AST RESEARCH, INC. SOFTWARE BULLETIN #0126I 08-01-95
Production Release: 2.50 Available August, 1995
Part Number: 905524-035 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
Revision: A
This is an updated version of the Power Exec Flash BIOS image and support
both the Power Exec EL and SL systems. This diskette allows the user
to easily upgrade the system BIOS by writing a new image of the system
BIOS to the Power Exec's Flash BIOS Loader.
File 05524035.EXE can be found on AST's BBS (817) 230-6850, in the "Systems"
file area. AST's BBS supports modem speeds up to 28.8k bps.
ENHANCEMENTS:
- Added support for Docking Stations III and IV.
Production Release: 2.26 Available August, 1994
Part Number: 905524-034 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
Revision: A
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
- AC adapter status after suspend mode.
- Zero Volt Suspend delay option.
Production Release: 2.25 Available: June, 1994
Part Number: 905524-033 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
Revision: A
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
- No display when certain external video adapters are used in the
PowerStation.
- Floppy READ errors with older Cannon drives.
- EMM Shadow Page Memory/PCMCIA Problem.
Production Release: 2.24 Available: April, 1994
Part Number: 905524-032 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
The following problems have been resolved in this version of the Power
Exec BIOS:
- Cannon floppy drives failing at 33MHz.
- Hard disk spinning down if AC Adapter is plugged in.
- System not resuming from suspend, on warm boot, if the PS/2 mouse is
connected to a 486, with Modify Refresh Rate set to Enable.
- System not reading from the Seagate ST9300 hard drive.
Production Release: 2.23 Available: October, 1993
Part Number: 905524-031 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
ENHANCEMENTS:
The following features and enhancements have been incorporated in this
version of the Power Exec BIOS.
- Added booting feature to 720K floppy diskette.
- Allow system to suspend if on A/C adapter.
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
The following problems have been resolved in this version of the Power
Exec BIOS:
- Floppy controller on the Power Station stays on after disk access.
- Honeywell PS/2 mouse does not function correctly.
- Displaymate Professional Video Utility Version 1.0 Locks Up.
- Power Station fails to boot with Quantum drive.
- Repeated warm boot from floppy fails during access.
- System hangs with Card Services loaded high.
Production Release: 2.22 Available August, 1993
Part Number: 905509-039 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
ENHANCEMENTS
The following features and enhancements have been incorporated in this
release of the Power Exec BIOS:
- Added Setup option to resume for a 720K or 1.44MB floppy disk.
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
The following problems have been resolved in this version of the Power
Exec BIOS:
- External video does not work properly on the Power Station.
- Floppy Disk Controller errors.
- Speed reduction on PowerExec 486 with FULLPOST.
- System will not software suspend.
- Turbo light turns off on FULLPOST.
- Double suspend with system busy causes zerovolt suspend.
- Screen is not centered with .
Production Release: 2.21 Available August, 1993
Part Number: 905509-038 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
- Video corruption after suspend.
- System will suspend if A/C adapter is plugged in during suspend.
ENHANCEMENTS
The following features and enhancements have been incorporated in this
release of the Power Exec BIOS:
- Added Power Station support for floppy disk B types into Setup.
- Added Power Station support for external video card.
Production Release: 2.20 Available: July, 1993
Part Number: 905509-037 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
ENHANCEMENTS:
The following features and enhancements have been incorporated in this
release of the Power Exec BIOS:
- Support for H4C-B0 step and 5 volt memory.
- Support for the AST Power Station (Docking Station).
- Added delay to suspend, for powering down hard drive, to insure no
data corruption.
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
The following problems have been resolved in this version of the Power
Exec BIOS:
- Serial port is not enabled when both are selected in SETUP.
- Changed parallel CMOS bit definitions so LL5 on parallel port
Docking Station will not fail.
- Fixed boot from floppy, without hard drive, so it does not fail.
- Parallel port enhanced address to 378.
- Reduced floppy trapping.
- Fixed HD 12.05 error on warm boot if no hard drive is installed.
- Allow Intel coprocessor to run at full speed (A decrease in battery
time will occur if it is installed and runs at full speed).
- Divide the clock on Cyrix coprocessor.
- Power Manager to make fuel gauge accurate after hot-swap.
- Corrected video leakage, a current problem in the CRT-Only mode.
Production Release: 2.10 Available: April, 1993
Part Number: 905509-034 One 3.5", 1.44MB diskette
ENHANCEMENTS:
The following features and enhancements have been incorporated in this
release of the Power Exec BIOS:
- Panel now turns off on closing of the lid with the A/C adapter
plugged in and not on the external CRT only. Panel turns on with
the lid up.
- Added immediate zerovolt suspend if battery is low.
- Docking station support for ports has been added.
- Battery low prediction in place.
- Interface for serial device login from CCU has been added.
- Warning messages for abort if resume from hibernation is attempted
on Docking Station. Message will also appear; if memory, machine
type, math coprocessor, or screen type has been changed.
- Zerovolt suspend is disabled if simultaneous video has been changed
without cold boot.
- Zerovolt suspend is disabled if external CRT is attached.
PROBLEMS RESOLVED:
The following problems have been resolved in this version of the Power
Exec BIOS:
- The system will not zerovolt suspend if it is set to delay.
- The system will not zerovolt suspend on delay if resume is set on
schedule.
- The system hangs on suspend if no zerovolt partition is present.
- Flicker on external CRT with 8.5" TFT LCD panel.
- Screen off/on reverses with A/C adapter and manual suspend.
- No delay zerovolt suspend fails on return.
- Enhanced parallel port on Docking Station not working.
- Easy Port parallel port locked in enhanced mode.
- System will not zerovolt suspend if battery fails.
- Screen corruption on zerovolt resume.
- Floppy light stays on with A/C adapter connected after drive access.
- Ring indicator does not block.
- Setup is corrupted on resume, from zerovolt suspend, if active.
- Singing mouse in setup after suspend/resume.
- Shimmering on TFT panels.
- Fuel gauge fails in setup on external monochrome CRT.
- Setup crashes 43 line mode text.
- Setup will not come up in UNIX.
- Mouse hangs in Windows after hibernation.
- Boot from floppy fails if hard drive is removed.
- Display blanks on resume if off at suspend.
- Resume on schedule blocks suspend in OS/2 and UNIX.
- OS/2 and UNIX video related problems.
- Extended ID returned wrong value when executing INT 15h function
C0h.
- System never slows down if serial mouse is used.
- Screen does not turn on again if blanked at battery low.
- Setup corrupted in high resolution graphics modes and external
monochrome CRT.
- Screen off on resume if video off at suspend.
- Windows not restoring mouse after suspend.
- Video occasionally registers memory as 256K instead of 512K RAM.