Intel® Server Board S2600CW Family TPS
Intel® Server Board S2600CW Functional Architecture
Revision 2.4
31
There are several errors which can be detected in different phases of initialization. During
early POST, before system memory is available, serious errors that would prevent a system
boot with data integrity will cause a System Halt with a beep code and a memory error code to
be displayed via the POST Code Diagnostic LEDs.
Less fatal errors will cause a POST Error Code to be generated as a Major Error. This POST
Error Code will be displayed in the BIOS Setup Error Manager screen, and will also be logged
to the System Event Log (SEL).
3.3.6.1
DIMM Discovery
Memory initialization begins by determining which DIMM slots have DIMMs installed in them.
By reading the Serial Presence Detect (SPD) information from an SEEPROM on the DIMM, the
type, size, latency, and other descriptive parameters for the DIMM can be acquired.
Potential Error Cases:
Memory is locked by Intel
®
TXT and is inaccessible – This will result in a Fatal Error Halt
0xE9
.
DIMM SPD does not respond – The DIMM will not be detected, which could result in a
“No usable memory installed” Fatal Error Halt
0xE8
if there are no other detectable
DIMMs in the system. The undetected DIMM could result later in an invalid
configuration if the “no SPD” DIMM is in Slot 1 or 2 ahead of other DIMMs on the same
channel.
DIMM SPD read error – This DIMM will be disabled. POST Error Codes
856x
“SPD Error”
and
854x
“DIMM Disabled” will be generated. If all DIMMs are failed, this will result in a
Fatal Error Halt
0xE8
.
All DIMMs on the channel in higher-numbered sockets behind the disabled DIMM will
also be disabled with a POST Error Code
854x
“DIMM Disabled” for each. This could
also result in a “No usable memory installed” Fatal Error Halt
0xE8
.
No usable memory installed – If no usable (not failed or disabled) DIMMs can be
detected as installed in the system, this will result in a Fatal Error Halt
0xE8
. Other
error conditions which cause DIMMs to fail or be disabled so they are mapped out as
unusable may result in causing this error when no usable DIMM remains in the memory
configuration.
3.3.6.2
DIMM Population Validation Check
Once the DIMM SPD parameters have been read they are checked to verify that the DIMMs on
the given channel are installed in a valid configuration. This includes checking for DIMM type,
DRAM type and organization, DRAM rank organization, DIMM speed and size, ECC capability,
and in which memory slots the DIMMs are installed. An invalid configuration may cause the
system to halt.
