This chapter tells you how to work with single inline memory modules (SIMMs). You install SIMMs after you have set up the rest of your Indigo. If you haven't set up your IRIS Indigo workstation yet, go to Chapter 2, “Getting Started,” for instructions. You may need to remove and replace SIMMs if diagnostic tests in Chapter 5, “Troubleshooting” report failures, or if you are upgrading the memory in your system.
 | Caution: SIMMs and the system's internal components are sensitive to static electricity. Handle the SIMMs carefully, and use the wrist strap to avoid the flow of static electricity. |
Many customers order additional memory for their systems to increase the speed at which applications run. You may have received extra SIMMs either in the same box as your workstation or later in a separate package.
 | Note: The IRIS Indigo R3000® and IRIS Indigo R4000® family use different types of SIMMs. You cannot transfer SIMMs from one type of system to the other. |
Carefully follow all steps in the following sections to shut down your system, install the SIMMs, and test to make sure they are installed and working properly.
To shut down the system, follow these steps:
Shut down and turn off the system.
Choose “System Shutdown” from the System toolchest. The toolchests are shown in Figure 3-1.
Turn off the power switch on the back of the Indigo chassis.
Disconnect the cables from the back of the workstation.
Make sure to disconnect the black power cable.
Once the system is shut down and all the cables are disconnected, follow these steps:
Remove the plastic front cover.
Face the front of the Indigo chassis.
Two tabs on top of the front cover hold it in place.
Press down on the tabs and pull the panel away from the chassis, as shown in Figure 3-2.
Ground yourself to the metal part of the chassis.
Put the wrist strap over your wrist, making sure it's tight against your arm. Then attach its alligator clip to a metal part of the chassis. The notch above the top drive slot works well.
Open the front metal panel.
A thumbscrew holds the metal panel in place.
Loosen the panel by unscrewing the thumbscrew, as shown in Figure 3-3.
You may need a screwdriver to loosen the screw.
Tilt the panel down until it rests on the flat surface.
Remove the CPU board.
You see two boards inside the Indigo chassis; the left board is the CPU board and is labelled CPU.
Two levers hold the board in place.
Pull the levers toward you to release the board. The board slides out of the chassis as you pull the levers, as shown in Figure 3-4.
Slide the board out of the slot and set it down on a flat, anti-static surface (such as a clean, dry desktop), so the side with the large chips on it faces up.
To locate the SIMM sockets, follow these steps:
Orient yourself to the CPU board so the SIMM sockets are closest to you and the connectors are facing away from you, as shown in Figure 3-5.
Ground yourself by removing the alligator clip from the chassis and attaching the clip to the CPU board. Attach the clip to the metal part with the connectors. Make sure the strap is tight around your wrist.
Locate the SIMM sockets.
Look for the SIMM sockets in the lower right corner of the board.
The sockets have room for up to 12 SIMMs.
The SIMM sockets are labelled in groups A, B, and C, as shown in Figure 3-5. Your system already has at least four SIMMs installed in the group labelled S1A, S2A, S3A, and S4A. (If you have an IRIS Indigo R3000, these sockets are labeled A1, A2, A3, and A4.)
You receive SIMMs in groups of four; each group contains 4 SIMMs of the same capacity. For example, you will have either four 2 MB SIMMs, or four 4 MB SIMMs, or four 8 MB SIMMs. You can install the SIMMs into any group (A, B, or C), as long as you install four of the same type into each group.You cannot mix 2 MB SIMMs and 4 MB SIMMs in the same group.
For example, if you received four 8 MB SIMMs, install them in sockets:
S1B, S2B, S3B, and S4B (or B1, B2, B3, and B4 in an R3000)
or
S1C, S2C, S3C, and S4C (or C1, C2, C3, and C4 in an R3000)
You have one of two types of SIMMs—one type for an IRIS Indigo R3000 workstation, another type for the IRIS Indigo R4000 family of workstations.
To install the SIMMs in IRIS Indigo R3000, follow the instructions below. To install the SIMMs in IRIS Indigo R4000 family workstation, see “Installing the SIMMs in an IRIS Indigo R4000 Family Workstation”.
To install the SIMMs in IRIS Indigo R3000, remove the SIMMs from the anti-static bag and follow these steps:
Install the first SIMM.
Orient the CPU board, as shown in Figure 3-5.
The SIMMs have many small chips on one side, with one large chip on the other side.
Using both hands, grasp the top of the SIMM so the side with the small chips faces you, as shown in Figure 3-6.
Note: Do not touch the gold edge of the SIMM.
Put the gold edge of the SIMM into one of the sockets.
