Changing console from SER_1 to GRAPH_1 on HP B2600 Workstation

[PurpleRain]

Hi all,

Thank you for allowing me to be part of this community.

I am working with an HP B2600 Workstation, installed with HP-UX 11.
When I rebooted the station nothing appears on the monitor (remains blank) and message on the LCD console of the station is "consol is SER_1". Before the common message use to be "consol is Graph1". What can I do to reactivate again the Graphic console and see information again on the monitor?
Thanks,

[Steven Schweda · Accepted solution]

> I am working with an HP B2600 Workstation, installed with HP-UX 11.

   "HP-UX 11" is a bit vague (but I'd guess irrelevant), and I know
almost exactly nothing about the B2600, but...

> [...] What can I do to reactivate again the Graphic console [...]

   I'd try connecting a serial terminal as the console, and using it to
give the command(s) needed to configure the systen to use the graphics
console.

   And before I did that, I'd check/replace the lithium coin cell which
I assume exists (to retain the NVRAM settings, like, say, the console
device), and which I'd guess is dead (causing your console device
setting to be lost).

[PurpleRain]

Hi Steven,
Thank you for your feedback.
I have indeed, connected to the serial port of HP B2600 using a serial 9pin traditional 3 wire cable, with a normal laptop using WindowsXP with Hyper terminal. Succesfully, finally I determined that the problem is in all PCI cage, where actually the VGA cards resides. That's why the console cannot switch to GRAPHICS(1), and remains in SER_1. Now I need to understand what kind of problem is this, if is related to the PCI cage or the motherboard..
Also, I could'n find any battery slot on the motherboard. Strange....but... Looks like the motherboard ROM memory looks intact because system is reporting the actual date/time.
However, my particular topic is solved.
Thanks

[Steven Schweda]

> [...] the problem is in all PCI cage, [...]

   Ok.  That beats my guess.

> Also, I could'n find any battery slot on the motherboard.
> Strange....but... [...]

   My B2600 expertise is still nil, but in the old days there were
time-of-year-clock+NVRAM gizmos made by Dallas Semiconductor which had a
small Li cell epoxy-potted into the (bulky) DIP package.  Use of one of
those gizmos would explain the lack of a visible coin cell.

   If you have one, and it ever fails, a Web search for terms like:
      Dallas clock chip
should find more info, including how to carve into one to connect an
external Li cell.  I did it once on a Sun SPARCstation IPC, as I
recall.  Worked for years.

   Good luck with your card cage problem.

[PurpleRain]

I used another similar station to perform some tests and the PCI cage of the deffective station is working in the spare station. While the PCI cage of the spare station, installed in the deffected one it gives me same result (allowing me to connect only with serial console). Conclusion is it looks like the problem is not in the PCI cage but in the motherboard and I still need to understand what can I do to restore it (if possible!). 

While, the other matter of the battery, you were right: on the motherboard there is a chip called DALLAS DS1687 REAL TIME clock.

Thanks for support!