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Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware,comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.hardware Path: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au!newshost.carno.net.au!harbinger.cc.monash.edu.au!munnari.OZ.AU!uunet!in3.uu.net!165.87.194.248!newsm.ibm.net!ibm.net!zdc-e!super.zippo.com!news.maxwell.syr.edu!news.new-york.net!nonexistent.com!not-for-mail From: le@put.com (Louis Epstein) Subject: Re: ECC vs parity: Gigabyte 686DX Followup-To: comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips,comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware,comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95,comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc,comp.os.linux.hardware X-Newsreader: TIN [UNIX 1.3 950824BETA PL0] X-Complaints-To: Email abuse@news2.new-york.net if this posting is inappropriate Lines: 62 Organization: Putnam Internet Services Message-ID: <EDJ2C9.5EM@nonexistent.com> References: <EDH9z1.I42@rockyd.rockefeller.edu> <5qm1er$h6b$1@flea.best.net> <33CE8D1F.7D956E94@jumpnet.com> X-Trace: 869250967 6105 le [165.254.191.2] X-Nntp-Posting-Host: main.put.com Date: Fri, 18 Jul 1997 18:36:09 GMT Xref: euryale.cc.adfa.oz.au comp.sys.ibm.pc.hardware.chips:159492 comp.os.ms-windows.nt.setup.hardware:34455 comp.os.ms-windows.setup.win95:54107 comp.unix.bsd.freebsd.misc:44671 comp.os.linux.hardware:80275 Donovan Ready (dready@jumpnet.com) wrote: : Matt Dillon wrote: : > : > :In article <EDH9z1.I42@rockyd.rockefeller.edu>, : > :Dan Ts'o <dan@dnn.rockefeller.edu> wrote: : > :> I recently bought a Gigabyte 686DX system with dual PPro 200's and : > :>2 * 32Mb parity memory in hopes of getting ECC memory implemented. : > :> The systems runs "fine" with parity disabled, which was the way : > :>the system was delivered. : > :> With either parity enabled or ECC enabled, the system traps out with : > :>a "parity error" any where from 5 minutes to several hours of run time. : > :> : > :> 1) Can I assume that the parity system is "working" and that it is : > :>... : > :> : > :> 2) Under Windows 95, what is the practical difference between ECC and : > :>parity ? How can I tell if the ECC circuitry has successfully corrected a : > :>... : > :> Obviously if Windows 95/BIOS is going to trap out even with an ECC : > :>single bit detect->correct, then it is pointless to have ECC over parity. : > :> : > :> 3) What is the situation wrt ECC handling in other OS's: NT, FreeBSD, : > :>Linux ? : > :> : > :>-- : > :> Cheers, : > :> Dan Ts'o 212-327-7671 : > : > Both ECC and Parity modes work fine on PPro 200's / Natoma or later : > chipsets.. we run all of our FreeBSD boxes on PPro's with ECC turned on. : > We use single-cpu ASUS motherboards but I wouldn't expect there to be : > any problems on duel-ppro boards. Don't forget,since Dan might not know this,that dual-processor boards will only work with FreeBSD 3.0,not 2.x. : > Make sure your memory is actually parity memory and not some of the : > 'fake parity memory' that's been floating around. Fake parity memory : > fakes the parity bit by using a parity generator rather then a dram : > for the parity bits. It's the stupidest thing I've ever seen, but : > apparently there are a lot of these floating around. : > : > Also make sure that the memory speed settings in the bios match the : > speed of the memory you purchased (usually 60 or 70ns). : > : > I do not believe correctable bit errors generate an interrupt, but I : > could be wrong. : > : > -Matt : : I think you are correct. A two bit error should generate an NMI. : : We are an Asus dealer, and there was a BIOS beta (since corrected) that : acted similarly to the Gigabyte problem reported above. : : As far as I know, the ECC is done well before the OS knows anything has : happened. This is hardware, not OS dependent. : -- : : Donovan Ready, : Lindsay Computer Systems : http://www.jumpnet.com/~lcs