Upgrade your HP 9000/400s to a 425s or 433s

This information tells you how to upgrade your HP 9000 series 400 workstation to a 9000/425 or 433. The difference is a 25 or 33 MHz 68040 processor instead of a 50 MHz 68030 microprocessor (about a 2 to 3 times increase in performance for most tasks).

This page gives instructions for upgrading the motherboard in a "strider" case (i.e. 400s).

1. Make sure you compile a new kernal or have the generic kernal installed. If you only have a HP400 kernal installed, then your machine will not boot when you upgrade it.

2. Get the following parts:
   • Motorola 68040 microprocessor
   • Oscillator clock. You'll need a 100 MHz oscillator to make a 425s or a 133.33 MHz oscillator to make a 433s (i.e. four times the 68040 bus speed)
   • Spare EEPROM, programmer, and image

3. Use the image file to create an EEPROM that will boot a 68040 machine. I can't give details here, since I don't know what equipment you have.

4. Open the case and remove the motherboard. This involves:
   1. Unscrew the two big knobs on the back of the case
   2. Remove the top part of the case (slide forward slightly, then pull up)
   3. Pull off the right side panel
   4. Unscrew all of those little screws (no more than 11)
   5. Use a flat screwdriver to lever the motherboard out (there are two holes with arrows pointing in and out on the right side near the back of the case, use the one pointing towards you)
   6. Place motherboard on anti-static mat

5. Remove your memory. These are the boards in the bank of sockets on the left side of the motherboard (MEM 0A thru MEM 3B)

6. Remove the 68030 daughterboard (also called an L-Board). This is the rather large PCB held in by 5 screws in the center of the motherboard. Be sure to carefully remove it from the socket on the left side. In case you're curious, the chip labeled SC414075RC50 is actually a 50 MHz 68030, for some reason the part number does not contain "68030"

7. Remove the EEPROM. The EEPROM is located on the right side, in location U53.

8. Insert the new EEPROM. Pin 1 (notch) goes where the white square on the motherboard is located.

9. Insert the new oscillator. Pin one (squared off corner) goes where the white square on the motherboard is located. This is located at Y2, the small socket to the right of the RAM.

10. Insert the new 68040. Pin one (triangle on corner of chip) goes in location A1 of that socket (A-T and 1-18 are printed on my motherboard).

11. Reinsert your RAM. Be sure it's oriented correctly before applying undue amounts of force.

12. Move the 33/25 jumper if necessary (see description of chipsets). This is located on the upper left of the board, at JP2. Note that NetBSD uses this jumper position to determine whether your machine is a 425 or 433, not the speed of the processor.

13. Just so you know, the large block of 8 jumpers selects the AUI (thick) or 10Base-2 (thin) ethernet ports on the back of the board. Placing the block on the side closest to the BNC (coax) selects thin, and placing the block on the side closest to the DB15 selects the thick. This is jumper block P12.

14. Reassemble your workstation.

15. Fire it up. If it doesn't work, you still have all the parts necessary to return your system to its original state (i.e. 50 MHz 68030).

16. If you feel like living dangerously, you can probably overclock your 68040.

17. Enjoy significantly faster performance.