Date: Sat, 30 Jul 1994 20:30:28 -0700 From: (A Prastowo) Subject: Houdini-FAQ-1.01.cpt.hqx - Macintosh DOS Card (Houdini I) FAQ v1.01 To: macgifts@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU After many revisions, v1.01 of the Houdini FAQ will be the last one for awhile. Houdini is the nickname for Apple's Macintosh DOS Compatibility Card. The FAQ contains much useful information and tidbits. Enjoy! - Anton Prastowo ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Questions needed to be answered ---------------------------------------- Does NextStep run on Houdini? Does NetBSD run on Houdini? Has anyone had experience using Houdini in a Quadra 900? Has anyone had success using a Houdini in a clock-chipped Mac? Send in more Problem/Solutions for the Trouble Shooting section. Added to v1.01 --------------------------------------------------------- Specified FAQ for Houdini I Updated Houdini I ASCII diagram CompUSA part reference for Houdini Houdini in clock-chipped Mac RAMDoubler use Using a 486DX2-66 with Houdini Additional 660av caveats Additional PC mouse driver information Finalized ISA subset and Soundblaster section ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Added/fixed items v1.0 ------------------------------------------------- New FAQ organization Some rewritten text New OrangePC pricing info (May 26, 1994) Quick and dirty Q & A ASCII diagram of Houdini card Linux information Using DOS backup software Doublespace Use and Houdini Novell file server access information New Benchmark information from MacWorld Tweaking the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS for the Houdini ISA Subset Quest Diagnostic Software Results on Houdini Beginnings of new Trouble Shooting section ======================================================================== ~^~ Macintosh DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini) Frequently Asked Questions FAQ July 31, 1994 - version 1.01 agent provocateur: Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) ~^~ * The ANSWER to _THE BIG_ question: YES, it does run DOOM! There is a game * port for a joystick, but no soundcard (like Sound Blaster) support for it. It's about time someone put together a Frequently Asked Questions list (FAQ) for Apple's DOS Compatibility Card or Houdini (I). I've cobbled this collection together as a start. It's a compilation of net people's experiences and comments about Houdini. This is a decidedly pro-Houdini FAQ. And why not? The Apple DOS Compatibility Card is an amazing card. I've recently installed the Houdini in my Quadra 700. I was surprised at the relative ease of installation and I am constantly amazed as program after program work problem-free on the Houdini. (Mostly shareware too!) This FAQ is for those unfamiliar with the Houdini and curious about its merits. Hopefully this FAQ will help Mac users interested in a DOS solution decide whether Houdini will suit their needs. Houdini is not for everyone, but for many this card is a most excellent hack! Read this FAQ and decide for yourself. I took the liberty of assuming that the original posters would not mind their inclusion in this compilation. After all, it is in the spirit of their original intent to inform others. I unfortunately cannot verify all the comments contained in this collection. I included those statements that seemed reasonable and coherent (but with my own notes or queries added). Please send me corrections and additions that address possible glaring errors, omissions and my own questions. DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for anything anyone does with information contain herein. If there are errors, TOO BAD. E-mail me the information to fix it. ** Please send specs, corrections, hacks and other info to help flesh this thing out. And if someone wants to take this thing over and do it right, e-mail me: Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thanks to the following people for their comments and info: o Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) Thanks Jim! o Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) o Dan Magorian (magorian@ni.umd.edu) o David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) o Adam Schneider (indigo@cats.ucsc.edu) o Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) o Michael Bradd (michael@clark.net) o J. Taggart Gorman (jtaggart@netcom.com) o Dan Schnur (schnur@amug.org) o Xiaolin Zhao (xlz@relax.chem.ucla.edu) o Eric Carter (erichc@yvax2.byu.edu) o Amanda Walker (amanda@intercon.com) o Andrew T. Laurence (atlauren@uci.edu) o Eric W. Sarjeant (v053qpgh@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu) o Douglas D. Dickinson (ac256@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) o David A. Hughes (aa341@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) o Todd Katz (todd@informix.com) o John Galloway (jrg@rahul.net) o Jim Eley (jimeley@infinet.com) o Brian (bpine@tuba.aix.calpoly.edu) o Tom Thatcher (ttha@troi.cc.rochester.edu) o Gary Bohn (gBohn@oui.com) o Doug Dinh (dougdinh@eworld.com) o phil ?? (eaou083@rigel.oac.uci.edu) o Andrew Sinclair-Day (sinclair@pnet1.pnet.com) o Stephen Petko (petko@mako.psc.edu) o Werner Uhrig (werner@cs.utexas.edu) o Tim Fullert (tfullert@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) o Wen Ung (wku@sparcserve.cs.adfa.oz.au) o Ted Yun (yun@newton.mayo.edu) o ?? insolution@eworld.com o Bill Johnston (johnston@me.udel.edu) o Wayne (wayneb@apple.com) o Eric Hsu (erichsu@uclink.berkeley.edu) o DOS Compatibility Read Me file BTW: Jim Stockdale works at Apple. He is, however, NOT an official Apple spokesperson. Thanks to his extreme graciousness, Jim has provided quite a bit of Houdini info on his own time. His comments should not be construed as Apple sanctioned information. Wayne (wayneb@apple.com) has also provided some Houdini information which should not be construed as Apple sanctioned information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------ 1) Introduction o What is Houdini o Which Mac Users Can Use Houdini o Does Houdini work in a... :: Centris 650? :: Quadra 650? :: Quadra 660av? :: Quadra 700? :: Quadra 800? :: Quadra 840av? :: Quadra 950? :: PowerMac? :: Quadra 605s? LC 475s? '030 Macs? '020 Macs? LC Macs? Mac Classic? Fat Macs? Apple ]I[? Apple //e? Sinclair ZX-81? Atari 2600? o Houdini Pro/Con o I need a DOS solution. Should I get a Houdini? o MacWorld gave the Houdini 2 out of 5 stars. Why? o Alternatives to the Houdini card :: SoftPC :: OrangePC card :: PowerMac with SoftWindows :: A full 486 PC system o Where to get the Houdini card 2) Quick and Dirty Q & A o Is the Houdini discontinued? o Does installing a SIMM on the Houdini improve performance? o Can I use 72 pin Mac SIMMs? Can I use standard PC SIMMs? o Can you use Houdini in a clock-chipped Mac? o Is the provided MS-DOS 6.2 for Houdini complete? o Will Chicago run on Houdini? o Does RAMDoubler work with Houdini? o Why does Houdini come with a wimpy FPU-free 486SX and not a more beefy FPU-equipped 486DX? o Can I swap the 486SX processor in the Houdini for a 486DX? o Instead of making those modifications, can't I just swap the SX for a DX chip? o What happens if you install a 486DX2/66? o What's the difference between a bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible and a Quadra 610 with a DOS Compatibility Card installed? o What is DOOM and what does it have to do with Houdini? o Where can I get the DOOM FAQ? o What does the chip labeled Music do? o What is required to install the Houdini in a non-610 Mac? 3) Tech Notes o Microprocessor :: David Ramsey's 486SX/DX findings o Operating systems :: MS-DOS 6.2 :: Windows (tm) :: OS/2 :: Linux :: Chicago :: 32-bit extender problem o PC Mouse :: Get a mouse driver via FTP :: Looking for a mouse driver elsewhere o File conversion o Floppy use :: Using DOS backup software o Hard drives :: Doublespace Use and Houdini :: Virus Reminder for new Houdini users o CD-ROM use :: Only one CD-ROM accessible through Houdini :: Houdini can only use Sony CD-ROM mechanisms o Memory :: Avoid Composite SIMMs :: SIMM and Improved Houdini Performance :: Using 1mb SIMMs o Memory managers :: Avoid using 386MAX o Joystick o Parallel ports o Serial ports :: Serial Port Mapping o Printing :: Turn off Background Printing :: Faster Stylewriter Printing o Copy & Paste o Networking :: Logging Into Novell File Servers o Monitor display :: Sony Universal Adapter for Monitors :: NEC monitors :: Video problems with using Houdini in a Quadra 660av. :: PC Setup 1.02 o Sound :: 4-pin Audio Connector Pinout o PC cards o ISA bus o Performance, performance, performance :: Soft-PC vs. Houdini :: Houdini Benchmarks o Tweaking the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS for the Houdini - by Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) o Houdini ISA Subset Quest - by Anton Prastowo with Ted Yun (yun@newton.mayo.edu) o Diagnostic Software Results 4) Trouble Shooting o Dialog Box error o Sync on Green Trouble o Problem with video card installed in Mac o Improving Shared Folder access speed o Conflict with Energy Saver cdev ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Figure 1. The Apple DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini) ISA subset connector | Sound-out CD-in | | ___________________________________________||||__||||__ | | ============72 pin SIMM slot=========== ==== ==== | | | ____________ _______ __ __ __ __ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | INTEL | | CHIPS | v i d e o - r a m | | | | | | rom | |__| |__| |__| |__| | | | | i486sx | |_______| ___ pin (1) | | | | | _______ | | [::::::::::] <---------' | | | | | '---' (40) ____ | | |____________| | VLSI | 50MHz |vga | | | ____ ____ | asic | osc |____| | | | | | | |_______| .-. ___ | |____| |____| | | | | ----> | '-' | | Conn TO | XTAL | | Monitor/ | | | Joystick | |___| Cable | | |_______________________________________________________| | \/ | '-----------------------------------' PDS connector Figure 1 - Above is an ASCII illustration of the Houdini. I've probably labeled some of the components functions incorrectly, but you get the idea. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Introduction -------------------------------------------------------- o What is Houdini ------------------------------------------------------ Houdini is Apple's DOS Compatibility Card for Quadra/Centris 610s. The name 'Houdini' was Apple's internal code name for the DOS card. The moniker 'Houdini' has stuck since its initial press release -- certainly 'Houdini' is easier to roll off the tongue than "Apple DOS Compatibility Card for Macintosh." The Houdini referred to in this FAQ is the first Houdini -- Houdini I. In this FAQ, 'Houdini' and 'DOS card' will be used interchangeably to refer to the original Apple DOS Compatibility Card for Macintosh. Any reference to second and later generation Houdinis will be made explicitly (ex. 'Houdini II' for the second generation Houdini). Announced at the Fall 1993 Comdex, Houdini began shipping March 1994. Houdini is in fact a marketing experiment. Apple used Houdini to test the commercial viability of a 'PC on a card' for Macintoshes. Rumors have indicated that the Houdini card's sales have exceeded Apple's expectations. Unfortunately despite Houdini's success, Apple has decided to halt production of the Houdini card two and half months later. Because of the production stoppage, DOS card upgrade packages, which consist of just the Houdini card, have become increasingly hard to find. Quadra 610/DOS systems, stripped Q610s with Houdini cards already installed, more recently discontinued June 13, 1994 are somewhat easier to find than the upgrade packages. Net rumors suggest that Apple produced some 25,000 Houdini cards. Additional rumors indicate the possibility of Apple re-introducing a 'Houdini II'. It's uncertain as to what additional capabilities the 'Houdini II' might over the original, and no one has figured whether the 'Houdini II' will be compatible with either 680x0 Macs or PowerPC Macs; or both. Early indications are that the Houdini II will correct shortcomings of Houdini I by including PC soundcard and networking support. 