torkell@ifi.uio.no (Torkel Lodberg) (02/20/91)
The Amiga hardware has undergone many changes since the first A1000
was released. The custom chips have been changed several times, and
a few custom chips have also been added.
But... the serial hardware is still the same. Nothing has been done
to improve it, although it is in a quite bad shape. Just forget
about reliable transfers at anything more than 9600 baud. Even
when CTS/RTS is being used, input still overflows. If you activate
a window during a transfer at 38400 baud - or start disk activty -
I can tell you that you will get at LEAST one error in the transfer.
Oh well.. just forget about using the CIA B timer when using
the serial port. About 25% of the input will get lost at 19200 baud.
And hogging of the CPU will not be handled by the serial hardware.
You will run into the same problems with DMA. According to Jack
Radigan, even the "disk changed" checking will give you problems
when using a couple of floppy drives combined with a hard disk.
I have been told that the problem is due to "the internal port
not being able to buffer multiple bytes". The Paula chip is
supposed to be responsible for some of the problems.
So: Will anything be done about the serial hardware in the near
future? The A3000 still has the old silly serial hardware -
wouldn't it be possible to include a 16550 chip or so on a
future motherboard?
T.Lodberg (quite tired of writing comms-software that will not
work due to problems with the *hardware* :-(d37630m@kaira.hut.fi (Mika Ilmaranta) (02/23/91)
I've noticed the same problems using Amiga w/ my Xenix as a terminal at 19200 baud and I got this funny idea of creating a serial card with an other 68000, some RAM to buffer incoming and outgoing data, a real serial co-processor and ofcource some ROM to hold software to run the 68000. But then I heard that A3000 can hold up to 38400 with no problems since it has faster processor (actually a friend of mine has one A3000 hooked up to a ix386 system and has had no problems with 38400). That made me drop the idea at least for a while (I'm trying to get my hands on a A3000 UXD thoug it seems very hard ...) but feel free to use my idea. By the way have you tried out AZcomm 3.2. At least it can send >3000 chars/sec with 38400 with Z-modem protocol and it seems to work fine otherways too (unless you are living in finland as I am, it doesn't support scandinavian letters). -- Wake up there! - ilmis@niksula.hut.fi -
torkell@ifi.uio.no (Torkel Lodberg) (02/25/91)
>and it certainly does not any more occur on the 3000.
This is not true, since I use an A3000 myself and have got this
problem with a USR HST and an ASDG dual serial board that I have
stuffed into the machine. Even when running the commsprogram at
a high priority and transferring to RAM:, I do get errors as soon
as I activate a window or list a directory on my harddisk. I do
use CTS/RTS (and know that it works, have even tested this with
different switches).
I haven't tried using the internal serial port but I expect the
same things happen then. Oh by the way, I have connected two
hard disks to my machine. Perhaps this could be causing trouble?
I read that Jack Radigan had been doing some tests proving that
this will cause problems.
Having more than one harddisk connected to my A3000 certainly
DOES cause problems with this machine. My machine locks up many
times every day when saving something onto a harddisk, often in
the middle of the file, causing me many hours of extra work.
Yes, I _have_ turned off reselection and have double-checked
the hardware (got a brand new motherboard a few days ago,
with the same problem).
I am now in general so fed up with my A3000 that I wonder if
I should switch to my good old A2000 (which didn't have these
problems at all when using multiple harddisk). I use KickStart
37.21 so these problems *should* be fixed now. I hope some
responsible person is able to kick some a...s if something
isn't done really soon. A friend of mine has exactly the
same problems with lockups during writes when using more
than one harddisk. If this is not a software problem, there
must be a serious bug in the SCSI chip.
/- TL -/ (A multitasking OS without MMU support? Just say NO!)ammrk@swbatl.sbc.com (Mike R. Kraml) (02/25/91)
In article <CMM.0.88.667427284.torkell@kvart.ifi.uio.no> torkell@ifi.uio.no (Torkel Lodberg) writes: >>and it certainly does not any more occur on the 3000. > >This is not true, since I use an A3000 myself and have got this >problem with a USR HST and an ASDG dual serial board that I have >stuffed into the machine. Even when running the commsprogram at >a high priority and transferring to RAM:, I do get errors as soon >as I activate a window or list a directory on my harddisk. I do >use CTS/RTS (and know that it works, have even tested this with >different switches). Don't assume this to be a general problem. I too am running an A3000 with 2 Quantum 105 HDs, and the ASDG dual serial card. I am always transfering files using my USRobotics V.32bis (read 14.4+ transfers) and local to a PC at 38.4K, and while I am transfering I am always doing other things in the backround, multiple windows, opening and closing them, etc, and I NEVER have any transfer problems. > >I haven't tried using the internal serial port but I expect the >same things happen then. Oh by the way, I have connected two >hard disks to my machine. Perhaps this could be causing trouble? >I read that Jack Radigan had been doing some tests proving that >this will cause problems. NO WAY!!! I have been running multiple HDs as well as a SCSI Tape drive, all at once even, without any lockup or any other such failures!!!!!!!!!!! > >Having more than one harddisk connected to my A3000 certainly >DOES cause problems with this machine. My machine locks up many >times every day when saving something onto a harddisk, often in >the middle of the file, causing me many hours of extra work. >Yes, I _have_ turned off reselection and have double-checked >the hardware (got a brand new motherboard a few days ago, >with the same problem). Sorry you are having problems. What is the second HD? Is it properly interfaced? Terminated? Please don't assume because YOU are having problems with multiple HDs that everyone is. > >I am now in general so fed up with my A3000 that I wonder if >I should switch to my good old A2000 (which didn't have these >problems at all when using multiple harddisk). I use KickStart >37.21 so these problems *should* be fixed now. I hope some >responsible person is able to kick some a...s if something >isn't done really soon. A friend of mine has exactly the >same problems with lockups during writes when using more >than one harddisk. If this is not a software problem, there >must be a serious bug in the SCSI chip. Again, what drives is he running? Are they interfaced properly? I have been running multiple drives with 2 versions of Kickstart (both 1.3 and 2.x) for a long time now without problem, (still on an old release of 2.x), fill us in, maybe there is some other problem somewhere else that someone on the net can point out. Don't give up, it does work!!!! > >/- TL -/ (A multitasking OS without MMU support? Just say NO!) (Really; JUST SAY SLOW!!!) Good luck, see ya, Mike... -- ============================================================================= Mike Kraml - Manager-Separations MECHANIZATION - SWBT - (The Techies) UUCP: {uunet, bellcore, texbell}...!swbatl.sbc.com!ammrk =============================================================================
rwm@atronx.OCUnix.On.Ca (Russell McOrmond) (02/26/91)
In a message posted on 24 Feb 91 20:28:04 GMT,
torkell@ifi.uio.no (Torkel Lodberg) wrote:
TL>isn't done really soon. A friend of mine has exactly the
TL>same problems with lockups during writes when using more
TL>than one harddisk. If this is not a software problem, there
TL>must be a serious bug in the SCSI chip.
TL>
TL>/- TL -/ (A multitasking OS without MMU support? Just say NO!)
A P.S. I have Two Quantum 40M drives, and a OMTI controller in my A3000
at the moment. I have a lot of Networking (UUCP and Fidonet) software
running 24Hrs a day, and am very Hard on these drives. I've never experienced
what you are describing up to this point.
(P.S. Kickstart V37.11 - Reg Dev.)
---
Opinions expressed in this message are my Own. I represent nobody else.
Russell McOrmond rwm@Atronx.OCUnix.On.Ca {tigris,alzabo,...}!atronx!rwm
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