PlanetZ forums - scopeusers.com

Hi There!

After seeing a post where a user was using three scope cards in this motherboard (DP35DP), with no shared IRQs, it made me want to try to get a better configuration out of my system again... So, here it is:

IRQs / Devices

21 Creamware Pulsar
21 Intel(R) ICH9 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 2-2926
21 Intel(R) ICH9 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 1-2920
21 Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller-2938

22 Creamware Pulsar2

That's what I have by now, and you can see that it sucks! I think that's why I still get some PCI overflows from time to time in some very big and complex mixing jobs I'm doing.

Can someone share some light in how to force my system into using the free IRQs I have available? I can't disable the USB controller, because Cubase4 needs it for the Dongle (!).

I've tried many different PCI slots configuration for both my cards, and this is the best IRQ config I can get. Also, I can't seem to be able to disable just SOME of the USB ports. It seems I have to disable all, or none, in this motherboard? But disabling some USB root Hub devices in the Device Manager won't make any difference in my assigned IRQs anyway.

Scope is almost the perfect thing for me, and if it worked with my new system I've put all my money in, it would be perfect, because you know and I know, there's nothing else out there in it's league, but when I get PCI problems, it's still a just one more

Please, if you have any ideas, HELP!!! HOW DO YOU GUYS DO THE MAGIC WITH THE DP35DP???

Brotha' Man From Brasilia,

I used the disabled ports to run a C4 dongle, and 2 x M Audio KS88's, nao tem problemas.
Someone explained to me that the electrical charge still gets passed through, while the bandwidth is disabled.
I have since bought a cheapo USB Hub and run everything through it because as I added more USB devices, my QWERTY & Trackball got sticky.

Boa sorte.

Try to place your primary I/O Pulsar into the PCI slot that gets assigned to IRQ22 - I think it's the bottom slot - so that card doesn't share.

You may have to configure your cset.ini file so that the IRQ22 Pulsar is board0 - the manual details how to do this.

I have three Scope boards in all three PCI slots on the DP35DP. Two of the boards share irqs with numerous devices, similar to what you listed. As long as board0 is on its own I'm ok, even with a full DSP load.

/dave

disabling Intel(R) ICH9 Family USB Universal Host Controller-2938 in the device manager should fix your problems.

Thanks a lot, guys, for the inputs. But still, no donuts for me

Unfortunetly, I've tried all tweaks listed here and in the Creamware and also tascam documents, and also some other sites for audio tweaks. My XP is fully audio tweaked now, and it didn't solve the problem.

My first card is the pulsar II. That, according to the DSP meter (is that the correct way to check it?). So, the Pular I 16bit version works as a slave. But still even after disabling the USB port ICH9 that is sharing the IRQ with the slave card, I still get the PCI capacity limit reached. But now, there si one thing that I really find strange.

I get this only on some projects. And I do not get it after opening the creamware .pro project. Strangely, I get capacity limit reached error when I load the Cubase4 project that is associated with the Creaware project. That Cubase4 projet is in the sata drive (I see SATA controler is also sharing IRQ). And the error message comes in the middle of the reading process, when Cubase is reading the audio files from the HDD. Now, that is really strange. After I get the error, No matter how I try, if I click cancel, it goes away, but no sound from Creamware cards. If I click retry, it keeps popping the same window again and again ad infinitum. That window that I hate... PCI capacity limit reachedm you know...

Now, the problem is, I can't really disable the SATA controllers, or change the IRQs they are assigned at. Also, if I change the slot of the slave card, it goes even worst, sharing IRQs with othe five system resources, but no SATA controller, and still, I get the same PCI error in the same time when I'm loading the Cubase project.

Strangely, some other projetcs that are even more crowded DSP wise, runs just perfect, so I don't know what is really going on. These bigger projects runs just fine no matter what. I can even load up to full DSP with no PCI limit on these projects. So, maybe it seems like a really strange Cubase 4.5/Scope problem with only some projects. Anyone ever get something like that? The Creamwrae Project runs just fine up to the point that I try to launch Cubase and load the associated Cubase project file.

