    AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1549           8-16-96

    TITLE: Bravo MS System Hang with NE2000Plus 3

    SUMMARY

       Bravo MS and MS-T systems may hang on boot up when a Microdyne
       NE2000Plus 3 network adapter with boot ROM is present in the
       system.

       This issue affects the following systems: 501951, 501952, 501954,
       501955, 501956, and 501972.

    ISSUE

       The NE2000Plus 3 network adapter, with a remote boot ROM from LAN
       Works installed, can cause the Bravo MS system to hang upon boot.

       The symptoms are a blank screen and two long and three short
       beeps emitted from the speaker.

       The system will hang at this point and will not complete the boot
       process.

    BACKGROUND

       A copy of the contents of the BOOT ROM on the network adapter is
       placed in an area of memory that overlaps the system BIOS ROM.
       This area of memory is the space just below 16MB (FFFCXXXh-FFFDXXXh)
       where the system BIOS resides.  A memory conflict causes the system
       to hang.

    ACTION

       Contact Microdyne at 800-255-3967 for possible substitutions.

    NOTES

       The NE2000Plus, which uses the "MX" ASIC, does not have this
       problem.

    TAN 001243TF

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