ÉÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ» º º º Inboard 386 Operating System Compatibility º º º ÈÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍͼ CONCURRENT DOS 386 Digital Research (DRI) reports CONCURRENT DOS 386 is compatible with Inboard 386. PC-MOS 386 Software Link (manufacturer of PC-MOS 386) reports that Release 3.0 of PC-MOS 386 is compatible with both Inboard 386 and Inboard 386/PC. Earlier versions of this operating system were incompatible with Inboard 386. If you have an earlier version of PC-MOS 386 and you want to use Inboard 386, contact Software Link for an upgrade at this number: (404) 448-5465. OS/2 Some of the older Inboard 386s for AT systems were incompatible with OS/2. You can determine whether your board is compatible with OS/2 in two ways: þ The Bar code on the box: If the third to the last character in the bar code is an "A", the board is OS/2 compatible. þ The Serial number on the board: If the last character of the serial number is an "A", the board is OS/2 compatible. The OS/2 compatible software is on a diskette labelled "OS/2 Installation," and dated March 1988 or later. If you have a compatible board but incompatible software, contact Intel's customer support or Bulletin Board system (if you have a modem). OS/2 is very dependent on hardware, so contact the manufacturer of your computer (Compaq, Wyse, etc.) for the specific version of OS/2 that runs on your computer. COMPAQ OS/2 COMPAQ has identified a problem with the disk cache software provided with Microsoft OS/2, as published by COMPAQ. The problem can cause possible data loss by writing data to the wrong location. This problem is not related to Inboard 386. If you think you're experiencing this problem, disable the disk cache software and use the DISK01.SYS software available from COMPAQ. This software should have been included in all shipments from COMPAQ after May 6, 1988. IBM DOS 4.0 BM didn't follow the EMS specification when designing PC-DOS 4.0 and 4.01, so they don't use expanded memory correctly. If you want to use a DOS 4.x operating system, try Microsoft's MS-DOS 4.x. It uses EMS memory correctly. 386 XENIX/UNIX AND THE 80387 Running Xenix or other 386-based Unix operating systems in conjunction with an 80387 can lock up a computer if the following events occur simultaneously: þ Demand page virtual memory is active þ An 80387 is installed and in use þ DMA occurs when the 80386 is in a wait state Intel has known about this problem since it started shipping the 80386. The problem occurs with the "B" stepping of the 80386 chip. The "D" stepping of the 80386 (the part number contains "DX", as in 80386DX-20) corrects the problem. Intel published this as an errata (errata 21), and all of its OEM customers (those that manufacture products using the 80386) have been aware of the problem and its possible hardware and software solutions. These manufacturers are responsible for correcting the problem. IBM and COMPAQ fixed the problem on their system boards. Intel is not replacing 80386 chips. For a more complete technical description of the problem, refer to page 5 of the April 25, 1988, issue of Info World. A hardware product that fixes the problem is available from Ironwood Electronics of St. Paul Minn. It costs $145, and its part number is SX-PGA 132-01. Because of this problem, SCO Xenix 386 Release 2.2.2 does not support the 80387. INBOARD 386'S WITH THE XENIX JUMPER In February, 1988, Intel began shipping a version of Inboard 386 with a jumper that lets you power up the board in speed 4. This feature is valuable to Unix or Xenix users who can't use the DOS-based speed change software. There are three ways determine which board you have: þ Read the bar code on the box label. If the third character from the right is an "A", the board has the Xenix upgrade. If it is a "2" or a "4", the Inboard 386 is an older version without the Xenix Jumper. The bar code for Inboard 386s with the Xenix jumper look like this: GDAA8A45 (PCIB3000) or GDBB8A46 (PCIB3010) þ Read the serial number on the Inboard 386. If the last character of the serial number is an "A", the board has the Xenix upgrade. þ Find the jumper on the Inboard 386. The jumper is located on the chip side of the board, just to the left of the 80386 chip (if you orient the board so the metal retaining bracket is to the right). NOTE: The Inboards with the Xenix jumper are also OS/2-compatible. I/O PORTS FOR CHANGING SPEED AND CACHE STATES This section lists the I/O ports that change speed and cache states on Inboard 386. These registers are write-only, so you can't read their values. To use these ports, you should have enough system- level programming expertise to poke I/O ports and recompile Xenix. Speed: I/O port 0674H þ Write 80H to port 0674H to set 80386 clock rate to 8 MHz þ Write 00H to port 0674H to set 80386 clock rate to 16 MHz Cache: I/O port 0670H þ Write 01H to port 0670H to turn cache on þ Write 00H to port 0670H to turn cache off MICROPORT UNIX SYSTEM V/286 If you're a Microport Unix System V/286 user, contact Intel for a copy of Microport Unix drivers (provided by a user) for Inboard 386. PARADISE EGA AND XENIX (Field report) One user reports that Xenix 386 is incompatible with Paradise graphics adapter card (with autoswitch feature). The user detected the problem after installing Inboard 386 and trying unsuccessfully to install Xenix 386. After replacing the Paradise board monochrome board, the user could install and use Xenix 386. SCO has been notified of the problem. Xenix 286 works fine with the Paradise EGA board. SCO XENIX SERIAL PORT IDENTIFICATION PROBLEMS Xenix can have trouble identifying serial ports on any cached 386 machine, including those equipped with Inboard 386. This is a problem with Xenix, not the Inboard. It occurs only on fast cached machines. Xenix requests a status report from the serial ports then tries to read the results before the routine returns them. To fix this problem, edit the SIOCNF.C file in the /USR/SYS directory. Locate the table declaration containing many different types of serial ports. Put the declaration of the affected serial port at the top of the list and make at least 5 duplicate entries. This way Xenix will check the port several times and one of the requests will retrieve the results. Recompile the "siocnf.c" file, then do a "make libio" to make the I/O libraries. When you're done, link it into the kernel and reboot. Field reports indicate that this procedure has completely fixed the problem. SCO XENIX 386 AND ESDI HARD DISK CONTROLLERS (Field report) A customer reports intermittent VERY slow hard disk access using 3 brands of ESDI controllers in system with Inboard 386. No known solution. The same hardware works fine in different 386 systems. XENIX AND SPEED PROGRAMS Intel has a program that controls Inboard 386's speed under Xenix. To get this software, contact Intel's Customer Support and request the Inboard 386 diskette for Xenix users. NOTE: This program is not necessary for SCO Xenix 386. If you have an early version of SCO Xenix 386 that does not support Inboard 386, call SCO for an update. WINDOWS 386 AND SPEED CHANGE KEYS Intel has tested and verified that Windows 386 Release 2.0 is compatible with Inboard 386, though the Inboard 386's speed-change keys won't work in Windows. ÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍÍ End of file Intel FaxBack # 2050 September 25,1992