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- Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.soundcard
- Path: sparky!uunet!zeos!kgermann
- From: kgermann@zeos.com (Ken Germann)
- Subject: sound card faq's
- Organization: Zeos International, Ltd
- Date: Tue, 01 Sep 1992 14:03:05 GMT
- Message-ID: <1992Sep01.140305.5929@zeos.com>
- Lines: 202
-
- THUNDER BOARD'S
- MOST COMMONLY-ASKED
- QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- January 25, 1992
-
- THE THUNDER BOARD PACKAGE CONTAINS:
- Media Vision Thunder Board Sound Card
- Thunder Board User's Guide
- Thunder Board Program Disk v1.1 on 5 1/4" High Density
- Thunder Board Program Disk v1.1 on 3 1/2" Double Density
- Lemmings and Lexicross Sample Games Disk on 5 1/4" High Density
- Nova-9 Sample Game Disk on 3 1/2" High Density
-
- ABBREVIATIONS:
- TB = Thunder Board
- RMA = Return Material Authorization number
-
- SOUND TYPES:
- Digital Audio = Recorded sounds, usually speech and sound effects.
- These sounds are played back by the Digital-To-
- Analog Converter (DAC) on the TB.
- Synthesized Audio = FM sounds, usually music but can also be used to
- produce speech and sound effects. These sounds
- are played back by the FM Synthesizer on the TB.
- PC Speaker = Crude music tones, speech and sound effects
- produced by the System Timer Chip on the
- motherboard. These sounds are played back by the
- internal PC Speaker.
-
- For questions that pertain to:
- Lemmings, please contact Psygnosis at (617) 731-3553.
- Lexicross, please contact InterPlay Productions at (714) 549-2411.
- Nova-9, please contact Dynamix at 1-800-326-6654.
- Other software packages, please contact the software manufacturers for
- assistance.
-
- THE THUNDER BOARD USES THE FOLLOWING:
-
- DMA 1. This setting is fixed.
- IRQ 7 at default. Selectable between 2, 3, 5 and 7.
- I/O 220h at default. Selectable between 210, 220, 230, 240, 250 and
- 260.
-
- *****************************TB INSTALLATION******************************
- 1. Q: Do I have to change any switches or jumpers before I install the
- TB?
- A: The default setting will work in most computers. Only try with
- different I/O port address and IRQ settings if you experience any
- problems. Please refer to pages 5 and 6 of the TB User's Guide.
-
- 2. Q: The TB works in another computer but it does not work in a 486/33
- which uses the OPTI chipset and AMI BIOS.
- A: Go to the "Advanced Chipset Setup" in the AMI BIOS and select AT
- CYCLE WAIT ENABLED, HIDDEN REFRESH DISABLED. Please contact the
- computer's manufacturer for additional assistance.
-
- 3. Q: TBTEST issues "Null" and does not generate the tone or play the
- thunder file.
- A: The TB's design allows DMA 1 share which means that another
- peripheral board can share the same DMA 1 channel with the TB.
- However, some computers, in particular 386/33MHz machines that
- use the Chips & Technology Peak Chipset, do not support DMA 1
- share. To resolve the problem, the TB must be sent in with a
- Return Material Authorization (RMA) number to get a hardware fix
- to disable DMA 1 share.
-
- 4. Q: The TB does not make any sound.
- A: The TB's audio out jack is a 1/8" stereo phono plug. The TB
- requires either 4/8-ohm self-amplified speakers or headphones.
- The TB does not use the internal PC speaker. The plug for your
- speakers or headphones may not make proper connections with the
- audio out jack. You may need to pull the plug out slightly to
- see if that helps.
-
- *******************************SAMPLE GAMES*******************************
- 5. Q: a. Lemmings plays without any sound.
- b. Lexicross reports "No sound card found, will use PC
- Speaker."
- c. Nova-9 plays without any sound.
- A: Make sure switch 4 for FM on the TB is set to ON. If this switch
- is OFF, the TB will not produce any sound when running software
- that use synthesized audio.
-
- 6. Q: The Nova-9 demo game only plays through the PC Speaker.
- A: This demo version uses I/O 220 and does not allow you to change
- it to match the TB's setting; therefore, if your TB is set for a
- different I/O, the game will not recognize that you have a TB
- installed. If no other board in your computer is using I/O 220,
- set the TB to I/O 220 and re-install the game.
-
- ******************************THUNDER MASTER******************************
- 7. Q: a. When I run Thunder Master, the computer issues the error
- message "Thunder Board abnormal abort error #5".
- b. Every program that came with the TB works except Thunder
- Master.
