This chapter describes the procedures you should use to operate your Onyx deskside workstation correctly.
Customer maintenance is limited to the outside of the chassis, which comprises plastic panels, front loading devices (FLDs), customer-related connections, and cables attached to the I/O panel.
 | Note: This product requires the use of external shielded cables in order to maintain compliance with Part 15 of the FCC rules. |
No user-serviceable parts are found within the chassis.
The operating procedures described in this section are designed to ensure your safety and the integrity of your new system.
The Onyx deskside chassis can be configured for either 110 VAC or 220–240 VAC operation. The system requires alternating current (AC) service at specified voltage and current ratings for proper operation. Verify that the correct AC line voltages are selected for each peripheral.
Figure 3-1 shows user-accessible system components.
 | Warning: To avoid electric shock and/or a fire hazard, do not disassemble the Onyx deskside chassis. No user-serviceable parts are located inside. |
| Note: Before connecting or disconnecting any terminal, peripheral, or front-loading drive, be sure the system is powered off and the primary power source is disconnected. The system power connection should be unplugged at the wall or back of the chassis before you open either door. |
Before you can operate your new system, you need to connect a monitor, a keyboard, and mouse.
To connect anything to the I/O panel, you must open the front door by using the following procedures:
Be sure that the system power is turned off, according to the procedures in this section.
Open the drive door to expose the drives and front panel retainer latches.
Release the two retainer latches by fully depressing and releasing each latch with a pointed object, such as the tip of a Phillips screwdriver; be careful not to mar the surface. The pointed object must be narrow enough to depress the inner button completely; Figure 3-2 shows the latch location and operation.
The chassis front door is released and can be pivoted on the hinge pins located on the left side of the door.
To close the front door, swing it to the closed position, then use a pointed object to fully depress and release the retainer latches.
A high-resolution, 1600 x 1200-pixel 21-inch monitor ships as the standard monitor for the Onyx RE2 deskside systems. An optional 20-inch graphics monitor is also available with certain system configurations. This section describes how to install the 21- and 20-inch monitors. Connect the monitor you received by following the steps in the applicable section.
 | Caution: Before plugging any monitor into either a 110 VAC or a 220–240 VAC outlet, be sure that the electrical rating on the label is in either the 110 or the 220–240 range, whichever applies. |
When using a monitor in locations that do not have either of these outlets, contact your Silicon Graphics system support engineer before plugging in the monitor power cable.
| Note: If your monitor has white switches below the RGB posts, make sure they are pressed in so that they are in the 75-ohm position; otherwise, the monitor displays the wrong colors. |
Use only the cables specified to connect the monitor to the Onyx deskside chassis.
The RE2 graphics system uses a 21-inch, high-resolution monitor. This monitor uses either a 13W3-to-BNC connector cable or a 13W3-to-13W3 cable. Connect the 13W3 fitting to the I/O panel and the BNC connectors to the back of the monitor. See Figure 3-3 for an example of the connectors on the 21-inch monitor. See Figure 3-4 for a cable connection example.
When the system is booted, the monitors will operate in their default resolution of 1280 x 1024. To change the default video format, you must use the setmon command. For more information about the setmon command options, see the setmon reference (man) page.
The video cable for the 20-inch monitor has two 13W3 connectors on each end.
Plug the male end of the monitor power cable into either the United States standard 110 VAC outlet (NEMA 5-15R) or the Continental European 250 VAC, 16A type CEE 7/7 outlet, whichever is appropriate. Then proceed with connecting the video cable.
Find the monitor video cable. This cable has large 13W3 connectors on each end. See Figure 3-6.
Attach one end of the monitor video cable to the 13W3 connector on the back of the monitor. Secure the screws on either side of the connector.
Attach the other end of the monitor video cable to the deskside system's I/O panel. Secure the screws on either side of the connector.
Figure 3-7 shows the front control locations for the 21-inch color monitor. Table 3-1 describes the 21-inch monitor controls and Table 3-2 describes the 21-inch monitor viewing mode adjustments. Table 3-3 shows the preset viewing modes for the 21-inch monitor.
