In the unfortunate event that you experience problems with one of the DSP cards in your system, this application note should provide some guidance as to the cause and possible solution for your problem.
WARNING! Do not open any of your systems that are under warranty unless you have express permission from ASTi! Failure to abide by this policy will void your warranty and make you liable for any system damage.
This command tells Model Builder (MB) how many DSP cards to look for. If this command is not present in the configuration file, MB will attempt to use the number of DSPs specified by the system's option file. You can see the number of DSPs supported by the system by choosing "Models" then "Options" from the main menu.
If the options file specifies 2 DSPs, and you limit the system to using 1 via the above command, you will not receive any error messages. The second (and/or third) DSP will not be displayed on the Waveform DSPs menu, and there will not be a corresponding model available for this DSP. Simply edit the configuration file and change the number to reflect the correct number of installed cards.
These 2 commands are used together. They link the 2 (or more) DSP cards and therefore permit communications between them. The Master card provides the timing signals for the slave(s). It is possible to have up to 3 DSPs in a system, and only link cards 2 and 3 with DSP2 acting as Master and DSP3 as Slave.
NOTE: You can only successfully link DSP cards of the same type - TDM with TDM, or 8AFA with 8AFA.
All of the error messages reported below are seen on the "Errors" page. This page is accessed from Model Builder's main menu.
| Configuration Failure at restart on DSP1(2)(3) | |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
Support for the DSP is not available in Model Builder. |
To Fix:
Update Model Builder to a version that works with the installed DSP*. |
| Possible cause:
The DSP card has failed. |
To Fix:
Replace the DSP card. |
* This condition exists when you are trying to use MB 4.06 or earlier with a PC-104 TDM or with surface mount TDM and 8AFA cards.
| DSP1(2)(3): PDR write PDF error | |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
This error is reported when the parallel bus on the DSP is not communicating correctly with the system's ISA bus. The DSP is not working correctly or there is a problem with the system's back plane. |
To Fix:
Try removing and reseating the DSP board. If the error does not clear, swap the DSP with a known good card. If the problem follows the DSP and will not clear, then replace the DSP. If the problem remains with the system, then have the system repaired. |
| Possible cause:
The DSP card has become pushed out of its card slot. In the 2U chassis, it is possible to push the DSP card out of the card slot when installing cards on the opposite side of the card cage. The card guide could be mis-aligned with the slot in the chassis, thereby preventing the DSP card from being fully seated. |
To Fix:
Remove and reseat the DSP card, ensuring the card is completely in the slot. |
| Interrupt Jumper Missing from Timer DSP1 : using IRQ10 | |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
The CPU did not find the DSP on one of the specified interrupts when Model Builder was started. |
To Fix:
Reboot the system, and go into the BIOS settings. Select the "PCI Plug and Play" sub-menu. Ensure that IRQ10 is selected for "ISA/EISA" or "Legacy ISA". If necessary, change these items, save your changes, and reboot the system. Additionally, ensure that any interrupts associated with a system mouse have been disabled. |
| Possible cause:
The BIOS setting are correct, but the DSP card is jumpered for Interrupt 11 instead of Interrupt 10. |
To Fix:
Jumper the DSP card so that it uses Interrupt 10. |
| DSP1 (2) Failed at Startup | |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
The DSP card is enabled in the options file, but is not actually installed in the system. |
To Fix:
If the DSP is missing from the system, install the missing card. If you are not going to install the card, you can use the "number_dsps=" command described above to remove the offending condition. |
| Possible cause:
The DSP has failed. |
To Fix:
First try re-seating the DSP. If this does not work, then replace the DSP card. |
| Warning : Global Link to/from DSP1 not Installed | |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
The ribbon cable linking DSP 1 and 2 is missing or defective. |
To Fix:
Repair/Replace the ribbon cable linking the 2 cards, or do not attempt to link the 2 cards. |
| Possible cause:
You are attempting to link 2 cards, but you only have one installed in the system. |
To Fix:
Install the second card or use the "number_dsps=" command to disable any references to the second card. |
| DSP1 : Failed to allocate DSP buffer DSP1 : Buffer allocation failure |
Possible cause:
The system options file supports 2 DSPs, but only 1 is installed (and operating), and the following commands are in the configuration file: |
To Fix:
Repair/Replace the ribbon cable linking the 2 cards, or do not attempt to link the 2 cards. |
|---|---|
| Possible cause:
The FIFO chip on the DSP card has failed. To check this, go to "Waveform DSPs", then "Times", then Page 2 of 3. You will see a column labeled "FIFO". If the number below this column is blank for DSP1 or DSP2, then the card has failed. |
To Fix:
Replace the DSP card. |
Under the "Waveform DSPs >> Times" page, you will only see one set of counters for DSP1. Under the "Models" menu, you will only see "Model1". Double-check the "Models >> Options" page and look at the "number dsps" field. If it shows 2, then update your configuration file as described above. If it only shows 1, then contact ASTi for creation of a new options file.