six beeps from a 164LX machine

[Kazuyoshi Furutaka]

Hi all,

From: bob smith <sfmc68 at verizon.net>
Subject: Re: six beeps from a 164LX machine
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 08:14:42 -0500

> Kazuyoshi Furutaka wrote:
>> Hi all,
>>
>> This evening, one of my 164LX machine (11 years old, purchased
>> from DCG computer, Inc.) start emitting 6 beeps when booting...
>>
>> Sigh...
>>
>> According to its User's Manual, the meaning of the beep code
>> is "Checksum error detected when image was read back from memory."
>>
>> Are there any ways to revive it???

> Assuming you have not tried this, and have the same type of mem
> in each slot,
> You might try removing and reseating memory. It could be the
> pins on the mem sticks are oxidiced and need a little cleaning.
> This simple trick  might work.
> YMMV, hope this helps

From: John Grzesiak <johng at pcrd.net>
Subject: Re: six beeps from a 164LX machine
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 10:49:04 -0500

> As you are doing that, you might consider doing a good cleaning of
> the slots and 
> all the chips on the board. A nice soft house-painters brush and a
> can 
> compressed air are my tools for that. It's not commonly known that
> dust can 
> conduct current when the conditions are right and there is enough of
> it. 
> I have seen cases where dust has changed the resistance on address
> pins enough 
> to cause crashes and other mis-behavior. A good cleaning and the
> system went on 
> for years...

Bob, John, thank you very much for your advices.
This evening, after work, I went to a local PC shop
and bought a few cans of dust blower (compressed gas)
and cleaned M/B as well as memories.
Also, all memories and expansion cards were removed
and inserted back...
After the operation, the six beeps went away and
now I can see SRM...


From: Michael Kronsteiner <alphamike at gmx.at>
Subject: Re: six beeps from a 164LX machine
Date: Sun, 30 Nov 2008 14:08:23 +0100

> iirc some alphas had some "emergency jumper" to load firmware from a
> floppy. ymmv

From: Marc Schlensog <mschlens at redhat.com>
Subject: Re: six beeps from a 164LX machine
Date: Mon, 1 Dec 2008 10:19:18 +0100

> Does the LX have a fail safe loader? Sounds like a broken firmware.

I didn't try to load frimware as because the above
prescription worked...
Thanks for your suggestion, Michael and Marc.

Yours,
Kazuyoshi
--
Kazuyoshi Furutaka
furutaka at jb3.so-net.ne.jp