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Precision Software Appli…tions Silver Collection 1
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Precision Software Applications Silver Collection Volume One (PSM) (1993).iso
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fp1hlp10.arj
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FP-HLP10.TXT
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1992-11-30
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*********************************************************************
SYSTEM WORKSHEET/CHECKLIST WITH DEFAULTS:
BOARD ADDRESS I/O IRQ DMA
VGA/EGA A000-B000 3B4-3DA 2
B800-C000
CGA B000-C000 3D0-3DF
HERCULES B000-C000 ?
MONO B000-B100 3B0-3BF?
OTHER VIDEO CARD
TARGA (DEFAULT:A000) 220
VISTA 228
HD CONTROLLER 320-32F 14
FD CONTROLLER 3F0-3F7 6
SCSI CONTROLER C800-CB00 220-22F 15 5
LPT1 3BC-3BF 7
LPT2 378-37B 5
COM1 3F8-3FF 4
COM2 2F8-2FF 3
COM3 3E8-3EF 4
COM4 2E8-2EF 3
GAME 200-20F
MOUSE
SOUND CARD
GPIB/PCII 2B8 7 1
GPIB/PCIIA 2E1 1
IOMEGA (PCIIB/50:CE00) 340-345 3
TAPE CONTROLLER
CO-PROCESSOR 0F0-0FF 13
NETWORK CARD
REMEMBER: ALWAYS CHECK AND DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CABLES!
*********************************************************************
SYSTEM BOARD:
WHEN IN DOUBT: IT'S A CABLE ERROR!
Power connectors to mother board: black pair of cables go towards center.
Check that all chips are firmly seated and re-install any boards. Some
boards, like old Targas, can be seated in 8-bit slots even though they
have 16-bit connectors. Due to "bad power" superstitions, avoid the slot
furthest from the power supply.
PC ERROR CODE (abridged)
01xx SYSTEM BOARD
101 interrupt failure
102 bios rom checksum error (pc,xt),timer (at,mca)
103 basic rom checksum error (pc,xt), timer interrupt (at,mca)
104 interrupt controller (pc,xt);protected mode (at,mca)
105 timer (pc,xt), keyboard controller (mca)
106 system board
107 system board adapter card or math coproc, hot nmi test (mca)
108 system board, timer bus (mca)
109 dma test, memory select (mca)
110 system board memory (isa); system obard parity check (mca)
111 adapter memory (isa);memory adapter parity check (mca)
112* adapter, watchdog time-out (mca)
113* adapter, dma arbitration time-out (mca)
* = if seen during advanced diag, replace device being tested when error
code appeared on screen.
115 80386 protect mode
121 unexpected hardware interrupt
131 cassette wrap test (pc)
132 dma extended registers
133 dma verify logic
134 dma arbitration logic
151 real-time clock (or cmos ram)
152 system board (isa); real time clock or cmos (mca)
160 system board id no recognized (mca)
161 system option (dead battery) (cmos chip lost power)
162 system options (run setup) (cmos checksum or crc error)
163 time & date (run setup) (clock not updating)
164 memory size (run setup);(cmos does not match system)
165 adapter id mismatch (mca)
166 adapter time-out;card busy (mca)
167 system clock not updating (mca)
199 user - indicated device list not correct
02xx MEMORY (SEE ALSO 110,111,164)
201 memory error
202 memory address line 0-15
203 memory address line 16-23;line 16-31 (mca)204 relocated memory (psw2)
205 error 1st 128k (ps2 isa);cmos (ps2 mca)
207 rom failure
211 system board memory;system board 64k (mca)
215 memory address error;64k on daughter/sip 2 (70)
216 system board memory;64k on daughter/sip 1 (70)
221 rom to ram copy (mca)
225 wrong speed memory on system board (mca)
03xx KEYBOARD
301 keyboard no respond
302 user-indicated error from keyboard test (pc,xt)
302 keyboard locked (at, ps2 model 25,30)
303 keyboard/system board interface
304 keyboard or system unit error; keyboard clock (mca)
305 keyboard fuse on system obard (50,60,80);++5v error (70)
341 keyboard
342 keyboard cable
343 enhancement card or cable
365 keyboard (replace it)
366 interface cable (replace cable)
367 enhancement card or cable (replace)
04xx MONOCHROME DISPLAY
401 memory, horizontal sync frequency or vertical sync test
408 user-indicated display attributes
416 user-indicated character set
424 user-indicated 80x25 mode
432 monochrome card parallel port test
05XX COLOR/GRAPHIC DISPLAY
501 memory, horizontal sync frequency or vertical sync test
508 user-indicated display attributes
516 user-indicated character set
524 user-indicated 80x25 mode
532 user-indicated 40x25 mode
540 user-indicated 320x200 graphic mode
548 user-indicated 640x200 graphic mode
556 light pen test
564 user-indicated screen paging test
06xx DISKETTE DRIVES &/OR ADAPTER
601 disk/adpater test fail, drive or controller (mca)
602 disk test (pc,xt); disk boot record (mca)
603 disk size error
606 disk verify function
607 write protect disk
608 bad command;disk status returned
610 disk initialization (pc,xt)
611 timeout disk status returned
612 bad nec; disk status returned
613 bad dma disk status returned
614 dma boundary error
621 bad seek; disk status returned
622 bad crc;disk status returned
623 record not found; disk status returned
624 bad address mark; disk status returned
625 bad nec seek; disk status returned
626 disk data compare error
627 disk change line error
628 disk removed
630 drive a index stuck high
631 drive a index stuck low
632 drive a track 0 stuck off
633 drive a track 0 stuck on
640 drive b index stuck high
641 drive b index stuck low
642 drive b track 0 stuck off
643 drive b track 0 stuck on
650 drive speed
651 format fail
652 verify fail
653 read fail
654 write fail
655 controller
656 drive
657 write protect stuck protect
658 change line stuck changed
659 write protect stuck unprotected
660 change line stuck unchanged
07xx MATH COPROCESSOR
713 voltage/temperature sensitivity test
09xx PARALLEL PRINTER ADAPTER
10xx ALTERNATE PRINTER ADAPTER
11xx COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER
SYSTEM BOARD ASYNCHRONOUS PORT (MCA) 16550 INTERNAL MODEM (PS2)
12xx ALTERNATE COMMUNICATIONS DEVICES ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER
(ISA) DUAL ASYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS (DAC) ADAPTER (MCA) 16550
INTERNAL MODEM
13xx GAME CONTROL ADAPTER
1301 adapter fail
1302 joystick test
14xx COLOR/GRAPHICS PRINTER
