PDPI L4, Diamond MX 300 & SB Live Gameports

In my quest for optimizing GPL, I installed a PDPI L4 gameport. While the L4 is a *superior* product, it didn't solve my problem with graphic "hiccups". At the time, I had a SB Live installed. In a desperate move, I ripped out the SB Live & replaced it with a Diamond MX 300. At the same time, I disabled the MX 300's gameport in Win 98's Device manager. So far...holding breath...the "hiccups" seem to have vanished. I never did disable the SB Live's gameport. Are there any SB Live & PDPI L4 owners in the house? If so, do you have the SB Live's gameport disabled? Just trying to figure out what has made the difference. The MX 300 appears to be using DMA's while the SB Live didn't. Whatever, I just celebrated by *** Hill & Clark at Monza...:-) -- " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

I run the L4 with a SB Live value. Everthing is fine with or without disabling the SB gameport by the device manager. But to be on the save side I disabled it. Jo Lueg mg schrieb:

"Joachim Lueg-Althoff, Neosid Pemetzrieder GmbH & Co. KG"

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>mg schrieb: >> In my quest for optimizing GPL, I installed a PDPI L4 gameport. While >> the L4 is a *superior* product, it didn't solve my problem with >> graphic "hiccups". At the time, I had a SB Live installed. >> In a desperate move, I ripped out the SB Live & replaced it with a >> Diamond MX 300. At the same time, I disabled the MX 300's gameport >> in Win 98's Device manager. So far...holding breath...the "hiccups" >> seem to have vanished. >> I never did disable the SB Live's gameport. Are there any SB Live & >> PDPI L4 owners in the house? If so, do you have the SB Live's >> gameport disabled? >> Just trying to figure out what has made the difference. The MX 300 >> appears to be using DMA's while the SB Live didn't. Whatever, I just >> celebrated by *** Hill & Clark at Monza...:-) >I run the L4 with a SB Live value. Everthing is fine with or without >disabling the SB gameport by the device manager. But to be on the save >side I disabled it.

Understood. I have a feeling the "hiccups" I was suffering from have something to do with the SB Live hardware & my system. I'm going to keep the MX 300's gameport disabled anyway. *Anything* to get away from futzing with hardware. Next stop...Silverstone. -- " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

I have these as well, and although I don't have any problems in running the game, there is one very annoying thing happening: Every time I reboot the computer my TSW2 split axis doobrie disappears from the Game Controllers menu! I have to add it back in again and then select the PDPI digital gameport from the Advanced tab as well. Another disconcerting thing is that sometimes it then shows up as "Not connected", even though it is. I don't think this is a dodgy cable, as fiddling with the cable doesn't make any difference, but rebooting the computer does. Anyone else suffering from these problems? PS: The SB Live also sometimes makes the playback of answerphone messages from the modem (through the Line In socket) go very quiet - this doesn't affect me, but annoys my girlfriend, and since it's her computer I'd quite like to sort this out as well!

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>> I run the L4 with a SB Live value. Everthing is fine with or without >> disabling the SB gameport by the device manager. But to be on the save >> side I disabled it. >I have these as well, and although I don't have any problems in running >the game, there is one very annoying thing happening: >Every time I reboot the computer my TSW2 split axis doobrie disappears >from the Game Controllers menu! >I have to add it back in again and then select the PDPI digital gameport >from the Advanced tab as well. >Another disconcerting thing is that sometimes it then shows up as "Not >connected", even though it is. I don't think this is a dodgy cable, as >fiddling with the cable doesn't make any difference, but rebooting the >computer does. >Anyone else suffering from these problems?

I recall a thread concerning this recently appeared in r.a.s. You might want to do a DejaNews search on it. FWIW, the "hiccups" have RETUNED....AAAARRRGHHH. I finished a 21 lap race at Monza with NO "hiccups". Then, started a race at Kyalami & 5 laps into it, the "hiccups" started in again...:-( Close to retirement form GPL...:-( -- " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

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>> In my quest for optimizing GPL, I installed a PDPI L4 gameport. While >> the L4 is a *superior* product, it didn't solve my problem with >> graphic "hiccups". At the time, I had a SB Live installed. >I have an L4 and an SBLive. I don't get the hiccups. My SBLive gameport >is disabled now, but I didn't get hiccups before I had the L4 and was >using the SBLive gameport. >My guess is that the heavy-handed Live! installation infected your PC >with some *** proglet that was running in background and stealing cpu >cycles from GPL. You uninstalled the offending proglet when you swapped >the SBLive for the Diamond card.

That's what I thought too. However, the dreaded "hiccups" have returned. Ran a 21 lap race at Monza...no "hiccups". Fired up a race at Kyalami...5 laps in..."hiccups"....go figure. Indeed. I find the entire SB Live package to be quite bloated. At this point, I'm ready to thrash around & locate my old SB 16. Or, do some testing WITHOUT a soundcard. Or flop back to Win95. Or...sheesh. Yes. Of the 2 cards, the SB Live does sound better. However, GPL, the SB Live and the MX 300 may be hurled out the window soon...:-( -- " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

How do you disable an MX-300 gameport? All I could figure out was to move the address from 201 to 207 (I think that was the number) to make room for the L4 at 201.

