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FAQs

Question: Who should upgrade to the Optibit interface?

Answer: TDT’s new Optibit (Optical Gigabit) PC interface consists of a PCI card (PO5) that fits into the PC and one or more Optibit-to-zBUS interface modules (FO5) that fit into zBUS racks. Users considering an Optibit upgrade should answer the following questions:

• Are there any RX devices in the system?
• Is the system currently suffering from excessive noise or signal dropout?

Users that will see the most improvement from an Optibit upgrade are those with RXn systems. RXn users that upgrade will see increased throughput (up to 8x faster than the original gigabit interface) and reduced susceptibility to electromagnetic fields in noisy environments. RP2.1 or RA16 users may also consider the upgrade if their systems are suffering from excessive noise or signal dropout. However, if these issues are not present, the performance increases provided by the Optibit interface with the RP2.1 or RA16 modules may not outweigh the downtime incurred by the interface upgrade.

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Question: What revisions are included in the latest version of RPvds (v60) and how do they affect my decision to upgrade?

Answer: There are two changes you might want to consider before upgrading:

Files saved in v60 are not backward compatible--in some cases you will not be able to open these files on machines with older versions of RPvdsEx. This upgrade is recommended primarily for users who will be able to upgrade all workstations in their lab.

A new file structure simplifies design and file management. RCX files contain both the compiled RCO file and the graphic circuit design information. At this time, these files can only be used with ActiveX. An RCX compatible version of OpenEx will be available in the next few weeks. This upgrade is not recommended at this time for workstations actively using other TDT programs.

More information about all of the new v60 features and changes can be found at http://www.tdt.com/Sys3WebHelp/WhatsNew.htm

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Question: Why does the Erase button in RPProg disappear when I select the RXn device, however it is present for the RP2 or RA16 devices?

Answer: The Erase button is not needed for updating the microcode on the RXn devices. To update the microcode select the device and interface from the drop-down box in RPProg, then hold the ‘Mode’ button down until the ‘Firmware Blank’ appears on the front panel of the RXn device. After this follow the usual steps to program the device.

To the right, Rosemary Woods posed at her White House desk to demonstrate how a single move could erase the microcode on the RX devices.

For step by step instructions, see Updating the Microcode for High Performance Processors in the System 3 online help.