15xx SDLC (SNCHRONOUS DATE LINE CONTROL) COMMUNICATION ADAPTER
16xx DSEA (DISPLAY STATION EMULATION ADAPTER) IN CASE OF 16XX ERROR
TRY REMOVING NON-IBM ADAPTER & THEN REPEAT THE TEST
17xx FIXED (HARD) DISK/ADAPTER
1701 drive not ready (pc,xt); fixed disk/adapter test (at,ps2)
1702 tiem-out (pc,xt);fixed disk/adapter (at,ps2)
1703 drive (PC,XT,PS2)
1704 controller (pc,xt);adapter or drive error (at,ps2)
1705 no record found
1706 write fault
1707 track 0 error
1708 head select error
1709 bad edd (at)
1710 read buffer overrun
1711 bad address mark
1712 bad address mark (pc,xt);error of undetermined cause (at)
1713 data compare error
1714 drive not ready
1730-2 adapter
1750 drive verify
1751 drive read
1752 drive write
1753 random read test
1754 drive seek test
1755 controller
1756 controller ecc test
1757 controller head select
1780 hard disk drive c fatal;time out
1781 hard disk drive d fatal;time out
1782 hard disk controller (no ipl from hardfile)
1790 drive c nonfatal error (can attempt to run ipl from drive)
1791 drive d non fatal error (can attempt to run ipl from drive)
18xx EXPANSION UNIT (PC,XT ONLY)
20xx BSC (BISYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS) ADAPTER
21xx ALTERNATE BISYNCHRONOUS COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER
22xx CLUSTER ADAPTER
23xx PLASMA MONITOR ADAPTER
24xx ENHANCED GRAPHICS ADAPTER SYSTEM BOARD VIDEO (MCA)
25xx ALTERNATE ENHANCED GRAPHICS ADAPTER
26xx PC/370-M ADAPTER
27xx PC/3277 EMULATION ADAPTER
28xx 3278/79 EMULATOR 3270 CONNECTION ADAPTER
29xx COLOR/GRAPHICS PRINTER
30xx LAN (LOCAL AREA NETWORK) ADAPTER
31xx ALTERNATE LAN ADAPTER
32xx PC DISPLAY ADAPTER
33xx COMPACT PRINTER (PC,XT ONLY)
35xx ENHANCED DISPLAY STATION EMULATION ADAPTER
36xx IEEE 488 ADAPTER
38xx DATA ACQUISITION ADAPTER
39xx PROFESSIONAL GRAPHICS CONTROLLER ADAPTER
44xx 5278 DISPLAY ATTACHMENT UNIT & 5279 DISPLAY
45xx IEEE INTERFACE ADAPTER (IEEE 488)
46xx ARTIC MULTIPORT/2 INTERFACE ADAPTER
48xx INTERNAL MODEM
49xx ALTERNATE INTERNAL MODEM
56xx FINANCIAL COMMUNICATION SYSTEM
70xx CHIP SET (PHOENIX BIOS ONLY)
71xx VOICE COMMUNICATION ADAPTER
73xx 3.5 INCH DISK DRIVE
74xx 8514/A DISPLAY ADAPTER/A
76xx PAGE PRINTER
84xx PS/2 SPEECH ADAPTER
85xx 2MB MEMORY ADAPTER
86xx PS/2 POINTING DEVICE (MOUSE)
89xx MIDI ADAPTER
100xx MULTIPROTOCOL COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER
112xx SCSI ADAPTER
129xx PROCESSOR CARD FOR MODEL 70 TYPE 3
149xx PLASMA DISPLAY & ADAPTER
165xx 6157 STREAMING TAPE DRIVE OR TAPE ATTACHMENT ADAPTER
194xx ADAPTER MEMORY MODULE
210xx SCSI FIXED DISK & CONTROLLER
215xx SCSI CD-ROM SYSTEM
POST Diagnostic Beep Codes for XT/AT Computers
----------------------------------------------------
The codes are shown as a-b-c where 2-2-1 represents
2 beeps - pause - 2 beeps - 1 beep
Fatal Errors
------------
1 - 1 - 3 CMOS failure
1 - 1 - 4 Bios Checksum failure
1 - 2 - 1 8253 Timer failure
1 - 2 - 2 DMA setup failure
1 - 2 - 3 DMA page register failure
1 - 3 - 1 RAM refresh not verified
1 - 3 - 3 Low 64K RAM failure
1 - 3 - 4 Low 64K RAM even/odd failure
1 - 4 - 1 Low 64K RAM address line failure
1 - 4 - 2 Low 64K RAM parity error
2 - 1 - 1 Low 64K RAM Bit 0 error
2 - 1 - 2 Low 64K RAM Bit 1 error
2 - 1 - 3 Low 64K RAM Bit 2 error
2 - 1 - 4 Low 64K RAM Bit 3 error
2 - 2 - 1 Low 64K RAM Bit 4 error
2 - 2 - 2 Low 64K RAM Bit 5 error
2 - 2 - 3 Low 64K RAM Bit 6 error
2 - 2 - 4 Low 64K RAM Bit 7 error
2 - 3 - 1 Low 64K RAM Bit 8 error
2 - 3 - 2 Low 64K RAM Bit 9 error
2 - 3 - 3 Low 64K RAM Bit 10 error
2 - 3 - 4 Low 64K RAM Bit 11 error
2 - 4 - 1 Low 64K RAM Bit 12 error
2 - 4 - 2 Low 64K RAM Bit 13 error
2 - 4 - 3 Low 64K RAM Bit 14 error
2 - 4 - 4 Low 64K RAM Bit 15 error
3 - 1 - 1 DMA #2 register error
3 - 1 - 2 DMA #1 register error
3 - 1 - 3 8259 #1 error
3 - 1 - 4 8259 #2 error
3 - 2 - 4 8042 KB Controller error
3 - 3 - 4 Video initialization error
3 - 4 - 1 Video retrace failure
3 - 4 - 2 Video ROM scan in progress
3 - 4 - 3 Video ROM scan error
Non-Fatal Errors
--------------
4 - 2 - 1 8253 Timer tick test
4 - 2 - 2 Shutdown/Restart sequence
4 - 2 - 3 Gate A20 failure
4 - 2 - 4 Unexpected Virtual Mode interrupt
4 - 3 - 1 RAM Test in progress
4 - 3 - 3 8253 Timer Channel 2 test
4 - 3 - 4 Time of Day Clock test
4 - 4 - 1 Serial Port test
4 - 4 - 2 Parallel Port test
4 - 4 - 3 Coprocessor test
*********************************************************************
WINDOWS:
For Windows 3.1, check that you have the following in your AUTOEXEC:
FILES=50
BUFFERS=30
DEVICE=C:\?\HIMEM.SYS
STACKS=9.256
Also, these are the default, non-modified SYSTEM.INI statements:
[boot]
shell=progman.exe
system.drv=system.drv
keyboard.drv=keyboard.drv
mouse.drv=mouse.drv
display.drv=vga.drv
Be sure your system BIOS are dated later than 1988
If you experience conflicts or system crashes, you can try running
SETUP.EXE from DOS in a specific mode. Type SETUP /? to see the options
available. Windows itself can also be forced into different modes with
WIN /S for Standard and WIN /3 for Enhanced modes. Otherwise you can try
the WIN /D:XVS command. If Windows works, try each of the switches
independently or in pairs.
WIN /D:X (excludes the entire upper memory block region from
A000-FFFF. Same as EMMExclude=A000-FFFF. Be sure to
disable your EMM from config.sys first)
WIN /D:V (Same as VirtualHDirq=OFF)
WIN /D:S (Same as SystemROMBreakPoint=OFF)
Corresponding changes should then be made to the SYSTEM.INI file:
[386Enh]
VirtualHDIRQ=off ;for SCSI drives and other
;adapter conflicts
EMMExclude='memory address' ;in case of memory conflicts
NOTE: Windows 3.1 inherits its mapping information from any EMM
loaded before Windows. It is important to either disable the EMM
or exclude the same memory range (as shown above) with the EMM
itself.
If problems occur in ENHANCED mode, you may have a corrupted
permanent swap file. Change to a temporary swap and restart the
computer.
WIN /B will create a BOOTLOG.TXT file which will help determine if
there are any bad or conflicting drivers present.
If a problem is suspected with the HIMEM.SYS A20 handlers, you can
manually attempt them all with the /M:x switch in config.sys.