I don't know what to try next, really. I may try moving that project to an older IDE hard drive maybe. Or a firewire one, and see if it loads ok again. Or maybe I may try to install Cubase again, without the 4.5 update and see how it goes from there...

Anyway, next time on in the studio.

Did I mentioned that after telling my boss to buy Creamware cards, and a new computer and Cubase4 full version and after all that labor putting the system together and getting these stupid error he wants well... to kill me...??? So, please, if any other ideas on my case, anything, before he throws the thing in my head and goes to the dark side (Pro Tools), please, JUSDT POST. Even if you think it's a stupid idea, who knows? It might make the trick for me.

Anyway, I'll get back with more info after trying Cubase Downgrade to 4.1 and also the changing the HDD idea, and even disabling the SATA controllers for a tottally free IRQ Creamwrae system, like it asks for in the manual.

Also, there is another idea I got in the process. There is sme riser cards that could make possible to plug two PCI cards in the same slot. That would make for a same-IRQ-Creamware-system, as far as I can understand. Anybody tried that? Would it work with teh Creamware cards? I hope I don't fry his cards trying something stupid after all that work.

regards,

Rafael

Try to place your primary I/O Pulsar into the PCI slot that gets assigned to IRQ22 - I think it's the bottom slot - so that card doesn't share.

that's exactly how my system is configured. I hope windows would let more free IRQs and assigne those to the PCI cards, or maybe make it user assignable, but NO! The thing is a blackbox!

if you would like to, you can pm me and we can speak on the phone or skype.

Hi!

Those sata controllers are because of your BIOS disk setting.

If you change it to "IDE LEGACY" mode (or something) in the BIOS the
sata controllers will "dissapear".

Hi rafafredd.

So you have the Pulsar2 in PCI slot2 getting irq22, unshared. Good start.

Did you try moving the Pulsar1 into PCI slot3? That will (probably) assign irq18, sharing with PCIe root and usb 2937 & usb 2936, which shouldn't be a problem but either or both usb can be disabled in windows device manager. (I didn't need to).

You may need to edit cset.ini to make the Pulsar2 in PCI2 [board0].

I have my bios HD setup to run sata drives as IDE (because of the "no floppy disk drive" issue), but SATA controllers still occupy irq21. If you don't use PCI slot1 you can avoid irq21.

Don't worry - this CAN work, and the Scope system is worth the effort.
With Gary on the case I'm optimistic you'll solve this problem.

/dave

sata controllers don't usually make any trouble anyway. i've seen a number of computers with shared sata or ide controllers and no issues..

Well, according to the DSP meter it shows the first card as a six DSP card, so it seems to me that it means my first card is the PulsarII, and it's alone on IRQ22, as it should be. BUT, according to the "regystry" window on scope, it shows PulsarI (four DSP card) first in the list, so who is righ here? Should I trust DSP meter or regystry window?

Also, I've tried changing board0 parameter on CSET.INI to Host (as it were originaly), 0 and 1... And strangely none of these parameter give any changes on the DSP meter OR the regystry window. Six DSP card is ALWAYS first in the meter and second in the regystry window, even after reboot of the system, so I've left it as Host as it were originally.

Also, yes, PulsarI version16, the slave card (as far as trusting what DSPmeter says) is on IRQ21, sharing ONLY with two SATA controllers:

21 Intel(R) ICH9 2 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 2-2926
21 Intel(R) ICH9 4 port Serial ATA Storage Controller 1-2920

The USB ports it was sharing IRQs with is now disabled in Device Manager.

Did you try moving the Pulsar1 into PCI slot3? That will (probably) assign irq18, sharing with PCIe root and usb 2937 & usb 2936, which shouldn't be a problem but either or both usb can be disabled in windows device manager. (I didn't need to).

Yes, tried that, and as far as I recall now, changing it to slot3 makes it worst, as it shares with SMbus controller and four more devices, and the same PCI limit error keeps popping, and if I recall, on PCI 3 it was assigned as IRQ17. Maybe different MOBO revision???

