Re: TWGS Upgrade Availability?

[alanjhunt@DIE_SPAMMERSworldnet.att.net (Alan J. Hunt)]

In article <19980917051943.03467.00000546@ng-fa1.aol.com>, supertimer@aol.com (Supertimer) wrote:
>
>spec@vax2.concordia.ca (Mitchell Spector) wrote:
>
>>In article rubywand@swbell.net writes...
>>
>>>Mitchell Spector writes ...
>>>>     The TWGS-2B GAL was a DMA fix Applied Engineering issued for
>>>> the board, and an absolute requirement for it to co-exist with a
>>>> RamFAST SCSI board (without it the RamFAST will not function at
>>>> all, and I would assume the Apple High Speed SCSI card as well).
>>>> 
>>>>     With Applied Engineering long since out of business and the
>>>> GAL virtually impossible to duplicate by convential means, that
>>>> leaves no source for replacement GALs (except perhaps finding a
>>>> dead TWGS board to pull it from; Alltech might be of help here
>>>> if they have any in stock). As I mentioned before, I found it
>>>> much more affordable (and less hassle) to just purchase a used
>>>> TransWarp GS board to replace your old one.
>>> 
>>>     Neat info! This probably explains the conflicting reports on
>>>whether or not the TransWarp board is DMA compatible.
>>
>>    No, not exactly. Without the TWGS-2B GAL, the TransWarp GS is
>>not DMA compatible at all. Adding the chip *attempts* change that, 
>>but you end up with flakely DMA compatibility at best.
>
>Not quite.  You have a RamFAST revision C, right?  Although I no
>longer have a RamFAST, I still have a revision D manual.  On page
>25, it says what you describe, but ONLY applicable to the revision C
>card.  The revision D card should work with either the 2A or 2B
>GALs.  The Apple High Speed SCSI card could always work DMA
>magic with any TransWarp.
>
I have not been able to get my RamFast card to work with the TWGS, at all.  I 
have the rev. D version as well.  If you (or anyone) know of a way of 
overcoming this issue, I'd be really grateful for some guidance.  Cause as far 
as I can tell, the page from the RamFast manual that Supertimer is quoting, is 
wrong.

I also have an Apple HS SCSI card.  That one definitely works.  


>>>     When you say the RamFAST will not work at all without the 2B GAL,
>>>do you mean that a Rev D RamFAST board will not work even if RamFAST
>>>setup Options are set for TWGS with DMA set OFF?
>>
>>    If you have the original TWGS-2A GAL, the RamFAST will not work
>>at all with the TransWarp GS (nothing short of swapping this GAL on
>>the board will resolve that). Once you have the upgraded GAL, you
>>still must set the option in the RamFAST menu to tell it you have
>>a TransWarp GS present. If you still continued to have problems, it
>>was recommended you disabled the DMA option in the menu.
>
>FOR THE RAMFAST REVISION C CARD, but not for the newer
>revision D card.  Revision D works with both 2A and 2B.
>
>>    Once again, it is an *absolute requirement* that you have the
>>TWGS-2B GAL if you use the TransWarp GS in the same system with a
>>RamFAST SCSI controller (again, I don't know about the Apple High
>>Speed SCSI, but would assume the situtation would be similar).
>
>RamFAST revision C requires 2B GAL
>RamFAST revision D does not require 2B, works with 2A or 2B
>Apple High Speed SCSI card works with all TransWarps GS units.