We've had very similar problems here with certain implementations of the S3
video chip set.  In our particular case, adding "bus-throttle=on" to the
display section of the SYSTEM.INI file fixed our problems (as it was
explained to me, it won't allow the video to lock the interrupt line).
Obviously that fix applies only to Win 3.X users - we've had no such
problems in '95.  Before this fix lowering the resolution helped but we
still had dropped characters slip through occasionally.
 
-Mark
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At 09:04 AM 11/6/95 -0800, you wrote:
>Chip writes:
>
>>I have upgraded my PC to a P5-100 and added a Diamond Sealth 64 card in
>>the process.  I use Reflection 1v5.0 for serial access via COM2 to my
>>HP3000/980.  Well...since doin' all of this I have developed a very
>>annoying problem with communications to the 3000.  At random times, one or
>>two whole incoming bytes from the 3000 are just missed by the PC.  I have
>>check everything I can think of (used Sessions and WFW's terminal module
>>with the same effect).  I called WRQ and they hinted that possibly the
>>video card was locking-out the interrupt lines while doing updates.  I
>>have the latest and greatest of all drivers and  my PCs ROM version was
>>updated in July 95.
>>Incidentally, the dropped characters occur only when the
>>R1/Session/Terminal windows have to call a vertical scroll (VSCROLL???).
>>I called Diamond 10 days ago and have not received a response.
>>Anyone ever seen this problem??? Know a work-around??  I have tried
>>everyting I can think of...
>>
>>Thanks.
>>
>
>Chip,
>
>We had a similar problem when we received new p-90's october'94. We
>determined it was a video driver problem. We found that the number of
>colors, the screen-res and the size of the window all combined to create the
>problem. By reducing the #colors and/or screen res we were able to eliminate
>the problem. The main idea is to reduce the amount of data the video driver
>is managing and you eliminate the problem. Of course, getting good video
>drivers is the best answer! Unfortunately, the better h/w video companies
>don't always have the best drivers.
>
>Test out 256 colors at 800x600. This should be a baseline that should work.
>Go up from there. The Diamond desktop manager is easy to use to change these
>settings quickly for testing purposes.
>
>-- Duane Percox (Quintessential School Systems)
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>
>