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Diagnostic Video Tests: Dell™ PowerEdge™
6300 Installation and Troubleshooting Guide
The Video Test group of the system
diagnostics consists of the following eight tests, each of which verifies a particular
video function or group of functions:
- Video Memory Test -- Checks the integrity of characters generated from
data in the video memory .
- Video Hardware Test -- Checks the functions of the cursor register and
the horizontal and vertical retrace bit registers .
- Text Mode Character Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to
present text mode data.
- Text Mode Color Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to present
color in text modes.
- Text Mode Pages Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to map and
present all available video text pages on the monitor screen, one page at a time .
- Graphics Mode Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to present
graphics mode data and colors.
- Color Palettes Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to display
all available colors .
- Solid Colors Test -- Checks the video subsystem's ability to show screens
full of solid colors. Allows you to check for missing color subpixels.
All of these tests, except the Video
Memory Test and the Video Hardware Test, are interactive. These interactive tests display
images on the monitor screen and require the user to respond with the following steps:
1. Examine a displayed image for
correctness.
2. If an image is correct, type y.
3. If an image is incorrect, type n.
The following sections describe each of
the tests in the Video Test group.
The Video Memory Test verifies the
integrity of the video memory either on the system board or on a video expansion card. As
the test runs, it describes which 64-kilobyte (KB) block of video memory is being tested.
When a test is complete, a message indicates whether the video memory has passed or failed
the test. This test does not require any interaction on your part.
The Video Hardware Test verifies the
operation of the cursor registers and the horizontal and vertical retrace bit registers.
When a test is complete, a message indicates whether these registers have passed or failed
the test. This test does not require any interaction on your part.
The Text Mode Character Test consists of
a group of subtests that display printable characters and character attributes. The
subtests check character quality and the monitor's ability to display the characters
correctly on its screen. A prompt at the bottom of each screen asks the user to decide
whether the display is satisfactory and to respond by typing y or n.
If you respond affirmatively to each
subtest, the Text Mode Character Test passes. A negative response to any subtest causes
the test to fail.
The following subsections describe the
subtests of the Text Mode Character Test in the order in which they appear.
The 80-column x 25-line character
attributes subtest displays four lines of text that demonstrate normal-intensity video,
reverse video, intensified video, and blinking video.
The 80-column x 25-line character set
subtest displays all 256 characters in the American Standard Code for Information
Interchange (ASCII) character set in 80-column by 25-line text mode.
The 40-column x 25-line character
attributes subtest displays four lines of text in
40-column by 25-line (double-wide) text mode that demonstrate normal-intensity video,
reverse video, intensified video, and blinking video.
The 40-column x 25-line character set
subtest displays all 256 characters in the ASCII character set in 40-column by 25-line
(double-wide) text mode.
The Text Mode Color Test contains three
subtests that check the video subsystem's ability to present color in text modes. The
following subsections describe these subtests.
 |
NOTE: These subtests are
valid for color monitors only. |
The 80-column x 25-line color attributes
subtest displays a pattern of 16 rows and 16 columns in 80-column by 25-line text
mode. Each row has a hexadecimal number in a unique foreground color and each column has a
unique background color. Where the same foreground and background color intersect, the
hexadecimal number is not visible. Type y if each character is
displayed correctly; otherwise, type n . Table
1 indicates the color in each of the rows and columns.
Row or
Column
|
Foreground
Color
|
Background
Color
|
| 0 |
black |
black |
| 1 |
blue |
blue |
| 2 |
green |
green |
| 3 |
cyan |
cyan |
| 4 |
red |
red |
| 5 |
magenta |
magenta |
| 6 |
brown |
brown |
| 7 |
white |
white |
| 8 |
dark gray* |
black |
| 9 |
light blue* |
blue |
| A |
light green* |
green |
| B |
light cyan* |
cyan |
| C |
light red* |
red |
| D |
light magenta* |
magenta |
| E |
yellow* |
brown |
| F |
intense white* |
white |
| * These
colors blink during the test. |
The 40-column x 25-line color attributes
subtest is the same as the previous subtest except that the characters are displayed in
40-column by 25-line (double-wide) text mode. Type y if each character is displayed
correctly; otherwise, type n.
The color bars subtest displays 16 bars
in different colors with background intensity enabled. Under each bar is the name of the
color that should be displayed. Type y if each color bar is displayed correctly;
otherwise, type n.
