Talos II/Building FAQ

Where is the installation manual online?

File:T2P9D01 users guide version 1 0.pdf

My motherboard bag's seal/labels are broken! Has it been compromised?

This is normal for now. (It may have been compromised still, but the broken labels don't indicate that.)

Mounting in case

Where do I get the stand-offs and screws?

They should come with your case. (Check inside drive bays and such.)

Should I use rubber spacers with the stand-offs?

Stand-offs are supposed to help ground the motherboard, so it's better not to.

My case doesn't have holes for some stand-offs!

Not necessarily a big deal, especially for the top-left where the I/O plate helps hold it in place.

However, note that without stand-offs, you may accidentally bend the board when inserting CPUs, RAM, or other components. Such bending may damage the board!

CPU/HSF installation

What is an indium pad? Does the stock HSF include it?

Indium pads help heat transfer from the CPU to the HSF. 4-core and 8-core CPUs do not require them (and do not ship with them). More powerful CPUs should ship with them if required (TBD whether pre-applied to the HSF, or separately).

Should I remove the label/sticker from the HSF?

No. Do not remove the label/sticker, or you will void the warranty of the HSF.

Front panel I/O

Which is the other side of the buttons?

Typically ground, though there is nothing mandating this in the general case. ATX case switches normally short out two adjacent pins when depressed.

FIXME: Confirm this is the case for Talos specifically.

Are the LED "cathode" pins the plus or minus side?

Minus.

What should the plus side of the LED be connected to?

The associated Anode pin.

Purpose	-	+
Fan fail	6	8
NIC 2	10	9
NIC 1	12	11
HD*	14	15
Power	16	15

What does the Identify button do?

Turns on and off the Identify LEDs. This is mainly useful in server farms, as the ID LED status can be both read and set via software (IPMI). The main use is making sure that the correct server is unplugged, restarted, upgraded, etc. by datacenter staff.

What does the NMI button do?

As of this writing the NMI button is ignored by the BMC. It may be used to generate an NMI in future firmware revisions, or serve another purpose entirely.

The HD activity LED doesn't work!

The integrated Microsemi controller does not report activity (yet). A much-belated SAS controller firmware update from Microsemi is expected by 04/20/2018 to enable this functionality.

In the interim, J10115 can be connected to other hardware to control the HD activity LED.

What is J10115?

Something related to HD activity LED. :)

What is OCC mode?

The On Chip Controller (OCC) is a clock / thermal management engine.

The OCC can enter a safe mode if external hardware detects a condition that would require power throttling. This feature is not active in firmware on Talos II, but the wiring required to support it is present for future expansion.

What are the effects of the "CPU secure mode disable" jumpers?

When secure mode is disabled, the on-board SBE will not halt IPL if the next stage (hostboot) fails security verification. When secure mode is enabled, each step of the IPL process verifies the next, and will halt IPL if a discrepancy (hash difference, invalid signature, etc.) is found. Talos II ships with secure mode disabled as of this writing.

How do I verify the PGP key that signed the DVD?

(Unknown; while the process to verify the DVD is signed by a given key is documented, there is no documented process at this time to verify which key is the correct Raptor Sales Team key)

What is micro PCI-e?

Unknown.

How to get versions of firmware components?

• run lsprop under /proc/device-tree/ibm,firmware-versions
• run lsmcode (available in lsvpd package)
• run ipmitool fru print 47