The handler numbers range from 1-16 and 18. On "100%" campatible
machines, the handlers 1 or 11-13 should work fine. Beware that some
A20 handlers might lock up some systems, so always have a bootable
diskette handy.
If you add a PostScript printer and all your TrueType fonts disapear from
your applications, do the following:
Go to Control Panel and choose PostScript Driver, Setup, Options,
Advanced Options. Choose "Send to Printer as: BITMAP (TYPE 3)".
*********************************************************************
MEMORY:
/ D000-D1FF
/ D000-D3FF
/ \ D200-D3FF
/ D000-D7FF
/ \ / D400-D5FF
/ \ D400-D7FF
/ \ D600-D7FF
D000-DFFF
\ / D800-D9FF
\ / D800-DBFF
\ / \ DA00-DBFF
\ D800-DFFF
\ / DC00-DDFF
\ DC00-DFFF
\ DE00-DFFF
64Kb 32Kb 16Kb 8Kb
QEMM-386 switches:
ADAPTERRAM=xxxx-yyyy An adapter has RAM in the range
ADAPTERROM=xxxx-yyyy An adapter has ROM in the range
AUTO Turn on only if necessary
COMPAQ386S Identify this as a COMPAQ 386S
COMPAQEGAROM Relocate COMPAQ's video ROM
COMPAQHALFROM Split system ROM in half
COMPAQROMMEMORY Use COMPAQ memory reserved for ROM
DISKBUF=xx Set the size of the SCSI disk buffer
DISKBUFFRAME=xx Buffer disk access into the page frame
DMA=xx Set the size of the DMA buffer
DOS4 Alter EMS page ordering for DOS 4.00
DONTUSEXMS Do not allow QEMM386 to get memory from XMS
EMBMEM=xxxx Limit memory available as EMBs to xxxxxK
EXCLUDE=xxxx-yyyy Consider the range unmappable
EXCLUDESTEALTH=xxxx Do not Stealth a particular ROM
EXCLUDESTEALTHINT=xx Do not Stealth a particular interrupt
EXTMEM=xxxxx Reserve xxxxxK of extended memory
FASTINT10:n Do not speed up INT 10s with Stealth
FORCEEMS Still act like EMS even if no frame
FORCESTEALTHCOPY Copy tables even when excluded
FRAME=xxxx Set the page frame; xxxx=seg or NONE
FRAMEBUF:y/n Buffer INT 21s into the page frame
FRAMELENGTH=x Set the page frame to be x pages
HANDLES=xxx Set the number of EMS handles
HMAMIN=xx Set the minimum size of the HMA (0-63K)
IGNOREA20 Don't trap the 8042
INCLUDE=xxxx-yyyy Consider the range mappable
LOCKDMA Don't allow interrupts during DMA processing
MAPS=xx Set the number of alternate register sets
MEMORY=xxxxx Use only xxxxxK of extended memory
NOCOMPAQFEATURES Disable EGAROM, HALFROM, ROMMEMORY
NOEMS Don't be an expanded memory manager
NOFILL Don't fill conventional memory
NOHMA Don't allow access to the HMA
NOROM Don't map the "reboot" page of the system ROM
NOROMHOLES Don't find holes in the system ROM
NOSHADOWRAM Don't use C&T Shadow RAM
NOSORT Don't sort memory
NOTOKENRING Do not look for a Token Ring adapter
NOTOPMEMORY Don't look for "top memory"
NOVIDEOFILL Don't fill into video memory
NOWINDOWS3 Do not support Windows 3
NOVIDEORAM Don't put RAM into video memory
NOXBDA Don't move the eXtended BIOS Data Area
NOXMS Don't be an extended memory manager
OLDDV DV 1.3 or 2.00 will be run
OFF Turn QEMM OFF
ON Turn QEMM ON
RAM[=xxxx-yyyy] Put RAM everywhere or in the range
REGION=x Specify the region to load high into
ROM[=xxxx[-yyyy]] Map ROM everywhere or in the range
SHADOWRAM:type Specify the type of ShadowRAM
(NEAT, LEAP, SCAT, 386, or NONE)
SORT:N Do not sort memory by speed
TASKS=xx Set the interrupt nesting level
UNMAPFREEPAGES Unmap pages from the frame when free
UNUSUAL8042 The 8042 is non-standard
UNUSUALEXT The extended memory BIOS is non-standard
VIDRAMEGA Configure for EGA feature of VIDRAM
VIDRAMEMS Configure for EMS feature of VIDRAM
VIRTUALHDIRQ:N Do not suppress INT15/90 with Stealth
VXDDIR=path Specify the directory of the .VXD files
WATCHDOG=[0,1,2] Set the type of Watchdog timer
WINSHRINKUMBS:N Do not reclaim unused high RAM for Windows
NOPAUSEONERROR Don't pause on error
PAUSE Pause while parsing commands
HELP Display this help text
? List all commands
VIDRAM switches:
EGA Use EGA memory to turn on
EMS Use EMS memory to turn on (default)
NOCGA Inhibit EGA and CGA graphics
NOEGA Inhibit EGA graphics only
OFF Set up normal video memory with graphics
ON Grow memory into video region
OVERRIDE Allow video memory conflict
RESIDENT Just go resident
NOPAUSEONERROR Don't pause on error
PAUSE Pause while parsing commands
HELP Display this help text
? List all commands
QUICK-N-DIRTY GUIDE TO MEMORY MANAGEMENT UNDER DOS 5.0
by Dave Eyre 70303,2533
THE THREE PARTS OF MEMORY
As a working example I have chosen a 386 machine with 4
Megabytes of RAM. This 4096 K of RAM is divided up as
follows:
a) The first 640 K is called "Conventional Memory" and is
where you load and operate your "working" software
such as word processor, spreadsheet, etc.
b) The next 384 K (from 640 K to 1024 K), is called
"Upper Memory". This is reserved by DOS for its own
use and previously there was no way of tapping into
the large reserves of unused memory in this area, but
with DOS 5.0 this now becomes possible.
c) The remaining 3072 K is called "Extended Memory".
PROTECTING THE 640 K CONVENTIONAL MEMORY
In memory management, a good first priority is to save as
much Conventional Memory as you can for your "working"
software (at any rate, that's MY first priority).
Unfortunately, during a normal boot-up procedure, DOS grabs
several chunks of Conventional Memory for the DEVICES loaded
by CONFIG.SYS, plus memory-resident files such as Sidekick
or Norton Commander loaded by AUTOEXEC.BAT, plus the DOS
operating system itself (which needs quite a bit of memory).
So you can be left with something much less than 640 K to
work with. In extreme cases (loading too many device
drivers and memory-resident programs) the remaining
Conventional Memory may not be big enough to run some of
your working software.
