Differences

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--- blog:286_shootout_vlsi_vl82c201 [2021/02/17 17:25] – [0 Wait State] john
+++ blog:286_shootout_vlsi_vl82c201 [2021/05/27 19:47] (current) – [Addendum - Shadow RAM / UMB Support] john
@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 This board was offered to me by a member of the [[https://www.vogons.org|Vogons.org]] DOS gaming forum, in fact the same individual who benchmarked a similar board to the results seen in the [[https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?f=25&t=65395|second]] of those links above.
-===== Differences between this Unknown VLSI VL82C2012 and others =====
+===== Differences between this Unknown VLSI VL82C201 and others =====
 {{:blog:286_motherboard_vlsi.jpg?330|}} {{:blog:vlsi-82c201_r.jpg?280|}} {{:blog:motherboard_286_vlsi.jpg?320|}}
-**From left to right:** //Ekb's// VL82C2012, //pshipkov's// VL82C2012, //my// VL82C2012
+**From left to right:** //pshipkov's// VL82C201, //Ekb's// VL82C201, //my// VL82C201
 Compared to the boards in the benchmark results above, mine has only 6 ISA slots (4x 16bit + 2x 8bit) versus 7 in the others (although 3x 8bit slots is not massively useful for gaming purposes).
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 ===== Configuration =====
+There are several chips that make up the motherboard chipset:
+   * {{:blog:dsascans15-79903.pdf|VLSI VL82C100 - Peripheral controller datasheet}}
+   * {{:blog:dsahi000173478.pdf|VLSI VL82C201 - System controller datasheet}}
+   * {{:blog:dsahi000173479.pdf|VLSI VL82C202 - Memory controller datasheet}}
+   * {{:blog:dsahi000173480.pdf|VLSI VL82C203 - Address buffer datasheet}}
+   * {{:blog:dsahi000173481.pdf|VLSI VL82C204 - Data buffer datasheet}}
 ===== 0 Wait State =====
@@ Line 131: / Line 137: @@
 {{:blog:img20210216214103.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210216214123.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210216214140.jpg?200|}}{{:blog:img20210216214301.jpg?200|}}
+{{:blog:img20210217202923.jpg?200|}}
 ==== Results ====
@@ Line 167: / Line 175: @@
 ^ Games Test                         ^ Config 0  ^ Config 1    ^ Config 2    ^
-| Wolfenstein 3D                     | 12.7      | 15.8        |             |
+| Wolfenstein 3D                     | 12.7      | 15.8        | 19.7 //(4)// |
 | F1GP Bench 1                       | 156-172   | 127-135     | 105-110     |
@@ Line 182: / Line 190: @@
    * //(2)// - Norton Sysinfo crashed the first time it was ran.
    * //(3)// - CheckIT 2 crashed several times until I was able to get a full run from it.
+   * //(4)// - Once the system is up to temperature it is difficult to get this to run on the ET4000 at 25MHz. Starting from cold it runs at an ultra fast (//for a 286//) 19.7FPS.
 ===== Conclusion =====
+----
+===== Addendum - Shadow RAM / UMB Support =====
+//The Last Byte// supports the VL82C802 memory controller used in the VLSI chipset on this board. However, I had problems enabling it.
+Whichever way you set shadow RAM in the BIOS, it always ended up with an error message about 'Shadow RAM relocated':
+{{:blog:286:vl_amibios.png?400|}} {{:blog:286:lastbyte_sys.png?400|}}
+Unfortunately there's no labelled jumpers on this motherboard m(
+Through trial and error, and reading the {{:blog:286:chipset.doc|}} documentation included with //The Last Byte//, it seems that shadow RAM control is by pin #69 of the chip. Checking for continuity from that led me to a set of jumpers just above it - which were shorting to ground. Removing the jumper from J16, below:
+{{:blog:286:img20210527191631.jpg?600|}}
+//Note to self: it was in position 3-4, furthest away from the board edge//, this lead the board to start up with 3712KB of RAM, versus 4096KB. A good sign. On booting Dos and watching //The Last Byte// load, I was greeted with this more successful looking banner:
+{{:blog:286:lastbyte_vlsi_working.png?600|}}
+**However**.
+Once //The Last Byte// has loaded, the system is incredibly unstable - with the keyboard or screen locking up at frequent intervals.
 (Go back to the [[blog:286_pc|286 PC main page]])