[net.micro.att] Problem with Symphony on AT&T PC6300 Plus

vxb@mhuxh.UUCP (BRADNER) (09/21/86)

I have been having some difficulty using Symphony version 1.1 on an AT&T
PC6300 Plus running MSDOS 3.1.

Symphony, at times, thinks that the 8087 numeric co-processor chip is
available when in fact none is resident. This doesn't happen on all
Pc6300 Plus's and when it does, it is sporatic on some machines.
There is a dip switch on the PC6300 Plus for indicating the 8087 but
the switch setting doesn't seem to effect Symphony.

Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong (or else that there is a compatibility
problem with Symphony on the PC6300 Plus)?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how I can get around this.

                    Vern Bradner
                    {ihnp4,seismo!akgua}!mhuxh!vxb

lowe@psuvax1.UUCP (Tom Lowe) (09/29/86)

In article <829@mhuxh.UUCP> vxb@mhuxh.UUCP (BRADNER) writes:
>I have been having some difficulty using Symphony version 1.1 on an AT&T
>PC6300 Plus running MSDOS 3.1.
>     
>Symphony, at times, thinks that the 8087 numeric co-processor chip is
>available when in fact none is resident. This doesn't happen on all
>Pc6300 Plus's and when it does, it is sporatic on some machines.
>There is a dip switch on the PC6300 Plus for indicating the 8087 but
>the switch setting doesn't seem to effect Symphony.
>     
>Can anyone tell me what I am doing wrong (or else that there is a compatibility
>problem with Symphony on the PC6300 Plus)?
>     
>Thanks in advance for any suggestions on how I can get around this.
>     
>                    Vern Bradner
>                    :ihnp4,seismo!akgua:!mhuxh!vxb

Some versions of LOTUS and related programs had a bug in them that
actually went to the port containing the 80287 chip and checked the
levels of a couple pins.  If there was no 80287 chip there, it 
wouldn't see the levels it should see.  Thus AT&T started installing
a chip called a spider chip.  It is basically a socket header that had
three components that took appropriate pins to the electronic levels
expected for no 80287 chip.  When you get a 80287 chip, you would
simply replace the spider chip and flip a switch.  If your machine
doesn't have this spider chip, and you don't have an 80287 chip,
call the AT&T Hotline at 800-922-0354.  They will send you one.

--Tom Lowe