Under DOS 5.0 you can get around this problem by using three
tricks:
a) On 286 and 386 machines, DOS can be tricked into handling
(addressing) an extra 64 K, over the top of its normal
1024 K. This is called the "High Memory Area" (HMA). To
get access to this memory you must load HIMEM.SYS as a
device in your CONFIG.SYS file. This device must be
loaded first, before you do any other messing around with
memory allocations. So (preferably) the first line of
your CONFIG.SYS file should read:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
So now you have 384 + 64 = 448 K in Upper Memory, but
this is still reserved by DOS and is not available for
use by your working software. DOS actually uses only a
smallish fraction of this Upper Memory, and there are
large unused sections that could be put to good use if
only there were some way of getting at them. The
remaining two tricks allow you to do this.
b) Put the following command in the CONFIG.SYS file:
DOS=HIGH
This command forces DOS to load its system into Upper
Memory instead of stealing a chunk of Conventional
Memory. Instead of occupying about 65 K of Conventional
Memory, DOS 5.0 will then occupy about 14 K, saving you
an extra 51 K for your "working" software.
c) Now modify the CONFIG.SYS file so that the DOS command
reads:
DOS=HIGH,UMB
The UMB stands for Upper Memory Block, and it "alerts"
DOS to the fact that you are going to load some of the
device drivers or memory-resident programs into Upper
Memory instead of having them steal chunks from
Conventional Memory. Later on we'll see how to load
devices etc. into Upper Memory.
STEALING EXPANDED MEMORY FROM EXTENDED MEMORY
Remember we started off with 3072 K of Extended Memory, but
then we stole 64 K for the High Memory Area. So now we are
left with 3008 K of Extended Memory.
Before you start loading device drivers or assign memory to
different applications, it is first of all necessary to set
up the Expanded Memory Manager EMM386.EXE. This can do many
things, but its two basic functions are:
a) It controls the Upper Memory Blocks (chunks of Upper
Memory) where you are going to put your various device
drivers and memory-resident programs (to stop them using
valuable Conventional Memory). But you can't put these
things in Upper Memory without first activating
EMM386.EXE, so it's good policy to load this device in
the third line of the CONFIG.SYS file, before you proceed
to load device drivers.
b) It sets up an Expanded Memory System (EMS), which
requires a bit of explanation. Although DOS can only
access ("address") the first 1024 K of memory, the
Expanded Memory Manager (EMM) gives it a boost which
allows it (effectively) to access a much greater chunk of
memory. In fact, the EMM manager will allow DOS to
access any amount of your Extended Memory. You can
specify how much memory you require, and then the EMM
manager will effectively cut this out of Extended Memory
and make it available to DOS as Expanded Memory (or EMS).
At the same time, the EMM manager needs to mark out a 64
K section in the Upper Memory, which acts as a kind of
"window" through which DOS can "see" or access all the
Expanded Memory (read Gookin for more details).
Generally speaking, you only need Expanded Memory if you are
operating software that needs it and knows how to use it.
In such cases the software manual will (or should) give
instructions on how the Expanded Memory is to be set up.
Otherwise, you don't need Expanded Memory.
So there are basically two ways of setting up your EMM
manager:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS or:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE 512 RAM
The first option sets up the EMM system to control the Upper
Memory Blocks only, with no Expanded Memory. Since there is
no Expanded Memory, the EMM manager does not need to mark
out the 64 K "window" mentioned above, so this 64 K is FREE
in Upper Memory and can be used for loading device drivers
and memory-resident programs. This is the best option when
your normal software operations don't need Expanded Memory.
The second option sets up an Expanded Memory of 512 K (or
whatever you specify) and the RAM option means that it also
controls the Upper Memory Blocks. With this option the EMM
manager marks out the 64 K of "window" in Upper Memory.
This means that there's less space in Upper Memory to load
device drivers and memory-resident programs. This is the
best option when your working software needs Expanded
Memory, and the size of the Expanded Memory System (EMS)
must be tailored to the needs of the software.
At this stage the CONFIG.SYS file contains only three lines,
as follows:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
It's useful to boot up with this CONFIG.SYS file, then look
at its effect on memory by running one or other of the
following commands:
mem /c |more (to view memory details on screen)
mem /c >prn (to print memory details)
You will probably find that you have started out with
3145728 bytes (3072 K) of Extended Memory, but now have only
2907136 bytes (2839 K). The High Memory Area stole 64 K
(remember?), and now the EMM manager has stolen another 169
K, even though we've not allocated any Expanded Memory.
The important point is that, after the first three lines of
the CONFIG.SYS file, we have clipped 233 K off Extended
Memory and are left with 2839 K (of course, this will vary
from one system to another).
MAKING BEST USE OF THE REMAINING EXTENDED MEMORY
The three most common ways of using Extended Memory are:
a) Use part of it for programs which need it. Windows,
for instance, makes good use of Extended Memory.
b) Use part of it for SMARTDRV Disk Cache. The Disk Cache
gives a remarkable speeding up of disk operations, and
it is generally desirable to install SMARTDRV with at
least its default size of 256 K. SMARTDRV takes over
many of the functions of the BUFFER system and
FASTOPEN, so if SMARTDRV is installed the BUFFERS can
be set to some low value (say 3) and FASTOPEN can be
ignored.
c) Use part of it for RAMDRIVE. This means that a
specified part of Extended Memory is set aside for use
as a Virtual Disk - actually a large chunk of RAM
which mimics the behaviour of a conventional disk.
The main advantage is that the Virtual Disk operates
much faster than a hardware disk. The main
disadvantage is that, when the computer is switched
off (or there is a power failure), the contents of
this disk will be lost. Virtual Disk operations are
nevertheless popular because of their speed, and
usually have to be controlled through a batch file
which transfers the necessary files from hard disk to
virtual disk, then, after work has been done on the
files, transfers them back to hard disk in their
modified form. Such operations may require a better-
than-average understanding of DOS on the part of the
user.
There is no carved-in-stone rule for dividing Extended
Memory among the above three options; it varies according to
individual use and preference. A good strategy is to have a
series of CONFIG.SYS files, each tailored to give the best
memory usage for its particular application. Then, after
boot-up, the appropriate CONFIG.SYS file is chosen and
activated by re-booting.
LOADING DEVICE DRIVERS INTO UPPER MEMORY
The following is a fairly typical CONFIG.SYS listing:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.SYS 1024
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 1814 512 64 /E
BUFFERS=3
FILES=30
BREAK=ON
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P
Note that the memories assigned to SMARTDRV and RAMDRIVE
total 2838 K, which in my working example will leave 1 K
(1024 bytes) of unused Extended Memory.
As a first step in assigning device drivers to the Upper
Memory, boot with the above version of CONFIG.SYS (using
whatever variations you like) and then run the command "mem
/c |more" (or "mem /c >prn") to look at the memory usage.
First of all, you'll find that all the device drivers (ANSI,
MOUSE, SMARTDRV, RAMDRIVE) have been loaded into
Conventional Memory, and "mem" shows the size of each
driver. [Note: some people get a bit confused here. Take
SMARTDRV for example: the DRIVER for SMARTDRV (the bit that
controls it) is loaded into Conventional Memory, but the
1024 K required for the Disk Cache is located in Extended
Memory].
Also, you will find that Upper Memory has several chunks of
FREE memory available, and "mem" shows you the size of each
chunk.
You now have to look at the sizes of the device drivers and
figure out how many of these drivers can be fitted into the
FREE parts of Upper Memory. Let's suppose that ANSI, MOUSE
and SMARTDRV can be fitted into Upper Memory, but there's
not enough space to take RAMDRIVE. It's a simple matter to
load ANSI, MOUSE and SMARTDRV into Upper Memory: all you
have to do is change DEVICE to DEVICEHIGH in the CONFIG.SYS
file, which then reads as follows:
DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS [can't use DEVICEHIGH here]
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\MOUSE\MOUSE.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.SYS 1024
DEVICE=C:\DOS\RAMDRIVE.SYS 1814 512 64 /E
BUFFERS=3
FILES=30
BREAK=ON
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /E:1024 /P
The best policy is to try loading one driver at a time into
Upper Memory, then reboot with the modified CONFIG.SYS, then
use "mem /c |more" to look at the effect on memory.
