Creative SB CT3780

[elektrownik]

I have CT3780 audio card, it have 16-bit ISA connector, is there any way to use it in 8-bit ISA ? I dont need CD controller part of this card (as I assume this part need 16-bit ISA). If it can work in 8-bit ISA, how should I configure it ? I need drivers ?
Thanks

 

[RuudB]

... how should I configure it ? I need drivers ?

Starting with your last question: you need drivers if the program you are using supports drivers. Using 8 bits means you mean a XT or compatible. The only program that comes to my mind is Windows, up to version 3.0 IIRC. Where to get them? Good question, I hope Google is your best friend

The game DOOM supported SoundBlaster as well but you had to setup some parameters like Used type of SB, hardware address and used DMA. If you had all things right, you had sound.
Other programs needed parameters under DOS, set in the autoexec.bat. Something like "set soundblaster=A220", in this case meaning the SB is found at address 220h.

Writing you own program is possible as well. A possible way: find the Linus driver for this card (if it exists) and study its sources.

Just my two cents...

 

[sergey]

I have CT3780 audio card, it have 16-bit ISA connector, is there any way to use it in 8-bit ISA ?

While some 16-bit Sound Blaster cards can work in 8-bit ISA slots, I am afraid that CT3780 (AWE32) is not one of them.

If you're looking for a sound card for your XT you can try one of following:

- Creative Sound Blaster 1.0, 2.0, Pro. These might be a bit difficult or expensive to get these days.
- Vibra 16XV based Sound Blaster cards. For example CT4170. These cards are pretty common and cheap ($10 in eBay). The downside is that they require an ISA PnP enabler utility to run, and that utility uses 80186+ instructions. So that it will work only if you have V20 CPU in your XT.
- ESS AudioDrive cards. They also need a PnP enabler, and that enabler also uses 80186 instructions. And so they need at least a V20 CPU to run.

The simple check is to look where D8-D15 signals on 16-bit part of ISA are going. If their pads not present, or present, but routed only to IDE (perhaps through a 74*245 transceiver) and not to the sound chip the chances are that the card is going to work in 8-bit slot.

If you're really into antique stuff you can try finding an Adlib card. It doesn't have any advantages over SB, except for its historic significance. These might be very expensive too... But if you like building stuff yourself you might consider building my ISA OPL2 (an Adlib clone I designed).

 

[Trixter]

...The downside is that they require an ISA PnP enabler utility to run, and that utility uses 80186+ instructions. So that it will work only if you have V20 CPU in your XT.
...They also need a PnP enabler, and that enabler also uses 80186 instructions. And so they need at least a V20 CPU to run.

Are these PnP enablers small programs, or relatively simple/generic ones? If so, I'm willing to take a crack at disassembling them, patching out the 80186 instructions, and reassembling them. If the program is simple (ie. no graphical GUI!) then this should be possible as long as there isn't a timing requirement to use REP INSB or whatever it uses...

 

[sergey]

Are these PnP enablers small programs, or relatively simple/generic ones? If so, I'm willing to take a crack at disassembling them, patching out the 80186 instructions, and reassembling them. If the program is simple (ie. no graphical GUI!) then this should be possible as long as there isn't a timing requirement to use REP INSB or whatever it uses...

They are pretty small, but apparently created using C and not assembler. They are not generic - Creative one works with Creative cards, ESS one works with ESS.

Creative SB cards use CTCM.EXE/CTCU.EXE (http://ccftp.creative.com/manualdn/Drivers/Others/230/ctcmbbs.exe). If I recall correctly CTCM.EXE is a menu-driven configuration utility (used to reserve I/O, DMA, IRQ resources so that they will not be considered for SB). CTCU.EXE is the actual PnP enabler.

ESS cards use ESSCFG.EXE utility which apparently was distributed from their FTP server in ESS_DOS_config.zip archive.

Of course the ideal solution would be creating a universal PnP utility for DOS... maybe just compile isapnptools using Borland C?

 

[Trixter]

Creative SB cards use CTCM.EXE/CTCU.EXE (http://ccftp.creative.com/manualdn/Drivers/Others/230/ctcmbbs.exe). If I recall correctly CTCM.EXE is a menu-driven configuration utility (used to reserve I/O, DMA, IRQ resources so that they will not be considered for SB). CTCU.EXE is the actual PnP enabler.

Looked at CTCU.EXE and it is a 500K .exe full of relocatable objects that are invoked via an overlay manager called via an interrupt API -- ugh, no thanks...

Of course the ideal solution would be creating a universal PnP utility for DOS... maybe just compile isapnptools using Borland C?

Probably, but I'll leave that to someone else

 

[SpidersWeb]

Just grab a card that uses jumpers - way easier.

I'm not sure if they all do, but I have a couple of SB Pro 2.0 cards - from the mid 90's I think - often used as a lower cost alternative to a SB16 - and mine were jumpered (and I tested them in a DTK 8088-2 setup ). There were also ESS based cards with jumpers too - I quite liked those models because they gave a strong output with no noticeable background noise.

Those two types are often my go-to models for 8 bit when I can't find an 8 bit card. Often find them in home made Pentium builds etc.

 

[Caluser2000]

There were also ESS based cards with jumpers too - I quite liked those models because they gave a strong output with no noticeable background noise.

Yip was using one on the Zenith last weekend- ES1688F chipped, S521-sa, FCC ID: L6NS52 cards are definitely jumpered and sound ok to these old ears. Looking at a tracks on the 16bit portion looks like they're there for just the IDE interface.