No Serial Console Activity - Octagon Systems XE–700 Reference Manual

No serial console activity

If the serial console does not appear to be functioning correctly, check the following:
Make sure all PC/104 expansion cards are removed from the XE–700 SBC. This
ensures that other cards are not interacting with the XE–700 SBC.
Turn the "S" switch Off.
Make sure the COM1/2 connector on the XE–700 SBC is used.
Make sure a null modem adapter is installed between COM1 of the VTC-20F
cable and the serial port of your PC.
Make sure that your terminal emulator (such as HyperTerminal) on your PC is
set up properly. Refer to the Console devices chapter. Refer to the
HyperTerminal manual for information on setting up communication
parameters.
After verifying the above conditions, you can monitor voltage levels by
connecting an oscilloscope between the TxD* line on COM1 and ground. After
power-up, you should see a burst of activity on the oscilloscope screen. The
voltage level should switch between +/–8V.
Garbled serial console screen activity
If you do get activity on your console screen but the message is garbled, check the
following:
Turn the "S" switch Off to ensure the default settings for COM1.
Make sure that your terminal emulator (such as HyperTerminal) on your PC is
set up properly. Refer to the Console devices chapter. Refer to the
HyperTerminal manual for information on setting up communication
parameters.
System generates a BIOS message but locks up when booting
Turn the "S" switch Off and reboot.
Verify that all the necessary boot files exist on the boot device. Copy any
missing files to the boot device.
If no files are missing, overwrite any files which may have become corrupted.
In addition, you may want to format the boot device.
System will not boot from CompactFlash
Many CompactFlash devices as shipped from the factory are not bootable devices.
Refer to the CompactFlash, SDRAM, and battery backup chapter to make your
CompactFlash bootable.
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