echadez@isis.cs.du.edu (Edward Vincent Chadez) (03/26/91)
This falls in the "most frequently asked question" group, but I don't know of another way to find it out, so here goes.... I have heard rumors that the Bridgeboard from Commodore/Amiga (that works with A2x00 series computers) won't work with the A3000. 1) Is this true? 2) Is there a fix in the future?? I am aware of the software posted to ab20.... However, I'm just interested in the bridgeboards on the A3000 at this time. Please reply to me by mail (to this address or to echadez@carl.org) to avoid unnecessary bandwidth. Thank you. --ed
drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale) (03/26/91)
In article <1991Mar25.192928.20577@isis.cs.du.edu> echadez@isis.UUCP (Edward Vincent Chadez) writes: >This falls in the "most frequently asked question" group, but I don't know >of another way to find it out, so here goes.... > >I have heard rumors that the Bridgeboard from Commodore/Amiga (that works with >A2x00 series computers) won't work with the A3000. > >1) Is this true? NO! (*) >2) Is there a fix in the future?? see 1. (*) - when running any bridgeboard on a system with a data cache (such as an A3000) under ks/wb 2.0, you *must* disable data caching of bridgeboard address space. there is no problem with a 3000 under 1.3, since 1.3 doesn't turn the data cache on. the reason is that the bridgeboard is essentially a big raft of shared memory being slapped around by the 80x86 and the 680x0. if either side caches something and the other side changes it, things stop abruptly. there are two ways to disable the data cache. 1) (preferred) use ENFORCER QUIET. late model enforcers know about bridgeboards and disable data caching only on the bridgeboard's address space. all other accesses have data caching on. you don't lose the benefits of data caching. 2) (if you don't have a version of enforcer that has the "quiet" option) use CPU NODATACACHE. no more data caching anywhere. may cause some slowdown versus having the data cache on. both of the above must be done *before* binddrivers is run (ie, you have to modify your startup-sequence, not your user-startup). remember to fix it after installing new versions of WB! >I am aware of the software posted to ab20.... However, I'm just interested in >the bridgeboards on the A3000 at this time. with the above "fix" things are swell on A3000s under 2.0. >Please reply to me by mail (to this address or to echadez@carl.org) to avoid >unnecessary bandwidth. Thank you. i didn't reply by mail since you didn't ask privately :). billions and billions of people might get the wrong idea about bridgeboards/3000s. >--ed --Scotty -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Scott Drysdale Software Engineer Commodore Amiga Inc. UUCP {allegra|burdvax|rutgers|ihnp4}!cbmvax!drysdale PHONE - yes. "Have you hugged your hog today?" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
daveh@cbmvax.commodore.com (Dave Haynie) (03/26/91)
In article <1991Mar25.192928.20577@isis.cs.du.edu> echadez@isis.UUCP (Edward Vincent Chadez) writes: >I have heard rumors that the Bridgeboard from Commodore/Amiga (that works with >A2x00 series computers) won't work with the A3000. >1) Is this true? No, BridgeBoards work just dandy in the A3000. Due to the OS's mapping of autoconfiguration space at present, you have to turn off the data cache to use a BridgeBoard. This is because the BridgeBoard is what we call a "shared memory coprocessor" device, it contains a processor which acts on a pool of memory shared with the host CPU. Since the host can't see when any changes are made by the BB's processor, it's easy for the host '030 to have cached something that has externally been altered by the BB processor. I don't know about software conflicts under 2.0, but I have used a BridgeBoard on an A3000 under 1.3 myself. >2) Is there a fix in the future?? The BridgeBoard software might be able to address the caching issues. Also, system software could attempt to locate any 512K autoconfig device it encounters in the I/O autoconfiguration space from $00a00000-$00b7ffff, rather than sticking it in the memory autoconfiguration space from $00200000-$009fffff although the large I/O space is only available on the A3000, not previous systems, so that's not a general solution. >--ed -- Dave Haynie Commodore-Amiga (Amiga 3000) "The Crew That Never Rests" {uunet|pyramid|rutgers}!cbmvax!daveh PLINK: hazy BIX: hazy "That's me in the corner, that's me in the spotlight" -R.E.M.
kent@vf.jsc.nasa.gov (04/02/91)
> I have heard rumors that the Bridgeboard from Commodore/Amiga (that works with > A2x00 series computers) won't work with the A3000. > > 1) Is this true? > 2) Is there a fix in the future?? It does work with the 3000. I have installed one on a 3000 running wb 2.0. However, the pcdisk command on the amiga side does not work all the time. I saw a post that said you have to disable the memory cache when issuing the pcdisk command. After the command is issured you can turn it back on. -Mike
drysdale@cbmvax.commodore.com (Scott Drysdale) (04/03/91)
In article <1991Apr1.102906.1@vf.jsc.nasa.gov> kent@vf.jsc.nasa.gov writes: >> I have heard rumors that the Bridgeboard from Commodore/Amiga (that works with >> A2x00 series computers) won't work with the A3000. >> >> 1) Is this true? >> 2) Is there a fix in the future?? > >It does work with the 3000. I have installed one on a 3000 running wb 2.0. >However, the pcdisk command on the amiga side does not work all the time. I >saw a post that said you have to disable the memory cache when issuing the >pcdisk command. After the command is issured you can turn it back on. !!!!NO!!!! you must do the cache disabling *before binddrivers* and it must remain disabled until you turn the power off. the problem: on a system with a data cache (68030 and up) running ks/wb 2.x, the data cache is enabled by the operating system. under 1.3, the data cache is never enabled, so no problem. the bridgeboard (and possibly some other cards) is a large chunk of shared memory. if either the 80x86 or the 680x0 caches anything in bridgeboard address space, things won't work. the solution: you must disable data caching of bridgeboard address space when running ks/wb 2.x on a 68030 or better system. method 1: insert the line: CPU NODATACACHE before the binddrivers command in your startup-sequence. this will disable *all* data caching, potentially slowing your system down slightly. everyone with 2.x should have the CPU command. method 2: insert the line: ENFORCER QUIET before the binddrivers command in your startup-sequence. this will disable data caching only for bridgeboard address space. other "normal" RAM in your system will be cached as usual. not everyone has ENFORCER, and only recent (past few months) versions know bridgeboards. >-Mike --Scotty (i really ought to figure out a way to put the above in my .signature) -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Scott Drysdale Software Engineer Commodore Amiga Inc. UUCP {allegra|burdvax|rutgers|ihnp4}!cbmvax!drysdale PHONE - yes. "Have you hugged your hog today?" =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=