Sometimes you will find that a driver will not load into
Upper Memory, even though there seems to be enough FREE
memory to take it (read Gookin if you want an explanation).
LOADING MEMORY-RESIDENT PROGRAMS INTO UPPER MEMORY
Memory-resident programs (TSR's) are normally loaded into
Conventional Memory by the AUTOEXEC.BAT file at boot-up.
The procedure for loading them into Upper Memory is similar
to that for device drivers: boot-up in the normal way, then
use the "mem" command to list the memory allocations. If a
memory-resident program is loaded into Conventional Memory,
note its size and also the amount of FREE Upper Memory. If
there is enough FREE memory, the program can be made to load
into Upper Memory by use of the command "loadhigh". For
example, AUTOEXEC.BAT might contain a command line "test",
which calls-up a memory-resident program "test.exe". If the
command line is changed to "loadhigh test" the program will
be loaded into Upper Memory when you re-boot.
But a note of caution: some memory-resident programs might
cause severe disruption if loaded into Upper Memory, and
your PC might abort or go into some other failure mode at
boot-up. Therefore when modifying AUTOEXEC.BAT with
"loadhigh" commands it is advisable to have a DOS system
floppy disk handy, so you can boot-up independently of the
hard disk then get into AUTOEXEC.BAT and remove the
offending command.
*********************************************************************
FLOPPY DRIVE:
Control cable twist is TOWARDS stripe (pin 1).
*********************************************************************
HARD DRIVE:
6.0 Drive Installation Trouble Shooting
The information presented in this guide is for general reference. It
is not intended to be a complete reference of computer or hard disc
drive troubleshooting information, however, the solutions given below
account for the vast majority of questions received by Seagate
Technical Support.
Please read this entire section before contacting your dealer or
distributor for additional technical support.
Comments about this guide may be left with the system operator on the
Seagate Technical Support Bulletin Board service. International phone
numbers are listed on page 2.
Before checking for specific problems with the installation, please
verify the following:
* Check the Setup and Configuration sections in the drive and
controller Installation Guides for possible oversights in
user configuration.
* Interface and controller cables are fragile and should be
handled with care. Make sure all cables in system are
functioning properly and connected as specified.
* Make sure all cards are firmly seated in their slots.
* Make sure system power supply has adequate power for all
installed devices.
* Always have current backup of your data.
6.1 Power On Failures
----------------------
1. System doesn't recognize the presence of the drive.
i) Check all cables for pin-1 to pin-1 orientation.
ii) Verify that the drive spins up. Keep in mind that many
drives are very quiet and hard to hear.
iii) Check power supply for adequate output.
iv) Make sure controller is the correct type needed for the
interface of the drive and that the controller is correctly
configured for your drive.
v) In AT systems, confirm that the correct CMOS drive type is
used.
vi) Check drive select or drive ID jumpers.
vii) Check the drive select jumper is correct for the number
of drives in your system and/or for the type of controller
cable being used.
viii) Check for either BIOS memory address, port or interrupt
conflicts with controller from other devices. Go to a bare
bones system and add one device at a time until the conflict
resurfaces.
ix) Verify that you are using a hard drive 34-pin control
cable. If using twisted control cable and 7 wires are
twisted, then you are using floppy drive cable.
x) Check to see if a warm boots works.
xi) Try slowing down the system speed or bus speed.
2. Dealer formatted the drive in his shop. You installed drive but now
it doesn't come up at all.
Refer to 6.1.1, then:
i) Make sure that the DOS version used to partition and
high-level format the drive is consistent with your system.
ii) If partitioning software was used, make sure that the same
drive type in CMOS is used by using the software in the
manual mode.
iii) If using an AT Bus drive in translation mode, make sure
the same translation parameters are used.
iv) Check that the same controller was used by the dealer as
the one in your system.
v) Verify that the same kind of cables were used at the
dealer.
3. The screen goes blank whenever I power up the system.
Immediately on power up:
i) Check that the power supply can handle drive power
requirements.
ii) Try removing the new controller or host adapter to see if
problem resolves; indicating a defective adapter or hardware
conflict.
iii) Check that monitor is plugged in and turned on.
iv) Check that the video card is operational.
After P.O.S.T. (Power On Self Test):
v) Boot from a floppy disk and verify that the primary DOS
partition is active and that the high-level FORMAT has been
performed.
4. In an AT class system, the drive LED is always on.
i) Not a problem if drive is working. Check controller
documentation for latch/non-latch jumper if available.
ii) Drive not working: check that pin1 on controller matches
pin1 on drive.
5. 1701 ERROR
i) Refer to 6.1.1
ii) If in an XT system, perform the low-level format if drive
is new to this controller.
6. 1780 or 1781 ERROR
Refer to 6.1.1
7. 1790 or 1791 ERROR
i) Need to low-level format the drive (then partition with
FDISK and DOS high-level format).
ii) Try substituting another 20-pin data cable.
8. AT interface drive spins up after power, then it spins back down.
i) Substitute the ribbon cable.
ii) Try a different system with a different BIOS.
9. AT interface does not spin up after power.
i) Check to see that the ribbon cable is not reversed.
Sometimes the colored stripe on the cable is pin-40.
6.2 Low-level Format Errors
------------------------
1. Low-level format takes too long or hangs. Excessive errors.
Code 20 or 80. (controller codes) or Unsuccessful format.
i) In AT systems make sure CMOS drive type is correct.
ii) In XT systems make sure dynamic configuration is correct.
iii) Check the drive parameters used in the low-level format.
iv) Check/substitute 20-pin data cable.
v) Check that you have data cable plugged into correct
connector on controller.
vi) Verify that the performance capability of the controller
matches the performance of drive and matches the speed of the
system.
2. Entering the DEBUG address fails to obtain the low-level format
menu.
i) Check if controller even has an onboard BIOS and confirm
that it is enabled.
ii) Check DEBUG address used against the memory address
jumpers on the controller (refer to controller documentation).
iii) Some systems require removing the drive type from CMOS.
iv) Look for conflicts with other controllers or adapters
which have onboard BIOS; video, etc..
v) Check with controller manufacturer about the use of special
formatting software on diskette that needs to be used with
the controller card (Seagate controllers and host adapters do
not use special diskette software).
vi) Try using the following addresses for DEBUG:
G=C800:5 or
G=CC00:5 or
G=C800:CCC or
G=C800:6 or
G=D800:5 or
G=DC00:5
3. "Drive not Ready" error message.
i) Check all cables for pin-1 to pin-1 orientation.
ii) Check power supply for adequate output.
iii) Verify that the drive spins up. Keep in mind that many
drives are very quiet and hard to hear.
iv) Check the drive select jumper is correct for the number of
drives in your system and/or for the type of controller cable
being used.
v) Warm Boot; could be controller, power supply, system BIOS
timing, or, relative spin-up time in two drive systems.
vi) Consider the use of diagnostic hard drive maintenance
software.
vii) May need to low-level format the drive.
4. "Sector not found" error message.
i) Substitute the 20-pin data cable.
ii) Usually a media error or the drive not with original
controller, may need to re low-level format.
5. Low-level Format hangs on a specific Head/Cylinder/Sector.
i) Check that the hard error list was entered. (bad track
list).
ii) Check that the parameters and/or correct drive type in
CMOS setup is being used and matches those of the drive.
iii) Mark the location of the problem area out in the defect
map and restart the low-level format.
