******************************************************************************** * * * VIPER VLB Installation/Utilities/Drivers Diskette v2.10 BETA * * Release Notes * * * ******************************************************************************** ** IMPORTANT VIPER VLB SOFTWARE INSTALLATION NOTES ** 1. DO NOT INSTALL THE VIPER VLB WINDOWS 3.1 DRIVERS INTO YOUR WINDOWS DIRECTORY. DUPLICATE FILES NAMES EXIST!! 2. It is best to use the VPRMODE.EXE utility to properly configure the Viper VLB for your monitor BEFORE using Windows 3.1 or AutoCAD. !!! BEFORE USING THE VIPER VLB WINDOWS 3.1 OR AUTOCAD DRIVERS, USE !!! !!! GO.EXE TO INSTALL THE VIPER VLB UTILITIES, AND USE VPRMODE.EXE !!! !!! TO PROPERLY CONFIGURE THE VIPER VLB FOR YOUR MONITOR !!! ** IMPORTANT WINDOWS 3.1 DRIVER INSTALLATION/CONFIGURATION NOTES ** 1. Start by running the GO utility from the floppy disk. If this is your initial installation of the Viper utilities or if the system finds an old version of the Viper.ini file, you will be prompted to enter a path for the new Viper utilities. The default is: C:\VIPER. 2. Once this procedure is complete, you can select the Windows 3.1 option. The GO utility will then copy all the Windows files to your hard drive. 3. When GO has finished copying the files, you will be prompted for the location of your Windows sub-directory. The GO utility will then modify the [MMCPL] section of your Control.ini file with the line: "TurboWin=\TURBOWIN.DLL". 4. Now, enter Windows using the standard VGA driver supplied by Microsoft. The Diamond Viper icon will now appear in the Control Panel and allow you to change resolutions, colors, and fonts. BETA NOTES: ----------- The v2.10 BETA Viper drivers address issues in the following applications : MS PowerPoint v4.0 MS Dinosaurs CD-ROM MS Visual C++ Encarta '94 Fractal v2.0 Visual Basic PRO v3.0 Corel v5.0 PowerPoint v4.0 DDAY CD-ROM Corel v4.0 PhotoShop v2.5.1 ACAD for Windows WinWord v6.0 Borlands Turbo Windows Debuger Polaris Advantage Cyber Tarot CharMap APBA Baseball The following is a list of applications which Diamond is currently correcting minor issues : PC Tools v2.0 Visual Basic Pro v3.0 Renderize Ami Pro v3.0 Quicken v3.0 Illustrator v4.01 Freelance NAV Press Bible Search MYST AfterDark v3.0 MicroGraphix Designer v3.1 PageMaker v5.0 MSOffice TSR AutoSketch Video for Windows UTILITY FILES ------------- VPRMODE.EXE command line and menu driven mode and monitor setting utility. Use VPRMODE.EXE to configure the Viper VLB for your particular monitor, to change the VIPER VLB memory address, to select a text display mode, and to run Viper VLB diagnostics. VPRMODE saves monitor timing information to the VIPER.INI file. NOTES: 1. use VPRMODE ? for command line option list. 2. the VPRMODE monitor configuration save screen may be displayed after running some of the VPRMODE commands. If this happens, select ENTER to save. The screen will not appear again. 3. KNOW YOUR MONITOR! Please refer to your monitor manual or manufacturer for correct monitor timing information before running VPRMODE, and before contacting Diamond for technical assistance. If you do not have this information, DIAMOND WILL NOT BE ABLE TO HELP YOU with VPRMODE problems. 4. "SVESA" command line option loads a special VESA BIOS TSR. The only difference between this special VESA BIOS TSR and the normal VESA BIOS TSR (loaded by "VESA" command line option) is the scan line length (the difference between the addresses of two vertically neighboring pixels) in VESA mode 101h (640x480 256 color). The normal VESA BIOS TSR sets the scan line length to 640 bytes (mode default) in VESA mode 101h, but the special VESA BIOS sets the scan line length to 1024 bytes in VESA mode 101h. Loading this special VESA BIOS fixes the screen scrambled and distorted problem for those applications (such as DataShop v1.0, Space Shuttle and Dracula Unleashed) which change the scan line length from 640 bytes to 1024 bytes by programming CRTC Row Offset register (direct I/O with CTRC ports) themselves in VESA mode 101h. This option is not supported in 1MB Viper board due to the hardware (Weitek Power 9000) limitation. 5. In OS/2 environment, the following command line options should be used to fix the screen scrambled and distorted problem for different Viper boards: 5.a "MEMC0" : forces Viper board to memory configuration type 0. Used for 1MB Viper board with PCB rev. B1 and later 5.b "MEMC1" : forces Viper board to memory configuration type 1. Used for 1MB Viper board with PCB rev. Ax 5.c "MEMC2" : forces Viper board to memory configuration type 2. Used for all 2MB Viper boards VIP.EXE utility which will display or write to a file important system configuration information which can be used as an aid in trouble-shooting. Type VIP to display to screen, and VIP to save to a file. NOTES: 1. the VPRMODE save configuration screen may be displayed after running VIP. If this happens, select Enter to save. The screen will not appear again. VDIAG.EXE diagnotic utility which will display color test patterns in each resolution supported. NOTES: 1. to test extended modes, load the VESA BIOS extentions before running VDIAG. This can be done by typing VPRMODE VESA at the command prompt. CHKPATH.EXE utility which checks the PATH environment variable for the specified string. Is used in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file with the VIPERPATH statement. VIPER.INI this file is used to store the monitor and configuration information for the Viper VLB, and is updated each time you choose to Save Configuration from the VPRMODE.EXE program. Drivers find the location of the VIPER.INI file by checking the VIPERPATH environment variable. VIPERPATH an environment variable which is used by device drivers (Windows 3.1, AutoCAD) to locate the VIPER.INI file. This variable is set by the DOS SET command, and is automatically appended to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file during Viper VLB Utility installation. !!!!! IMPORTANT !!!!! THE VIPER.INI FILE AND THE VIPERPATH STATEMENT ARE NEEDED FOR PROPER USE OF THE VIPER VLB WINDOWS AND AUTOCAD DRIVERS! DO NOT REMOVE THEM FROM YOUR SYSTEM. Contacting DIAMOND ------------------ Diamond can be reached through a number of ways: Postal Service : Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. 1130 East Arques Avenue Sunnyvale, CA 94086 Voice (Main) : (408) 736-2000 Voice (TechSppt): (408) 736-2000 [M-F 6-7; Sat 8-4 Pacific] [plus 24hr automated help] FAX (Main) : (408) 730-5750 FAX (Support) : (408) 773-8000 BBS (to 2400) : (408) 730-1100 BBS (9600+) : (408) 524-9301 CompuServe : GO DMNDONLINE America Online : GO DIAMOND All product names listed are trademarks or copyrights of their respective owners. ======================================================================= Diamond Multimedia Systems, Inc. (c) 1993-94 (408) 736-2000 All Rights Reserved =======================================================================