
[Introduction]


    This is the AMIDiag Configuration utility Help file.
    The AMIDiag Configuration utility creates a set of
    external variables used by AMIDiag. These variables are:
    
    *  a cache memory handler program,
    *  a motherboard and memory configuration file, and
    *  up to eight external diagnostics programs called by AMIDiag.

    You must first select a .DBS file when running the AMIDiag
    Configuration utility. A .DBS file contains a catalog of all 
    current configuration files. The .DBS file must be in the same
    directory as the AMIDiag Configuration utility. The default 
    filename is AMIDIAG.DBS. 


[Main menu]

    The AMIDiag Configuration utility main menu choices are:
    
    A.      {Select Configuration}, 
    B.      {Motherboard database maintenance},
    C.      {Cache controller database maintenance}
    D.      {You program database maintenance}
    E.      Return to DOS.
    
    
    
[Select configuration]

    This screen displays the current catalogued .CCH, .PIC and .EXE
    files in the selected DBS file. 

    You can browse through descriptions of these files. You can 
    select one file from the CACHE window, one file from the MEMORY 
    window and up to eight files from the User window. The selected
    files are displayed in the SELECTION window.

    Freeze the file selections after you have selected the 
    appropriate files. The AMIDiag Configuration utility prompts
    you to enter the .CFG file name which will contain the file 
    selections. The default .CFG file name is AMIDIAG.CFG.

    If a previously-created .CFG file is found in the directory, the
    Configuration utility will try to load the previous selection after
    making a consistency check.

[Motherboard database maintenance]

    This option lets the you create or edit a picture of the 
    motherboard, including the CPU, components, and memory. You can
    save this picture as a .{PIC file}.

    The memory map can be created and/or edited graphically
    or nongraphically.The CPU component map can only be edited
    graphically.

    See also - {Memory component editing}
       {CPU component editing}




[User program database maintenance]

    This option lets you add or delete a User program to the database. 
    The User program must be in the .EXE file format. 

    The facility of linking User programs with AMIDiag allows
    you to write your own diagnostic routines for devices that
    AMIDiag does not diagnose, such as network cards, scanners, 
    and optical devices. The {select configuration} menu allows 
    you to select up to eight User programs from the database 
    to be included in the AMIDiag User menu.

    The AMIDiag Configuration utility calls the User program using 
    the following parameters:

    < Program name >  /I /Segment:Offset 

    segment:offset specifies a memory address where the user
    program returns the signature and other salient information
    about the User program. If the signature returned is correct, 
    the User program is accepted and added to the database.

    See also - {User program parameters}

[Cache controller database maintenance]

    This option lets you add a new .{CCH file} to the database.
    This process also checks the signature of the file and 
    rejects the file if the signature is not correct.


[Memory component editing]

    The AMIDiag Configuration program allows you to include a picture
    of the motherboard for your computer in AMIDiag. You can then
    link the AMIDiag diagnostic tests for various components (such as
    the CPU, memory, and DMA Controller) to the motherboard picture.
    Then if AMIDiag reports errors related to a specific motherboard
    component, you can display a picture of the motherboard and 
    the faulty component will flash.

    Motherboard memory is organized in banks. The AMIDiag 
    Configuration utility allows you to identify up to eight 
    banks of memory. Each memory bank can have different types 
    of memory chips and a different architecture.
    
    The graphic memory identification screen lets you identify 
    additional memory banks, delete existing memory banks, and create 
    or change the description of the memory banks. 

    The nongraphic memory identification screen prompts you to 
    name the ICs that make up each memory bank. 

    The graphic memory identification screen prompts you to specify 
    the coordinates for chips 0 through n in memory banks 0 through n.
    
    In nongraphic memory identification mode, a chip diagram is 
    displayed in Edit mode You can edit the chip names.

    
[CPU component editing]

    You must start with a .PCX file that has a picture of the 
    motherboard. A video camera snapshot of the motherboard can be
    stores as a .PCX file.

    When graphically editing the CPU component map, you can display 
    the .PCX file, and identify the motherboard components on the 
    .PCX file .

    The .PCX image is displayed in 640 x 400 256-color mode. If the
    display adapter does not support this resolution, you cannot
    graphically edit the .PCX file.


[PIC file]


    The .PIC file allows AMIDiag to understand the memory 
    organization on the motherboard. Once the memory organization is
    understood, AMIDiag can pinpoint the location of the faulty 
    memory chip when the AMIDiag memory tests return an error.

    The .PIC file has the following information:

    *  the motherboard manufacturer name,
    *  the motherboard model number or serial number,
    *  the names of the .PCX files for the motherboard or other
       adapter cards that contain memory,
    *  the total memory size,
    *  the coordinates of CPU and associated chips, and
    *  the memory bank organization for all memory banks.

    The memory organization contains further details, such as
    chip type (DIP or SIMM), interleaving information, paging
    information, whether the parity bit is located to the right
    or to the left, etc.

[CCH file]

   .CCH files are user-supplied cache memory control programs. 
   The binary image of a .CCH file should contain:

    *  the length of the program,
    *  the vendor name and model number,
    *  the cache control code and data, and
    *  a checksum.

   The cache control code has to support the following functions:
 
    Function 0     Disable Cache
    Function 1     Enable Cache
    Function 2     Return Special info
 
    The last function must return a pointer to a list of I/O ports 
    used for cache handling.


[User program parameters] 

    Any user-defined diagnostics programs must be standard DOS 
    programs in the .EXE file format. The modes of invocation are:

    Mode 1: Inquiry
    ---------------

    The command line parameter is: < Program name > /I /Segment:Offset
    
    This is how the AMIDiag Configuration utility calls the User program.

    In this mode, the user program returns the following information in
    segment:offset format:

    *  an 11-byte signature ("AMIDiag.UDG") to identify itself,
    *  a 50-byte vendor name (null-terminated),
    *  an eight byte model number,
    *  a 24-byte menu line (this is the line displayed in the 
       AMIDiag user menu window, such as "Network Test"), and
    *  a 60-byte help line (this is the line displayed at the 
       bottom of the AMIDiag screen.

    Mode 2: Execution
    ------------------

    < Program name >  /X 

    This is how AMIDiag calls the User program. In this mode, the
    user program should execute the diagnostic tests.


[No help]

    There is no help on help
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