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My feed back on building the cMP transport as per cics manual

Hi all,

I learned much from cics manual and the postings on this forum. And I enjoy the cMP transport very much.
So I feel it’s about time to also contribute to this forum. Thus not only collecting info but also bringing some info.

On the software part I did all the XP optimizing as in cics manual. But I also added 2 extra and left one out.

-> Disabling the cd-rom autorun feature.
(tip from RME site)
With the autorun feature disabled it’s no problem to have a cd-rom installed in the PC transport (when the drive is powered separately by a second power supply). With the autorun feature disabled, the drive just sits there waiting quietly with no unwanted PCI-bus traffic every x seconds.
Go to the following registry items:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Cdrom\
Next, look towards the right side of the registry screen for "AutoRun" or "AutoPlay". Double click on this text then in the "value data" field, enter a "0" to disable Auto Insert Notification.

-> setting the PCI latency time for the soundcard.
(tip from Martin Walker, soundonsound)
In the bios the PCI latency time for the processor to pay attention to the PCI bus is raised to the max: 128.
When XP starts up, the driver of a PCI-device sets the time the PCI-device is allowed to transfer data over the PCI-bus. For the Julia card the PCI latency is set to 64.
You can check (and alter) these timings with tools from ESI pro
http://downloads.guru3d.com/PCI-Latency-Tool-3.1-v2-download-951.html
or with the tool from Mark Knutson:
http://www.mark-knutson.com/t3/_index.html
These tools also allow to cutback the time which other devices are allowed to transfer data on the PCI-bus (If there are any other on the PCI-bus)
I set the time which the soundcard is allowed for transferring data on the PCI-bus to max 248.
(may be 128 is enough. But video card manufactures tend to set there timings always to the max of 248. So I just copy their behavior without knowing if it is really necessary for a soundcard)

-> I don’t use the CPU EIST function.
Using the build-in drivers in XP, the EIST-function throttles CPU speed and Voltage according to processor load for saving energy and keeping the processor cool.
When al XP optimizations are done according too cics excellent manual, the DPE Latency checker reports a latency of only just 1 or 2 µs ! (on the GB-G31M-S2L mobo with no ESI Juli@ card and drivers installed yet).
Enabling the EIST function ads an extra 1 or 2 µs latency (according too the DPE Latency checker) With a passive CPU-cooler installed and having the processor under-clocked and under-volted, the processor stay’s cool in my setup (33 C / 92 F ) at a room temperature of 20 C / 68 F. So I see no reason for enabling the EIST function. Not using avoids the adding of an extra 1 or 2 µs latency. Sow I don’t use the EIST function. I disable the EIST-function in the BIOS and I also don’t use any XP energy–savings-policy’s. Thereby not using/activating the build-in XP-EIST-drivers.


So far on the software (XP) tuning part I did.
May be It’s good too state that I don’t know much about PC’s. Nor do I know much about electronics. So I’m not hindered for spreading nonsense by real knowledge. Sow may be cics can comment briefly on my post if there’s any nonsense in it , to prevent me from spreading ‘snake oil’ and ‘voodoo’ on this forum

ESI juli@ or LynxL22 dig i/o -> Lavry Black DA10 -> Mogami Gold -> Klein & Hummel O300


Edits: 02/18/09
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