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    AST RESEARCH, INC.            TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1040                 1-4-95

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                       VARIOUS ISSUES WITH PLUG-N-PLAY CONFIGURATIONS

    PROBLEM 1:      When installing an IBM Token Ring adapter in a Bravo MS system
                    using the Plug-n-Play configuration utility (ICU), the Token
                    Ring adapter cannot be configured for IRQ 2 because the
                    Integrated video adapter has already reserved that IRQ.

    CAUSE:          The Plug-n-Play ICU utility does not allow the user to directly
                    alter resources (such as the IRQ) of certain system board
                    components.

    SOLUTION:       The following procedure allows the user to install `legacy'
                    boards at IRQ 2.
                    Legacy refers to any ISA board which is not designed to support
                    Plug-n-Play.

                    1) Add in a VGA adapter to the system to disable the integrated
                       VGA adapter.

                    2) Run the ICU utility.  Since the integrated VGA is no longer
                       installed, IRQ 2 (shown as 9(2) in the ICU utility) is now
                       available.  (Because IRQ 2 is used as a cascade to IRQ 9,
                       the system board will always show 2(9) in use.  The same
                       interrupt will be available to the user as 9(2).)  Configure
                       the desired `legacy' board for IRQ 2 (the Token Ring
                       adapter configuration file will display interrupts as IRQx
                       while the resources list will display it as 9(2))and save
                       the configuration.

                    3) Remove the add-in VGA card and restart the system.  Since
                       IRQ 2 is now configured for another board, the integrated
                       VGA adapter will select another IRQ. (If it is desired that
                       the VGA use a specific IRQ, the user can install `phantom'
                       ISA adapters which use all interrupts except the one
                       desired for the VGA adapter.  When the system is restarted,
                       the integrated VGA adapter will then select from among the
                       remaining interrupts to configure itself.)

                    4) Run ICU again.  Inspect the new settings.  If the same
                       setting will be required for multiple systems, save the
                       current configuration under the Advanced menu item to a
                       file.  Save the configuration and quit the utility.  (This
                       file can be used by copying it to other systems and reading
                       it in directly through the Advanced menu item, rather than
                       using the first 3 steps listed above.)

    PROBLEM 2:         Several "resource autoconfiguration errors" were experienced
                       on Advantage RMT systems when the second serial port was
                       enabled (the CMOS image originally generated for this
                       system had the second serial port disabled so that a modem
                       could be installed).  A concern was raised that a "PCI Card
                       VGA Controller" was listed under system resources and could
                       not be changed.

    CAUSE:             The system is operating as designed.  If necessary, the IRQ
                       used by the integrated VGA adapter can be moved as outlined
                       in Problem 1 above.  Other resources used by the integrated
                       VGA controller are fixed and cannot be moved.

    SOLUTION:          None.  With the information above the user is able to
                       create a new CMOS image for the Advantage RMT which
                       includes the second serial port.

    SYSTEMS
    AFFECTED:          All Plug-n-Play systems.