CompuServe Thread

#Mitsumi CDROM drive

8 messages in this thread
#42022From: Sreten BogdanovicMar 5, 1993 9:34 AM
Re: Misumi LU005S CDROM drive I wonder if anyone can help out with a rather odd installation problem. My drive works on CDROMs, but won't play audio disks! I haven't tried MPC or Photo-CD disks yet. The drive is a CRMC-LU005S model manufactured in January 1993. It comes set up for DMA channel 5 and IRQ channel 10 as the defaults. So far as I know, these are not used by any other components in my system. The drivers MTMCDE.SYS and MTMCDS.SYS are version 2.10, dated 27th October 1992. The MIcrosoft CDROM Extension driver, MSCDEX.EXE, is version 2.21 dated 4th February 1992. I am using extended memory for the MTMCDE.SYS buffers, and expanded (QEMM v6) memory for the MSCDEX.EXE buffers. These are the only available options (apart from conventional memory). Both drivers are loaded low. My PC is a 40MHz 386DX with 10Mb RAM, AMI BIOS, and a Trident T8900 SVGA card. If I issue commands via PLAYCD.EXE (v1.30, dated 16th January 1992), there is a lot of disk activity, including stops and starts, but no audio from either the rear output RCA jacks or the front panel headphone socket. If I call the PLAYCD control panel, it won't go away once it appears on screen, and I have to reboot to remove it. The status indicator reads `Setup …' for several minutes, followed by `Stopped'. Pressing play, rewind, etc., makes no difference. The CDROM drive also seems very slow. It takes 1-2 MINUTES to get a directory listing with the DOS (Microsoft, v5.00) DIR command, and several minutes to load the CDROM software that I was trying out. Once it gets going, it appears OK though. Has anyone got any ideas? Are these loading times normal? Sreten.
#42062From: Craig HenriksonMar 5, 1993 9:17 PM
Sreten — the loading times, and the time for the dir listing are NOT normal. Sure, CD-ROM takes more time — but not THAT much more time — and my 5s is only slightly slower on a dir listing than for a floppy. I would bet that you have a memory conflict or your parameters for MTMCDE or MSCDEX don't match the jumper settings on the card. For a while, mine would play CD's, and do MM Beethoven — but nothing else. — I had changed the jumper setting, but neglected to make the change in MTMCDE –. Check the card, and be sure the /I,/P and /T parameters are correct — also, of course, be sure the /A parameter is correct. Craig
#42172From: Sreten BogdanovicMar 7, 1993 4:51 AM
Craig — thanks for your advice. My problem was due to some sort of I/O port conflict. I thought this was likely because the same diff- iculties occurred with software polling (where you don't need to specify DMA and IRQ channels). The Mitsumi also functioned correctly (using the default settings) in a colleague's machine which had very similar specs to mine, but which came from a different source. I tried changing the I/O address (/P switch of MTMCDE.SYS) from the 300h default to 310, and after making the appropriate dip switch adjustment, everything seems fine. Is there a utility that you can use to check for vacant I/O, DMA, and IRQ addresses before installing adapter boards? I don't relish the prospect of all this hassle each time I install something (I am hoping to try a SoundBlaster Pro board next). I did find a little program (PCK.EXE or something like that) which looks at potential I/O addresses for a Hitachi CD-ROM adapter card. It only looks at a narrow address range (200h-370h). Also, while it correctly spotted that 300h on my machine was being used, it wasn't able to see the Mitsumi card at 310h. Sreten
#42190From: larry ciummoMar 7, 1993 8:02 AM
I just installed a Mitsumi with the default settings and the drive worked fine but both my floppy disks don't wok. I get Data Error Reading. The seem to spin up ok, but it won't read them with the Mitsumi controller in the system. My system manual says they use DMA Ch2 and the Mitsumi is using 5 and IRQ 10 as a default. Any ideas?
#42226From: Sreten BogdanovicMar 7, 1993 6:20 PM
Larry — I'm probably not the best person to advise you on CDROM installations, since I've only had my Mitsumi since last Thursday, and it's my first CDROM product. However, it seems that you do have a conflict somewhere. You might like to install the soft- ware polling driver MTMCDS.SYS, which does not require DMA or IRQ channels to be set. This is an experiment you can try without opening up your PC. If it works, you will have to try changing the DMA and IRQ values (if you want the improved performance offered by the hardware driver MTMCDE.SYS). If it doesn't work, then you most likely have an I/O port conflict. In this case, the SETUP program provided by Mitsumi offers five suggested I/O addresses (manual, page 25), and you might like to try an alternative to the default 300h. It is probably easier just to change the parameters in CONFIG.SYS with a text editor than to reinstall. You will have to adjust the little bank of switches on the adapter card (SW1) as well: the settings are in the manual (page 13). This is all quite straightforward, unless you have a lot of adapter cards in your PC. Good luck! Sreten
#42225From: Bruce De VriesMar 7, 1993 6:16 PM
There are utilities the claim to be able to identify I/O address. DMA ports etc. that are in use, but I have found that they are less than perfect. Your best bet is to make a record of what each card uses per the cards documentation and keep a current printout handy. Bruce
#42241From: Craig HenriksonMar 7, 1993 8:09 PM
Sreten — Glad you got things operating. I'll bet that there are utilities that can check each port, for example, to find if there is anything there, and IO as well, but I don't know what they are. Can some of the lurkers help out? Craig
#42405From: Peter VerkleyMar 9, 1993 4:41 AM
Sreten, Checkit 3.0 will give you that information. I use it all the time when installing stuff. I have my Ethernet card on IRQ 15, but I/O on 300. Most Ethernets use I/O 300 as default. I put the Mitsumi well out of the way, on 340. It being able to use IRQ 10 is a godsent. The soundcard uses IRQ 7, as does LPT1, another DMA and I/O 220. All that info comes slickly out of Checkit. OTOH, you may already have a utility to do it with. Type MSD from the C:\> prompt. If you have Windows 3.1 that will do the trick, it's undocumented, but actually is Microsofts Diags program. Black peter Interesting thread BTW