Gently work the SIMM straight down into the socket by pressing across the top of the SIMM until the bottom edge of the SIMM touches the connectors on the socket, as shown in Figure 3-7.
Firmly press the SIMM into the socket until you hear it snap into place on both sides. This may require considerable pressure.
If the SIMM is installed correctly, you should see no space between the socket and the bottom row of small chips, and you should not be able to lift the white lever easily.
The white lever is for removing the SIMM. If you can lift it easily, the SIMM isn't in all the way. Press down on the top of the SIMM to push it all the way into the socket.
Install the other SIMMs.
Visually check the tops of the SIMMs to make sure they are installed all the way. If a SIMM sticks up above the rest, push it farther into its socket.
See “Replacing the CPU Board and Covers” to complete the installation.
To install the SIMMs in IRIS Indigo R4000 family workstation, remove the SIMMs from the anti-static bag and follow these steps:
Install the first SIMM.
Orient yourself to the CPU board, as shown in Figure 3-8.
Using both hands, grasp the top of the SIMM so the notch in the bottom corner of the SIMM is on your left, as shown in Figure 3-9.
Tip the top of the SIMM toward you, and press the SIMM securely into the socket at a 45-degree angle to the board.
Tilt the SIMM up into a vertical position, as shown in Figure 3-10.
The SIMM is positioned correctly when the latches on both sides of the SIMM socket are hugging the edges of the SIMM. You will not hear a snapping sound when the SIMM is pushed into place.
Install the other SIMMs.
Visually check the tops of the SIMMs to make sure they are installed all the way. If a SIMM is not sitting vertically, push it farther upward.
To replace the CPU board and all the covers, follow these steps:
Position the board for installation.
Face the front of the Indigo chassis.
Move the alligator clip of your wrist strap back to a metal part of the chassis.
Place the board in the Indigo chassis so the lever labelled CPU lines up with CPU on the Indigo chassis. The SIMMs should be facing left, as shown in Figure 3-11.
The card guides hold the board in the top and bottom of the chassis.
Slide the board into the Indigo chassis.
Slide the board in almost all the way.
Make sure the notch in the top lever goes under the top edge of the chassis.
Return the levers to their original positions. They should snap into place.
Replace the front metal panel.
Tilt the metal panel back up to the Indigo chassis, as shown in Figure 3-12.
Screw the thumbscrew back in to secure the panel. The panel should be snug against the chassis.
Replace the front plastic cover.
Place the bottom of the front cover in the guides on the bottom of the chassis.
Tilt the panel up to the chassis, as shown in Figure 3-13. The cover snaps in place.
Reconnect the cables to the connectors on the back of the system.
You are finished installing your new memory. Now you are ready to start up the system and check that the system recognizes the new memory.
Now make sure the system recognizes the new memory. To check the amount of memory on your system, follow these steps:
Press the power switch to turn on the power.
After the power-on diagnostics run, you'll see a notifier, as shown in Figure 3-14.
After a few seconds, you see the notifier shown in Figure 3-15.
The system boots and brings up the login screen.
If no picture appears on your screen and the yellow fault light blinks, one or more SIMMs are not installed correctly. Turn off the system, remove the cover, and check that the SIMMs are installed correctly. Then try this procedure again.
Log in to your account. For more information on logging in, refer to “Logging In to the Workstation”.
When you log in, the default desk appears. In the upper left-hand corner of the screen are the toolchests.
Choose “System Manager” from the System toolchest. The toolchest is shown in Figure 3-16.
You see a window showing Hardware and Shared Resources.Look under the Hardware listing for the line showing memory. The amount of memory shown in megabytes should equal the amount of memory that came with IRIS Indigo plus the amount of memory you installed.
For example, if you had 16 MB of memory on the workstation when you started and you installed another 32 MB, you should have a total of 48 MB.
| Note: If the amount of memory you just installed is not added to the original amount, the SIMMs are not installed correctly. Make sure that all the SIMMs are all the way in. Return to “Adding SIMMs to the IRIS Indigo Workstation” to remove the CPU board, check the SIMMs, and replace the CPU board. Then try this procedure again. |
Now you are ready to use the IRIS Indigo workstation.
You may need to remove SIMMs if one fails or if you want to upgrade the memory in your system.
| Caution: SIMMs and the system's internal components are sensitive to static electricity. Handle the SIMMs carefully, and wear the wrist strap to avoid the flow of static electricity. |
When you receive new SIMMs or a SIMM to replace a failed SIMM in an IRIS Indigo R3000 workstation, you also receive a plastic SIMM removal tool. It has a handle on one end and a notch on the other. You do not need a removal tool to remove SIMMs from an IRIS Indigo R4000 family workstation.
