Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uflorida!gatech!hubcap!ncrcae!ncrlnk!ncrwic!mlawless
From: mlawless@ncrwic.Wichita.NCR.COM (Mike Lawless)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc
Subject: Re: 16 bit cards vs 8, SHAFTED?
Message-ID: <4849@ncrwic.Wichita.NCR.COM>
Date: 27 Feb 89 14:48:07 GMT
References: <37020@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> <14313@bigtex.cactus.org>
Reply-To: mlawless@ncrwic.UUCP (Mike Lawless)
Organization: NCR Corporation, Wichita, Kansas
Lines: 26

In article <14313@bigtex.cactus.org> james@bigtex.cactus.org (James Van Artsda
>
>Bizarre though it may seem, at least some 16 bit cards work just fine
>in an 8 bit slot, with the 16 bit edge extension just hanging there in
>mid-air.  The only one I have seen actually do this is the Video-7 16
>bit VGA card.  The hardware people swear this is OK...

Another good example of this type of design is the newest version of the Intel
AboveBoard.  They once had separate versions for 8 and 16 bit buses, but now
they only carry the one model.  They also did away will *all* option switches,
and setup is now done by means of a menu driven setup program which stores
configuration parameters in a non-volatile RAM.  BTW, it is possible to split
the available memory on the board between DOS memory (fill to 640K), extended
and expanded in any arbitrary way you like.  And, the PS version also 
contains a serial and parallel port, and a socket for a second serial port
upgrade.  It holds 2MB of DRAM, with a daughterboard available for an
additional 2MB (I recently heard a rumor that the daughter board can now
handle up to 8MB, but I am not sure).  All in all, this is one of the most
outstanding add-in boards I have ever encountered.

I have no connection with Intel other than being a satisfied customer.
-- 
Mike Lawless, NCR E&M Wichita, Box 20     (316) 636-8666   (NCR: 654-8666)
3718 N. Rock Road, Wichita, KS  67226     Mike.Lawless@Wichita.NCR.COM
{ece-csc,hubcap,gould,rtech}!ncrcae!ncrwic!Mike.Lawless
{sdcsvax,cbatt,dcdwest,nosc.ARPA}!ncr-sd!ncrwic!Mike.Lawless