Conference decwet::windows-nt

6064.0. "Alpha and Autologic SoftPIP" by EEMELI::LAPPALAINEN (Jari LAPPALAINEN @FNO) Mon Jun 02 1997 07:14

    
    Hi,
    
    Our customer has problems with AlphaServer, WindowsNT and Autologic
    SoftPIP software. 
    
    SoftPIP is a PostScript to bitmap conversion
    software. SoftPIP writes bitmap file via a PCI board (from Autologic) 
    to Purup Magmun film printer. 
    
    PS to bitmap conversion works fine and is much faster on Alpha than on
    Intel Pentium PRO 200, but sending a file to printer fails after the
    printer has printed about 5 to 10 cm (2" to 4"). 
    
    We have tested the system with a small file (80KB) and biger files
    (30MB). 80KB prints ok. 30MB fails.
    
    SoftPIP error message is data underrun. There seems to be no I/O
    activity at the time of error.
    
    In SoftPIP log there is a following error message:
    
    *** Data Underrun, Retry... ***
    underrun: ih 51189 lr 7567 lc 4606 lp 4606 tl 55888 li 7850 wo 4 
    pip_abort: ResetController
    driverClearError: d_error(2000,63)
    driverClose: flags: d_error(2000,63) c_abort(1)
    ResetPIP: ResetImager
    done: ih 51189 lr 7567 lc 4606 lp 4606 tl 55888 li 7850 wo 4 
    done: ih 51189 lr 7567 lc 4606 lp 4606 tl 55888 li 7850 wo 0 
    olpwait: ih 51189 lr 7567 lc 4606 lp 4606 tl 55888 li 7850 wo 0 
    muxDisconnect: g_PIP_state 311
    driverClearError: d_error(2000,63)
    
    
    
    
    AlphaServer configuration:
    
    
    System type AlphaSever 1000A   (same problem with Alpha XL266)
    CPU		5/400
    Memory	384MB
    Disks	System disk	RZ28D-VW (Seagate Barracuda 2.1GB)
    		Data disk	RZ29B-VW (Seagate Barracuda 4.3GB)
    				Firmware revision of both disks have been 
    				checked. 
    				RZ28	rev  10	OK
    				RZ29 	rev  16	OK
    				Disks are connected to onboard wide SCSI
    				controller. SCSI bus configuration and 
    				terminators cheked, OK
    
    PCI bus	PIP board on the first slot of primary PCI bus
    		Ethernet  on second slot 
    		Graphics on thirth slot
    
    AlphaBIOS	version 5.28	OK
    Firmware 	version 4.8-74	OK
    
    Operating system	WindowsNT version 3.51 ServicePack 5
    			(Same problem on WNT 4.0)
    
    EISA Configuration Utility version 1.10 for WNT run on the system.
    
    
    I hope this is a driver or SoftPIP software problem, but I need a
    second opinion.
    
    Rgds,
    
    		Jari Lappalainen
    		
    		Sales Support
    		Digital, Finland
          

    Might be interesting to what happens if you print from the Alpha
    to a printer served by an Intel NT box (and hence using the Intel
    printer driver).

    re .1 Good try, but we're not talking pc printers here, we're talking
    imagesetters which want megabytes per second, so using Ethernet as the
    link changes more than you would want to in an ideal world.
    
    re .0 Are Autologic tech support involved ? They have some good folks
    in support in the UK, but I'm not sure which parts of Europe they cover.
    
    regards
    john

    re .2 This error message has been send to Autologic tech support by our
    var (Algol Oy). They adviced to replace PIP board, fiber cable and optical
    tranceiver. This has been done, but didn't help.
     
    We'll report this problem once again to Autologic together with Algol.
   
    Thanks for your replies.
    
    			,Jari