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> "Joachim Lueg-Althoff, Neosid Pemetzrieder GmbH & Co. KG" > >mg schrieb: > >> In my quest for optimizing GPL, I installed a PDPI L4 gameport. While > >> the L4 is a *superior* product, it didn't solve my problem with > >> graphic "hiccups". At the time, I had a SB Live installed. > >> In a desperate move, I ripped out the SB Live & replaced it with a > >> Diamond MX 300. At the same time, I disabled the MX 300's gameport > >> in Win 98's Device manager. So far...holding breath...the "hiccups" > >> seem to have vanished. > >> I never did disable the SB Live's gameport. Are there any SB Live & > >> PDPI L4 owners in the house? If so, do you have the SB Live's > >> gameport disabled? > >> Just trying to figure out what has made the difference. The MX 300 > >> appears to be using DMA's while the SB Live didn't. Whatever, I just > >> celebrated by *** Hill & Clark at Monza...:-) > >I run the L4 with a SB Live value. Everthing is fine with or without > >disabling the SB gameport by the device manager. But to be on the save > >side I disabled it. > Understood. I have a feeling the "hiccups" I was suffering from have > something to do with the SB Live hardware & my system. I'm going to > keep the MX 300's gameport disabled anyway. *Anything* to get away > from futzing with hardware. > Next stop...Silverstone. > -- > " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

>>In a desperate move, I ripped out the SB Live & replaced it with a >>Diamond MX 300. At the same time, I disabled the MX 300's gameport >>in Win 98's Device manager. So far...holding breath...the "hiccups" >>seem to have vanished. [...] In Device Manager, select "Properties" for the gameport. There's a check box for "Disable in this hardware profile". FWIW, PDPI recommends removing your sound card prior to installing the L4. That way, the L4 gets 201 automagically. When you re-install the sound card, Windows assigns its' gameport a new range. -- " Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

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>>Every time I reboot the computer my TSW2 split axis doobrie disappears >>from the Game Controllers menu! >>I have to add it back in again and then select the PDPI digital gameport >>from the Advanced tab as well. >>Another disconcerting thing is that sometimes it then shows up as "Not >>connected", even though it is. I don't think this is a dodgy cable, as >>fiddling with the cable doesn't make any difference, but rebooting the >>computer does. >I recall a thread concerning this recently appeared in r.a.s. You >might want to do a DejaNews search on it.

Yes, some people had it then. Mostly a case of reinstalling a couple of times, disabling the 'normal' gameport (on your soundcard or motherboard) a couple of extra times, and suddenly the problem seems to vanish after a reboot or 10. Hmm, ok, fuzzy, but hey, it's Windows, almost as tricky as a real life organism. :) Ruud van Gaal MarketGraph / MachTech: http://www.marketgraph.nl Art: http://www.marketgraph.nl/gallery

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>>> In my quest for optimizing GPL, I installed a PDPI L4 gameport. While >>> the L4 is a *superior* product, it didn't solve my problem with >>> graphic "hiccups". At the time, I had a SB Live installed. >>I have an L4 and an SBLive. I don't get the hiccups. My SBLive gameport >>is disabled now, but I didn't get hiccups before I had the L4 and was >>using the SBLive gameport. >>My guess is that the heavy-handed Live! installation infected your PC >>with some *** proglet that was running in background and stealing cpu >>cycles from GPL. You uninstalled the offending proglet when you swapped >>the SBLive for the Diamond card. >That's what I thought too. However, the dreaded "hiccups" have >returned. Ran a 21 lap race at Monza...no "hiccups". Fired up a >race at Kyalami...5 laps in..."hiccups"....go figure. >>An example is the Creative Taskbar. You do not want this fiend running >>while you are playing GPL, believe me! Typically, Creative doesn't care >>whether these things work properly, as long as the screen looks pretty for >> the punters... >Indeed. I find the entire SB Live package to be quite bloated. At this >point, I'm ready to thrash around & locate my old SB 16. Or, do some >testing WITHOUT a soundcard. Or flop back to Win95. Or...sheesh. >>The live works well, as long as you get rid of all the useless junk >>software >Yes. Of the 2 cards, the SB Live does sound better. However, GPL, the >SB Live and the MX 300 may be hurled out the window soon...:-( >-- >" Why bother..." - R. Crumb -

I did various re-install and cleaning operations, installed drivers in different order. I always thot the problem was incompatibility between the PDPI and my TSW controller. I don't really know what the cure was, but now the system is working absolutely superbly. The registry may have been ***ed somehow. Now I have put in Allison's Ferrari setups and Patrick's sounds, and am I having fun! At 6 tracks now my best times are with the F., and I am FINISHING races and winning several! Whoopee! My card is SB16, but using PDPI. NO PROBLEMS AT ALL! Cheers, Sam