Sonnet Encore/ST 1.8Ghz boot issue with Mac OS 9

[nikdoof]

Sorry if this has been covered in another thread, but my search-fu has failed me.

Today I picked up a G4 Sawtooth with a Sonnet Encore/ST 1.8ghz installed. Initially it had no battery installed and was in a abandoned state, a previous owner had tried to get it running but failed as it seemed trying to use PC133 memory in the system which gave some weird and inconsistent results.

Using some known good PC100 from another Sawtooth I've got it booted with a working install of OSX 10.3.6, everything seems fine on the OSX side.

Trying to boot OS 9 starting with some weird hard stop, non-responsive boot, then getting stuck while loading extensions. After narrowing down the issues above I found other posts saying about 'Apple CPU Plugins' extension, after disabling the extension I now get a consistent boot of 'Unimplemented Trap' (see trap.jpg attachment).

Booting with extensions disabled works (where previously it didn't before removing the Apple CPU Plugin).

Does anyone have any advice?

[Greystash]

Hello!

Have you installed any Sonnet drivers under Mac OS 9? You should be able to do this booting with extensions off.
I'm not 100% sure if these are the correct drivers, I'm not familiar with this CPU but take a look at Sonnet's website.
You may also need to perform a firmware update? I know this is required for some models.

[aBc]

Of course…

I just trashed excerpts from the Sonnet installer directions (from the website mentioned by Greystash) this morning. The instructions are a bit odd (for Quicksilvers) but just read them carefully. Installation in a Sawtooth might not be as confusing / problematic. (With the way the instructions were written.)

I’ve a 1.6 GHz installed in a Quicksilver here and it did require a Sonnet firmware update to be installed via OS 9 and with the original CPU in place [in order to boot under OS 9 (after the new CPU installation & update)]. Some did install these to work only under OS X - without that firmware update. So you might need an original CPU to go back and do the install for OS 9.

Need to run out of here for a moment but will check back later for other comments. AND if you’re in the U.S. (and without an original CPU) I could possibly loan / mail one to you for this purpose.

Good luck.

In the U.S. and need original CPU + heatsink?
PM me your address.

ADDENDUM:

From Sonnet’s online Manual for the 1.8 GHz:
https://www.sonnettech.com/support/downloads/manuals/encore_st_1800_qsg.pdf

“OS 9 users: Select and open Apple System Profiler from the Apple
Menu. Click the triangle next to Production Information, and
find the Boot ROM version information (Figure 2). If it reads
“$0004.28f1”, skip the rest of the steps in this section and
proceed to section B below.”

If it doesn’t report 4.2.8, here’s a possible source for that:
http://support.apple.com/downloads/DL1126/en_US/G4_FW_Update_4.2.8.smi.bin

[The original Sonnet install files are around here somewhere on CD - if necessary.]

Wonder if the Boot ROM can be updated to 4.2.8
after the Sonnet CPU has already been installed?

I began here with a two-partitioned, dual boot (OS 9 and OS X) hard drive.
Followed Sonnet’s instructions with original CPU in place, with OS 9 booted.
And then swapped out the processor afterwards. Zero problems to this day.
(Thanks again to Tugboat!)

[nikdoof]

I think I may of jumped the gun a little. After a few boots the system started complaining about one of the RAM sticks, and after removing it works better. I did have a few successful boots of OS 9 even with the Apple CPU Plugin, but I screwed up the installation and I'm having to install OS9 from scratch, which is more problematic than it seems.

I've got another G4 Sawtooth in the house, so worse comes to worse I can swap the CPUs and try the firmware update again. The ROM does seem to be the expected version, I think I just need the OS9 Sonnet package, which I can't seem to find anywhere.

[nikdoof]

OK, I have a working 9.2.2 install using the universal installer.

It seems I had a collection of issues. First of all the mix of bad RAM, unreliable installation media, and a dying DVD drive meant I was getting mixed results and weird errors on startup of the OS 9 installer. After I narrow them down I got the universal installer to boot in No Extension mode (Shift on boot) and was able to run the installer through without issue.

Next, the 9.2.2 install would hang at the end of loading all extensions, as mentioned in the Sonnet and other board manf documentation the 'Apple CPU Plugins' needed removing. I thought it may of worked with the latest and greatest version in the installer, but I guess not. I booted to OSX and removed the file, and OS9 booted.

But, again, at the very end of the boot up it went to a black screen, but booted fine in no extension mode. I suspected it was the graphics so I switched in a known good ATI Rage 128 VGA/DVI card for the Rage 128 ADC card that was in there, after boot the resolution jumped to 1600x1000 mode which I didn't even know my monitor supported. I corrected it back to 1650x1050 which I know was a good combo for the Rage and my monitor and switched the cards back, and it worked perfectly.

Thank you everyone for your tips regarding documentation and such.

[aBc]

This is indeed great news. Congrats! 
(No need for the shovel to dig out that CD here.)

[smilesdavis]

I will try and delete this file as setting up my 9.2.2/1.8 single core sonnet marathon setup was stopped by me not figuring out which extensions to disable