BBS in a Box 15/BBS in a box XV-1.iso/Files/Educ/Computer/Houdini FAQ 1.03.txt.sit/houdini_faq_103.txt

Text File | 1995-05-02 | 105.5 KB | 2,359 lines | [TEXT/EDIT]

========================================================================


                                  ~^~

        The Original Macintosh DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini I)
                     Frequently Asked Questions FAQ

                      May 1, 1995  -  version 1.03

    agent provocateur: Anton Prastowo ([e-mail])


                                  ~^~


I said that the FAQ v1.02 was the last, and it was. This FAQ v1.03 has
just a few cosmetic changes -- I was futzing with formatting etc. This
is probably the final version of the Frequently Asked Questions list
(FAQ) of Apple's original Macintosh DOS compatibility card or Houdini I.
The reason is clear -- the Houdini I isn't even being produced anymore!

Originally I started this list as a compilation of net people's
experiences and comments about Houdini I. This is a decidedly
pro-Houdini FAQ. And why not? The Apple DOS Compatibility Card is an
amazing card.

Those of you still interested in the Houdini I should take a look at
Apple's Houdini II for the PowerMac 6100 and Reply Corporation's DOS
card for Macs with '040 PDS slots. Both of these new cards have
SoundBlaster capability and include 486DX processors.

Houdini is Apple's DOS Compatibility Card for Quadra/Centris 610s. The
name 'Houdini' was Apple's internal code name for the DOS card. The
moniker 'Houdini' has stuck since its initial press release. The Houdini
referred to in this FAQ is the first Houdini -- Houdini I. In this FAQ,
'Houdini I' and 'DOS card' will be used interchangeably to refer to the
original Apple DOS Compatibility Card for Macintosh. Any reference to
second and later generation Houdinis will be made explicitly (ex.
'Houdini II' for the second generation Houdini).

Let me spell out my Houdini definitions:

     Houdini I = Apple DOS card designed for Quadra/Centris 610s
    Houdini II = Apple DOS card designed for PowerMac 6100
Reply DOS card = Reply Corporation DOS card designed for Macs with an
                 '040 PDS slot
   Houdini 630 = Apple DOS compatible 630 series mac built upon
                 a modified 630 motherboard with a 486 daughterboard

You can find this FAQ at the Info-Mac archive and its many mirrors.
in directory like info-mac/info/hdwr/houdini_faq_103.hqx
My HTML version of this FAQ is at http://www.paranoia.com/~anton/houdini/

This FAQ is for those unfamiliar with the Houdini I and curious about
its merits. Hopefully this FAQ will help Mac users interested in a DOS
solution  decide whether Houdini I will suit their needs. The Houdini I
is not for everyone, but for many this card is a most excellent hack!
Read this FAQ and decide for yourself.

I took the liberty of assuming that the original posters would not
mind their inclusion in this compilation. After all, this FAQ is in the
spirit of their original intent to inform others.

I unfortunately cannot verify all the comments contained in this
collection. I included those statements that seemed reasonable and
coherent (but with my own notes or queries added). Please send me
corrections and additions that address possible glaring errors,
omissions and my own questions.

*DISCLAIMER*: I am not responsible for anything anyone does with
information contain herein. If there are errors, TOO BAD.
E-mail me the information to fix it.

** Please send specs, corrections, hacks and other info to help flesh
this thing out. And if someone wants to take this thing over and do
it right, e-mail me:  Anton Prastowo ([e-mail])

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Thanks to the following people for their comments and info:
 o Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])  *Thanks Jim!
 o Richard Cardona ([e-mail])
 o Dan Magorian ([e-mail])
 o David Ramsey ([e-mail])
 o Adam Schneider ([e-mail])
 o Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])
 o Michael Bradd ([e-mail])
 o J. Taggart Gorman ([e-mail])
 o Dan Schnur ([e-mail])
 o Xiaolin Zhao ([e-mail])
 o Eric Carter ([e-mail])
 o Amanda Walker ([e-mail])
 o Andrew T. Laurence ([e-mail])
 o Eric W. Sarjeant ([e-mail])
 o Douglas D. Dickinson ([e-mail])
 o David A. Hughes ([e-mail])
 o Todd Katz ([e-mail])
 o John Galloway ([e-mail])
 o Jim Eley ([e-mail])
 o Brian ([e-mail])
 o Tom Thatcher ([e-mail])
 o Gary Bohn ([e-mail])
 o Doug Dinh ([e-mail])
 o phil ?? ([e-mail])
 o Andrew Sinclair-Day ([e-mail])
 o Stephen Petko ([e-mail])
 o Werner Uhrig ([e-mail])
 o Tim Fullert ([e-mail])
 o Wen Ung ([e-mail])
 o Ted Yun ([e-mail])
 o ?? [e-mail]
 o Bill Johnston ([e-mail])
 o Wayne ([e-mail])
 o Eric Hsu ([e-mail])
 o DOS Compatibility Read Me file

*BTW: Jim Stockdale works at Apple. He is, however, NOT an official
 Apple spokesperson. Thanks to his extreme graciousness, Jim has
 provided quite a bit of Houdini I info on his own time. His comments
 should not be construed as Apple sanctioned information.

 Wayne ([e-mail]) has also provided some Houdini I information
 which should not be construed as Apple sanctioned information.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------

1) Introduction
   o What is Houdini?
   o Which Mac Users Can Use the Houdini I?
   o Does the Houdini I work in a...
     :: Centris 650?
     :: Quadra 650?
     :: Quadra 660av?
     :: Quadra 700?
     :: Quadra 800?
     :: Quadra 840av?
     :: Quadra 950?
     :: PowerMac?
     :: Quadra 605s? LC 475s? '030 Macs? '020 Macs? LC Macs? Mac
        Classic?
        Fat Macs? Apple ]I[? Apple //e? Sinclair ZX-81? Atari 2600?
   o Houdini I Pro/Con
   o I need a DOS solution. Should I get a Houdini I?
   o MacWorld gave the Houdini I 2 out of 5 stars. Why?
   o Alternatives to the Houdini I card
     :: SoftPC
     :: OrangePC card
     :: PowerMac with SoftWindows
     :: A full 486 PC system
   o Where to get the Houdini I card

2) Quick and Dirty Q & A
   o Is the Houdini I discontinued?
   o Does installing a SIMM on the Houdini I improve performance?
   o Can I use 72 pin Mac SIMMs? Can I use standard PC SIMMs?
   o Can I take the SoundBlaster card from the Houdini II and use
     the SoundBlaster card in an older Houdini I card?
   o Can you use the Houdini I in a clock-chipped Mac?
   o Is the provided MS-DOS 6.2 for the Houdini I complete?
   o Will Chicago run on the Houdini I?
   o Does RAMDoubler work with the Houdini I?
   o Why does the Houdini I come with a wimpy FPU-free 486SX and not a
     more beefy FPU-equipped 486DX?
   o Can I swap the 486SX processor in the Houdini I for a 486DX?
   o Instead of making those modifications, can't I just swap the SX
     for a DX chip?
   o What happens if you install a 486DX2/66?
   o What's the difference between a bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible
     and a Quadra 610 with a DOS Compatibility Card installed?
   o What is DOOM and what does it have to do with the Houdini I?
   o Where can I get the DOOM FAQ?
   o What does the chip labeled Music do?
   o What is required to install the Houdini I in a non-610 Mac?

3) Tech Notes
   o Microprocessor
     :: David Ramsey's 486SX/DX findings
   o Operating systems
     :: MS-DOS 6.2
     :: Windows (tm)
     :: OS/2
     :: Linux
     :: Windows95 (was Chicago)
   o PC Mouse
     :: Get a mouse driver via FTP
     :: Looking for a mouse driver elsewhere
   o File conversion
   o Floppy use
     :: Using DOS backup software
   o Hard drives
     :: Doublespace Use and the Houdini I
     :: Virus Reminder for new Houdini I users
   o CD-ROM use
     :: Only one CD-ROM accessible through the Houdini I
     :: Houdini I can only use Sony CD-ROM mechanisms
   o Memory
     :: Avoid Composite SIMMs
     :: SIMM and Improved Houdini I Performance
     :: Using 1mb SIMMs
   o Memory managers
     :: Avoid using 386MAX
   o Joystick
   o Parallel ports
   o Serial ports
     :: Serial Port Mapping
   o Printing
     :: Turn off Background Printing
     :: Faster Stylewriter Printing
   o Copy & Paste
   o Networking
     :: Logging Into Novell File Servers
   o Monitor display
     :: Sony Universal Adapter for Monitors
     :: NEC monitors
     :: Video problems with using the Houdini I in a Quadra 660av.
     :: PC Setup 1.02
   o Sound
     :: 4-pin Audio Connector Pinout
   o PC cards
   o ISA bus
   o Performance, performance, performance
     :: Soft-PC vs. Houdini I
     :: Houdini I Benchmarks
   o Tweaking the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS for the Houdini I
       - by Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])
   o Houdini I ISA Subset Quest
       - by Anton Prastowo
         with Ted Yun ([e-mail])
   o Diagnostic Software Results

4) Trouble Shooting
   o Dialog Box error
   o Sync on Green Trouble
   o Problem with video card installed in Mac
   o Improving Shared Folder access speed
   o Conflict with Energy Saver cdev



------------------------------------------------------------------------

Figure 1.  The Apple DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini I)

                                                         ISA subset
                                                         connector
                                                             |
                                         Sound-out  CD-in    |
                                                             |
   ___________________________________________||||__||||__   |
  | ============72 pin SIMM slot===========   ====  ====  |  |
  |  ____________    _______   __   __   __   __          |  |
  | |            |  |       | |  | |  | |  | |  |         |  |
  | |   INTEL    |  | CHIPS | v i d e o  -  r a m         |  |
  | |            |  |  rom  | |__| |__| |__| |__|         |  |
  | |   i486sx   |  |_______|  ___         pin (1)        |  |
  | |            |   _______  |   |   [::::::::::] <---------'
  | |            |  |       | '---'   (40)    ____        |
  | |____________|  | VLSI  | 50MHz          |vga |       |
  |  ____   ____    | asic  |  osc           |____|       |
  | |    | |    |   |_______|             .-.           ___
  | |____| |____|                         | |          |   | ---->
  |                                       '-'          |   | Conn TO
  |                                      XTAL          |   | Monitor/
  |                                                    |   | Joystick
  |                                                    |___| Cable
  |                                                       |
  |_______________________________________________________|
    | \/                                |
    '-----------------------------------'
     PDS connector

Figure 1 - Above is an ASCII illustration of the Houdini I. I've
probably labeled some of the components functions incorrectly, but
you get the idea.


------------------------------------------------------------------------
1) Introduction --------------------------------------------------------

o What is Houdini?  ----------------------------------------------------

Houdini is Apple's DOS Compatibility Card for Quadra/Centris 610s. The
name 'Houdini' was Apple's internal code name for the DOS card. The
moniker 'Houdini' has stuck since its initial press release -- certainly
'Houdini' is easier to roll off the tongue than "Apple DOS Compatibility
Card for Macintosh." The Houdini referred to in this FAQ is the first
Houdini -- Houdini I. In this FAQ, 'Houdini I' and 'DOS card' will be
used interchangeably to refer to the original Apple DOS Compatibility
Card for Macintosh. Any reference to second and later generation
Houdinis will be made explicitly (ex. 'Houdini II' for the second
generation Houdini).

Announced at the Fall 1993 Comdex, the Houdini I began shipping March
1994. The Houdini I is in fact a marketing experiment. Apple used the
Houdini I to test the commercial viability of a 'PC on a card' for
Macintoshes. Rumors have indicated that the Houdini I card's sales have
exceeded Apple's expectations. Unfortunately despite the Houdini I's
success, Apple has decided to halt production of the Houdini I card two
and half months later. Because of the production stoppage, DOS card
upgrade packages, which consist of just the Houdini I card, have become
increasingly hard to find. Quadra 610/DOS systems, stripped Q610s with
Houdini I cards already installed, more recently discontinued June 13,
1994 are somewhat easier to find than the upgrade packages. Net rumors
suggest that Apple produced some 25,000 Houdini I cards.

