ArVid (tm) FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions). From: https://emanual.ru/download/819.html Archive: https://web.archive.org/web/20231126054940/https://emanual.ru/download/819.html Referred from: https://www.jacobfilipp.com/arvid/ eManual.ru - electronic documentation Document: ArVid (tm) FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) Status: freely distributed Last changes: August 9, 1997. Before you proceed to read further, both the ArVid documentation and this FAQ assume that the reader (you, thou :) has a certain understanding of terms such as IRQ, DMA, and the ability to rearrange jumpers on the board. Although not mandatory, ArVid works perfectly on factory settings. However, using the board on a machine with a single remaining free slot and an unexpected configuration may lead to conflicts with previously installed hardware. It should be noted that most answers to the FAQ are found in the documentation - give it a read. At the very least, avsetup.doc will save you a tremendous amount of time. Additionally, plenty of interesting and useful information is available in readme.doc and recommnd.doc files. This document was written by Alexey Kletsko (Alex Kletsko; 2:5020/269.29). The last version under his editorship was released on February 3, 1996. Further changes will be made by Mikhail Lavrentyev (Mikel Lavrentyev; Fidonet 2:5020/35; Internet mikel@arvid.ru). If you feel the need to correct or add any information, please write about it. The names ARVID(R) and ARVID(R) are registered trademarks of PO KSI. ===================================== What is ArVid, what is it actually about? Where can I buy ArVid? For which operating systems is the software written? Which VCR can be used with ArVid? What VCRs can you recommend? Will my VCR break from working with ArVid? Which tapes are best to use? What is the reliability of data storage on ArVid tapes? What is the reliability of ArVid itself? About the computer for ArVid in general What problems can arise with the motherboard? Incompatibilities with ArVid 1010 Incompatibilities with ArVid 1020 Incompatibilities with ArVid 1031 Incompatibilities with ArVid 1051/1052 Fundamental differences between models Where can I get new versions of software? ===================================== My VCR is not in the collection. What to do? When entering recording mode, the VCR turns off after 2-3 seconds. What is the "data ring test"? What is the "signal reception phase," and how do phases A and B differ? The tape table of contents is lost on the hard drive. What to do? DOS shell crashes when using arcview. What is the pinout for ArVid cables? How to connect to SCART? My board (1020) gets very hot. Is that bad? At the beginning of reading, a large number of errors are skipped. How to run ArVid-1020 software under Windows? How to run ArVid software under OS/2? How to make a full backup with long filenames? How does ArVid work in a local network? I have ideas about ArVid. Where to contact? Where can I get technical information on ArVid? I want to use ArVid as a vacuum cleaner... What is Arvid Audio? Other tapes are not readable on my VCR. What is "error probability," and what is considered normal? How can I improve reading quality? How to clean a VCR better? Can data be recorded on ArVid directly from a CD ROM? How to output the contents of *.tdr to a text file? How to easily view tape contents without a controller? How to connect VM, ArVid, and TV simultaneously? How is data integrity on tapes ensured? How much space on the tape is lost between recordings? Why does tape density drop when copying small files? Can tapes be copied directly from VCR to VCR? Why doesn't ArVid use signal color? What limitations are there on the number of files on a tape? Why doesn't Arvid use VM indexes for positioning? How is data compression done during archiving? Why don't deep subdirectories copy on the Netware server? How to perform sector-by-sector copying of a hard drive using ArVid? What information should be provided when detecting software errors? List of common malfunctions and methods of their elimination List of released models and plans for the future. ===================================== In compiling the FAQ, texts of letters from the su.hardw.support.arvid conference were used from the following people: (one of the developers of ArVid software) [AD] Andrey Danilenko, 2:5020/35.15 (developers of ArVid hardware) [VB] Vladimir Bezobrazov, 2:5020/35.15 [BL] Boris Larin, 2:5020/35.15 (authorized dealer, sales, and consultations) [ML] Mikel Lavrentyev, 2:5020/35 (users) [AK] Alex Kletsko, 2:5020/269.29; [AA] Alexander Amelkin, 2:5020/394.6; [DD] Dmitry Drobishevsky, 2:5100/22.8; [AG] Aleksey Gromak, 2:5020/18.28; [EK] Eugeny Kreewosheyew, 2:5020/518; [BB] Black Baron, 2:5020/379.14; [AS] Alexander Sergeev, 2:5030/168.40; ===================================== If you have additions to this FAQ, send them to Fidonet address: 2:5020/35; Internet: mikel@arvid.ru ===================================== What is ArVid, actually, all about? ArVid is simply a board inserted into a compatible IBM PC (ISA slot) and allows the use of a recording VCR or player as a streamer (no modifications to the VCR are required). Naturally, a cable connecting the board and the VCR is needed, as well as some software capable of informing the machine about an external device suitable for storing (writing/reading) information. All of this is, of course, sold as a package with the board. Almost any personal computer and VCR are suitable - in total, for a very small amount within $60-90 (including the cost of warranty), you can use a streamer capable of writing/reading something you need at speeds from 200 to 325 kilobytes per second, i.e., 12-20 megabytes per minute, from a cassette with a capacity of two to three and a half gigabytes. The Windows software has programmatic compression, allowing an average working speed increase from 300 to 500 kilobytes per second and a tape volume of up to 5 gigabytes (depending on data). In addition, the software created by the creators of ArVid, in terms of convenience and clarity, significantly surpasses all known backup programs. ([ML] this opinion is somewhat subjective and may be contested... :). In terms of appearance, the program's interface strongly resembles Norton Commander. ===================================== Where can I buy ArVid? /* I really want to answer "from me" :), so I leave this point almost unchanged in Alex Kletsko's edition. My comments are marked with asterisks. */ - Take Mobile and check the "Streamers" section. Unfortunately, the exUSSR belongs to countries with a long-standing tradition of a strong aversion to laws protecting intellectual property - (c). Therefore, there will always be craftsmen capable of rewriting the names of microchips from the board, quickly soldering them, and selling them at prices slightly below the KSU prices, as they (thieves) do not incur expenses for the development of software and equipment, nor do they complicate their lives with unnecessary pre-sale checks of cards. It is hardly worth complicating your life and turning the work with ArVid into a quest for glory just for $10. /* This applies only to models 1010 and 1020. Older models are based on a single-chip basis and are not copied by pirates. */. - If you want to buy ArVid from an authorized dealer in Moscow, call at (095)-916-1448 strictly from 13 to 18 on weekdays, ask for Mikhail Lavrentyev. - Call the company KSU itself - (095)-534-9418, wholesale on a non-cash basis - true, from there they will most likely refer you to the previous point. - Krasnoyarsk: (391-2)-29-0638 (answering machine), 21-1296 (from 10 to 22). Nikolay Malyshevsky, Andrey Yakimov. - St. Petersburg: (812)-540-8067, TBS Ltd. - Kiev: (044)-227-0302, from 9 to 17, Oleg Gerbich. - Rostov-on-Don: (863-2)-64-3309, from 10 to 24, Alexander Kotlyarov alexander@fido.rnd.runnet.ru, 2:5061/2.82@fidonet ===================================== Which VCRs can be used with ArVid? A detailed description of ArVid's operation with VCRs can be found in the avsetup.doc or readme.doc documentation files. In short: - A remote control is required - ArVid controls the VCR through it (practically all modern VCRs satisfy this requirement). - V ===================================== What tapes are best to use? If you don't suffer from pathological thriftiness, it's better to use good cassettes like BASF or Sony CD. It is strongly not recommended to use TDK tapes - despite their good _average_ error level, there are many segments with bursts of triple errors on the tapes, which can lead to the formation of unreadable fragments in the future. It makes little sense to buy very expensive professional-grade tapes - they only provide longer storage duration (which is generally good) and higher color reproduction quality (which ArVid doesn't need at all). Any comparisons of tapes are practically meaningless. The most general answer is to test the tape on your _specific_ device and observe the result. Notes on tape length: Video tapes are produced with different thicknesses, corresponding to cassette capacity: - Maximum for tapes up to 195 minutes inclusive - Average for tapes 210-260 minutes - Minimum for tapes 300 minutes Tapes with the minimum thickness should not be used at all. They are so thin that they can be easily damaged in the tape path of the tape recorder. Tapes of average thickness can be used for storing backups, i.e., for information that will not be accessed frequently. With _active_ use, such a tape can be damaged fairly quickly, with corresponding consequences. The most recommended tapes are those with the maximum film thickness, i.e., up to 195 minutes. It is also not recommended to use tapes that have been used before. The result is usually unpredictable. The number of correctable errors may increase (due to simply reusing the tape and its defects) or decrease if the overwrite was done only twice. By the way, this is generally good advice - for quality recording (not only with ArVid but in general), it is advisable to _erase a new_ tape on the same device you plan to use the tape on in the future. In this case, an optimal level of magnetization is ensured "over the entire layer." ===================================== What is the reliability of data storage on ArVid tapes? The first serial instances of ArVid were sold in 1992. To this day, everyone can read everything, and noticeable degradation (more than 15% increase in the number of errors correctable when reading) has not been observed (excluding TDK tapes - they do degrade). Reliability depends on the type of tape used. In general, it can be said that