PC Media 3/PC MEDIA CD03.iso/share/os2/mvos2/mvnotes.txt

Text File | 1993-05-27 | 15.3 KB | 373 lines

                       MEDIA VISION OS/2 DRIVERS
                    ==============================
                            May 27, 1993

This file contains important information for OS/2 2.1 users that have
installed Media Vision's OS/2 2.1 MMPM drivers.  Along with this file
you should have received a SCSI driver and a Presentation Manager mixer
program.


Audio driver

The audio driver for the Multimedia Presentation Manager subsystem can
be easily installed from the OS/2 distribution disks.  That driver is not
included in this release.

The MMPM/2 audio driver is named MVPRODD.SYS.  MVPRODD now supports many of
the same command line switches that  the DOS device driver MVSOUND.SYS uses.
Here is a list:

        /S:X,XXX,X,X       SoundBlaster { enable,base addr,DMA,IRQ }
                         Note: Sound Blaster DMA channel must be 1 on this
                         driver release.
        /N:<name>     allows naming of driver /N:PAS161$ (do not change)
        /T:X         T:1 = use PAS oscillator for OPL-3 (default /T:0)
        /D:X         sets the DMA channel
        /Q:X         sets the IRQ channel
        /I:X         also can be used to set the IRQ channel
        /B:XXX         HEX Base board I/O location (DEFAULT: /B:388)
        /W:X            /W:1 enables warm boot reset (DEFAULT /W:0)
        /M:X,XXX,X        MPU {enable,base addr,IRQ}
        /F:X            FM Synth disable switch; /F:1 enabled by default
        /J:X             /J:1 cause Joystick to be enabled, J:0 is default

I/O relocation.
      The PAS Plus and PAS 16 have always been able to
      reside at addresses other than the default port addresses: 0x388-0x38b.
      This is useful when there are hardware conflicts with another board
      that wants to use the same I/O space or when the user wishes to use
      multiple PAS cards.   If you relocate the I/O addresses, however, be
      forewarned that DOS applications and tools usually will not find the
      card.  Because of this relocation feature, it's possible for multiple
      PAS cards to coexist in the same system.

Warm Boot Reset.
      The Warm Boot Reset feature is useful to clear the tones generated by
      an Adlib compatible game that has been aborted with CTRL-ALT-DEL.
      This feature has been traditionally enabled in the past.  The PAS
      detects a warm boot reset (CTRL-ALT-DEL) by decoding writes to the DMA
      refresh timer.  Some new motherboards (system planars) and reportedly
      BIOS' from Quadtel use that same timer for something else, causing the
      PAS to constantly reset.  It's therefore safer to have this feature
      default to off.  Try adding the switch and if the card still produces
      sound, it's not a problem for your system.

Sound Blaster Initialization.  The PAS 16 has dedicated Sound Blaster
      circuitry which operates independently of the high quality digital
      audio section.  That's why the PAS 16 requires two DMA's and two IRQ's.
      The /S switch will enable the SoundBlaster circuitry allowing game
      compatibility in a DOS box and also allowing the snblst2.drv and
      sbwave.drv drivers to be used in WINOS2.

      /S:1,220,1,5    is the correct setting if using the factory defaults

      Notes on MVSOUND.SYS in OS/2 DOS sessions:

      The DOS device driver has three main purposes:

        1) Initialize PAS 16 hardware, setting mixer volumes

        2) Initialize the Sound Blaster circuitry

        3) Provide volume control services to DOS apps.

      Since the OS/2 driver, MVPRODD.SYS, now provides items 1 and 2 above,
      it may not be necessary to load MVSOUND.SYS in your DOS & WinOS2
      session.  However, if you are using a DOS application that requires
      MVSOUND.SYS (e.g. PLAYFILE, Trak Blaster Pro or the PAS utility)
      you will have to load it.  '

      Some games, Wolfenstein 3D for example,  require the FM synthesizer
      chip (the OPL-3) to be in Adlib-compatibility mode.  The MVPRODD.SYS
      sets the synthesizer chip for enhanced OPL-3 mode.  When starting a
      DOS session, the synth chip will be in the wrong mode and thus
      the game won't recognize the hardware.  In cases like this it is
      necessary to load MVSOUND.SYS in the DOS box.  In the future we will
      handle the OPL-3 mode conversion automatically.

      The file PROAS.EXE, which is available on the Media Vision BBS and
      CompuServe's MULTIVEN forum (GO MEDIAVISION), is a program that
      performs the same functions as MVSOUND.SYS but can be run from
      autoexec.bat and does not stay resident.  It might be useful in
      situations where DOS memory is at a premium.

MPU-401 emulation.  This requires a PAS 16 with a Rev 'D' MV101 chip.
      To check your PAS 16 chip version number, run DEBUG and type
      'i FF88'  (this assumes card I/O addressing has not been relocated)
      If the value is 4, you have a Rev D chip and you can enjoy MPU-401
      (UART mode) emulation in DOS session.   If you have an older Rev
      chip, we hope to emulate MPU-401 hardware with a VDD in the future.