'Houdini for PowerMac' technology has been already demoed (at June 1994 PC Expo), although it is unclear if and how Apple would implement the final product. Houdini was originally concepted for use in Quadra class Macs equipped with a '040 PDS slot. Apple has only sanctioned Houdini for use with Centris/Quadra 610s. However, Houdini can in fact run in many '040 Macs! Apple's limits use of the Houdini to 610s because of differing problems with Houdini's use in '040 Macs other than the 610s. Problems with other '040 Macs include things like video blanking, placement of cables holes in the back, RF emissions and physical seating of the PDS card (Remember, the 610s need an L-shaped PDS/NuBus connector). Besides the '040 PDS slot, a Houdini out-of-the-box will also require a portion of the host Mac's RAM. Because of this, the host Mac must have at least 8mb RAM so that the Mac and DOS card can be of any practical use (4mb for the Mac, 4mb for the DOS card). Houdini is nothing short of amazing. It's amazing in its low cost, high utility and in its timing -- shipping just as the PowerMacs debut. In hindsight, Houdini should have been introduced when the second wave of '040 Macs (the Centris 610s, 650s and the Quadra 800s) arrived. Such a card then would have really helped to increase Macintosh market share among computer users. o Which Mac Users Can Use Houdini -------------------------------------- Houdini was ultimately configured and Apple certified for the Centris/Quadra 610. However, someone pointed out that Houdini can be used in most Quadra class Macs equipped with a '040 PDS slot. Because of someone's foresight, we can use Houdini in a variety of '040 Macs. o Does Houdini work in a... -------------------------------------------- :: Centris 650? [Yes...] First and foremost - it works. In fact, I've been playing DOOM all night long. (Is there anything else to do with a 486 machine? ;)) Installation in a C650 (same for a Q650) was fairly easy, but it's kinda messy - the card easy plugs into the PDS, but there is nothing to support it and you have to plug in a special 23 pin adapter to the back of the card. You have to hold the card firmly and wrestle the adapter on. To get the PC sounds to come through the Mac's speaker, there is a 4 pin cable that attaches to the top of the Houdini card and goes to the place on the motherboard where the CD out attaches. If you don't have an internal CD, no problem, just attach the cable. If you do have an internal CD, you must plug the cable from the CD into another 4 pin prong at the top of the Houdini card... I've not tried my internal CD, but I don't have any reason to believe the play through won't work - the PC sounds come through just fine. - J. Taggart Gorman (jtaggart@netcom.com) :: Quadra 650? [Yes...] I've tried it, and it works wonderfully. I ran it on a two-monitor system: the Mac used a SuperMac 20 inch and a Spectrum IV 24-bit card, the DOS card was hooked up to a Magnavox (imitation RGB). This worked great - when you switch environments, the side you're *not* using dims visibly, a nice touch. Using the single-monitor setup on the SuperMac did not work, it looked like the monitor's sync rates got hosed. Someone who puts the Houdini in a 650 should be very careful of the cable snaking out the back of the machine, that NO unnecessary downward pressure is applied to that cable. This downward pressure exerts torque on the card itself, and will cause the card to tilt forward in its PDS slot. (Referring to the user quoted in the FAQ whose PRAM got hosed, perhaps this was the cause of the problem?) It seems to me that an excellent solution would be to cut a hole in the NuBus slot's plastic shield (the one you remove to make room for the cable), just big enough for the cable. The basic goal is to support the cable as it exits the case, preventing the torque effect. (Note: I haven't actually done this, as the card was soon transported to a 610.) - Andrew T. Laurence (atlauren@uci.edu) [and No?] I tried it, first off, the video cable has to be snaked out the back of the machine (Real ugly). Second off, it works for about 20 mins & then scrambled the PRAM (More ugliness). Third, it won't function with the Audiovision drivers on that Mac... - Dan Schnur (schnur@amug.org) [However, J. Taggart Gorman insists] I have my Houdini running in a Centris 650, not a Quadra 650, but I can't think of any reason that it would have trouble in a Q650, like schnur@amug.org reported. - J. Taggart Gorman (jtaggart@netcom.com) :: Quadra 660av? [Ehhh...kinda. Here are some comments] There is indeed an "overdriving" problem in the single monitor environment. The monitor in the DOS environment is very bright. This can be easily corrected by readjusting the brightness of the monitor. But if a second monitor is used, the problem is not there or not obvious. - Xiaolin Zhao (xlz@relax.chem.ucla.edu) Sound is broken fairly badly, and starting up the PC is not entirely reliable. When it works, though, it works very well... I've managed to work out some more information on the Houdini/660av conflicts. The sound problems are evidently a symptom, not the problem itself. Evidently, the Houdini support software (the PC Setup control panel) does something that the AV's DSP subsystem doesn't like, which takes causes the Sound Manager, Express Modem, and AV DSP plug-in for PhotoShop to hang tightly when they try to talk to the DSP. This is why turning the sound volume down to 0 works around the problem, since the Sound Manager doesn't bother passing anything to the DSP in that case. It works, but with the following problems: = Video overdriving in a single-monitor setup (many monitors can handle this just fine). = No sound support. In fact, it completely wedges the DSP subsystem--no sound (Mac or PC), no Express Modem, no PhotoShop AV plug-in, no sound input, etc. = Serial ports only work for output (doesn't like serial DMA, evidently). - Amanda Walker (amanda@intercon.com) :: Quadra 700? [Yes] I installed the DOS card and got it up and running with very little trouble... The card does not reach the back of the computer but you can get the cable through the hole if you are persistent...The PC sound is a problem because the card uses the CD in on the 610 as an input. The 700 has no CD in. I hope to figure some work around for this to. - Michael Bradd (michael@clark.net) The Houdini installed in my Q700 just fine. Michael Bradd mentioned that his Houdini card caused the case cover to bulge (the Houdini board seemed a 1/4 cm too tall for the Quadra 700 case). Depending on how you close the cover, the board either clears or hits some tabs on the cover. Keep in mind that I didn't connect the sound out cable to my Houdini since the card is in a Quadra 700. If I had connected the 4 pin sound out cable then I'm sure my case would've bulged also. - Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) :: Quadra 800? [Yes] "...Houdini works fine in a Q800...You have to feed the video cable in through the access hole for the first NuBus card, but everything runs great." - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) :: Quadra 840av? [No] The 840AV has no PDS slot for the Houdini to plug into. - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) :: Quadra 950? [Yes] I have been using a Houdini (Apple DOS Compatible) card in my Quadra 950 for about four months with no problems at all. The only limitation is the fact that the monitor cables have to be routed through an open NuBus port in the case and the card is somewhat unstable in the PDS slot since it is no anchored by the case as it is on the Q610. Thus a tug on the monitor cable could dislodge the card while the machine were running. I'm not sure what damage could result, but I'm sure it wouldn't be pretty. I solved the problem by using a blank NuBus port cover and cutting a slot into it so that the cable nestles better. Not perfect, but better than an open port. The REAL limitation is that the card occupies the PDS and I can no longer use the FastCache Quadra card from DayStar. There has been a noticeable degradation in speed as a result of taking the DayStar cache out. - insolution@eworld.com :: PowerMac? [No] There is no '040 PDS slot in a PowerMac (duh!). But you can run SoftWindoze instead if you have 16mb of RAM. :: Quadra 605s? LC 475s? '030 Macs? '020 Macs? LC Macs? Mac Classic? Fat Macs? Apple ]I[? Apple //e? Sinclair ZX-81? Atari 2600? No, Houdini will not work in these machines. o Houdini Pro/Con ------------------------------------------------------ You can only get so much for $399 so there are a few drawbacks to the Apple's DOS solution. = The card uses an Intel 486SX FPU-free processor instead of the more capable FPU-equipped 486DX processor. = Houdini has NO physical parallel printer port. So if you're interested in using the card for devices like EPROM burners and logic analyzers that use a parallel port, you're out of luck. = There is no support for a PC sound card like the ubiquitous Sound Blaster. (So Houdini isn't the complete kick-ass DOOM machine that many of you hoped it might have been.) = Houdini's display requires a dedicated monitor as opposed to SoftPC's DOS window on the Mac desktop solution. In other words, with a single monitor set-up, your monitor will display either the DOS screen or the Mac desktop. You toggle between the Mac and DOS environment with a keyboard combo in the single monitor set-up. You can, however, use two monitors -- one for the host Mac and one for the Houdini card. (** Note that this is also an advantage. Unlike SoftPC or OrangePC, the Houdini card does not map a VGA or SVGA display onto a Mac window. This frees the 486 processor from display mapping calculations and so improves the speed of the Houdini.) = Unless you add a SIMM to the DOS card, you _must_ allocate RAM from the host Mac to the DOS card. This of course means you will have less available RAM for your Mac. = Mouse drivers are not included with Houdini. Even if you do get a mouse driver, implementation of the 2 button PC mouse on a single button Mac mouse is somewhat awkward. = No Ethernet networking = The vaunted Microserf Windoze (tm) operating system is not included in the package. You must buy and install Windoze on your own. = You will be confused as what to do with the money you've saved by buying a $399 Houdini instead of a $1000 OrangePC card or PC system. :) o I need a DOS solution. Should I get a Houdini? ----------------------- The answer really depends on your needs. For starters, your current situation should described by the following: = You should have a Centris/Quadra 610 _or_ be willing to live with Houdini's idiosyncrasies from use in Macs such as Centris/Quadra 650, Quadra 700, Quadra 800. = You should have at least 8mb RAM in your Mac. = You have enough room on your hard drive for a PC drive container file of 20mb or more. = You don't need a PC soundcard. = You don't need networking. = You don't need a parallel port. = You don't need card expansion options. o MacWorld gave the Houdini 2 out of 5 stars. Why? --------------------- The May 1994 issue of MacWorld reviewed Apple's DOS Compatibility Card and naively awarded it only 2 out of 5 stars. Galen Gruman's review _did_ identify that the DOS card was inexpensive and relatively fast for a 486SX-25 system. Nevertheless, MacWorld's blubbering about Houdini's lack of networking, expansion options and (the official) limitation to Centris/Quadra 610s earned Houdini just 2 stars. MacWorld instead recommended the overpriced OrangePC card as a better PC-in-a-Mac solution. It seems that MacWorld's review was mired in: 1) A "Just the specs ma'am" attitude. Performance performance performance -- as opposed to any real world criteria that any average user might use. Cost is a _very_ important factor. Considering the DOS card's utility, $399 is not that much. In comparison, the $1000 OrangePC card offers only 50% extra utility at more than _TWICE_ the cost! 2) Advertiser pandering -- talk about a product plug for an astronomically priced alternative (OrangePC) compared to the Houdini's $399 price tag. I also liked the way they referred a previous OrangePC review (Oct. 1993 if you're interested -- heh heh). Ignoring MacWorld's conclusion, the DOS card was actually given a fair shake. MacWorld noted its low cost and that it was "the real thing" -- not emulation as in Insignia Solutions' SoftPC. The review found that the DOS card's performed about 16% faster than a typical (whatever that means) 486SX-25 system from Zeos International. MacWorld also added that the DOS card performed on par with a Tandy 486SX and (ironically) a Quadra 610. MacWorld championed the OrangePC card because it offered networking options, some expansion options, and the ability to be used in most Macs. Houdini lacks those business-oriented features. But if you want all that for $399 -- buy yourself a DOS box baby. o Alternatives to the Houdini card ------------------------------------- :: SoftPC By Insignia, this application emulates a 286 PC on a Mac. Unlike the Houdini, SoftPC has a networking option! Besides the OrangePC, this is your only other option if you need networking. It's relatively cheap and it runs on most Macs. However it requires lots of memory and...it...is...S-L-O-W. :: OrangePC card The OrangePC, by Orange Micro, was the original "PC on a NuBus card" for the Mac. Since it is a NuBus card, the OrangePC will work in just about _any_ Mac with a free NuBus slot (for those of you unable to use Houdini). The OrangePC card the only other "PC on a board" alternative to the Houdini card. There is a networking option through the OrangePC's PCMCIA slot (if the one you get has one.) Unfortunately, the basic 486SX version's price starts at $1000 and DX versions go up from there. Sure there are many features on the OrangePC, but you can practically get a complete 486 system for the price of an OrangePC. See for yourself (note the configurations)... An example of _educational_ pricing for OrangePC cards (May 26, 1994): ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model210 486SX/33 4MB VGA Serial/Parallel DOS6 ...