rp8400 sys backplane--what is 'icebox' connector?

[Ed Lawrence_1]

I found out this morning that some unknown time ago, a black piece (that accepts a sort of RJ11 or RJ45 connector) broke off the system backplane of my rp8400.

The word "icebox" is etched on the backplane next to the black connector piece.

The system has been running fine (as far as I know).

Does anybody know what this piece does?
Thanks.

[Torsten.]

Hi Ed,

I'm not sure, if we are talking about the same thing, but I guess this is the serial connection to the (optional) external I/O chassis. How did you made this thing broken?

[Joshua Scott · Accepted solution]

Torsten is correct. There shouldn't be any need for this as long as you don't have an SEU attached. In my server, there is a CAT5 cable attached to it that runs to the back of the server and attaches to a DB9 port. when you have an SEU installed, there is a DB9-DB9 CAT5 cable that runs from the rp8400 to the SEU in order for the management Processors to communicate with one another.

Josh

[melvyn burnard]

icebox is an HP internal codeword for the SEU or System Expansion Unit that you can add onto the 84xx series to give you two more I/O chassis.

[Ed Lawrence_1]

Thank you for the info.
We do not have an SEU, but use the rp8400 in a hardware class. FE's get to take it apart. Someone obviously broke off the piece and didn't say anything. Yesterday, a colleague who works with boards soldered it back on, but we were not sure what the price did. We were concerned this broken piece might be related to another problem (which I shall describe in my next posting!).