The Houdini I was originally concepted for use in Quadra class Macs
equipped with a '040 PDS slot.  Apple has only sanctioned the Houdini I
for use with Centris/Quadra 610s. However, the Houdini I can in fact run
in many '040 Macs! Apple's limits use of the Houdini I to 610s because
of differing problems with Houdini's use in '040 Macs other than the
610s.

Problems with other '040 Macs include things like video blanking,
placement of cables holes in the back, RF emissions and physical seating
of the PDS card (Remember, the 610s need an L-shaped PDS/NuBus
connector). Besides the '040 PDS slot, a Houdini I out-of-the-box will
also require a portion of the host Mac's RAM. Because of this, the host
Mac must have at least 8mb RAM so that the Mac and DOS card can be of
any practical use (4mb for the Mac, 4mb for the DOS card).

The Houdini I is nothing short of amazing. It's amazing in its low cost,
high utility and in its timing -- shipping just as the PowerMacs debut.
In hindsight, the Houdini I should have been introduced when the second
wave of '040 Macs (the Centris 610s, 650s and the Quadra 800s) arrived.
Such a card then would have really helped to increase Macintosh market
share among computer users.


o Which Mac Users Can Use the Houdini I --------------------------------

The Houdini I was ultimately configured and Apple certified for the
Centris/Quadra 610. However, someone pointed out that the Houdini I can
be used in most Quadra class Macs equipped with a '040 PDS slot. Because
of someone's foresight, we can use the Houdini I in a variety of '040
Macs.


o Does the Houdini I work in a... --------------------------------------

:: Centris 650?

[Yes...] First and foremost - it works. In fact, I've been playing DOOM
all night long. (Is there anything else to do with a 486 machine? ;))

Installation in a C650 (same for a Q650) was fairly easy, but it's kinda
messy - the card easy plugs into the PDS, but there is nothing to
support it and you have to plug in a special 23 pin adapter to the back
of the card. You have to hold the card firmly and wrestle the adapter
on.

To get the PC sounds to come through the Mac's speaker, there is a 4 pin
cable that attaches to the top of the Houdini I card and goes to the
place on the motherboard where the CD out attaches. If you don't have an
internal CD, no problem, just attach the cable. If you do have an
internal CD, you must plug the cable from the CD into another 4 pin
prong at the top of the Houdini I card... I've not tried my internal CD,
but I don't have any reason to believe the play through won't work - the
PC sounds come through just fine.
 - J. Taggart Gorman ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 650?

[Yes...] I've tried it, and it works wonderfully. I ran it on a
two-monitor system: the Mac used a SuperMac 20 inch and a Spectrum IV
24-bit card, the DOS card was hooked up to a Magnavox (imitation RGB).
This worked great - when you
switch environments, the side you're *not* using dims visibly, a nice
touch. Using the single-monitor setup on the SuperMac did not work, it
looked like the monitor's sync rates got hosed.

Someone who puts the Houdini I in a 650 should be very careful of the
cable snaking out the back of the machine, that NO unnecessary downward
pressure is applied to that cable. This downward pressure exerts torque
on the card itself, and will cause the card to tilt forward in its PDS
slot. (Referring to the user quoted in the FAQ whose PRAM got hosed,
perhaps this was the cause of the problem?) It seems to me that an
excellent solution would be to cut a hole in the NuBus slot's plastic
shield (the one you remove to make room for the cable), just big enough
for the cable. The basic goal is to support the cable as it exits the
case, preventing the torque effect. (Note: I haven't actually done this,
as the card was soon transported to a 610.)
 - Andrew T. Laurence ([e-mail])

[and No?] I tried it, first off, the video cable has to be snaked out
the back of the machine (Real ugly). Second off, it works for about 20
mins & then scrambled the PRAM (More ugliness). Third, it won't function
with the Audiovision drivers on that Mac...
 - Dan Schnur ([e-mail])

[However, J. Taggart Gorman insists] I have my Houdini I running in a
Centris 650, not a Quadra 650, but I can't think of any reason that it
would have trouble in a Q650, like [e-mail] reported.
 - J. Taggart Gorman ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 660av?

[Ehhh...kinda. Here are some comments]

There is indeed an "overdriving" problem in the single monitor
environment. The monitor in the DOS environment is very bright. This can
be easily corrected by readjusting the brightness of the monitor. But if
a second monitor is used, the problem is not there or not obvious.
 - Xiaolin Zhao ([e-mail])

Sound is broken fairly badly, and starting up the PC is not entirely
reliable. When it works, though, it works very well...

I've managed to work out some more information on the Houdini I/660av
conflicts. The sound problems are evidently a symptom, not the problem
itself. Evidently, the Houdini I support software (the PC Setup control
panel) does something that the AV's DSP subsystem doesn't like, which
takes causes the Sound Manager, Express Modem, and AV DSP plug-in for
PhotoShop to hang tightly when they try to talk to the DSP. This is why
turning the sound volume down to 0 works around the problem, since the
Sound Manager doesn't bother passing anything to the DSP in that case.

It works, but with the following problems:
= Video overdriving in a single-monitor setup (many monitors can handle
this just fine).
= No sound support. In fact, it completely wedges the DSP subsystem--no
sound (Mac or PC), no Express Modem, no PhotoShop AV plug-in, no sound
input, etc.
= Serial ports only work for output (doesn't like serial DMA,
evidently).
 - Amanda Walker ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 700?

[Yes] I installed the DOS card and got it up and running with very
little trouble... The card does not reach the back of the computer but
you can get the cable through the hole if you are persistent...The PC
sound is a problem because the card uses the CD in on the 610 as an
input. The 700 has no CD in. I hope to figure some work around for this
to.
 - Michael Bradd ([e-mail])

The Houdini I installed in my Q700 just fine. Michael Bradd mentioned
that his Houdini I card caused the case cover to bulge (the Houdini I
board seemed a 1/4 cm too tall for the Quadra 700 case). Depending on
how you close the cover, the board either clears or hits some tabs on
the cover. Keep in mind that I didn't connect the sound out cable to my
Houdini I since the card is in a Quadra 700. If I had connected the 4
pin sound out cable then I'm sure my case would've bulged also.
 - Anton Prastowo ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 800?

[Yes] "...the Houdini I works fine in a Q800...You have to feed the
video cable in through the access hole for the first NuBus card, but
everything runs great."
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 840av?

[No] The 840AV has no PDS slot for the Houdini I to plug into.
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])


:: Quadra 950?

[Yes] I have been using a Houdini I (Apple DOS Compatible) card in my
Quadra 950 for about four months with no problems at all.

The only limitation is the fact that the monitor cables have to be
routed through an open NuBus port in the case and the card is somewhat
unstable in the PDS slot since it is no anchored by the case as it is on
the Q610. Thus a tug on the monitor cable could dislodge the card while
the machine were running. I'm not sure what damage could result, but I'm
sure it wouldn't be pretty. I solved the problem by using a blank NuBus
port cover and cutting a slot into it so that the cable nestles better.
Not perfect, but better than an open port.

The REAL limitation is that the card occupies the PDS and I can no
longer use the FastCache Quadra card from DayStar. There has been a
noticeable degradation in speed as a result of taking the DayStar cache
out.
 - [e-mail]


:: PowerMac?

[No] There is no '040 PDS slot in a PowerMac (duh!). But you can run
SoftWindoze instead if you have 16mb of RAM. However, as of January 1995
there is a new model of the DOS card - Houdini II - which is designed to
be used in the PMac 6100s. See the forthcoming Houdini II FAQ for more
information on this new DOS compatibility card.


:: Quadra 605s? LC 475s? '030 Macs? '020 Macs? LC Macs? Mac Classic? Fat
Macs? Apple ]I[? Apple //e? Sinclair ZX-81? Atari 2600?

No, the Houdini I will not work in these machines.


o Houdini I Pro/Con ----------------------------------------------------

You can only get so much for $399 so there are a few drawbacks to the
Apple's DOS solution.

= The card uses an Intel 486SX FPU-free processor instead of the more
capable FPU-equipped 486DX processor.

= Houdini I has NO physical parallel printer port. So if you're
interested in using the card for devices like EPROM burners and logic
analyzers that use a parallel port, you're out of luck.

= There is no support for a PC sound card like the ubiquitous Sound
Blaster. (So the Houdini I isn't the complete kick-ass DOOM machine that
many of you hoped it might have been.)

= Houdini's display requires a dedicated monitor as opposed to SoftPC's
DOS window on the Mac desktop solution. In other words, with a single
monitor set-up, your monitor will display either the DOS screen or the
Mac desktop. You toggle between the Mac and DOS environment with a
keyboard combo in the single monitor set-up. You can, however, use two
monitors -- one for the host Mac and one for the Houdini I card. (**
Note that this is also an advantage. Unlike SoftPC or OrangePC, the
Houdini I card does not map a VGA or SVGA display onto a Mac window.
This frees the 486 processor from display mapping calculations and so
improves the speed of the Houdini I.)

= Unless you add a SIMM to the DOS card, you _must_ allocate RAM from
the host Mac to the DOS card. This of course means you will have less
available RAM for your Mac.

= Mouse drivers are not included with the Houdini I. Even if you do get
a mouse driver, implementation of the 2 button PC mouse on a single
button Mac mouse is somewhat awkward.

= No Ethernet networking

= The vaunted Microserf Windoze (tm) operating system is not included in
the package. You must buy and install Windoze on your own.

= You will be confused as what to do with the money you've saved by
buying a $399 Houdini I instead of a $1000 OrangePC card or PC system.
:)


o I need a DOS solution. Should I get a Houdini I? ---------------------

The answer really depends on your needs. For starters, your current
situation should described by the following:

= You should have a Centris/Quadra 610 _or_ be willing to live with
Houdini's idiosyncrasies from use in Macs such as Centris/Quadra 650,
Quadra 700, Quadra 800.

= You should have at least 8mb RAM in your Mac.

= You have enough room on your hard drive for a PC drive container file
of 20mb or more.

= You don't need a PC soundcard.

= You don't need networking.

= You don't need a parallel port.

= You don't need card expansion options.


o MacWorld gave the Houdini I 2 out of 5 stars. Why? -------------------

The May 1994 issue of MacWorld reviewed Apple's DOS Compatibility Card
and naively awarded it only 2 out of 5 stars. Galen Gruman's review
_did_ identify that the DOS card was inexpensive and relatively fast for
a 486SX-25 system. Nevertheless, MacWorld's blubbering about Houdini's
lack of networking, expansion options and (the official) limitation to
Centris/Quadra 610s earned the Houdini I just 2 stars. MacWorld instead
recommended the overpriced OrangePC card as a better PC-in-a-Mac
solution.

It seems that MacWorld's review was mired in:

1) A "Just the specs ma'am" attitude. Performance performance
   performance -- as opposed to any real world criteria that any average
   user might use. Cost is a _very_ important factor. Considering the DOS
   card's utility, $399 is not that much. In comparison, the $1000 OrangePC
   card offers only 50% extra utility at more than _TWICE_ the cost!

2) Advertiser pandering -- talk about a product plug for an
   astronomically priced alternative (OrangePC) compared to the Houdini I's
   $399 price tag. I also liked the way they referred a previous OrangePC
   review (Oct. 1993 if you're interested -- heh heh).

Ignoring MacWorld's conclusion, the DOS card was actually given a fair
shake. MacWorld noted its low cost and that it was "the real thing" --
not emulation as in Insignia Solutions' SoftPC. The review found that
the DOS card's performed about 16% faster than a typical (whatever that
means) 486SX-25 system from Zeos International. MacWorld also added that
the DOS card performed on par with a Tandy 486SX and (ironically) a
Quadra 610.