The Text Mode Pages Test checks the video
subsystem's ability to map and present all available video pages on the monitor screen,
one page at a time. The test displays eight successive screens, the first of which
contains 21 lines of 77 zeros. The remaining seven screens are identical to the
first, except that each screen substitutes a different numeral (1 through 7) for the
zeros.
Type y if all
the rows of numbers on each screen are displayed correctly; otherwise, type n .
The Graphics Mode Test checks the video
subsystem's ability to present graphics mode data and colors. Each screen in this test
allows you to check some aspect of graphics mode data and colors. The following
subsections describe Graphics Mode Test screens in the order in which they appear.
|
NOTE: Some of the following
tests may not appear if your system does not support the video mode being tested. |
The Graphics Mode Test displays two
successive 320- x 200-pixel graphics mode screens . The first
screen displays three pyramids in red, green, and yellow; the second screen displays three
pyramids in magenta, cyan, and white. Type y if all the pyramids are the correct colors;
otherwise, type n.
The 640- x 200-pixel black/white graphics
mode screen displays a black rectangle and a white rectangle on a gray background. Type y if the boxes are displayed correctly; otherwise, type n .
The 640- x 480-pixel monochrome graphics
mode screen displays three chess pieces. Type y if all the chess pieces are identical and
displayed correctly; otherwise, type n.
The 320- x 200-pixel 16-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of Xs in 16 different colors with the name of the color
beneath each X. Type y if all the Xs are the correct colors; otherwise, type n.
The 640- x 200-pixel 16-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of hexagons in 16 different colors with the name of the
color beneath each hexagon. Type y if all the hexagons are the correct colors; otherwise,
type n.
The 640 x 350 16-color graphics mode
screen displays a series of octagons in 16 different colors with the name of the color
displayed beneath each octagon. Type y if all the octagons are the correct colors;
otherwise, type n.
The 640- x 480-pixel 2-color graphics
mode screen displays three chess pieces. Type y if all the chess pieces are identical and
displayed correctly; otherwise, type n.
The 640- x 480-pixel 16-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of stars in 16 different colors with the name of the color
beneath each star. Type y if all the stars are the correct colors; otherwise, type n.
The 320- x 200-pixel 256-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of squares in 256 different color hues and intensities. Type
y if all the squares are the correct colors; otherwise, type n.
The 640- x 480-pixel 256-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of squares with two colors in each square. Type y if all the
squares appear to be correct;
otherwise, type n.
The 800- x 600-pixel 16-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of pyramids in 16 different colors. Type y if all the
pyramids appear to be correct; otherwise, type n.
The 800- x 600-pixel 256-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of squares with four colors in each square. Type y if all
the squares appear to be correct;
otherwise, type n.
The 1024- x 768-pixel 16-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of hourglasses in 16 different colors. Type y if all the
hourglasses appear to be correct; otherwise, type n.
The 1024- x 768-pixel 256-color graphics
mode screen displays a series of asterisks with four colors in each asterisk. Type y if
all the asterisks appear to be correct; otherwise, type n.
The Color Palettes Test checks the video
subsystem's ability to display all available colors. The test displays two screens that
allow you to check the quality of different shades of the basic colors and to test the
monitor's ability to vary the intensity of these colors.
The first screen contains four sets of 64
squares, one for gray and one for each of the three basic colors (red, green, and blue).
Each square contains a different shade of its associated color, ranging from very light to
very dark. Type y if all the squares are the correct colors; otherwise type n.
The second screen is the red/green/blue
(RGB) color combination screen. This screen allows you to test the monitor's ability to
increase or decrease the intensity of the three basic colors.
The RGB color combination screen displays
an RGB box in the top center of the screen with individual red, green, and blue boxes
beneath it. Underneath the individual color boxes are three lines that show the intensity
of each color. Type r, g, or b to adjust the intensity of the corresponding color; then
press the right-arrow key to increase the color intensity, or press the left-arrow key to
decrease the intensity. The RGB box should be able to display 262,144 different colors
when you adjust the intensity levels of red, green, and blue. Type y if all the squares
are the correct colors; otherwise type n.
The Solid Colors Test checks whether the
video subsystem is displaying the correct colors. This test also lets you check for
missing pixels. When this test is running, four screens appear sequentially--a red screen,
a green screen, a blue screen, and a white screen. Check each screen for missing pixels,
and verify that the correct color is being displayed.
When the test is complete, a message
asks if you are satisfied with the quality of the colors. Type y if all the pixels were
present and if the correct colors were displayed; otherwise, type n
.
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