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Can't set up a Gravis Ultrasound PNP

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First post, by jheronimus

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Hi, all

I recently got myself a Gravis Ultrasound PnP (non-Pro). I'm using a Pentium 60 Intel Batman's Revenge board to test it. It's running DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11. I've removed everything but a Tseng ET6000 VGA card and a 3COM network card (need it to download drivers). Here's what I've tried:

1) I've tried Ultrasound 4.11 installation disks from here. Install.exe detected the card, but I couldn't configure the card through Setup.exe — it would fail at testing any port/IRQ/DMA I've tried.

2) I've tried Ultrasound PnP disks from Vogons' Drivers.

I've ran through install.exe and automatic setup.exe but the system would hang at boot when the Gravis initialization started.

I've tried manual. Here are the settings:

Baseport — 240
Ultrasound IRQ — 12
SB IRQ — 7
Play DMA — 7
Record DMA — 5
CD-ROM — disabled
MPU — 330
MPU401 IRQ — 9
Joystick port — disabled.

All ports have tested fine. However, only 32K of RAM is detected (I've put two SIMM sticks in). Now I can boot and initialize GUS just fine. However, I can't get the sound anywhere, including Tyrian's setup tool and Ultimate Doom.

What am I doing wrong?

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Reply 1 of 35, by keropi

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I had the same issue with a 486 - I needed a PnP manager so that DOS can pick up the GUS resources: Re: How do you install the GUS PnP drivers in a 486/DOS pc?
So I am pretty sure that you need to do the same 😀

🎵 🎧 PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 2 of 35, by Scali

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jheronimus wrote:

1) I've tried Ultrasound 4.11 installation disks from here. Install.exe detected the card, but I couldn't configure the card through Setup.exe — it would fail at testing any port/IRQ/DMA I've tried.

Those will not work.
The original UltraSound has a GF1 chip. The PnP has an AMD InterWave chip.
The InterWave chip is backward-compatible with the GF1 as far as applications go, but it has to be initialized via the InterWave-specific software, so you should stick to the PnP software for getting it going.
And yes, if your BIOS doesn't support PnP, you'll need some software to get it going, as keropi mentioned. So first get that solved, then the UltraSound PnP software should detect and install the card. After that it should work with any software written for the GF1.

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 3 of 35, by jheronimus

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keropi wrote:

I had the same issue with a 486 - I needed a PnP manager so that DOS can pick up the GUS resources: Re: How do you install the GUS PnP drivers in a 486/DOS pc?
So I am pretty sure that you need to do the same 😀

So basically, either I use a newer board (say, a Socket 7), or install ICU and then reinstall the drivers?

At least I got startup sound in Windows. So I know the GUS isn’t dead.

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Reply 4 of 35, by jheronimus

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So, ICU allowed me to solve conflicts but I still can't get any sound.

For example, mixer.exe gives me a "MIDI Audio Test Init Failed: Couldn't open patch file" error.

Ultrasound Properties in Win 3.11 gives me a "VIWD.VXD Error/Couldn't open patch file"

So I'm guessing that either I'm missing some files or I need to try different SIMM sticks.

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Reply 5 of 35, by keropi

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I can't comment on the missing files since my GUS PnP experience is only that of the thread I linked - but I know that no matter the mobo if you want to use the card under DOS then you always need ICU.
When I tested win9x all I needed was the floppy you linked on the original post, did you run the setup.exe ?

🎵 🎧 PCMIDI MPU , OrpheusII , Action Rewind , Megacard and 🎶GoldLib soundcard website

Reply 6 of 35, by jheronimus

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keropi wrote:

I can't comment on the missing files since my GUS PnP experience is only that of the thread I linked - but I know that no matter the mobo if you want to use the card under DOS then you always need ICU.
When I tested win9x all I needed was the floppy you linked on the original post, did you run the setup.exe ?

Yes, I ran setup in manual mode. It also says I only have 32K of RAM even though I have two sticks installed (should be 2MB)

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Reply 7 of 35, by keropi

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Oh maybe it just doesn't like the simms
I tested with a pro card that had 512kb , no simms installed

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Reply 8 of 35, by 640K!enough

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RAM isn't essential on one of these cards. In case there is a problem with your SIMMs, you may want to try removing them until you get the card working. Can you post the output of the SET command under DOS, as well as iwinit -v9? It would also be useful if you attached your IW.INI, found in GRAVIS\ULTRASND by default. It sounds like IW.INI may refer to an invalid or missing instrument set.

Reply 9 of 35, by jheronimus

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Okay, here is my SET output:

l8hNvGGm.jpg

Here is iwinit -v9 output. I don't know how to paginate command output under DOS, but it seems like nothing important has been cut off:

GepUvZrm.jpg

Both pictures are clickable

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Reply 10 of 35, by Cyrix200+

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jheronimus wrote:
Okay, here is my SET output: […]
Show full quote

Okay, here is my SET output:

<snip>
Here is iwinit -v9 output. I don't know how to paginate command output under DOS, but it seems like nothing important has been cut off:

<snip>

Both pictures are clickable

Can't help you with the GUS problem, but to paginate put '|more' after the command. ie. 'dir|more'. I don't think 'more' is a built in command though, so you might need to have to get it from a DOS disk if you don't have a full DOS install.

1982 to 2001

Reply 11 of 35, by tpowell.ca

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Here is iwinit -v9 output. I don't know how to paginate command output under DOS, but it seems like nothing important has been c […]
Show full quote

Here is iwinit -v9 output. I don't know how to paginate command output under DOS, but it seems like nothing important has been cut off:

GepUvZrm.jpg

Dude, you have 0 bytes of DRAM and you have IRQs > 9, this will have little to no chance of working with DOS games. Stick to IRQ 7 and below.
You need realistically 512kb at least to get any kind of chance of running some games, and 1024KB to run all Gravis Ultrasound-compatible games.

