From: dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com (Don Nichols (DoN.))
Newsgroups: comp.sys.3b1
Subject: Re: Panic translator needed
Date: 13 Sep 92 12:20:00 GMT
Organization: D & D Data

In article <ycqwqB1w165w@vector0.UUCP> jon%vector0.UUCP@sactoh0.SAC.CA.US (Dazed N. Confused) writes:
>hybl@umbc4.umbc.edu (Dr. Albert Hybl (UMAB-BIOPHYS)) writes:
>
>> (A translation into something understandable would be helpful.)
>
>     I second this.  I've been getting panic messages every so often.
>My unix.log shows several error messages called "Spurious Interrupt",
>like 50 of them one morning.  Should I ignore this stuff?

	Open up you machine, and pull the D.C. power connector (the one on
the heavy-duty ribbon cable that goes to the CPU board) off.  Now put it
back on.  Repeat several times.  Now re-assemble the machine, and see if it
works better (for a while).

	Acutally, while the machine is apart, you might check the power
connector for signs that one of the pins is overheating due to too much
current being pumped through an oxidized connection.  If you can find
Cramolin (the R5 version - red - is preferred) apply it to the connector
pins and cycle the connector on and off a few times.  This can help even a
badly oxidized connector.

	Also, check the underside of the power supply board where the
connector solders on.  If the area around one (or more) of the pins looks
grainy rather than smooth, or even worse lumpy, then get a good hot
soldering iron, and some good *electircal* solder (*****NOT ACID CORE****),
and clean out the joint and re-flow fresh solder into it.  This can be the
cause of your pin heating problems and your spurious interrupts.

	A spurious interrupt is one which was unexpected and unexplained.
These can sometimes be caused by power supply glitches, which is why I
suggested that you check out your connections there.  The reason it is
declared "spurious" is that when the registers of all devices using that
inerrupt were checked, none registered as having requested one.  (Or the
inerrupt may be one which is not used in the machine at all.  Only two are
used in the bus, and perhaps a third one for the interrupt line to implement
task switching form a timed pulse train.

>> 6) The condition in (5) appears to fit FAQ# 43, so I open the
>> machine and clean the mother board (top side only so far).
>> This has helped although the conditions has occasionally
>> recurred during normal start up.

	The reason for cleaning the board is that dust helps insulate the
board from the cooling airflow, so the chips overheat.  A conformal coating
(which is needed only when you are planning on operating under excessive
humidity) would only make matters worse in this area.  (The board *does*
have a good solder-mask, which insulates most of the traces, except where
components are soldered to them.

	Good Luck to you both
		DoN.

-- 
Donald Nichols (DoN.)     | Voice (Days): (703) 704-2280 (Eves): (703) 938-4564
D&D Data                  |  Email: <dnichols@ceilidh.beartrack.com>
I said it - no one else   |         <nichols@nvl.army.mil>
	--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---
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