the reliability is noticeably higher than that of floppy disks. In favor of ArVid compared to other tape recorders (in terms of _reliability_ of storage), the following can be said. Storing data on magnetic tape always leads to errors, and all tape recorders deal with correcting them. I have not encountered any tape recorder whose software reported the level of these errors (and, therefore, the quality of the recording). ArVid always informs the user about the level of errors when reading. You can record the error level and compare it after a year. If it has not changed - this clearly speaks in favor of storage reliability. If the level has increased but the data can still be read - you can always rewrite the data until the error level rises to a critical level. ===================================== Will my tape recorder break from working with ArVid? ArVid is not some mystical device communicating with the tape recorder through an etheric plane. All commands are given through an LED and received by a photoreceptor. Accordingly, ArVid cannot perform any operations that are not inherent to the tape recorder initially. The main cycle of working with ArVid involves recording information and subsequently reading it, so the wear and tear on the mechanics are similar to those in such operations with films - recording, searching for the desired frame, and playback. ===================================== What is the reliability of ArVid itself? According to statistics collected by the repair department of KSI, about 4% of Model 1020 boards were returned for warranty repair, and less than 1% of Model 1031, 1051, 1052 boards. This statistic does not include minor repairs that the dealer (or buyer) can do independently, including: - Breaks and shorts in the cable - Replacement of LED AL107 - Selection of elements for the generator startup circuit ===================================== Key differences between models: All ArVid models were developed sequentially, so the list is compiled based on the principle of "differences from the previous model." Differences 1031 from 1020: - Works with the ISA bus through ports (not through DMA like 1020), meaning compatibility with any (theoretical) motherboards. - On-board 64kb of memory (reduced system response requirements to interrupts in multitasking mode, etc.) - Automatic adjustment of the reception phase (significantly simplifies setup during operation) - Much lower power consumption than 1020 (about 0.5W) (the board does not heat up at all) - Significantly smaller board size (1.5 times smaller than 1020) - A significantly smaller number of components (only 6 cases), imported and semi-imported (Latvia :) microchips, potentially higher reliability - Control of "data rings" during recording (immediate detection of unexpected failures in the computer-VM system). (This means that the board is able to determine a cable break or disconnection of the VCR directly during recording, enabling earlier diagnosis of recording process failures. On 1020, the connection of the VCR was checked only at the start of recording and was not tracked during the process.) - Due to working with the bus through ports, it became possible to work normally with Windows95 and Windows3.1, no specific configuration of DMA parameters and launching windows from ArVid is required. - The possibility of software switching of the VM line to the computer or TV, for which a special cable will be released in the future (model 1031k). - Minor hardware flaws of 1020 are eliminated, in particular, the LED no longer lights up immediately after turning on the computer. Differences 1051 from 1031: - Maximum copying speed 325kb/sec hardware - On-board 128kb of memory - Improved analog part (in 200kb/sec mode, the probability of failure is lower than that of 1031) - Two different phase adjustment mechanisms (critical for 325kb/sec) - A wider range of automatic phase search - 1051 is fully hardware compatible with 1031 and can emulate it. Differences 1052 from 1051: - 512kb buffer. THERE ARE NO OTHER DIFFERENCES 1052 from 1051. Reasons for increasing the memory size in model 1052: - Numerous requests to "put more memory!" - Difficulties in purchasing 41464 microchips (they have not been produced for a long time) - Practically the same price for 4x41464 and 512k SOJ All real reasons are not technical but economic. Of the technical reasons, only one can be named: - In Windows95, when the cache is flushed on the hard drive, Windows can block _all_ interrupts for 0.5-0.7 seconds. In this case, the data flow from ArVid is interrupted accordingly. A 512kb buffer compensates for the absence of interrupts for up to 1.2 seconds in 325kb/sec mode. However, specifically conducted testing of the 1051 model with a 128kb buffer under heavy disk system load practically did not reveal such long interruptions (two failures of 0.5 seconds each in half an hour of operation). This, of course, applies to software under Windows. DOS software running in a Windows95 window, under heavy disk system and/or processor load, skips frames with all models. ===================================== The tape table of contents is missing on the hard drive. What to do? First, try restoring the table of contents from the shell. If this operation fails (for any reason), use the program avrecover. Notes on tape formats: Avrecover for DOS restores tapes recorded with software for DOS version 3.22 and later. Earlier versions did not record additional information on the tape necessary for this. It is recommended to periodically save the table of contents to a floppy disk and keep the floppy disk near the tape. This is especially relevant for tapes with backups, as restoring the table of contents is not a very quick procedure. ===================================== DOS shell crashes when using arcview. If viewing files in zip archives from the DOS shell of Arvid (for example, with the arcview program), then after pressing Esc twice, the program crashes with the message "unhandled exception xx at address xxxx:xxxx." The zip archiver (more precisely, its unpacking part - pkunzip) does not work correctly with the Borland DPMI server. Disable the use of 32-bit DPMI by zip with the command (in autoexec.bat or arvid.bat): set pkunzip= -) ===================================== Other tapes are not readable on my VCR. It may happen that this tape is read with a very large number of errors in your favorite phase, along with your tapes. Try changing the phase with the gray keys +/- during initialization. Or (which is much better and correct) adjust the optimal phase using the "select optimal phase" option in the avsetup program. This situation is almost non-existent when using Arvid 1031 and later, which have automatic reception phase adjustment. ===================================== My VCR model is not listed in the application. What to do? In .vcr, there are two blocks of data. The first one is the commands of the infrared remote control. The second one is the speeds of switching modes and tape rewinding. In general, the infrared commands usually match for VCRs of the same brand. Switching speeds only coincide for VCRs developed based on the same model of the tape transport mechanism. Start by using the settings from any VCR of the same manufacturer, and start working. If Arvid does not loop during information search (for example, during recording), then this .vcr can be used. If you are not satisfied with the accuracy of hits during rewinds, or if .vcr does not work at all, you will need to perform a full VCR test. Read avsetup.doc and follow its instructions. Note that the full avsetup cycle takes a minimum of about three hours. The avsetup utility is only available in the DOS software package. If you only have OS/2 on an HPFS partition or Windows NT on an NTFS partition, you will need to create a bootable DOS floppy disk with a virtual disk size of 5-7 megabytes and install DOS software on the virtual disk. After completing the setup procedure, you will need to copy the resulting .vcr to a floppy disk for transfer to the hard drive. If you have made settings for a VCR not in the collection, please send it, if possible, to expand the collection. Email address: Fidonet: 2:5020/35; Internet: mikel@arvid.ru ===================================== What is the pinout for Arvid cables? How to connect to SCART? For working with Arvid, you can use any shielded cable (such as RK-75) up to 20 meters long. When using different Arvids, problems with incompatibility between one board and the cable from another may arise. In the cables.txt file, included in the standard delivery of Arvid software for DOS, there are descriptions of cables produced for different models and submodels of Arvid controllers in the 10xx series. Reasons for different cables: - Before the appearance of Arvid 1020.02 (what is now sold as 1020), a special cable had to be made for Panasonic P0x series (P01, P03, P04, P07); now the filter for these models is on the board itself. - The latest versions of cables are easier to extend if necessary. To connect Arvid to a VCR with SCART, you will need to solder the connector yourself. The contact numbers are as follows: 18 - common 19 - output (video) 20 - input (video) The complete pinout of the SCART connector is provided in the scart.txt file included in the documentation package. ===================================== My board (1020) is very hot. Is that bad? Due to the design features, the 1020 model board consumes about 8 watts, and some microcircuits can heat up significantly. This does not affect the operation of the board itself. However, rare cases of overheating of other boards by Arvid to an inoperative state have been noted. This happens due to insufficient ventilation of the case or saturation of the computer with other heat-generating components. In case of overheating, it is recommended to move Arvid 1020 to a slot closer to the power supply or maximize its distance from other boards. Models 1031 and later consume no more than 0.5 watts and practically do not heat up. ===================================== At the beginning of reading, a large number of errors occur. Two cases with fundamentally different causes of errors need to be considered here. If the length of the section with errors is small (1-3 seconds), and the very first block may not be read at all, then the reason is as follows: some VCR models, after starting recording, do not have time to stabilize the tape speed, which leads to a large number of errors during reading. In this case, you need to run the avvcr program and increase the parameter "Number of empty frames before recording" by 20-50 frames. This parameter may