Sonnet Encore/ST G4 Duet 1.8GHz CPU Upgrade - not working

[MacOS Plus]

  I recently purchased one of these upgrades off eBay and am trying to install it in a Sawtooth running OS 9.1 but am running into trouble.  I've confirmed the original G4 firmware is correct, as well as correct Uni-North chip to be compatible with multiprocessing.  I installed Crescendo 3.1 software and it ran the firmware patch properly on the next boot.  Once I switch over to the Sonnet CPU the machine will only initialize as far as the grey screen but not showing the mouse pointer or anything else.  Resetting PMU or PRAM made no difference.  It also obviously is never getting far enough along to be an issue of extensions.

  Is there anything obscure I'm missing here?  Are there any OS files that might need to be updated for this?  I've installed quite a few Sonnet upgrades in the past but never had this problem before.  Usually it's straightforward.

Update:

  I'm beginning to suspect that bad socket contact is at least part of the problem.  (No bent pins though.)  After re-seating it a number of times it finally came up to a screen finding no boot device.  The keyboard was initialized now so I reset the machine from the keyboard and it dropped into Open Firmware with a message I've never seen before:

"WARNING! MSSCR values mis-match
DEFAULT CATCH!, code=900 at  %SRR0: 00200f74  %SRR1: 00003030"

  What on earth does that mean?

[Knezzen]

Back when I had a "Gigabit Ethernet" G4 and a single 1.2ghz Sonnet Encore ST, i was unable to use any thing else "Classic" than 9.2.2. I got a frozen happy Mac when trying to boot 9.1. So 9.2.2 or OSX was it.

Probably dont help you at all, but its my experience with the Encore/ST accelerators.

[MacOS Plus]

Hmmm, well I could live with that I suppose and transfer the 9.1 duties to another machine.

  I tried another drive with 9.2.2 on it and that wouldn't boot either even with the original 400MHz CPU module back in, but strangely a 10.4 Install CD would.  Not even any OS9-based boot CDs would work either so I figured the patch screwed up only that part of the boot mechanism.

  So then I borrowed a good 10.5 drive from another machine to see if I could use that to install the OSX version of the Sonnet software in order to at least undo the patch.  Although it was a bit sluggish at 400MHz, it did surprisingly well.  (Even the video card, which had never shown a desktop on any other OSX boot ever tried with it on any other machine, somehow worked perfectly.)  That was enough to download the Sonnet software with and successfully run the patch removal using the final 3.2 version of the software required by 10.5.

  Then I reinstalled the patch using the 10.5 boot to see if that made any difference.  This time is booted into OSX with the Encore Duet installed.  I put the 9.2.2 drive back in and tried booting that again - no good.  Same weird error where it drops out to Open Firmware.  I don't understand it but at least I know the behavior is consistent with patching via OS 9 on this motherboard.  It would seem that this CPU upgrade simply will never boot pre-OSX OS when combined with this very specific motherboard.  Yet another incidence of the Apple 'voodoo' I've cursed about in the past...

  I don't really need another PPC OSX machine so I don't know what to do at this point.  My other two Sawtooth boards have weird older firmware that won't update with Apple's updater and are not recognized by the Sonnet patcher.  The only other working candidate machine is a Quicksilver, but that one already has the equivalent Giga Designs upgrade installed.  I also have a bare Gigabit Ethernet motherboard but no power supply for it.

  If anyone else has run into this odd snag with the Sonnet G4s please let me know about your experiences.

[MacTron]

It's really weird ...
This upgrade should work Mac Os 9.2
I have a [email protected] from NewerTech in a Sawtooth and works perfectly with Mac Os 9.2.

[MacOS Plus]

  Long shot - Which other manufacturers' patchers are for the same G4 chip type as the Encore/ST Duet?  Is there a chance one of those would produce the desired result?

  I'm wondering if perhaps I should perform a swap between my Quicksilver and Sawtooth such that the Sonnet ends up in the QS and the Giga in the Sawtooth. 

[GaryN]

Use OS 9.2.2
Since it won't boot, either use a different machine or boot OSX or whatever, and remove the "Apple CPU Plugins" extension from the Extensions/Multiprocessing folder.
Say a little prayer and try to boot it again… it just might.

