🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <Bz3yB0.MC8@srgenprp.sr.hp.com> you write:
>     I don't know if using cheap motherboards is the problem, but I
>agree with the above quote.  I've been using a high-quality (read:
>expensive) AMI motherboard -- where the ENTIRE motherboard, and not the
>just BIOS, is made by AMI -- and I haven't had any DMA hardware problems
>with my Adaptec 1542A.  I have had problems when multiple DMA bus
>masters try to access the bus (causes memory refresh starvation,
>resulting in parity errors), but this is a problem with the PC
>architecture.

You can increase the BUSOFF time on the 1542 to reduce the chance of
refresh starvation when you have more than one of them.

I made pretty much the same choice you did--buying an AMI motherboard
at a premium when I upgraded to a 486/33.  There were just too many
reports of motherboards having problems with bus mastering cards,
especially under UNIX, for me to take chances.  I've never regretted
it in the year since then.

		-Ed Hall
		edhall@rand.org