MacWorld championed the OrangePC card because it offered networking
options, some expansion options, and the ability to be used in most
Macs. The Houdini I lacks those business-oriented features. But if you
want all that for $399 -- buy yourself a DOS box baby.


o Alternatives to the Houdini I card -----------------------------------

:: SoftPC

By Insignia, this application emulates a 286 PC on a Mac. Unlike the
Houdini I, SoftPC has a networking option! Besides the OrangePC, this is
your only other option if you need networking. It's relatively cheap and
it runs on most Macs. However it requires lots of memory
and...it...is...S-L-O-W.


:: OrangePC card

The OrangePC, by Orange Micro, was the original "PC on a NuBus card" for
the Mac. Since it is a NuBus card, the OrangePC will work in just about
_any_ Mac with a free NuBus slot (for those of you unable to use the
Houdini I). The OrangePC card the only other "PC on a board" alternative
to the Houdini I card. There is a networking option through the
OrangePC's PCMCIA slot (if the one you get has one.)

Unfortunately, the basic 486SX version's price starts at $1000 and DX
versions go up from there. Sure there are many features on the OrangePC,
but you can practically get a complete 486 system for the price of an
OrangePC. See for yourself (note the configurations)...

An example of _educational_ pricing for OrangePC cards (May 26, 1994):
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Model210 486SX/33    4MB  VGA Serial/Parallel           DOS6 ...$1015
Model210 486DX/33    4MB  VGA PCMCIA Slot               DOS6 ...$1149
Model250 486SX/33    8MB SVGA PCMCIA Slot               DOS6 ...$1505
Model250 486DX/33    8MB SVGA PCMCIA Slot               DOS6 ...$1639
Model290 486DX2/66   8MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2157
Model290 486DX2/66  16MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2531
Model290 486DX2/66   0MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$1758 no RAM
Model290 486DX4/100 16MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2885
Model290 486DX4/100  0MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2112 no RAM
PCMCIA Ethernet TP .............................................$ 179
PCMCIA Ethernet BNC ............................................$ 200
PCMCIA Token Ring ..............................................$ 555
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
 - complied by Eric Carter ([e-mail])

The OrangePC is expensive ($1000 for starters, $2900 nicely loaded) and
it runs on most Macs. It has a serial _AND_ a parallel port!


:: PowerMac with SoftWindows

You'll need at least 16MB RAM and applications that _don't_ require
enhanced 486 mode (most of 'em need enhanced 486 mode). There is Novell
NetWare support however. If you have a PowerMac 7100 or 8100 this is your
only choice aside from...


:: A full 486 PC system

Can't beat this. They're dirt cheap. It's just the thing -- a second
system that your kids or spouse could use. No more fighting for time on
the computer!
Of course you'll need more desk space for this solution.


o Where to get the Houdini I card --------------------------------------

Since Apple halted production of the Houdini I, you will have a
difficult time finding a Houdini I card. Your best bet might be scouring
universities for unhappy Houdini I owners wishing to unload their now
discontinued card.

What you'll be looking for is either the Mac system called the 'Quadra
610 DOS Compatible' which is a Q610 with a DOS card pre-installed, or
the upgrade called the 'DOS Compatibility Card.' The upgrade's official
U.S. Apple price was $399. Educational pricing seems to hover around
$350. Note that the DOS card in the Q610 DOS bundle prices out to be
only about $200 extra (about $100 extra with educational pricing!).

As mentioned before, those of you still interested in the Houdini I
should take a look at Apple's Houdini II for the PowerMac 6100 and Reply
Corporation's DOS card for Macs with '040 PDS slots. Both of these new
cards have SoundBlaster capability and include 486DX processors.



------------------------------------------------------------------------
2) Quick and Dirty Q & A -----------------------------------------------

o Is the Houdini I discontinued? ---------------------------------------

Yes, the Houdini I card was discontinued some two and half months after
its introduction.


o Does installing a SIMM on the Houdini I improve performance? ---------

The simple answer is YES. See the Memory section of the Tech Notes.


o Can I use 72 pin Mac SIMMs? Can I use standard PC SIMMs? -------------

Yes. See the Memory section of the Tech Notes.


o Can you use the Houdini I in a clock-chipped Mac? --------------------

I have the Houdini I in a 660av... the '040 in the Mac clock-chipped at
32MHz.
 - Andrew Sinclair-Day ([e-mail])


o Is the provided MS-DOS 6.2 for the Houdini I complete? ---------------

Yes, the MS-DOS 6.2 that goes with the Houdini I is complete. I
temporarily installed it on a DOS machine to confirm that.
 - David A. Hughes ([e-mail])


o Will Chicago run on the Houdini I? -----------------------------------

Looks like Chicago will run on the Houdini I. See the Operating System
section of the Tech Notes.


o Can I take the SoundBlaster card from the Houdini II and use ---------
  the SoundBlaster card in an older Houdini I card?

[No] The connector on the original Houdini card was for purpose of
testing and debug. It will not support the inclusion of a Sound Blaster
card.  The connector on the 6100 DOS card, though looking similar, is
different and not compatible. This connector does support the custom
Sound Blaster card designed for this card. The DOS compatible card from
Reply, also has this same connector.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


o Does RAMDoubler work with the Houdini I? -----------------------------

Yes. I ran RAMDoubler 1.02 on a Q610 which had donated 2 MB of RAM to
the Houdini I. It looks like RAMDoubler won't try to compress System
Memory, but will only try to reclaim unused System memory, and the
Houdini I marks its memory as used in the System memory partition. Be a
little careful, though. It tried to simulate 8*2 = 16 MB of RAM on the
Mac side even though only 6MB were really available. If I had donated 4
MB to the Houdini I card (say, to play DOOM), I would be running
RAMQuadrupler, trying to extract 16 MB space out of 4 MB real RAM.
 - Eric Hsu ([e-mail])


o Why does the Houdini I come with a wimpy FPU-free 486SX and not ------
  a more beefy FPU-equipped 486DX?

This is probably due to marketing surveys and price points. Perhaps
Apple's marketing people decided that there would be more resistance to
the DOS card if the price was $100 more. Sound support and a DX would
have pushed the price of the original Houdini I well over $550.


o Can I swap the 486SX processor in the Houdini I for a 486DX? ---------

Yes you can switch processors with some minor modifications to the
Houdini I board. See the Microprocessor section of the Tech Notes.


o Instead of making those modifications, can't I just swap the SX ------
  for a DX chip?

It would seem that just swapping the chips would work, HOWEVER the
shunts are NEEDED to ensure that the FPU exceptions are handled
correctly.
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])


o What happens if you install a 486DX2/66? -----------------------------

As you may have guessed, it runs at 50 MHz internally (no I haven't yet
tried upping my Houdini I card to 33 MHz). It seems to work fine, and
what with DX2/66 prices being officially dropped, it may be easier to
find a cheap used 66 MHz chip than a 50 MHz.

In the end, I only really wanted to double my clock speed and not do any
FPU-type stuff, so for the moment I'm not going to install the shunts.

Front Page Sports Football played at least 50% faster, Doom seemed
smoother, but not any faster. Actually, my mouse seemed slower. Graphics
software like qpeg, display and vmpeg all seem totally functional (I
thought they might search for an FPU and then use it). The only weird
effect I've noticed is that the PC no longer can print out through COM1
into a Mac text file. This was a handy little trick, but easily worked
around.
 - Eric Hsu ([e-mail])


o What's the difference between a bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible ----
  and a Quadra 610 with a DOS Compatibility Card installed?

The only difference is that the bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible comes
with a 68LC040(FPU-free version of '040) and that some configurations of
Q610s come with a 68040(FPU equipped!). The genuine bundled Quadra 610
DOS Compatible has no FPU, whereas an upgraded Q610 will have either a
68040(FPU-equipped) or a 68LC040(FPU-free) depending on which Q610
configuration it was originally.

Other than that, price would be the only difference. A price breakdown
of the Quadra 610 DOS Compatible shows that the DOS card is only an
additional $200 (or as low as $100 with educational pricing). The DOS
Compatibility upgrade is of course officially $399. Do the math.


o What is DOOM and what does it have to do with the Houdini I? ---------

From the DOOM FAQ, "DOOM is a three dimensional, virtual reality type
action game created by id Software. In some ways, it is similar to
Wolfenstein 3-D (id Software, Apogee)."

And yes it runs on the Houdini I. I would say that DOOM could be _the_
killer app for the Houdini I. Imagine..."Now included with every Apple
DOS Compatibility card, a copy of DOOM!" -- DOS cards would fly off the
shelves! Big hint Apple.


o Where can I get the DOOM FAQ? ----------------------------------------

You can find the DOOM FAQ at

Official DOOM ftp site:
infant2.sphs.indiana.edu

DOOM ftp sites include:
ftp.uml.edu  /pub/msdos/Games/id (?)
ftp.uwp.edu  /pub/msdos/games/id/home-brew/doom
wuarchive.wustl.edu  /pub/msdos_uploads/games/doomstuff


o What does the chip labeled Music do? ---------------------------------

The Music part is the video DAC. It is a combined part including the
CLUT/DAC and video clock synthesizer.
 - Jim Stockdale


o What is required to install the Houdini I in a non-610 Mac? ----------

Those of you considering the Houdini I for use in a non-610 Mac might be
curious to what is required to install the Houdini I in a non-610 Mac.
It's not that difficult at all -- requiring a bit of patience.

Above all, take your time -- that's pretty good advice for any sort of
installation. The process is like a 12 step program.

  1) Separate the Houdini I card from the L-shaped assembly.
     Holding the Houdini I card assembly, component side facing you and
     PDS connector pointing down, there should be a screw with a plastic
     washer in the lower right hand corner of the Houdini I board. This
     screw holds the Houdini I board to the L-shaped assembly. Save this
     screw and washer -- you might want to sell the Houdini I to a real
     610 owner someday (or return it). Screw both back onto the metal
     assembly. Put the assembly back in the box for safekeeping. Remove
     the metal bracket from around the Houdini's DB connector by unscrewing
     two screws and their washers. Again save these screws and washers.
     Put 'em back in the box.

  2) Insert the Houdini I into the '040 PDS slot.
     Make sure the card is seated as far into the PDS slot as it can
     go. A loose card will mean trouble.

  3) Remove a nearby NuBus slot plastic cover in back.

  4) Take the connector intended for the Houdini I (from the special
     4-way cable) and slide through the newly open slot in back into
     the case.

  5) Connect the cable to the Houdini I card.

  6) Connect the monitor connector for either one or two monitor
     environment.

  7) Connect the 4 pin cable from the Houdini I to the CD-in of your
     computer (if your computer has one).

  8) Install Houdini I software.

  9) Create PC drive file on your hard drive (initialize the PC drive!).

 10) Re-boot with PC Setup ON.

 11) Install MS-DOS onto PC drive file.

 12) Enjoy the DOS world.



------------------------------------------------------------------------
3) Tech Notes ----------------------------------------------------------

o Microprocessor -------------------------------------------------------

Houdini I uses an Intel 80486SX running at 25 MHz (no FPU). This is
basically an Intel 80486 without a Floating Point Unit (FPU).

Users wishing for a little added speed can substitute a DX version of
the 486 in place of the SX version. Jim Stockdale first hinted at this
possibility. From this hint, David Ramsey performed some experiments and
posted his findings. Some soldering modifications do have to be made
before the DX processor can be used. These modifications enable the FPU
on the DX chip to be utilized by the Houdini I.