$1015 Model210 486DX/33 4MB VGA PCMCIA Slot DOS6 ...$1149 Model250 486SX/33 8MB SVGA PCMCIA Slot DOS6 ...$1505 Model250 486DX/33 8MB SVGA PCMCIA Slot DOS6 ...$1639 Model290 486DX2/66 8MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2157 Model290 486DX2/66 16MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2531 Model290 486DX2/66 0MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$1758 no RAM Model290 486DX4/100 16MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2885 Model290 486DX4/100 0MB SVGA Ser/Par PCMCIA 128k cache DOS6 ...$2112 no RAM PCMCIA Ethernet TP .............................................$ 179 PCMCIA Ethernet BNC ............................................$ 200 PCMCIA Token Ring ..............................................$ 555 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- - complied by Eric Carter (erichc@yvax2.byu.edu) The OrangePC is expensive ($1000 for starters, $2900 nicely loaded) and it runs on most Macs. It has a serial _AND_ a parallel port! :: PowerMac with SoftWindows You'll need at least 16MB RAM and applications that _don't_ require enhanced 486 mode (most of 'em need enhanced 486 mode). There is Novell NetWare support however. (See also 'What the hell is Apple thinking?') If you have a PowerMac, this is you only choice aside from a... :: A full 486 PC system Can't beat this. They're dirt cheap. It's just the thing -- a second system that your kids or spouse could use. No more fighting for time on the computer! Of course you'll need more desk space for this solution. o Where to get the Houdini card ---------------------------------------- Since Apple halted production of the Houdini, you will have a difficult time finding a Houdini card. Your best bet might be scouring universities for unhappy Houdini owners wishing to unload their now discontinued card. What you'll be looking for is either the Mac system called the 'Quadra 610 DOS Compatible' which is a Q610 with a DOS card pre-installed, or the upgrade called the 'DOS Compatibility Card.' The upgrade's official U.S. Apple price was $399. Educational pricing seems to hover around $350. Note that the DOS card in the Q610 DOS bundle prices out to be only about $200 extra (about $100 extra with educational pricing!). Try your local Apple dealers or call the following for availability: CompUSA 1-800-COMP-USA Have them check all their stores' inventories. Ask for "Apple 486/SX chip" or specify Apple number M2153LL/A $399 MacMall Toll free: 1-800-222-2808 Fax: (310) 222-5800 Unlikely they will have any left. #63919 DOS Compatibility Card $389 SYEX Express (Houston, TX): 1-800-289-7939 Douglas D. Dickinson (ac256@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) obtained a Houdini from SYEX recently. #M2153LL/A DOS Compatibility Card $359 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) Quick and Dirty Q & A ----------------------------------------------- o Is the Houdini discontinued? ----------------------------------------- Yes, the Houdini card was discontinued some two and half months after its introduction. o Does installing a SIMM on the Houdini improve performance? ----------- The simple answer is YES. See the Memory section of the Tech Notes. o Can I use 72 pin Mac SIMMs? Can I use standard PC SIMMs? ------------- Yes. See the Memory section of the Tech Notes. o Can you use Houdini in a clock-chipped Mac? -------------------------- I have the Houdini in a 660av... the '040 in the Mac clock-chipped at 32MHz. - Andrew Sinclair-Day (sinclair@pnet1.pnet.com) o Is the provided MS-DOS 6.2 for Houdini complete? --------------------- Yes, the MS-DOS 6.2 that goes with Houdini is complete. I temporarily installed it on a DOS machine to confirm that. - David A. Hughes (aa341@FreeNet.Carleton.CA) o Will Chicago run on Houdini? ----------------------------------------- Looks like Chicago will run on the Houdini. See the Operating System section of the Tech Notes. o Does RAMDoubler work with Houdini? ----------------------------------- Yes. I ran RAMDoubler 1.02 on a Q610 which had donated 2 MB of RAM to Houdini. It looks like RAMDoubler won't try to compress System Memory, but will only try to reclaim unused System memory, and Houdini marks its memory as used in the System memory partition. Be a little careful, though. It tried to simulate 8*2 = 16 MB of RAM on the Mac side even though only 6MB were really available. If I had donated 4 MB to the Houdini card (say, to play DOOM), I would be running RAMQuadrupler, trying to extract 16 MB space out of 4 MB real RAM. - Eric Hsu (erichsu@uclink.berkeley.edu) o Why does Houdini come with a wimpy FPU-free 486SX and not a more ----- beefy FPU-equipped 486DX? This is probably due to marketing surveys and price points. Perhaps Apple's marketing people decided that there would be more resistance to the DOS card if the price was $100 more. Sound support and a DX would have pushed the price of the original Houdini well over $550. o Can I swap the 486SX processor in the Houdini for a 486DX? ----------- Yes you can switch processors with some minor modifications to the Houdini board. See the Microprocessor section of the Tech Notes. o Instead of making those modifications, can't I just swap the SX ------ for a DX chip? It would seem that just swapping the chips would work, HOWEVER the shunts are NEEDED to ensure that the FPU exceptions are handled correctly. - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) o What happens if you install a 486DX2/66? ----------------------------- As you may have guessed, it runs at 50 MHz internally (no I haven't yet tried upping my Houdini card to 33 MHz). It seems to work fine, and what with DX2/66 prices being officially dropped, it may be easier to find a cheap used 66 MHz chip than a 50 MHz. In the end, I only really wanted to double my clock speed and not do any FPU-type stuff, so for the moment I'm not going to install the shunts. Front Page Sports Football played at least 50% faster, Doom seemed smoother, but not any faster. Actually, my mouse seemed slower. Graphics software like qpeg, display and vmpeg all seem totally functional (I thought they might search for an FPU and then use it). The only weird effect I've noticed is that the PC no longer can print out through COM1 into a Mac text file. This was a handy little trick, but easily worked around. - Eric Hsu (erichsu@uclink.berkeley.edu) o What's the difference between a bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible ---- and a Quadra 610 with a DOS Compatibility Card installed? The only difference is that the bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible comes with a 68LC040(FPU-free version of '040) and that some configurations of Q610s come with a 68040(FPU equipped!). The genuine bundled Quadra 610 DOS Compatible has no FPU, whereas an upgraded Q610 will have either a 68040(FPU-equipped) or a 68LC040(FPU-free) depending on which Q610 configuration it was originally. Other than that, price would be the only difference. A price breakdown of the Quadra 610 DOS Compatible shows that the DOS card is only an additional $200 (or as low as $100 with educational pricing). The DOS Compatibility upgrade is of course officially $399. Do the math. o What is DOOM and what does it have to do with Houdini? --------------- From the DOOM FAQ, "DOOM is a three dimensional, virtual reality type action game created by id Software. In some ways, it is similar to Wolfenstein 3-D (id Software, Apogee)." And yes it runs on Houdini. I would say that DOOM could be _the_ killer app for Houdini. Imagine..."Now included with every Apple DOS Compatibility card, a copy of DOOM!" -- DOS cards would fly off the shelves! Big hint Apple. o Where can I get the DOOM FAQ? ---------------------------------------- You can find the DOOM FAQ at Official DOOM ftp site: infant2.sphs.indiana.edu DOOM ftp sites include: ftp.uml.edu /pub/msdos/Games/id (?) ftp.uwp.edu /pub/msdos/games/id/home-brew/doom wuarchive.wustl.edu /pub/msdos_uploads/games/doomstuff o What does the chip labeled Music do? --------------------------------- The Music part is the video DAC. It is a combined part including the CLUT/DAC and video clock synthesizer. - Jim Stockdale o What is required to install the Houdini in a non-610 Mac? ------------ Those of you considering the Houdini for use in a non-610 Mac might be curious to what is required to install the Houdini in a non-610 Mac. It's not that difficult at all -- requiring a bit of patience. Above all, take your time -- that's pretty good advice for any sort of installation. The process is like a 12 step program. 1) Separate the Houdini card from the L-shaped assembly Holding the Houdini card assembly, component side facing you and PDS connector pointing down, there should be a screw with a plastic washer in the lower right hand corner of the Houdini board. This screw holds the Houdini board to the L-shaped assembly. Save this screw and washer -- you might want to sell the Houdini to a real 610 owner someday (or return it). Screw both back onto the metal assembly. Put the assembly back in the box for safekeeping. Remove the metal bracket from around the Houdini's DB connector by unscrewing two screws and their washers. Again save these screws and washers. Put 'em back in the box. 2) Insert the Houdini into the '040 PDS slot Make sure the card is seated as far into the PDS slot as it can go. A loose card will mean trouble. 3) Remove a nearby NuBus slot plastic cover in back 4) Take the connector intended for the Houdini (from the special 4-way cable) and slide through the newly open slot in back into the case 5) Connect the cable to the Houdini card 6) Connect the monitor connector for either one or two monitor environment 7) Connect the 4 pin cable from the Houdini to the CD-in of your computer (if your computer has one) 8) Install Houdini software 9) Create PC drive file on your hard drive (initialize the PC drive!) 10) Re-boot with PC Setup ON 11) Install MS-DOS onto PC drive file 12) Enjoy the DOS world ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Tech Notes ---------------------------------------------------------- o Microprocessor ------------------------------------------------------- Houdini uses an Intel 80486SX running at 25 MHz (no FPU). This is basically an Intel 80486 without a Floating Point Unit (FPU). Users wishing for a little added speed can substitute a DX version of the 486 in place of the SX version. Jim Stockdale first hinted at this possibility. From this hint, David Ramsey performed some experiments and posted his findings. Some soldering modifications do have to be made before the DX processor can be used. These modifications enable the FPU on the DX chip to be utilized by the Houdini. The pinouts of the SX, DX, and DX2 are different. However, it is possible to upgrade. An enterprising person with the pinouts of the various 486's and an ohmmeter can find the hooks we put on the board to make the swap. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: David Ramsey's 486SX/DX findings: I can now report that not only does the card work well in a Quadra 800, but it works even better if you pop the 486SX/25 and replace it with a 486DX2/50!...Awfully nice of Apple to use a PGA version of the chip and socket it...it seems to work fine...got a good 40% performance boost in most CPU-bound benchmarks. DOOM is visibly faster, too. For those wanting the replace the 486SX/25 processors in their Houdini cards with DX, DX/2, or DX4 processors, here are the changes you need to make to the card (aside from just plugging the processor in). There are a few subtle pinout differences that need to be accounted for floating point error conditions and the processor NMI to work correctly. Poring over some 486 pinouts and poking around with an ohmmeter (by a friend, not me) reveals the board is configured via some zero ohm resistor shunts. The standard Houdini has a shunt installed at board location R56. If you replace the 486SX/25 with a DX/DX2/DX4 processor, this shunt should be removed, and shunts should be installed at R54, R55, and R57. You can use a small piece of wire for the shunts. I imagine this completely torches your warranty! If you're using a DX2/DX4 processor, a heat sink or processor fan is strongly advised. For the truly brave, it's noted that the board components are good for 33MHz if anyone wants to try clock chipping their card. However, there are some ROM BIOS timing routines that are dependent on the 25MHz clock so this may not work. If anyone tries this -- it should be pretty simple with a test clip -- post your results! Any of these modifications are at your own risk and have not been endorsed or condoned by Apple. - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) o Operating systems ---------------------------------------------------- :: MS-DOS 6.2 Houdini comes with a complete copy of Microsoft MS-DOS 6.2. :: Windows (tm) You must get Windoze separately, but Windoze will run on Houdini. :: OS/2 Comments made so far have not been too encouraging. -- OS/2 for Windows cannot be installed using diskettes. When I started installation...the Houdini booted and showed IBM logo and asked for Disk 1 to be inserted. After the disk 1 was inserted, the OS/2 logo showed, the Houdini froze after some floppy disk activity. I believe that the problem is the device driver, but I could be wrong. Normally, during OS/2 set up, the system will try to find out the hardware info, such as video, memory, fixed disk, and floppy drive. As I understand, the floppy drive is NOT controlled by Houdini card, this could pose a big problem for OS/2. - Xiaolin Zhao (xlz@relax.chem.ucla.edu) :: Linux I really wanted the board to run Linux, but that looks like it may be difficult to do... In other words, Linux can't read from /fd0 because it cannot recognize it without the standard DOS floppy drive signature. - Eric W. Sarjeant (v053qpgh@ubvms.cc.buffalo.edu) Jim Stockdale notes: I'll make a few points about Houdini. Why Linux doesn't run is probably as follows: [ed. note: they probably apply to OS/2 also] We developed a disk interface for hard disk and floppy access which though compatible at the BIOS level, use a totally different hardware architecture. Therefore, if the Linux OS attempts to find an IDE controller, an MFM floppy controller, a SCSI controller or any other piece of PC hardware, it will fail. This is also why software like Microsoft Backup and others that attempt to talk directly to hardware doesn't work. That said, the other parts of the system are very much standard. Chips & Tech. 4031/4035 chipset, Phoenix/Intel PS2 keyboard / mouse controller C&T 450 based VGA controller (with BIOS modified to control Apple monitors) and register compatible serial and parallel ports. The system BIOS we use for the PC side is provided by C&T and the only modifications are to the power on self-test routines. Apple has not published the API for the Houdini system,...yet. They may do so. It is not my decision, though I have been a proponent of doing so. If Apple decided to publish the API, it is possible that Linux could be made to work, if a BIOS level driver could be written, rather than trying to talk directly to hardware. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: Chicago I successfully installed a beta version [of Chicago] on Houdini and even got the CD-ROM to work. It was pretty buggy but I put that down to beta problems because I had similar difficulty on a DOS machine. - David A. Hughes (aa341@freenet.carleton.ca) :: 32-bit extender problem I would like to report the incompatibility of Houdini card with the existing 32-bit DOS applications. Although Houdini can run Windows apps, once the applications become 32-bit, Houdini will not be able to run them. MS Fortran Powerstation and Visual C++ Pro are two examples of 32-bit DOS/Win applications currently available. Neither of these two compilers will compile a single line on Houdini. The problem is a 32-bit DOS extender problem! It may be possible that these problems are only with Microsoft products. But this could be the most dangerous sign. Will Houdini be compatible with Windows 4.0 which is partially 32-bit? Or it is just a problem of the DOS extender? Beware! - Xiaolin Zhao (xlz@relax.chem.ucla.edu) o PC Mouse ------------------------------------------------------------- Houdini uses a plain mouse click for a left PC mouse button click, the '=' keypad key for a right PC mouse button click and finally both together for a dual left and right PC mouse button click. As mentioned before, Houdini supports a _2_ button PC mouse. I haven't heard of any word on 3 button mouse support. Strangely, a PC mouse driver is not included in the MS-DOS 6.2 install disks. Go figure. Jim Stockdale explains: We ship Houdini with MS-DOS 6.2 which does not include a mouse driver. If you install Windows, you'll get a mouse driver. We provided the info on how to emulate the other mouse button because most users will install Windows or get a bus mouse (PS/2) style MS Mouse Driver...The mouse support in Houdini is provided by the keyboard controller, as it is in a PS/2. This is called a bus mouse, as opposed to a serial mouse which uses a serial port. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: Get a mouse driver via FTP You can get a DOS mouse driver via FTP: aix370.rrz.uni-koeln.de /pc/msdos/dosutils/mouse80.zip ...and at other fine FTP sites with DOS archives. - Adam Schneider (indigo@cats.ucsc.edu) I finally got my Apple mouse to work with DOS applications on my Quadra 610 DOS Compatible. (I don't have Windows yet, ergo I don't have the Windows mouse driver.) I simply downloaded the latest Microsoft mouse driver, ran the SETUP.EXE program, and it worked! - Adam Schneider (indigo@cats.ucsc.edu) :: Looking for a mouse driver elsewhere One thing I want to point out is how to get a DOS mouse driver. I wrote this information for Apple's Tech Info Library: The MS-DOS 6.2 software, which comes with the DOS Compatibility Card, doesn't have drivers for any mouse pointing devices. If Windows 3.x is installed, it comes with mouse drivers that allow you to use your Macintosh mouse under Windows. However, unless you install a Microsoft compatible mouse driver in MS-DOS, then you can't use the Macintosh mouse in the DOS environment. There are several Microsoft compatible mouse drivers available through online services and through internet sites. Two files found on most of these online services that work properly are DRVR624.ZIP and MOUSE701.ZIP. If you have Windows 3.1, you can use the DOS driver located on disk 4 (1.44 MB disks). The driver is called MOUSE.CO_, and you need to copy it from the disk to your hard disk. This file is compressed, so you also need to expand the file. To expand the file type the following command: expand -r mouse.co_ This creates the MOUSE.COM file on the hard disk. You can use this file from the MS-DOS Command line, or from a batch file such as the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you place the MOUSE.COM line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, it loads the mouse driver every time you start MS-DOS. - Wayne (wayneb@apple.com) o File conversion ------------------------------------------------------ The DOS card also comes with Mac Easy Open 1.0.4 to facilitate conversion between the different environment formats. If you need heavy duty conversion you still require a commercial package for this. Mac Easy Open1.0.4 has another subtle enhancement, it uses the small icon view for icons in open/save dialog listings. This is similar to the DialogView extension. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) o Floppy use ----------------------------------------------------------- Use to eject a floppy disk when in DOS mode. ** Note: To back up the drive files on your Macintosh, either make a copy of the files by duplicating them in the Finder, or use a Macintosh backup application program. Do not use PC backup programs. PC backup programs do not work because the floppy disk drive is controlled by the Macintosh. - DOS Compatibility Read Me file :: Using DOS backup software You CAN use DOS backup software, just not conventionally. Using the correct PKzip switches to backup to more than one disk works just great! When I moved my entire DOS partition from my 286 desktop computer to the Houdini, I simply created my DOS partition in PC Setup, formatted the drive with Fdisk from my DOS 6.2 startup disk (which you can create under the setup program to install DOS 6.2), and typed PKunzip -(switches) from the 68 disk archive I'd created. With the proper switches, you keep everything, including the Doublespace partition (I PKzipped from the Host drive, not the Doublespace emulated partition. This way, the entire Doublespace partition was zipped as one file). The other way works just fine too. - Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) o Hard drives ---------------------------------------------------------- The DOS card comes with PC Exchange 2.0. The major difference in 2.0 is that it has a built-in PC SCSI Probe which allows you to mount PC SCSI discs on your Mac desktop as well as CD drives too. Otherwise you can create a PC partition file on one of your Mac volumes just like SoftPC. PC Exchange 2.0 also reads SoftPC hard drive partitions although the documentation says you can't boot from a SoftPC volume. If you set the LASTDRIVE option in your CONFIG.SYS in DOS, you can assign multiple volumes or folders as shared drives in DOS. Which means you can access your Mac data in DOS by assigning a drive letter to whatever folder you want. The drawback is that DOS supports only 8.3 names so your long Mac names look funny in DOS. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) The PC Setup control panel allows you to use PC SCSI drives and partitions with the DOS Compatibility Card. If you use a PC drive or partition and you have a utility that mounts these devices on the Macintosh, be sure to unmount the drive or partition before starting the PC by dragging its icon to the Trash. If you donÕt unmount the drive or partition, you may lose data since both the Macintosh and the PC may write to the device at the same time. ** NOTE: If you are using AppleÕs Macintosh PC Exchange 2.0 to mount PC devices, the software alerts you if you try booting the PC while the device is mounted. If you intend to mount your PC drive file, partition, or disk on the Macintosh using a utility such as AppleÕs Macintosh PC Exchange, do not use a PC compression program. Drives that are compressed cannot be mounted. - DOS Compatibility Read Me file :: Doublespace Use and Houdini In spite of the DOS Compatibility Read Me file says, Adam Schneider has had success using Doublespace on his main C: drive. The drawback with using Doublespace is that even though the Finder can mount the C: drive, you cannot access the files within the compressed C: drive from the finder. To transfer files between the compressed C: drive and the Mac you must first copy the files from the compressed C: drive to another uncompressed drive file or a shared folder. An awkward procedure but as Adam insists: ...well worth the extra drive space you get with Doublespace. - Adam Schneider (indigo@cats.ucsc.edu) :: Virus Reminder for new Houdini users There are a lot of PC viruses, most destructive. Houdini users should get a PC virus checker and keep it up to date. The most up-to-date versions of Scan and Clean are good choices. - Tom Thatcher (ttha@troi.cc.rochester.edu) o CD-ROM use ----------------------------------------------------------- CD-ROM discs can be accessed by both the Macintosh and PC (if the included PC software is installed). To eject a CD-ROM disc from the PC, press Command-Y. If the CD-ROM disc cannot be ejected (because a file is in use or the CD-ROM is being shared), the Macintosh beeps to notify you and will not eject the CD-ROM disc. - DOS Compatibility Read Me file If you don't have a CD-ROM installed on boot up of your Quadra, or do not turn on file sharing while a CD-ROM is installed, your CD-ROM will not be