Main > Main Forum
ArcardeOS + DOS = Sound Problem
(1/2) > >>
joshlindem:
I've done a lot looking through the different forums and not really finding an answer for what my problem is.

I'm having this issue where every time I boot up the PC I notice that the motherboard/BIOS is assigning IRQ10 to my sound card/multimedia and I can't seem to change that.

I'm using bootCD from http://www.arcade-emulator.co.uk/ which installs ArcadeOS within DOS.  As part of that installation I use the SoundBlaster 128 drivers, and that the autoexec.bat boots up trying to get that soundcard to use IRQ5.

When the computer is booting, as I said I notice just after POST that the sound card is being assigned IRQ10.  As autoexec runs I notice on a flash of the screen that it assigns IRQ10 to the sound card, though as I watch the boot continue it will finally konk out of ArcadeOS because the sound isn't working.

To say I'm getting frustrated is an understatement now.  :banghead: I had this problem with one computer, so I traded it for another with my dad of a computer of close to equal comparison.... now it appears to be the same problem.   :dizzy:

Has anyone had this issue before?  The video appears to be working, it just seems to be the sound issue.  And when I think I have it so that the sound 'might' be working, when it plays the MAME MPG just before it boots up ArcadeOS it now freezes.

Here are the specs of my current system:

Motherboard
Crush MSI nForce420 Motherboard
Audio Sub Systems:        nForce MCP-D w/AD1885 Codec
Base Memory Size:         8, 16, 32 MB
BIOS Information:          SMBIOS: Ver 2.3 APM: 1.2 ACPI: 2 PCI: 2.2 PC2001
Cache:                          On Processor
Color Depth, Max:           32 bits
Communication Port:     Winbond W83627HF-AW 1 - 16C550A UART's 9-pin D-Sub 1 - Parallel Port SPP EPP ECP ECP and EPP
DAC Speed:                   300 MHz
Expansion Slots:              5 PCI, 1 CNR, 1 AGP
Floppy Drive Interface:    Winbond W83627HF-AW 1 - Floppy Drive
FWH Chipset:                 SST 49LF020, Winbond W49V002AP
Graphics Accelerator:        Integrated
Maximum Resolution:       1600x1200
Memory Size/Type:          266MHz (PC2100) DDR, 2.5V, non-ECC
Memory Size/Type:            Allocated Frame Buffer from System Memory
Northbridge Chip Set:        nForce IGP128
Primary IDE Type:             ATAPI Devices, PIO Modes 3-5 IDE, Bus mastering, Ultra DMA/33, ATA66, ATA100
Processor Type:                AMD Athlon XP
Refresh Rate at Maximum Resolution:   85 Hz
Slot Required Count:          1 AGP
Socket Type:                     Socket 462
Southbridge, Super I/O:     nForce MCP-D, Winbond W83627HF-AW

Memory On Motherboard
1.5GB

Video Card
AGP - ATI Rage TV Tuner Card (using the S-Video connection)

Sound Card
PCI - Creative Labs Sound Blaster CT4750 (with CT5880 chipset)
or
PCI - Creative Labs Sound Blaster CT4810
***Both sound cards look identical to this http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16829102182

Please help  :timebomb:
Fozzy The Bear:
Yes!!.......... 

Edit your Autoexec.bat file in a txt editor:
look for the line that reads:
SET BLASTER=A220 I7 D1 H5 P330  T6  (or something similar)

In this case, the part that says I7 is setting the IRQ to 7..... Change the number to whatever IRQ you want it set to. Provided that it's not conflicting with another IRQ then it should be OK. I7 or I10 or I5  are common ones.

If your Autoexec.Bat file does not have a SET BLASTER line then add one into it.

Also some of the earlier soundblaster cards have a jumper on board to hard configure the IRQ setting. Check if yours has this and set it accordingly.

Also with DOS the priority of the slots is important. Try moving your sound card down to the bottom slot that you have available on the mobo. This often helps. If that doesn't work, try sticking it in the top most slot. Also make sure that you have legacy support enabled in the bios.