The pinouts of the SX, DX, and DX2 are different. However, it is
possible to upgrade. An enterprising person with the pinouts of the
various 486's and an ohmmeter can find the hooks we put on the board to
make the swap.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: David Ramsey's 486SX/DX findings:

I can now report that not only does the card work well in a Quadra 800,
but it works even better if you pop the 486SX/25 and replace it with a
486DX2/50!...Awfully nice of Apple to use a PGA version of the chip and
socket it...it seems to work fine...got a good 40% performance boost in
most CPU-bound benchmarks. DOOM is visibly faster, too.

For those wanting the replace the 486SX/25 processors in their Houdini I
cards with DX, DX/2, or DX4 processors, here are the changes you need to
make to the card (aside from just plugging the processor in). There are
a few subtle pinout differences that need to be accounted for floating
point error conditions and the processor NMI to work correctly.

Poring over some 486 pinouts and poking around with an ohmmeter (by a
friend, not me) reveals the board is configured via some zero ohm
resistor shunts. The standard Houdini I has a shunt installed at board
location R56. If you replace the 486SX/25 with a DX/DX2/DX4 processor,
this shunt should be removed, and shunts should be installed at R54,
R55, and R57. You can use a small piece of wire for the shunts. I
imagine this completely torches your warranty!

If you're using a DX2/DX4 processor, a heat sink or processor fan is
strongly advised.

For the truly brave, it's noted that the board components are good for
33MHz if anyone wants to try clock chipping their card. However, there
are some ROM BIOS timing routines that are dependent on the 25MHz clock
so this may not work. If anyone tries this -- it should be pretty simple
with a test clip -- post your results!

Any of these modifications are at your own risk and have not been
endorsed or condoned by Apple.
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])


o Operating systems ----------------------------------------------------

:: MS-DOS 6.2

Houdini I comes with a complete copy of Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2.


:: Windows (tm)

You must get Windoze separately, but Windoze will run on Houdini I.


:: OS/2

Comments made so far have not been too encouraging. -- OS/2 for Windows
cannot be installed using diskettes. When I started installation...the
Houdini I booted and showed IBM logo and asked for Disk 1 to be
inserted. After the disk 1 was inserted, the OS/2 logo showed, the
Houdini I froze after some floppy disk activity. I believe that the
problem is the device driver, but I could be wrong. Normally, during
OS/2 set up, the system will try to find out the hardware info, such as
video, memory, fixed disk, and floppy drive. As I understand, the floppy
drive is NOT controlled by Houdini I card, this could pose a big problem
for OS/2.
 - Xiaolin Zhao ([e-mail])


:: Linux

I really wanted the board to run Linux, but that looks like it may be
difficult to do... In other words, Linux can't read from /fd0 because it
cannot recognize it without the standard DOS floppy drive signature.
 - Eric W. Sarjeant ([e-mail])

Jim Stockdale notes:  I'll make a few points about Houdini I. Why Linux
doesn't run is probably as follows: [ed. note: they probably apply to
OS/2 also]

We developed a disk interface for hard disk and floppy access which
though compatible at the BIOS level, use a totally different hardware
architecture. Therefore, if the Linux OS attempts to find an IDE
controller, an MFM floppy controller, a SCSI controller or any other
piece of PC hardware, it will fail. This is also why  software like
Microsoft Backup and others that attempt to talk directly to hardware
doesn't work.

That said, the other parts of the system are very much standard. Chips &
Tech. 4031/4035 chipset, Phoenix/Intel PS2 keyboard / mouse controller
C&T 450 based VGA controller (with BIOS modified to control Apple
monitors) and register compatible serial and parallel ports. The system
BIOS we use for the PC side is provided by C&T and the only
modifications are to the power on self-test routines.

Apple has not published the API for the Houdini I system,...yet. They
may do so. It is not my decision, though I have been a proponent of
doing so.

If Apple decided to publish the API, it is possible that Linux could be
made to work, if a BIOS level driver could be written, rather than
trying to talk directly to hardware.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: Chicago

I successfully installed a beta version [of Chicago] on Houdini I and
even got the CD-ROM to work. It was pretty buggy but I put that down to
beta problems because I had similar difficulty on a DOS machine.
 - David A. Hughes ([e-mail])


o PC Mouse -------------------------------------------------------------

Houdini I uses a plain mouse click for a left PC mouse button click, the
'=' keypad key for a right PC mouse button click and finally both
together for a dual left and right PC mouse button click.

As mentioned before, Houdini I supports a _2_ button PC mouse. I haven't
heard of any word on 3 button mouse support. Strangely, a PC mouse
driver is not included in the MS-DOS 6.2 install disks. Go figure.

Jim Stockdale explains:  We ship Houdini I with MS-DOS 6.2 which does
not include a mouse driver. If you install Windows, you'll get a mouse
driver. We provided the info on how to emulate the other mouse button
because most users will install Windows or get a bus mouse (PS/2) style
MS Mouse Driver...The mouse support in Houdini I is provided by the
keyboard controller, as it is in a PS/2. This is called a bus mouse, as
opposed to a serial mouse which uses a serial port.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: Get a mouse driver via FTP

You can get a DOS mouse driver via FTP:  aix370.rrz.uni-koeln.de
/pc/msdos/dosutils/mouse80.zip ...and at other fine FTP sites with DOS
archives.
 - Adam Schneider ([e-mail])

I finally got my Apple mouse to work with DOS applications on my Quadra
610 DOS Compatible. (I don't have Windows yet, ergo I don't have the
Windows mouse driver.)  I simply downloaded the latest Microsoft mouse
driver, ran the SETUP.EXE program, and it worked!
 - Adam Schneider ([e-mail])


:: Looking for a mouse driver elsewhere

One thing I want to point out is how to get a DOS mouse driver. I wrote
this information for Apple's Tech Info Library:

The MS-DOS 6.2 software, which comes with the DOS Compatibility Card,
doesn't have drivers for any mouse pointing devices. If Windows 3.x is
installed, it comes with mouse drivers that allow you to use your
Macintosh mouse under Windows. However, unless you install a Microsoft
compatible mouse driver in MS-DOS, then you can't use the Macintosh
mouse in the DOS environment. There are several Microsoft compatible
mouse drivers available through online services and through internet
sites.

Two files found on most of these online services that work properly are
DRVR624.ZIP and MOUSE701.ZIP.

If you have Windows 3.1, you can use the DOS driver located on disk 4
(1.44 MB disks).

The driver is called MOUSE.CO_, and you need to copy it from the disk to
your hard disk. This file is compressed, so you also need to expand the
file. To expand the file type the following command:

expand -r mouse.co_

This creates the MOUSE.COM file on the hard disk. You can use this file
from the MS-DOS Command line, or from a batch file such as the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you place the MOUSE.COM line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file, it loads the mouse driver every time you start MS-DOS.
 - Wayne ([e-mail])


o File conversion ------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card also comes with Mac Easy Open 1.0.4 to facilitate
conversion between the different environment formats. If you need heavy
duty conversion you still require a commercial package for this. Mac
Easy Open1.0.4 has another subtle enhancement, it uses the small icon
view for icons in open/save dialog listings. This is similar to the
DialogView extension.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])


o Floppy use -----------------------------------------------------------

Use <command-E> to eject a floppy disk when in DOS mode.

** Note: To back up the drive files on your Macintosh, either make a
copy of the files by duplicating them in the Finder, or use a Macintosh
backup application program. Do not use PC backup programs. PC backup
programs do not work because the floppy disk drive is controlled by the
Macintosh.
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file


:: Using DOS backup software

You CAN use DOS backup software, just not conventionally. Using the
correct PKzip switches to backup to more than one disk works just great!
 When I moved my entire DOS partition from my 286 desktop computer to
the Houdini I, I simply created my DOS partition in PC Setup, formatted
the drive with Fdisk from my DOS 6.2 startup disk (which you can create
under the setup program to install DOS 6.2), and typed PKunzip
-(switches) from the 68 disk archive I'd created. With the proper
switches, you keep everything, including the Doublespace partition (I
PKzipped from the Host drive, not the Doublespace emulated partition.
This way, the entire Doublespace partition was zipped as one file). The
other way works just fine too.
 - Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])


o Hard drives ----------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card comes with PC Exchange 2.0. The major difference in 2.0 is
that it has a built-in PC SCSI Probe which allows you to mount PC SCSI
discs on your Mac desktop as well as CD drives too. Otherwise you can
create a PC partition file on one of your Mac volumes just like SoftPC.
PC Exchange 2.0 also reads SoftPC hard drive partitions although the
documentation says you can't boot from a SoftPC volume. If you set the
LASTDRIVE option in your CONFIG.SYS in DOS, you can assign multiple
volumes or folders as shared drives in DOS. Which means you can access
your Mac data in DOS by assigning a drive letter to whatever folder you
want. The drawback is that DOS supports only 8.3 names so your long Mac
names look funny in DOS.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

The PC Setup control panel allows you to use PC SCSI drives and
partitions with the DOS Compatibility Card. If you use a PC drive or
partition and you have a utility that mounts these devices on the
Macintosh, be sure to unmount the drive or partition before starting the
PC by dragging its icon to the Trash. If you don't unmount the drive or
partition, you may lose data since both the Macintosh and the PC may
write to the device at the same time.

** NOTE: If you are using Apple's Macintosh PC Exchange 2.0 to mount PC
devices, the software alerts you if you try booting the PC while the
device is mounted.

If you intend to mount your PC drive file, partition, or disk on the
Macintosh using a utility such as Apple's Macintosh PC Exchange, do not
use a PC compression program. Drives that are compressed cannot be
mounted.
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file


:: Doublespace Use and Houdini I

In spite of the DOS Compatibility Read Me file says, Adam Schneider has
had success using Doublespace on his main C: drive. The drawback with
using Doublespace is that even though the Finder can mount the C: drive,
you cannot access the files within the compressed C: drive from the
finder. To transfer files between the compressed C: drive and the Mac
you must first copy the files from the compressed C: drive to another
uncompressed drive file or a shared folder.

An awkward procedure but as Adam insists: ...well worth the extra drive
space you get with Doublespace.
 - Adam Schneider ([e-mail])


:: Virus Reminder for new Houdini I users

There are a lot of PC viruses, most destructive. Houdini I users should
get a PC virus checker and keep it up to date. The most up-to-date
versions of Scan and Clean are good choices.
 - Tom Thatcher ([e-mail])


o CD-ROM use -----------------------------------------------------------

CD-ROM discs can be accessed by both the Macintosh and PC (if the
included PC software is installed). To eject a CD-ROM disc from the PC,
press Command-Y. If the CD-ROM disc cannot be ejected (because a file is
in use or the CD-ROM is being shared), the Macintosh beeps to notify you
and will not eject the CD-ROM disc.
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file

If you don't have a CD-ROM installed on boot up of your Quadra, or do
not turn on file sharing while a CD-ROM is installed, your CD-ROM will
not be shared, hence, you won't have to deal with that stupid prompt.
However, after running DUNE on my internal CD-ROM, I was very impressed
that the setup detected the drive was double speed, and has given
absolutely no errors when playing games.

Using CD players under DOS or Windows is somewhat nerve racking. While
CD-Remote under MacOS does just fine, I wanted to see if it would work
under the Houdini I environment. You can select and play songs through
the CD-ROM, stop, and even eject disks. But under Houdini I (blame the
SCSI chain), you cannot search tracks or scan rewind. Also, the disk
time does not update, meaning the normal queues from the SCSI chain are
not being passed to the Houdini I (can't have it all I guess).
 - Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])


:: Only one CD-ROM accessible through Houdini I

No one should buy one if they wish to address more than 1 CD-ROM from
the DOS side. I just purchased a Q610 DOS and three (3) CD-ROM drives
only to find this out from Apple support. Jim Stockdale was kind enough
to confirm this to me via email, for which I'm grateful. The retail
salesman did not know that the Houdini I would only access one SCSI ROM
drive. Additionally, it appears from Apple support that the special
CDDRVR that is loaded via the AUTOEXEC.BAT file was written for SONY
mechanisms such as the "Apple" CD-ROM drive.