6.3 Partitioning (FDISK) Errors
---------------------------
1. "No Fixed Disk Present"
i) Refer to 6.1.1
ii) Check for too loose cable.
iii) In two drive system, check that the terminating resistor
has been removed from the drive in the middle of the daisy
chain.
iv) May need to re low-level format.
2. Hangs in FDISK or fails to create or save partition record.
i) Swap or check the 20-pin data cable.
ii) Verify that the low-level format actually took place.
iii) Check that the drive parameters have been entered
correctly (re low-level if not).
iv) If AT bus interface drive, try an alternate translation
geometry.
v) Substitute the cables.
vi) Try a different DOS and/or DOS utilities diskette.
vii) Try changing the partition size.
viii) Run a surface scan utility to check for defects at the
beginning of the drive.
ix) If using ST07 or ST08 AT interface host adapter, check
JP5.
3. "Hard Disk Controller Failure" or very many defect in last logical
partition.
i) Confirm that the drive type definition used in the CMOS
setup does not exceed the capacity of the drive. Seagate disc
drives use 1 megabyte to equal 1,000,000 (10 to the 6th
power) bytes. In CMOS a megabyte may be calculated as
1,048,576 (2 to the 20th power) bytes.
6.4 System Format
------------------
1. High level format takes too long.
i) Normal operation with DOS 4.x to keep retrying hard errors,
giving "Attempting to recover allocation units" message.
2. Drive doesn't format to full capacity (DOS partitions only).
i) Check the drive parameters used in the low-level format.
ii) DOS has a 1024 cylinder limitation, alternate translations
or third party partitioning software may be needed.
iii) Verify that the controller is the proper type for drive
interface and performance.
iv) Confirm that the parameters reported by FDISK match those
of the drive.
v) Older DOS has a built in limitation of 32 megabytes. You
may need to upgrade your DOS.
vi) All DOS has a limitation of reported drive parameters. You
may need a controller with BIOS, partitioning software, or a
system BIOS upgrade.
vii) Some controllers use disc space for defect management,
refer to controller manual for explanation of default sparing
overhead.
3. Do not get full capacity from large capacity drive, using
partitioning software.
i) Likely due to a geometry mismatch in CMOS. Try creating a
very small (.8 meg) DOS boot partition and then partitioning
the rest of drive with write/read partitions.
4. Formatted with Disk Manager, cannot recognize D, E, F (drives above
C:).
i) Be sure you booted from the hard drive.
ii) Verify that the Disk Manager DMDRVR.BIN device driver file
is in the root directory of the C partition or boot drive.
iii) Verify that the CONFIG.SYS file on the boot disc has the
statement DEVICE=DMDRVR.BIN and that it is loaded before any
other memory management device drivers.
iv) Confirm that all partitions have been "prepared".
5. "Disk Boot Failure", "non system disk", or "No ROM Basic - SYSTEM
HALTED" error messages.
i) Try using the DOS utility SYS.COM (i.e. At the A:\ prompt,
with the same version of DOS as on the hard drive, type "SYS
C:").
ii) When Using FDISK, make sure that the primary partition is
active.
iii) On AT systems, check for the correct CMOS drive type,
check the system battery.
iv) Check all cables.
v) Open floppy door.
vi) Scan for virus infections.
vii) On XT systems, back up files then reformat from the low
level.
6.5 General Errors
--------------------
1. Random data, seek, or format errors.
i) Check power and grounding.
ii) Try re-routing the cables.
iii) Controllers are susceptible to noise, do not install next
to power supply or some monitor cards.
iv) Try slowing down the system speed or bus speed.
v) If drive works outside of the system, it is probably ground
or RFI problem.
vi) Do a thorough media scan and reformat, sparing out all
previous and new hard errors.
2. Error while installing a second drive of a different interface, or
system doesn't boot after installation of second controller.
i) The controller must match the interface of the second drive
and will need to have onboard BIOS that must not require a
CMOS drive type.
ii) The BIOS memory address of the new controller must be set
to a different address than that of any other devices.
iii) If new drive is an AT interface drive, the existing drive
will need a controller with BIOS that does not require a CMOS
drive type setting.
iv) Verify that you have only a single enabled floppy
controller in the system.
v) Verify that your second controller is at a different BIOS
memory and port address than any other installed devices.
3. "Bad or Missing Command Interpreter" error message.
i) Do not mix DOS versions.
ii) Make sure COMMAND.COM was transferred.
iii) Scan for virus infection.
iv) Reformat the C: partition using the /S option for
transferring the system files.
4. Should I park my drive?
i) Only if drive is not autoparking.
5. CheckDisk reports bytes in "Bad Sectors".
i) This is not a problem. Some controller formatting schemes
spare an entire track for each hard error found by the
low-level format. A hard disc drive is within spec if the
drive has up to one error per megabyte of formatted capacity.
6. "Error reading Drive C:" type error message.
i) Scan the disc drive for defects.
ii) If excessive or intermittent, may be caused by faulty
cables.
iii) Scan for Virus infection.
iv) Consider the use of diagnostic hard drive maintenance
software.
v) May need to be re low-level formatted (especially if the
drive orientation has been changed).
7. "Track 0 not found" error message.
i) Substitute the 20-pin data cable.
ii) Change the CONFIG.SYS file to include buffers=99, or
upgrade DOS software to version 3.3 or higher.
iii) May need to low-level format drive.
6.6 Transfer rate and Seek time Access time Problems
-----------------------------------------------------
1. Average access time test longer than specified.
i) Verify drive model specifications.
ii) Optimum step pulse rate is 10 to 35 microseconds, set in
dynamic configuration of low-level format on XT type system.
iii) Different software will measure access time differently.
Make sure that the software subtracts system overhead from
the calculation.
2. Slower data transfer rate than specified.
i) Test the data transfer rate with different diagnostic
utilities.
ii) Experiment with different interleave settings during the
low-level format to achieve best data transfer rate. Start
with default setting.
iii) Controllers vary widely in their interleave capability. A
1:1 interleave controller should always be set for 1,
regardless of the drive model. An interleave of 1 to 1 is the
fastest. Consult your controller specifications. Setting
interleave too fast will degrade performance.
iv) AT Bus interface drives: Verify that a low-level format
was not used previously, as this may remove the head and
cylinder skewing optimization.
6.7 SCSI Specific Problems
---------------------------
1. No ROM ID message to screen on boot up.
i) Check for memory address conflict with other adapter BIOS.
ST01/ST02 must be at highest address.
ii) Bad Host Adapter
2. 1780, 1781, 1790, 1791 errors.
i) Check cables.
ii) Remove the drive type from CMOS in AT systems.
3. No SCSI device found.
i) Check for host adapter BIOS memory address conflict.
ii) Make sure no drive number is set in CMOS setup.
iii) Check installation
iv) Check cable and power output.
v) Check SCSI ID number.
vi) Verify if Parity jumper on the drive is needed.
4. SCSI drive type for my AT system.
i) None or "Not Installed"; SCSI does not work if a drive type
is entered in CMOS.
5. Series of 1 to 7 drive LED flashes at power-on and drive doesn't
work.
i) Remove the SCSI interface cable from the drive and apply
power. If drive LED still flashes, record the number of
flashes and call for technical support.
6.8 Software
--------------
1.. Newly installed software causes problems or doesn't operate
properly.
i) Call the software manufacturer.
2. Need device driver for the drive.
i) Device drivers are written by the controller manufacturer.
