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         Micro Channel Above Board Add-in Board Compatibility             
                                                                          
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 COMMUNICATION BOARDS

 CONNECTION COPROCESSOR

     Intel tested this fax board with Micro Channel Above Boards, and they
     are compatible.

 INTEL 2400B MODEM 2

     Intel tested this modem with Micro Channel Above Boards, and they are
     compatible.

 SATISFAXTION

     Intel tested this fax/modem board with Micro Channel Above Boards, and
     they are compatible.

 DISK CONTROLLER BOARDS

 CORE HARD DRIVE

     Customers report this board is compatible with Above Board 2 Plus.  You
     must install the Above Board with Intel software part number 301290-
     004A or greater.

     If running under DOS, EMM must be installed to initialize the Above
     Board 2 Plus. Under non-DOS operating systems it would be necessary to
     start the computer with the OS/2 Boot Diskette supplied with the Above
     Board 2 Plus (this is necessary because SOFTSET will not be able to
     write an Initializing Adaptor Descripter File to track zero of this
     hard drive).

     After installing the Above Board 2 Plus, the IBM Set Configuration
     program on the reference diskette may report that the fixed disk type
     can't be determined.  This is normal in a Micro Channel system because
     the CORE drive doesn't use the standard DOS format.  Core provides
     programs which allow access to the drive.

 IBM MC ESDI CONTROLLER

     We have customer reports of compatibility with the Above Board 2 Plus,
     MC, and the discontinued MC32.

     Tech Note: With the Above Board MC the error "The Above Board MC ROM
     could not could not read the hard drive to check for an Above Board
     IADF" will occur if the IBM ESDI controller's ROM is at a higher
     address than the Above Board MC ROM.

     As an example, this error would occur if the IBM ESDI's controller
     address was set to D000 and the Above Board MC ROM was set to C800. In
     this example if the Above Board MC ROM were to be moved to D400 the
     message would not occur. These addresses can be changed by using the
     backup copy of the Reference diskette for that system (choose the Set
     Configuration option, then the Change Configuration option).

 IBM MC SCSI CONTROLLER AND ABOVE BOARD 2 PLUS

     Symptom:
         With IBM SCSI controller, Above Board 2 Plus, and PS/2s that don't
         have built-in BIOS support for SCSI, you can either:
             get the IADF banner and a 162 error, or
             get rid of the 162 error and lose the IADF.

     Solution:
         DOS    Use EMM to initialize board.
                    OS/2    Use OS/2 boot disk supplied with the Above
                    Board.

     The latest SOFTSET version doesn't write an iadf in a DOS system, so
     users won't have this problem when using DOS now.

     Details:
     The customer had an Above Board 2 Plus installed and working in Model
     50Z, running on the standard MFM hard drive.  They decided to install
     an IBM SCSI adapter to run a SCSI drive as a second hard drive.

     In order to install the SCSI, they had to use reference disk version
     1.06, which has a SC.EXE that is both IADF & ADP aware.  Note: anyone
     using this version or later of the reference disk will find that the
     IADF gets unchained everytime they run configuration.

     Normally, the solution is to simply rerun SOFTSET, thereby re-
     installing the IADF.  Unfortunately, the installation procedure for
     this SCSI adapter in those machines which do not have built-in BIOS
     support for SCSI does not adhere to IBM IADF rules.  The SCSI has an
     ADP that installs a pseudo IADF, deleting any existing IADFs. For some
     reason the SCSI will not tolerate being chained in behind another IADF.
     The result is a 162 error on POST.

     This situation has been thoroughly explored here, and at this time it
     appears it will require a fix from IBM.  Of course, in the DOS
     environment the customer can use EMM to initialize the board.  As a
     last resort, the customer can get the board initialized by booting from
     the OS/2 boot disk each time.

     Above Board 2 Plus works fine with machines that have BIOS support for
     the SCSI built in, such as the 65 and the later Mod 80s.  In these
     machines, the ADP does not write the pseudo IADF to the hard disk.

 FUTURE DOMAINS MCS350 SCSI CONTROLLER

     Customers report getting "Invalid operating system boot sector" error
     after an Above Board 2 Plus tried to install the IADF (Initializing
     Adapter Descripter File) to track zero of this hard disk.   No reports
     of any compatibility issues with the Above Board 2, Above Board MC32,
     or Above Board MC.

