PCMCIA ethernet card on the A1200

[Fabie]

Hi

I just purchased a new PCMCIA ethernet card for my A1200
I will try to use cnet.device

but.....

I have a TRA1200 turboboard 020/28mhz with 8mb fast ram installed

the manual says:

Note:PCMCIA credit-card and the upper 4mbytes of TRA1200 RAM both are allocate at the same memory area.So,if you install the 8mbytes simm into TRA1200 turboboard you have to remove the PCMCIA credit-card from your AMiga 1200


My question is:

can I use the PCMCIA ethernet card if I have 8mb installed on the card?

[Predseda]

There could be a jumper to switch between various configurations, for example 4/8 mb ram.

[Fabie]

I know that there is a jumpers to setup only 4mb and must work

but my question is if I can use the 8mb with the ethernet card or if there is a patch or something like that

and I want to know if the 8mb conflicts only with PCMCIA memory cards or conflict with any PCMCIA device you attach

[Predseda]

With all PCMCIA cards afaik. But not all turbos. It is the problem of M-Tec, Viper and some other boards. Blizzard turboboards dont have any problems with PCMCIA.

[Jope]

The answer to your question: yes. If your turbo board conflicts with the pcmcia slot, it will affect any card you plug into pcmcia, memory, network, whatever.

[Fabie]

Originally Posted by Jope

The answer to your question: yes. If your turbo board conflicts with the pcmcia slot, it will affect any card you plug into pcmcia, memory, network, whatever.

OK...but How I know if there are a conflict?

the manual of the turboboard says:

Note:PCMCIA credit-card and the upper 4mbytes of TRA1200 RAM both are allocate at the same memory area.So,if you install the 8mbytes simm into TRA1200 turboboard you have to remove the PCMCIA credit-card from your AMiga 1200
*********
is that a conflict?

[rkauer]

It is a conflict.

On accelerators that maps their memory inside the first 16Mb address space (also known as Zorro-II memory area) installing more than 4Mb of RAM will stop the PCMCIA port to work (the reserved address area will be filled with RAM addresses).

Later 030 and better accelerators solve this issue using an address out of the first 16Mb address area.

As a rule of thumb, all accelerators that just accept 8Mb of RAM at maximum will clash with the PCMCIA port when more than 4Mb of RAM is installed. There is nothing you can do about it.

[thomas]

How I know if there are a conflict?

If the PCMCIA expansion does not work, then it's because there is RAM at the address were the PCMCIA should be. That's the conflict. It simply does not work.

[Fabie]

Ok thanks guys for the answers !!!

my last question...sorry

so If I want to use my new ethernet PCMCIA card ,I should remove the 8mb simm and install a 4mb simm?

or

exists a software patch that can avoid or eliminate the 4mb shared with the
PCMCIA port?

[thomas]

No software patch. RAM versus PCMCIA is a hardware thing.

[rkauer]

Some RAM expansions and accelerators from the PCMCIA conflict era have a jumper in the board to select how much RAM is installed: 4 or 8Mb.

If you are competent enough, route a pair of wires from the jumper headers to an on-off switch which you need to change position only when the Amiga is turned off.

[amigappc]

Originally Posted by rkauer

Some RAM expansions and accelerators from the PCMCIA conflict era have a jumper in the board to select how much RAM is installed: 4 or 8Mb.

If you are competent enough, route a pair of wires from the jumper headers to an on-off switch which you need to change position only when the Amiga is turned off.

Great solution. I will do just like that, two wires and one jumper cut in the half, and external switch. Nothing to solder on the card istself. Thanks fotr the idea.

P.S. I plan to use LAN card that I have for file trensfer between PC and Amiga. But, it is not practical to turn Amiga around every time that I want to use it with full 8 MB.

[lord of time]

or get a accelorator board with a 030 or higher.