Seagate does not offer any device drivers.
3. DOS works OK but other Operating System doesn't.
i) Call the operating system manufacturer.
*********************************************************************
TARGA:
Tricks of the Trade - TARGA(+) Configuration Secrets
BY BOB GILLMAN
Use the techniques presented here to install or fine tune your
system. (NOTE: References to TARGA(+) means both the old TARGA
and new TARGA+, while TARGA refers to the old series and TARGA+
refers only to the TARGA+.)
SURVEYING YOUR SYSTEM
Many decisions concerning TARGA(+) installations deal with your
current system environment. Do you have a VGA or monochrome
card? Are you using EXPANDED memory? Do you have one monitor or
two? Does your TARGA based software operate in "old" TARGA mode
or new extended TARGA+ mode?
First, the TARGA+ can operate in two monitor mode or VGA pass-
through. The two monitor solution means that the output of your
DOS video card is displayed on one monitor and output from the
TARGA+ displays on another monitor.
Unless certain factors (like space saving) demand it, I recommend
the regular or non VGA pass-through operation. The VGA pass-
through mode has multiple problems associated with it. These
include factors such as certain programs require two monitors
(like VideoMaker+); pass-through requires a TSR that uses 20K
memory; you can't video grab while in pass-through mode; and
finally, the software that controls VGA pass-through, frankly, is
"flaky" and unreliable.
Next, whether to operate in old TARGA software mode or new TARGA+
advanced mode is a question facing all TARGA users. The best
answer to this question is to configure your system to operate
SIMULTANEOUSLY in both old and new mode. If you carefully
configure your system, you can easily switch between both modes.
If you don't configure properly, you'll have all types of
problems - I'll share the secrets of proper configuration with
you.
Finally, the last thorny issue of TARGA installation deals with
properly juggling the memory segments between 640K and 1MB. Back
in the dark ages of PC development, the first IBM PC arrived with
64K. Then, 64K was more memory than anyone could every dream of
using. The developers of DOS didn't imagine users would ever
need more than 640K. Therefore, they reserved the memory
addresses between 640K and 1MB for system ROM and installable
cards and devices.
The memory addresses between 640K and 1MB are divided into six
memory segments of 64K each. They are normally referred to by
the first letter of the memory segment address. For example, the
"A" memory segment refers to the 64K memory segment that begins
at hexadecimal (base 16) address of "A000" and ends at "AFFF."
By general agreement, the memory segments are used as follows:
A - reserved for VGA and EGA graphics memory
B - reserved for text memory
C - reserved for hard drive controllers
D - open
E - open (except 286 machines)
F - reserved for system ROM address
The main installation problem with the TARGA(+) is that it
requires the use of one of these memory segments, a full 64K in
which the TARGA(+) memory resides. The default location for the
TARGA(+) is the "A" memory segment. When that "default" was
established six years ago, most users had monochrome or CGA
adapters that didn't use the "A" memory segment - so no problem.
Now most systems come equipped with a VGA that is hard wired to
use the "A" memory segment.
If you leave your TARGA(+) at the default "A" segment, you will
have problems eventually. The reason I say "eventually" is that
the problems may not be immediately apparent. If you are using
TARGA(+) programs that never access the VGA in graphics mode, you
won't normally see problems. For example, TIPS+ uses the VGA
card only to display its start-up copyright notice; this is text,
which only uses the VGA text memory in the "B" memory segment.
When, however, you do run a program that uses the VGA graphics,
you will immediately see the problems. For example, if you run
the new VideoMaker+ software and your TARGA(+) is installed at
the "A" segment, you will see serious memory conflict problems.
Confounding the memory segment problem more is that most graphics
systems which have TARGA(+)s installed are quite complex. The
systems usually have several special devices that are competing
with the TARGA(+) for the few memory segments that are free. As
the memory segment map above shows, there are basically only two
free memory segments on 386 and 486 systems - segments "D" and
"E".
Most TARGA(+) based graphics systems have software (like TOPAS,
Lumena, Inscriber, etc.) that require the use of EXPANDED (also
known as EMS) memory. EXPANDED memory, as opposed to extended
memory, is a special type of paging memory used by certain
programs. To create EXPANDED memory, you employ a software
driver that changes your extended memory (memory over 1MB) to
EXPANDED. It also requires the use of a memory segment to "page"
the memory.
Therefore, to install a TARGA(+) in a system with a VGA and
EXPANDED memory, use the following recommended configuration:
VGA - "A" memory segment
TARGA(+) - "D" memory segment
EMS memory - "E" memory segment
This configuration works in most situations. It won't work in
certain 286 systems because you can't use the "E" memory segment.
It also won't work if you have other unmovable devices that are
operating in these memory segments. For example, certain network
cards use the "D" memory segment. Often, it is impossible to use
all the devices that you'd like in one system simultaneously due
to a shortage of memory segments.
CONFIGURING YOUR SYSTEM
Based on the above considerations, the recommendation for most
favored installation is as follows:
two monitor system
VGA card
TARGA at "D" memory segment
EMS (Expanded memory) at "E" memory segment
simultaneous implementation of old TARGA and new TARGA+
compatibility
The first step is to install the TARGA+ driver in your
"CONFIG.SYS" file. The driver, named TARGAP.SYS, is placed in
the system configuration file known as CONFIG.SYS. Use any text
editor to edit this file. This is the recommended configuration:
DEVICE=\TPLUS\TARGAP.SYS mD d6
This tells your system to find the driver in your "\TPLUS"
subdirectory and install it as a driver. Both the "m" and "d"
options are VERY important. The "m" or memory option tells the
driver to install the TARGA+ memory in the "D" memory segment.
If you forget the "mD" option, the driver will default the memory
to the "A" segment which you don't want. The "d" or display
option is also very important. The "d6" option tells the driver
that you have a separate monitor attached to your TARGA+ and you
are not operating in VGA pass-through mode. If you forget the
"d6" option, your TARGA+ programs will seem to run but you'll
never see anything on the TARGA+ screen. There are a few other
options for the TARGAP.SYS driver, but none that we need to delve
into at this point.
Another critical point to installing the TARGA(+) is to insure
that it co-exists properly with your EMS (expanded memory)
driver. Because the latest EMS drivers are extremely "smart,"
they try to re-use the memory that is "wasted" between 640K and
1MB. Although the TARGA(+) is using the memory at segment "D",
the EMS drivers don't see the TARGA(+) memory and assume nothing
is there. What they try to do, if you let them, is use that
memory also. Instead, you need to tell them not to use that
memory. Use the following commands for the specified EMS drivers
to tell them to exclude using the "D" memory segment:
QEMM
DEVICE=QEMM386.SYS EXCLUDE=D000-DFFF
DOS 5.0
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE m9
386MAX
DEVICE=386MAX.SYS EXCLUDE=D000-DFFF
The final step in configuring the TARGA+ is the proper use of the
"TMODE" program. The TMODE program (file name - "TMODE.EXE") is
supplied by Truevision along with the "TARGAP.SYS" file with your
TARGA+ board. Although the TARGA+ will work without TMODE, it's
important to use and understand it so that your system is
configured properly.
TMODE sets the resolution and color depth of your TARGA+ - it's
that simple. Although TMODE supports 36 different combinations,
there are usually only a few modes of interest to each user. As
a user, you must decide what modes are most important to you. As
a rule of thumb, I recommend the following TMODE modes:
VIDEO PRODUCTION
9 - 512 x 486 x 16 bits interlaced (if only TARGA+16)
11 - 512 x 486 x 32 bits interlaced
17 - 640 x 480 x 16 bits interlaced
25 - 756 x 486 x 16 bits interlaced
Notes: First, to retain old TARGA compatibility, only
modes 9 and 11 will work. Second, if you plan to use
the new VideoMaker+ software, only mode 9 works
properly with that software due to the dual page
displays.