Bottom line, I could not get the CD-ROM accessed from the DOS side w/o
having to use the sharing arrangement via the DOS Setup Control Panel.
This however, must be done after *every* reboot and is just a pain in
the ass. Furthermore, the DOS program would not acknowledge the data CD
that was in a shared drive and not in the configured SCSI drive.
 - Jim Eley ([e-mail])


:: Houdini I can only use Sony CD-ROM mechanisms

For some reason Apple designed the CD-ROM support in Houdini I for the
Sony drive _only_.
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])


o Memory ---------------------------------------------------------------

[Houdini I] has one 72 pin SIMM slot (empty) for RAM and it accepts 4,
8, 16, and 32mb SIMMs. (I'm not sure about a 1 mb SIMM)  It can also
"borrow" memory directly from the Mac. In a 20 mb machine I was able to
assign increments of 4mb up to 16mb to the DOS card. The memory control
panel will just show a large System Software partition when the DOS card
is using the Mac's RAM. Also, you can't both have on-board RAM and share
some of the Mac's RAM it's either or. I don't have enough RAM to test if
you can assign more than 32mb to the card from a Mac. It shares the RAM
with a DMA controller on the card.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])


:: Avoid Composite SIMMs

Also, Jim Stockdale adds:  I am pretty sure Apple will not guarantee
Houdini I will operate properly with composite SIMMs. Memory timing
could be compromised due to the increased signal loading. Note that
Houdini I, as well as Macs with the 72 pin SIMM connector will support
double sided SIMMs. These SIMMs are configured as two different memory
banks with up to 8 devices per bank providing data. Parity SIMMs can be
used, though the parity RAMs themselves are not accessed.


:: SIMM and Improved Houdini I Performance

There is a fairly substantial performance improvement on both the PC and
Mac side when a SIMM is plugged into the Houdini I.  Without a SIMM, all
PC memory accesses need to do a DMA cycle on the Mac.  Though the Mac
memory controllers support burst read accesses, there is still LOTS of
data flying around on the bus when both processors are running code.
Memory writes cannot be bursted on the Mac, and DOS does LOTS of writes.
 We provide a write buffer on the Houdini I, but there is still a
performance loss.

When a SIMM is plugged in, only BIOS ROM accesses need to do Mac DMA
cycles. Since there isn't nearly as much OS support in the ROM as in the
Mac OS, the amount of time the PC is accessing ROM (Mac DMA) is pretty
small. All other memory accesses from the 486 talk to the SIMM RAM.
Accesses to the Houdini I SIMM are very fast, typically taking only
about six 25MHz clock cycles to fetch 4 longwords of data. Access to Mac
shared memory take many more, due to the bus arbitration time and the
synchronization between the two CPU busses running from different
clocks.

A faster Mac Memory bus (like a 33MHz Quadra) will improve shared memory
performance, but it will still be slower than when there is a SIMM
installed.

There is only one memory allocation in the Mac for the PC memory space.
When the system boots, memory size parameters are stored in the Mac PRAM
and the memory allocation for the Houdini I is done very early in the
bootup sequence.

In other words, if you want a 4mb shared memory space for Houdini I,
that parameter is stored in Mac PRAM and a contiguous 4mb memory region
in Mac memory is reserved when the slot manager initializes the card.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: Using 1mb SIMMs

1mb SIMMs will work in the Houdini I, but it's nearly worthless...too
much lag in swapfiles. You cannot access more than 32mb to the Houdini I
card -- I tried it. I'm not sure if the limitation is in the Houdini I
or the Macintosh though.

Something I was impressed with though was the ability to access nearly
all the hard memory available on the Mac to the Houdini I (8mb on a 12mb
machine), and then shore up the Macintosh with Virtual Memory. Someone
was thinking somewhere.
 - Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])


o Memory managers ------------------------------------------------------

If you use a memory management utility such as EMM386 or QEMM, you need
to configure it to be compatible with your DOS Compatibility Card.

:: If will be using EMM386 (included as part of DOS) and don't require
   expanded memory, set CONFIG.SYS to:
   DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM=D000-EFFF

:: If you require expanded memory, set CONFIG.SYS to:
   DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM=D000-EFFF FRAME=D000

:: If you use QEMM, it is recommended that you use the frame option
   (ST:F):
   DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:F ARAM=B080-B7FF ARAM=C900-DFFF R:1

:: If you choose to use the Stealth mapping option (ST:M), set
   CONFIG.SYS to:
   DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M X=C800-CFFF X=FC00-FCFF
   X=FE00-FFFF ARAM=B080-B7FF ARAM=C900-DFFF R:2

For other memory management utilities, configure them so that the only
areas in the BIOS that can be mapped to upper memory are from D000
through EFFF.

Make sure you verify that the HIMEM.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file has
the switch to turn memory testing off. If the HIMEM.SYS line doesn't
turn memory testing off, the ROM BIOS may become corrupted when the DOS
Compatibility Card is configured for 2 mb of memory:
  DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF

** NOTE: Apple does not recommend using automated memory configuration
utilities with the DOS Compatibility Card because they can require more
memory than management utilities you configure manually. They can also
be incompatible with the DOS Compatibility Card.
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file


:: Avoid using 386MAX

Be very careful about using memory managers. I installed 386MAX which
appeared to work great. However, the floppy drive could no longer could
write to a disk. This problem affected the Houdini I/PC side initially
but then became a problem on the Mac side. I actually bought a
replacement floppy drive because I figured out that 386MAX was
clobbering some portion of memory reserved of peripheral management.
 - Todd Katz ([e-mail])


o Joystick -------------------------------------------------------------

Houdini I provides a 15-pin connector for PC-style joysticks. Note that
the joystick port uses the same DB-15 connector as the monitor port. DO
NOT switch the two! (i.e. monitor port going to the joystick and
joystick port going to the monitor.)


o Parallel ports -------------------------------------------------------

There is no physical parallel printing port available with the card, but
the card does emulate a PC printer though LPT1:. There is a PC Print
Monitor installed in your extensions folder that prints jobs from the
card.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

Those looking for a parallel port must look to certain versions of
OrangePC cards or a full PC system.


o Serial ports ---------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card allows you to use any Mac serial port as a COMx: device in
DOS. You have to assign the port in the PC setup and the card opens the
port so you can't share a modem between the two without going into PC
setup. The card only supports COM1 and COM2.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

I don't know if DOS apps that write directly to UART registers would
work, though (I tend to think not).
 - David Ramsey ([e-mail])

The maximum baud rate supported by the DOS Compatibility Card when a COM
port is mapped to a Macintosh serial port is 19,200. If you're capturing
serial output to a Macintosh file, there is no limit.

Due to the RS-232 implementation of the Macintosh, not all RS-232
signals are available. These signals are not available: Carrier Detect
(CD), Data Set Ready (DSR), Request to Send (RTS), and Ring Indicator
(RI). If your application or serial device requires these signals, it
will not work.

The DOS Compatibility Card does not support Carrier Detect (CD). You
must configure your communications applications so they do not use CD.
Most communications applications can be set to respond to the CARRIER
string sent back by most modems.
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file


:: Serial Port Mapping

The serial port mapping from Mac the PC follows:
--------------------------------------------
              Mac Mini
 Mac Signal    DIN-8    DB-25   RS-232 Name
--------------------------------------------
 HSKo            1        20        DTR
 HSKi            2       5,8      CTS,DCD
 TXD-            3        2         TXD
 GND             4        7         GND
 RXDA-           5        3         RXD
 TXDA+           6       N/C         -
 GPi             7       N/C         -
 RXD+            8        7         GND
--------------------------------------------
 - DOS Compatibility Read Me file


o Printing -------------------------------------------------------------

You can print to Mac-connected PostScript printers, or to QuickDraw
printers (if you're using an Epson printer driver on the PC side).
 - Amanda Walker ([e-mail])


:: Turn off Background Printing

When printing from the PC side, turn off background printing. The PC
side spools to an extension called PC Print Spooler. If background
printing is turned on, then the PC Print Spooler output is directed to
PrintMonitor, another spooler, slowing output. In fact, when running
Windows, the Windows spooler should be turned off as well, for the same
reason.
[explained to me by Apple Tech Assistance over the phone]
 - Tom Thatcher ([e-mail])


:: Faster Stylewriter Printing

When printing to a Stylewriter, I have found that printing is more than
twice as fast when using the Stylewriter II driver.

If you use Stylewriter II version 1.2, you also need Chooser version
7.3, which is not included on the system 7.1 disks. [personal
experience]
 - Tom Thatcher ([e-mail])


o Copy & Paste ---------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card installer includes a utility for the Mac and a PC TSR which
converts the Mac clipboard into a DOS clipboard or Windows clipboard and
vice-versa. I tried using simple text transfer between both and it
worked fine.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

To copy from DOS, press control-option-C. A white cursor box will appear
in the center of the screen.  Use the arrow keys or the mouse if you
have a mouse driver installed to position the cursor at the start of the
text you want to copy. Hold the shift key down or press the mouse button
and use the arrows or mouse to highlight the text to be copied. Release
the shift or mouse button when the selection is complete. The Mac will
play a sound which sounds like scissors cutting the text (the sound will
be played twice). Then switch to the Mac and look at the clipboard
contents.

If you are still having problems, make sure the PC Clipboard application
and translators are installed in the extensions folder, as well as the
Macintosh Easy Open cdev.

To Paste to DOS, place the cursor where you want the text placed, and
press control-option-V.

The copy paste in DOS is screen based only. There is not a consistent
clipboard definition for DOS applications, so we had to do our own,
which, by the way adds copy paste functionality to DOS applications
which don't have it.

In Windows, there is a consistent clipboard capability between
applications, so when the Clipboard Converter application is installed
in the Windows Startup Items group, it automatically translates
copy/paste between the Mac and PC. The app is installed by our setup
application on the PC install disk.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


o Networking -----------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card doesn't support the on-board Ethernet so you can't do
Ethernet in DOS/Windows. The documentation doesn't even mention this.
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

Apple is certainly aware that network drivers for the PC are critical
for the success of Houdini I in business. Accordingly, we are working to
develop a solution. No time frame has been established for availability.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: Logging Into Novell File Servers

Despite the networking inadequacies, you can use the Mac side to log
into a Novell file server and then access the file server from the
Houdini I side.

First you mount the Novell server volume on the Mac side, then you go to
the Houdini I/PC side and assign it to a drive (eg: G:). You can then
access PC files from the Novell server.
 - Wen Ung ([e-mail])

You still cannot run server-based apps that expect to come through the
PC side. You can access files, but this is only half the battle. Still,
your point is a good one as file access is the No. 1 reason to connect
to a
Novell server.
 - Mark Rogowsky ([e-mail])


o Monitor display ------------------------------------------------------

The DOS card can share one monitor attached to both cards via a Y cable
or it can independently drive a VGA, Apple 13, 14 and 16" monitor. The
connector is a standard Mac 15-pin connector. If you use one monitor,
the image jumps when you switch but Apple has an option to fade the Mac
screen before this happens. When you use two screens you can see both
update simultaneously, but when you are in a DOS environment the Mac
screen is always slightly dimmed. I tried connecting two Apple 16"
displays (one the Mac and one to the card) it worked fine. In fact, with
the correct Windows drivers you can easily get 800x600 on the Apple 16".
 - Richard Cardona ([e-mail])

The Houdini I has it's own 512K DRAM based frame buffer. The video
signals (R,G,B, sync) are connected externally via a cable.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])

From the drivers supplied, I gather that the highest resolution in
single-monitor mode is 800x600x16 (if you have an Apple 16" monitor  or
equivalent), and the highest in dual-monitor mode is 1024x768x16  (if
you have a multisync VGA monitor that will go that high). It also
supports 640x480x256 with good speed.
 - Amanda Walker ([e-mail])


:: Sony Universal Adapter for Monitors

One thing I've found useful for the Houdini I and its monitor is the
Sony Universal Adapter. It lets you rotary dial-in the appropriate sense
pins for the monitor you attach. In my case I have an NEC 3FGX, so I can
choose 16", 13", or VGA depending on what my needs are. Actually, using
regular VGA mode with this monitor provides no benefits over the usual
Mac 13" resolution, but the 16" mode has its uses. In case people
haven't noticed, having a 16" monitor attached to Houdini I only shrinks
the DOS area to a 13" area of that monitor. running in 800x600 mode in
Windows, you do get the full usable area of the 16" monitor. Either way,
you are getting a 75Hz scan rate, which is a reason enough to opt for
16" mode over 13" mode.
 - phil ([e-mail])


:: NEC monitors

If you are using an NEC monitor with a sync switch and have to flip the
switch to get DOS unscrambled do the following:  Go into PC setup and
hold down the command key as you click on the version number. A mini DOS
menu appears allowing you a couple of options. At the C> type SYNC OFF
and you will no longer have to flip the sync switch every time you go to
DOS.
 - Gary Bohn ([e-mail])

I think the 5FG has an internal sync switch that would solve this
problem without the control panel.
 - Doug Dinh ([e-mail])


:: Video problems with using Houdini I in a Quadra 660av.

