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Diffstat (limited to 'drivers/char/ftape/README.PCI')
| -rw-r--r-- | drivers/char/ftape/README.PCI | 81 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 81 deletions
diff --git a/drivers/char/ftape/README.PCI b/drivers/char/ftape/README.PCI deleted file mode 100644 index 18de159d36e..00000000000 --- a/drivers/char/ftape/README.PCI +++ /dev/null @@ -1,81 +0,0 @@ -Some notes for ftape users with PCI motherboards: -================================================= - -The problem: ------------- - -There have been some problem reports from people using PCI-bus based -systems getting overrun errors. -I wasn't able to reproduce these until I ran ftape on a Intel Plato -(Premiere PCI II) motherboard with bios version 1.00.08AX1. -It turned out that if GAT (Guaranteed Access Timing) is enabled (?) -ftape gets a lot of overrun errors. -The problem disappears when disabling GAT in the bios. -Note that Intel removed this setting (permanently disabled) from the -1.00.10AX1 bios ! - -It looks like that if GAT is enabled there are often large periods -(greater than 120 us !??) on the ISA bus that the DMA controller cannot -service the floppy disk controller. -I cannot imagine this being acceptable in a decent PCI implementation. -Maybe this is a `feature' of the chipset. I can only speculate why -Intel choose to remove the option from the latest Bios... - -The lesson of this all is that there may be other motherboard -implementations having the same of similar problems. -If you experience a lot of overrun errors during a backup to tape, -see if there is some setting in the Bios that may influence the -bus timing. - -I judge this a hardware problem and not a limitation of ftape ;-) -My DOS backup software seems to be suffering from the same problems -and even refuses to run at 1 Mbps ! -Ftape will reduce the data-rate from 1 Mbps to 500 Kbps if the number -of overrun errors on a track exceeds a threshold. - - -Possible solutions: -------------------- - -Some of the problems were solved by upgrading the (flash) bios. -Other suggest that it has to do with the FDC being on the PCI -bus, but that is not the case with the Intel Premiere II boards. -[If upgrading the bios doesn't solve the problem you could try -a floppy disk controller on the isa-bus]. - -Here is a list of systems and recommended BIOS settings: - - - Intel Premiere PCI (Revenge): - -Bios version 1.00.09.AF2 is reported to work. - - - - Intel Premiere PCI II (Plato): - -Bios version 1.00.10.AX1 and version 11 beta are ok. -If using version 1.00.08.AX1, GAT must be disabled ! - - - - ASUS PCI/I-SP3G: - -Preferred settings: ISA-GAT-mode : disabled - DMA-linebuffer-mode : standard - ISA-masterbuffer-mode : standard - - - DELL Dimension XPS P90 - -Bios version A2 is reported to be broken, while bios version A5 works. -You can get a flash bios upgrade from http://www.dell.com - - -To see if you're having the GAT problem, try making a backup -under DOS. If it's very slow and often repositions you're -probably having this problem. - - --//-- - LocalWords: ftape PCI bios GAT ISA DMA chipset Mbps Kbps FDC isa AF ok ASUS - LocalWords: SP linebuffer masterbuffer XPS http www com |