EzTrak DX Parameters

[hrhoward]

I have searched EzTrak on the forum and read a lot, but still can't find exactly what I think I need. I am working on an EzTrak DX that has been previously tinkered with by a computer repairman. It has a new motherboard and hard drive. The owner of the machine has gotten DOS 6.xx boot and EzTrak 3.5"s. On initial startup, after loading the EzTrak files, this message is displayed, "Insert Old System Disk To Transfer Sys Parameters". Since I do not have that disk I hit "Enter" and "SYS.BEZ not found, loading old Parameters" will be displayed. Then the BMDC counts down to "0", not loading, and the display will then say "Set Parameter (1) Failed. Error Setting Parameter 1". If I hit any key the system error - possible pointer error message is displayed.

What do I need to do? Do I need to reset the parameters? Help.

Thanks in advance.

[NC Cams]

You probably need to reload the O/S COMPLETELY.

If you don't have a SYS.BEZ, the machine doesn't get the info it needs regarding limits, type of machine, etc.

The BMDC control card used to "drive" the device is/was used (or at least variations of it were) in the VMC, the Ezpath lathe and/or the Extrak. Providing the BMDC is/was compatible, you could literally take a BMDC our of a VMC and plug and run it in your Eztrak.

How? By reading the system parameters, you "tell" the BMDC what it's running and what the other factors are needed to properly run the machine and off it goes.

The fact that a "computer tech" may have changed the M/B and perhaps the HDD tells plenty - you could have a LOT more problems staring you in the face that are unique to the Bridgeport that only a person familiar with the thing would be aware of.

REASON: Bridgeport did NOT design the software to read/use ANYTHING but a certain size HDD (my factory HDD was a type 47 and that's pretty much all that will work in it or one formatted in like size/fashion) .

Thus, if the HDD got changed, the HDD may be readable by Dos 6.xx and the M/B BUT, BUT the software won't know how/were to look for stuff if it "sees" anything BUT the HDD size that it was programed to see. This is a real problem. Some versions of the software will NOT run on Dos above 6.0 - our ver 7 Trak software seems to run fine on 6.22

More problems might be biting you in the BIOS. You can NOT use "LBA mode". You also need to turn "write to cache before exit" to ON. Otherwise, if you change a zero point on the machine, the machine may not update the SYS.BEZ file before you shut down and the next time you turn it on, zero won't be zero. THe software was created before LBA and the use of LBA scrambles data that the software writes to the HDD, especially the "look ahead" stuff.

The BMDC is pretty much all DOS. BUT it has it's quirks and the above are a couple that could bite you.

RE: duplicating/reloading the software = There is/was probably a program on your OLD HDD that would run a copy of the O/S and save it to FDD. Real helpful in backing up a proven, trouble free O/S. The program was MAKEDISK.BAT. If you have and run it from your old HDD, it should make you a backup install disk.

Options for no disk and no MAKEDISK.BAT on the HDD?

Pay (thru the nose) for an O/S disk from Hardinge or EMI. CAUTION: Version 5 is pretty good and bug free but no engraving. Version 6 had engraving and some other bugs and locked up regularly for us, There is a "beta" version 7 that is essentially bug free except you can't shut it down in metric as it scrambles the parameter files or some other dumb thing that will necessitate a reload. I've used all three versions and settled on ver 7 but won't let anyone use metric on my machine.

One more teeny tiny matter.

The new M/B can NOT be faster than 133mhz.

Anything faster and you could have booting and running problems. The folks at EMI (their engineers developed the BMDC at Bridgeport Controls) claim that the BMDC won't run/won't run properly on just any generic machine faster than 133mhz.

They claim/seem to have some proprietary mother boards that do/will run at >133mhz but the various chip sets on generic boards may cause conflicts/timing problems that will cause the generic stuff not to run. If you have a board faster than 133mhz, GET RID OF IT and find a slower one!!!!!

Another member had boot problems with a similar machine that had the BMDC and simply removing a Celeron/whatever rocket shop and replacing with a "dumpster dive" sourced slow one fixed EVERYTHING.

[machintek]

If it does not find the sys.bez file, it typically makes a new one that is generic.

Counting down to 0 means that the BMDC is not loading. Could be a software problem or a BMDC problem.

George

[NC Cams]

Check the M/B speed - do NOT exceed 133mhz.

Another 'Zone member had BMDC loading problems not unlike this after they installed a "new motherboard". Seems that the super fast newer model M/B's cause timing problems that prevent BMDC software from loading/running properly.

Simply using an old 486 m/b fixed his problem.

All the other stuff is simply "issues" to watch out for which we ran into when we "tuned up" our Extrak.

[hrhoward]

I'm going to replace the CMOS batt and try putting the old mother-board back in. A dead CMOS battery seems to be the initial problem according to the owner. Not kicking the computer repair man, he just did what he knew how to do. Replace parts with newer. That doesn't always work.
Thanks for the replies folks,

Heath