Jim Stockdale responded to a question from Dan Magorian: The monitor
intensity is a function of the termination of the R, G, & B signals. We
"wire OR" the signals in the cable. When the PC is the active display,
the Mac video is programmed to generate a blank level. When the Mac is
active, the BLANK pin of the PC CLUT/DAC is asserted, blanking the video
lines. The jumping you see in the video is a maybe a function of the
sync signals running at different frequencies from the PC and Mac. The
monitor needs to lock on the foreground computer's syncs. The video
circuitry of the 660AV isn't the same as the 610, and a blank level
cannot be programmed. When the video is switched and the PC becomes
active, the outputs of the AV CLUT/DAC are tri-stated and the path to
ground (termination) is removed. This causes the drive from the PC
CLUT/DAC to be higher and the video brighter.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


:: PC Setup 1.02

Apple's System Update 3.0, available on ftp.apple.com, Applelink, etc.
installs the PC Setup 1.02 control panel, which as Jim Stockdale
promised contains a fix for the interference problem in Windows with the
original software on certain monitors, such as the 14" Mac Color
Display.  It also has a cool update to StandardFile that shows icons,
and other good stuff. Recommended.
 - Dan Magorian ([e-mail])

You will notice a slight difference in operation of the screen
switching. In the old PC Setup, the Mac screen appeared immediately when
you switched back from the PC. In the new PC setup, the switching back
to the Mac is accompanied by a repaint of the screen.  This is because
we literally turn off the video horizontal and vertical sync signals
from the Mac when you switch to the PC. When you turn off Hsync, the
refresh to the VRAMs is turned off also and the frame buffer contents
are destroyed. The software now re-draws the frame buffer and passes a
message to all applications to re-draw their windows.  Kind of a hack,
but it cures the problem.

(In answer to why the old 13" monitor was fine, but the newer 14" wasn't
with the 1.0 software): The 14" display uses the same Trinitron tube as
the 13", but different electronics.  The electronics in the 14" appear
less tolerant of noise on the sync lines than the 13".
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])


o Sound ----------------------------------------------------------------

Simple PC beeps are routed from the Houdini I into the CD-in port of the
Q610. For Macs without a CD-in port, there is currently no way to pipe
the PC sound through the Mac. However, one way might be to pipe the PC
sound in the Mic-in port and use Play-Thru or Play-On to play the Mic-in
input through the Mac speaker.

There is no way to add a soundcard such as the Sound Blaster to the DOS
card. The existence of a subset of the ISA bus provided hope that it
would be possible, but unfortunately there are some obstacles and
Soundblaster support is not possible. See the Houdini I ISA Subset Quest
in Tech Notes.


:: 4-pin Audio Connector Pinout

  []       []
  | ------- |    1 - LEFT audio
  | o o o o |    2 - LEFT ground
  |_________|    3 - RIGHT ground
    1 2 3 4      4 - RIGHT audio

 - Andrew Sinclair-Day ([e-mail])


o PC cards -------------------------------------------------------------

There is no facility for adding PC cards to the Houdini I. Those looking
for this capability must look to certain versions of OrangePC cards or a
full PC system.


o ISA bus --------------------------------------------------------------

There's no sanctioned support for an ISA bus. However, Dan Magorian
queried:

There's a connector on Houdini I, about the size of a Mac floppy cable
connector. This is obviously unused: What is it about?
 - Dan Magorian ([e-mail])

Jim Stockdale suggested:  I think the connector you are speaking of has
a subset of the ISA bus signals on it. It could be used for a board with
a function on it such as Soundblaster. Since there is no I/O hole in the
box, it really couldn't support any true I/O. A custom designed board
(using standard chipsets) could be laid out to implement a function such
as Soundblaster, with the audio routed to the Mac audio output, similar
to what we do now with PC timer sounds. I cannot comment on when Apple
or a third party will have such a card, if ever.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])

Dan Magorian is talking about a high density, male IDC-type connector on
the Houdini I board. The corresponding female connector would seem to be
part of a daughterboard. Judging by the available signals, this
hypothetical daughterboard would be some sort of 8-bit, stereo (notice
the SBOUTL and SBOUTR signals) soundcard.

See the Houdini I ISA Subset Quest in the Tech Notes for more
information.


o Performance, performance, performance --------------------------------

:: Soft-PC vs. Houdini I

John Galloway compared SoftPC and Houdini I performance with an informal
test. John used a floating point intensive app (a stock analysis)
running on a 24mb Quadra 800. The 9mb allocated for the SoftPC included
a 2mb for an instruction cache.
    SoftPC 3.1 287 DISabled      12:40
    SoftPC 3.1 287 ON             1:10
    Houdini I SX25   4M Mac RAM   0:20
    Houdini I SX25   4M SIMM      0:17
    Houdini I DX2/50 4M SIMM      ? (< 0:02?)
Besides being slow, SoftPC does not emulate the hardware well enough to
allow this app's modem code to function reliably making it useless while
Houdini I handles it perfectly.
 - John Galloway ([e-mail])


:: Houdini I Benchmarks

Here are benchmarks from MacWorld June 94, p 60; May 94, p 105; June 94,
p 28
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   (Times as |
                                   fast as a |  (Times as fast as a 33Mhz
                                 Mac Classic)|   486 DX PC - 486DX = 1.0)
                                   Excel/Word|AmiPro Lotus123 Access InfoPubl
                                    ---------|------ -------- ------ --------
Compaq Deskpro 5/60M (60MHz Pentium)   31.2  | 2.0     1.5     1.9     2.4
Gateway 2000 (486DX2-66)               23.0  | 1.7     1.4     1.3     1.6
Orange Micro 290 (486DX2-66)*          18.4  | 1.1      .6      .7     1.2
AMI 486/33 (486DX-33)                  15.5  | 1.0     1.0     1.0     1.0
Tandy 3100 Model 10 (486SX-25)         12.1  |  .6      .2      .6      .9
Apple DOS Compatible Card (486SX-25)   11.9  |  .7      .2      .6      .6
SoftWindows on 7100/66 w/256k L2 cache  5.4  |  .3      .2      .2      .4
Centris 650 with SoftPC 3.1             1.6  |  .1      .1      .1      .1

* Prototype OrangePC software/hardware in a PowerMac 7100/66 with 256k
L2 cache.

These benchmarks seem to show that an OrangePC board with a 486DX2-66
performs only about 60-80% of the speed of a real 486DX2-66 computer,
where as a Houdini I board performs at 91-98% of the speed of a real
486SX-25 computer. The OrangePC board doesn't perform as quickly as
expected due to the fact that the PC video is mapped to a Mac window and
limitations of the NuBus speeds. The Houdini I does not suffer from
these 'limitations'.
 - compiled by Eric Carter <[e-mail]>


o Tweaking the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS for Houdini I ------------------
    - by Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])

Scott has done quite a bit of work trying to optimize the AUTOEXEC.BAT
and CONFIG.SYS files for the Houdini I/Mac system. This information came
after much experimentation. Scott's ideas and suggestions follow:

Go ahead and grab the monochrome memory:

DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF I=CAOO-CEFF X=CF00-CFFF
RAM=D000-EFFF

This gives you 180k of free memory, an extra 27k region and another 20k
region (sorry, can't add, 175). Full configuration, including
Doublespace, gives me 603k (617,552 bytes) in the conventional memory.


:: In your CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICEHIGH /L:3 /S =C:\WINDOWS\MOUSE.SYS /Y
DEVICEHIGH /L:3 /S =C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE
DEVICEHIGH /L:1 /S =C:\APPLE\CDROM.SYS /D:CDDRVR


:: In your AUTOEXEC.BAT:  ****  IN THIS ORDER!  ****

LH /L:1 /S C:\APPLE\APPLEPC
LH /L:2 /S C:\DOS\SMARTDRV [SWITCHES]
LH /L:1 /S C:\APPLE\MACSHARE
LH /L:3 /S C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:CDDRVR /L:E [MY PREFERENCE FOR 'E']
LH /L:3 /S C:\APPLE\DOSCLIP

Note: For those technical users that understand the /L:x commands in LH
and DevHigh, I already attempted to /S load Macshare into region 2.
Unfortunately, loading this into 2 causes a runtime error and disables
Macshare (Macshare stays in memory, but doesn't do anything).

I also attempted a NOHI command in EMM386.EXE to make region 1 move from
27k to 32k. It was successful, but every configuration I tried failed to
produce more memory than the 605k free with this configuration (I have
all my switches set at minimums).

After working for hours and hours with the parameters in QEMM, I
discovered that EMM386 gave more memory in this configuration by about
8K. QEMM's overhead and block allocation is a bit protective, while
EMM386 allowed me to screw up from time to time: 30 hours of work has
gone into the testing and configuration to 175k. I haven't had any
errors from it.


:: Other CONFIG suggestions:

Use switches=/f in the CONFIG.SYS--this shuts down the two second delay
when you see the Starting MS-DOS prompt.
 - Scott L. Barber ([e-mail])


o Houdini I ISA Subset Quest -------------------------------------------

Here's the scoop on the Houdini I ISA bus capabilities.
 - Anton Prastowo
   with Ted Yun ([e-mail])

ABSTRACT: You can build a connector/cable assembly to connect the
Houdini I to an 8 bit PC card. However, the Houdini I provides an
INCOMPLETE ISA bus. The DMA channel 1 is not readily accessible so the
Sound Blaster DOES NOT work. It seems likely that it would take hardware
changes to implement the DMA so that a Sound Blaster could be used.
These needed hardware changes were implemented in the new Reply Co. DOS
card (developed using licenced technology from Apple).

Jim Stockdale's comments disclaim any soundcard possibility:
The connector on Houdini I was for diagnostic purposes and internal
engineering use only. It was not documented, nor fully functional when
Houdini I shipped. Specifically, there are issues with VL bus (VESA
Local Bus) arbitration. It would take some significant changes to
correct the issues so Sound Blaster DMA would work properly.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])

The following account demonstrates what I did to prove that Jim
Stockdale's comments are in fact true.

A subset of a PC 8-bit ISA bus is available from the Houdini I from a
connector on the Houdini I board. See the Houdini I ASCII illustration
(fig. 1) for the connector's location. The connector onboard the Houdini
I is a special high-density male IDC type connector. The connector's 40
pins are set in two rows of 20 (2 x 20), on 0.050" centers. Notice that
this is a tighter pin placement than a regular IDC connector which uses
pins on 0.100" centers.

