Re: FPE questions

[jmk3@crux2.cit.cornell.edu (Jay M. Krell)]

>From: gudat@avalon.physik.unizh.ch (gudat henrik)
>Subject: FPE questions
 
>Those who own a FPE - I need your help. Please answer the following
>questions:
 
>- I'd like to make GSymbolix compatible with the FPE. I'm planning to
>make use of this card directly without going throiugh the toolbox first.
>(I think the manual describes thgis method quite well..)
>Question: the program must work with the FPE even when the slot is not
>set to your card - similar to ProTerm.
>What programming techniques are needed to do this? Since life is quite
>ciomplex, I guess that simply switching the bit in the slot register is
>not enough...
 
>- What's the most recent version of the FPE? I heard that early
>version(s) do not work with Zips (or TWGS, don't know)..
 
Henrik,
  I don't own an FPE, but I believe there was a compatability problem between
the FPE and TWGS. I've heard of fixes for the FPE and TWGS. I read that the
TWGS change was simple but AE never bothered to make it standard. I've read of
no problems between the Zip and FPW.
  Why don't you just keep calling SANE and let the FPE software take care of
the dirty work? Also, I believe ORCA/C generates code to go directly to the
FPE. Disabling interrupts and fiddling with the slot register at $C02D would
suffice, but the more correct, Apple-recommended method would be to use the
Slot Arbiter. As I don't have Slot Arbiter docs, I imagine they are in the
GS/OS Device Driver Ref. I'd hate to have to fiddle with the Slot Arbiter every
time, but I also imagine some calculations (and the quantity thereof) would
have you disabling interrupts for too long if you mess with $C02D directly.
 
  You can't literally work with the FPE "similar to Proterm". The SCC
softswitches are not in slot space, so PT can get to them w/o worrying about
the slot settings.
 
 
  --Jay, jay.krell@cornell.edu
:write