Generation 3 MediaSmart Server Debug Board Now Available

by Alex Kuretz on May 25, 2010 · 3 comments

in News

Long time forum member Charles aka “cakalapati” and his company VOV Technology have recently announced the availability of the 3rd generation of the HP MediaSmart Server VGA/PS2/Serial Debug Board. The board connects to the debug port on the motherboard of the HP MediaSmart Server and provides video, serial, and PS2 keyboard/mouse connectivity. This can be used to facilitate BIOS edits, troubleshooting of boot issues, or to install an alternate operating system such as Vail, Server 2008 or Linux.

Generation 3 is an improved version of the hardware that resolves an occasionally encountered issue that could result in the inability to access the BIOS of the server with some PS2 keyboards. I was one of the users that had issues accessing the server with my PS2 keyboard, and I worked with Charles during development and testing of the new generation debug board. I can confirm that I’ve had no further issues with this latest generation of hardware, and it’s given me full access to every model of MediaSmart Server.

Here’s the listed hardware compatibility:

  • HP MediaSmart Server EX-470 and EX-475
  • HP MediaSmart Server EX-485 and EX-487 *
  • HP MediaSmart Server EX-490 and EX-495 *
  • HP StorageWorks X510 DataVault *
  • The Acer Aspire easyStore H340 *

* Requires a jumper to unlock the the PS2 keyboard and PS2 mouse capabilities.

Additionally, I’ve successfully used the VOV Technology debug board with the HP MediaSmart Server LX195.

All the details you could ever need, including pictures, FAQ, and ordering instructions are available in the Marketplace forum.


Article by

I'm Alex Kuretz, and I'm the founder of MediaSmartServer.net. I was the Lead Test and Integration Engineer at HP for the MediaSmart Server until April 2008 when I moved on to other opportunities outside HP. I've kept active in the Windows Home Server community, creating several add-ins and helping users make the most of their Home Servers.


{ 2 comments }

BOBPAS May 25, 2011 at 6:09 pm

J WANT A G3 WHERE J BUY PLEASE

Alex Kuretz May 26, 2011 at 9:05 am
Comments are closed, visit the forums to continue the discussion.

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