Also! Make sure that you have any on board sound that your mobo has, disabled in the bios or disabled by jumpers if it requires that. It may be a conflict between your onboard sound and your Soundblaster that is pushing it up to IRQ10, It's more usual to find disk controllers occupying IRQ10, 11 and 14.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

fa001:
I found this thread useful.
http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=34164.0

Particularly the following statement:

"Actually, the SB PCI 128 and SB Live! cards *CAN WORK PERFECTLY* with DOSCab, but NOT if CWSDPMI is used as the DPMI server. The problem occurs only if Allegro and CWSDPMI are used at the same time with the SB PCI/Live! DOS driver (i.e. SBINIT/SBEINIT). Either replacing CWSDPMI by HDPMI32 (BTW: you need set HDPMI=512 for SB PCI), OR re-stubbing DOSCAB.EXE by the WDOS/X one using STUBIT.EXE, then the sound issue will be completely gone. I have both of these cards (SB PCI 128 and SB Live!), and DOSCab works fine with both of them after replacing CWSDPMI. This applies to similar programs (including the Allgero setup program) as well."

Changing over to HDPMI16 solved the problem for me.
joshlindem:
As an update in response to Fozzy The Bear
(fa001 sorry, I'm not sure what you're referring to.  This is actually for Mame in DOS)

Now I've spent the last 3 nights working on this.  I went into the BIOS and shut down all internal devices (sound, nic, video, serial ports, printer ports, etc) and I've pulled out any cards in the machine that weren't needed so I only have my PCI sound card and my AGP video card.  Then I used your BootCD to re-install from scratch.

It took me a few times to run back adn forth into the BIOS and reservere IRQ so that I didn't have 2 different devices sharing the same IRQ number.  Right now when I boot up the computer auto-assigns IRQ's to the devices and it looks like this:
    SMB                 IRQ4
    Video Card        IRQ12
    Multimedia        IRQ5
    IDE Controller    IRQ14
    ACPI                IRQ 9

Sadly, as the bane of anyone's existence, the soundcard. When I start up the PC it shows the first MAME splash, and I can 'see' the MAME MPG, but I don't hear the sound.  And when that finishes it kicks me out to the DOS screen which in the past is a great indication that sounds not working (if I haven't figured it out by this point).
Something interesting is even though the sounds not working.... when the MAME MPG starts, I hear the speakers pop once or twice.  As if the sound is initializing, but doesn't?

1.  I did run DMAME ROBBY with no sound.  Game runs just fine.

2. I went into the the autoexec.bat and changed to BLASTER= A220 I5 D1 H6 P330 T4 as indicated in your webpages.  Unfortunately the same thing happens.  No sound and it kicks me out before ArcadeOS starts.

3. I was able to run SBCFG and here are my results though I don't understand them all too well:
PCI Hardware:  Port=C000, IRQ=5
SB16 Emulation: Port220, IRQ=5, DMA=1, DMA16=5
MPU-401 Emulation: Port=330, IRQ=5
Adlib Emulation: Port=388

Any suggestions?  I'm further along this time with the new motherboard.  I can at least play a game, but no sound.
Fozzy The Bear:
OK.... as far as I can see, then this is a DOS drivers issue.  It looks like you have the interupts and DMA set correctly.

Can you attach a copy of your autoexec.bat and config.sys files to your next post, and I'll have a look at them.

The only other possibility, is that this particular sound card will not work under DOS..... There were a few of them that didn't.

There are a few things that are confusing me though....

1) you say "Then I used your BootCD to re-install from scratch."  My boot CD?? I haven't given you a boot CD?? what boot CD are you using??

2) you say "I went into the the autoexec.bat and changed to BLASTER= A220 I5 D1 H6 P330 T4 as indicated in your webpages." I don't have any web pages on this issue... so which web pages is it that you are looking at??

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)
Navigation
Message Index
Next page

Go to full version