jeh@vax5.cit.cornell.edu (01/12/91)
I've got a Tandy 4000 at home, with a rev. C1 motherboard and bios version 1.03.01 (by Tandy's version scheme). This is Tandy's first-generation 16 MHz 386 system; it uses the original Chips and Technologies 386 chipset, whose name escapes me at the moment, and a Phoenix BIOS. I'm trying to install a Wang VGA card, which uses the Tseng Labs ET-3000 chip, in this machine. The computer seems to hang upon power-up-- the video card doesn't seem to get initialized and the computer never does anything further in the start-up sequence. I eliminated all cards except 32-bit memory and Tandy's serial/parallel card, to no effect. The odd thing is, I tried it in a 4000LX (Tandy's nearly-identical 20 MHz box), and it works fine. This machine was purchased shortly after or before the 4000 (I can't remember which came first), also has a rev C1 motherboard, and has ROM rev 1.04.01. The card also works on a 16 MHz 386SX noname motherboard with Intel's chipset. I would also hope :) that it works on Wang's machines of its era, which I think are based on the same C&T chipset as the 4000. Anybody have a clue? Is it possibly a bug in the BIOS? (naw, Tandy's perfect :) --jh -- John Hood, Mann Library, Cornell University jhood@albert.mannlib.cornell.edu, jeh@crnlvax5.bitnet, uunet!biar!jhood
py@meadow.uucp (Peter Yeung) (01/14/91)
In article <1991Jan11.190207.1992@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> jeh@vax5.cit.cornell.edu writes: >I've got a Tandy 4000 at home, with a rev. C1 motherboard and > ... system description deleted... >further in the start-up sequence. I eliminated all cards except >32-bit memory and Tandy's serial/parallel card, to no effect. > I have never used a Tandy box, the following is mainly my experience with other systems: The major questions to be asked are: (1) is the VGA card an 8 bit or 16 bit card? (2) is there any addressable card within the video ROM BOIS segment, typically C000:0000 (e.g. SCCI controller with its own BIOS or RAM card covering the same segment)? If your card is an 8 bit card and a 16 bit peripheral card (or vis-versa) are sitting in the same segement, it will be in a conflict and will not work. If both peripheral cards are same bus size (e.g. both are 16 bit), make sure their addresses do not overlap. I would strip down the system to a care minimum (i.e. include pulling out additional RAM cards) and add a card at a time in order to isolate the problem. If your system cannot boot with the base memory/floppy drive/VGA card, the conflict is definitely between the VGA card and the motherboard and may not be easily resolved. Hope this will help! -- Peter Yeung Amdahl Canada Ltd., Software Development Center 2000 Argentia Road, Plaza 2, Suite 300 Mississauga, Ont. L5N 1V8 Phone: (416) 542-6300 Fax: (416) 858-2233