      For most systems the following settings will work:
           /M:1,330,15


SCSI driver: TMV1SCSI.ADD.
     If your Pro AudioSpectrum compatible card has a SCSI interface, Media
     Vision has a SCSI driver available to support CD-ROM drives and hard
     disks connected to it.  The driver is available on our BBS and on
     CompuServe (GO MEDIAVISION).

     We are developing an improved SCSI driver which will support IRQ-driven
     transfers but it's not yet available.  This will allow your system to
     reclaim CPU time between when a data request is made and when the data
     becomes available, boosting overall performance especially with CD-ROM
     drives.

     ----------------------------------
     QUICK INSTALLATION  SCSI  DRIVER:
     ----------------------------------

        [1] If of OS/2 2.1 is already installed, you
            can add support for the PAS SCSI interface by

            (a) copying tmv1scsi.add to c:\os2

                Example:
                xcopy tmv1scsi.add c:\os2

            (b) adding the following line to \CONFIG.SYS

                BASEDEV=TMV1SCSI.ADD


            (c) SHUTDOWN AND RESTART

            This assumes that the CD-ROM support files have been installed.
            (eg. CDROM.IFS)


        [2] If installing from CD for the 1st time, here are the basic steps
            necessary:

            (a) OS/2 on CD-ROM comes with an two disks (actually 4: 2 3.5"
                and two 5.25" disks).  The boot or install disk does not
                need modification.  Disk 1 must be modified to include the
                PAS 16 SCSI CD-ROM driver before installation can begin.

            (b) Edit the config.sys file on Installation Disk #1 (the second
                disk).  Add the line "BASEDEV=TMV1SCSI.ADD".

            (c) Copy the TMV1SCSI.ADD file provided with this beta release
                onto Installation Disk #1.  If the file won't fit, you can
                delete fd*.add, assuming you don't also have a Future Domain
                SCSI adaptor.  If you do, delete aha*.add.

            (d) You will now be able to boot the "Boot Disk" and install
                OS/2 2.1 from CD.


Note on proprietary CD-ROM interface drivers:

     Some PAS compatible cards have proprietary, non-SCSI interfaces.
     At this writing, the other interfaces available are Sony 535, Sony 31A,
     Matsushita and Philips (LMSI).   Sony has developed a Sony 31A driver
     for the PAS 16 that is currently being beta tested.  CompuServe users
     can download it from one of the OS2 forums.

     As of this writing, Media Vision is pursuing development and/or
     licensing of OS/2 drivers for the Sony 535 and the Philips LMSI drive.
     We do not yet have beta drivers to offer for PAS 16's with non-SCSI
     interfaces.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                        FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Q: How can I control the mixer functions of the PAS card?

A: Media Vision has developed an application, PROMIX2.EXE, that provides
   complete access to the PAS mixing functions.  Promix2 is available
   on CompuServe and on the Media Vision BBS.  Updates to drivers, new
   OS/2 programs and third party software will also be available there.

   The Promix2 application requires OS2MIXER.DLL to be in the LIBPATH.
   The MMOS2\DLL directory is in the libpath.

       copy OS2MIXER.DLL to c:\MMOS2\DLL

   Copy the Promix2.exe application to the MMOS2 directory.
       copy PROMIX2.EXE to c:\MMOS2

   Copy the Promix2 help file to the MMOS2 directory.
       copy PROMIX2.HLP to c:\MMOS2

   You may wish to add an icon to your desktop for launching the Promix2
   application.  The easiest way to do this is by dragging the Program
   template from your templates folder to the desktop.  By changing the
   settings on the Program and General pages, you'll be able to launch
   Promix2.

   Promix2's help facility is activated via the F1 keystroke.

Q:  What Media Vision Products are supported?

A:  Audio support
    --------------
    (***)
    Pro AudioSpectrum Plus (see MMPM2.INI file change required below)
    Pro AudioSpectrum 16
    Pro Audio Studio 16 (++)
    Pro 16 Multimedia Upgrade Kit
    Fusion CD
    Fusion CD 16
    Fusion CD 16E
    CDPC  (**)
    CDPC XL (**)

    (**)  The CDPC and CDPC-XL front panel volume and mute controls are not
          yet supported.

    (***) Audio support for the original Pro AudioSpectrum (8-bit ISA bus
          slot interface) has not been tested for this release. OS/2
          MMPM support will be available in a future release.

    (++) Pro AudioStudio 16's selectable input gain feature is not supported
         on this release.



Q: If I have trouble, what should I do?

A: Media Vision's Technical Support department telephone number is
   [phone].  Media Vision also has a European office that
   offers technical assistance.  They are located in Munich.  Check
   directory assistance for Media Vision GMBH.