Anyway, changing boards around on the three PCI slots was done like twenty times, and I don't see me trying that again... Maybe different MOBO revision??? At least I get a free master board on IRQ22 as it is. Maybe the PULSARI version16 is what is causing problems in my system? Should I go all the way and try making it a PULSARII or a LUNA version32 also? Would that make any difference?

I tell you guys, it's really strange, 'cus it only happens when loading the CUBASE associated project, so it really seems to be an obscure issue with Cubase 4.5 software, maybe???

Next thing, I'll try disabling SATA on BIOS to make it work as IDE, and also reinstalling SCOPE from scrach and Cubase with no UPDATES (I think my CD is 4.1 with no updates). I hope it works.

if you would like to, you can pm me and we can speak on the phone or skype.

Thanks for the offer Gary! If it still won't make the trick, that will be my next move. I'll have to install skipe, but I have another computer on the same room for internet purposes, so it won't really be a problem.

More after I get to the studio again, tomorrow, for more work. The new bigger recording room is almost done, and I need to get this DAW going smooth before it's done, or I'm f#%#$&d.

Any ideas about a riser card like that one:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Riser-Card-PCI-x-3- ... 7C294%3A50

or that:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PCI-RISER-CARD-2U-3 ... 7C294%3A50

would it be a problem trying that??? I don't want to risk my expensive DSP cards! NO! BUT I'm really getting to the point of dispair, and trying EXTREME solutions.

Regards, and best for you all.

Rafael

If the pulsar 1 is a revision 1.01 (or similar) it might have pci bandwith issues. I currently work with a Luna II + Pulsar 1 (early revision), and it does seem to inflict some probs when trying to spread a device over DSPs from both cards. I get the occasional "metallic" sound which is fixed by doing the master/slave switch. i get some pci warnings as well, fixed by retrying.I don't think i have this issue when i switch my Pulsar 1 with another Luna II i have laying around as far as i recall.

I will probably receive a 6DSP generation 2 cards in a day or five, this will replace my Pulsar 1. I will report back the results, to see if things have changed.

Thanks for the help. I'll be in the studio tomorrow. I'll check the board revision. I hope it's 1.2 or later... Otherwise will I be ever stuck with PCI limits???

rafafredd,

I wanted to ask which graphic-card you use with the DP35DP. Mine is silent but I guess too hot for the one Pulsar II-Card which is below the PCIe-Card.

thanks

Harry

It's a GEFORCE 8500GT PCIe x16. Should I try changing it? Any recommended ones? Changing the video card is the easiest fix for me, in fact, if it works. Not expensive at all!

that should be good.

if you have pci overflow, what's in the project? maybe you should do a masterverb test, to get a better idea of what's up.

Jumpin' in here.

Yeah, I would start with a small baseline project and build it up with modules until you hit your 'ceiling' to see what's putting it over the edge.
Also, for sanity's sake, check your STDM bridge cable between the boards, etc.

just my 2cents.

Greg

So, I was able to "clean" the projects we were working on and get it to work, so that we could get this done, and my boss won't cut my balls off...

I tried SATA native to legacy, and it's the same. Some IRQs were changed, but the version 16 card still shares one. By the way, I've cheked it, and it's version 1.0... I guess it won't work no matter what I try???

Also, the masterverb test was done. I could get 9 masterverbs going well. On 10th, it overloaded, and DSPs still 1/4 or less far from full. It's a small 10 DSP system! I hope I could at least get this to work.

So, lets say I buy a Pulsar2 card to put in place of that versio16 Pulsa1... Do you guys think I would be able to load up to full 12DSP with a system with all new version boards? I would hate to have to go all the way and buy a new card, and still end up with PCI overflow problems...

yes, the pulsar1 definitely throttles down performance. 9 masterverbs indicates a properly working system with a type 1 card mixed with a type2.

I see. That's what I was afraid of... Wel, so... getting a type2 card to my boss.

I may put both type1 cards in another system for a 32 channel 8 dsp system. That would be nice...

Would two type1 cards together run software version 4.0 ??? (or later, for that matter, like the new 5.0) ???

Now if that works, that would be great, and not that bad in the end.