Path: utzoo!censor!comspec!lethe!torsqnt!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!helios!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!rutgers!cbmvax!drysdale
From: drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga.hardware
Subject: Re: Bridgeboard questions...
Message-ID: <18991@cbmvax.commodore.com>
Date: 14 Feb 91 23:57:06 GMT
References: <1991Feb14.034710.11646@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu>
Reply-To: drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale)
Organization: Commodore, West Chester, PA
Lines: 78

In article <1991Feb14.034710.11646@mintaka.lcs.mit.edu> blf@churchy.ai.mit.edu (Bill Frandsen) writes:
>I have a couple of questions regarding the bridgeboard.  My system consists
>of an Amiga2000/6.2 motherboard, ECS Agnes, 2 Megs fast ram, A2088 BB.
>
>I also have a CMI 14.28 MHZ processor accelerator installed, with a 68881
>co-processor.  (This is the board that pops in the 68000 socket, not the
>CPU expansion slot)
>
>My first question is:  Why can't I use the Bridgeboard with the accelerator
>on?  I have to leave it at 7.14 MHz.  Any attempts at any point running the
>toggling program will cause the bridgeboard janus software to crash.  If I
>accelerate the machine at boot time, the system cannot find the command.com
>file, and will refuse to boot from anything except the 5.25" disk.  If I
>switch the speed after booting, file writes will cause corrupted blocks on the
>hard disk and/or full IBM system crashes.
>
>I should also mention that I have a Supra WordSync Hard Card with a ST-157N1
>(48meg/28ms) drive attached.  I have 39Megs partitioned with FFS for the Amiga
>with auto-boot from KS1.3.  I have a 8 meg partition set for the Bridgeboard
>that has a 7.9 meg file in it created as a psuedo hard-drive as specified
>in the Janus 2.0 software manual.
>
>Is the speed increase affecting the Bridgeboard, or is it affecting the
>Supra WordSync controller?  Since the BB seems to still work with floppies,
>I am now beginning to assume it is the HD controller.  If anyone else
>has expierenced similar problems, I would appreciate a solution.  Is there
>a flag I can set in the config portion of the Supra Utilities to let it
>work with the faster processor?  (The wierd thing is that I have no problems
>with accessing any file on the Amiga partition with the increased speed!)

the problem with the cmi-bridgeboard combo is probably the way the cmi
handles the TAS instruction (a supposedly forbidden instruction in the
amiga in general, but the janus 2.0 and earlier stuff uses it).  the
janus software assumes TAS works on the expansion bus - probably CMI
doesn't handle TAS - understandably.  the forthcoming janus software avoids
TAS, and *might* fix the problem, if indeed it is a TAS related problem.
can't say when it'll be out.

>2nd BB question:  How come some times after working on the BB, and switching
>windows to the Amiga (like the CLI), when I type, only ALT characters
>seem to appear.  Same thing goes for the term program, or word processor
>on the Amiga side.  I sometimes can get it out of this lock, but often have to
>reboot the Amiga.  (No CAPS LOCK isn't down) :)

pcwindow and intuition fight over the input stream.  if a key is pressed while
pcwindow is active, pcwindow will register the press.  now hold the key, and
flip to another screen/window and release the key.  now pcwindow thinks that
key is still down, when it isn't.  vice versa for starting in another screen/
window and moving to pcwindow.  this should be fixed in the forthcoming
release as well.

>3rd question:  How come Janus insists at looking at the A: drive all the time?
>It is very annoying to be working on the C: drive, moving files, zipping
>stuff, or running Quatto, and any time it comes to accessing C:, the light for
>A: comes on, and it sits there for about 20 seconds, unless I put in a disk
>for it to read, then it goes on its merry way.  Also, it sits there for about
>20 seconds at boot time before booting from the C: partition.  Is there a
>way to alter the time required that it hunts these drives?  It is really
>annoying.

i have *no* idea what this is.  of course it'll look at drive A: first
during boot, but after that...  the only thing i can think of is you've
got a PATH which points to A: or something similar.  examine your autoexec.bat
and check PATH, ASSIGN, APPEND, and other stuff in there for references to
A:.  make sure your application doesn't look there either.

>Any help is appreciated.  Don't mail me---the mailer here is broken for
>incomming messages right now, it will just bounce.  Please post if it
>is of importance for others.  Thanks.

  --Scotty
-- 
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Scott Drysdale           Software Engineer
Commodore Amiga Inc.     UUCP {allegra|burdvax|rutgers|ihnp4}!cbmvax!drysdale
		         PHONE - yes.
"Have you hugged your hog today?"
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