NetNews Usenet Archive 1993 #1/NN_1993_1.iso/spool/alt/msdos/programm/3118

Internet Message Format | 1993-01-08 | 2.8 KB

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From: [e-mail] (Brian C. Anderson)
Subject: Re: "GP" Errors with BC 3.1
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Originator: [e-mail]
Sender: [e-mail] (USENET News System)
Reply-To: [e-mail] (Brian C. Anderson)
Organization: Electrical and Computer Engineering, Carnegie Mellon
References: <[e-mail]> <[e-mail]>
Distribution: usa
Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 15:11:41 GMT
Lines: 41


|>
|> In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Duane Morin) writes:
|> ... Stuff about GP errors deleted ...
|> >2) Got 3.1.  Can't even install the damn thing.  ZIPs are intermittently
|> >    corrupted.  Little examination shows that, with cache memory off,
|> >    I have no problem unzipping, with it on, sometimes they get CRC
|>
|> This is fair proof that your motherboard is not functioning in a happy way.
|> 486 motherboards are often very sensitive to the 5volt power supply voltage.
|> If the 5volt supply is running at the low end of tolerance, the cache
|> controller chips might not be able to function quickly enough.
|>
|> Check to see that you have 5.00volts -0%, +5% on the motherboard's power
|> connector (red and black leads), when you have all of your system's
|> cards/disks installed.  If you aren't getting 5.00volts you should either
|> adjust your supply (HA HA HA, good luck!)  or get a new supply that does
|> give you 5.00volts.
|>
|> You wouldn't have this problem if the motherboard suppliers wouldn't cheat.
|> What they do is buy all 25MHz 486 motherboards, without CPU or RAM.  They then
|> plug in the proper speed parts to get either 33MHz or 50MHz.  Well, this would
|> work, except that the motherboard manufacturer's grade the motherboards for
|> speed.  The ones that fail 50MHz become 33MHz boards, the ones that fail
|> 33MHz become 25MHz...
|>
|> Now, you ask, "Why does the board work sometimes on my system?"
|>
|> Well, It's like this, the boards are designed to run at 5v +/- 5%, and from
|> 0-70degrees C.  Logic chips such as the cache controller run their fastest
|> when they are cold and at the high voltage margin, and at their slowest when
|> they are hot, and at their low voltage margin.  Most of the time, the power
|> supplies will provide 5.0v on the nose, and you all will run your machines
|> in comfortable rooms, so you can get away with using parts that failed to
|> run full speed at 4.75v and 70C.  The clone builders are banking on this
|> happy coincedence.
|>
|> Chuck Harris - WA3UQV
|> [e-mail]
|>
|>