     Used REST_TRK.EXE program to restore track 0 and clear the error.
     Under the DOS Operating system need to use EMM.SYS to initialize the
     board.  Also, put the DEVICE=LDRIVE.SYS before EMM. If the customer is
     trying to boot into a non-DOS operating system with an Above Board 2
     Plus, they would need to boot from the OS/2 Boot Diskette provided with
     the Above Board 2 Plus.

 IBM 5.25" EXTERNAL FLOPPY

     Customers have reported that using IBMCACHE and EMM.SYS together in a
     Model 60 caused the IBM external floppy controller to fail when the
     IBMCACHE size was less than 512K bytes.

 PLUS PASSPORT SYSTEM - MCA

     Customers have reported the Plus Passport system is compatible with
     Above Boards.  The Plus Passport system is a removable 20M- or 40M-byte
     hard disk system that connects to an adapter board in the computer.  It
     is available for both Classic bus and Micro Channel computers.

     This system has a 16K-byte read-ahead buffer.  You can select Micro
     Channel adapter values independently from one another.

     Ŀ
       BIOS      I/O       Fairness  Interrupt     DMA     
      Address  Address                 Level     Channel   
     ͵
      C800    F320H-F323H   ON/OFF    5 or 14   0, 1, 2, 3,
      CC00    F324H-F327H                       4, 5, 6, 7,
      D000    F328H-F32BH                       8, 9, 10,  
      D400    F32CH-F32FH                       11, 12, 13,
      D800                                      or 14      
      DC00                                                 
     

     Adapter ID number:  @5FF8.ADF

 PROCOM PIRA 50120

     Customer Reports of compatibility between the Above Board MC and the
     Procom PIRA 50120.

     Tech Notes:
     One customer reported getting a "111 ?????" error on boot if both the
     Above Board MC and the Procom PIRA 50120 drive are installed in an IBM
     Model 50.  Could not  even boot to the IBM Reference Disk.

     Solution:  Install the Procom PIRA adapter into a lower order slot
     than the Above Board MC.

     Directions:  Place the Above Board MC in slot #3.  Then install the MC
     PIRA adapter into slot #2.  The PIRA drive cable should be just long
     enough to stretch over the Above Board MC to it's adapter in slot #2.
     This will waste the half-length slot that was meant for a hard drive
     controller next to the hard drive, but will allow the two boards to
     function together.

     This problem does not occur on an IBM Model 50Z.

     Multiple calls to Procom tech support have shown that they do not know
     anything about this problem or it's cause.  They did confirm that their
     PIRA adapter had the latest BIOS version on the customer's Procom drive
     adapter, (IC90001 ver 1.08).

 QUANTUM DRIVES

     Customers report LIMITED compatibility with the Above Board 2 Plus. We
     have had no reports of incompatibilities with the Above Board MC
     although we can't foresee any difficulties.

     Above Board 2 Plus Tech Notes:
     For DOS installations with our current SOFTSET installation software
     (versions 2.0 or more recent), there should be no conflicts at all
     between Quantum drives and the Above Board 2 Plus.

     For OS/2 installations with our current SOFTSET installation software
     (versions 2.0 or more recent), SOFTSET will fail to install an
     Initializing Adapter Description File (IADF) onto track 0 of the hard
     disk. Unlike other hard drives, the Quantum drivers apparently reserve
     track 0 for themselves. The only solutions here would be to boot from
     the OS/2 Boot Diskette provided with the Above Board 2 Plus every time
     it's necessary to start the computer, (this would initialize the Above
     Board 2 Plus then allow the hard disk to boot), or the customer could
     contact Quantum. One customer reported being told by Quantum
     representatives that they were aware of conflicts with memory boards
     are were working on a solution. It was not made clear whether a new
     Quantum driver could solve this problem, but that was the customer's
     impression.

     For DOS or OS/2 installations with SOFTSET versions less than 2.0, the
     installation will fail, but there is a chance that some of the Quantum
     information on track 0 could be overwritten by the the failed attempt
     of older SOFTSET versions to write an IADF to track 0. In this case the
     system will no longer be able to use the hard disk as a boot drive,
     although files should still be accessable after booting from a bootable
     diskette. The solution here is to do a Low Level Format since FORMAT
     from DOS and even FDISK won't clear up track 0 of the hard disk, a low
     level format is required, (of course backing up the information from
     the hard disk before doing a low level format is strongly recommended).
     After track zero is cleaned up, run a current version of SOFTSET (2.0
     or newer) before running the Quantum setup.

     Again, Quantum is apparently aware of these conflicts, and is working
     on a solution.

