CompuServe Thread

#A4000 040 into 3000T

12 messages in this thread
#166246From: Wayne SteeleOct 4, 1994 11:02 AM
Steven: Thanks. I know the G-Force manual doesn't say anything about motherboard jumpers. However, it was written for the A4000 and says something like, "If installing in an A3000, please consult the documentation that came with your system…" Wayne
#166284From: Steven D. KapplinOct 4, 1994 8:11 PM
Wayne, I thought that the GVP '040 accelerator for the 4000 didn't work in a 3000. Thought they made a different board for the 3000, which they don't make anymore. Oh well, I'm not much on GVP cards. The only one I ever had was an old 3001 accelerator for an old 2000.
#166286From: Wayne SteeleOct 4, 1994 8:22 PM
Steven: The A4000 G-Force works fine in an A3000. GVP just doesn't provide any A3000 specific docs for it. Wayne
#166322From: Erik FlomOct 4, 1994 11:57 PM
PMFJI, but…. Do you have the A4000 G-Force in your 3000? I have one in mine, and I get the occasional SCSI lock-up. GVP tech support claims I need a specific revision of Gary or Ramsey, but I haven't looked into my machine. (You wouldn't know of a utility that would tell me the version #? I tried SCRAMmer, but the version numbers seemed to use a different scale?!?) Thanks! Erik Flom
#166387From: Wayne SteeleOct 5, 1994 12:36 PM
Erik: I do have an A4000 G-Force in my 3000T. I also get occasional SCSI lock-ups. I don't know how to check the chips without opening the computer. Do you know what versions GVP recommends? Wayne
#166447From: Erik FlomOct 5, 1994 7:59 PM
(Shuffle, shuffle….As Erik digs through his files…..) Ah, here's the letter I got back from GVP! (2 weeks response time for a faxed question, since they don't offer online voice support – it's that sorta support that I always appreciated from GVP! :^) They claim: 'The A4000-040 board requires a revision 7 RAMSEY chip for proper SCSI operation on the A3000. In addition you may have to alter your MaxTransfer values in the RDB of the drives. Try setting the value at "0xFE00".' I tried setting the value on the single 50MB stock Quantum drive that is on that machine, and it didn't seem to make a difference. FWIW, I've only seen it lock up when 2 tasks access the drive simultaneously. I can fairly reliably use it, as long as the demand on the SCIS I/O is fairly low…. When I run SCRAMmer on the A3000, it claims the RAMSEY is a 'Normal' Type, and has a Code # of '0d' (which would be 13 if it's in Hex.) I've checked the docs, and can't tell what the info is supposed to tell me. Oh well, next time I pop the case I've got to remember to check the RAMSEY itself. (Forgot to last time! :^) Hope this helps your situation….. Erik Flom
#166459From: Wayne SteeleOct 5, 1994 9:26 PM
Erik: Thanks for the info. Funny thing is I'm pretty sure Ramsey revisions are designated by letters, not numbers. If so, I don't know what GVP means by a Rev. 7 Ramsey. Anyway, my Ramsey reports a code "0F" when asked. I think I read somewhere that "0F" indicates a Rev. G while "0D" is the code for Rev. D. I could be wrong, though… It's been a long day. 🙂 So far, I've only had SCSI lock-ups during read cycles. Therefore, nothing's been lost or corrupted. I'd just like to get this glitch resolved. Wayne
#166564From: John GagerOct 6, 1994 2:45 PM
Wayne: I think GVP might be talking about RAMSEY chip revision numbers as it is printed on the chip as the part number, i.e. 390544-07, etc. // John (Warp 4040 & Emplant Quadra 840) \X/ Mercury@ins.infonet.net
#166573From: Wayne SteeleOct 6, 1994 6:27 PM
Ahh… That makes sense.
#166666From: Erik FlomOct 7, 1994 1:18 AM
As John Gager points out, GVP refers to the RAMSEY by the number on the physical package. (God forbid they should give us a number that would allow us to check w/o tearing the machine apart! :^) As you say, it would be nice to 'get this glitch resolved.' Good Luck, Erik Flom
#166427From: Steven D. KapplinOct 5, 1994 5:10 PM
Ah, I see. I remember that before they discontinued the '040/3000 model they had two different models, one for the 3000 and one for the 4000, so I sort of assumed, wrongly, that the 4000 model might not work in the 3000. Now, does this board use a Zorro slot or is it one that plugs into the 3000's fastslot? Does it also allow for memory expansion, and if so does that require GVP proprietary SIMMs?
#166458From: Wayne SteeleOct 5, 1994 9:26 PM
Steven: The G-Force 040 uses the A3000's CPU expansion slot. It allows upto 32MB of RAM expansion using GVP's proprietary SIMM's. Wayne