S2932 error code E2, won't boot

[midol]

Does anyone know either what error code E2 is or preferably where I can find a list of error codes? geek @ uniserve dot com

Dave

[Paul]

midol wrote:
> Does anyone know either what error code E2 is or preferably where I can find a list of error codes? geek @ uniserve dot com
>
> Dave

http://www.tyan.com/manuals/m_s2932_101.pdf

Page 82.

Tough break, it's a "reserved code".

This is an industry-wide problem. Idiots
add progress codes to the BIOS, and then don't
document them. The result is a code which
is "higher" than the end of the table.
So we have no idea what "progress" step
was the last one before it froze.

Those are not error codes. And the POST
code display doesn't have a high intrinsic
value. Each time a subroutine starts in the
BIOS, the developer does a poke to Port80
on the first slot, and writes a byte. And
we see a code on the LED display. These are
"progress codes", because they show which
subroutine is running.

The LED display updates at high speed. There
is no requirement for a code to stay on the
display for any period of time. Some will fly
by in microseconds.

But, if forward progress stops, the last
"subroutine entry" will show on the display.
And we have to assume whatever function the
subroutine had, is what killed it.

Most users of POST code displays, rely on them
as activity indicators only. If the initial
code stays at 0x00 or 0xFF, chances are the
processor is not pulling code at all.

But, most of the time, when a static code like
your 0xE2 shows up, the user consults the
table, only to find the code is not defined,
because someone was too lazy to document it.

Years ago, I used to use this exact mechanism,
for a peripheral controller card I developed.
My buddy suggested it (it was his idea), and we
added a socket for a status display. And every time
we entered a subroutine, we would write a number
into our display. And then, I would go through my line
printer listing, and figure out where that number
was coming from. My codes were not intended
for public consumption, because the LED display
was not soldered into customer equipment. Only
our prototypes had a socket, and the LED display
(a bit expensive), was moved from device to device
as needed. The display had 5x7 dot matrix LEDS
and registers to hold the values.

*******

The best site to rummage around, might be bioscentral.
They were hit by malware years ago, and for a while
the browser would blacklist them.

You need to know the "brand" of BIOS, to use one
of their tables. And you are no more likely to get a code
definition there, than on the Tyan site.

Page 39 of the manual, says it is AMI brand.

And the 0xE2 isn't on here either.

http://www.bioscentral.com/postcodes/amibios.htm

Contact Tyan (Mitac) tech support. They've helped
some other people in the past. Not with this
issue, but they have provided some interesting
tidbits about BIOS low memory. I really doubt they
keep a "secret table" for each and every motherboard,
but you'll only find out by asking.

Sites like 2cpu.com, had a forum with server builders
in it. And sometimes, there would be useful info
on various Tyan products there.

http://forums.2cpu.com/

This is a sample thread of the content. I don't think
search engines index the site, and I can't find anything
externally.

http://forums.2cpu.com/archive/index.php/t-77512.html

At one time, their BBS software had a search function
that actually worked. Searches are computationally
expensive, and sometimes have to be disabled to
make the forum server more responsive, so I'm
not surprised to see the search missing. It's possible
you might have to get an account, for the search to
show up in the menu on the page.

You could even ask your question over there.
That is, if there is anyone left over there.

Good luck,
Paul