not be well tracked by the avsetup program (for technical reasons). If the length of the section with an increased level of errors is 10-15 seconds, then the reason is as follows: this recording section is made over the old recording (specifically over the old table of contents), and it is erased not by the erasing head, but by the recording head, which does it less qualitatively. Visually, on the TV, you can see scrolling interference (usually colored, red-blue). Since this happens on the VCR side, the number of errors does not depend on Arvid and its settings. Recommendations: clean the video head of the VCR or try to choose a cassette brand where this effect will be less pronounced. The latter advice is quite realistic—cassettes have different sensitivity to demagnetization. ===================================== How to run the Arvid-1020 software under Windows? Windows v3.1/v3.11: Run it as an ordinary DOS task. If it doesn't work immediately, then - check if you have the line SetDMABufferSize=64 (or more) in the [386enh] section in system.ini. - create a PIF for startup, where mark: lock application memory [x] Windows 95: - install the varvid.386 driver according to the instructions that come with it. The varvid1b.zip archive can be obtained from the support BBS, on the Internet website (www.arvid.ru). Currently, the varvid1b.zip archive is distributed on distribution disks as part of Arvid, in the addendum directory. Warning: this driver does not work on Windows 95 installed on top of Windows v3.1/v3.11. Install Windows 95 in a separate directory. Windows NT: Unfortunately, DOS software does not work under Windows NT. Windows NT does not provide access to hardware for DOS tasks. ===================================== How to run the Arvid software under OS/2? First of all, disable fast disk access (absent in software version 3.90 and later). Here are two practical tips from different users: 1. [AK] - install version 3.40 (or later) if you don't have it yet. - DOS box parameters: DOS_HIGH=1 DOS_UMB=1 HW_TIMER=0 SESSION_PRIORITY=16 COM_DIRECT_ACCESS=1 EMS_MEMORY_LIMIT=3096 It is possible that data will be read in two passes if the disk is busy with a background task. 2. [AG] Remove tame, idle by default (0/75), session_priority=5 (to taste), allocate all memory except 2-4mb DPMI. ===================================== How to make a full backup with long filenames? Software for Windows95/WindowsNT copies and restores long filenames and other extended attributes. Software for OS/2 (its implemented part) also works normally with long names and extended attributes. Software for DOS with long filenames does not work. Here are some ways to solve the problem: for OS/2: - Before resetting, pack the directory with a version of the archiver that understands long names and extended attributes. It is reliably known about the existence of zip (info-zip) and rar (rar for Windows) archivers supporting long names. for Windows95: - Similar advice regarding archivers, only for Windows32; - You can use the doslfnbk v1.6 program, which can collect information about long filenames into an archive, and then restore it to disk. You can get the program from the support BBS, on the Internet website (www.arvid.ru). Currently, the doslfn16.zip archive is distributed on distribution disks as part of Arvid, in the addendum directory. ===================================== How does Arvid work in a local network? Arvid's software allows recording from any network drives, just like from local ones. If the network does not provide the necessary bandwidth, then: when transferring disk -> tape, the tape density will drop, and, accordingly, the volume of data on the tape; when transferring tape -> disk, Arvid will make constant rollbacks, but will restore the data. Working with Arvid installed on a server from a workstation is not implemented. ===================================== I have ideas about Arvid. Where should I go? In Fidonet, there is an echo conference called su.hardw.support.arvid. In addition to a large number of people who have bought Arvid and are ready to hear your thoughts and share their own, developers will also hear and consider your wishes. Reasonable wishes will be implemented in future versions of the software whenever possible. A list of identified errors and implementation wishes is published in this FAQ. If you wish, you can write to the developers themselves by netmail at Fidonet address: 2:5020/35.15. ===================================== Where can I get technical information about Arvid? Technical information about Arvid is distributed with the software package. In particular, there is the following information: In the DOS software package, in the arviddocadvanced directory: - description of registers of controllers 1031/1051/1052 (lower hardware level); - diagrams of controllers 1031 and 1052 (excluding crystal diagrams) in HPGL format; - schematic diagrams of cables for all models (including the switch); - description of tape format tables (tdr/avt); - complete description of the SCART connector; - recommendations from Arvid Audio developer; In the Windows95/WindowsNT software package, in the arvidadvanced directory: - description of the lower-level software API under Windows32; - description of the upper-level software API under Windows32; - description of errors that occur when working with tapes; The hardware description of models 1010 and 1020 is not published. ===================================== I want to use Arvid as a vacuum cleaner... Arvid is a relatively expensive (both in terms of time and money) product. The fact that it is produced by a Russian company does not mean that its creators aim to turn it into a super device capable of performing all possible functions - playing digitized sound, acting as an mpeg controller, a frame grabber, etc. It is a streaming board (and will never be anything more) and should not be expected to perform functions not inherent to it. The board has an open API. If you have the desire, you can write additional programs yourself (see in this document). Nevertheless, a program called Arvid Audio was written by an external developer, allowing the use of Arvid and a sound card as a digital audio cassette recorder. Details on its use can be found in its documentation. You can get the program from the support BBS, on the Internet website (www.arvid.ru). Currently, the Arvid Audio archive is distributed on distribution disks as part of Arvid, in the addendum directory. ===================================== Where can I get new versions of the software? - on the Internet: http://www.arvid.ru; - in Moscow: Arvid Support BBS, (095)-534-9418, from 8 pm to 8 am; Fidonet: 2:5020/35.15 - in St. Petersburg: (812)-540-9340, from 9 pm to 8 am; Fidonet: 2:5030/219.40 - new versions are sent via the xHrdArvid file echo. - if you cannot download the software via modem, contact the dealers; ===================================== What is 'error probability,' and what is considered normal? Error probability (failure probability) is the ratio of the number of corrected bits to the total number read. Normal for software is a failure probability less than 100*e-6. On average, different VCRs give a failure probability of less than 30*e-6. Some high-quality devices can give a probability of 1-2. A failure probability of less than 10 can be considered an ideal case, and it should not be paid attention to. From 10 to 50 is a good option. If the probability is higher, try cleaning the heads or choosing the tape type. Arvid can read the tape with a failure probability of about 1000*e-6, although probably not in a single pass. Such a recording cannot be considered reliable, although reading does occur. ===================================== Can data be recorded on Arvid directly from a CD-ROM? Yes, of course. It is highly desirable to do this from a drive with a data transfer rate of more than 300 kb/s (2x speed). To increase the tape density, it is recommended to set a buffer for working with the CD-ROM to a sufficiently large value: - When working under DOS, it is best to simply give the maximum possible memory to mscdex (leaving a minimum of 3M memory for Arvid). Example mscdex command line: mscdex.exe /d:mscd001 /m:100 /v /e. The /m:x key specifies the size of memory in some blocks. It is better to experimentally determine the size. - When working under Windows95: Control Panel -> System -> Performance -> File System -> CD-ROM -> Quad-speed. ===================================== How to output the contents of the table of contents to a text file? The standard package includes the avcomstr program. Run it from the command line as follows (example): avcomstr.bat dir _tape1: /s /ftape1.txt In the file tape1.txt, you will get a list of files contained on the tape tape1. ===================================== How to easily view tape contents without the controller? For DOS version: Run avshell.bat instead of arvid.bat and use the menu item "load tape contents." For Windows version: Arvid for Windows starts without the board in demonstration mode, allowing you to view tape contents. ===================================== How to connect the VCR, Arvid, and TV simultaneously? The following options are possible: - Connect the TV via the RF channel. Accordingly, it will not interfere. - If the TV has both input and output, connect it "in series" before Arvid. That is, the VCR's video output to the TV, the TV's output to Arvid's input. The downside is that the TV needs to be turned on to work with Arvid. - Buy a standard video RF signal splitter. The downside is that ready-made devices of this kind are quite expensive (approximately $40). - For Arvid models 1031k, 1051, 1052, you can buy an input/output switch, which will switch contacts when starting software. The switch comes with a 10-meter cable and is designed to be located next to the TV. ===================================== How is data integrity ensured on tapes? [AD, ML] Arvid developers took into account that the quality of VCR tapes is worse than the quality of tapes commonly used in streamers (more precisely, in Russia, the number of bad tapes is simply astonishing :). Therefore, Arvid uses more powerful error-resistant coding than usual. The used "Reed-Solomon code with interleaving" allows not only detecting but also correcting any three erroneous bytes in the code group. That is, "loss" of up to 450 bytes in a row is corrected. The presence of errors with a multiple of more than 3 in the code group is detected with a probability of 0.9995. Since data on the tape usually disappears in a row or group of rows, the data is interleaved byte by byte within the frame before recording. After the frame is restored, the dropped row turns into a set of individual errors, which are easily restored by the Reed-Solomon code. But that's not all. The error missed by the code is detected at the stage of checking the 32-bit cyclic redundancy check (CRC32), which is calculated for every 512 bytes of information during recording. Experience shows that such a margin is enough for reliable storage of information recorded on any brand of videocassettes. If this is not enough for you, you can archive the information before resetting to the tape - the archiver will add another checksum. ===================================== How much space on the tape is lost in between recordings? [ML] Approximately 5 seconds (1-1.5 megabytes) are lost. The information on the tape is written as follows: DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD|*****|DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD|********|OOO|............ previous recording |5 sec| last recording | 12 sec | - |blank tape O - table of contents D - data * - protective gap The next recording will be made approximately in the middle of the protective gap after the last recording. Therefore, to minimize tape losses, it is better to write to the tape in large data blocks. ===================================== Is it possible to copy tapes from one VCR to another? [ML] Analog duplication is possible. In this case, it is necessary to use sufficiently high-quality equipment. The estimated error probability level in the resulting copy can be calculated by the following formula: K = VR*10 + VP, where VR - the probability of a failure in recording made digitally on the VCR making the copy, VP - respectively, the one playing it back. Example (specific): Reading from Sony P52EE, probability of failure (single error) 20*e-6, recording on Philips VR201, probability of failure 2*e-6 K = 2*20 + 10 = 50*e-6 Actually slightly less - about 30*e-6 Reverse example: Reading from Philips VR201, probability of failure 2*e-6, recording on Sony P52EE, probability of failure 20*e-6 The copy turned out with an error probability of approximately 250-300*e-6, which is slightly higher than the formula would suggest, but of the same order of magnitude. ===================================== Why doesn't ArVid use color signal? [BL] In the chromatic system of commercial television, the color signal is allocated a bandwidth 3-5 times larger than that for brightness, but that's not the only issue. In the VHS standard, these signals are separated and recorded on the tape directly, without frequency modulation (as in the case of the brightness signal), entering the low-frequency range, significantly reducing playback reliability. Because of this, during copying of films, color is the first to suffer, which is addressed in expensive tapes by improving transmission in the low-frequency range. Additionally, many VCRs differentiate between black and white recording and color recording, expanding the frequency band for the brightness signal. So, using color (and the audio channel) for information transmission only adds to the cost of the product and hardly increases the transmission speed. ===================================== What are the limitations on the number of files on the tape? The .tdr table of contents format is designed for 65,000 files. There are no physical size limitations, considering descriptions. When the number of files reaches 65,000 on the tape, the software will prevent any further recording. The .avt table of contents format has no real limitations. ===================================== Why doesn't Arvid use VM indexes for positioning? [AD] The very first Arvids (Arvid-600 model) used only index search. However, they were initially designed only for VCR models Toshiba VS-109CZ, which happened to be in the KSI due to a certain batch. The index search there was quite reliable. The only limitation was that the recording length should not be less than a minute (everywhere - closer marks simply would not be recognized as separate). In general, everything worked quite well. But with the transition to support _different_ models, it had to be completely abandoned for several reasons: - absence of indexes on most VCRs; - unstable recognition of indexes on many VCRs where they exist; - various control schemes for index search on different VCRs (usually, you can rewind no more than 10 recordings at a time). In general, it was a very successful idea for household use on a specific VCR (where 2-3 segments of large length are recorded) and completely inconsistent with the overall Arvid control scheme (where there can be dozens of small recordings). ===================================== How is data compression done during archiving? As of now, KSI has settled on implementing data compression during recording, based on an lzm-class algorithm - not the most efficient, but quite fast. Compression is only possible in software under Windows95/WindowsNT, in the avt tape format. DOS version software older than 3.90 performs decompression of data but does not compress it (for technical reasons). ===================================== Why aren't deep subdirectories copied on the Netware server? [AK] For some time, users (Novell Netware 3.12 network) started creating directories in Windows with nesting deeper than 60 characters, which DOS cannot copy. Fixing the problem: Insert a brilliant :) line in autoexec.ncf: set maximum subdirectory tree depth = 10 ===================================== Incompatibility with Arvid 1010 The original Arvid model 1010 practically doesn't work on most motherboards for the Pentium processor. Modification is done by KSI specialists for an additional fee. Detailed information on incompatibilities with model 1010 is not collected. Incompatibility with Arvid 1020 As stated in trouble.lst in the supplied documentation, due to errors in the implementation of the 16-bit DMA controller on some motherboards, Arvid 1020 does not work or works unstably: PC-CHIPS CHIP 5/6 (motherboards M321, M396F) CDCOM International (sticker on PC-CHIPS 5/6) PC-CHIPS CHIP 11/12 UMC UM82С48x/UM82C49x, where x - number ALI M1419 CITYGATE D110-014/KS83C206Q FOREX FRX46C521A (possibly a forgery under FOREX) CONTAQ 82c596 and 82c206 Intel with chips: S82426EX and 425 on the motherboard PVI-486AP4 (usually, these are Intel Champion platforms) Intel, if the board has a PCI bus (depends on the specific set of microcircuits, early boards with P5 only contained Intel chips and work normally with them) If you have an OPTI chipset, you may experience DMA problems due to incorrect BIOS settings. Try running ARVID20.EXE with the -o switch. According to our users, this can help on OPTI 895,822,602 chipsets. If you have any puzzled remarks about the compatibility of products from brand-name manufacturers with the creation of Zelenograd craftsmen, I can say that in some cases, sb16 (sb awe32, etc. - i.e., boards using a 16-bit word, not just a byte, DMA channel) will not work on all the listed boards. With the Intel TritonII chipset (i430vx, i430hx), the following problem arises: Arvid tests pass normally, but there is no reading of the recorded information. At the same time, tape positioning and recording proceed normally. Here's a letter from the developers of the Arvid hardware regarding this issue: ---------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Vladimir Bezobrazov 2:5020/35.15 12 Sep 96 15:48:14 Subject: Arvid 1020 & 430VX/HX ---------------------------------------------------------------------- The results of the study of the behavior of 1020 on two Triton boards (430VX & 430HX) provided to us by Pavel Imenitov turned out to be discouraging :(( The problem is as follows - when exchanging block DMA _for reading_ after receiving the penultimate word and removing our DRQ signal (as it should be in block exchange), the Triton motherboard sometimes (once every 10-100 exchanges) immediately removes the DACK signal without performing the remaining IOR. This leads to chewing and compression of useful information in memory - it cannot be fixed programmatically :( Moreover, writing works like clockwork - IOW always stands after DRQ, like a young one :), so the formation of IK control and issuing information to the VCR are done perfectly. Single DMA exchanges also go well - so this defect is not observed on the Sound Blaster. Presumably, this defect is not related to the chipset crystals themselves, but to incorrect settings by their award-winning BIOS, although it has not been possible to check this yet. A similar situation occurred earlier with the ALI1429 chipset, though in reverse - there, after removing DRQ, not one, but two exchanges by IOR or IOW were sometimes performed, and it was cured by setting a higher polling frequency in the setup. Here, for the ISA DMA bus, it is impossible to set any parameters :( ---------------------------------------------------------------------- At the moment, you can solve the problem in the following ways: - If your motherboard's BIOS setup has the "Passive Release" option, set it to "Off." - Before launching Arvid, run the triton2.com program. Essentially, it will do the same - turn off Passive Release. The program can be obtained from the support BBS, on the Internet site (www.arvid.ru). Currently, the triton2.zip archive is distributed on distribution disks with the Arvid kit, in the addendum directory. (see link *1) Unfortunately, it is practically impossible to determine the compatibility of Arvid with your motherboard in advance (unless it belongs to those mentioned in this document). Therefore, when buying Arvid 1020, ask the seller in advance for a week to check compatibility, with the possibility of a return. When working with the AMD dx4-120 SV8B processor, the software issues a "memory controller error" message. If you have puzzled remarks about the incompatibility of brand-name products with the creation of Zelenograd craftsmen, I can say that in some cases, sb16 (sb awe32, etc. - i.e., boards using a 16-bit word, not just a byte, DMA channel) will not work on all the listed boards. The cause is as follows: AMD dx4-120 SV8B uses an internal cache with WriteBack, while previous processors used WriteThrough. For the correct operation of devices with DMA (this applies not only to Arvid-1020 but also to disk drives) in this case, it is necessary for the chipset to be able to work with the WriteBack cache. This is achieved differently on different motherboards: - Manipulating jumpers; - Changing the BIOS; - Changing the motherboard to one that supports the WriteBack internal cache of the processor; - Changing Arvid to another model (that works not through