There are numerous things that can go wrong with the hardware if its not plugged in firmly.
The main problem is the VME connectors need a large amount of force to engage, check there's no space between the front panel of a ROD and lip of the crate.
Some of the symptoms are listed below. Many are diagnosed using ScanVme.
- If the TIM doesn't appear this could be either due to the TIM or SBC (unless the RODs are there...) not being seated properly (check the TIM first)
- A ROD doesn't appear in ScanVme at all (this is easy to diagnose!)
- A ROD appears to be at VME address 0 (the lowest ROD slot is 5!)
If nothing seems to talk to the SBC then maybe the SBC is not seated correctly, this should have produced some warnings at startup, which isn't as obvious when a monitor isn't attached. They presumably go in a log file somewhere...
If everything turns up in ScanVme then try TouchRod? and EchoTest? from RodUtils?. If the ROD runs EchoTest? -l10000 -r10000 then it should run SctRodDaq (from a hardware point of view).
If the atlas online software refuses to start processes on remote machines then check if you have in your path the linux program expect. The online software expects "expect".