This file contains up-to-date information which has not yet been incorporated in the user manual. THE CHECKMASK PROGRAM The CheckMask program, located on the FASTLANE disk, is also mentioned in the Controller Manual. This program checks the settings of the Mask and MaxTransfer values, if hard disks which are already RDB formatted are connected to Fastlane. If CheckMask does not find optimal values for Zorro-III operation on one or more partitions, then it will inform you and change the values on request. Start up CheckMask simply by double clicking on the icon. Please note that there are programs (e.g. GigaMem) that manipulate the Mask value settings, which can reduce the performance of the hard disk. These changes can be found with CheckMask and corrected. Please note, however, that GigaMem does require these manipulated values and will change the Mask values each time it is started. ADDITION TO SCSICONFIG2 Each time a device is partioned with SCSIConfig2, the program writes a mountlist file with all information necessary for manual mounting of the partitions. This can be helpful if by mistake the RDB of the harddrive containing this information is dleted or otherwise corrupted. By default, the information will be wirtten into the file "SCSIconfig.RDBStorage" in the directory SCSIConfig2 is located in. This filename and path as well as some other options can be changed in the tooltypes of the SCSIConfig2 icon. Each new installation of a device will result in a new entry in this file, which will contain SCSI unit number, device name and date of creation, and is appended to the old information; therefore, virtually any formatting information can be recovered if needed. ADDITION TO UNITCONTROL In the Special Menu of UnitControl there is an additional button marked FWC-Mode, which enables you to toggle between ON and OFF. If a hard disk supports FWC operating mode, this button will considerably increase performance during write access. The Controller communicates directly with the cache of the hard disk and transmits the management for the data sent via the bus. As the hard disk cache is used more efficiently you can expect an increase in speed with small data files in FWC-Mode. In CLI, UnitControl provides the new parameters FWCon and FWCoff for switching the FWC mode of operation on and off, for example, for automatically activating this mode in the start-up sequence. INSTALLATION OF THE CD ROM FILESYSTEM The installation batch of the CD ROM filesystem will copy only one of the autostart icons into your devs:dosdrivers directory. Three others are supplied in the CDRom/devs/dosdrivers directory of the Fastlane disk as examples for other possible configurations. PROBLEMS WITH OPERATION OF FASTLANE AND THE SERIAL INTERFACE Unfortunately, there are problems in using FASTLANE and the serial interface together on the AMIGA 4000's supplied to date. The A4000 motherboard does not correctly process and pass on the system interrupts and the Commodore serial interface did not come with cache, which means that transmission faults can occur during serial transmission and simultaneous hard disk access. THIS PROBLEM ALSO OCCURS WITH OTHER ZORRO-III DMA-CONTROLLERS. In systems with a Super Buster Custom Chip Version -09 this problem occurs more often and is more marked than in systems with a Buster of Version -11. Unfortunately there is no remedy for this problem. Should this problem occur we recommend avoiding hard disk access via the FASTLANE during serial transmission, especially by modem, and, for example, storing download data files in RAM or on the AT-drive. This may be the case with the Buster Chip Version -09 already at 19.2 KBaud. In operation with a Buster Version -11 the serial interface can normally be operated up to 38.4 KBaud for downloading to a hard disk connected to the FASTLANE. CONFIGURATION TO 192 (256) MByte RAM-OPTION The FASTLANE RAM-option can be reconfigured to either 192 or 256 MByte maximum configuration, whereby the address coding chip and the EPROM must be exchanged. Please note that after this exchange only 4 MByte and 16 MByte SIMMs can be used. Due to the insufficient availability of 16 MByte SIMMs, only the configuration level up to 192 MByte (3 banks of 16 MByte SIMMs) has so far been tested and we can, therefore, not guarantee the functioning of the 256 MByte configuration level. The 256 MByte exchange chip set can be obtained direct from our Support Services or from your dealer. INFORMATION ABOUT THE SUPER BUSTER CUSTOM CHIP From board Version 2.2 onwards (see underside of the Fastlane Controller) the Fastlane is fitted with an interface which, by using a new Super Buster Chip Version 11, allows an extremely fast bus transmission mode to be activated by software. Use the "Z3DMAControl" program located in the bin-directory on the Fastlane disk for this. Z3DMAControl knows two parameters: BUSTER09 and BUSTER11. By calling the program with the corresponding parameter the Fastlane DMA interface will be switched to the respective mode. Example: 1> Z3DMAControl BUSTER11 switches the Controller to fast transmission mode. 1> Z3DMAControl ? indicates the parameter which is permitted. +++++++ ATTENTION !!!! +++++++ The fast transmission mode MUST NEVER be activated if the AMIGA 4000 is not fitted with a Buster of Version 11. As the older Buster Chip of Version 09 does not function correctly in fast DMA operation, inevitably faulty transmissions will occur, which cause loss of data and destruction of the hard disk data. ONLY USE Z3DMACONTROL IF YOU ARE USING BUSTER VERSION 11 ! Naturally, you can call Z3DMAControl in the start-up sequence in the S:-directory, so that fast transmission mode is automatically activated on system start-up, if you have Buster 11. Older Fastlane Controllers (Version 2.1) do not have this automatic switching function but it can be added on later. The exchange chip set QUICKBUS can be obtained direct from our Support Service or from your dealer. ++++++ ADVICE +++++++ You will find the address and telephone number of your Support Service in the Fastlane Z3 Manual.