#BB Info Source?
22 messages in this thread
I am enjoying my new 386SX bridgeboard a lot (just added 4 meg memory and
Vantage VGA with mouse), but I have so many questions! I know I need to
subscribe to Crossings (but hate the thought of looking through tons of
back issues for subscription info). I suspect I may have more questions
than can be answered by an occasional newsletter. For instance, I have a
serial board that just doesn't seem to work with the Amiga side (yes, I've
followed all documentation carefully), and I would love to get DeskView/X
and hook into my RS/6000 at work. What's the best way to get my questions
answered? You folks are great, but I may have too many questions even for
the scope of this forum. Is there a really good information source
accessible from the backwoods of Southern Ohio?
Don Weed
Don…
Just leave me your name and postal address by e-mail, and I'll send you a
sample issue etc. (In fact, didn't I do that already?)
Anyway, annual subscription to CROSSINGS is $40.
As far as I know, CROSSINGS is the only regular source of info on the BB.
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
Marion, Hi; time to give you my newest address!
Cheryl and I are now at
Ron and Cheryl Troy 7 Hren Avenue Huntington, New York 11743-5407 (212)
916-7927 W (516) 549-8389
How's everything going?
Ron
Ron…
What, again? You must be making some real estate agents happy!
Thanks…
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
Marion,
I haven't yet received my sample issue, but I'm sure I will soon.
Meantime, if you wouldn't mind e-mailing me CROSSINGS' mailing address for
subscriptions, I will place my order immediately.
Thanks.
Donald Weed
Hey Donald… you're famous! Marion quoted you in the latest CROSSINGS
. <g>
Michael
…..on AutoPilot
>> you're famous! Marion quoted you in the latest CROSSINGS
Everyone is famous for fifteen minutes.
<g>
Don Weed
Donald…
Are you trying to use a PC serial board with the Amiga side? I don't
follow.
Do you know that you can't use COM2 on the PC side–it's used by the Janus
software.
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard
Marion,
I am trying to use COM2. In fact, I have everything else on the board
disabled -COM1, gameport, LPT1, LPT2, by removing the jumper which
activates the others. I am using — wait a minute, just looked at my docs.
I am using COM3 (COM1 with the jumper reset) and disabling COM2. The idea
is to use IRQ4 interrupt which, I understand, is the safe one. I have ATI
Vantage VGA with mouse, and am using IRQ5 for the mouse, and it works
great. Might I have bad documentation for my serial board? Might it really
be using one of the forbidden interrupts? Is there any way to find out?
Should I stop asking so many questions?
Thanks.
Don Weed
Don….
Is there a reason you can't use COM1?
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
Marion,
I was getting _all_ confused since I hadn't tried to fight it for a few
days. It was set for COM1. I know you can't user COM2, I was just all
fouled up trying to explain it to you. Anyway, either COM1 or COM2 use IRQ
4, which should be just fine. On mine, however, it just doesn't work. I
can't even get DOS to complete a DIR command with the serial board
installed — and that's with everything on the board disabled but COM1 (or
COM3, as the mood strikes). I'm tempted to try COM2 just for "fun", in case
the documentation is backwards. And if that doesn't work, I may have to go
to some fancy board where you can configure addresses and interrupts thru
software, or something. Anyway, it's very frustrating, and my inability to
get my 1.2 meg drive to work is frustrating, and opening my Borland Turbo
C++ I just bought and seeing 9 1.44M diskettes is frustrating. Anyway, I'll
keep trying, and I'm open to any and all suggestions.
Highly recommended — the ATI Vantage VGA with mouse. It all works like a
dream, and the VGA speed is terrific! I imagine ATI Ultra would be even
better, but I had to economize somewhere. I configured the mouse to use
IRQ5 so 4 would be available, and the mouse couldn't be better. Beyond
that, suffice it to say I am typing this message online using Amiga
BackTalk.
Don't get me wrong! I wouldn't be going through all this for my
BridgeBoard if I didn't think it was one of the most exciting products to
come down the pike in a long, long while!
Thanks for all your help.
Don Weed
Don,
Ah! Unusable media. Another compelling reason to own a "compatible". :/
Malcolm
If I was at work, I could just transfer to 720k diskettes from my office
PC, but I'm on a week's vacation and I'm not going _near_ that place!
Don Weed
Don…
Are you running any TSRs? I assume you've already checked, but sometimes
they can fool you. Also, does the serial port work if you rem out the
mouse?
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
Hmmm, you want me to consider all the TSR's and stuff, eh? OK, I guess I
could try it with a bare bones setup and see if it works. I'm pretty sure
if I tried it without a mouse, but I'll try it again. This is just a cheap
serial board from UARCO or somebody, so maybe it's a bad board. Anyway,
you've given me some direction. I'll see if the port works with nothing
else running.
Thanks.
Donald Weed
Marion,
Make that COM1 and COM3 as the ports using IRQ4. COM2 uses IRQ3, which is
a forbidden interrupt.
Don Weed
Don…
You're using both COM1 and COM3 with the same IRQ? As far as I know,
that's a recipe for disaster.
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
I'm only using COM1 _or_ COM3, depending whether I jumper J1 pins 1 & 2, or
2 & 3. I've just been trying either/or to see if one of them will work.
Don Weed
Marion,
I don't want to tell you I had the jumpers set for COM1, because I don't
do those things. I'm a professional programmer, people depend on me, I
don't make those kinds of mistakes. So it didn't happen, OK? (Sigh)
Don Weed
Donald…
I keep adding more….Did you get info on BridgeAccess? It's my AmigaVision
"book on a disk" about the Bridgeboard.
Marion
CROSSINGS
Newsletter for the Bridgeboard, etc.
Marion,
If BridgeAccess would provide info on matters that an old Amiga user like
me (class of Oct. '85) would find new and useful, then I am interested. I
had the XT bridgeboard for 2 1/2 years or so, and used it — well, some. I
learned a few things, and didn't try anything too fancy, but now I need
some fairly intermediate instruction on BB in particular and PC in general.
By the way, I would love to buy any CROSSINGS back issue which explains how
to turn my XT slots into AT slots!
Thanks again.
Don Weed