For once I'm writing neither to ask for help nor to respond to a request for help, but to share useful information.
I was having several serious problems with the Sonnet Processor Upgrade extension (SPU) and my Sonnet G3/450 card: 1) WIth both OS 8.6 and 9.1, the computer would often freeze when extensions began loading. It was not very difficult to figure out which extension was the culprit, since the SPU loads first! The problem would occur, I figured out, whenever there was anything flaky about the termination of the SCSI bus. Even just having a SCSI cable attached to the computer with nothing at the other end would cause it! And the problem would go away when I disabled the SPU! 2) An even weirder problem, one that I only last night discovered could be solved by disabling the SPU, was that I couldn't drag anything in the Finder! The icons would move but jump back to their original places when released. I could move things to the Trash with Command-Delete, and I could move them with File Buddy, though I couldn't drag them from File Buddy's list window to a Finder window. Unfortunately, disabling the SPU disables the backside cache, which would be a serious problem. Fortunately, there is a very good solution. There's free software from PowerLogix that replaces the SPU and then some! It's G3G4CacheProfiler1.5 and can be downloaded from <http://www.powerlogix.com/downloads/G3G4CacheProfiler1.5.sit>. It includes both an extension that replaces the SPU and an application that can be used to control cache functions. (I haven't tried much of the latter's capabilities yet, since I'll probably crash my Mac when I do!) I've appended the documentation for the G3G4CacheProfiler1.5 below, since I don't have the URL handy. In addition, there's a software package -- Cache Control X 2.1b4 -- for use under OS X. The URL is <http://www.powerlogix.com/downloads/CacheControlX2.1b4.tar.gz>. For some reason, I couldn't get the installer to work, but I managed to install it by copying the individual commands from the installer (which is a UNIX shell script and therefore human-readable). Hope this helps some of you out there. - Aaron from the PowerLogix web site: Software Downloads G3/G4 Cache Profiler 1.5 G3/G4 Cache Profiler 1.5 - Compatible with iForce and BlueChip and the 7410 G4 processor The complete feature list of G3/G4 Cache Profiler includes: - Easy to use installer - Familiar user interface for easy operation - Overview of processor type, speed, temperature, and version number - Overview of backside cache size & speed, motherboard cache size - Overview of motherboard info: machine ID, model name, and bus speed - Report of backside cache SRAM type - Selection of backside cache ratio, reported in MHz and as a ratio to CPU speed - Current status of backside cache (enabled/disabled) - On-the-fly enable/disable of backside cache - Current L2CR register contents - Option to enable cache on restart - Current status of motherboard cache (enabled/disabled) - On-the-fly enable/disable of motherboard cache - Speculative Access Management (Guardbit) - Dynamic Power Management Configuration - BootX Backside cache configuration - Cache size and speed indicator on bootup Once downloaded, you should put G3/G4 Cache Profiler 1.5 in your extensions folder and remove any previous versions that are installed. a) Remove any profiler inits from your system folder (very important!) b) Copy in the new init. c) Run the new app and make sure it is not configured to autodetect the ratio. d) Make sure "Enable cache on restart" is checked then reboot. Note: Do not load the PowerLogix G3/G4 Profiler INIT into your Classic System Folder unless you are booting from Classic. If you are booting from X and you launch Classic with the PowerLogix G3/G4 Profiler INIT installed, Classic will crash. You can make a new extension set that includes the PowerLogix G3/G4 Profiler INIT when you boot from Classic. When booting into Classic, hold down the space bar and choose the correct extension set (which includes the PowerLogix G3/G4 Profiler INIT) when the Extension Manager appears.The Cache Control X program will enable your PowerLogix card for OS X, there is no need to use any PowerLogix software when running your Mac in Classic mode (booting from X and running Classic under X). -- PCI-PowerMacs is sponsored by <http://lowendmac.com/> and... Small Dog Electronics http://www.smalldog.com | Refurbished Drives | -- Sonnet & PowerLogix Upgrades - start at $169 | & CDRWs on Sale! | Support Low End Mac <http://lowendmac.com/lists/support.html> PCI-PowerMacs list info: <http://lowendmac.com/lists/pci-powermacs.shtml> --> AOL users, remove "mailto:"; Send list messages to: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To unsubscribe, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> For digest mode, email: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subscription questions: <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Archive:<http://www.mail-archive.com/pci-powermacs%40mail.maclaunch.com/> Using a Mac? Free email & more at Applelinks! http://www.applelinks.com