[MacOS Plus]

  Actually, it was already out of the 9.2.2 folder when I first tried, then I put it back later to see if it would make any difference.  Same state.  It doesn't seem to get far enough to even load that file.  I'm more inclined to suspect it's not playing nice with the Mac OS ROM file.

[rshaw]

Not sure if it's relevant, but reminds me of an exasperating experience with (I think)
a Sonnet 800MHz G4 upgrade to a PM 8500 or 8600.  Would not get past grey screen.
The fix was to put the original 150 MHz card back in, and zap the pram.  Then install
the new card, without zapping the pram.  This was with 9.1.

I had to keep the old card around, in case the pram got zapped with the new card in...

[MacOS Plus]

  I tried your suggestion but no dice.  I guess this thing is going to be OSX-only.   If anyone has another suggestion let me know.  I really don't want to have to use the Giga Designs CPU for OS 9 because you have to re-patch after PRAM reset by first booting into OSX.  That's why I got the Sonnet, but it won't play nice.

[GaryN]

Did you do Firmware update 4.2.8 ??

[MacOS Plus]

  Firmware was already at the final version when the machine came to me.  Apple's updater confirmed that saying it didn't need to run.  I have two other Sawtooth motherboards I would have tested with but they have weird early firmware that Apple's updater won't touch for some reason.

  I suppose it's possible there's actually something wrong with the existing 4.2.8 firmware in this board.  I've never heard of a way to reflash the same version though.

[GaryN]

Since we're now in the realm where all that's left is to take wild guesses…
My guess is therefore: Your motherboard may not support dual procs, period, firmware notwithstanding.

Sonnet CPU upgrade cards had this friendly little message on the first page of the installation instructions:

WARNING:
Some Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics) models are incompatible with dual processor cards.
If you purchased this upgrade for a Power Mac G4 (AGP Graphics) computer, be sure to
read the included warning sheet for information on how to determine whether your system is compatible before you install this product.

Exactly what it said on that "included warning sheet" I have no idea. The best part is that you couldn't see the "warning" or know that there even was one until after you had purchased and opened the damn thing…
…unless you happened to see the fine print on one of the product flyers.

On the flyers was this URL to check your machine against:  www.sonnettech.com/support/errata/duet_errata.html

That URL no longer works of course, but it does mean that somewhere at Sonnetech there's probably a copy of it that someone might locate for you if you ask them nicely…

[Protools5LEGuy]

On the flyers was this URL to check your machine against:  www.sonnettech.com/support/errata/duet_errata.html

That URL no longer works of course, but it does mean that somewhere at Sonnetech there's probably a copy of it that someone might locate for you if you ask them nicely…

https://web.archive.org/web/20040411161009/http://www.sonnettech.com/support/errata/duet_errata.html

[MacOS Plus]

The current revision of that document is still available on the Sonnet website:

"Encore/ST G4 Duet Processor Upgrade Addendum Instructions"
http://www.sonnettech.com/support/downloads/manuals/sg4d_2g_addendum.pdf

  The old version of the document calls for a Uni-North chip of revision "7 or higher".  The current version of the document says it can be any number other than "3".  In either case my motherboard is supposed to be fine because it has a rev 7 Uni-North.  Before I started I consulted the currently available version of the document and confirmed my system should be compatible.  I appreciate being able to cross-check that against the older document though.

  Anyway, moot point now because it's finally working.  Why it wouldn't initially boot in single processor mode with the Apple CPU Plugins file removed I have no idea.  (Screwy NVRAM/PRAM values that wouldn't reset perhaps?)  What I sorted out first was that what I thought was the hacked version of the CPU Plugins file on that drive turned out not to be.  (That was my own stupid confusion.)  Once the correct hacked version (v3.5) was put in it immediately booted without issue and with both CPUs active.  I tested pulling the file out and then it finally booted in single CPU mode without issue too.  I think there was supposed to be a known occasional problem with Sonnet's installer not doing the job properly, which is why the hacked file came to be distributed stand-alone.

