Hi, I'm trying to get this server working that I bought off craigslist and discussed here before:

http://lime-technology.com/forum/index.php?topic=5914.0

 

I got it some RAM, but it would only beep, and show nothing on my monitor.  I am trying some different RAM, in the slots specified in a manual that may or may not be for this particular board (the manual is for Rev. G, I don't know what this is.)

 

I've heard of cards that let you diagnose the problem with an LED screen, is there a type of service where people do this for you?  What other reasons would it beep and not boot up?  Thanks for any feedback, I seem to have just lost my main HD while I was trying to set up my unRAID!  Any help would be really appreciated.

Check the manual for the beep codes.. Depending on how it beeps, it should tell you what it thinks is wrong..

That's what the manual at:

http://www.flextronics.com/computing/support/Server/Download/Download/HDAMA%20Rev.G%20ver.3.02.pdf

 

said, but there is nothing distinct about the beep codes, and nothing is printed to the screen.  It is a single solid beep.  How hard is it to check the port 80h error messages?

POST test cards are not expensive.  Here is one (probably not local to you, but at $7.98, shipping is included)

http://cgi.ebay.com/4-Digit-PC-ISA-PCI-Analyzer-Diagnostic-Test-Post-Card_W0QQitemZ360244423069QQcmdZViewItemQQptZMotherboards?hash=item53e03da99d

 

This one is even less.. $4.95 shipped, also not local  (how do they do this and include shipping?)

http://cgi.ebay.com/New-PC-ISA-PCI-Analyzer-Diagnostic-Card-Test-Probe-POST_W0QQitemZ170400026625QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_DefaultDomain_0?hash=item27aca21001

 

You'll find similar cards almost anywhere, at "slightly" higher prices.

http://www.amazon.com/Elston-Systems-Post-Card-Tester/dp/B000RXTKVA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1271188490&sr=8-6

http://www.amazon.com/Startech-com-PCIPOST-Post-Diagnostics-Test/dp/B00006B8EZ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1271188490&sr=8-1

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16815158065&cm_re=post-_-15-158-065-_-Product

 

Joe L.

Oh awesome!  Thanks a ton!

For the historical record, I figured out what this "flatline beep" was about.

 

First of all, the motherboard didn't work, but had nothing to do with the beep.  A new motherboard did the same thing.  It became clear it was coming from the power source.

 

This wasn't a normal case, it was a big server case, with a triple-redundant power supply.  Apparently it's somewhat common for redundant power supplies to beep when they have run out of redundancy, so that sysadmins can find the power outage.  Since I wasn't looking for power redundancy (nor do I have an alternate power source), I just hot-wired the "shut up" switch off the back of the power supply (yeah, that was a golden find.)