From: Riley Williams (nleav@relay.tunkki.fi)
Date: Tue Mar 25 2003 - 10:28:27 EET
Hi Barry.
> Thanks to those who wrote with suggestions and discussion.
>
> After much hardware testing I have become convinced that the problem
> is software or perhaps memory allocation. I am using DOS FBB700i. 32Mb
> memory and lots of empty disc space.
Just a general note, but DOS itself can't make use of memory beyond the
first 1088k (no, that isn't a typo) with HIMEM.SYS (or some other XMS
manager) installed, or beyond the first 640k without it installed.
> I reconfigured the BBS down to the absolute minimum of just the Pactor
> PTC2. It worked. There was no sign of resynching at all. I then added
> a VHF port by using the PTC2's packet modem. It immediately failed and
> started resynching.
Logically, this leaves two possible options:
1. There is a fault in the PTC2 specific to the PTC2's packet mode.
2. There is a bug in the software being used that affects all packet
modes.
Somehow, I think others would have had a problem if (2) is true, so (1)
has to be considered far more likely.
> I experimented with loading the driver High or Low. (LH ESS 1 3F8 4).
> This made no difference and I discovered why later when I found that
> the drivers were loaded in the same locations whether the LH is used
> or not. It appears that the LH is ineffective unless a memory manager
> is used.
Without an XMS memory manager, your system can only use the first 640k
of memory. Even with an XMS memory manager such as HIMEM.SYS loaded, in
DOS mode, only the first 1088k can be used to run any software in, no
matter how much RAM you have. That is why HIMEM.SYS is pretty much a
requirement for things like this, as well as the...
DOS=HIGH,UMB
...line being required in CONFIG.SYS to allow access to the memory above
the 640k mark. The UMB in that line allows access to memory between 640k
and 1024k and the HIGH allows access to the 1024k-1088k block.
If you wish to use memory above the 1088k mark under DOS, you either run
some form of "DOS extender" or, more usually, use RAMDRIVE.SYS to create
a RAMdrive up there.
> I then removed the PTC2's modem port (not physically) and implemented
> another TNC port. This has worked OK but I have found it to be touchy
> because if I use the console (F2) sometimes, if the TNC port is
> forwarding, it hangs up and does not send or receive. The other
> station that is connected on the TNC port times out and the disconnect
> by the other station is not recognised. Also the other station's
> retries and disconnect do not appear in the monitor window. After a
> considerable period (tens of minutes) it may disconnect the TNC port.
> All this while the PTC2 is carrying on forwarding happily.
This provides three logical causes:
1. Your "implemented another TNC port" was faulty.
2. There is a bug in the keyboard scan routine in your BIOS. This is a
known issue with some BIOS versions, and affects all programs that
rely on interrupts to read the keyboard.
3. There is a bug in the software being used that affects all packet
modes.
Again, the last option is least likely for the same reason as above.
> If the disconnect does not occur it is necessary to close the BBS &
> press the reset button. So far it is reliable if I keep my fingers off
> the keyboard. It does not always fail when I use the keyboard.
This would tend to indicate that the keyboard is being driven in polled
rather than interrupt mode, which is the bug I referred to above.
> Can anyone tell me what the Us and OK memory numbers mean ? I think it
> is in the manual somewhere but I have not been able to find the info.
> The OK is 30320K and the Us varies down to zero and up to some thousands.
Is that 30320K not saying that you have 30,320 Kilobytes of memory available
after DOS has loaded? That would be about right for a 32M system with the
type of setup you describe above.
As for the Us I'm not even sure what you're referring to, sorry.
> If you have waded through all this then I thank you.
No problem.
> If you have seen similar occurrences that would indeed be important info
> so please let me know about your configuration.
I can't report on similar occurrences, only on the experience resulting from
my having worked in the computer industry for over 25 years.
Best wishes from Riley.
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