Information obtained by David Ramsey describes the connector's pin-out
and each pin's function. After examining the ISA signals available from
this connector, it seems noteworthy that the available signals coincide
with the ISA signals used by the 8-bit mono Sound Blaster (SB). The
signals SBOUTL, SBOUTR and SBGNDOUT (seemingly for stereo Left and Right
channels), indicate that the soundcard would be more like the 8-bit
stereo-capable Sound Blaster Pro (SBPro). Finally, it would seem likely
that the connector was intended to mate with a daughterboard as opposed
to a cable and board assembly. The soundcard assembly would have to be
daughterboard considering the lack of space inside a Macintosh case.

So what is this connector really for? I thought that it might be a way
to get soundcard support for the Houdini I. However, Jim's comments
indicate that even if the connector was for a SBPro, Apple did not get
the chance to resolve the problems involved with using the Houdini I
with a SBPro. So the connector is kind of a dud as far as SBPro support
goes. Assuming the connector is of some use, let's take a look at it.

David Ramsey's information indicates the connector provides signals for
the equivalent of an 8-bit ISA slot on a PC-AT compatible. This seems
reasonable since a diagnostic shareware program that I used, 'sees' the
Houdini I as a 486 PC-AT compatible. However, the Houdini I 'slot' is a
hobbled 8-bit ISA slot. -- only some ISA signals are available: data bus
is only 8-bit, addressing is from $000-$3FF, and only IRQ 5 and DMA 1
signals are available. Still, you could be able to use this ersatz
'slot' for 8-bit PC cards that only use a few ISA signals.

If you're interested in checking out this connector, you'll have to find
something to mate with it and pull the signals off. Taking account of
the Houdini I connector's size and the daughterboard solution for the
soundcard, it's unlikely that a crimp-on ribbon cable connector is
available. More likely you'll have to futz with a surface mount
connector and somehow connect a ribbon cable to it -- which is what I've
done.

You'll need a high-density female IDC connector to fit over the male one
on the Houdini I board. The pins on the Houdini I connector are far too
short and small to wirewrap onto. I found a usable connector facsimile
in a Newark catalog. It's called a 'Surface Mount Vertical Card
Connector' made by Berg Electronics. Unfortunately the female connector
I found doesn't have a polarizing tab. This lack of a polarizing tab
means that you have to be VERY careful and mark pin 1 on the connector
-- otherwise you might plug in the connector the wrong way. Also, since
this connector is surface mount and its leads are VERY small, soldering
wires to this connector takes a very FINE soldering iron tip, a steady
hand, and lots of patience.

Newark Electronics -- They have quite a few branches around the US and
three warehouses in Chicago, IL; Gaffney, SC and Los Angeles, CA. Look
in your local Yellow Pages and you'll probably find a listing for a
regional office. That's how many branch offices they have. Otherwise try
their administrative offices at [phone] to get the number of a
local Newark office.

Newark Catalog 113  (page 862)
    RibCage(tm) II by Berg Electronics
    Stock Number    Part Number    Description    Price
    95F6846         87814-620      Female 2 x 20  $6.11

Since it is surface mount, it is pretty difficult to solder individual
wires to the leads. A better solution would be to solder the connector
to a small board. This board would then have traces going from the
connector to more accessible solder pads for the wires. I did not have
such a board nor did I want to make one so I ended up just soldering
directly onto the surface mount leads of the connector.

If you choose to try this part out, I suggest that you order two instead
of just one connector -- in case you screw up on your first attempt. I
accidentally broke one of the leads (quite easy to do actually) but
luckily it was one of the unused pins. Keep in mind Newark's infamous
reputation for insensitivity to small orders. Newark does have a $25
minimum order so pick up some locally hard to find items while you're
ordering from them.

Next you'll need a connector for the PC card. You can get one from Radio
Shack. They have a 62 position and a 98 position card edge connector. I
had to use the 98 position connector because the SBPro used a couple of
pins on the second section of card edge. The 62 position card edge
connector is good for single section card edge cards like the 8-bit mono
Sound Blaster (not the Pro!).

Radio Shack
  62 position card edge conn (0.100" spacing)  # 276-1453 ... $2.99
  98 position card edge conn (0.100" spacing)  # 276-1454 ... $4.99

Finally, you'll need some cable to connect the two connectors. I used a
40 conductor ribbon cable and wired all the pins from the Houdini I even
though not all of the pins were used. It's also easier to keep track of
wires if you  work through it and wire methodically instead of skipping
pins. (You could get away with using the 36 conductor ribbon cable
available from Radio Shack if you can keep track of the wires and their
respective pins)

Check the pinouts I've attached at the end and you'll see the how I've
matched the Houdini's signals to the ISA connector. I took the
precaution of marking a dot with a black permanent marker to indicate
pin 1 on the female connector. It's a pretty straight forward wiring job
but soldering onto the connector is a delicate and time consuming job. A
fine-tipped soldering iron helps immensely. I placed heat-shrink tubing
over every other connector lead to help prevent shorts. But even on
every other lead, it was a tight fit for the heat-shrink tubing.

If you build the cable-connector assembly -- BE VERY CAREFUL! No sense
in frying your Houdini I or your Mac.

Again, remember the female connector has no polarizing tab so you could
accidentally plug it in the wrong way. Take a permanent marker and mark
a dot on the female connector to indicate which pin is pin 1. Use a
continuity tester (or an ohmmeter; same thing) and check every
connection. Double check it! Make sure you didn't wire things in
reverse.

Once I triple-checked my work, I plugged the connector into my Houdini I
(used in a Q700). NOTE: I did not plug any card into card edge connector
yet! I turned on my Mac and made sure the machine still booted. I then
made sure that the Houdini I/PC side booted correctly. Once all seemed
ok, I took my voltmeter and made sure that pins on the card edge
connector that were supposed to be +5 volts were +5 volts, and that the
+12 volt pin was indeed +12 volts. This was a reality check to ensure my
wiring job was oriented correctly and a spot test to see if the signal
information was correct. All seemed good.

I tried installing the SBPro drivers at this point but the installer
refused to install since the Sound Blaster Pro wasn't plugged in. I
hadn't plugged in the SBPro because I didn't want to fry anything. Once
again I powered down and  checked the wiring. With this task completed I
was ready to plug the SBPro into the connector.

With wiring issues settled, I finally connected the SBPro to the card
edge connector. NOTE: I used the default settings for the SBPro
(address: 220H, IRQ 5, DMA 1). I turned on the Mac and everything booted
up fine. I tried the SBPro installer again and this time it sensed(!)
the SBPro and the driver installation worked.

I restarted the Houdini I with a CTRL-ALT-Del and watched the startup.
              The SBPro initialization failed :(
All the SBPro settings work except the DMA 1 setting. The addressing at
220H and interrupt at IRQ 5 were accepted, but the drivers had a problem
with DMA 1.

After the SBPro software failure, I tried a diagnostic program to see if
the SBPro was even accessible from the Houdini I. The SBPro did show up
as an AdLib soundcard at address $338h so that seemed encouraging. If
you don't already know, the SBPro is designed so it can emulate an AdLib
soundcard (the original PC soundcard).

Ted Yun replicated my SBPro experiment using a Q610/DOS with a 4mb SIMM
installed on the Houdini I. The same DMA type conflict occurred with his
setup. However Ted did try the TIE Fighter game demo and heard some
music but no sound effects.

I believe that the unique nature of the Houdini I and its Direct Memory
Access (DMA) activity with its host Mac's memory interfere with the use
of DMA 1 for the SBPro. The Houdini I uses quite a bit of DMA to move
data from the Mac's memory to the 486 if the Houdini I doesn't have any
on-board RAM installed. I think the solution would be some sort of cdev
or init that modifies the Houdini's DMA use so that a SBPro can access
DMA 1. I don't have the information or the skill to hack this bit of
code. Maybe one of you out there could do this!

DMA is essential for the SBPro or SB to function properly. Without DMA
you cannot use the SBPro for digitized sound samples (used for most
sound effects). The music that Ted Yun heard used a mode on the SBPro
that did not require DMA. Unfortunately most game sound code for the
SBPro uses DMA. Without DMA, what you're left with is a mute SBPro that
can hum.


Figure 2.                        Figure 3.
DOS Compatibility Card           ISA Card Pinout (from c.s.i.p.hardware
FAQ)
 ________________________         _________________________________________
|                        |       |                                         |
|                 1      |       |            (component side)             |
|            ======      |       |                                         |
|                        |       |                                         |
|                        |       |                                         |
|_              _________|       |_______ ISA-16bit __       ISA-8bit    __|
  |____________|                         |||||||||||  |||||||||||||||||||
                                         C1/D1        A1(front)/B1(back)


  Apple DOS Compatibility Card
40 pin high density IDC connector               ISA Bus Connector
---------------------------------               -----------------

                                             Back Side      Component
Side
  signal pin o o pin signal            assignment  pin |  | pin  assignment


  SBOUTL   1 o o 2   SBGNDOUT        [25]     GND   B1 |  | A1   CHCHK#
  SBOUTR   3 o o 4   A(9)            [15]   Reset   B2 |  | A2   SD7
[39]
    +12V   5 o o 6   -12V             [8]     +5V   B3 |  | A3   SD6
[37]
   SA(3)   7 o o 8   +5V                     IRQ9   B4 |  | A4   SD5
[35]
   DACK1   9 o o 10  IRQ 5                    -5V   B5 |  | A5   SD4
[36]
   DREQ1  11 o o 12  +5V                     DRQ2   B6 |  | A6   SD3
[33]
   SA(7)  13 o o 14  AEN              [6]    -12V   B7 |  | A7   SD2
[34]
SYSRESET  15 o o 16  n/c                    NOWS#   B8 |  | A8   SD1
[31]
   SA(5)  17 o o 18  OSC14M (14 MHz)  [5]    +12V   B9 |  | A9   SD0
[32]
   SA(6)  19 o o 20  n/c             [25]     GND  B10 |  | A10  CHRDY
     n/c  21 o o 22  SA(1)                 SMWTC#  B11 |  | A11  AEN
[14]
   SA(4)  23 o o 24  SA(0)                 SMRDC#  B12 |  | A12  SA19
     GND  25 o o 26  GND             [40]   IOWC#  B13 |  | A13  SA18
     n/c  27 o o 28  n/c             [38]   IORC#  B14 |  | A14  SA17
    A(8)  29 o o 30  SA(2)                 DACK3#  B15 |  | A15  SA16
   XD(1)  31 o o 32  XD(0)                   DRQ3  B16 |  | A16  SA15
   XD(3)  33 o o 34  XD(2)            [9]  DACK1#  B17 |  | A17  SA14
   XD(5)  35 o o 36  XD(4)           [11]    DRQ1  B18 |  | A18  SA13
   XD(6)  37 o o 38  IOR                 REFRESH#  B19 |  | A19  SA12
   XD(7)  39 o o 40  IOW                     BCLK  B20 |  | A20  SA11
                                             IRQ7  B21 |  | A21  SA10
    n/c = no connection                      IRQ6  B22 |  | A22  SA9    [4]
                                     [10]    IRQ5  B23 |  | A23  SA8    [29]
    addresses: 000 - 3FF                     IRQ4  B24 |  | A24  SA7    [13]
         data: 8 bits                        IRQ3  B25 |  | A25  SA6    [19]
                                           DACK2#  B26 |  | A26  SA5    [17]
    available IRQ: 5                          T/C  B27 |  | A27  SA4    [23]
    available DMA: 1                         BALE  B28 |  | A28  SA3    [7]
                                     [12]     +5V  B29 |  | A29  SA2    [30]
                                     [18]     OSC  B30 |  | A30  SA1    [22]
    The numbers in brackets are ---> [26]     GND  B31 |  | A31  SA0    [24]
    the pin numbers from the
    40 pin Houdini I connector.
    This was the pinout I used               M16#   D1 |  | C1   SBHE#
    for the Sound Blaster Pro.              IO16#   D2 |  | C2   LA23
                                            IRQ10   D3 |  | C3   LA22
    For example: Pin 26 from the            IRQ11   D4 |  | C4   LA21
    Houdini I ISA connector goes            IRQ12   D5 |  | C5   LA20
    to pin B31 of the card edge             IRQ15   D6 |  | C6   LA19
    connector.                              IRQ14   D7 |  | C7   LA18
                                           DACK0#   D8 |  | C8   LA17
                                             DRQ0   D9 |  | C9   MRDC#
                                           DACK5#  D10 |  | C10  MWTC#
                                             DRQ5  D11 |  | C11  SD8
                                           DACK6#  D12 |  | C12  SD9
                                             DRQ6  D13 |  | C13  SD10
                                           DACK7#  D14 |  | C14  SD11
                                             DRQ7  D15 |  | C15  SD12
    NOTE: These two additional ----> [12]     +5V  D16 |  | C16  SD13
    power pins need to be       \       MASTER16#  D17 |  | C17  SD14
    connected on the SBPro.      '-> [26]     GND  D18 |  | C18  SD15


o Diagnostic Software Results ------------------------------------------

I tried some shareware diagnostic programs PC-Config and Snooper on my
Houdini I. It was interesting to see how such a program would evaluate
the Houdini I/Mac hybrid.