shared, hence, you won't have to deal with that stupid prompt. However, after running DUNE on my internal CD-ROM, I was very impressed that the setup detected the drive was double speed, and has given absolutely no errors when playing games. Using CD players under DOS or Windows is somewhat nerve racking. While CD-Remote under MacOS does just fine, I wanted to see if it would work under the Houdini environment. You can select and play songs through the CD-ROM, stop, and even eject disks. But under Houdini (blame the SCSI chain), you cannot search tracks or scan rewind. Also, the disk time does not update, meaning the normal queues from the SCSI chain are not being passed to the Houdini (can't have it all I guess). - Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) :: Only one CD-ROM accessible through Houdini No one should buy one if they wish to address more than 1 CD-ROM from the DOS side. I just purchased a Q610 DOS and three (3) CD-ROM drives only to find this out from Apple support. Jim Stockdale was kind enough to confirm this to me via email, for which I'm grateful. The retail salesman did not know that the Houdini would only access one SCSI ROM drive. Additionally, it appears from Apple support that the special CDDRVR that is loaded via the AUTOEXEC.BAT file was written for SONY mechanisms such as the "Apple" CD-ROM drive. Bottom line, I could not get the CD-ROM accessed from the DOS side w/o having to use the sharing arrangement via the DOS Setup Control Panel. This however, must be done after *every* reboot and is just a pain in the ass. Furthermore, the DOS program would not acknowledge the data CD that was in a shared drive and not in the configured SCSI drive. - Jim Eley (jimeley@infinet.com) :: Houdini can only use Sony CD-ROM mechanisms For some reason Apple designed the CD-ROM support in Houdini for the Sony drive _only_. - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) o Memory --------------------------------------------------------------- [Houdini] has one 72 pin SIMM slot (empty) for RAM and it accepts 4, 8, 16, and 32mb SIMMs. (I'm not sure about a 1 mb SIMM) It can also "borrow" memory directly from the Mac. In a 20 mb machine I was able to assign increments of 4mb up to 16mb to the DOS card. The memory control panel will just show a large System Software partition when the DOS card is using the Mac's RAM. Also, you can't both have on-board RAM and share some of the Mac's RAM it's either or. I don't have enough RAM to test if you can assign more than 32mb to the card from a Mac. It shares the RAM with a DMA controller on the card. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) :: Avoid Composite SIMMs Also, Jim Stockdale adds: I am pretty sure Apple will not guarantee Houdini will operate properly with composite SIMMs. Memory timing could be compromised due to the increased signal loading. Note that Houdini, as well as Macs with the 72 pin SIMM connector will support double sided SIMMs. These SIMMs are configured as two different memory banks with up to 8 devices per bank providing data. Parity SIMMs can be used, though the parity RAMs themselves are not accessed. :: SIMM and Improved Houdini Performance There is a fairly substantial performance improvement on both the PC and Mac side when a SIMM is plugged into the Houdini. Without a SIMM, all PC memory accesses need to do a DMA cycle on the Mac. Though the Mac memory controllers support burst read accesses, there is still LOTS of data flying around on the bus when both processors are running code. Memory writes cannot be bursted on the Mac, and DOS does LOTS of writes. We provide a write buffer on the Houdini, but there is still a performance loss. When a SIMM is plugged in, only BIOS ROM accesses need to do Mac DMA cycles. Since there isn't nearly as much OS support in the ROM as in the Mac OS, the amount of time the PC is accessing ROM (Mac DMA) is pretty small. All other memory accesses from the 486 talk to the SIMM RAM. Accesses to the Houdini SIMM are very fast, typically taking only about six 25MHz clock cycles to fetch 4 longwords of data. Access to Mac shared memory take many more, due to the bus arbitration time and the synchronization between the two CPU busses running from different clocks. A faster Mac Memory bus (like a 33MHz Quadra) will improve shared memory performance, but it will still be slower than when there is a SIMM installed. There is only one memory allocation in the Mac for the PC memory space. When the system boots, memory size parameters are stored in the Mac PRAM and the memory allocation for the Houdini is done very early in the bootup sequence. In other words, if you want a 4mb shared memory space for Houdini, that parameter is stored in Mac PRAM and a contiguous 4mb memory region in Mac memory is reserved when the slot manager initializes the card. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: Using 1mb SIMMs 1mb SIMMs will work in the Houdini, but it's nearly worthless...too much lag in swapfiles. You cannot access more than 32mb to the Houdini card -- I tried it. I'm not sure if the limitation is in the Houdini or the Macintosh though. Something I was impressed with though was the ability to access nearly all the hard memory available on the Mac to the Houdini (8mb on a 12mb machine), and then shore up the Macintosh with Virtual Memory. Someone was thinking somewhere. - Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) o Memory managers ------------------------------------------------------ If you use a memory management utility such as EMM386 or QEMM, you need to configure it to be compatible with your DOS Compatibility Card. :: If will be using EMM386 (included as part of DOS) and donÕt require expanded memory, set CONFIG.SYS to: DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS RAM=D000-EFFF If you require expanded memory, set CONFIG.SYS to: DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE RAM=D000-EFFF FRAME=D000 :: If you use QEMM, it is recommended that you use the frame option (ST:F): DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:F ARAM=B080-B7FF ARAM=C900-DFFF R:1 :: If you choose to use the Stealth mapping option (ST:M), set CONFIG.SYS to: DEVICE=C:\QEMM\QEMM386.SYS RAM ST:M X=C800-CFFF X=FC00-FCFF X=FE00-FFFF ARAM=B080-B7FF ARAM=C900-DFFF R:2 For other memory management utilities, configure them so that the only areas in the BIOS that can be mapped to upper memory are from D000 through EFFF. Make sure you verify that the HIMEM.SYS line in the CONFIG.SYS file has the switch to turn memory testing off. If the HIMEM.SYS line doesn't turn memory testing off, the ROM BIOS may become corrupted when the DOS Compatibility Card is configured for 2 mb of memory: DEVICE=C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS /TESTMEM:OFF ** NOTE: Apple does not recommend using automated memory configuration utilities with the DOS Compatibility Card because they can require more memory than management utilities you configure manually. They can also be incompatible with the DOS Compatibility Card. - DOS Compatibility Read Me file :: Avoid using 386MAX Be very careful about using memory managers. I installed 386MAX which appeared to work great. However, the floppy drive could no longer could write to a disk. This problem affected the Houdini/PC side initially but then became a problem on the Mac side. I actually bought a replacement floppy drive because I figured out that 386MAX was clobbering some portion of memory reserved of peripheral management. - Todd Katz (todd@informix.com) o Joystick ------------------------------------------------------------- Houdini provides a 15-pin connector for PC-style joysticks. Note that the joystick port uses the same DB-15 connector as the monitor port. DO NOT switch the two! (i.e. monitor port going to the joystick and joystick port going to the monitor.) o Parallel ports ------------------------------------------------------- There is no physical parallel printing port available with the card, but the card does emulate a PC printer though LPT1:. There is a PC Print Monitor installed in your extensions folder that prints jobs from the card. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) Those looking for a parallel port must look to certain versions of OrangePC cards or a full PC system. o Serial ports --------------------------------------------------------- The DOS card allows you to use any Mac serial port as a COMx: device in DOS. You have to assign the port in the PC setup and the card opens the port so you can't share a modem between the two without going into PC setup. The card only supports COM1 and COM2. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) I don't know if DOS apps that write directly to UART registers would work, though (I tend to think not). - David Ramsey (ramsey@be.com) The maximum baud rate supported by the DOS Compatibility Card when a COM port is mapped to a Macintosh serial port is 19,200. If youÕre capturing serial output to a Macintosh file, there is no limit. Due to the RS-232 implementation of the Macintosh, not all RS-232 signals are available. These signals are not available: Carrier Detect (CD), Data Set Ready (DSR), Request to Send (RTS), and Ring Indicator (RI). If your application or serial device requires these signals, it will not work. The DOS Compatibility Card does not support Carrier Detect (CD). You must configure your communications applications so they do not use CD. Most communications applications can be set to respond to the CARRIER string sent back by most modems. - DOS Compatibility Read Me file :: Serial Port Mapping The serial port mapping from Mac the PC follows: -------------------------------------------- Mac Mini Mac Signal DIN-8 DB-25 RS-232 Name -------------------------------------------- HSKo 1 20 DTR HSKi 2 5,8 CTS,DCD TXD- 3 2 TXD GND 4 7 GND RXDA- 5 3 RXD TXDA+ 6 N/C - GPi 7 N/C - RXD+ 8 7 GND -------------------------------------------- - DOS Compatibility Read Me file o Printing ------------------------------------------------------------- You can print to Mac-connected PostScript printers, or to QuickDraw printers (if you're using an Epson printer driver on the PC side). - Amanda Walker (amanda@intercon.com) :: Turn off Background Printing When printing from the PC side, turn off background printing. The PC side spools to an extension called PC Print Spooler. If background printing is turned on, then the PC Print Spooler output is directed to PrintMonitor, another spooler, slowing output. In fact, when running Windows, the Windows spooler should be turned off as well, for the same reason. [explained to me by Apple Tech Assistance over the phone] - Tom Thatcher (ttha@troi.cc.rochester.edu) :: Faster Stylewriter Printing When printing to a Stylewriter, I have found that printing is more than twice as fast when using the Stylewriter II driver. If you use Stylewriter II version 1.2, you also need Chooser version 7.3, which is not included on the system 7.1 disks. [personal experience] - Tom Thatcher (ttha@troi.cc.rochester.edu) o Copy & Paste --------------------------------------------------------- The DOS card installer includes a utility for the Mac and a PC TSR which converts the Mac clipboard into a DOS clipboard or Windows clipboard and vice-versa. I tried using simple text transfer between both and it worked fine. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) To copy from DOS, press control-option-C. A white cursor box will appear in the center of the screen. Use the arrow keys or the mouse if you have a mouse driver installed to position the cursor at the start of the text you want to copy. Hold the shift key down or press the mouse button and use the arrows or mouse to highlight the text to be copied. Release the shift or mouse button when the selection is complete. The Mac will play a sound which sounds like scissors cutting the text (the sound will be played twice). Then switch to the Mac and look at the clipboard contents. If you are still having problems, make sure the PC Clipboard application and translators are installed in the extensions folder, as well as the Macintosh Easy Open cdev. To Paste to DOS, place the cursor where you want the text placed, and press control-option-V. The copy paste in DOS is screen based only. There is not a consistent clipboard definition for DOS applications, so we had to do our own, which, by the way adds copy paste functionality to DOS applications which don't have it. In Windows, there is a consistent clipboard capability between applications, so when the Clipboard Converter application is installed in the Windows Startup Items group, it automatically translates copy/paste between the Mac and PC. The app is installed by our setup application on the PC install disk. