MAC address and serial number/Host ID all zeroed
>
out.
> 
> The Openboot PROM version is 4.9.
> 
> Apparently, Sun removed all
IDProm access commands from OBP
> versions 4.X, so none of the faq's available
on the Web work
> to set the contents of the IDProm.  With a Sun system
> you
now have to purchase a new IDProm Chip, for about $50,
> if it goes bad or the
battery dies.  The Chip on the
> Viper is a surface mount device, so it is not
replaceable
> without removing the battery first.
> 
> I contacted Tadpole for
help and here was their response:
> "In order to enter/correct the serial
number of your Viper,
> you would need to the be provided with a key code.
This is
> confidential and we are not permitted to provide this
> externally.
IF you wish to return your unit to the US
> office. Provided this is all that
is required this service
> will be carried out at a reduced fee of 165 USD."
>
> Anyone have any ideas before I bite the bullet and send it
> to Tadpole for
reprogramming?
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