DMA). However, the last option does not lead to the restoration of normal operation of disk drives, which are sometimes also needed. You can check as follows - disable Internal Cache in the BIOS. This will significantly slow down the machine, but Arvid 1020 should start working. ===================================== Incompatibility with Arvid 1031 At present, no hardware incompatibilities with Arvid 1031 have been identified. ===================================== Incompatibility with Arvid 1051/1052 On some motherboards with the TritonI and TritonII chipset (i430fx, i430vx, i430hx, i430tx), the following problem arises: Arvid works, but when reading from the tape, there are many errors (double and triple errors). You can solve the problem in the following ways: - If there is a "16-bit I/O recovery time" option in your motherboard's BIOS setup, set it to "4." - Before launching Arvid, run the i430iort.com program. Essentially, it will do the same - enable IORT=4. The program can be obtained from the support BBS, on the Internet site (www.arvid.ru). Currently, the i430iort.zip archive is distributed on distribution disks with the Arvid kit, in the addendum directory. Currently (starting with version v1.12.014), the software for Windows95 and Windows NT sets this option by default. If you have a Matrox Millennium video card and reading at a speed of 325kb/sec works poorly (at a normally working speed of 200 kb/sec), disable the following option in the Matrox driver: [ ] Use automatic PCI bus retries This advice is purely practical, sent by one of the users. No explanations have been found yet. ===================================== What is Arvid Audio? Brief excerpts from the Arvid Audio documentation: Arvid Audio, Copyright (c)1996-97 Slava Gostrenko Requires Arvid 1031 (1051, 1052) & Sound Blaster SB16 Limited support for GUS, ESS, WSS SB - Arvid Sound Recording Arvid - SB Playback .WAV - Arvid Digital Sound Recording CD - Arvid Direct Digital Recording CD quality: 44.1 kHz 16 bit stereo Origin: http://sunny.aha.ru/~gw/ You are offered a set of programs for using the Arvid 1031 (1051, 1052) complex and the Sound Blaster SB16 as a digital audio recorder. The kit includes 4 programs. AVRecord - for recording from the sound blaster to Arvid, Wav2AV - for recording from a .WAV file to Arvid, AVPlayer - for playing back recorded sound, CD2AV - for direct digital recording from a CD. There are also versions of all programs for operation in DOS protected mode (DPMI - DOS Protected Mode Interface) for use in case of a shortage of conventional memory (DOS memory below 640k). About system time and other IRQ. I must note that the programs in this kit behave quite aggressively in terms of taking up processor computational resources. This is because all data processing required for sound to pass between the sound card and Arvid is done in the IRQ handlers from the sound card and Arvid. This is done because any operating system must deliver IRQs to tasks hung on them more reliably than it can give these tasks their allotted time slices. When the program was built on the principle of polling in the main loop sequentially data/readiness from Arvid and the sound card, when launched in the background under DOS, the result was quite dismal - the task periodically froze for such a long time that there was a break in the data stream, from which no buffers - neither the sound card's nor Arvid's - saved. After transferring the main data processing to IRQs, everything started working normally, although DOS still manages not to give IRQs in some conditions - but so far, I can't come up with anything. But at least playing music in the background and doing something not very resource-intensive (for example, reading email) is quite possible. A small note about error correction. When testing recording in LP mode on the SONY SLV-436EE VCR, it was found that if the VCR is allowed to stand in the off state for some time (several hours), then immediately after turning it on, there is an extremely high level of errors during playback, which my code cannot handle. But after a few minutes (from 5 to 10), the VCR "warms up," and everything becomes normal. During recording in SP mode, everything was normal. It was also noticed that by default, this VCR does not always perform automatic tracking adjustment. So, if you click the auto-tracking switch, the error level can decrease from 2 to 4 times. If your VCR displays any picture on the screen, such as the tape counter, then the error correction code usually has enough to prevent fatal failures, but the sound will crackle. The error level in this case is usually several thousand. Give your VCR a command to stop showing extra pictures. All programs require a sound card to operate. Even if recording is done from a WAV file or in digital form from a CD, simultaneous playback to the sound card is performed for time synchronization of the entire process. In all cases, except for recording from an 8-bit WAV file, programs require a Sound Blaster SB16. Note - not, say, SB Pro, but specifically SB16, as this is the first card in the Sound Blaster line that has the ability to play 16-bit sound. The "analog" recording program also requires SB16 (or a DigPak driver that supports recording mode) since digitization is done in 16-bit stereo 44100 Hz format. List of released models and future plans. List of already released models: - 1010, ISA, 100kb/sec, 4kb RAM - 1020, ISA, 200kb/sec, no RAM - 1031, ISA, 200kb/sec, 64kb RAM - 1051, ISA, 325kb/sec, 128kb RAM - 1052, ISA, 325kb/sec, 512kb RAM Currently, only model 1052 is in production, and the others have been discontinued. In the future, there is a desire to release a model similar to 1052 but on the PCI bus. The challenges of its production are more economic than technical. Manufacturing it using the current technology would be too expensive for the retail buyer. If it can be made on an existing serial crystal, it will be put into production. However, it's not certain that this will happen at all. Prospects for increasing speed/density/volume of recording are practically zero - 325kb/sec is the maximum for household VCRs. --- How to make a sector-by-sector copy of a hard drive using Arvid? Part of FAQ. Version 0.95a from May 1997. Theory. How to insure yourself or copy a drive without problems? Clearly, only those who have never had Arvid can afford not to make backup copies. All Arvid owners use the opportunity to make a copy of their information to some extent. There are two different options for creating backup copies: 1. File-by-file disk dump. 2. Dumping a disk image. 1. File-by-file disk dump. In this case, the existing files on the disk are sent to the cassette and back. Initially, Arvid's software solves this task. Advantages of the method: a) You can make a copy of only the part of files that is needed. For example, if only job*.* is constantly changing on your disk, only that needs to be dumped to tape. b) Consequence of a). The backup volume does not depend on the size of the disk. If 20mb is occupied or changed on a 2Gb disk, only these 20mb will be copied. c) File integrity, ability to replicate at the file level. :) Disadvantages are as follows: a) In the event of a crash of the entire file structure until the installation of the basic operating system and Arvid software (which is about one to two hours, for example, for win95), the entire effect of the recently made backup is completely imperceptible. Moreover, the basic operating system (i.e., the one through which Arvid works) must love and know Arvid. At the moment, this is only DOS or a DOS session. For Arvid 1031 & 1052, in addition, WIN95 & OS/2. For 1010 - UNIX (not written in KSI, works only for reading). b) Portability of Long Names and Russian names. A complex problem caused by the initial orientation to DOS. DOS software does not want to understand long names, neither WIN95 nor anything else. There is no talk about the format of UNIX data. But you still want to work, so various ways are invented. They install DOSLFN10.zip. They pack Russian names with WINRAR into RUS_NAME.RAR, and then put this RUS_NAME on tape. c) Swap, shared, and similar files cannot be dumped. 2. Disk image dump. This procedure is directly opposite to the first method. ALL sectors of the hard drive are copied to the tape. Advantages: a) Allows restoring the hard drive with "byte accuracy." b) It is possible to make a backup of a hard drive with DOS+UNIX+OS/2+NETWARE all at once, and they (UNIX, etc.) will not notice it. c) Problems with LONG NAMES and the like disappear in principle because the work is done not at the logical level but at the physical level. d) If everything is done from DOS (and that's what I'm writing about), the method works on any model of Arvid, up to 1010 :). Drawbacks follow from the advantages: a) You need to back up EVERYTHING, regardless of whether it is needed or not. b) The dumped image must be made either on the same or on a completely identical drive in terms of geometry. PRACTICE. RAWDISK, Backup Warrior. User Guide. Before you continue reading, get the files from the distribution disk (on BBS support, on www, from a friend, from the author, from me, etc.): BWAR-A2.ZIP - BackUp Warrior (Author - Alex Ermolovich, 2:5020/747.4) RAWDISK.ZIP - RawDisk (Author - some German ;) Juergen Prang (prang@du9ds4.fb9dv.uni-duisburg.de) What are these? These are programs that help pretend to be files, things that are not files :) Specifically: BackUp Warrior allows you to pretend to be a file of any Head of any Cyl of the hard drive. RAWDISK allows you to pretend to be a disk with one file for any interval set of Cyl. Further exposition is carried out using the example of RawDisk. Reasons: - BackUp Warrior has Russian documentation text, RawDisk does not have it (yet ;)) - RawDisk, imho, is more convenient. RAWDISK is loaded into CONFIG.SYS like this: DEVICE=c:drvrawdisk.sys /dr=1 /hd=15 /se=63 /sc=195 /ec=1000 where: /dr: 0-Master or 1-Slave IDE HDD, regarding SECONDARY IDE information, alas, I do not have it, and I have not tried it myself. /sc: starting cylinder (0..1023) /ec: ending cylinder (0..1023) /hd: number of heads (0..63) /se: number of sectors per track (0..63) After that, a disk is created, with the name following the last one in your system. This disk contains ONE file named RAWDISK.DAT. And this file contains sectors of tracks from /sc to /ec. Clear? It is enough to create calls to RAWDISK in your CONFIG.SYS so that they completely cover the hard drive, and then dump all this onto tape. Now, about how to perform sector-by-sector BACKUP and RESTORE of the hard drive. I. BACKUP 1. Remember the geometry of the hard drive (start the hard drive >528mb in LBA mode). 