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) o Networking ----------------------------------------------------------- The DOS card doesn't support the on-board Ethernet so you can't do Ethernet in DOS/Windows. The documentation doesn't even mention this. - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) Apple is certainly aware that network drivers for the PC are critical for the success of Houdini in business. Accordingly, we are working to develop a solution. No time frame has been established for availability. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: Logging Into Novell File Servers Despite the networking inadequacies, you can use the Mac side to log into a Novell file server and then access the file server from the Houdini side. First you mount the Novell server volume on the Mac side, then you go to the Houdini/PC side and assign it to a drive (eg: G:). You can then access PC files from the Novell server. - Wen Ung (wku@sparcserve.cs.adfa.oz.au) You still cannot run server-based apps that expect to come through the PC side. You can access files, but this is only half the battle. Still, your point is a good one as file access is the No. 1 reason to connect to a Novell server. - Mark Rogowsky (rogo@forsythe.stanford.edu) o Monitor display ------------------------------------------------------ The DOS card can share one monitor attached to both cards via a Y cable or it can independently drive a VGA, Apple 13, 14 and 16" monitor. The connector is a standard Mac 15-pin connector. If you use one monitor, the image jumps when you switch but Apple has an option to fade the Mac screen before this happens. When you use two screens you can see both update simultaneously, but when you are in a DOS environment the Mac screen is always slightly dimmed. I tried connecting two Apple 16" displays (one the Mac and one to the card) it worked fine. In fact, with the correct Windows drivers you can easily get 800x600 on the Apple 16". - Richard Cardona (ifai622@mcl.cc.utexas.edu) The Houdini has it's own 512K DRAM based frame buffer. The video signals (R,G,B, sync) are connected externally via a cable. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) From the drivers supplied, I gather that the highest resolution in single-monitor mode is 800x600x16 (if you have an Apple 16" monitor or equivalent), and the highest in dual-monitor mode is 1024x768x16 (if you have a multisync VGA monitor that will go that high). It also supports 640x480x256 with good speed. - Amanda Walker (amanda@intercon.com) :: Sony Universal Adapter for Monitors One thing I've found useful for the Houdini and its monitor is the Sony Universal Adapter. It lets you rotary dial-in the appropriate sense pins for the monitor you attach. In my case I have an NEC 3FGX, so I can choose 16", 13", or VGA depending on what my needs are. Actually, using regular VGA mode with this monitor provides no benefits over the usual Mac 13" resolution, but the 16" mode has its uses. In case people haven't noticed, having a 16" monitor attached to Houdini only shrinks the DOS area to a 13" area of that monitor. running in 800x600 mode in Windows, you do get the full usable area of the 16" monitor. Either way, you are getting a 75Hz scan rate, which is a reason enough to opt for 16" mode over 13" mode. - phil (eaou083@rigel.oac.uci.edu) :: NEC monitors If you are using an NEC monitor with a sync switch and have to flip the switch to get DOS unscrambled do the following: Go into PC setup and hold down the command key as you click on the version number. A mini DOS menu appears allowing you a couple of options. At the C> type SYNC OFF and you will no longer have to flip the sync switch every time you go to DOS. - Gary Bohn (gBohn@oui.com) I think the 5FG has an internal sync switch that would solve this problem without the control panel. - Doug Dinh (dougdinh@eworld.com) :: Video problems with using Houdini in a Quadra 660av. Jim Stockdale responded to a question from Dan Magorian: The monitor intensity is a function of the termination of the R, G, & B signals. We "wire OR" the signals in the cable. When the PC is the active display, the Mac video is programmed to generate a blank level. When the Mac is active, the BLANK pin of the PC CLUT/DAC is asserted, blanking the video lines. The jumping you see in the video is a maybe a function of the sync signals running at different frequencies from the PC and Mac. The monitor needs to lock on the foreground computer's syncs. The video circuitry of the 660AV isn't the same as the 610, and a blank level cannot be programmed. When the video is switched and the PC becomes active, the outputs of the AV CLUT/DAC are tri-stated and the path to ground (termination) is removed. This causes the drive from the PC CLUT/DAC to be higher and the video brighter. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) :: PC Setup 1.02 Apple's System Update 3.0, available on ftp.apple.com, Applelink, etc. installs the PC Setup 1.02 control panel, which as Jim Stockdale promised contains a fix for the interference problem in Windows with the original software on certain monitors, such as the 14" Mac Color Display. It also has a cool update to StandardFile that shows icons, and other good stuff. Recommended. - Dan Magorian (magorian@ni.umd.edu) You will notice a slight difference in operation of the screen switching. In the old PC Setup, the Mac screen appeared immediately when you switched back from the PC. In the new PC setup, the switching back to the Mac is accompanied by a repaint of the screen. This is because we literally turn off the video horizontal and vertical sync signals from the Mac when you switch to the PC. When you turn off Hsync, the refresh to the VRAMs is turned off also and the frame buffer contents are destroyed. The software now re-draws the frame buffer and passes a message to all applications to re-draw their windows. Kind of a hack, but it cures the problem. (In answer to why the old 13" monitor was fine, but the newer 14" wasn't with the 1.0 software): The 14" display uses the same Trinitron tube as the 13", but different electronics. The electronics in the 14" appear less tolerant of noise on the sync lines than the 13". - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) o Sound ---------------------------------------------------------------- Simple PC beeps are routed from the Houdini into the CD-in port of the Q610. For Macs without a CD-in port, there is currently no way to pipe the PC sound through the Mac. However, one way might be to pipe the PC sound in the Mic-in port and use Play-Thru or Play-On to play the Mic-in input through the Mac speaker. There is no way to add a soundcard such as the Sound Blaster to the DOS card. The existence of a subset of the ISA bus provided hope that it would be possible, but unfortunately there are some obstacles and Soundblaster support is not possible. See the Houdini ISA Subset Quest in Tech Notes. :: 4-pin Audio Connector Pinout [] [] | ------- | 1 - LEFT audio | o o o o | 2 - LEFT ground |_________| 3 - RIGHT ground 1 2 3 4 4 - RIGHT audio - Andrew Sinclair-Day (sinclair@pnet1.pnet.com) o PC cards ------------------------------------------------------------- There is no facility for adding PC cards to the Houdini. Those looking for this capability must look to certain versions of OrangePC cards or a full PC system. o ISA bus -------------------------------------------------------------- There's no sanctioned support for an ISA bus. However, Dan Magorian queried: There's a connector on Houdini, about the size of a Mac floppy cable connector. This is obviously unused: What is it about? - Dan Magorian (magorian@ni.umd.edu) Jim Stockdale suggested: I think the connector you are speaking of has a subset of the ISA bus signals on it. It could be used for a board with a function on it such as Soundblaster. Since there is no I/O hole in the box, it really couldn't support any true I/O. A custom designed board (using standard chipsets) could be laid out to implement a function such as Soundblaster, with the audio routed to the Mac audio output, similar to what we do now with PC timer sounds. I cannot comment on when Apple or a third party will have such a card, if ever. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) Dan Magorian is talking about a high density, male IDC-type connector on the Houdini board. The corresponding female connector would seem to be part of a daughterboard. Judging by the available signals, this hypothetical daughterboard would be some sort of 8-bit, stereo (notice the SBOUTL and SBOUTR signals) soundcard. The Sound Blaster Pro comes to mind (hmm...). See the Houdini ISA Subset Quest in the Tech Notes for more information. o Performance, performance, performance -------------------------------- :: Soft-PC vs. Houdini John Galloway compared SoftPC and Houdini performance with an informal test. John used a floating point intensive app (a stock analysis) running on a 24mb Quadra 800. The 9mb allocated for the SoftPC included a 2mb for an instruction cache. SoftPC 3.1 287 DISabled 12:40 SoftPC 3.1 287 ON 1:10 Houdini SX25 4M Mac RAM 0:20 Houdini SX25 4M SIMM 0:17 Houdini DX2/50 4M SIMM ? (< 0:02?) Besides being slow, SoftPC does not emulate the hardware well enough to allow this app's modem code to function reliably making it useless while Houdini handles it perfectly. - John Galloway (jrg@rahul.net) :: Houdini Benchmarks Here are benchmarks from MacWorld June 94, p 60; May 94, p 105; June 94, p 28 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- (Times as | fast as a | (Times as fast as a 33Mhz Mac Classic)| 486 DX PC - 486DX = 1.0) Excel/Word|AmiPro Lotus123 Access InfoPubl ---------|------ -------- ------ -------- Compaq Deskpro 5/60M (60MHz Pentium) 31.2 | 2.0 1.5 1.9 2.4 Gateway 2000 (486DX2-66) 23.0 | 1.7 1.4 1.3 1.6 Orange Micro 290 (486DX2-66)* 18.4 | 1.1 .6 .7 1.2 AMI 486/33 (486DX-33) 15.5 | 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 Tandy 3100 Model 10 (486SX-25) 12.1 | .6 .2 .6 .9 Apple DOS Compatible Card (486SX-25) 11.9 | .7 .2 .6 .6 SoftWindows on 7100/66 w/256k L2 cache 5.4 | .3 .2 .2 .4 Centris 650 with SoftPC 3.1 1.6 | .1 .1 .1 .1 * Prototype OrangePC software/hardware in a PowerMac 7100/66 with 256k L2 cache. These benchmarks seem to show that an OrangePC board with a 486DX2-66 performs only about 60-80% of the speed of a real 486DX2-66 computer, where as a Houdini board performs at 91-98% of the speed of a real 486SX-25 computer. The OrangePC board doesn't perform as quickly as expected due to the fact that the PC video is mapped to a Mac window and limitations of the NuBus speeds. The Houdini does not suffer from these 'limitations'. - compiled by Eric Carter o Tweaking the AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS for Houdini -------------------- - by Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) Scott has done quite a bit of work trying to optimize the AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files for the Houdini/Mac system. This information came after much experimentation. Scott's ideas and suggestions follow: Go ahead and grab the monochrome memory: DEVICE=C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF I=CAOO-CEFF X=CF00-CFFF RAM=D000-EFFF This gives you 180k of free memory, an extra 27k region and another 20k region (sorry, can't add, 175). Full configuration, including Doublespace, gives me 603k (617,552 bytes) in the conventional memory. :: In your CONFIG.SYS: DEVICEHIGH /L:3 /S =C:\WINDOWS\MOUSE.SYS /Y DEVICEHIGH /L:3 /S =C:\DOS\DBLSPACE.SYS /MOVE DEVICEHIGH /L:1 /S =C:\APPLE\CDROM.SYS /D:CDDRVR :: In your AUTOEXEC.BAT: **** IN THIS ORDER! **** LH /L:1 /S C:\APPLE\APPLEPC LH /L:2 /S C:\DOS\SMARTDRV [SWITCHES] LH /L:1 /S C:\APPLE\MACSHARE LH /L:3 /S C:\DOS\MSCDEX /D:CDDRVR /L:E [MY PREFERENCE FOR 'E'] LH /L:3 /S C:\APPLE\DOSCLIP Note: For those technical users that understand the /L:x commands in LH and DevHigh, I already attempted to /S load Macshare into region 2. Unfortunately, loading this into 2 causes a runtime error and disables Macshare (Macshare stays in memory, but doesn't do anything). I also attempted a NOHI command in EMM386.EXE to make region 1 move from 27k to 32k. It was successful, but every configuration I tried failed to produce more memory than the 605k free with this configuration (I have all my switches set at minimums). After working for hours and hours with the parameters in QEMM, I discovered that EMM386 gave more memory in this configuration by about 8K. QEMM's overhead and block allocation is a bit protective, while EMM386 allowed me to screw up from time to time: 30 hours of work has gone into the testing and configuration to 175k. I haven't had any errors from it. :: Other CONFIG suggestions: Use switches=/f in the CONFIG.SYS--this shuts down the two second delay when you see the Starting MS-DOS prompt. - Scott L. Barber (SERKER@c-matrix.springfield.mo.us) o Houdini ISA Subset Quest --------------------------------------------- Here's the scoop on the Houdini ISA bus capabilities. - Anton Prastowo with Ted Yun (yun@newton.mayo.edu) ABSTRACT: You can build a connector/cable assembly to connect the Houdini to an 8 bit PC card. However, the Houdini provides an INCOMPLETE ISA bus -- only enough signals for Sound Blaster. The DMA channel 1 is not readily accessible so the Sound Blaster DOES NOT work. It seems as if additional cdev or init software (for the Houdini/Mac) is needed for a Sound Blaster to work with DMA. It seems more likely that it would take hardware changes to implement the DMA so that a Sound Blaster could be used. Jim Stockdale's comments disclaim any soundcard possibility. The connector on Houdini was for diagnostic purposes and internal engineering use only. It was not documented, nor fully functional when Houdini shipped. Specifically, there are issues with VL bus (VESA Local Bus) arbitration. It would take some significant changes to correct the issues so Sound Blaster DMA would work properly. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) Read the following account and decide for yourself what is possible... A subset of a PC 8-bit ISA bus is available from the Houdini from a connector on the Houdini board. See the Houdini ASCII illustration (fig. 1) for the connector's location. The connector onboard the Houdini is a special high-density male IDC type connector. The connector's 40 pins are set in two rows of 20 (2 x 20), on 0.050" centers. Notice that this is a tighter pin placement than a regular IDC connector which uses pins on 0.100" centers. Information obtained by David Ramsey describes the connector's pin-out and each pin's function. After examining the ISA signals available from this connector, it seems noteworthy that the available signals coincide with the ISA signals used by the 8-bit mono Sound Blaster (SB). The signals SBOUTL, SBOUTR and SBGNDOUT (seemingly for stereo Left and Right channels), indicate that the soundcard would be more like the 8-bit stereo-capable Sound Blaster Pro (SBPro). Finally, it would seem likely that the connector was intended to mate with a daughterboard as opposed to a cable and board assembly. The soundcard assembly would have to be daughterboard considering the lack of space inside a Macintosh case. So what is this connector really for? I thought that it might be a way to get soundcard support for the Houdini. However, Jim's comments indicate that even if the connector was for a SBPro, Apple did not get the chance to resolve the problems involved with using the Houdini with a SBPro. So the connector is kind of a dud as far as SBPro support goes. Assuming the connector is of some use, let's take a look at it. David Ramsey's information indicates the connector provides signals for the equivalent of an 8-bit ISA slot on a PC-AT compatible. This seems reasonable since a diagnostic shareware program that I used, 'sees' the Houdini as a 486 PC-AT compatible. However, the Houdini 'slot' is a hobbled 8-bit ISA slot. -- only some ISA signals are available: data bus is only 8-bit, addressing is from $000-$3FF, and only IRQ 5 and DMA 1 signals are available. Still, you could be able to use this ersatz 'slot' for 8-bit PC cards that only use a few ISA signals. If you're interested in checking out this connector, you'll have to find something to mate with it and pull the signals off. Taking account of the Houdini connector's size and the daughterboard solution for the soundcard, it's unlikely that a crimp-on ribbon cable connector is available. More likely you'll have to futz with a surface mount connector and somehow connect a ribbon cable to it -- which is what I've done. You'll need a high-density female IDC connector to fit over the male one on the Houdini board. The pins on the Houdini connector are far too short and small to wirewrap onto. I found a usable connector facsimile in a Newark catalog. It's called a 'Surface Mount Vertical Card Connector' made by Berg Electronics. Unfortunately the female connector I found doesn't have a polarizing tab. This lack of a polarizing tab means that you have to be VERY careful and mark pin 1 on the connector -- otherwise you might plug in the connector the wrong way. Also, since this connector is surface mount and its leads are VERY small, soldering wires to this connector takes a very FINE soldering iron tip, a steady hand, and lots of patience. Newark Electronics -- They have quite a few branches around the US and three warehouses in Chicago, IL; Gaffney, SC and Los Angeles, CA. Look in your local Yellow Pages and you'll probably find a listing for a regional office. That's how many branch offices they have. Otherwise try their administrative offices at (312) 784-5100 to get the number of a local Newark office. Newark Catalog 113 (page 862) RibCage(tm) II by Berg Electronics Stock Number Part Number Description Price 95F6846 87814-620 Female 2 x 20 $6.11 Since it is surface mount, it is pretty difficult to solder individual wires to the leads. A better solution would be to solder the connector to a small board. This board would then have traces going from the connector to more accessible solder pads for the wires. I did not have such a board nor did I want to make one so I ended up just soldering directly onto the surface mount leads of the connector. If you choose to try this part out, I suggest that you order two instead of just one connector -- in case you screw up on your first attempt. I accidentally broke one of the leads (quite easy to do actually) but luckily it was one of the unused pins. Keep in mind Newark's infamous reputation for insensitivity to small orders. Newark does have a $25 minimum order so pick up some locally hard to find items while you're ordering from them. Next you'll need a connector for the PC card. You can get one from Radio Shack. They have a 62 position and a 98 position card edge connector. I had to use the 98 position connector because the SBPro used a couple of pins on the second section of card edge. The 62 position card edge connector is good for single section card edge cards like the 8-bit mono Sound Blaster (not the Pro!). Radio Shack 62 position card edge conn (0.100" spacing) # 276-1453 ... $2.99 98 position card edge conn (0.100" spacing) # 276-1454 ... $4.99 Finally, you'll need some cable to connect the two connectors. I used a 40 conductor ribbon cable and wired all the pins from the Houdini even though not all of the pins were used. It's also easier to keep track of wires if you work through it and wire methodically instead of skipping pins. (You could get away with using the 36 conductor ribbon cable available from Radio Shack if you can keep track of the wires and their respective pins) Check the pinouts I've attached at the end and you'll see the how I've matched the Houdini's signals to the ISA connector. I took the precaution of marking a dot with a black permanent marker to indicate pin 1 on the female connector. It's a pretty straight forward wiring job but soldering onto the connector is a delicate and time consuming job. A fine-tipped soldering iron helps immensely. I placed heat-shrink tubing over every other connector lead to help prevent shorts. But even on every other lead, it was a tight fit for the heat-shrink tubing. If you build the cable-connector assembly -- BE VERY CAREFUL! No sense in frying your Houdini or your Mac. Again, remember the female connector has no polarizing tab so you could accidentally plug it in the wrong way. Take a permanent marker and mark a dot on the female connector to indicate which pin is pin 1. Use a continuity tester (or an ohmmeter; same thing) and check every connection. Double check it! Make sure you didn't wire things in reverse. Once I triple-checked my work, I plugged the connector into my Houdini (used in a Q700). NOTE: I did not plug any card into card edge connector yet! I turned on my Mac and made sure the machine still booted. I then made sure that the Houdini/PC side booted correctly. Once all seemed ok, I took my voltmeter and made sure that pins on the card edge connector that were supposed to be +5 volts were +5 volts, and that the +12 volt pin was indeed +12 volts. This was a reality check to ensure my wiring job was oriented correctly and a spot test to see if the signal information was correct. All seemed good. I tried installing the SBPro drivers at this point but the installer refused to install since the Sound Blaster Pro wasn't plugged in. I hadn't plugged in the SBPro because I didn't want to fry anything. Once again I powered down and checked the wiring. With this task completed I was ready to plug the SBPro into the connector. With wiring issues settled, I finally connected the SBPro to the card edge connector. NOTE: I used the default settings for the SBPro (address: 220H, IRQ 5, DMA 1). I turned on the Mac and everything booted up fine. I tried the SBPro installer again and this time it sensed(!) the SBPro and the driver installation worked. I restarted the Houdini with a CTRL-ALT-Del and watched the startup. The SBPro initialization failed :( All the SBPro settings work except the DMA 1 setting. The addressing at 220H and interrupt at IRQ 5 were accepted, but the drivers had a problem with DMA 1. After the SBPro software failure, I tried a diagnostic program to see if the SBPro was even accessible from the Houdini. The SBPro did show up as an AdLib soundcard at address $338h so that seemed encouraging. If you don't already know, the SBPro is designed so it can emulate an AdLib soundcard (the original PC soundcard). Ted Yun replicated my SBPro experiment using a Q610/DOS with a 4mb SIMM installed on the Houdini. The same DMA type conflict occurred with his setup. However Ted did try the TIE Fighter game demo and heard some music but no sound effects. I believe that the unique nature of the Houdini and its Direct Memory Access (DMA) activity with its host Mac's memory interfere with the use of DMA 1 for the SBPro. The Houdini uses quite a bit of DMA to move data from the Mac's memory to the 486 if the Houdini doesn't have any on-board RAM installed. I think the solution would be some sort of cdev or init that modifies the Houdini's DMA use so that a SBPro can access DMA 1. I don't have the information or the skill to hack this bit of code. Maybe one of you out there could do this! DMA is essential for the SBPro or SB to function properly. Without DMA you cannot use the SBPro for digitized sound samples (used for most sound effects). The music that Ted Yun heard used a mode on the SBPro that did not require DMA. Unfortunately most game sound code for the SBPro uses DMA. Without DMA, what you're left with is a mute SBPro that can hum. Even though my Sound Blaster Pro experiment failed there is still hope! Almost everything needed for a SBPro seems to work. The only stumbling block was the DMA problem I encountered. This seems to be fixable with software. Even if the SBPro doesn't work in this configuration, other 8-bit PC cards (and ONLY 8-bit not 16-bit PC cards could use this Houdini 'slot'). I've gone as far as I can on this -- I'm not very code savvy -- I hope you out there can help me out. Figure 2. Figure 3. DOS Compatibility Card ISA Card Pinout (from c.s.i.p.hardware FAQ) ________________________ _________________________________________ | | | | | 1 | | (component side) | | ====== | | | | | | | | | | | |_ _________| |_______ ISA-16bit __ ISA-8bit __| |____________| ||||||||||| ||||||||||||||||||| C1/D1 A1(front)/B1(back) Apple DOS Compatibility Card 40 pin high density IDC connector ISA Bus Connector --------------------------------- ----------------- Back Side Component Side signal pin o o pin signal assignment pin | | pin assignment SBOUTL 1 o o 2 SBGNDOUT [25] GND B1 | | A1 CHCHK# SBOUTR 3 o o 4 A(9) [15] Reset B2 | | A2 SD7 [39] +12V 5 o o 6 -12V [8] +5V B3 | | A3 SD6 [37] SA(3) 7 o o 8 +5V IRQ9 B4 | | A4 SD5 [35] DACK1 9 o o 10 IRQ 5 -5V B5 | | A5 SD4 [36] DREQ1 11 o o 12 +5V DRQ2 B6 | | A6 SD3 [33] SA(7) 13 o o 14 AEN [6] -12V