To remove memory, you must shut down the system, remove the covers and CPU board, remove the SIMMs, and then replace the CPU board and covers.
To shut down the system, follow these steps:
Shut down and turn off the system.
Choose “System Shutdown” from the System toolchest. The toolchests are shown in Figure 3-17.
Turn off the power switch on the back of the Indigo chassis.
Disconnect all the cables from the back of the chassis.
Make sure to disconnect the black power cable.
Once the system is shut down and all the cables are disconnected, follow these steps:
Remove the plastic front cover.
Face the front of the Indigo chassis.
Two tabs on top of the front cover hold it in place.
Press down on the tabs and pull the panel away from the chassis, as shown in Figure 3-18.
Ground yourself to the metal part of the chassis.
Snap the two pieces of the wrist strap together and put the wrist strap over your wrist, making sure it is tight against your arm. Attach its alligator clip to a metal part of the chassis; the notch above the top drive slot works well.
Open the front metal panel.
A thumbscrew holds the metal panel in place.
Loosen the panel by unscrewing the thumbscrew, as shown in Figure 3-19.
Tilt the panel until it rests on the flat surface.
Remove the CPU board.
You see two boards inside the Indigo chassis; the left board is the CPU board and is labelled CPU.
Two levers hold the board in place.
Pull the levers toward you to release the board. The board slides out of the chassis as you pull the levers, as shown in Figure 3-20.
Slide the board out of the slot and set it down on a flat, anti-static surface (such as a clean, dry desktop), so the side with the large chips on it faces up.
You are ready to remove the SIMMs.
Your system has one of two types of memory SIMMs—one type for an IRIS Indigo R3000 workstation, and another type for the IRIS Indigo R4000 family of workstations.
To remove SIMMs from IRIS Indigo R3000, follow the instructions below. To remove the SIMMs from IRIS Indigo R4000 family workstation, see “Removing the Memory SIMMs from an IRIS Indigo R4000 Family Workstation” for instructions.
To remove memory SIMMs from IRIS Indigo R3000, follow these steps:
Orient the CPU board so the memory sockets are closest to you, as shown in Figure 3-21.
Locate the SIMM sockets.
Look for the SIMM sockets in the lower right corner of the board.
Loosen and remove the SIMMs.
Locate the memory SIMMs you want to remove.
Look for the white lever on the right side of the memory socket.
Grasp the SIMM removal tool by the handle.
Slip the notched edge of the removal tool under the white lever on the right side of the SIMM socket, as shown in Figure 3-22.
Pull straight up to lift one side of the SIMM free from the socket contacts. The SIMM is tightly seated, so this may take considerable force.
Use your fingers to pull up on the other side of the SIMM to remove it from the socket.
Remove the other SIMMs.
See “Replacing the CPU Board and Covers” to replace the CPU board and covers.
To remove the memory SIMMs from IRIS Indigo R4000 family workstation, follow these steps:
Orient yourself to the CPU board so the memory sockets are closest to you, as shown in Figure 3-22.
Ground yourself by removing the alligator clip from the Indigo chassis and attaching the clip to the CPU board. Attach the clip to the metal part with the connectors. Make sure the wrist strap is tight around your arm.
Locate the SIMM sockets.
Look for the SIMM sockets in the lower right corner of the board.
Remove the SIMMs.
Locate the memory SIMMs you want to remove.
Use your thumbs to press the latches away from the sides of the SIMM, as shown in Figure 3-23.
Tip the SIMM toward you about 45 degrees, then pull the SIMM out of the socket.
Remove the other SIMMs.
To replace the CPU board and all the covers, follow these steps:
Position the board for installation.
Face the front of the Indigo chassis.
Move the alligator clip of your wrist strap back to a metal part of the chassis.
Place the board in the Indigo chassis so the lever labelled CPU lines up with CPU on the Indigo chassis. The SIMMs should be facing left.
The card guides hold the board in the top and bottom of the chassis, as shown in Figure 3-24.
Slide the board into the chassis.
Slide in the board almost all the way.
Make sure the notch in the top lever goes under the top edge of the chassis.
Return the levers to their original positions. They should snap into place.
Replace the front metal panel.
Tilt the metal panel back up to the Indigo chassis, as shown in Figure 3-25.
Screw the thumbscrew back in to secure the panel. The panel should be snug against the chassis.
Replace the front plastic cover.
Place the bottom of the front cover in the guides on the bottom of the Indigo chassis.
Tilt the panel up to the chassis, as shown in Figure 3-26. The cover snaps in place.
Reconnect the cables to the connectors on the back of the Indigo chassis.
You are finished removing the SIMMs.