 EMULATION CARDS

 ARCNET PS110 (STANDARD MICROSYSTEMS CORP)

     Arcnet PS110 (Standard Microsytems Corp.)
     Customers report this board prevented the Above Board 2 Plus from
     initializing (the Intel message never came up) until the user did two
     things:

        Changed Arcnet address to DE00 using the IBM Reference diskette
        Set the Reserved Memory address to D400 in SOFTSET.

     The latest version of Softset does not require a reserved memory
     address when installing for DOS, so this step would not be required.

 AST 5250

     Customers report the AST 5250 works with the Above Board 2 Plus.  The
     AST 5250 reserved memory addressing can be changed through the backup
     copy of the IBM Reference diskette for that system..

 EMERALD TWIN 2

     Customer reports of compatibility with microchannel Above Boards. This
     emulation board has a movable IRQ and I/O address using jumpers.  It
     does not use any memory above 640k.

     Emerald can be reached within the United States at PH # 800-222-6174

 IBM 36/38 CARD

     Customer reports of compatibility with microchannel Above Boards.

     Tech notes: One customer reported this board uses addresses DC00 to
     DFFF as a default, but the board could also use address C000-C3FF.

 IBM 3270 CARD

     Customer Reports of compatibility with microchannel Above Boards.

     Tech Notes: This board uses addresses CE00 to CFFF, and you can't
     change these settings.  Customers report a B version of the adapter
     that has a selectable address but they could only get the card to work
     at CE00.  To use expanded memory, use the EXPF = D000 parameter in the
     EMM command in the CONFIG.SYS file.

 IBM 5250 CARD

     This board is compatible with Micro Channel Above Boards.  It uses ROM
     addresses DC00-DFFF as a default, with the following alternate
     addresses: C000-C3FF, C400-C7FF, C800-CBFF, CC00-CFFF, D000-D3FF, D400-
     D7FF, and D800-DBFF.  You can change the addresses using the IBM
     Reference diskette.

 IRMA 3

     Customer reports of compatibility with microchannel Above Boards.

     Tech Notes:  This emulation card for PS/2 computers uses several I/O
     addresses, one interrupt request (IRQ), and can use RAM address CE00 to
     CFFF.  You can disable the RAM addresses, but the board won't work.
     Intel has no information about whether you can change the I/O addresses
     and interrupt requests.

 MEMORY CARDS

 AST ADVANTAGE 2+

     A customer reports that this 16-bit Micro Channel memory card is
     incompatible with the Above Board 2 Plus.  Intel believes this is
     because the AST installation modifies the Reference diskette Set
     Configuration program. The Intel installation requires the unaltered
     Set Configuration program so these boards can't be installed in the
     same computer.

 AST ADVANTAGE 2/386

     This 32-bit Micro Channel memory card is not compatible with the Above
     Board 2 Plus for the same reason the Advantage 2+ isn't.  The AST
     installation modifies the Set Configuration program on the IBM
     Reference diskette such that it can no longer install the Above Board.

 BOCA MICRO CHANNEL

     A customer reports that this board is conditionally compatible with the
     Above Board 2 Plus.  Intel hasn't tested it with the Above Board MC32
     or Above Board MC.

     This board would only work under the following conditions

        The Boca board was fully populated with memory
        The Boca board occupied lower extended memory addresses than the
         Above Board 2 Plus.

 IBM XMA CARDS

     The Above Board 2 works with an IBM XMA card set up as exTENDED memory
     if the Above Board 2 is providing only exTENDED memory.  If the Above
     Board 2 is providing exPANDED memory, EMM turns the XMA memory off.

     The Above Board 2 Plus will never work with an IBM XMA card, since
     either the initializing ADF or EMM turns off the XMA board.

     We have not tested the IBM XMA cards with the Above Board MC or the
     Above Board MC32, nor have we received reports from the customers with
     any compatibility issues.

 TECHMAR MICRORAM 386

     This 32-bit board is compatible with the Above Board MC32.  It holds up
     to 32MB of memory using 4MB SIMMS.

     We have not tested with the Above Board 2 Plus or the Above Board MC.

 OTHER

 HP SCANJET FOR PS/2

     We have customer reports of compatibility with microchannel Above
     Boards and this scanner card.

     Tech Notes:
     The Scanjet board for PS/2 computers uses an I/O address 278-27Fh and
     any one of the following memory addresses:  C000, C400, C800, CC00,
     D000, D400, D800, or DC00.  The address is selectable using the IBM
     Reference disk.



End of file                 Intel FaxBack # 1524          August 27,1992
