CIBCA User Guide

This document is the CIBCA User Guide (EK-CIBCA-UG-001) published by Digital Equipment Corporation.

It provides comprehensive information for the CIBCA (Computer Interconnect Bus Adapter), a hardware component designed to interface VAX systems (specifically via the VAXBI bus) with the Computer Interconnect (CI) bus within a VAXcluster environment.

The guide covers:

1. Features and Specifications: Details the technical capabilities of the CIBCA, its VAXBI and CI bus specifications (e.g., data transfer rates, arbitration, data integrity), and environmental/electrical requirements.
2. Physical Hardware Description: Outlines the CIBCA's main components, including the T1015 Port Controller module and T1025 Link/Packet Buffer module, and associated cables and connectors.
3. Site Preparation and Installation: Provides step-by-step instructions for preparing the installation site, unpacking and inventorying the hardware, and physically installing and configuring the CIBCA modules and cables within various VAX systems (e.g., VAX 8200/8300, 8500, 8800). It highlights critical jumper configurations for setting node addresses, boot times, and arbitration modes to ensure VAXcluster compatibility.
4. Acceptance Verification: Describes a series of diagnostic tests (repair level, functional, exerciser) to verify the proper operation of the CIBCA hardware, CI bus cables, and inter-node communication. It also includes procedures for microcode programming and updates.
5. Troubleshooting: Offers guidance for diagnosing issues, including how to check microcode revisions and a lookup chart for self-test failure codes (STFCR) to identify probable faulty Field Replaceable Units (FRUs).
6. Register Summary (Appendix): Provides detailed technical information on the CIBCA's registers, their addressing within the VAXBI physical address space, and bit definitions, primarily for programmers and advanced system administrators.

In essence, it's a technical manual for installing, configuring, verifying, and troubleshooting the CIBCA adapter in Digital's VAX computer systems.