xServe Fan Control Issue Fan 4

[osxster]

I installed Mac Fan Control on my xServe 3,1 (2009). I have recently updated the server to 3.33 MHz Xeon processors. The processors work great and seem to work at the same temperature as the 2.26 MHz CPU's (40-50C), however when those processors installed the system by default wants to max out the fans. I installed Macs Fan Control, there seems to be a choice of 5 fans that I can control. If I modify IN0 to a constant speed or Variable Speed based on CPU temperature, it seems to also lower the speed of OUT0 without even going into the setting. Same thing with all of the other fans except IN4 / OUT4. No matter what I do, I cannot seem to get Macs Fan Control to control that fan and it is maxing out at 4300 or so RPM. This fan seems to only blow on the memory and not even on one of the two CPU's.

Anyone know a way around this issue other than disconnecting that fan? Its way too loud as is. Even a command line fix would be great. Thanks.

[kleuter]

Could you please post a screenshot of the app?

[osxster]

Sure, mean't to do this, but didn't post it.

[osxster]

Also setting the fan at a constant value does not make a difference. I can set any fan at a Constant value and it works except IN4/OUT4.

[osxster]

I found something to add. There are actually 7 sets of fans in the row of fans on this server blowing on the CPU's and memory. An IN and OUT for each of the 7. I am not sure if some of the noise is a fan which doesn't show up, however I do clearly see that fan 4's RPM doesn't decrease when modifying it within the software. Not sure if we have fans which need to be added to the software or if the BIOS within this machine doubles some of them up when controlling them.

[osxster]

I took everything apart, the last 3 fans are running at very high speed. It appears that Macs Fan Control can only see fans 0-4, can only control 0-3, and fans 4-6 rev up and eventually get to running at high speed. All 7 fans are on the same assembly, so I would imagine all 7 should be able to be controlled by software.

Any ideas on what is wrong with FAN4 and / or how to add support for the other fans in this assembly?

[kleuter]

Unfortunately I have no idea, I don't have this hardware 😞

[riktam]

Hope that the tech info below helps: xserve_3_1_tech_info.txt

Let me know if I can help with anything else.

[kleuter]

I don't get it, why do you have MacPro5,1?

[riktam]

I have a frankenmac :) It's a xserve 3,1 flashed with MacPro5,1 firmware to be able to use 56XX processors instead of 55XXs. The fans displayed and the problems are the same before and after the flashing.

[zephray]

Just some comment on the Xserve's fan, the SMC controls the fan through SMBus/I2C. However, the first 4 pairs of the fan and last 3 pairs of the fan are located on two different SMBus/I2C buses. I am not sure if could explain why it would only control 4 pairs of fans. The power supply also has a pair of fans, maybe the IN/OUT4 is controlling the power supply fan?

[riktam]

I found this article of a hardware modder:

https://www.zephray.me/post/xserve_fan_mod?prefer-language=en

Xserve fan module

The Xserve's fan module to motherboard interface is a 12-pin connector with some pins defined as follows.

SCL-B
SCL-A
SDA-B
SDA-A
GND
VDD (5V)

Where A and B represent two different I2C/SMBus 1.x busses, respectively. The devices on the A bus are.

0x50: Fan controller 3, control fans 6-7
0x51: Fan controller 2, control fans 4-5
0x52: Fan controller 1, control fans 2-3
0x53: Fan Controller 0, Control Fan 0-1

Among the devices on the B-bus are.

0x2C: unknown, but not on fan module
0x2D: position, but not on the fan module
0x41: PCA9536, I2C bus GPIO, unspecified use
0x51: Fan controller 6, controlling fans 12-13
0x52: Fan controller 5, controlling fans 10-11
0x53: Fan controller 4, control fans 8-9

Does this help in any way?

[zephray]

I found this article of a hardware modder:

https://www.zephray.me/post/xserve_fan_mod?prefer-language=en

Does this help in any way?

Hi, I am the author of that blog post. Yeah you see I posted a comment last year and never got any feedback... I was thinking about modifying the software myself, but then it is closed source, so... you see what I ended up doing.

[osxster]

I don't mean to go off topic, (although it is my topic!), but with the 56XX processors after the flash, do the fans ramp up to max speed by default? I could never get a solid answer out of anyone who did that mod, if the fans ramp up to max speed like my xServe did when I updated to the W5590 3.33 MHz Xeon processors. I couldn't handle the loudness and put back my x5520 2.26 GHz CPU's. As for the question about IN/OUT4, toggling that had no effect on anything. It did not control the speed of the power supply fan. The power supply fan never ramped up in speed like the riser board fans.

[riktam]

In mine I don't think the fans ramp up to the max by default. The fans are loud but not on the max. The fastest processor sold for Xserve was the 95W W5570 and you have a unsupported 130W X5590 hoping it to be well behaved.

[osxster]

Do you find your fans are and louder than with the stock CPU's when using your MacPro Frank'in'Mac modification to your xServe? Was curious if I should do the mod at all. I really would prefer a software mod over a hardware mod for quieting the fns..

[osxster]

Hello,

Just curious if there was an update to this. The release notes says that it fixed the number of fans on an xServe in vs 1.5.7, but it really only removed some of the fans which weren't showing up. You still cannot control all 7 sets of fans. Right now on the current version, you have fans 0-4 that show up. You can control fan sets 0-3, fan set 4 still does not allow you to control it. Additionally, fan sets 5 & 6 still do not show up. Would be neat if this could be updated to support the xServer 3,1, as it would allow you to install non supported processors and run them without the fans going crazy.