2. Divide the number of tracks into approximately 100-200 megabyte parts (no need for more, consider the capabilities of Arvid). 3. Set up RAWDISK.SYS calls correctly in CONFIG.SYS. 4. Boot into DOS (you can use a floppy disk + RAMDRIVE). 5. Use DOS software to dump RAWDISK.DAT files from all resulting disks to tape (in different directories or with different names). II. RESTORE 1. Boot DOS from a floppy disk with RAMDRIVE and the correct CONFIG.SYS. 2. Install ARVID Software on the RAMDRIVE disk. 3. Using ARVID software, restore the files from the tape to their places on the hard drive. Known limitations of RAWDISK: 1. Creating a disk larger than >528Mb is, in my humble opinion, not possible. Of course, it is not necessary, but still. 2. Hard drives >528MB can ONLY be backed up in LBA mode. Recommendations when using RawDisk: 1. Cut the disk into pieces of 100-200mb. 2. To find out whether you launched RawDisk from CONFIG.SYS correctly or not: a) By global hanging during startup :) b) By copying the RAWDISK file to NUL. If it did not copy, it means you made a mistake in the parameters. 3. Please make sure there is enough space on the tape. The image of a 2.5Gb hard drive takes exactly 2.5Gb and not a byte less. Be attentive. 4. All backup/restore operations using the command interpreter AVCOMSTR can be automated. That's all. I hope the knowledge presented here is accurate and useful. Write bug reports to me at 2:5055/21.10. ===================================== How can the quality of reading be improved? There are several options: 1. Try adjusting the reception phase. Even with the automatic mode turned on, the initial reception phase value affects the reading quality. 2. If the VCR has a "Picture Control" knob (sharpness), it makes sense to turn it during reading. 3. Check if the display of the clock or counter on the VCR screen is turned on. 4. Trivial option - clean the VCR. 5. Try recording on another tape (see recommendations for tapes). 6. Finally, follow the recommendation to ground the VCR and computer cases, i.e., connect them with a separate wire. The wire itself does not need to be connected anywhere (in home conditions, proper grounding is impossible). 7. Try connecting the computer and VCR through a UPS. ===================================== What information should be provided when detecting errors in the software? The most general answer is as much information as possible. At least: - Arvid hardware version - installed IRQ, port, DMA - processor, its speed - amount of RAM - name of the operating system - version of the operating system - version of Arvid software And explain the sequence of actions to get the error in sufficient detail. ===================================== When recording mode is enabled, the VCR turns off after 2-3 seconds. This means that when the recording mode is enabled, Arvid has detected the absence of data ring passage. Possible causes and ways to check them: - Perhaps you have connected the Arvid cable to the VCR incorrectly (for example, confused the tulips). - If you have a full VCR with a tuner, you may have forgotten to turn off the tuner, and the VCR receives a signal from the ether, not from the linear input. Check the correctness of turning on the VCR. A way to check the cable and Arvid board for faults without a VCR: connect the tulips on the cable briefly, and conduct a data ring test using the avtest utility. In the DOS version, it is called avtestxx.exe (where xx is the last digits of the board model, or, in the latest version, 32), in the Windows version, avtest.exe. To conduct the ring test with avtest checking, the utility needs to be given the /f parameter. If in this case, the data ring test fails - repair is required from your dealer. If the board and cable test passed normally, but with the VCR connected, the test does not pass (while you are sure of the correct cable connection and the VCR's operability), then perhaps your VCR simply does not allow this test to be conducted, although it works. Try disabling the data ring check in the configuration. ===================================== What is the "data ring test"? Practically, any VCR, when a signal is applied to its input, transmits it to the output (if playback from tape or TV tuner is not enabled). The data ring test checks the presence of this transmission - the image taken from the VCR output should match the one fed to its input. You can check the presence of the data ring using the avtest utility by providing the /f parameter in the command line. Some VCRs never pass the data ring test, while normal recording and playback of the signal is achieved. For such VCRs, the test is disabled in the configuration. Data ring testing is performed before starting data reading from the tape (before entering play mode) and during the entire recording on the VCR (for Arvid models 1031 and older). ===================================== Why does tape density drop when copying small files? [ML] If Arvid cannot download and process the information stream corresponding to the tape density quickly enough, the tape density drops. The drop occurs in "steps," with the next frame being filled with information either incompletely or not filled at all. This does not affect the reliability of storage, but the overall tape volume decreases. Common causes of tape density drop: - Recording from a slow CD-ROM, or with a small reading buffer, or with a large number of small files. - Recording a large number of small files. - Recording over a network with insufficient bandwidth. - Operation of the system on a computer with a slow processor or with the processor cache turned off. [AD] (the following applies to the .avt tape format) It is deliberately designed so that no more than 50 files are written per second. Otherwise, when reading, the file system cannot handle the creation of so many files, and there will be rollbacks. Here, one must choose the lesser of two evils. This parameter cannot be moved to the settings - it is inherent in the tape format. The thing is: in the new format, information about the file, necessary for the recovery process, is written immediately after the file itself. To be able to find this information with the recovery, it needs to be marked with a special attribute. That's when the question arose - how many attributes to make per frame? (A direct consequence is how many information sectors can be written in one frame). We checked that in our conditions, the file system barely handles 50 files per second (in reality, even less). And we decided to limit ourselves to one attribute per frame. That is, there can be information about the file + the beginning of the next file in one frame. Thus, 50 files per second. ===================================== What is the signal reception phase, and what is the difference between phases A and B? The television signal is recorded line by line. At the beginning of each line, there is a horizontal sync pulse. From a technical standpoint, the signal reception phase is the adjustment of the offset of the first point of the signal relative to the horizontal sync pulse. The adjustment is done within the width of one point. The preceding paragraph reflects the technical side of the question. The practical side is considerably simpler - the user needs to select the reception phase value at which the minimum error level is achieved. Usually, good results are obtained at one or two reception phases. The specific phase number does not directly correspond to the quality of the device, but most devices work fine with reception phases 3 or 4. The reception phase is influenced by (in order of significance): - Model and instance of the VCR (within any limits). - Model and instance of the Arvid (within limit 1). - Model and instance of the videotape (within limit 1). Starting from model 1031, automatic reception phase adjustment is present. The automatic system adjusts reading parameters, and this is done for each line in a frame. Nevertheless, the significance of reception phase adjustment is not lost. The automatic system needs an initial point for signal detection. Therefore, even with the automatic mode enabled, the reception phase adjustment affects the reading quality, although weakly. Models 1051 and 1052 have two reception phase automatons, named "A" and "B." These automatons follow the same algorithms but have different settings. Automaton "A" corresponds to the automaton from model 1031 and is based on "correct" (theoretical) representations of the video signal and its standard. Automaton "B" was added after laboratory research on models of VCRs that poorly worked with automaton "A" in the 325kb/sec format. It differs by a slight shift of the working point to the right along the line. Reception phase adjustment does not affect recording. Recording is always done the same way regardless of the settings. ===================================== How to clean a VCR effectively? VCRs are devices that can become dirty. The main causes are trivial dust entering the device through the loading compartment and ventilation openings, as well as particles from the magnetic layer of the tape. It is recommended to clean the VCR every six months to a year with normal use or as needed (high likelihood of Arvid malfunction, deterioration of image quality when watching movies). First and foremost, the quality of recording on the tape always deteriorates. This is a consequence of the magnetic recording method - significantly less clearance is required to record a section of the tape than to read it. Accordingly, dust adhering to the video head pushes the film further away from the head. There are ideologically two ways to clean VCR heads. 