![[Cyrix Cx486DRx2 20/40GP Page]](/ohlandl/8570_Tim_OConnor/cyrx.gif)
Cyrix:Although the focus here is the Cx486DRx2, it does share logic with the other members of this Cyrix DLC/SLC family and therefore the information here *might* be of use to you if you have one of these other processors. The differences between them can be found in the Chiplist, chapter 2.30 and Chapter 2.31. The main points are this: the SLC processors are 386SX (24-bit address bus) replacements and are not to be confused with the IBM 486SLC, whereas the DLC/DR processors are 80386DX replacements. The Texas Instrument processors listed are similar to the Cx486DLC/SLC and are the result of a previous arangement between the two companies.
Cx486DLC Cx486SLC Cx486SLC/e
Cx486DLC2 Cx486SLC2 Cx486SLC/e-V
Cx486DRx Cx486SRx Cx486DRu
Cx486DRx2 Cx486SRx2 Cx486DRu2
Texas Instruments:
TI486DLC TI486SLC
16/32 Mhz, 20/40 Mhz, 25/50Mhz and 33/66Mhz
. . .where the first speed is the motherboard speed and the second speed is the processors internal clock speed. The 20/40 and the 25/50 have heat sinks. The clock speed is (as far as I know) permanently enabled and niether requires nor accepts any user intervention.
Another issue that gets thrown into this are DMA events: when a device request a direct memory access (like a disk drive) it would change and therefore invalidate the current contents of the L1 cache. The processor has two options available to validate the cache: either the FLUSH input or the BARB input. FLUSH will occur after a DMA event 1) if the processor is instructed to use this input to validate the cache or 2) if the planar is 'Cyrix-aware'. The BARB input is used if FLUSH is not supported by the planar. If you use BARB to validate the contents of the cache it entails more overhead, because the instruction is executed at every memory refresh rather than merely after a DMA event. If your motherboard doesn't support FLUSH, you have no other option than to use the BARB input. Aparently, most 386 boards don't respect FLUSH.
So. . . we need to find the software that will 1) ascertain the state of the cache, 2) change the cached area of memory if need be, and 3)determine the cache validation method - BARB or FLUSH.
For DOS(Windows?) you can try Paul Gortmaker's
CYRIX100.ZIP This was written specifically for
the DLC/SLC processors, but applies to other 'family' members as well. There
are two versions of the CYRIX.EXE control program which are well-documented.
Now, since this was orignially *ix inspired, keep in mind that altough DOS
is case-insensitive, Gortmaker's CYRIX.EXE isn't. This program was a godsend
when I first discovered it. It can simply query the current state of the processor,
as well as provide cache control, and control over the DMA validation method.
Here's an alternate
download location for this archive at leo.org.
For OS/2, there's a device driver CYRIX.SYS that can be loaded in CONFIG.SYS. Unfortunately,
we don't know who to thank for this driver, as it's an amazing piece of work.
I loaded it right after TESTCFG.SYS, and had no problems with Warp 3. It automagically
selected the 'right answers' for my machine, BARB input for DMA validation,
and released all 4GB of 80386 memory space to be cached. Unfortunately, it
only operates as intended with Warp 3. With OS/2 2.1, the driver loads but
is not allowed by the OS to tinker with CPU control registers - CR0. You
can use the Gortmaker DOS utility above in conjunction with CYRIX.SYS to
query the processor state from within a VDM, but not to alter cache control/DMA
validation.
You can also download CYRIX.ZIP from the Norloff BBS: telnet://bbs.os2bbs.com
Now, for all you UNIX people out there. . . you'll have to forgive me because I haven't tried any of this myself. Don't really want to either, but that shouldn't stop you, right?:)
Approach A: If you're a Linuxed PS/2er, you might be able to get by without any additional software by simply altering linux/arch/i386/setup.S in the manner suggested by Linux readme for CX486DRx2. It's the readme.3rd of a larger document which could be of further use to you as well: http://www.go.dlr.de/fresh/linux/src/.warix/ps2scsi.tgz.html
Approach B: Linux control software: cyrix-1_00_tar.gz. An alternate download source would also be at ibiblio.org. Louis Ohland passed this on, knowing of a successful installation of this control software for a CX486SRx2. The usage for the subject machine was:
/bin/cyrix -i2 -i3 -i4 -r -c -f -b -k- -e -xCC00,16 modprobe bogo.oThis produced 22.08 bogomips on the subject machine. Again, I'm pretty dumb when it comes to *ix, So use your brain & Good Luck!.
So, Via, if anybody there reads this: I take no profit here. This is your software & I wouldn't claim otherwise. It runs the processor better than anything else I've yet tried. The software was licensed with the sale of a CPU and it stands to reason that since the only person that can make use of this software is one who also has a Cyrix CX486DRx/CX486SRx CPU, they should have recieved it with the processor. If a person has purchased a Cx486DRx/SRx secondhand they should have the same computing ability as the orginal owner. This isn't my preferred way of doing things - But y'all wouldn't answer my e-mails!
So, here it goes, in LOADDSKF 1.44MB floppy format: CX486DRX.ZIP The archived programs support DOS (Win3.1)
and OS/2. CX486DRx & CX486SRx CPUs only.