DESIGN & LAYOUT (such as RIO, Lumena)
2 - 512 x 400 x 16 non-interlaced
4 - 512 x 400 x 32 non-interlaced
18 - 640 x 480 x 16 non-interlaced
Notes: Non-interlaced is easier on the eyes than
interlaced because there is no flicker. If you are
using video grabs, you need to switch to interlaced for
the grabs only. To use non-interlaced display, make
certain your TARGA+ monitor is capable of non-
interlaced display; some cannot, i.e. video only
monitors.
VGA Conversions (TARGA+ to VGA conversions)
17 - 640 x 480 x 16 interlaced
Note: this mode is perfect for capturing video images
and using other software for conversion to VGA and
super VGA.
Based on these simple rules of thumb, configure your TMODE
properly for the type of application to be run. The last step to
a proper configuration is installing old TARGA emulation mode and
insuring that it is compatible with the new mode. In terms of
resolutions supported, the old TARGA only supported either 512 x
400 (underscan) or 512 x 486 (overscan).
Old TARGA boards used two environmental variables. An
environment variable is information that you can set in your PC
to control the behavior of certain programs. It is set with the
DOS "SET" command, either interactively or through your start-up
"AUTOEXEC.BAT" file. The two TARGA environmental variables are
called "TARGA" and "TARGASET". TARGA specifies the memory
segment where the TARGA memory resides (like the "m" option in
the TARGA+ driver). The TARGASET variable controls other
information like overscan/underscan, type of board, type of video
source, and more.
Following the previous recommendation for the placing the TARGA
memory at the "D" segment, we would use the following command for
the TARGA variable: "SET TARGA=247". This make no logical sense
except that it refers to the switches in the down position on a
10 position dip switch on the old TARGA boards. Settings for
other memory segment locations can be found in the technical
manuals.
For the TARGASET variable, these are some of the useful commands:
T16 - specifies a TARGA 16
T32 - specifies a TARGA 32
R - specifies a RGB video input (defaults to composite)
EP241 - specifies overscan (defaults to underscan)
Therefore, to put together a series of commands to make your
TARGA+ behave properly in both old and new mode, consider these
examples below. The program "TPLUSINI" is required to place your
TARGA+ into old TARGA emulation mode. It needs to be run AFTER
the environmental commands are set. Therefore, the following
commands might be put in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:
TARGA 16 IN UNDERSCAN (512 X 400) INTERLACED
TMODE 1
SET TARGA=247
SET TARGASET=T16
TPLUSINI T16.INI
TARGA 16 IN OVERSCAN (512 X 486) INTERLACED
TMODE 9
SET TARGA=247
SET TARGASET=T16EP241
TPLUSINI T16.INI
TARGA 32 IN UNDERSCAN (512 X 400) INTERLACED
TMODE 3
SET TARGA=247
SET TARGASET=T32
TPLUSINI T32.INI
TARGA 32 IN OVERSCAN (512 X 486) INTERLACED
TMODE 11
SET TARGA=247
SET TARGASET=T32EP241
TPLUSINI T32.INI
TROUBLE SHOOTING
That is basically all there is to configuring the board -
actually quite a bit. If after following all these steps, you
fire up your computer and nothing happens on the TARGA+ screen,
what do you do now?
The first step is to recheck all your work. Make sure there is
not a typo somewhere in your CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT. If you
haven't made any obvious errors, follow these trouble shooting
ideas to attempt to isolate the problem.
TARGA+ screen is black, although programs seem to run correctly
This is the most frequently seen problem - you most likely forgot
to place that display variable "d6" on the TARGAP.SYS driver in
your CONFIG.SYS.
TARGA+ driver doesn't initialize upon boot-up
1. Check if the TARGAP.SYS file is where you specified it was
on your disk.
2. Check if any other drivers are interfering with loading the
TARGAP.SYS.
3. You may have an I/O Base address conflict. This is a
configurable option which does not need to be changed from
its default position of 220 in 95% of all installations. If
you have rechecked everything else, check all the add-on
boards in your PC to see if any other boards are using the
220 address. If they are, you need to reconfigure the
TARGA+ to use a different address like 230 by specifying the
"i" option. Your TARGAP line in the CONFIG.SYS file would
appear as:
DEVICE=\TPLUS\TARGAP.SYS mD d6 i230
The TARGA+ board works but the screen is "ghosting" or your mouse
leaves "mouse droppings" on the screen.
This is a classic memory conflict problem with two or more items
fighting for the same memory. Check your memory segment addresses,
particularly the VGA and your expanded memory driver. (Also, you may
want to experiment with Wait State switches. See below)
Another thing that may cause this is a PC BIOS option called
"Shadow RAM." If you enable it, your PC copies the ROMS from some
devices (like the VGA) into high RAM, possibly the same address
space as the TARGA+. To see if this is the problem, choose the
BIOS Setup on your PC when it boots and disable this option.
Pixels twinkle like little stars on your TARGA screen, especially
after video capture.
or
Software cannot locate your TARGA board in the system, but you
are positive that everything is installed properly.
These two problems were notorious with the older TARGA boards,
but have mostly disappeared with the TARGA+. The old TARGA board
was designed when the 6 mHz IBM PC AT was the most powerful
computer around. The board was designed to work with PCs having
a bus (not clock) speed less than or equal to 8mHz.
There are three potential solutions to these problems. Most of
the new PCs have BIOS options that you can set. Often, the bus
speed is a option that can be set. Try lowering the bus speed of
the computer. Another trick is to install the TARGA(+) in an 8
bit slot instead of a 16 bit slot. This trick has saved the day
many times. Although it might seem that the TARGA(+) software
would operate more slowly in the 8 bit slit, the difference, if
any, is usually imperceptible.
The last option is to increase the wait states on the board.
Although this is the solution that Truevision recommends, I have
frankly never had any luck with it. On the older TARGA 16, the
wait states are controlled by switches. The wait states for the
TARGA+ are set with an option in the TARGAP.SYS driver - see the
"r" and "w" options in the reference manual.
Video grabs do not work OR the monitor attached to the TARGA+
does not sync up properly - the picture rolls.
First, double check your cable connections. Do you have the
right cable? Is everything plugged into the proper connector?
If you're certain that your cables are correct, the following are
the two main causes of this problem:
1. Your TARGA+ is in a non-interlaced mode. You MUST be
in an interlaced mode to video grab. Use TMODE to
change to an interlace mode like TMODE 1.
2. For video grabs, your monitor must operate at the video
frequency of 15.75 Khz horizontal scanning rate. If
you have a multi-syncing monitor, be sure that its
range is low enough to accomodate 15.75.
*********************************************************************
APPLE:
To bypass Inits at bootup: hold down Shift Key
To reset video at bootup: hold down Command and Clear Keys
To rebuild Desktop at bootup: hold down Command and Option Keys
To Zap PRAM:
Under System 6.x.x: Restart from a floppy that has the Control Panel
desk accessory on it. Open the Apple menu and select Control Panel while
holding down Shift-Option-Command Keys. Then click YES.
Under System 7.x.x: At start-up or restart, hold down the
Command-Option-P-R Keys