Gahhhrrrlic wrote on 2021-02-23, 09:07:

I'm having similar problems with DOS support using this card. In my case checking the box to add dos support from the control panel causes the entire computer to hard lock and reboot so it could be an IRQ issue or w/e but I always have problems working on things like this through windows so I'd like to try a different approach.

What would be required to add support directly to pure dos, if I booted from a 6.22 diskette for example? Can I assume I need to make a config.sys edit to load some driver file, an autoexec exit to launch some exe file and then maybe rerun the exe from the prompt to set up all the configuration parameters? It usually goes something like that. I don't care if I get general midi or SB for the midi portion, just as long as I get some kind of sound + music support from a boot disk. Any guidance on what ingredients would go into this would help immensely so I can test it out. I know this isn't the greatest card for DOS but in the machine in question it's my only option. Thanks.

You should post your system configuration, especially which motherboard or chipset of your motherboard you are using.

Attached the DOS initializer for the Santa Cruz.
Some of the command line options for TBCDOS.EXE:
/P initializes to DDMA mode
/X initializes to CCLX mode
/L initializes to CCLS mode
/D no TSR (the TSR can be used for IRQ emulation if you cant use the PCI IRQ)
/S doesn't edit DOSSTART.BAT
/V verbose
/A <address> Sound Blaster IO
/M <DMA channel> Sound Blaster DMA
/I <interrupt> Sound Blaster IRQ

There's also some utilities for CS46XX based cards here: http://vsynchmame.mameworld.info/

Edit: Added more command line options.

Thanks that's awesome!

The PC has this board (https://www.asrock.com/mb/via/k7vm3/) so a VIA chipset and a Barton Core 2600+ AMD processor.

Can I assume from the sparsity of the files in the download that I merely need to boot to DOS and then run the exe file with the correct switches? Or is it best to autoexec it? I also assume I still need to call the SETBLASTER command as well right? I've written my own floppy boot disks before for sound card setups but as each card is different, I can't assume all the same steps apply. I usually have to call a driver in the SYS, an exe file in the BAT and the SETBLASTER command to get a card working at a minimum.

Gahhhrrrlic wrote on 2021-02-24, 07:14:

Thanks that's awesome!

The PC has this board (https://www.asrock.com/mb/via/k7vm3/) so a VIA chipset and a Barton Core 2600+ AMD processor.

Can I assume from the sparsity of the files in the download that I merely need to boot to DOS and then run the exe file with the correct switches? Or is it best to autoexec it? I also assume I still need to call the SETBLASTER command as well right? I've written my own floppy boot disks before for sound card setups but as each card is different, I can't assume all the same steps apply. I usually have to call a driver in the SYS, an exe file in the BAT and the SETBLASTER command to get a card working at a minimum.

It doesn't really matter where you initialize it. Don't remember if TBCDOS.EXE sets the BLASTER variable by itself, it's been a long time since I played with the card.

Here is how I initialized it on a motherboard with the VIA VT8233 southbridge. Don't expect wonders when it comes to game compatibility:
TBCDOS.EXE /V /D
CS4XXX.EXE
CS4XXX.EXE -level

Awesome. I will give it a shot and get back to you. If I'm successful I will re-iterate the procedure that worked. I already have a base floppy that I can use this with so bear with me while I hack away.

I created a package with all the tools and a batch file for initializing the Santa Cruz under MS-DOS on VIA VT8233 chipsets (and newer?). TBCDOS.EXE sets the blaster variable by itself.

Ok so I've had a chance to do some testing and here's what I've found:

Generally speaking as long as I run TBSDOS in any mode and nothing else, most games will play with music if SB is chosen but no sound FX under SB. Some games will work if they allow ADLIB sound such as Wolf3D or Jill of the Jungle but pretty much everything else just doesn't have SFX support.

If I go and run that 4xxx file with no switch command, then Jazz Jackrabbit works with Soundblaster Pro selected for both music and SFX but that's it.

If I run the same file with the -level switch, then descent suddenly picks up the card with autodetect and plays midi/sound in the setup file but the game itself crashes. Also doom will crash with a bunch of crap on the screen if this switch is used.

My conclusion from this experiment is that unless I run a different file or run the file a different way, the best I can get with the current setup is music only for most games unless they are really old games that support adlib. This suggests to me that the TBSDOS file enables basic Sound Blaster music and Adlib SFX support. The 4xxx file permits sound blaster pro support for select games and the -level switch adds midi and SB SFX but can't be properly tested outside of Descent's setup file. Also I noticed a bunch of loud clicks and pops when I got that far.

Any hypotheses as to how I might get a little further with my testing?

Unfortunately the CCLS ISA DMA emulation seems quite unpredictable, with the Santa Cruz your better off with a motherboard that supports DDMA. For Doom you might want to try out an older version or the MBF release.

Older version? Hmm.. I thought newer doom releases such as "the ultimate doom" had setup files with way more selection in them. For example, I believe the ultimate doom supports sound blaster pro, which as you'll recall, worked for Jazz Jackrabbit. However if the idea behind an older version is to have adlib instead of SB, I just usually associate really old games with adlib, which I thought doom was too new for.

Maybe the support for this card is just extremely picky. It seems to like a very specific setting and nothing else because I've been able to get all features working in some form or another, scattered across various games but not all in the same place. This suggest to me that the card is being detected, that it is exposing all the features but that the games themselves are the problem, not because the games are at fault but because they are not catering to a very specific set of supported parameters.

BTW, what does that CS4xxx file do? When I run it, it adds some additional support to the card and the verbose dos texts talks like it's relocating memory and loading gaming profiles (whatever that means). I'm just curious what it's doing under the hood because that may shed some light on why the dos driver is kind of broken in the first place. The chipset may be aggravating the situation but in theory I think all the needed elements are there.

Gahhhrrrlic wrote on 2021-02-25, 19:25:

...
BTW, what does that CS4xxx file do? When I run it, it adds some additional support to the card and the verbose dos texts talks like it's relocating memory and loading gaming profiles (whatever that means). I'm just curious what it's doing under the hood because that may shed some light on why the dos driver is kind of broken in the first place. The chipset may be aggravating the situation but in theory I think all the needed elements are there.

CS4XXXX.EXE without command line options sets the card to CCLS ISA DMA emulation and the -level switch changes the IRQ from edge triggered to level triggered.