| Note: The 21-inch model has 7 factory-set viewing modes (see Table 3-3) and memory for an additional 23 configurable settings. The 20-inch model also has factory-set modes (see Table 3-5) and memory for configurable settings. |
Table 3-1. 21-Inch Monitor Controls
Control | Description |
|---|---|
Signal Input Selection | Selects BNC or 15-pin mini-D connectors. |
Manual/Auto Selection button | Manual position allows display size and position to be changed using the Store, Selection, and Adjustment controls. The Auto position selects one of the seven factory-preset viewing modes. |
Store button | With the Manual/Auto Selection button in the Auto position, pressing this button steps through the preset viewing modes. With the Manual/Auto Selection button in the Manual position, pressing this button stores the displayed viewing mode. This mode is indicated when one of the adjustment LEDs lights. |
Selection button | With the Manual/Auto Selection button in the Manual position, pressing this button steps through the four available adjustments (horizontal size, horizontal position, vertical size, vertical position). When the adjustment is active, the corresponding amber LED is lit. |
Adjustment button (–) | Pressing this button, with either the horizontal or vertical size adjustment selected, decreases screen size. With the horizontal position adjustment selected, pressing this button shifts the screen position to the left. With the vertical position adjustment selected, pressing this button shifts the screen down. |
Adjustment button (+) | Pressing this button, with either the horizontal or vertical size adjustment selected, increases screen size. With the horizontal position adjustment selected, pressing this button shifts the screen position to the right. With the vertical position adjustment selected, pressing this button shifts the screen up. |
Power Switch | Press on/press off switch. When power is on, the green LED in the switch is lit. |
Contrast control (half moon icon) | Turn to adjust foreground brightness. |
Brightness control (sun icon) | Turn to adjust background brightness. |
Degaussing button | Press to manually degauss monitor (monitor automatically degausses following power on). |
Three video signal termination buttons (located on rear panel) | Press in when installing a single monitor (to provide 75-ohm termination). Release buttons when connecting multiple monitors with loop-through (provides higher impedance). |
Sync Adjustment button (located on rear panel) | Release the button to adjust the incoming sync signal manually. |
Table 3-2. 21-Inch Monitor Viewing Mode Adjustments
Active (Lit) Adjustment Button | Minus (–) | Plus (+) |
|---|---|---|
Horizontal size | decrease screen size | increase screen size |
Horizontal position | shift screen left | shift screen right |
Vertical size | decrease screen size | increase screen size |
Vertical position | shift screen down | shift screen up |
Table 3-3. Preset Viewing Modes for 21-Inch Monitor
Mode Number | Video Mode | Horizontal Frequency | Vertical | Resolution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | VGA350 | 31.5 kHz | 70 Hz | 640 x 350 |
2 | VGA400 | 31.5 kHz | 70 Hz | 640 x 400 |
3 | VGA480 | 31.5 kHz | 60 Hz | 640 x 480 |
4 | 8514/A | 35.5 kHz | 87 Hz | 1024 x 768 (interlaced) |
5 | 1024 x 768 | 48.8 kHz | 60 Hz | 1024 x 768 |
6 | 1152 x 870 | 63.5 kHz | 70 Hz | 1152 x 870 |
7 | 1152 x 870 | 68.7 kHz | 75 Hz | 1152 x 870 |
Table 3-4 describes the 20-inch monitor controls. Note that the remote control (remote commander) must be used within 19.75 inches (50 cm) of the monitor's front.
Table 3-4. 20-Inch Monitor Controls
Control | Description |
|---|---|
Power switch (front mounted) | Turns the monitor on and off. |
Contrast control (front mounted) | Two buttons (+ and –) are used to adjust foreground brightness. |
| Note: The following controls are located on the pull-out remote control. |
BRIGHT (brightness) | Press + to increase the picture brightness. Press – to decrease it. |
V-CENT (vertical centering) | Press + to move the picture upward. Press the – to move the picture down. |
V-SIZE (vertical size) | Press + to increase the vertical size. Press the – to decrease it. |
V-STAT (vertical static convergence) | You can adjust the vertical static convergence so the colors converge at the center of the picture. Press + to move red upward and blue down. Press – to move red down and blue upward. |
TILT | Press the right button to tilt the picture clockwise. Press the left button to tilt the picture counterclockwise. |
COLOR TEMP (temperature) | Select proper signal color temperature. H=9300 K (factory default); M=6500 K; L=5000 K |
CONTR (contrast) | Press + to increase contrast, or press – to decrease contrast. |
H-CENT (horizontal centering) | Press + to move the picture to the right, press – to move it to the left. |
H-SIZE (horizontal size) | Press + to increase the horizontal size. Press – to decrease the horizontal size. |
H-STAT (horizontal static convergence) | You can adjust the horizontal static convergence until the colors converge at the center of the picture. Press + to move blue to the left and red to the right. Press – to move blue to the right and red to the left. |
Reset (button) | Pressing the button resets every user-stored data adjustment to the factory-preset level for the input signal being received. Note that you cannot reset the user-stored adjustment data item by item. |
Table 3-5. Preset Viewing Modes for 20-Inch Monitor
Mode Type | Resolution | Horizontal Frequency | Vertical |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | 1024 x 768 | 48.5 kHz | 59.6 Hz |
2 (non stereo) | 1280 x 1024 | 63.9 kHz | 60 Hz |
3 (stereo) | 1280 x 492 | 63.9 kHz | 119.88 Hz |
4 | 1280 x 1024 | 76.9 kHz | 72.3 Hz |
5 | 1280 x 512 | 65.05 kHz | 120.05 Hz |
6 (default) | 1280 x 1024 | 81.967 kHz | 75.966 Hz |
7 | 1280 x 1024 | 53.249 kHz | 50 Hz |
The following procedure is used to adjust the monitor's screen geometry when the monitor is experiencing problems with the vertical sync.