1. Cleaning with a cleaning cassette. This is a good option if you are not a specialist/engineer and if, for any reason, you do not want to open the device. It is better to use "wet" cassettes, meaning those with a solvent spray included. Sometimes this spray is built into the cleaning cassette case. 2. Cleaning "by hand." It is better to do this with skill and experience. However, for those willing to try it for the first time, here are some practical tips, the main purpose of which is not to let you completely ruin the device. - Use only clean paper (dense, white, not coated) for cleaning. Cloths and cotton are strictly forbidden. - When cleaning, use isopropyl alcohol; in extreme cases, use medical alcohol. Check the quality of the alcohol by wiping any glass with moistened paper and looking at the residues after evaporation (in reflected light). The fewer traces, the better. Ideally, there should be none at all. "Head cleaning fluid" available in stores works very well (it is based on isopropyl alcohol). - When cleaning the video head itself, do not apply force along the axis of rotation (it can easily break). Ideally, apply the paper from the side, keep it stationary, and rotate the head itself. - Be sure to clean the pinch roller and the roller itself. When debris accumulates on them, the tape may start coming out of the gap with damage to the edges. ===================================== List of common malfunctions and methods for their elimination This section contains methods for eliminating malfunctions that require (sometimes) the ability to handle a soldering iron. If you do not have experience with a soldering iron and electronic components, it is better to ask someone more experienced to perform the necessary actions. In principle, if you carry out re-soldering cleanly and without consequences for the printed circuit board, it will not affect the warranty. But if you have the opportunity to send the board for warranty or post-warranty repair, it is better to do just that. KSI specialists will perform the work quickly and clearly more qualified. The methods of correction given here are not a panacea for all troubles, but only the most common malfunctions. Arvid 1020, diagnostic by avtest: malfunction or light exposure of the photodetector - try replacing the counters K155IE7; Arvid 1020, 1031, 1051, 1052: diagnostic by avtest: no interruptions in the controller. - check the correspondence of the set interrupt on the board and in the software; - if the computer has a PCI bus, check the IRQ assignment for Arvid; - for model 1020: it makes sense to try to select the capacitance of the capacitor opposite the pins of the quartz resonator. Allowable values are from 22 to 56 pF; - for model 1020: check with an oscilloscope for the presence of oscillation on the pins of the quartz resonator. If absent, replace the microcircuit K531LN1. Arvid 1031, 1051, 1052: diagnostic by avtest: error in switching controller memory banks - try to select the capacitance of the capacitor opposite the pins of the quartz resonator. Allowable values are from 10 to 56 pF. For 1031, it is recommended to use 39 pF, for 1051 and 1052 - 22 pF. - a malfunction of the memory chips is possible (but very unlikely). Accordingly, they can be replaced. Arvid 1020, 1031, 1051: tape is not read or avtest20 gives "no reception of the VM data ring" - replace the microcircuit KR590KN8B (with any of K590KN8); Arvid 1052: tape is not read or avtest20 gives "no reception of the VM data ring" - replace the microcircuit K561KT3A; Arvid 1020, 1031, 1051, 1052: no IR control of the VCR - check the compatibility of your VCR model and the installed .vcr For further checks, set the software to continuous IR transmission mode. This can be done in various ways; the simplest is to run avsetup, enter the mode of checking IR command output, and put a heavy eraser on the Enter key ;-). - connect a red LED to contacts 3 and 4 of the controller connector. If it does not blink, the fault is on the board. If it blinks, then in the cable. - board repair: try replacing the transistor at the output (KT502) with any p-n-p transistor. - cable check and repair: replace the IR LED on the cable with a regular red LED. If it blinks, replace the IR LED with a new one. If not, look for a break or short circuit in the cable and connectors. ===================================== ===================================== Appendix to the FAQ: List of detected errors in DOS software List of desirable additions to DOS software List of detected errors in Windows95/WindowsNT software List of desirable additions to Windows95/WindowsNT software ===================================== List of detected errors in DOS software - will not be implemented + already done, will be in the next version * accepted for execution ? decision not yet made ? Muser on the screen after copying - check in DOS without EMS driver: ? for .avt tapes, free space is not displayed ? (v3.91) avcomstr: the dir command does not work for avt format tapes ? (v3.91) you cannot write 3GB to the tape - there is a limitation ? (v3.91) the name of the .avt format tape is not visible in the copier * insert initialization of the Triton chipset in two points: 1) Passive Release = off (for 1020) 2) I/O Recovery Time = 4 (for 1052) ? (v3.91) the data ring test often fails during operation. Test = ok. ? (v3.91) buttons with hold (play-ff) stopped working normally ? (v3.91) works unstably with model 1020 (v3.46 works stably) ? (v3.91) 1052: IR commands are often lost on the video ? (v3.91) 1052: shell does not remember the phase B setting (resets to A) avshell/avcopier: ? it is necessary to update the table of contents immediately after recording, before verification. * when restoring the tape's table of contents until the first sector appears on the screen, it is a clean blue field. By the way, even when continuing the operation. ? normal operation with two arvids in the car (error with file name intersection during recording). ? add "" to the end of the path from the environment as needed. one line for C, however. ? (v3.91) started to consume a lot of processing time, even if it does nothing. ? (v3.91) breaks during search by tables (clearly somewhere memory is not freed) ? (v3.91) in the "Configuration" window (in the shell), the cursor switches from the "verification" group to the "other options" group when [TAB] is pressed, not to "automatic phase adjustment." ? (v3.91) tdr and avt tables are not read ? when working with archive bits, the bit reset occurs after all operations, which is categorically incorrect. The reset should be done immediately after copying the file. avloader: By default, it loads avshell, not avshellx. avsetup: * The probability of failure in avcopier/avsetup differs by 7-8 times. * After completing test operations, display "operation completed" and some results of the work ("play-ff speed is 68 parrots"). * English version: reading/writing test - 2.5/4 minutes, phase 7 is not visible on the screen * Check _all_ transitions (OFF-ON, etc.). * There should be no more than 6 keys in one transition. * (v3.46) Input of IR commands for controllers 1031, 1051, 1052 works poorly. ? (v3.91) Regularly crashes when entering IR commands, when editing the transition table, when exiting without saving, and sometimes for no apparent reason. ? (v3.91) When attempting to delete a large number of files on the tape, the shell crashes. avcomstr: * Creating directories on the disk during the copy operation. * Interrupt the operation after the first error in the task file (do not silently copy what worked). * Unable to copy the root directory via avcomstr. ? Incremental backup works incorrectly (always erases the directory on the tape, even with deletion turned off). ? Crashes with registers when copying files from the tape with a long path (about 50-60 characters). avcopier: ? If data ring identification/initialization fails, cancel the operation with Esc, rather than continue forcibly. ? Fatal errors with hanging occur when copying more than 3000 files to one directory. ? (v3.91) After completing the recording, garbage is displayed on the screen. The error occurs not on all computers. avirc: ? Does not work when power-on transmission is enabled. avvcr: ? (v3.91) Does not work with a Russian message file. ? Does not work with a monochrome palette (does not use the palette at all?) ===================================== List of desirable additions to DOS software - will not be implemented + already done, will be in the next version * accepted for execution ? decision not yet made ? Do not disable recording when crossing the tape boundary, issuing a warning at the end of the operation (most tapes have a reserve of 1-2 minutes). ? Implementation of the following tape initialization sequence: - Test the tape for the presence of old recordings. If present, ask for permission to erase - Conduct initialization - Conduct _verification_ of initialization (readability of the tape). ? Ability to specify the table of contents name from the command line to load and view by the shell. * Remove the r/o attribute when copying from a CD. * Limit the number of retries in case of unsuccessful _positioning_. * Long-awaited verification after reading not just for fatal errors, but for exceeding a certain critical failure level set by the user in a specific configuration. Makes sense only during verification. Based on the error level *e-6 _and_ the presence of double-triple errors. Treat such files as faulty and act accordingly - suggest rewriting to another location on the tape. * When deleting a file from the tape, move it to a hidden directory like DELETED. ? Copying files inside the tape by placing references to the same location on the tape. ? The ability to perform table of contents operations without recording to the tape, unrelated to copying from/to disk. Examples include commenting, moving inside the tape, copying inside the tape, renaming, etc. ? Save parameters for working with a specific tape (reception phase, archive attribute removal modes, compression). ? When restoring the tape through avrecover, optionally restore not the original tree but by sessions into session directories session.001, session.002, etc. ? Encryption of recording by password. avshell: ? Changing file attributes from the shell. * Controlling VCR buttons from avshell. * Searching in long comment fields. * Displaying long comments. Options: as a separate line at the bottom; in a separate window; on Enter button press; horizontal scrolling of the comment. * Option "all" when deleting read-only files. * Option "undo all" when deleting files. ? Starting a search from the current directory. * Loading tdr from any directory (transfer SET AVDIR to the configuration file). ? Group operations with files found after a search. * Displaying free memory in KB/MB (not in bytes). ? Color highlighting of files active for the current operation (by some button). * _Before_ responding to a message with a possible arvid.rpt output, allow viewing it (i.e., the list of faulty files). ? Working with directories on the tape of arbitrary length (beyond DOS limitations). ? Visibility of long names truncated on .avt format tapes. ? Working with files.bbs (at least for reading). avsetup: ? It's high time to perform all tests at 200kb/sec, not 100kb/sec. avcomstr: * Output a copy of the current avcomstr log on the screen simultaneously with writing to the log. * A key for "press any key" before starting avcopier. ? A key for saving previous copies of the table of contents. ? Log with a list of all copied files. ? Compare