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PC speaker activity inhibits keyboard input

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First post, by wbahnassi

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I have this weird issue in my DOS build. Everytime the PC speaker is outputting sound, my keyboard seems to stop receiving input.

For example, playing Keen1, as you're having a long fall you cant control the character anymore until the fall sound stops.. same if there are many enemies shooting, you get effectively frozen because your keyboard inputs are ignored.

This is not on Keen1 only though, but any other game/program that is outputting to the speaker.

This happens on a modern Intel X58 mobo build (HP Z400). Keyboard is USB. On an old Pentium75 build there is no problem.

I'm wondering if anyone saw such symptoms or if there is anything I can try to fix this conflict.

Cheers!

Turbo XT 12MHz, 8-bit VGA, Dual 360K drives
Intel 386 DX-33, Speedstar 24X, SB 1.5, 1x CD
Intel 486 DX2-66, CL5428 VLB, SBPro 2, 2x CD
Intel Pentium 90, Matrox Millenium 2, SB16, 4x CD
HP Z400, Xeon 3.46GHz, YMF-744, Voodoo3, RTX2080Ti

Reply 1 of 2, by BitWrangler

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Real keyboard gets DMA, USB doesn't, it's polled, as is the speaker. Basically both are cycle intensive, even if the CPU is fast.

Unicorn herding operations are proceeding, but all the totes of hens teeth and barrels of rocking horse poop give them plenty of hiding spots.

Reply 2 of 2, by wbahnassi

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Thanks! That was indeed the culprit. Using a PS2 keyboard instead of the USB one solved it.

Thanks a lot!

Turbo XT 12MHz, 8-bit VGA, Dual 360K drives
Intel 386 DX-33, Speedstar 24X, SB 1.5, 1x CD
Intel 486 DX2-66, CL5428 VLB, SBPro 2, 2x CD
Intel Pentium 90, Matrox Millenium 2, SB16, 4x CD
HP Z400, Xeon 3.46GHz, YMF-744, Voodoo3, RTX2080Ti

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