B7 | | A7 SD2 [34] SYSRESET 15 o o 16 n/c NOWS# B8 | | A8 SD1 [31] SA(5) 17 o o 18 OSC14M (14 MHz) [5] +12V B9 | | A9 SD0 [32] SA(6) 19 o o 20 n/c [25] GND B10 | | A10 CHRDY n/c 21 o o 22 SA(1) SMWTC# B11 | | A11 AEN [14] SA(4) 23 o o 24 SA(0) SMRDC# B12 | | A12 SA19 GND 25 o o 26 GND [40] IOWC# B13 | | A13 SA18 n/c 27 o o 28 n/c [38] IORC# B14 | | A14 SA17 A(8) 29 o o 30 SA(2) DACK3# B15 | | A15 SA16 XD(1) 31 o o 32 XD(0) DRQ3 B16 | | A16 SA15 XD(3) 33 o o 34 XD(2) [9] DACK1# B17 | | A17 SA14 XD(5) 35 o o 36 XD(4) [11] DRQ1 B18 | | A18 SA13 XD(6) 37 o o 38 IOR REFRESH# B19 | | A19 SA12 XD(7) 39 o o 40 IOW BCLK B20 | | A20 SA11 IRQ7 B21 | | A21 SA10 n/c = no connection IRQ6 B22 | | A22 SA9 [4] [10] IRQ5 B23 | | A23 SA8 [29] addresses: 000 - 3FF IRQ4 B24 | | A24 SA7 [13] data: 8 bits IRQ3 B25 | | A25 SA6 [19] DACK2# B26 | | A26 SA5 [17] available IRQ: 5 T/C B27 | | A27 SA4 [23] available DMA: 1 BALE B28 | | A28 SA3 [7] [12] +5V B29 | | A29 SA2 [30] [18] OSC B30 | | A30 SA1 [22] The numbers in brackets are ---> [26] GND B31 | | A31 SA0 [24] the pin numbers from the 40 pin Houdini connector. This was the pinout I used M16# D1 | | C1 SBHE# for the Sound Blaster Pro. IO16# D2 | | C2 LA23 IRQ10 D3 | | C3 LA22 For example: Pin 26 from the IRQ11 D4 | | C4 LA21 Houdini ISA connector goes IRQ12 D5 | | C5 LA20 to pin B31 of the card edge IRQ15 D6 | | C6 LA19 connector. IRQ14 D7 | | C7 LA18 DACK0# D8 | | C8 LA17 DRQ0 D9 | | C9 MRDC# DACK5# D10 | | C10 MWTC# DRQ5 D11 | | C11 SD8 DACK6# D12 | | C12 SD9 DRQ6 D13 | | C13 SD10 DACK7# D14 | | C14 SD11 DRQ7 D15 | | C15 SD12 NOTE: These two additional ----> [12] +5V D16 | | C16 SD13 power pins need to be \ MASTER16# D17 | | C17 SD14 connected on the SBPro. '-> [26] GND D18 | | C18 SD15 o Diagnostic Software Results ------------------------------------------ I tried some shareware diagnostic programs PC-Config and Snooper on my Houdini. It was interesting to see how such a program would evaluate the Houdini/Mac hybrid. My Houdini setup is pretty simple. The Houdini is installed in a Quadra 700, no SIMM installed (4mb from the host Mac is used); EMM386 memory manager, Smartdrv, VESA graphics driver, and Microsoft Mouse driver installed. Everything except the mouse driver was included in the DOS card upgrade package. (see the Mouse section in Tech Notes on getting a mouse driver) PC-Config ============================================================================== PC-CONFIG V7.15 Hardware-Diagnosis-Benchmark-Program ============================================================================== Installed hardware =============================================== unregistered shareware version Machine.......: AT 486 BIOS..........: Copyright 1989-1990 Chips & Technologies BIOS date.....: 02/07/94, ShadowRAM: active BIOS extension: C000h C800h Bus system....: ISA CPU...........: 80486sx (Virtual Mode) 24.75 MHz RAM access....: Standard Main memory...: 639 KByte, free: 568 KByte Extended Mem..: 0 KByte, free: 1504 KByte XMS Expanded Mem..: 3392 KByte, free: 1744 KByte Videocard 1...: VESA-VGA 8 Bit-Bus, 512k RAM VGA chipset...: Gamecard......: not installed Floppy drives.: 1 : 1.44 MB Ports.........: LPT1 COM1 COM2 HD 1: 41.0 MB, 64 heads, 41 Cyl, 32 Sect/Cyl. ============================================================================== Software Info =============================================== unregistered shareware version DOS version....: 6.20 (English) Network........: not installed Mouse found....: Microsoft Mouse type.....: PS/2 mouse V8.00 EMS driver....: V4.0 (Microsoft) EMS PageFrame.: D000h XMS driver....: V3.00, Intern: V3.10 DPMI server....: not installed Harddisk cache.: Smartdrive V5.00 Fossil driver..: not installed* 4DOS, NDOS.....: not installed RAM-Disk, BPS..: not installed* Stacker........: not installed DoubleSpace....: not installed Memory Manager.: EMM386 * or unkown ============================================================================== Benchmark =============================================== unregistered shareware version Speed compared with IBM-PC.: 3200% Dhrystones.................: 7200 VideoRAM throughput (text).: 665 KByte/sec Chars per second via BIOS..: 11930 Byte/sec Chars per second via DOS...: 5160 Byte/sec EMS speed..................: 40% RAM disk speed.............: N/A DOS disk speed.............: C: 300 KB/sec Harddisk test: HD1 Rotations per minute.......: ??? Linear read.........in KB/S: 768 Maximum throughput..in KB/S: 912 Interleave seems to be.....: 1 Average accesstime.........: 0.5 ms Track to track.............: 0.2 ms Maximum accesstime.........: 0.0 ms ============================================================================== Benchmark =============================================== unregistered shareware version Speed compared with IBM-PC.: 3250% Dhrystones.................: 7200 VideoRAM throughput (text).: 663 KByte/sec Chars per second via BIOS..: 11690 Byte/sec Chars per second via DOS...: 5160 Byte/sec EMS speed..................: 40% RAM disk speed.............: N/A DOS disk speed.............: C: 360 KB/sec Harddisk test: HD1 Rotations per minute.......: ??? Linear read.........in KB/S: 768 Maximum throughput..in KB/S: 912 Interleave seems to be.....: 1 Average accesstime.........: 0.5 ms Track to track.............: 0.2 ms Maximum accesstime.........: 0.0 ms Snooper Snooper, the system checker, version 3.30 Copyright 1989-94 John Vias +-----------------------------------------------+----------------------------+ | Equipment | Disk [aC] | | | | | Computer 486SX compatible | PC_DRIVE Label | | CPU 80486SX-25, V86 Video VESA 1.10 SVGA 512K \SNOOPER Directory | | NDP Ports | IDE model | | Bus ISA Serial 3F8 2F8 | fixed disk Drive type | | Memory Parallel 3BC | 0 CMOS type | | 654,336 b Convl BIOS 02/07/94 | local Status | | 580,640 b Free Exts C000 C800 | 64 Heads | | 73,696 b Used Mouse Microsoft 8.00 | 32 Sectrs/cyl | | 3,072 K Extended Port PS/2 | 41 Cylinders | | K Ext free Keyboard 101 Support 101| 512 b Sectors | | 1,504 K XMS 3.0 Environment | 2,048 b Clusters | | in use HMA (A20) Free 120 Total 256 | 41,826,304 b Total | | K UMB DOS MS-DOS 6.20a (HMA) | 4,403,200 b Free | | 3,392 K EMS 4.0 Shell VCPI 1.0 | 37,423,104 b Used 89% | | 1,744 K EMS free Files 30 Buffers 15 | XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX___ | | Drives Break off Verify off | Empty Half Full | | 1 Floppy 2 Physical Cache Smartdrive 5.00 +----------------------------+ | 1 Hard 2 Logical Network | Message: Logging display | +-----------------------------------------------+----------------------------+ Snooper, the system checker, version 3.30 Copyright 1989-94 John Vias +------------------------------------------+---------------------------------+ | Serial ports | IRQ lines DMA channels | | | | | Address | Timer ** 0 Available | | UART | Keyboard ** 1 Available | | Speed | Second 8259 ** 2 Floppy disk | | Format | COM2/COM4 3 Available | | IRQ | COM1/COM3 4 | | Device | LPT2 5 | | Fax class | Floppy disk ** 6 | | | LPT1 7 | | Parallel ports | Clock 8 | | LPT1 | (from IRQ2) ** 9 | | Address 03BC | Available 10 | | IRQ (7) | Available 11 | | Selected ** | In use ** 12 (** This | | I/O error | Coprocessor 13 IRQ line or | | No paper | Hard disk 14 DMA channel | | Busy | Available 15 is in use.) | | +---------------------------------+ | Sound card | Message: Logging display | +------------------------------------------+---------------------------------+ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 4) Trouble Shooting ---------------------------------------------------- o Dialog Box error ----------------------------------------------------- Whenever I switch over to the DOS half I get a Dialog box on the Mac side saying that the PC clipboard requires additional system services in order to function. It doesn't seem to adversely effect anything, except my Cut & Paste does not work. I have been getting this message since I first installed the card. - sow (eaou083@rigel.oac.uci.edu) In order for this to work you must have the "Macintosh Easy Open Setup" control panel loaded. It was installed with the rest of the Houdini software. I suspect that you might have deemed it unnecessary and trashed it or blocked it with an init picker. - Tim Fullert (tfullert@bottom.magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu) o Sync on Green Trouble ------------------------------------------------ There is a problem with the sync on green signal when using multi-sync monitors with the Q610/DOS. The Mac side sends sync-on-green and composite sync, but the DOS side only sends composite sync. The problem comes when the multisync monitor is set for sync-on-green on the Mac side and the switch is made to the DOS side, the screen goes blank (switching back works and the Mac side still looks ok). To get the DOS side to work the sync-select switch must be moved to select composite sync. This makes the DOS side look fine, but the Mac side is like looking through a green window. The green window can be disposed of by command-clicking on the version number of the PC Setup control panel. This opens up another window with a limited number of commands. Help shows the list. (Just as an aside, dir shows the names of the design team and the sub directories show their titles.) Anyway, the command "sync off" deactivates the sync-on-green on the Mac side and thus eliminates the green window. Both Mac and DOS sides now look correct when the monitor is set to composite sync. - Stephen Petko (petko@mako.psc.edu) From Jim Stockdale: It is possible to turn off the Mac sync on green for Houdini systems with multi-sync monitors. In the PC Setup cdev, command-click on the version number in the lower right corner. This will bring up an alternate screen. Type help to see a list of options. One of these options is to disable / enable sync on green. Follow the instructions and this may fix the sync on green issue. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) I had, and have not heard of anyone else having, a problem where v 1.0.1 of the PC Setup control panel did not remember the "sync off" setting after reboot/power cycle. I did not consciously do anything to correct this problem, but I did install the extras on the DOS side as described on the last page of the installation manual. These are the CD-ROM drivers, etc., but for DOS only not the Windows stuff.(I need the driver to load Windows off CD-ROM.) It was after this that the "sync off" started being remembered through reboots, but I have not specifically determined exactly which file solved the problem. I've heard of one person who had no problems with v 1.0.2. - Stephen Petko (petko@mako.psc.edu) o Problem with video card installed in Mac ----------------------------- A friend couldn't get the Houdini to work in a Q800 which had a second video board installed (Radius 24x). I suspect this has something to do with the designers assumption that the Houdini would only be in a one slot system -- not having to contend with the possibility of another video board. His system boots the Mac side fine, but crashes when *switching* over to the PC half (it will start/boot via the start PC button however). Also, his Disk Doubler hardware compression board had no ill effects on the Houdini, so not all NuBus cards are problematic for the Houdini; perhaps just secondary video boards. - phil (eaou083@rigel.oac.uci.edu) o Improving Shared Folder access speed --------------------------------- Using a Shared Folder for easier file access results in a slower access compared to a normal drive file. You could make a D: drive and then mount it with PC Exchange to transfer files more easily. I don't think that the drive could be used by the desktop and by Houdini at the same time, but that's why I suggested a D: drive. - phil (eaou083@rigel.oac.uci.edu) o Conflict with Energy Saver cdev -------------------------------------- There is a probable conflict between Energy Saver (a control panel used to dim Energy Star compliant monitors) and Houdini. When switching from DOS to Mac the screen doesn't redraw right and an error message of type 25 comes up (low memory). If you don't have Energy Saver, suspect a high-memory screen saver. - Tom Thatcher (ttha@troi.cc.rochester.edu) ======================================================================== Macintosh DOS Compatibility Card FAQ - Copyright 1994 Anton Prastowo Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, PowerMac and Quadra are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Intel 486 is a trademark of Intel Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Corp.