Path: cei.net!news.sprintlink.net!cs.utexas.edu!uwm.edu!news.doit.wisc.edu !f181-119.net.wisc.edu!user From: prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu (Anton Prastowo) Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.hardware Subject: PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini II) FAQ v0.1 Date: Sun, 26 Feb 1995 18:38:19 -0600 Organization: Weyland-Yutani Corporation (Bioweapons Division) Lines: 260 Distribution: world Message-ID: NNTP-Posting-Host: f181-119.net.wisc.edu ======================================================================== ~^~ PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card (Houdini II) Frequently Asked Questions List (FAQ) February 26, 1994 - version 0.1 agent provocateur: Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) ~^~ I thought I'd quickly put together a FAQ for the PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card or Houdini II. The Houdini II seems to be quite a bit more supprted than the original Houdini I. Consequently, this FAQ should be quite a bit shorter than the Houdini I FAQ. This FAQ is just a compilation of net people's experiences and comments about Houdini II. Let me spell out my Houdini definitions: Houdini I = Apple DOS card designed for Quadra/Centris 610s Houdini II = Apple DOS card designed for PowerMac 6100 Houdini 630 = Yet-to-be offered Apple DOS card designed for Quadra/LC/Performa 630s Reply DOS card = Reply Corporation DOS card designed for Macs with an '040 PDS slot I took the liberty of assuming that the original posters would not mind their inclusion in this compilation. After all, this FAQ is in the spirit of their original intent to inform others. I unfortunately cannot verify all the comments contained in this collection. I included those statements that seemed reasonable and coherent (but with my own notes or queries added). Please send me corrections and additions that address possible glaring errors, omissions and my own questions. *DISCLAIMER*: I am not responsible for anything anyone does with information contain herein. If there are errors, TOO BAD. E-mail me the information to fix it. ** Please send specs, corrections, hacks and other info to help flesh this thing out. And if someone wants to take this thing over and do it right, e-mail me: Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Thanks to the following people for their comments and info: o Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) *Thanks Jim! o Tim Thome (tthome@crash.cts.com) o Barry Einstein (einstein@dorsai.org) o Eric Carter *BTW: Jim Stockdale works at Apple. He is, however, NOT an official Apple spokesperson. Thanks to his extreme graciousness, Jim has provided quite a bit of Houdini info on his own time. His comments should not be construed as Apple sanctioned information. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table of Contents ------------------------------------------------------ 1) Introduction 2) Quick and Dirty Q & A 3) Tech Notes ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1) Introduction -------------------------------------------------------- o What is Houdini? ---------------------------------------------------- Houdini in general refers to Apple's series of DOS Compatibility Cards for various Macintoshes. The name 'Houdini' was Apple's internal code name for the original Apple DOS card. The moniker 'Houdini' has stuck since its initial press release -- certainly 'Houdini' is easier to roll off the tongue than "Apple DOS Compatibility Card for Macintosh." The Houdini referred to in this FAQ is Apple's second Houdini for the PowerMac 6100 -- the Houdini II. In this FAQ, 'Houdini II' and 'DOS card' will be used interchangeably to refer to the Apple DOS Compatibility Card for the PowerMac 6100. Any reference to other versions of Houdinis will be made explicitly (ex. 'Houdini I' for the original Houdini and 'Reply Co. DOS card' for the Reply Co. card). Call it 'Houdini: The Next Generation' -- in many ways, there are parallels to the TV show. This time it is Houdini with a bigger budget and in more flavors. Bigger budget means that the Houdini II will include more features. MS-DOS 6.22 and Windows 3.11 are included with the Houdini IIs(who would of thought that Apple would be moving Intel and Microsoft products back in 1992?). The Houdini IIs also include SoundBlaster support. More flavors refers to the different kinds of Houdinis available. Currently there is of course the Houdini II, but also there is a third-party maker of a '040 Houdini-type card -- Reply Corporation. The Reply Co. DOS card is basically an enhanced version of the old Houdini I card. Reply has just licensed the technology from Apple. Hopefully Apple will continue the Houdini line by introducing a 'Houdini 630' for the masses of Quadra/LC/Performa 63xs. Numbers-wise it's not a bad idea; the 63x series has been one of Apple's best selling yet. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2) Quick and Dirty Q & A ----------------------------------------------- o Is the Houdini II out/available? [Yes] The DOS Compatibility Card for the PowerMac 6100 is available separately or as part of a bundled PowerMac/DOS 6100 system. o Can I take the SoundBlaster card from the Houdini II and use --------- the SoundBlaster card in an older Houidini I card? [No] The connector on the original Houdini card was for purpoese of testing and debug. It will not support the inclusion of a Sound Blaster card. The connector on the 6100 DOS card, though looking similar, is different and not compatible. This connector does support the custom Sound Blaster card designed for this card. The DOS compatible card from Reply, also has this same connector. - Jim Stockdale (jws@apple.com) o Can I use the Houdini II in a PowerMac 7100 or 8100? ----------------- [No] There's no way to install it in a 7100/8100 (we tried!) - Barry Einstein (einstein@dorsai.org) o Can I use the Houdini II in a machine other than a PowerMac 6100? [Sometimes] The Apple Developer Notes suggest that the connector on the Houdini II is a '040 PDS connector. This leads to the capability of using the Houdini II in Macs with an '040 PDS slot -- much like the original Houdini I. Tim Thome reports: Just got done trying the new DOS compatability card for the 6100, it works just fine, SoundBlaster 16 and all. After looking at how the card fits into its adapter slot (looks just like an 040 PDS), we decided to try it. Popped the bugger in, and started the 800, no problems. Installed the software, switched over to DOS mode, installed DOS and Windows and have had it running for the last three - four hours without any trouble. As with the original Houdini, the cable has to be snaked out the back through a rather un-elegant manner, but everything works as it does with Houdini I. We are a bit concerned about heating of the 486DX2-66, as the airflow isn't the best, and the heatsink does get a bit toasty, might velcro a fan to re-direct airflow to the card. SoundBlaster support works just like a PC w/Soundblaster. Windoze MM items chirp and beep and the only game we have tried so far is DOOM (original version, all I have) and it works very well. - Tim Thome (tthome@crash.cts.com) o Can you use the Houdini II in a clock-chipped PMac 6100? [Yes, to a certain speed] ...the 6100 worked fine at 84Mhz before, once I added the DOS Compatibility Card it froze. Well, the good folks at Output Enablers sent me some additional oscillators and I was able to get everything to work at 78Mhz. So, the DOS Compatibility Card will work with a clock-chipped 6100, just not necessarily clocked up to the fastest speed. So get some slightly slower oscillators. - Eric Carter o What kind of RAM does the Houdini II come with? The Houdini II does not come with RAM installed. Like with the original Houdini I, you must provide the Houdini II with RAM by either sharing the host Mac's RAM or by installing a separate memory SIMM on the Houdini II board. o What if I just share the host Mac's RAM with the Houdini II? You can use the Houdini II with the host Mac's RAM. This is the cheapest and easiest solution. However there is a drawback to this solution. Both the PMac and the Houdini will operate slower when RAM is shared. The overhead needed to parcel out the RAM to the PMac and the Houdini II is what really lowers performance for both. o What if I get a separate memory SIMM and install it on the Houdini II? Installing a separate memory simm is a good idea for optimum performance on both PMac and Houdini II. Because the Houdini II has only one SIMM slot, you'll have to choose a SIMM size carefully. Memory SIMMs come in 1, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 megabyte (Mb) sizes. You'll at least need a 4 Mb SIMM, preferably a larger one like an 8 Mb SIMM. A drawback is that the PMac cannot access the SIMM installed on the Houdini II. This solution should be used if you have serious work to do on the Houdini II. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 3) Tech Notes ---------------------------------------------------------- Hah, this should be easy... since the Houdini II is actually supported by Apple (unlike the Houdini I), Apple has published Developer Notes for the PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card. The notes are *VERY* comprehensive and can describe the Houdini II far better than I could ever hope to. Developer Notes for the PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card are available electronically -- as opposed to printed form. The notes are in Apple DocViewer format and are FTP-able from Apple. The URL for the Apple DocViewer application: ftp://ftp.austin.apple.com/dts/utils/apple-docviewer-1-1-1.hqx This means that the file is available at: ftp.austin.apple.com in the directory: /dts/utils/ and the filename is called: apple-docviewer-1-1-1.hqx The Developer Notes for the PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card is also available at the same FTP site: ftp.austin.apple.com /Apple.Support.Area/Developer_Services/Technical_Documentation/ Developer_Notes/Peripherals/ (Whew! that's all one pathname!) The filenames are called: DOS_Compatibility_Card.idx.sit.hqx DOS_Compatibility_Card.sit.hqx All I can say is that the notes are very inclusive and that you couldn't ask for much more! ======================================================================== PowerMac 6100 DOS Compatibility Card FAQ - Copyright 1995 Anton Prastowo Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, Performa, PowerMac and Quadra are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Intel 486 is a trademark of Intel Corp. MS-DOS is a trademark of Microsoft, Corp. .________________________________________________________________. | Anton Prastowo (prastowo@vms2.macc.wisc.edu) | | | | \/\/ \/\/ \/\/ http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~prastowo/ *try it!* | :________________________________________________________________: ---------------------------------------------------------------------------