fire_lizard wrote on 2024-03-06, 15:53:
I wonder how much effort could it take to implement PAS16 in 86BOX
Me, too. It was such a hassle free soundcard, I think. Never had to worry about SB related issues, like most users had to.
The PAS16 setup seemlessly matched that of Windows 3.x and MS-DOS 6.x, even!
It looked as if it was legit part of the bundle.
The PAS16 also had great OS/2 support.
The then-new OS/2 2.x MMPM package supported it out-of-box.
The Trantor SCSI controller was being recognized, too. Good for hassle free CD-ROM support.
And because PAS16 had a Sound Blaster emulation, it was ideal for Win-OS/2, too.
The PAS16 side could be being available to OS/2 and modern multimedia applications (the video player or PowerMOD),
while the SB side could do simultaneously serve DOS applications and Win-OS/2.
Really, this was a good configuration and allowed for multi-tasking.
DOS and Windows world was all about Sound Blaster standard, anyway.
And the SB 1.5 emulation was good enough for this.
Edit: I mean, while OS/2 was taking care of all the multimedia stuff.
I know that quite a few Windows and DOS applications could make good use of 16-Bit Stereo at 44.1 or 48 KHz.
That's why there's a Windows Sound System sound card/standard (WSS), among other things.
In fact, Creative 's older SNDBLST.DLL "driver" of the Windows 3.0 days was looking for an traditional 8-Bit Sound Blaster, such as SB 1.x/2 or SB Pro.
The default drivers of Windows 3.1x were same here, the Thunderboard support was even specifically being listed!
And so the SB emulation provided by the Thunderboard chipset was being absolutely period-correct here (it was spot-on, so to say).
It even used the same standard configuration that SB 2/SB Pro had used, normally.
I mean, there was nothing extra that could potentially have confused any software.
The Blaster variable was short and uncluttered, as expected by software of the time.
And because Thunderboard was mono (digital sfx, OPL3 was stereo),
the "bug" with audio being played on just one channel (left or right) wasn't noticeable.
(I had this issue with the game "ATC: Air Traffic Controller", which seems to be related to "TRACON for Windows". Both use SNDBLST.DLL.)
Edit: The Thunderboard (or Thunder Board) side of the PAS16 also had an enhanced DSP for its time (it hides it true features until it's being asked twice AFAIK).
Things like auto-init DMA were features rather to be expected by an SB 2.
That's why I think the TB is somehow between an SB 1.5 and SB 2.
It also explains why some sources said it had SB 2.0 emulation (DSP 2.01 is needed for auto-init DMA on a true blue Creative SB card).
By contrast, a true SB 1.x may or may not have had that feature, depending on the DSP version installed.
It depends whether it had been upgraded or not.
So it really would be a start to add Thunder Board emulation to, maybe.
In its standalone form, it used to be the official companion card for the original PAS model, also.
The original Media Vision Thunder Board utilities could be used to test such an Thunder Board emulation.
They may use certain features (a small superset) not found on a Creative's Sound Blaster card.
http://vogonsdrivers.com/index.php?catid=40
Edited. My apologies for this long posting. I was basically thinking out loud here.
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