operation. Not implemented (after discussion): - Sector-wise dumping of a partition for Unix-like operating systems. (complex) - Comparing disk with tape at any time, not just after writing (impossibility to set operation in the shell). - Writing to the tape without a table of contents (with a blank table of contents) (tape becomes read-only) (use avrecover). - Adjustment of the protective gap length before the table of contents. (impossible for technical reasons) - Optimization of the sequence of movements along the tape relative to the current position. Principle - rewind to the nearest file. (no exact algorithm) - Move to the tape (complex) - Logging of positions of unread sectors (file, offset, length) (technically complex, not provided by logic) - Disabling the prompt request on exit "turn off VCR?" (configure .vcr through avsetup) - Auto-power off with Ins key (ambiguous implementation in DOS) - Multi-line descriptions (and a full-format window for editing them) (simply won't be) - Panel control not through submenus (like in Norton) (menu with multiple marked items not provided in Turbo Vision) - Directory comparison - it would be nice to make a comparison of subdirectories (won't be) - Test the complex for the maximum copying speed (speed depends heavily on floating parameters - disk fragmentation, size and number of files, hard disk, cache size and parameters) - Displaying effective speed (for the entire recording or for the last few seconds) (technically complex for the DOS version) - Reduced buffer size for slow computers (with memory less than 5M) (infeasible due to an extremely small number of such computers) ===================================== List of Detected Errors in Software for Windows 95/Windows NT - Will not be implemented + Already done, will be in the next version * Accepted for implementation ? Solution not yet decided arwin: ? When copying from tape to disk, the time of all files shifts by 4 hours, which interferes with incremental copying. ? Does not work under WinNT 4.0 in a two-processor configuration. ? Files in 100kb/sec .tdr format tapes are not read. ? The table of contents is not restored from .tdr format tapes. ? If there are about 100 .tdr tables of contents in _one_ directory, the software crashes. ? If a directory with invalid characters in its name is encountered during copying, subsequent files are not written (with disabled copying). ? When changing only comments to files on the tape, they are not written to the tape. Even on exit. Just silently lost. ;-(. ? No reaction to creating a directory with the same name. ? When there are tables of contents for two tapes with the same name but in different formats, only avt is displayed. * Shift in the file window by half a line under Win95 OSR2. * Deleted files from the disk do not go to the Recycle Bin. ? In case of accidentally locked .avt file (by another process), the operation is canceled. It is desirable to lock it temporarily during the operation. ? Copying one file to two different directories on the tape does not work. ? Looping during recording if the previous recording was not completed for technical reasons like a VCR failure. * When overwriting files on the tape with new versions, the "Cancel" button in the overwrite confirmation window does not work if at least one file was explicitly selected for overwrite. If only directories are being overwritten, everything is normal. ? Control over valid characters in the file name (when renaming, etc.) ? When closing Windows, the shell crashes. * "Folder Sync" still does not work. This time, every attempt to compare resulted in the message "File or device not found" (after different times depending on the size of the directories). And this message appeared permanently. I press OK, it is issued again. * I create a new tape. I start copying many files to it. Without waiting for the end, I interrupt the copying. I say to cancel operations with _this_ tape. No actions - a bug. I have to cancel all operations, i.e., delete the tape. + If the retry count for reading becomes two-digit, it does not fit in the allocated line and becomes invisible. * When reading, the retry count applies to the entire file. ? When copying to/from the tape, if a situation arises requiring operator response, after that, the copy window goes under the shell. ? Directory attributes are not copied (e.g., c:\windows\fonts) avrecover: ? When using an old table of contents as a base, only their differences are saved. ===================================== List of Desired Additions to Software for Windows 95/Windows NT - Will not be implemented + Already done, will be in the next version * Accepted for implementation ? Solution not yet decided ? Do not disable recording when crossing the tape boundary, giving a warning at the end of the operation (most tapes have a reserve of 1-2 minutes). ? Sorting by sizes, including sizes of directories. ? Sorting files to split small files into large ones (so that the total volume of 50 consecutive files is greater than 325kb, preferably more than 500). ? Saving the position of the panel separator. ? Implementation of the following tape initialization sequence: - Test the tape for the presence of old records. If it is present, - Ask for permission to erase - Perform initialization - Perform _verification_ of initialization (readability of the tape). ? Do not ask for confirmation on exit if there are no pending operations. ? It would be nice to save: the position of the panel separator line between panels, the last directory on the tape and on the disk. ? After identifying the tape, it would be nice to switch to its table of contents. ? "Back to Root" button in the toolbar for those who dislike trees. ? Browse button in the copy dialog. ? Similarly to the DOS version, an adjustable offset from the beginning of the tape is needed. * Remove the read-only attribute when copying from CD. * Limit the number of retries on unsuccessful _positioning_. * Long overdue verification after reading not only for fatal errors but also for exceeding a certain critical failure level set by the user in a specific configuration. Makes sense only during verification. For the error level *e-6 _and_ for the presence of double-triple errors. Treat such files as faulty and act accordingly - suggest rewriting to another location on the tape. * When deleting a file from the tape, move it to a hidden directory like DELETED. ? Copying files within the tape by placing links to the same location on the tape. ? The ability to perform operations with the table of contents without recording to the tape, unrelated to copying from/to the disk. Examples - commenting, move within the tape, copy within the tape, rename, etc. ? Saving the parameters of working with a specific tape (reception phase, modes of removing archive attributes, compression). ? When restoring a tape through avrecover, optionally restore not the original tree but by sessions in directories like session.001, session.002, etc. ? Encryption of recording with a password. ? Changing file attributes from the shell. * Remove the cancellation of the operation with the Esc key during copying. Required relatively rarely, and accidental triggering can be simply harmful. * Display of the operation icon (play/rew/stop, etc.) on the taskbar. * When copying from multiple tapes: - the ability to skip one of the tapes in a sequence of several. - the ability to insert any tape from the required ones in the sequence. Request format: Insert a tape from the list for copying: xxxxxxx - 100MB yyyyyyy - 50 MB ? Reset the list of unread files to a text file (from the preview window). ? Automatic calculation of the volume of directories when marked (as in the DOS version). ? Free space on the hard drive - in the status bar. ? Working with files.bbs (at least for reading). ? At the end of the copying operation, do not throw it to the upper level of the shell. ? Need a list of files that will _always_ be skipped when recording to the tape. Example of such a file: c:win95win386.swp * Turn on/off the VCR and switch only at the beginning of real tape operations (fortunately, there is no need to mount, as in the DOS version). This will avoid unpleasant situations with the switch when launching the shell just to view the tape. ? In the "type" field, write "file from tape xxxxxx". And if available, a comment. ? Optional "always on top" mode for the VM control panel and copier. ? In case of changes in the disk content, reread the table of contents. (especially relevant when changing CDs) (this is supported by Win32api) ? When canceling an operation with a large number of files, the cancellation of the operation takes a long time... about a minute. Apparently, files are canceled one by one :-? ? Display long multiline comments in a separate window. ? Directories created on the tape when copying entire disks do not contain the disk letter, only its label. Moreover, it is desirable that the letter comes before the label - otherwise, when sorting, everything gets confused. ? Implementation of inter-frame encoding (as laid down in the tape standard .avt) ? The ability to work with multiple tape windows. ? Looping during recording in the absence of a table of contents on the tape. ? Overwrite mode for bad files (not read from the tape) by default. ? Files with the date 01.01.80 are transferred to the tape with the date 21.03.80. ? Add to the list of non-compressible by default: .CAB, .??_, .??$, a0? (ability to specify extension masks) ? Preserve file attributes from the Novell Netware server. search * Would like the results window to be larger both horizontally and vertically. Best as a separate window. * Move the case sensitivity flag to the screen and remember it until the next launch. ? Want to search by filename _or_ descript.ion simultaneously. ? [Dream] Setting the search mode like on the Altavista server. Example: string1 +"text with spaces" -string2 means: string1 (without a prefix) can be in the text, or may not be. test with spaces (with the prefix "+") must be in the text if string2 (with the prefix "-") is present, the text is not included (priority over positive commands). ? Remembering column sizes for search. ? In save as, column sizes, descriptions, etc., are not remembered... awrecover: ? Optionally, do not create versions of .#?? files but overwrite previous ones with later files. Relevant for tapes with backups. setup: ? A separate setting for tape lists for working and for use in search is desirable. Will not be implemented (after discussion): - drag&drop in the style of Norton Navigator - prompt for a directory after dragging a file to the disk (difficult to implement within MFC4).