My Houdini I setup is pretty simple. The Houdini I is installed in a
Quadra 700, no SIMM installed (4mb from the host Mac is used); EMM386
memory manager, Smartdrv, VESA graphics driver, and Microsoft Mouse
driver installed. Everything except the mouse driver was included in the
DOS card upgrade package. (see the Mouse section in Tech Notes on
getting a mouse driver)

PC-Config
==============================================================================
PC-CONFIG V7.15 Hardware-Diagnosis-Benchmark-Program
==============================================================================
 Installed hardware
=============================================== unregistered shareware
version
 Machine.......: AT 486
 BIOS..........: Copyright 1989-1990 Chips & Technologies
 BIOS date.....: 02/07/94, ShadowRAM: active
 BIOS extension: C000h C800h
 Bus system....: ISA
 CPU...........: 80486sx (Virtual Mode) 24.75 MHz
 RAM access....: Standard
 Main memory...:   639 KByte, free:   568 KByte
 Extended Mem..:     0 KByte, free:  1504 KByte XMS
 Expanded Mem..:  3392 KByte, free:  1744 KByte
 Videocard 1...: VESA-VGA 8 Bit-Bus, 512k RAM
 VGA chipset...:  Gamecard......: not installed
 Floppy drives.: 1 : 1.44 MB
 Ports.........: LPT1 COM1 COM2

 HD 1:  41.0 MB, 64 heads,   41 Cyl, 32 Sect/Cyl.

==============================================================================
 Software Info
=============================================== unregistered shareware
version
 DOS version....: 6.20 (English)
 Network........: not installed
 Mouse found....: Microsoft
 Mouse type.....: PS/2 mouse V8.00
 EMS  driver....: V4.0 (Microsoft)
 EMS  PageFrame.: D000h
 XMS  driver....: V3.00, Intern: V3.10
 DPMI server....: not installed
 Harddisk cache.: Smartdrive V5.00
 Fossil driver..: not installed*
 4DOS, NDOS.....: not installed
 RAM-Disk, BPS..: not installed*
 Stacker........: not installed
 DoubleSpace....: not installed
 Memory Manager.: EMM386

                            * or unkown

==============================================================================
 Benchmark
=============================================== unregistered shareware
version
Speed compared with IBM-PC.: 3200%
Dhrystones.................: 7200
VideoRAM throughput (text).:  665 KByte/sec
Chars per second via BIOS..: 11930 Byte/sec
Chars per second via DOS...:  5160 Byte/sec
EMS speed..................: 40%
RAM disk speed.............: N/A
DOS disk speed.............: C:   300 KB/sec


Harddisk test:                HD1
Rotations per minute.......:  ???
Linear read.........in KB/S:   768
Maximum throughput..in KB/S:   912
Interleave seems to be.....:    1
Average accesstime.........:   0.5 ms
Track to track.............:   0.2 ms
Maximum accesstime.........:   0.0 ms



==============================================================================
 Benchmark
=============================================== unregistered shareware
version
Speed compared with IBM-PC.: 3250%
Dhrystones.................: 7200
VideoRAM throughput (text).:  663 KByte/sec
Chars per second via BIOS..: 11690 Byte/sec
Chars per second via DOS...:  5160 Byte/sec
EMS speed..................: 40%
RAM disk speed.............: N/A
DOS disk speed.............: C:   360 KB/sec

Harddisk test:                HD1
Rotations per minute.......:  ???
Linear read.........in KB/S:   768
Maximum throughput..in KB/S:   912
Interleave seems to be.....:    1
Average accesstime.........:   0.5 ms
Track to track.............:   0.2 ms
Maximum accesstime.........:   0.0 ms


Snooper
Snooper, the system checker, version 3.30  Copyright 1989-94 John Vias

+-----------------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Equipment                                     | Disk [aC]                  |
|                                               |                            |
| Computer 486SX compatible                     |        PC_DRIVE Label      |
|  CPU 80486SX-25, V86  Video VESA 1.10 SVGA 512K        \SNOOPER Directory  |
|  NDP                  Ports                   |                 IDE model  |
|  Bus ISA               Serial 3F8 2F8         |      fixed disk Drive type |
| Memory                 Parallel 3BC           |               0 CMOS type  |
|  654,336 b Convl      BIOS  02/07/94          |           local Status     |
|  580,640 b Free        Exts C000 C800         |              64 Heads      |
|   73,696 b Used       Mouse Microsoft 8.00    |              32 Sectrs/cyl |
|    3,072 K Extended    Port PS/2              |              41 Cylinders  |
|          K Ext free   Keyboard 101 Support 101|             512 b Sectors  |
|    1,504 K XMS 3.0    Environment             |           2,048 b Clusters |
|   in use HMA (A20)     Free 120   Total 256   |      41,826,304 b Total    |
|          K UMB        DOS MS-DOS 6.20a (HMA)  |       4,403,200 b Free     |
|    3,392 K EMS 4.0     Shell VCPI 1.0         |      37,423,104 b Used 89% |
|    1,744 K EMS free    Files 30   Buffers 15  | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX___  |
| Drives                 Break off  Verify  off | Empty      Half      Full  |
| 1 Floppy  2 Physical  Cache Smartdrive 5.00   +----------------------------+
| 1 Hard    2 Logical   Network                 | Message: Logging display   |
+-----------------------------------------------+----------------------------+

Snooper, the system checker, version 3.30  Copyright 1989-94 John Vias

+------------------------------------------+---------------------------------+
| Serial ports                             | IRQ lines        DMA channels   |
|                                          |                                 |
|   Address                                |       Timer **  0   Available   |
|      UART                                |    Keyboard **  1   Available   |
|     Speed                                | Second 8259 **  2   Floppy disk |
|    Format                                |   COM2/COM4     3   Available   |
|       IRQ                                |   COM1/COM3     4               |
|    Device                                |        LPT2     5               |
| Fax class                                | Floppy disk **  6               |
|                                          |        LPT1     7               |
| Parallel ports                           |       Clock     8               |
|              LPT1                        | (from IRQ2) **  9               |
|     Address  03BC                        |   Available    10               |
|         IRQ   (7)                        |   Available    11               |
|    Selected   **                         |      In use ** 12   (** This    |
|   I/O error                              | Coprocessor    13   IRQ line or |
|    No paper                              |   Hard disk    14   DMA channel |
|        Busy                              |   Available    15   is in use.) |
|                                          +---------------------------------+
| Sound card                               | Message: Logging display        |
+------------------------------------------+---------------------------------+


------------------------------------------------------------------------
4) Trouble Shooting ----------------------------------------------------

o Dialog Box error -----------------------------------------------------

Whenever I switch over to the DOS half I get a Dialog box on the Mac
side saying that the PC clipboard requires additional system services in
order to function. It doesn't seem to adversely effect anything, except
my Cut & Paste does not work. I have been getting this message since I
first installed the card.
 - sow ([e-mail])

In order for this to work you must have the "Macintosh Easy Open Setup"
control panel loaded. It was installed with the rest of the Houdini I
software. I suspect that you might have deemed it unnecessary and
trashed it or blocked it with an init picker.
 - Tim Fullert ([e-mail])


o Sync on Green Trouble ------------------------------------------------

There is a problem with the sync on green signal when using multi-sync
monitors with the Q610/DOS. The Mac side sends sync-on-green and
composite sync, but the DOS side only sends composite sync. The problem
comes when the multisync monitor is set for sync-on-green on the Mac
side and the switch is made to the DOS side, the screen goes blank
(switching back works and the Mac side still looks ok). To get the DOS
side to work the sync-select switch must be moved to select composite
sync. This makes the DOS side look fine, but the Mac side is like
looking through a green window.

The green window can be disposed of by command-clicking on the version
number of the PC Setup control panel. This opens up another window with
a limited number of commands. Help shows the list. (Just as an aside,
dir shows the names of the design team and the sub directories show
their titles.) Anyway, the command "sync off" deactivates the
sync-on-green on the Mac side and thus eliminates the green window. Both
Mac and DOS sides now look correct when the monitor is set to composite
sync.
 - Stephen Petko ([e-mail])

From Jim Stockdale:
It is possible to turn off the Mac sync on green for Houdini I systems
with multi-sync monitors. In the PC Setup cdev, command-click on the
version number in the lower right corner. This will bring up an
alternate screen. Type help <cr> to see a list of options. One of these
options is to disable / enable sync on green. Follow the instructions
and this may fix the sync on green issue.
 - Jim Stockdale ([e-mail])

I had, and have not heard of anyone else having, a problem where v 1.0.1
of the PC Setup control panel did not remember the "sync off" setting
after reboot/power cycle. I did not consciously do anything to correct
this problem, but I did install the extras on the DOS side as described
on the last page of the installation manual. These are the CD-ROM
drivers, etc., but for DOS only not the Windows stuff.(I need the driver
to load Windows off CD-ROM.) It was after this that the "sync off"
started being remembered through reboots, but I have not specifically
determined exactly which file solved the problem. I've heard of one
person who had no problems with v 1.0.2.
 - Stephen Petko ([e-mail])


o Problem with video card installed in Mac -----------------------------

A friend couldn't get the Houdini I to work in a Q800 which had a second
video board installed (Radius 24x). I suspect this has something to do
with the designers assumption that the Houdini I would only be in a one
slot system -- not having to contend with the possibility of another
video board. His system boots the Mac side fine, but crashes when
*switching* over to the PC half (it will start/boot via the start PC
button however).

Also, his Disk Doubler hardware compression board had no ill effects on
the Houdini I, so not all NuBus cards are problematic for the Houdini I;
perhaps just secondary video boards.
 - phil ([e-mail])


o Improving Shared Folder access speed ---------------------------------

Using a Shared Folder for easier file access results in a slower access
compared to a normal drive file.

You could make a D: drive and then mount it with PC Exchange to transfer
files more easily. I don't think that the drive could be used by the
desktop and by Houdini I at the same time, but that's why I suggested a
D: drive.
 - phil ([e-mail])


o Conflict with Energy Saver cdev --------------------------------------

There is a probable conflict between Energy Saver (a control panel used
to dim Energy Star compliant monitors) and Houdini I. When switching
from DOS to Mac the screen doesn't redraw right and an error message of
type 25 comes up (low memory). If you don't have Energy Saver, suspect a
high-memory screen saver.
 - Tom Thatcher ([e-mail])


========================================================================
Macintosh DOS Compatibility Card FAQ - Copyright 1995 Anton Prastowo

Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, PowerMac and Quadra are registered
trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc.
Intel 486 is a trademark of Intel Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark
of Microsoft, Corp.