shadow memory

------------------------
Patrick Huss: Shadow memory.
------------------------
This is done in the Bios setup. ( you can access bios setup during
boot, before it loads any OS).

-----------------------
Index pulses: I asked about this.
-----------------------

I would like to know what the encoder Index pulse is used for, -
just any comments.
Also I would like to know if the EMC software uses it. ( it could
save me some time digging into the code )

Here is why:

The encoder index, may not be used. If I am not wrong, I came across
a system were the encoder index signal, - captured the count
registers on an encoder -"decoder" chip. - to another register set.
In such a case, you could have used the index during a probing on a
surface. Fred said that it would need hardware to capture this
counter.
I have just checked the Stg manual, etc. - and the decoder chip
don't have this feature, but it will generate an interrupt. If you
could act on this interrupt, and then read the counter registers, -
then maybe it could be useful after all.

------------------------
Fred Proctor: Have anyone used the 486 ?
------------------------

I am so sorry I don't have servo amps and motors ready yet, - but I
wondered about something.

Let say you run a stepper system on the par-port. You have the
pulses going out. Let say you wired these to an input line on the
same port. Would it be possible to make a small benchmark program ?

The thing is - if we could run something, - say reading the maximum
step rate the system could output, then we could collect a nice
benchmark table for all the various computers.

//ARNE