#AST/NEWDX/PWEDGE
6 messages in this thread
Has anybody else had problems running AutoCAD 386 v11c2 with the Phar Lap
extender v2.6 on AST machines?
I have an AST Premium 386/25, and if I use the newdx program to upgrade the
Phar Lap extender to v2.6, I get "Abnormal program termination: Illegal
instruction" everytime I try to load AutoCAD. I've tried no memory manager,
HIMEM.SYS, HIMEM.SYS with EMM386.EXE, and QEMM386.SYS (all the latest
versions). I've tried every switch combination I can think of. I've tried
removing DOS 5.0 and re-installing DOS 3.3. I've tested memory
exhaustively. I've upgraded the BIOS of the machine. I've tried removing
the E2 jumper on the processor board.
If I use the original version of the Phar Lap extender (2.2d), I can load
AutoCAD, and work with it all day with no problems. If I load pwedge.exp, a
real mode ADS program, and try to run it however, I get also get the
"Abnormal program termination" message.
I'm starting to get a little frustrated with the "tech support dance"
(everbody stand in a circle and point at the person on the left).
Anybody got any ideas?
Gary Fraser
G:
Well, you don't need Newdx unless you are running a memory manager. Newdx
is required to update the PharLap extender for DMPI compatability, I
believe. That said, it certainly appears that you have a problem with your
cpu or your math co-processor. I don't know anything specific about AST
machines, so you can take my observations with a bit of skepticism in mind.
If you use R11c2 without the Pharlap update, does the status screen tell
you that AutoCAD has found all of the memory in the system? (I would
presume that it does…).
You might ask David Gari specifically… he's the Sysop from Autodesk who
may know the skinny on this. I don't think that it has anything to do with
AutoCAD, however, since many of us are running all that you're talking
about on HoChiMin specials…<g>. You can ask your dealer to verify that
the 386/25 is fully compatable with DMPI. I also presume that you are using
a 80387-25 math co-processor?
C#
Craig:
Thanks for your reply. I realize that the NEWDX program is intended to
provide DPMI compatibility, but AutoDesk is intending to standardize on it
"sometime soon" (according to developer support). I only tried it because
of my other problem.
What I really want to do is write and run C programs in real mode. This
requires loading AutoCAD, xloading pwedge.exp, rloading my program and
running it. I have yet to find a combination of memory manager (or lack
thereof), DOS version, Phar Lap extender version and AutoCAD configuration
that will allow me to do this. The closest I have been able to achieve is
with the Phar Lap extender v2.2d, plus either no memory manager or QEMM386.
In this configuration I can get up to the point of loading my program, but
when I run it, it either hangs or reboots(!) the machine. Any other
combination just causes things to fall apart earlier. (My program, by the
way, runs quite happily on other machines, so it's not that)
The only reason I mention the upgraded Phar Lap extender is because it
gives me the "Abnormal program termination: Illegal instruction" message
before I even get to AutoCAD's main menu. I suspect that both problems have
a common cause. The 2.6 extender loads its code into extended memory unlike
2.2d, thus requiring switching between real and protected mode. Pwedge
functions in the same way.
As for talking to my dealer, unfortunately, I AM my dealer. The CPU and FPU
check out OK according to diagnostics. I'm stumped.
Gary
Gary:
Well, the way I understand it, when you start switching between real and
protected mode the bus timing and the speed of the fpu make alot of
difference… Does this thing have a 'turbo' mode and have you tried this
with it switched off? Also, what speed is your extended memory? And, are
you using an 80387-16 (or, shudder, an 80287-20)?
C#
Gary,
I'm not sure I can be of much help here, but I run AutoCAD 11c2 on an AST
Premium 386/33 with NEWDX'd acad. So this suggests that the problem lies not
with the basic platform but with the drivers or TSR's.
I use a Rasterex Graphics Card with AutoIcon 4.1 and QEMM 5.13. When I first
used NEWDX I had two problems, both related to the Rasterex driver. Rasterex
UK have been very helpful in resolving them. With AutoIcon 4.0 I got a system
hang during garbage collection. I also discovered that QEMM does not detect
the Rasterex drivers and continues to recommend that the area of High RAM
which the driver uses be INCLUDED. Are you using any unusual drivers or TSR's
which might be causing the problem?
Incidentally, you mention that you have jumper E2 pulled. I was advised by
AST Europe to do the same thing. I have since discovered that this disables
memory parity checking which is considered by others to be highly dangerous.
I don't know enough about memory parity to have an opinion on this, except
that it seems to run OK on my machine.
Ian.
I'm pretty sure that the E2 is for memory cache, not memory parity
checking. A jumper to disable memory parity checking?! Not likely.