| Note: Do not use this button unless there is a problem with the incoming sync signal. |
Select the Manual mode by pushing in the Manual/Auto Selection button.
Push out the Sync Adjustment button (located at the rear of the monitor).
If the monitor is out of sync or there is no display with the correct input signal, press the “+” Adjustment button repeatedly until the displayed image is correct.
Note: Both the Adjustment buttons change the screen geometry in single increments. Each time a button is pressed, the screen geometry is changed by one increment. Holding a button in will not cause a continuous change in the screen geometry. When the screen geometry is correct, press the Adjustment button one more time.
If the monitor displays partial skew (the top of the screen appears to tear to the right), press the “–” Adjustment button repeatedly until the displayed image is correct.
When the vertical sync is correct, push in the Sync Adjustment button to the off position.
If the size and position of the displayed image is incorrect, use the Selection button to activate the required adjustment (the corresponding LED will light), and the “+” and “–” adjustment buttons to correct the screen geometry.
Press the Store button to save the adjustments in the monitor's memory.
Push out the Manual/Auto Selection button to return to “Auto” mode.
The Onyx Extreme has genlock and stereoview connectors in addition to the 13W3 video connector.
The Onyx RE2 or VTX graphics system provides connections to a number of video peripherals. In addition to the standard high-resolution 21-inch monitor, the following peripherals can be connected:
Composite video monitor
Composite video cassette recorder
Frame grab trigger
S-Video monitor
SVHS video cassette recorder
Video mixer and monitor
Before using the graphics software, connect the composite or S-Video monitor and VCR to the appropriate output ports on the I/O panel. Refer to Figure 3-8.
The CMPST A and CMPST B ports are standard BNC video connectors. They are electrically identical: a tape deck or monitor can be connected to either port. Connect a cable to your composite monitor and to either the CMPST A or CMPST B port. Connect another cable to your VCR and to the other composite port.
The video ports (S-Video A and S-Video B) are output ports that connect to an S-Video monitor and SVHS video cassette recorder. These ports use 4-pin mini DIN connectors. They are also electrically identical: each port can connect to either the S-Video monitor or to the VCR. Connect a cable from your S-Video monitor to either S-Video A or S-Video B. Connect a cable from the tape deck to the remaining S-Video port.
Video peripherals connect to the I/O panel, as shown in Figure 3-8.
The Onyx deskside system comes with a standard 101-key international keyboard. One connector on the keyboard cable plugs into the round 6-pin connector, marked Keyboard, on the I/O panel, and the other connector plugs into the socket on the keyboard. To install a keyboard, follow these steps:
Insert the connector on the cable into the round 6-pin mini-DIN connector on the I/O panel, as shown in Figure 3-9.
Attach the connector on the cable attached to your mouse to the matching connector on the side of the keyboard.
The Onyx deskside workstation comes standard with a SCSI drive rack that holds seven half-height front-loading devices (FLDs). Each FLD must be mounted on a drive sled before it can be mounted in the rack. The drive sled adapts the drive's power and signal connectors to the connectors on the SCSI drive backplane.
See the list of SCSI configuration rules at the beginning of Chapter 4 to better understand the importance of proper SCSI bus configuration.
| Note: FLDs can be installed and removed with the front door closed and only the drive door open. |
| Caution: Use proper handling and storage procedures to minimize the loss of data and equipment. In particular, do not remove disk drives while they are operating. Always power off the system prior to removing an FLD. Be sure to use standard electrostatic discharge prevention precautions when removing, storing, transporting, or replacing the FLDs. |
The drives being plugged into the rack can be configured to run on either SCSI channel A or B. They must also be set to operate with either single-ended or differential SCSI protocols. The configuration for these functions is set on the drive sled's adapter module board.
The drive rack in the Onyx deskside workstation accommodates up to seven half-height devices, or three full-height devices and one half-height drive.
Drive channels A and B are terminated on the SCSI drive backplane. There is no provision for plugging in an extension of the SCSI bus to the internal SCSI backplane.