You might be able to use MEGAEM and emulate a soundblaster and use GM with the on-board patchset though.

Use IW.INI to manually force both IRQs to something like 5.

  • Merlin: MS-4144, AMD5x86-160 32MB, 16GB CF, ZIP100, Orpheus, GUS, S3 VirgeGX 2MB
    Tesla: GA-6BXC, VIA C3 Ezra-T, 256MB, 120GB SATA, YMF744, GUSpnp, Quadro2
    Newton: K6XV3+/66, AMD K6-III+500, 256MB, 32GB SSD, AWE32, Voodoo3

Reply 12 of 35, by shock__

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tpowell.ca wrote:

You might be able to use MEGAEM and emulate a soundblaster and use GM with the on-board patchset though.

The onboard patchset (AMDGM_1_1_) isn't found either.

Might be helpful to link your iw.ini as well in that case.
What version of IWINIT are you using?

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 13 of 35, by tpowell.ca

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Good question. I'm at work, and should be working harder. 😀

  • Merlin: MS-4144, AMD5x86-160 32MB, 16GB CF, ZIP100, Orpheus, GUS, S3 VirgeGX 2MB
    Tesla: GA-6BXC, VIA C3 Ezra-T, 256MB, 120GB SATA, YMF744, GUSpnp, Quadro2
    Newton: K6XV3+/66, AMD K6-III+500, 256MB, 32GB SSD, AWE32, Voodoo3

Reply 14 of 35, by jheronimus

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What version of IWINIT are you using?

2.23

Might be helpful to link your iw.ini as well in that case.

Filename
iw.ini
File size
1.3 KiB
Downloads
64 downloads
File license
Fair use/fair dealing exception

Dude, you have 0 bytes of DRAM and you have IRQs > 9, this will have little to no chance of working with DOS games. Stick to IRQ 7 and below.
You need realistically 512kb at least to get any kind of chance of running some games, and 1024KB to run all Gravis Ultrasound-compatible games.

Well I went through three sets of 2x1M SIMM30 sticks, including two sets that worked in my AWE32s. None gave me a better result. Is there something I need to do to initialize RAM or something?

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Reply 15 of 35, by shock__

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jheronimus wrote:

Well I went through three sets of 2x1M SIMM30 sticks, including two sets that worked in my AWE32s. None gave me a better result. Is there something I need to do to initialize RAM or something?

Not really ... if you set your jumpers according to the manual (http://www.urr.ca/dosdrivers/gus%20pnp/GusPnPman.pdf Page 76) it should automatically detect the amount of RAM on your card.

iw.ini also looks correct. Wonder why it won't find the ROM. I've had a single 74F373 latch fail on a card previously which resulted in a similar result.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 16 of 35, by tpowell.ca

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btw, I don't want to hijack this tread but has anyone used the iwavecfg.exe v1.3 tool to manually force the GUS Pnp ressources to specific values?
I noticed that once I did, I was unable to flash the card back using official Gravis ROM tools as it no longer recognized the card.

  • Merlin: MS-4144, AMD5x86-160 32MB, 16GB CF, ZIP100, Orpheus, GUS, S3 VirgeGX 2MB
    Tesla: GA-6BXC, VIA C3 Ezra-T, 256MB, 120GB SATA, YMF744, GUSpnp, Quadro2
    Newton: K6XV3+/66, AMD K6-III+500, 256MB, 32GB SSD, AWE32, Voodoo3

Reply 17 of 35, by Scali

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tpowell.ca wrote:

Dude, you have 0 bytes of DRAM and you have IRQs > 9, this will have little to no chance of working with DOS games. Stick to IRQ 7 and below.

Why? IRQ 11 was pretty much the 'default' IRQ for the GUS, and that's what I've always used as far as I can recall.
For SBs it's different, since early SB cards only supported 2, 3, 5 and 7. So software written for early SBs can't take high IRQs into account, since they simply weren't an option.

http://scalibq.wordpress.com/just-keeping-it- … ro-programming/

Reply 18 of 35, by shock__

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tpowell.ca wrote:

btw, I don't want to hijack this tread but has anyone used the iwavecfg.exe v1.3 tool to manually force the GUS Pnp ressources to specific values?
I noticed that once I did, I was unable to flash the card back using official Gravis ROM tools as it no longer recognized the card.

You mean PNPMAP? You can force it to rewrite the flash using the /f parameter, even if it has trouble detecting it.

Current Project: new GUS PnP compatible soundcard

[Z?]

Reply 19 of 35, by jheronimus

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shock__ wrote:
jheronimus wrote:

Well I went through three sets of 2x1M SIMM30 sticks, including two sets that worked in my AWE32s. None gave me a better result. Is there something I need to do to initialize RAM or something?

Not really ... if you set your jumpers according to the manual (http://www.urr.ca/dosdrivers/gus%20pnp/GusPnPman.pdf Page 76) it should automatically detect the amount of RAM on your card.

iw.ini also looks correct. Wonder why it won't find the ROM. I've had a single 74F373 latch fail on a card previously which resulted in a similar result.

OK, here is another problem. According to the manual, my JP8 jumpers should look like this

: : : : :

If it's less than 4 megs of RAM, then I need to set it like this:

: | : | |

If more, then:

| : | : :

The problem is that my board's JP8 looks like this

: : : : · (only the upper pin of the last pair is present).

Is that okay or does it mean that one of my pins broke off and I need either to find 8MB of SIMM RAM or repair the missing pin?

Currently, the JP8 is set like this

: | : | ·

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