XENIX 386 ESDI Crash

[Mark Dornfeld]

In article <1988Mar10.163610.27000 at gpu.utcs.toronto.edu> romwa at gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Mark Dornfeld) writes:
| I think SCO's ESDI version is not quite right yet.  I did my
| own installation of an SMS OMTI 8620 Controller on a Compaq
| [...]
| 
| The system periodically crashes when one of the peripherals is
| being heavily used.  When extracting a tar archive from
| floppy, the system will report:
| 
| memory failure - parity error
| omti: controller already in select state
| 
  >>Sure sounds familiar! I have seen this on a number of machines now,
>>and it was caused by trying to run 16 bit memory. When you get the hard
>>disk (1 DMA channel) and the floppy or tape (or serial ports??) and the
>>CPU in 32 bit mode all beating the 16 bit memory, it doesn't have time
>>to refresh. BANG! parity error.
>>
  >>If you have all 32 bit memory then this is a new one, but if you have
>>16 bit memory, pull it out and try again. At least in three cases this
>>was one that really was software.

This box has all 32bit memory.  Since I posted I have replaced
the memory, the controller, did a low level disk format,
reinstalled (flawlessly), then BOOM!.  Down she went when I
tried to install the drivers for an eight port board
(Consensys).  I think this particular Compaq was made on a
Monday.

I've just about given up and will ship the system back and
replace it with a 16Mhz Intel system configured by Consensys
with ESDI support (faster code than SCO's).  

I am heartened to see I'm not the only one with these
problems.  I've heard lots of war stories about Compaq memory
boards.  Can they be growing just a little too fast?  Their
next machine will say it all.  I've heard they are trying to
license the Microchannel bus.

Why doesn't some company (besides TI) harness the 386 to a
Nu-bus and market the hell out of it.  That should create a
wonderful open standard and do justice to the open standards
efforts going on.

Ah, well, this will not get this machine going tomorrow now,
will it?

Mark T. Dornfeld
Royal Ontario Museum
100 Queens Park
Toronto, Ontario, CANADA
M5S 2C6

mark at utgpu!rom      - or -     romwa at utgpu