QBMCA
Anyone dealing around with MCA will sometimes have a problem with identifying an unknown adapter in a MCA-system.

Here you find my QBMCA-software which helps.


MCA Data-File to upgrade existing versions of QBMCA

75.712 bytes
1352 Adapters in List
(Release 20000117)


QBMCA Version 6.1 Rev. A (720K Multi-Lingual Version)

Microchannel Adapter Identification
275.287 bytes
1352 Adapters in List


QBMCA Version 6.1 Rev. A (Universal Version)
for use on 1.44"-disk and own DOS

Microchannel Adapter Identification
83.393 bytes
See instruction further below !


To unpack QBMCA (720KB Multi-Lingual Version):

All you need is an empty 3.5"-DD disk (720 K) and a disk-drive.
Click on the link above to transfer the packed image onto your system.
Start a new DOS-window, change into your download-directory, insert a free 720K-disk into drive A: and type

QBMCADSK A: /S

Continue on 'Handling and Precaution' further below


To unpack QBMCA (Universal Version) :

Download the file to your machine.

If you use Win95: finish Windows 95 and restart the machine with only the DOS-prompt (Press [F8] when 'Starting Windows95' appears on screen). Unpacking and modification will not work properly when you are only in a DOS-shell under Win95. The program will work - but the boot-function as a reference-disk will not !

Format a disk with your own DOS bootable and entirely

FORMAT A: /U /S [/F:720 or /F:1.44 may be used optional]

After finish formatting put the two files DEBUG and MODE from your DOS-directory on the disk. They are required for the modification.
Then change into your download directory and start the unpacking of the QBMCA image to your disk

QBMCAZIP -o A:

Change to A: and start the MODIFY.BAT file. Some modifications on the disk will be carried out and QBMCA is ready for use.

If you use a 1.44MB disk and the disk-drive on your machine is not fully functional, drive-type is lost or drive is accidently disabled, QBMCA will probably not load. That was the reason I put it on a 720K-disk, because there are better chances that a 720K-format will still be recognized.

In case the boot-sector of this disk is accidently read by DIR from Win95 and disk will not boot properly afterwards, just start the MODIFY.BAT on A: once again to fix this. Better leave the disk write-protected unless you wish to write a report-file on it (with modified QBMCA.PAR).


Handling and Precaution:

Remove the disk from your disk-drive and write-protect it.
Do not perform a DIR on this disk from WIN95 !
Windows 95 overwrites parts of the disk-header with its own informations. Reference-disks, Flash-BIOS updates and this QBMCA-disk may become unusable after that !

Insert the QBMCA-disk into your PS/2 system and restart it. Even if you already experiencing any kind of setup/configuration or IML-Error the disk loads and -after a while- displays the installed MCA-adapters and their 4-byte ADF strings.

Even if an adapter is not in the information file - its 4-Byte header will be displayed !

The QBMCA-disk will be recognized as a reference-disk and will boot under any known circumstance. That's the reason why it is put on a 720K-disk: most IBM PS/2 will boot a 720K-disk even if the disk-drive is defective or disabled in the setup during a mis-configuration or battery-error.

On newer PS/2-machines with IML-track and hidden reference-partition on fixed disk the QBMCA-disk opens the reference partition as drive C: after booting. The reference partition can then been serviced very easy.

A report-file or output-redirection to a printer can also been activated. Use any editor on QBMCA.PAR and change settings in the parameter-file.
The result looks something like that:

     DATUM : 17-01-2000    UHRZEIT : 17:01:00    REVISION : A

           M C A - R E A D E R   V E R S I O N  6 . 1 
         (C) 1994  by  Peter H. Wendt / PW-Software Prod.

   SLOT 1 = FCFF   IBM 2-8MB 80386 MEMORY EXPANSION OPTION
   SLOT 2 = FFFF   -- Freier Slot --
   SLOT 3 = FFFF   -- Freier Slot --
   SLOT 4 = 0F1F   ADAPTEC AHA-1640 SCSI HOST ADAPTER
   SLOT 5 = E001   IBM TR-ADAPTER 16/4 OR TR-ADAPTER 16/4 TRACE & P.
   SLOT 6 = FCF0   AT+C SERIAL-PARALLEL ADAPTER
   SLOT 7 = DFFA   IBM 1.2M 5.25 INCH DISKETTE DRIVE ADAPTER
   SLOT 8 = 8EFE   IBM PS/2 SCSI ADAPTER (16 BIT)


             Die Liste MCA.DAT enthält 1352 Einträge

Useful Hint

If you modify the QBMCA.PAR that you have the lines

result=prn
batchmode=1

activated, you can use the QBMCA-disk on a machine without a monitor or keyboard attached. Just plug in a printer and all results will be automatically printed. The program terminates after running and needs no further input from the user.



The QBMCA.PAR file contains some parameters, which enable the user to create a very individual version of QBMCA.

Parameters:

foreground=n {0 - 15} - main foreground color (0 = black)
background=n {0 - 15} - main background color (7 = white)
textzone1=n {0 - 15} - text1 color (15 = br.white)
textzone2=n {0 - 15} - text2 color (14 = br.yellow)
textzone3=n {0 - 15} - text3 color (15 = br.white)
background1=n {0 - 15} - background behind text1 (1 = blue)
background2=n {0 - 15} - background behind text2 (4 = red)
background3=n {0 - 15} - background behind text3 (3 = cyan)
attntext1=n {0 - 15} - text prompt1 color (15 = br.white)
attntext2=n {0 - 15} - text prompt2 color (14 = br.yellow)
attnback1=n {0 - 15} - backgr. behind prompt1 (4 = red)
attnback2=n {0 - 15} - backgr. behind prompt2 (4 = red)

result=x$ {x$=PRN, CON, LPTn x$=[drive:\path\filename.ext]}

batchmode=n {0 = prompted mode, 1 = no user prompt to finish}

language=nnn {001 = English, 049 = German}




Advantages of QBMCA

  • Recognizes 1352 Adapters by name
  • Displays any ID-string even from unknown adapters
  • Boots even on fully unconfigured systems
  • Adapters need not been configured at all
  • Hidden reference partition on newer PS/2 opened as C:
  • Some options can be change via ASCII-parameter file
  • Reports can be generated or printed directly
  • 720KB-format runs even on somewhat defective disk-drives
  • Adapterlist in ASCII-format and not included in code
  • QBMCA.EXE runs in DOS-boxes under WIN 3x, WIN95 and OS/2


Feel free to contact me to report errors, experiences,
missing adapters and their ADFs.
I'm collecting any ADF or entire option disks I can get.

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© 1997 by Peter H. Wendt / pw-software production