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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