- A: The Thunder Master program uses the 640x350 or 640x480 color
- modes. It will not work on old monochrome, CGA or monochrome VGA
- monitors. If the customer does have an EGA or VGA monitor,
- suggest that the customer contact the graphics board
- manufacturer. They can also register the Thunder Master software
- which will entitle them to technical assistance and program
- updates from the author:
-
- Gary Maddox
- 1901 Spring Creek #315
- Plano, TX 75023
- Home (214) 517-2014
-
- 8. Q: Digital audio skips/pauses/does not play.
- A: At default, the TB uses IRQ 7 and I/O port 220. DMA 1 is fixed.
- First, try with different IRQ and I/O port settings on the TB.
- Second, make sure that no other boards are set for DMA 1 since
- this is fixed on the TB. Third, if the computer is too fast that
- may also cause a problem. Reduce the computer's BUS (I/O CLK)
- speed and try again. Refer to your computer user's guide for
- instructions on how to adjust the BUS (I/O CLK) speed.
-
- **********************************GAMES***********************************
- 9. Q: I have games that have already been installed before I installed
- the TB. These games are still playing through the internal PC
- Speaker.
- A: You need to re-select the sound card or re-install each game.
- Please refer to the user's guides for these games or contact the
- game manufacturers for assistance.
-
- 10. Q: Links, The Golf Game, by Access, causes my computer to lock up.
- A: Links defaults to IRQ 3 and I/O 220. And the TB defaults to IRQ
- 7 and I/O 220. Run SETBLAST.EXE (which came with Links) to
- change the defaults used by Links to match whichever settings
- used by the TB.
-
- 11. Q: Wing Commander II, by Origin, causes my computer to lock up or
- does not produce any digital audio.
- A: First, make sure you have enabled speech in the WC II's
- INSTALL.EXE program. Second, make sure you have expanded memory.
- Third, if you use QEMM 6.0, the "Stealth" option may distort
- sounds and lock up the computer.
- Fourth, check the WC II's WC2.CFG file. At default, this
- file contains "v a904 c27". "c" indicates Sound Blaster
- driver. "2" indicates I/O 220. "7" indicates IRQ 7. Change
- these two digits to match the settings on the TB.
-
- 12. Q: Falcon 3.0, by Spectrum Holobyte, does not play any radio voice
- messages and produces popping sounds.
- A: Please contact Spectrum Holobyte at (510) 522-1164 to request a
- software patch. Any problems that you experience using this
- patch should be reported back to Spectrum Holobyte.
-
- 13. Q: I have some Disney Software games that have problems with digital
- audio.
- A: Please contact Disney Software at (818) 567-5340 to request a
- software patch. Any problems that you experience using this
- patch should be reported back to Disney Software.
-
- 14. Q: I have some Lawrence Productions games that have problems with
- digital audio.
- A: Please contact Lawrence Productions at (800) 421-4157 to request
- an updated CT-VOICE.DRV. Any problems that you experience using
- this patch should be reported back to Lawrence Productions.
-
- 15. Q: a. LHX, by Electronic Arts, only plays sounds out of the
- internal PC Speaker.
- b. Ultima VI, by Origin, produces distorted/noisy sound effects
- and music.
- A: Please slow down the computer and try again. This game does not
- abide by the sound requirements of the FM synthesizer chip,
- creating a problem when running in fast machines.
-
- 16. Q: Robin Hood, The Legend of the Long Bow, by Sierra, produces poor
- or no digital audio.
- A: If the TB is currently set at IRQ 7, please select a different
- IRQ and then try again.
-
- 17. Q: My game requires that I load the AdLib SOUND.COM or the Creative
- Labs SBSOUND.COM driver before starting up the game.
- A: Media Vision has developed our own version of this driver. It is
- currently available in beta version on our BBS. The filename is
- FM.COM.
-
- 18. Q: The joystick does not work at all or does not work properly when
- using the TB's joystick port.
- A: First, some computers have a built-in joystick port on the
- motherboard. Other computers have a multi-I/O board that has a
- joystick port. Make sure that only one joystick port is enabled
- and the other one is disabled. Second, if the computer is too
- fast that may also cause a problem. Reduce the computer's BUS
- (I/O CLK) speed and try again. Refer to your computer user's
- guide for instructions on how to adjust the BUS (I/O CLK) speed.
- Third, contact the game manufacturer to ask for a joystick driver
- that works on fast machines.
-
- Before returning a defective product for repair, please call to request an
- RMA number first. Please contact Media Vision Technical Support at 1-800-
- 638-2807 if you have any questions or would like an update to this list.
- Media Vision Sales can be reached at 1-800-845-5870.
-
- tbq&a.doc
- --
-
- Ken Germann ZEOS International, Ltd.
- Technical Support support@zeos.com.
- Operating Systems Group. os@zeos.com
-