What RAM is compatible with Ampere Altra Developer Platform?

General Discussion
1

I’ve recently purchased this RAM: https://semiconductor.samsung.com/dram/module/rdimm/m393a8g40ab2-cwe/

However the PC won’t boot when I plug it in. The motherboard displays the letters “FF” and it won’t show an image on the monitor.

My questions are: Is the RAM simply incompatible?
If so, what RAM would be compatble?

Edit: This is what I’m using: https://www.ipi.wiki/products/ampere-altra-developer-platform

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2

@bexcran @q66 or other ADP experts out there: Any chance one of you happen know the answer to this?

3

@Aaron That RAM is on the Ampere Altra AVL (https://connect-admin.amperecomputing.com/api/secure-file-download/download-regular/?file=Altra_Family_AVL_January_2023_b29efeedaf.pdf), so it should work.

The next step would probably be to connect to the serial port, because the DDR initialization/training code displays its output there, and should be reporting an error.

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4

My basic questions would be: are the DIMMs properly seated?
Are they installed in the correct slots, according to the page at aadp-docs – I-Pi SMARC ?

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5

@bexcran Thanks for reply.

All six channels are occupied. I’ve replaced the ones in memory channel 1 and 4 with the RAM linked in the post.
(1 and 4 have the new RAM)
(2,3,5,6 have the original RAM)

I can look at the serial output tomorrow.

With kind regards,
Loki

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6

@bexcran Here’s a follow up:

NOTICE:  DRAM FW version 211207
CP: 0ff00900
MEMC param:
  mcu_enable_mask = 00000077 [default: 000000ff]
MCU param:
  rtt_wr_s1 = 00000000 [default: 20020000]
  rtt_nom_s1 = 00000000 [default: 31060177]
  rtt_park_s1 = 00000000 [default: 30060070]
DRAM populated DIMMs:
  SK0 MC0 S0: RDIMM[ce:80] 64GB 3200 ECC 2R x4 RCD[32:86] M393A8G40AB2-CWE
  SK0 MC1 S0: RDIMM[4f:01] 16GB 3200 ECC 1R x8 RCD[9d:86] TS2GHR72V2E3
  SK0 MC2 S0: RDIMM[4f:01] 16GB 3200 ECC 1R x8 RCD[9d:86] TS2GHR72V2E3
  SK0 MC4 S0: RDIMM[ce:80] 64GB 3200 ECC 2R x4 RCD[32:86] M393A8G40AB2-CWE
  SK0 MC5 S0: RDIMM[4f:01] 16GB 3200 ECC 1R x8 RCD[9d:86] TS2GHR72V2E3
  SK0 MC6 S0: RDIMM[4f:01] 16GB 3200 ECC 1R x8 RCD[9d:86] TS2GHR72V2E3
CP: 3ff00100
CP: 3ff00200
CP: 00f01902
CP: 01f01902
ERR: Mismatch Capacity MCU1
ERR: 81f05923
ERR: 81f05800
ERR: 8ff0c500
CP: 3ff00800
ERR: bff0c100
ERROR:   SK[0]: 00110002
ERROR:     MC[1]: 00f10081
ERROR:   Non-identical DIMM mixture NOT supported!

As you can see, the error message is quite clear. I cannot mix the RAM that came shipped with my PC and the recently purchased RAM.

The solution is therefore pretty obvious: Buy more RAM. I was going to replace them all with 64GB RAM anyway, I just can’t do it gradually.

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7

@bexcran

Here’s a final follow up:
Thank you very much for your help. You saved me a lot of trouble.

         -/oyddmdhs+:.                loki@hq 
     -odNMMMMMMMMNNmhy+-`             ------- 
   -yNMMMMMMMMMMMNNNmmdhy+-           OS: Gentoo Linux aarch64 
 `omMMMMMMMMMMMMNmdmmmmddhhy/`        Host: Ampere Altra Developer Platform ES2 
 omMMMMMMMMMMMNhhyyyohmdddhhhdo`      Kernel: 6.1.66-gentoo-dist 
.ydMMMMMMMMMMdhs++so/smdddhhhhdm+`    Uptime: 23 mins 
 oyhdmNMMMMMMMNdyooydmddddhhhhyhNd.   Packages: 697 (emerge) 
  :oyhhdNNMMMMMMMNNNmmdddhhhhhyymMh   Shell: bash 5.1.16 
    .:+sydNMMMMMNNNmmmdddhhhhhhmMmy   Resolution: 1280x1024 
       /mMMMMMMNNNmmmdddhhhhhmMNhs:   WM: i3 
    `oNMMMMMMMNNNmmmddddhhdmMNhs+`    Theme: Adwaita [GTK2/3] 
  `sNMMMMMMMMNNNmmmdddddmNMmhs/.      Icons: Adwaita [GTK2/3] 
 /NMMMMMMMMNNNNmmmdddmNMNdso:`        Terminal: kitty 
+MMMMMMMNNNNNmmmmdmNMNdso/-           CPU: ARM Neoverse-N1 (96) @ 2.800GHz 
yMMNNNNNNNmmmmmNNMmhs+/-`             GPU: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 
/hMMNNNNNNNNMNdhs++/-`                Memory: 1.73GiB / 376.69GiB (0%) 
`/ohdmmddhys+++/:.`
  `-//////:--.                                              

sudo dmidecode -t 17
# dmidecode 3.5
Getting SMBIOS data from sysfs.
SMBIOS 3.3.0 present.

Handle 0x0022, DMI type 17, 92 bytes
Memory Device
	Array Handle: 0x0021
	Error Information Handle: Not Provided
	Total Width: 72 bits
	Data Width: 64 bits
	Size: 64 GB
	Form Factor: DIMM
	Set: None
	Locator: Socket 0 DIMM 0
	Bank Locator: Bank 0
	Type: DDR4
	Type Detail: Registered (Buffered)
	Speed: 3200 MT/s
	Manufacturer: Samsung
	Serial Number: <Redacted>
	Asset Tag: Array 0 Asset Tag 0
	Part Number: M393A8G40AB2-CWE  
	Rank: 2
	Configured Memory Speed: 3200 MT/s
	Minimum Voltage: 1.14 V
	Maximum Voltage: 1.26 V
	Configured Voltage: 1.2 V
	Memory Technology: DRAM
	Memory Operating Mode Capability: None
	Firmware Version: Not Specified
	Module Manufacturer ID: Unknown
	Module Product ID: Unknown
	Memory Subsystem Controller Manufacturer ID: Unknown
	Memory Subsystem Controller Product ID: Unknown
	Non-Volatile Size: None
	Volatile Size: None
	Cache Size: None
	Logical Size: None

All six memory modules are identical.

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