The Avanti log writes the retained-firmware and OpenVMS commands used by the validated V7.1-and-higher serial-card path. OpenVMS V7.1 and higher uses SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT to define ISA devices. Use the current log and validate the resulting devices; the evidence does not qualify every later OpenVMS release or native firmware.
1.Per the commands provided, add the following lines to SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT to enable serial card recognition by VMS. If the SYS$SYSTEM:SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT does not exist, create it.
device = "Digiboard Serial Port"
name = TX
driver = SYS$YSDRIVER
adapter = ISA
id = DIGI
end_device
2.Reboot VMS.
3.After the reboot is complete, a TXA0 device will be present, which corresponds to serial0 on the Digiboard card. TXA1 thru TXA4 can be added using the SYSMAN IO CONNECT command. Place the following commands into a VMS startup file such as SYS$MANAGER:SYSTARTUP_VMS.COM:
$! Set up system serial ports.
$!
$ MCR SYSMAN
IO CONNECT /VECTOR=60 /DRIVER=SYS$YSDRIVER TXA1:
IO CONNECT /VECTOR=60 /DRIVER=SYS$YSDRIVER TXA2:
IO CONNECT /VECTOR=60 /DRIVER=SYS$YSDRIVER TXA3:
IO CONNECT /VECTOR=60 /DRIVER=SYS$YSDRIVER TXA4:
EXIT
$!
The historical multi-card procedure repeats the commands for TXB0 through TXE4. Current runtime qualification covers one configured card, not every additional-card combination. Add and validate cards one at a time using the commands written to the current emulator log.
With the firmware and VMS configuration changes completed, the additional serial ports are available for use.
Note:Errors in SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT or in the SYSMAN commands can prevent normal OpenVMS startup. Keep a verified backup and console access before editing. The exact recovery was not executed in the 5.1.0 validation: if startup fails immediately after this change, preserve the console signature and use the installed OpenVMS release's documented conversational-boot procedure to set STARTUP_P1 to "MIN", then back up and revert the offending SYS$USER_CONFIG.DAT change. Do not apply this recovery to an unrelated boot failure.
