please help: P3V4X and PCI slot assignments (I need more headroom)

[HammondB3]

Hi and please help if you can with this audio / P3V4X IrQ question


problem:

I have to get a 2nd multitrack audio card to give me 16 tracks audio I/O in my system.
Windows IRQ states that IRQ 5 is NOT being used (it's free). Problem is.... which slot would I put this card?

here's the setup now (before adding 2nd audio card):

both COMS = disabled

agp = 3dfx voodoo3 2k (using irq 11 in windows sharing with SB PCI128)

pci 1 = sb PCI128 (trying to not have to remove) (irq 11 in windows with agp card)

pci 2 = adaptec 29160 U160 ctrlr (irq 10 - need to keep)

pci 3 = 1st Delta 1010 audio card) (IRQ 4)

pci 4 = Netgear FAX310 NIC (using irq 3 in windows sharing along with USB)

pci 5 = (free)
pci 6 = (free)

again - in device manager....it says IRQ 5 is NOT being used.

Problem - I know 3/6 and 4/5 are sharing slots.



I can't have the scsi board share (needs its own irq and that much is very clear - it's my audio drives...about 6 of em in total).

I don't mind video sharing with pci128 (I'm not a huge gamer even though I have an alright gaming card.... digital audio multitracking is the goal here).

so if I have 2 deltas how in the hell can i make this work? I think I'm screwed.

I'm going to have to give up the SB PCI128 I fear (but that card is the only one which will playback 6053 kHz 4-bit files which i need for work... the pro cards won't).

Lastly, is there a newer motherboard available today that will let me do this without having to dump a card?

ie - ones that don't share 4/5, 3/6....but actually provide a little more headroom?

thanks in advance for any help. Really need some ideas here.

 

[HammondB3]

anybody? please?

 

[AL77]

Hi HammondB3,
Some points:
1. Some video cards can't share IRQ's very well (3dfx states in their V3 faq that the card will not work properly), but if it works for you, then keep it. I will say that for about a two week period I accidently had a V3 sharing with a SB Live on a p3v4x. I did experience some anomalies which ended after I separated the IRQ arrangement.


<< again - in device manager....it says IRQ 5 is NOT being used.
Problem - I know 3/6 and 4/5 are sharing slots. >>


2. Unfortunately, therin lies the problem. You may use IRQ 5, but so will the device that resides in PCI slot 3 or slot 4 (as you will be using slot 5 or 6 respectively for your 2nd Delta audio card).

E.g. you put the card in slot 5, it will share the IRQ used for slot 4 - in this case given your current assignments: IRQ 3. If you put the card in slot 6, it will share IRQ 4 with your first audio card located in slot 3. So you're stuck with a less than perfect solution. My advice is use slot 5 and share an IRQ with the NIC/USB.

An educated 'guess' would be that most (hopefully) NIC manufacturers are not oblivious to the IRQ problem and design their cards to work well when their IRQ is shared. I don't know anything about your Delta audio cards (or for that matter, what 'multitrack' is ), but it seems reasonable that it is preferable to not share the same interrupt for both audio cards (by putting the card in slot 6). Therefore I suggest putting the card in slot 5. This is pretty much the best you can do.


<< I'm going to have to give up the SB PCI128 I fear...Lastly, is there a newer motherboard available today that will let me do this without having to dump a card? >>


If you give up the SB and put the Delta in slot 1, you still will be sharing with the V3, so I don't think this will be any better than putting the 2nd Delta in slot 5.

Finally, the IRQ limitations (i.e. slots sharing IRQs, regardless of free interrupts) are common on pretty much all new motherboards I've come across or read about. This is just how they are designed, unfortunately.

Hope this helps.