
[Introduction]


    Welcome to the help system of AMIDIAG configuration program.
    The AMIDIAG configuration program is meant to create a set of
    external variables for use in AMIDIAG. The set consists of:
    
       1. A Memory Cache handler program
       2. A Motherboard/memory configuration file
       3. Upto eight external diagnostics programs to be
          called from AMIDIAG.

    Config program starts with the selection of a .DBS file which
    contains the catalogue of all current configuration files as
    described above. The .DBS file has to exist in the same
    directory as that of the config program. The default name for
    the database file is AMIDIAG.DBS. 


[Main menu]

    The main menu of CONFIG gives the following choices:
    
    A.      {Select Configuration}, 
    B.      {Motherboard database maintenance},
    C.      {Cache controller database maintenance}
    D.      {User program database maintenance}
    E.      Return to DOS.
    
    
    
[Select configuration]

    This screen displays the current catalogued .CCH,.PIC and .EXE
    files in the selected DBS file. 

    User can browse through them and see their salient desciptions
    on the screen. Then User can select one from CACHE window, one
    from MEMORY window and eight from USER window. These selections
    are displayed in the Selection list displayed on the SELECTION
    window.

    Once satisfied, user can ask the program to freeze the selection 
    after which user is asked for the .CFG file name which will
    contain the selections. Default file name is AMIDIAG.CFG. 

    If a previously created .CFG file is found in the directory,the
    CONFIG program will try to load the previous selection after
    making a consistency check.

[Motherboard database maintenance]

    This option lets the user create/edit the display of cpu
    components and memory architecture of a motherboard and save it
    as a .{PIC file}.

    The memory map can be created and/or edited either graphically
    or nongraphically.The CPU component map can only be edited
    graphically.

    See also - {Memory component editing}
       {CPU component editing}




[User program database maintenance]

    This lets the user add a new user program (present in .EXE file
    format) to the database, or delete an existing user program from
    the database.

    The facility of linking user programs with AMIDIAG allows the 
    user to write their own diagnostic routine about devices which
    AMIDIAG does not support,like network card, scanner, optical
    devices etc. Once the user program is added to the database,
    the {select configuration} menu will allow the user to select
    upto eight user programs from the database to be included in
    AMIDIAG "user" menu.

    The configuration program calls the user program with the
    following parameters -

    < Program name >  /I /Segment:Offset 

    where segment:offset specifies a memory address where the user
    program has to return the signature and other salient information
    on the program. If the signature returned is proper, the user 
    program is accepted and added to data base.

    See also - {User program parameters}

[Cache controller database maintenance]

    This lets the user add a new .{CCH file} to the database file. This
    process also checks the signature of the file and rejects if the
    signature is not proper.


[Memory component editing]

    Memory is divided into different banks ( the CONFIG program
    supports upto 8 banks ), where each bank may have different types
    of chip and different architecture.
    
    This screen lets one declare new banks, delete existing banks
    create or change the description of the banks. If the user
    selects a nongraphic description , he is prompted to name the ICs
    for each bank. For a graphic description , he is prompted to
    specify the co-ordinates for chips 0...n in banks 0....n
    

    In the nongraphic mode , as user chooses the Edit option, a chip
    diagram is displayed where the chip names can be edited by the
    user.

    
[CPU component editing]
    
    The graphical editing of the CPU component map consists of taking
    a .PCX file which holds a picture of the motherboard ( it is
    possible to take a video camera snapshot of the motherboard
    and store it as a .PCX file ) , displaying the .PCX file , and
    then identifying the components on the .PCX file .

    The .PCX image is displayed in a 640X400 , 256 color mode. If the
    user's display adapter does not support this resolution, the
    graphical editing of component will not be available.

[PIC file]


    The .PIC file allows the AMIDIAG program understand the memory
    organization of a motherboard. Once the memory organization is
    understood, AMIDIAG will be able to pinpoint the location of
    the faulty memory chip when the AMIDIAG memory tests return
    an error.

    The .PIC file has the following informations - 

    the motherboard manufacturer name,
    the motherboard model number or serial number,
    the names of the .PCX files for the motherboard or other
    add-on memory cards,
    total memory size,
    the co-ordinates of CPU and associated chips,
    the memory bank organization for all existing banks.

    The memory organization contains further details like
    chip type (DIP or SIMM), interleaving information, paging
    information, whether the parity bit is located to the right
    or to the left etc.

[CCH file]

   .CCH files are user supplied Cache control program. The binary image
    of the file should contain the following information -

        the length of the program,
        the vendor name and model number,
        the cache control code and data,
        and a checksum.

   The cache control code has to support the following functions -
 
        Function 0: Disable Cache
        Function 1: Enable Cache
        Function 2: Return Special info
 
        The last function has to return a pointer to a list of ports
        which have to be used for cache handling.


[User program parameters] 

    The user defined diagnostics programs will be standard DOS programs
    present in .EXE file format. They will have the following modes of
    invocation:

    Mode 1: Inquiry
    ---------------

    Command line parameter will be -
        < Program name >  /I /Segment:Offset
    
    This is how the configuration program will call the user program.

    In this mode, the program will return the following information in
    the address given in segment:offset format - 

    - 11 byte signature ("AMIDIAG.UDG") to identify itself
    - 50 byte vendor's name (null terminated)
    -  8 byte model number
    - 24 byte menu line, the line to be displayed in the AMIDIAG user
      menu window - like "Network test" etc. 
    - 60 byte help line - the line to be displayed at the bottom of
      the AMIDIAG screen.

    Mode 2: Execution
    ------------------

    < Program name >  /X 

    This is how AMIDIAG will call the user program. In this mode, the
    user program should execute the diagnostic tests.

[No help]

    There is no help on help
      