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021005-1 - Cyrix and Lacuna Part 1
CPU WARS Episode 1: Rebuilding 9577-BTG
Does really Cyrix 5x86 run slow on Warp 3? M.A.D prompted me to test Warp
on Cyrix.
Pulled out my 9577-BTG. Fired it up with DOS floppy. C drive seemed
defective. So I decided to LLF the drive and restore reference partition. Tried
to LLF in advanced diag menu but LLF program stopped with error code. Looked
like Maxtor hard drive went south.
'Cause I didn't have suitable SCSI drive for this
test, I picked up Quantam 2.1G IDE. Also picked up ATAPI CD-ROM and a IDE cable.
Problems I found:
- Planar connector for IDE cable does not have center key.
- IDE cables in my junk box are all short in length for a hard drive and a
CD-ROM in usual layout in 9577 structure.
OK, OK, I should give up to connect ATAPI CD. Booted BTG with Quantum IDE
drive only. Got configuration error... fine, it should be... did autoconfig and
reboot... again same error... again and again... Disabled BIOS ROM on IBM SCSI
II, IBM branded FD MCS700, but same error occurred. Pulled SCSI /A and
reconfigured 77. Well this time it was fine EXCEPT I could not make reference
partition on the drive. Program reported "There is no room to create system
partition on the targeted drive".
"Well, well, well, Oh well... Me, Never Give Up." Jumped into Advanced Diag
and selected LLF menu. It took some time but completed without error. Tried
"Restore System Partition", and this time Reference partition was created on
the drive. F1 after Sure Pass BIOS logo led me to the reference menu. In order
to connect SCSI CD latter on, I installed IBM SCSI 2 /A again.
10 minutes latter, I noticed that I could install IDE CD if I change HD
location to bottom bay, under CD-ROM. Did that. But it seemed that BIOS could
not detect ATAPI CD set to slave on the channel. Warp connect install CD also
could not load files from the drive. Hmmm... does Warp want some special driver
for ATAPI CD? No idea. I changed a ATAPI CD to a SCSI CD.
Pulled IBM SCSI CD (XM3401BMA) from M57 Ultimedia and hooked it to FD SCSI
with ID=3. Reboot and looked into SCSI configuration... Whazup! SCSI CD was
reported as ID=6. Can you believe that I had used the drive in 9577 Bermuda.
How it could be ID=6!.
No time to verify this problem. I started to install Warp 3 Connect. Set
install diskette and then diskette #1, there it stopped and prompted me to
insert Connect CD. Set CD in a tray and pushed it into the drive... no go! CD
caddy didn't go down into the drive.
What I was doing. I just wanted to install Warp 3. But what I have been
doing was restoring 9577-BTG!
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