IBM RS/6000 Maintenance Guide

IBM RS/6000 POWERstation 320 (7012-320)

The IBM RS/6000 family runs from the Micro Channel machines of 1990 (types 7011, 7012, 7013, 7015 and 7016) to the PCI machines of the late 1990s (7025, 7026, 7043, 7044 and the PReP 7248). IBM serviced all of them by FRU exchange, and its service guides are specific to a machine type, so the first job is to identify the machine and find its guide. Fault codes are covered in the IBM RS/6000 Troubleshooting Guide.

Safety

Unplug the system before opening it; the supplies are mains powered and contain charged capacitors. IBM's 7043 service guide sets out a safety inspection to do before any service:

1. Check the covers for sharp edges, damage or alterations that expose internal parts, and for a proper fit.
2. Rock the unit gently to check that it is steady.
3. Switch off, disconnect the power cable and remove the covers.
4. Check any alterations or attachments for hazards such as broken wires, sharp edges or broken insulation, check the internal cables for damage, and look for dirt, water or other contamination.
5. On the Models 140 and 240, check that the voltage switch on the back matches the outlet.
6. Check the external power cable for damage, and check for 0.1 ohm or less between the ground lug of its plug and the metal frame.
7. Check the power cords of any devices with their own supplies.

Adapters, planars, diskette drives and disk drives are static-sensitive. IBM's precautions: use an antistatic wrist strap if one is available, touch the device in its bag to the metal frame before taking it out, and hold cards and boards by the edges and drives by the frame (p. 8-2).

Identifying the machine and its documentation

The machine type and model are on the label (for example 7012-320 or 7043-150). The documents below are hosted here or held in public archives.

IBM service documents for the RS/6000

Document	Covers
POWERstation and POWERserver Diagnostic Programs: Operator Guide, SA23-2631-06 (April 1992)	Diagnostics, operator panel and three-digit display codes of the Micro Channel machines
RS/6000 7013 500 Series Installation and Service Guide, SA38-0531-00 (November 1996)	7013 500 series: power MAP, removals and replacements, parts
RS/6000 7043 43P Series Service Guide, SA38-0512-03 (October 1998)	7043 Models 140, 150 and 240
RS/6000 43P 7043 Models 150 and 260 Handbook, SG24-5144-00	Technical description of the 7043-150 and -260
RS/6000 Models E30, F40, F50, and H50 Handbook, SG24-5143-00	Technical description of those models
RISC System/6000 Hardware Offerings Overview, GC23-2188-00 (February 1990)	The 1990 launch models and their options

Power checks

On the Micro Channel machines the power-on light shows that all voltages in the supply are present and within limits and that the fans are running; if a fan the supply monitors stops, the supply turns the system off. On the 7013 500 series the supply will not run with any fan connector (P46A, P46B, P49A, P49B, P49C) open: a connector without a fan must have the fan sense jumper fitted. A supply that shuts down and shows a status on the three-digit display is reporting a fan, temperature or power failure (see the troubleshooting guide).

IBM's 7013 500 series and 7043 guides treat the supply as a single FRU and give no DC rail tolerance table; their power MAPs work by substitution and by the supply's own status indications.

Battery

Both service guides show a separate lithium battery with a polarised connector, not a battery sealed inside a clock module. IBM's parts lists give P/N 23F0168 for the 7013 500 series and P/N 15F8409 for the 7043. IBM's caution: a lithium battery can cause fire, explosion or a severe burn; do not recharge, disassemble, heat above 100 °C, solder directly to the cell, incinerate or expose the contents to water, and replace it only with the specified part.

• 7013 500 series: remove the cover, disconnect the battery and its connector from the planar, and take the battery out of the card guide frame. Set the date and time afterwards.
• 7043: replacing the battery may erase the power-on password, the date and time, the customised boot list and other configuration, which must then be re-entered through System Management Services and the operating system. IBM suggests handling the new battery with a paper tissue, because skin oils can corrode the contacts.

On the 7043, error code 20E00004 ("battery drained or needs replacement") and 28030005 (RTC battery error) call for a new battery; IBM notes that NVRAM and real-time clock errors can be caused by low battery voltage.

Cleaning and inspection

With the system unplugged, remove dust from fans, vents and the card area, and inspect the planar, adapters and supply for leaked or bulging capacitors and for corrosion around the battery. See IBM RS/6000 Capacitor Replacement Guide for what IBM does and does not document at component level.

After any repair

Run the diagnostics in Service mode (the key mode switch on the Micro Channel machines) and use the system verification procedure to check the machine before returning it to use.

Related pages

• IBM RS/6000, IBM RS/6000 Troubleshooting Guide, IBM RS/6000 Capacitor Replacement Guide
• CRT Discharge Procedure, Hard Drive Maintenance and Repair