Customer Reviews

Irq, Dma & I/O

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I suppose if you have an old XT or AT computer, this might be helpful. I found it to be pretty much a waste. If the author spent half as much time providing factual information as he does discussing history this might be worth something. He's a master of vague generalities. He can go for pages without saying anything useful. I recently had a config problem with a PCI sound card on an NT system. After days of unsuccessful tinkering, I happened to be on the phone with tech support and was coincidently looking at my motherboard FAQ, and mentioned that the card was in a PCI "bus 2" slot. Tech support said "Ohh, that's why. It only works in a bus 0 slot". Nowhere in this book does he discuss anything that would have helped in this situation. He doesn't even mention PCI bus 0,1,2. Nor does he discuss PCI "INTA, INTB..." IRQ's, bus mastering, IRQ sharing, edge detect vs. level detect, etc. And he never answered my biggest question: "Why does my NT Diagnostics show what appear to be ISA IRQ's assigned to my PCI cards, and how are they related?" And nowhere does he show actual diagrams of how IRQ lines are physically laid out between the processor and the interrupt handler. My guess is that the author is a technician who's complied some notes over the years based on his observations, but really doesn't know the design details of how this stuff operates.

This book outlined the steps I needed to take to get my computer configured properly. Before this book, I had never even successfully installed a modem! Now I have built a complete computer, from nothing! I now understand conflicts, and other strange error messages. The author truly knew his stuff. He was right on the money with his detailed explanations. This book is for anyone who wants to learn how to properly configure a system. Though this book is slightly dated, it is still a good reference.

Well, I didn't know anything about IRQ's DMA's or I/O before I read this book. I actually managed to get to understand most of it. The nice thing about this book is that it provides great examples of working systems and common mistakes in troubled systems.

It also provides glorious insight into why the PC is so riddled with "legacy" troubles. Even though the book is beginning to show its age, so is Windows/DOS. If you ever need to install any used devices or soundcards or cameras or whatever, this book is for you.

There is only a small section describing the Registry, the single most important cluster of files on a PC, but Microsoft has always been evasive about these kinds of things and the Registry has many mysterious names and invisible files and can change at any time. Fortunately, however, the book does at least explain the basic function of the Registry, and provides a few clues as to how to deal with it during troubled times.

C:\> ATTRIB -r -h -s -a C:*.* /S

My favorite thing about this book is that it reveals in specific terms, why you just can't go loading up a system with tons of accessories. This is a shock to most of us consumers, who aren't learned in the black arts of raising and nurturing a computer responsibly.

That is all, I have spoken.

This book had some good information, but the problem was you had to wade though a lot of useless information. If you want a history book this one isn't bad.