Re: IBM ps2 Micro Channel Soundblaster

Hi!

> Wireless ethernet via the PCMCIA Adapter/A comes to mind, ;).
> SCSI works fine...
> Ethernet adapters work fine...
> Sound?

Hmm...I *have* got a 10/100 Xircom PCMCIA adapter...I'd bet that it will
outperform that silly Olicom thing any day of the week.

(Even it is 100Mbit, that Olicom card is really an awful design. I
absolutely hated it...and to be honest, I don't know that it is here any
longer.)

There is also a Fujitsu (Eiger Labs relabeled) sound card built around an
ESS IC. I've never used that very much. But then again, I do have the 7-6
Ultimedia...and once upon a time it worked in a PS/2 Model 90. There is also
an Eiger-rebadged Fujitsu SCSI card...upon whose chipset it is based I have
no idea.

If I were still on dial up, a 56K modem might also go really nicely in
there.

As for Wi-Fi, I've been using the Linksys WGA-11B adapter...which is really
intended for, uhhhh, some gaming equipment, but it can be satisfactorily
misused to connect a wired 10/100bT Ethernet card in a PC, Mac or whatever.
At one point I was thinking of building it into my Model 85...possibly even
redoing the end of the Novell Ethernet card so that it looked absolutely
like it belonged there. Power could have come a 5 volt line off the PSU.
This is especially nice as the card has memory and can store detailed
settings for both my wireless networks. These can be selected later at the
push of a button. I can also directly pick any channel...and unlike a lot of
wireless cards, the link is up from power on.

Can you tell my selection of PCMCIA cards is not the best?

> I used the tape bezel in my 9595 with the PCMCIA Adapter/A. I did need
> to add 3 or 4 washers to each screw to raise the "drive" to the correct
> height for the bezel.

I have not only that bezel but also another more interesting one if memory
serves. It looks as though it would go in the lower right front bay of a
Model 90...where a second hard disk might go. The PCMCIA drive might need
some positioning magic to make that work, though.

> Well, I really do not remember the nuances of the Stinger vs the Intel
> and VD468/9 chips, but I can say that the only thing APSoft needed to do
> was find the base address and IRQ of the adapter, and the rest simply
> worked. So, from that project, it does sound like the Win95 driver needs
> the same modification, ie, the ability to find the adapter. But,
> finding the source to Win95's PCMCIS.sys driver ranks right up there
> with IBM releasing the NT SSA.sys source to us, ;).

Hmmm...the adapter uses an interrupt? Which one? I didn't see one anywhere
and picked a configuration in device manager that didn't have one. Maybe
that's where I went wrong...

I was thinking and hoping that perhaps the answer could be found in a
Windows 95 device driver development kit or something like that. Maybe
Ryan's getting lucky with the 7-6 Ultimedia is the best that can be hoped
for...

> Just remember that the PCMCIA Adapter/A is *not* 32-bit capable, just
> 16-bit.

32-bit, as in Cardbus?

I've got that covered--up until very recently my primary computer was a
Compaq LTE 5000 with only PCMCIA slots. Unlike some systems it would not
prohibit the insertion of CardBus cards. Seeing as PCMCIA cards are usually
5 volt and CardBus 3, I figured the result would be some smoke coming out of
something.

William


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