   Media Vision, Inc        Main:         [phone] or [phone]
   3815 LaurelView Ct.      Sales:        [phone]
   Fremont, CA 94539        Parts:        [phone]
                            Tech Support: [phone] or [phone]
                            FAX:          [phone] or [phone]
   BBS: [phone] 2400 (8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit)
        [phone] 2400 (8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit)
        [phone] 9600 (8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit)

   Developer Assistance Program: [phone]

   CIS: GO MEDIAVISION or send CIS mail to 75300,2772
   Internet: Send mail to 75300,[e-mail]


Q: Which .WAV files can I play.

A: You should be able to play any PCM (uncompressed) .WAV file
   with sampling rates between 4 and 48 KHz, mono or stereo, and
   8 or 16 bits.


Q: How can I change my card's DMA and IRQ settings?

A: The PAS Plus, PAS 16 and CDPC all have software configuration settings.
   The 'device=' line in config.sys can be used to specify different IRQ
   and DMA settings.

        DEVICE=c:\os2\mvprodd.sys /I:7 /D:3

   The /I parameter is used to set the IRQ.  The /D parameter is used to
   set the DMA.
   Valid IRQ settings are: 2,3,4,5,6,7,10,11,12,14,15
   Valid DMA settings are: 1,2,3,5,6,7

   DMA channels 5,6,7 use 16-bit data transfers and are preferable choices.

Q: Will I be able to run my DOS games and applications?

A: YES!  The IBM team has done a superlative job at providing support
   for sound hardware using auto-init DMA.  You can actually run
   TrakBlaster Pro in a DOS session!  You will need to load MVSOUND.SYS
   for the DOS session.  Make sure that your DOS IRQ and DMA settings
   match those used by the OS/2 device driver.

   If you have trouble with Sound Blaster compatible games, make sure
   you add the /S switch (details above).  Also, some games (Wolfenstein
   3D, for example) check a DOS enviroment variable for IRQ and port address
   information.

   Add the line
      set blaster=a220 d1 i5 T2
   to your autoexec.bat file.  This assumes you are using the factory
   default Sound Blaster IRQ setting of 5.


Q: Will I be able to run the Media Vision Windows drivers in WIN/OS2?

A: Yes.  Consider using the Sound Blaster section of the card for
   your WinOS2 multimedia audio driver.  With such a configuration, you
   will be able to use Windows Multimedia utilities and OS/2 multimedia
   utilities at the same time.  When using the FM, MIDI or PAS digital audio
   features in WinOS2, you will not be able to use these features in OS/2
   (unless you have multiple PAS cards.)

Q: Can I run the Sound Blaster OS/2 drivers that came with OS/2 on the
   PAS 16?

A: No.  The Sound Blaster drivers, which were written by Creative Labs
   check for Media Vision hardware and fail if they detect a PAS 16,
   ThunderBoard or Thunder and Lightning card.  We hope to provide an
   alternate SB driver in the future.

Q: Why do volumes change between WinOS2 and OS/2?

A: At present mixer volumes are not globally consistant.  When starting a
   WinOS2 session, expect the Windows drivers to reset mixer settings.

Q: I have a Pro AudioSpectrum Plus and I can't record or play audio
   under OS/2 2.1.  What's wrong?

A: In the file MMPM2.INI found in your MMOS2 directory, you'll find a
   header like this:
   [ibmwavepas1601]
   Under this heading you will find the PARMSTRING parameter.  Change
   the string BPS=16 to BPS=8 and digital audio will work.


Q: Can I use these drivers with OS/2 2.0?

A: OS/2 2.1 is required for audio support.  The SCSI driver will work on
   both OS/2 2.0 and OS/2 2.1.


Q:  Can I play CD audio?

A:  The SCSI driver will support CD (Redbook) audio playback when used in
    conjunction with IBM's MMPM/2 system software.  It will also support
    most SCSI hard disks.


Q:  What CD-ROM drives are supported?

A:  CD-ROM Drive Support List
    -------------------------

    Hitachi   CDR-1650S, CDR-1750S, CDR-3650, CDR-3750
    IBM       CD-ROM I, CD-ROM II
    NEC       CDR-25J,CDR-36, CDR-37, CDR-72, CDR-73, CDR-74, CDR-82, CDR-83,
              CDR-84
    Panasonic CR-501, LK-MC501S
    Sony      CDU-541, CDU-561, CDU-6111, CDU-6211, CDU-7211
    Texel     DM-3021, DM-3024, DM-5021, DM-5024
    Toshiba   XM-3201, XM-3301, XM-3401

    Support is provided for both data and audio on all models.

    If you have a "CDPC", "Fusion CD 16" or "Media Vision Multimedia
    Upgrade Kit " you should have a CD-ROM drive with a Sony interface.
    The Sony interface is not yet supported.  See the release notes above.


Q: Is Kodak Photo CD supported?

A: Single session, Kodak Photo-CD support is provided for those drives which
   support this standard.

Q: How fast is the SCSI interface under OS/2

A: We have measured hard file (hard disk) reads at 504 Kb/sec and CD-ROM
   (NEC 83j) reads at 238 Kb/sec.