Reformatting SRAM in a controller
This procedure describes using a terminal emulation program to reformat controller models that have onboard SRAM. Note that
the steps for reformatting models with an SRAM option card installed are basically the same as those listed here.
Prerequisites: Be sure to backup the controller to your PC using platform tools prior to reformatting the SRAM.
NOTE: The Alternate Boot menu options will differ depending on whether the controller has onboard SRAM (or other data recovery storage option), and
depending on which
Perform the following steps:
- Power-off the controller, and install the serial shell jumper (if not already installed).
Connect the necessary serial cable between the controller and your PC’s COM port.
- On your PC, start a terminal emulation program, for example HyperTerminal, and open a previously saved setup for JACE communications, using that COM port. Settings are listed here.
- Bits per second: 115200
- Data bits: 8
- Parity: None
- Stop bits: 1
- Flow control: Hardware
- With your HyperTerminal session active, apply power to the controller.
After a short delay, text should appear in the HyperTerminal window similar to the example shown here:
NOTE: You must wait until you see the following prompt, and then press ESC .
The Alternate Boot menu displays numbered options. Shown here is the menu for a JACE-8000 running
NOTE: The options visible for your controller may differ from those shown in this example. See the earlier note in this procedure for more details. - At the prompt, “Enter choice”, type the appropriate number for the option to Format SRAM option card before mount (for the example menu shown above, you would type “13”) and press ENTER.
The Alternate Boot menu reappears, without the selected option.
- Type c (to continue with boot) and press ENTER
The text, “continuing boot...” appears along with other typical boot messages for TCP/IP initialization.
When the boot completes (at the login prompt), there should be messages indicating that a format operation occurred.
- When the “login” prompt appears, power off the controller.
If needed (e.g., if reformatting SRAM in a JACE-7 with SRAM option card), at this point you could remove the SRAM option card to use in another controller.
NOTE: If you remove an SRAM option card from your JACE-7 controller and do not reinstall it, be sure to uninstall the platDataRecovery module from the controller, using the platform Software Manager. - Exit from the HyperTerminal program, selecting Save if you wish to reuse this setup again.