How can I test the DMA channels on my 486?

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3 total messages Started by Stuart Hungerford Wed, 27 Jul 1994 01:49

#211

Author: Stuart Hungerford
Date: Wed, 27 Jul 1994 01:49

20 lines
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My SoundBlaster 16 card recently stopped working properly and the bundled
test program claims that it can't access any DMA channels.

What I want to know is, how can I tell if this is a system problem or
a sound card problem?  Is there some way I can test the DMA setup on the
system so I can prove or disprove that it's a sound card problem only?

Everything else seems to be still working ok.


--
Stu

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
/ Stuart Hungerford - CSIRO D.I.T. - Canberra, Australia                      /
/ Voice +61-6-2750941, Fax +61-6-2571052                                      /
/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/
The views and opinions expressed above are those of the author and are not
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or staff.

Re: How can I test the DMA channels on my 486?

#212

Author: Dan Storie
Date: Mon, 01 Aug 1994 03:35

19 lines
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Stuart Hungerford (stuarth@canis) wrote:
: My SoundBlaster 16 card recently stopped working properly and the bundled
: test program claims that it can't access any DMA channels.

: What I want to know is, how can I tell if this is a system problem or
: a sound card problem?  Is there some way I can test the DMA setup on the
: system so I can prove or disprove that it's a sound card problem only?

: Everything else seems to be still working ok.


i have never found a cheap way to do this...but you might be able to isolate 
the problem by finding someone, perhaps in a pc user group, that would let 
you install the card in another computer, to see if it still works - if there 
is a problem with the card, there is, of course, the problem of it causing a 
problem with another computer, but i have tried a lot of bad cards in other 
computers as a way to troubleshoot, and have yet to hurt another pc - 
course, now that i said that, i'll probably blow one through the roof tomorrow
:) good luck

Re: How can I test the DMA channels on my 486?

#213

Author: Martin Caden
Date: Tue, 09 Aug 1994 01:27

18 lines
1842 bytes

Stuart Hungerford (stuarth@canis) wrote:
: My SoundBlaster 16 card recently stopped working properly and the bundled
: test program claims that it can't access any DMA channels.

I've had a similar problem.  The soundcard works fine for most things but
there are some programs that require DMA and they either stop with a
'DMA error' or (as is the case with "Sound Recorder") give "patchy" results.
Curiously enough just changing the DMA channel that the soundcard used did
not fix the problem.  It turned out that it was the I/O card that was
causing the problem - a little swapping of cards with a friend's machine
showed this.  The dealer that I bought the machine from is quite willing
to change the I/O card for me (I just have to find time to take it to them).

--
        O
       /|\ Martin Caden                   School of Mathematical Sciences
       /^\ martin@maths.uts.edu.au        University of Technology, Sydney

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