Ed. The 3.30 version supports Dos/WfW/OS2/NT3.5: Cx486DRx2.EXE
Now the good stuff - Cyrix' own programs do a much better job of controlling the processor. The single largest thing which makes this possible is the ability to enable the processor's pipeline, something all of the other control software discussed here does not do. With the OS/2 version of the control software the caching, pipeline, and DMA validation method can all be controlled through a nifty WPS utility. Furthermore, it works on OS/2 2.1 and Warp 3 (and this time, I know this for a certainty). The machine performs as if it were a slower 486SX. . . which, if you know Warp 3, you know is an entirely tolerable existence.
For OS/2, the control software, CX486.EXE and FASTIO.EXE, are installed by default in STARTUP.CMD; I had no difficulty moving the executables to CONFIG.SYS in RUN statements because it makes my life simpler. The installation program will create STARTUP.CMD if one doesn't yet exist.
I do have some rather tacky screen captures of the Cyrix PM utility and Warp 3 Sysinfo/Model & Processor display. They're not obscenely huge, but their not pretty either. Follow this link to view.
Sysbench 0.9.4e Condensed Results for 8570, OS/2 Warp 3. DIVE tests omitted.Return to top of page
Configuration I Configuration II
8514/A, XGA-2,
no CPU assist. no CPU assist
Machine name IBM 20Mhz 8570 IBM 20Mhz 8570
Processor Unknown Cyrix xMHz Unknown Cyrix xMHz
stepping 4.15.15 stepping 4.15.15
External cache 0KB 0KB
Graphics card IBM 8514/A - 1MB XGA-2 1MB
Coprocessor No No
Processors 1 1
RAM 14.24 MB 14.25 MB
Operating System data
OS/2 version 20.30 20.30
CSDLevel XR03001_ XR0W040_
FIXLevel Unknown XR0W040_
Revision number 8.200 8.264
Priority Dynamic Dynamic
Maxwait 3 3
Timeslice (32,32) (32,32)
Protectonly YES YES
Swap file size 11.00MB 16.00MB
...initially 6.00MB 16.00MB
Video data
Resolution 1024x768x8 bits/pix 640x480x8 bits/pixel
Bytes/scanline 0 640
Aperture size 0 307200
PM-Graphics-marks 11.695 11.455
CPU integer-marks 2.821 2.676
CPU FP-marks 0.000 0.000
File I/O marks 383.557 455.835
Memory marks 5.544 6.099
Simultaneous I/O 0.573 0.575
Disk I/O marks 4.558 4.595
Configuration III Configuration IV
CYRIX.SYS loaded CX486.EXE / FASTIO.EXE
(OS/2 and hardware configured same as II above)
PM-Graphics-marks 11.507 12.259
CPU integer-marks 3.090 7.228
CPU FP-marks 0.000 0.000
File I/O marks 425.559 443.580
Memory marks 5.450 12.198
Simultaneous I/O 0.575 0.575
Disk I/O marks 4.598 4.688
=======================================================================Return to top of page
PS/2 8580 with Cyrix Upgrade Locks Up during OS/2 Warp Installation
=======================================================================
Please Read Entire Document for Full Explanation of Procedures
--------------------------------------------------------------
DESCRIPTION
When the OS/2 Warp 3.0 Installation program prompts for Diskette 1, the
OS/2 logo appears with the message, "Loading Please Wait." The screen
then turns blank, the cursor goes to the top-left corner, and the
diskette-drive light stays on. The system appears to be locked up.
Pressing Ctrl+Alt+Del does not work. You must turn the system off.
The system is a PS/2 8580 with a Cyrix 486DX 20/40 MHz processor, 16 MB
of RAM, 4 MB on the system board, and two memory cards, one with 4 MB
and one with 8 MB. Both cards have 85-ns single in-line memory modules
(SIMMs).
RESOLUTION - This is a hardware problem.
1. Turn on the system, or press Ctrl+Alt+Del if it is already on.
2. When the small white box appears in the upper-left corner, press Alt+F2.
A list of the drivers that were loaded appears. OS2DASD.DMD was the
last driver loaded and installed. The cursor then went to the
upper-left corner and the system locked up.
3. Turn off the system; then remove the 4 MB and 8 MB cards.
4. Turn on the system and continue with the installation. With the 8 MB card
removed, the system can bypass the problem and complete the installation.
______________________________________________________________________
IBM disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, including
without limitation, warranties of fitness and merchantability with
respect to the information in this document. By furnishing this
document, IBM grants no licenses to any related patents or copyrights.
Copyright (c) 1994, 1996 IBM Corporation. Any trademarks and product
or brand names referenced in this document are the property of their
respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark
information.
Cx486DLC & FasMath coprocessor problem:
Aparently there is a known problem whereby an early Cx486DLC's will crash
a system with the one of the Cyrix FasMath Cx387+, Cx83D87, or EMC87 math
coprocessors. This is tied to sychronization problems with FSAVE & FSTOR
instructions. Later DLC's that have this problem fixed will have the letters
AB printed in the lower right hand corner.
Refer to Chiplist
Chapter 3.12.1 for details.
For all 16Mhz 8570's with the Cx486DRx2 16/32GP:
You will definitely need 85ns memory (which you should be using anyway,
right?) in order to cope with this CPU (so says the Chiplist).
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