  For reference, in summary I'm booting 9.2.2 with Mac OS ROM 10.2.1 and the hacked Apple CPU Plugins 3.5 files present.  This is with the Sonnet Encore/ST G4 Duet Dual 1.8GHz CPU Upgrade (the one with the low-profile bare copper heatsink).  Hopefully this experience will save someone else from the problems I had.  I'm going to stick with this combo and not mess with it.  This same combo is working (with "Unsupported G4 ASR" patch Mac OS ROM) on my MDD FW 800 machine with Sonnet MDX dual 1.8 also.  I'm about to install another MDX in a tray-load Xserve and will report back on that in the appropriate thread once I get it going.

[MacTron]

Can you please attach the hacked Apple CPU Plugin file?

[GaryN]

What I sorted out first was that what I thought was the hacked version of the CPU Plugins file on that drive turned out not to be.  (That was my own stupid confusion.)  Once the correct hacked version (v3.5) was put in it immediately booted without issue and with both CPUs active. 

Isn't it amazing how one little detail can send you into a complete tailspin?

I think there was supposed to be a known occasional problem with Sonnet's installer not doing the job properly, which is why the hacked file came to be distributed stand-alone.

I'm not so sure about that. I have the MDX and all of the packaging and lit that came with it. Nowhere is there mentioned the "Apple CPU Plugin". The guy I got it from included it on a disc and told me he had to get it from Sonnet support after going through the exact same "Why the Hell doesn't this thing work?" scenario that you just did.

For reference, in summary I'm booting 9.2.2 with Mac OS ROM 10.2.1 and the hacked Apple CPU Plugins 3.5 files present. This same combo is working (with "Unsupported G4 ASR" patch Mac OS ROM) on my MDD FW 800 machine with Sonnet MDX dual 1.8 also.

So it now appears to be a fact that the "hacked" "Apple CPU Plugins" file is identical in all of the G4 duals? Fascinating…

[MacOS Plus]

Can you please attach the hacked Apple CPU Plugin file?

Attachment included.  Let me know if there are any problems reading it.

  We really need to get this file either included as an option with the "Unsupported G4" 9.2.2 ASR image or make it prominently available for download alongside it.  As I recall from my MDX-upgraded MDD FW800 experience, you can't get through first boot without using another boot drive or another computer to either remove the original file or replace it with the hacked one immediately.  Even better would be to have an alternate download of the ASR image with the file already swapped out and mark it as for the Sonnet Dual CPUs.

  Hopefully some day we can sort out what's in the hack and apply it to the last version of the file as part of the on-going OS 9 improvement project.

[DieHard]

Even better would be to have an alternate download of the ASR image with the file already swapped out and mark it as for the Sonnet Dual CPUs.

The ASR is a little time consuming to produce and was created as a 2 step process...
The "Low Overhead" Boot system was created by MacTron, and The 9.2.2 Install image was my Job.
We will put in on the wish list... to Create an ASR Image and Mini system boot that contains both the modified iMic ROM and the Modified CPU plugin.
Thus, any system with the Sonnet (even the MD FW800) will be ready for the Sonnet

[nanopico]

I have a small minimal disc image I have been using for testing.
It would be easy to update it to boot with the hacked CPU plugin and such to copy over.
Just boot and copy then reboot from HD.
I might be missing the point, but I can update it to do that if it would help.

[GaryN]

Even better would be to have an alternate download of the ASR image with the file already swapped out and mark it as for the Sonnet Dual CPUs.

Maybe it's just me, but I think you're all spinning this up into a great big deal that it shouldn't be. It's not like there are Sonnet dual procs for sale around every corner. Half of the very few that do appear are very overpriced. Subtract from the remainder the ones where there's no issue because the seller already went through it so they make certain to tell you about it, and for the 1 or 2 left, you're at the point of causing more confusion than you're solving. Plus, you put up an entire alternate ASR just for that and people without Sonnets will be trying to use it thinking it's "better" or will run faster somehow.

The absolute worst-case scenario is you have one computer, zero friends, no startup CDs, DVDs, or anything else bootable and you live in the middle of nowhere so you have no hardware and nobody to help you swap the file out. In that case, you temporarily replace your old proc card, change the file and swap the proc back.

Hopefully some day we can sort out what's in the hack and apply it to the last version of the file as part of the on-going OS 9 improvement project.

I don't see where anything in the file contributes to an "ongoing OS 9 improvement project". It's an enabler for the Sonnet card… period.

Am I missing something?