CompuServe Messages

Clinton: The difference between a 3.0 vs. 3.1 A3640 card is that U209 is upgraded to a new PAL and another chip on the card has one of it's pins cut. So cutting the pin yourself might not be much of a problem, but getting the upgraded PAL could prove to be difficult. Here is some other information I got from Dave Haynie when I was discussing the problems with him: "It is the existence of the new U209, plus the one other change (a lifted pin on another IC) that makes a processor board "Rev 3.1". If both these changes haven't been made, the board is still 3.0. Technically speaking, the problem is where that card is sampling the STERM* (synchronous termination) signal from the A4000's local bus. Apparently, though I don't know just why, prior to Rev 3.1 (eg, the new U209 PAL), the board was sampling STERM* too close to where it might change. This wasn't a Zorro III problem per se, though the old Buster (Rev I) had the slowest STERM* of the three devices driving it (the others being RAMSEY and GARY). The new Buster (Rev K) speeds this up, but it can't eliminate the problems on the '040 card itself." You might try contacting SMG (Service Management Group) to see if they have any information on the processor board updates. They might even have a few of the upgraded U209 PAL's lying around. Good luck! // John – (TechnoJunkie at heart) \X/ jgager@BMI.NET