To operate multiple external SCSI devices, you must order your system's IO4 with extra mezzanine SCSI channel daughter boards. These are the mezzanine options mentioned in Chapter 1; they connect to the I/O panel and then to external devices.
Your deskside Onyx comes with a standard 15-pin (AUI) Ethernet connector.
| Note: Always verify the type of signal being transmitted over your network cable before plugging in the connector. Some networks use a twisted-pair cabling system that carries AUI signals. These networks use an RJ-45 connector that is meant to be plugged into an IEEE 802.3 Transceiver unit. |
You can order optional boards for additional Ethernet connections.
Observe the following procedures when making Ethernet connections:
Identify the Ethernet drop intended for your workstation, and route it to the rear of the system. Repeat for additional connections.
You can install the cable by pushing it through the gap between the top of the plastic bumper and the bottom of the side panel. See Figure 3-1. Alternately, you can push the cable into the cable trough on the lower-left side of the system; repeat as necessary. Feed the cable in until it reaches the front of the system.
Plug in the Ethernet connector (make sure to secure the 15-pin connector with the slide latch). See Figure 3-10.
Continue with any additional peripheral connections or installations, or close and restart the system.
Use the following procedure to power on your new Onyx deskside chassis:
Make sure the power switches on all of the equipment are turned off.
Plug the power cord into each component. Make sure to connect the cords to three-pronged, grounded outlets only.
Turn on the power switches in the following order:
Breaker switch located on the power-in panel on the back of the chassis
Monitors or other video output devices
Printer (if installed)
System Controller key switch
After you turn on the system power, boot the system according to the software instructions that accompanied your system. Log in as usual. The standard interface includes the Toolbox located in the upper-left corner of the screen. After you turn on the system power, the system begins the boot process.
The System Controller begins the system boot-up sequence. As the system comes up, its progress is automatically displayed on the controller's front panel by using a series of boot messages. Pushing any of the control buttons at this time will interrupt the sequence of boot messages that are appearing; see Table 3-6. Pushing a control button during the boot process can cause the following message to appear:
BOOT ARBITRATION ABORTED
Note: To monitor and understand the boot process on the System Controller's front panel, see “Using the System Controller” in
Chapter 5.When the power-on diagnostics have completed, you will see this message:
Starting up the system... To perform System Maintenance instead, press <Esc>.
If you don't press <Esc> within five seconds, the system will come up and display the desktop. If this happens, and you still want to access the system maintenance menu, log in, shut down the system using the “System Shutdown” command from the System Manager menu, and then restart it when prompted.
If you pressed <Esc> within five seconds after the completion of the power-on diagnostic, you should see a menu similar to the following:
System Maintenance Menu
1) Start System 2) Install System Software 3) Run Diagnostics 4) Recover System 5) Enter Command Monitor
Option ?
Select 5, enter the “Command Monitor,” and see the >> prompt.
Type hinv then press <Enter> to display the hardware inventory of your system.
Note: The hinv command does not report the status of the system graphics boards. See the IRIS Software Installation Guide for information about reconfiguring your system. Quit the Command Monitor by typing Exit at the >> prompt.
The System Maintenance menu reappears. Type 1 to select the “Start System” command. IRIX comes up and displays the desktop.
Table 3-6. System Controller Boot Status Messages
Boot Status Message
Message Description
BOOT ARBITRATION NOT STARTED
The system CPU boards have not begun the arbitration process.
BOOT ARBITRATION IN PROGESS
The system CPU boards are communicating to decide which one will be the system master CPU.
BOOT ARBITRATION IS COMPLETE SLOT #0X PROC #0X
The chosen system master CPU has identified itself to the System Controller and communication is fully established.
BOOT ARBITRATION INCOMPLETE FAULT NO MASTER
The system was unable to assign a system master CPU.
BOOT ARBITRATION ABORTED
An operator pushed one of the front panel buttons while the System Controller was searching for the system master CPU.
With the video out panel, you can control the video signals to the CMPST A and B ports and the S-Video A and B ports. Pop-up menus allow you to select between NTSC and PAL video formats, standard or in-house video synchronization, and standalone or special genlock signals. An Options menu allows you to fine-tune the genlock delay, chrominance phase, chrominance color, and horizontal phase signals.
To start the video out panel, enter the following command in a text window and press <Enter>:
vo |
The video out panel Encoder Controls menu appears on your screen (see Figure 3-11).
The Controls menu has buttons that select different video options. These options are described in Table 3-7.
