From owner-freebsd-hardware Mon Apr 1 09:55:01 1996 Return-Path: owner-hardware Received: (from root@localhost) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) id JAA10448 for hardware-outgoing; Mon, 1 Apr 1996 09:55:01 -0800 (PST) Received: from passer.osg.gov.bc.ca (passer.osg.gov.bc.ca [142.32.110.29]) by freefall.freebsd.org (8.7.3/8.7.3) with ESMTP id JAA10430 for ; Mon, 1 Apr 1996 09:54:54 -0800 (PST) Received: from localhost (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by passer.osg.gov.bc.ca (8.7.5/8.6.10) with SMTP id JAA21922 for freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org; Mon, 1 Apr 1996 09:54:47 -0800 (PST) From: Cy Schubert - ITSD Open Systems Group Message-Id: <199604011754.JAA21922@passer.osg.gov.bc.ca> X-Authentication-Warning: passer.osg.gov.bc.ca: Host localhost [127.0.0.1] didn't use HELO protocol Reply-to: cschuber@orca.gov.bc.ca X-Mailer: DXmail To: freebsd-hardware@freebsd.org Subject: Parity Errors Date: Mon, 01 Apr 96 09:54:47 -0800 X-Mts: smtp Sender: owner-hardware@freebsd.org X-Loop: FreeBSD.org Precedence: bulk I have a 486DX33 with 20MB of 70ns memory, 64K (unknown speed) cache, an Adaptec 1542CF controller, an IDE controller, a Trident 8900D adapter, a SMC Elite 16 Ethernet card, a parallel/serial card, and a serial card. The motherboard is based on an Opti Chipset. The memory and cache are configured for zero wait state operation. Occasionally the system panics with a parity error. Sometimes I'll get three in one day and other times I won't get an error for six weeks. The errors usually occur during boot, during the mount of a CDROM, or when an NFS client mounts mounts a filesystem. An interesting point is that these errors only occur under FreeBSD (2.0.5R and 2.1.0R). This machine has successfully run DOS, OS/2 2.x, Minix 1.5, Coherent 4.x, and Linux (1.1, 1.2, and 1.3) without any parity errors. The QA Plus diagnostic package, which I've used to find many parity errors before, e.g. when purchasing memory upgrades, did not complain about any problems. Is it possible that FreeBSD is exercising the hardware in a manner it has never been used before or is this a known FreeBSD problem? I can configure the machine for memory and/or cache read or write wait states independently. Should I add a wait state and where, memory or cache, read or write? Any help would be appreciated. Regards, Phone: (604)389-3827 Cy Schubert OV/VM: BCSC02(CSCHUBER) Open Systems Support BITNET: CSCHUBER@BCSC02.BITNET ITSD Internet: cschuber@uumail.gov.bc.ca cschuber@bcsc02.gov.bc.ca "Quit spooling around, JES do it."