*BSD News Article 80388


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From: keithl@chip.klic.rain.com (Keith Lofstrom)
Newsgroups: comp.unix.bsd.bsdi.misc
Subject: Re: BSDI 1.1, P5, and all that
Date: 11 Oct 1996 00:03:11 -0700
Organization: KLIC
Lines: 50
Message-ID: <53krff$fmh@chip.klic.rain.com>
References: <53chsi$o5@chip.klic.rain.com>
NNTP-Posting-Host: chip.klic.rain.com

In article <53chsi$o5@chip.klic.rain.com> keithl@chip.klic.rain.com (Keith Lofstrom) writes:

>I attempted to replace the 486DX50 motherboard this weekend with a
>P5 motherboard (TYAN Tomcat with 5 ISA/4 PCI) 
  ...
>and I kept on getting various varieties of apparent SCSI error.


PROBLEM SOLVED !!?!

The problem was a buggy BIOS, that won't properly turn off PnP (Flog'n'Fail).
I ordered 2 of the last remaining VTI (Vextrec) GMB-P541IPS v0 motherboards.
(They are being discontinued).  The VTI uses the AWARD V4.50PG BIOS,
and the menu has proper places to turn off PnP.  I am now running with a
P133 instead of a 486DX50.  Life is good...

The TYAN motherboard that was giving me fits is VERY SIMILAR - but not the
same - and uses the AWARD V4.51P6 BIOS, which lacks the explicit PnP turnoff
feature.  PnP apparently interferes with the Adaptec 1542B's interrupts.

I will contact TYAN and see if I can get an older version of the BIOS, and
see if it fixes the Tomcat.  Until then, 

   *** AVOID the TYAN S1562 Tomcat motherboard with AWARD BIOS. ***

Unfortunately, this board is the only 5 ISA slot Pentium motherboard 
still in production, besides the QUICKTECH built-in-SCSI motherboard.  If
you are considering upgrading your systems from 486's and want to keep
your old boards and configuration, buy some of the last VTIs or pressure
TYAN to fix their BIOS.


Meanwhile, if anyone has a time machine handy, I would like to go back in
time and deliver packages of condoms to the parents of the twits that
invented PnP.   GRUMP!

Keith


PS - Note to BSDI - I still have the TYAN.  Would you folks like to borrow
it for a while and see if it behaves strangely for you?  I am not currently
under support, but I wouldn't mind contributing to the general advancement
of BSDI anyway.  BTW, I built an experimental 2.0 disk, and the boot error
occurs in the exact same manner.  I also see some errors with DOS 6.2,
though those are more subtle.   

-- 
Keith Lofstrom         keithl@klic.rain.com       Voice (503)-520-1993
KLIC --- Keith Lofstrom Integrated Circuits --- "Your Ideas in Silicon"
Design Contracting in Bipolar and CMOS - Analog, Digital, and Power ICs