Table 3-7. Options on the Controls Menu
Option | Function |
|---|---|
Format | NTSC or PAL. These two buttons select between the two most common composite video standards. You must select the correct format that matches your composite video monitor. Note: When you select a video format, the rest of the controls will default to the most appropriate setting for that video format. |
Genlock | Genlocking is used to synchronize to another video signal. This is normally set to Stand alone. The input setting is used with special “in-house” signals. |
Signal | Other or VCR. These buttons select the type of synchronization signal to be sent to the monitor/VCR. This is normally set to Other. |
Output Area | Clicking this button causes a window to appear on the screen. By holding down the mouse button, you can move this window over your screen until it covers the display that you want to transmit or capture. |
Lower Left | As an alternative to using the Output Area button, you can enter the lower left x and y coordinates in these boxes to precisely position the output screen.
|
Window Size | This display shows the screen resolution for the video mode you have selected. It automatically shows the appropriate mode when you click on NTSC or PAL.
|
The video signals can be controlled through the Options menu. Click on the Options field in the Controls menu to invoke the Options menu (see
Figure 3-12).
The Options menu has buttons that control the video signals through the ports. The buttons are controlled by the mouse. Place the cursor on the button, and click and hold down the mouse button. As you move the mouse in an arc, the button turns just like a rotating knob. The options are described in Table 3-8.
| Note: In most cases, the Options menu is not needed. For most uses, the default settings are perfectly suitable. |
Table 3-8. Options on the Options Menu
Option | Function |
|---|---|
Genlock Delay | Genlocking is synchronized with another video signal. This control allows you to minutely control the advance or delay of the synchronization. The control cycles through a range of 0 to 63. |
Chroma Phase | Chrominance is a separate signal that contains color information. It is derived from the I and Q signals in the NTSC video format, and from the U and V signals in the PAL video format. This control regulates the amount of light in each pixel comprising the R, G, and B signals. It is roughly analogous to the hue control on a color television. It cycles through a range of 0 to 255. |
Chroma Center | This control is analogous to the tint control on a color television. It controls the color saturation of the display and cycles through a range of 0 to 255. |
H Phase | This control regulates the horizontal sync, which is the lowest portion of the horizontal blanking part of the video signal. It provides a pulse for synchronizing video input with output. The control cycles through a range of 0 to 63. |
This section takes you through a sample session with the video out panel. To start, let's assume that you have a graphic image or animation sequence running on the 21-inch high-resolution monitor. You should size the window in which the display is running so that it doesn't take up the entire screen.
Type the command vout and press <Enter>. The Controls menu appears.
Click either the NTSC or PAL button, depending on the video format of your monitor and VCR. Your choice here determines the default settings for the rest of the controls.
Now click the Output Area button. A black rectangle appears on the screen. The rectangle has the correct format, that is, aspect ratio, for either PAL or NTSC. This rectangle is much smaller than the full screen area because NTSC and PAL operate at a much lower resolution than your graphics system does.
Use the mouse to move this window. Move the cursor over the frame of the window and click and hold down the mouse button. You can now move the window over the portion of the image or animation that you wish to send to the composite monitor or VCR. If the image is too large to be captured in the window, resize the display window, then pull the black output window over the image again.
Once you have covered the display with the output window, you will see the demo or image appear in the output window and also on your composite video monitor. If you have a VCR connected, you can begin recording immediately.
The Onyx deskside workstation should be completely powered off only for relocation, routine maintenance, or repair. Before beginning this procedure, log out and shut down the software using the software instructions that follow:
To halt operating system activity and prepare the system for power off, use the System menu and select “System Shutdown.” Alternately, you can become superuser and enter /etc/halt in a functional UNIX® window. The /etc/halt command gracefully shuts down the system software and leaves you at the PROM monitor level. If you are remotely logged in to the system, you will be prompted before the shutdown procedure is executed.
Turn the System Controller key switch to the Off position to eliminate all power to the boards and peripherals.
Switch the system circuit breaker to the off position to eliminate all power to the OLS and backplane.
Unplug the power cord from the socket to cut off all electrical power to the system.
To reboot the Onyx deskside system, use the /etc/reboot command input to the system monitor. The /etc/reboot command can be entered from any functional UNIX shell on your workstation monitor. You must be superuser before trying to input this command. If you are remotely logged in to the system, it will prompt you to confirm the command before executing it.
After successfully entering the command, the system gracefully halts and then automatically restarts.
| Caution: Use the key switch (not the main system circuit breaker switch) to reboot your system only if the system is completely unresponsive. See Figure 3-13 for its location. Using the system circuit breaker to power-cycle and reboot the system can cause damage to system software and data. Use the System Manager menu and select “System Shutdown” or the /etc/reboot command, if possible. |
