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From: lindley@ut-ngp.UTEXAS (John L. Templer)
Newsgroups: net.micro.pc
Subject: Re: Parity Check 1  message
Message-ID: <2026@ut-ngp.UTEXAS>
Date: Sun, 14-Jul-85 16:55:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.2026
Posted: Sun Jul 14 16:55:45 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 17-Jul-85 20:59:07 EDT
References: <205@geowhiz.UUCP> <185@teneron.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: U.Texas Physics Department; Austin, Texas
Lines: 36

> >Has anyone ever had this message pop up on your screen in about
> >20 point high letters.  After which you must hard reboot?
> >
> >	PARITY CHECK 1

> My suspicion is that this program (which I copied off an RBBS) is doing
> something to cause the system to generate this message.  Perhaps it is
> running through some interrupt vector which causes this message.  The
> message always appears at the same place in the program.  I do not
> believe that my memory chips are failing since neither the power on
> self test nor the advanced diagnostics can detect any problem with the
> computer's memory.

I think I have an idea what might cause this, at least I found one
thing that does cause it.  I was playing around with the timer chip,
trying to discover how to program it to drive the speaker, working from
the Technical Refference Manual.

What I did was use the sequence that the BIOS uses to make the error
beep during the start up diagnostics, but changing some of the
parameters.  (No, I don't remember which I/O ports correspond to the
timer chip.)  In addition to the many varied error messages and lockups
I got as a result, one time the "PARITY ERROR 1" message appeared on
the screen, and the soft reboot didn't work.

I would have thought that the timer chip wasn't so essential to the
opperation of the pc.  I though the 8088 used it's own internal clock.
Oh well, maybe someone out there can tell me how to get the timer chip
to work the speaker.
-- 

~~ John L. Templer,  University of Texas at Austin
~~ {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley

"Oh, I liked it well enough-- only it was so dusty and hot, and the
elephants did tease so!"  (Can you recognise the character speaking?)