Dell Notebook computers sharing IRQ 11

I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:

IRQ 11 Dell C840 OK
IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2482 OK
IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2487 OK
IRQ 11 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible) OK
IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
IRQ 11 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller OK

I'd like to move it over to:

IRQ 4 - Com Port
IRQ 5 - Modem
IRQ 6 - Floppy Controller

(Since I don't use either of these devices.)

Any idea how I can accomplish this?

In rec.music.makers.guitar sheets <> wrote:
> I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:
>
> IRQ 11 Dell C840 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2482 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2487 OK
> IRQ 11 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible) OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller OK
>
> I'd like to move it over to:
>
> IRQ 4 - Com Port
> IRQ 5 - Modem
> IRQ 6 - Floppy Controller
>
> (Since I don't use either of these devices.)
>
> Any idea how I can accomplish this?

I will hazard a guess... If you're not using the com port, modem, or
floppy controller see if you can disable them in the bios (I know the bios
on my dell latitude doesn't allow this level of control but...). Then,
back in windows, go into the device manager and manually change the
configuration on the resources tab for the firewire controller. You might
also try removing the firewire controller through the device manager and
then restart windows and seeing if it uses an open IRQ when it's found
after windows gets going again...

Which windows are you using?

Kirk

I believe you might see the most improvement by moving the ethernet
controller off of irq 11.

Avenger.

On 8 Jan 2004 07:52:21 -0800,
(sheets) wrote:

I went through something similar last year just to finally give up on
the interface/software combo in my laptop.

Can you tell me what the problem is? Wwhy you want to move the IRQ?
What Firewire interface and DAW software are you using?


>I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:
>
>IRQ 11 Dell C840 OK
>IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2482 OK
>IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2487 OK
>IRQ 11 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible) OK
>IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
>IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
>IRQ 11 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller OK
>
>I'd like to move it over to:
>
>IRQ 4 - Com Port
>IRQ 5 - Modem
>IRQ 6 - Floppy Controller
>
>(Since I don't use either of these devices.)
>
>Any idea how I can accomplish this?

(sheets) wrote in message news:<. com>...
> I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:
>
> IRQ 11 Dell C840 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2482 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2487 OK
> IRQ 11 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX Compatible) OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller OK
>
> I'd like to move it over to:
>
> IRQ 4 - Com Port
> IRQ 5 - Modem
> IRQ 6 - Floppy Controller
>
> (Since I don't use either of these devices.)
>
> Any idea how I can accomplish this?

After struggling with this same issue for several months, I was told
by a Dell upper level tech support person that I cannot change the IRQ
assignments on my notebook. That conclusion has been supported by a
number of other sources since that time. Pretty dumb, huh? I also have
many items assigned to the same IRQ. It sucks! I just got an A+ PC
computer certification, wherein I learned how to reassign IRQs but
found out it (for the most part) can only be done on desktops. Dell is
not the only brand that leaves the notebook owner with no change
options.

The most recent issue of EQ magazine touches briefly on the laptop/IRQ
problem and simply states that you must research different brands to
learn the IRQ placments.

I have an M-Audio Quattro USB interface. It was a nightmare! M-Audio
has since made some patches available which have helped the
performance of the interface dramatically. I now have a Firewire 410.
It operates much better even though it still shares the IRQ with USB,
video, PCMCIA, ethernet etc. etc.

Anyway, depending on your unit, you may be stuck. It's a sucky
situation. I was so angry since I had just opted for an Inspiron 5100
with 2.4 GHz P-4 with firewire and XP-Pro as what I thought would
solve all my laptop/audio problems---wrong! It is working fairly well
now with the FW-410 but it's been a hassle. Clearly, Macintosh seems
to have the edge with issues like this.

You are welcome to contact me if you have any other questions. I've
been through a lot with this question.

"Andy Peake" <> wrote in message
news: om...
>
> After struggling with this same issue for several months, I was told
> by a Dell upper level tech support person that I cannot change the IRQ
> assignments on my notebook.


I don't think I can with mine either, but I haven't sweated the issue
because it works just fine the way it is (I'm using an MBox with a Sony
laptop and external Firewire drive). Makes we wonder if sheets has an
actual problem that needs solving, or if his efforts are more of a
pre-emptive strike aimed at "potential" problems.



> Clearly, Macintosh seems to have the edge with issues like this.

Which "issue" is that? We've got both and so far I've yet to establish
any clear advantage to one or the other. The Mac may not have IRQs to
contend with, but it's got its own configuration issues. Six of one,
half a dozen of the other.

Lorin

"Lorin David Schultz" <> wrote in message
news:L4yLb.3267$zk.2106@clgrps12
> "Andy Peake" <> wrote in message
> news: om...
>>
>> After struggling with this same issue for several months, I was told
>> by a Dell upper level tech support person that I cannot change the
>> IRQ assignments on my notebook.
>
>
> I don't think I can with mine either, but I haven't sweated the issue
> because it works just fine the way it is (I'm using an MBox with a
> Sony laptop and external Firewire drive). Makes we wonder if sheets
> has an actual problem that needs solving, or if his efforts are more
> of a pre-emptive strike aimed at "potential" problems.

I think that some people would be really surprised to hear that the old IBM
mainframes, with zillions of I/O devices all over the place, many running
fast and furious, routed essentially all I/O through 1 IRQ. They did this
with clock speeds as low as 1 MHz or less.

Unless your device that is performing poorly needs a truely huge amount of
processor power (Gigabit ethernet or equivalent is about the only thing that
comes to mind, and what would that be doing on a laptop ;=) ), there is
little reason to try and change IRQ. If a device really requires that,
either it is so poorly deisgned as to be considered broken or the driver is
likewise poorly designed.

Modern laptops should be able to cope with almost any combination of devices
with no problems.

Marc Reinig
System Solutions

"sheets" <> wrote in message
news: om...
> I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:
>
> IRQ 11 Dell C840 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2482 OK
> IRQ 11 Intel(R) 82801CA/CAM USB Universal Host Controller - 2487 OK
> IRQ 11 3Com 3C920 Integrated Fast Ethernet Controller (3C905C-TX
Compatible) OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments PCI-4451 CardBus Controller OK
> IRQ 11 Texas Instruments OHCI Compliant IEEE 1394 Host Controller OK
>
> I'd like to move it over to:
>
> IRQ 4 - Com Port
> IRQ 5 - Modem
> IRQ 6 - Floppy Controller
>
> (Since I don't use either of these devices.)
>
> Any idea how I can accomplish this?

On 8 Jan 2004 07:52:21 -0800,
(sheets) wrote:

>I have a dell notebook and it's firewire port shares IRQ 11 with:
snip>
>(Since I don't use either of these devices.)
>
>Any idea how I can accomplish this?

Check out a notebook PC company called "M-tech". Their Notebooks have
real Pentium 4 processors while most only have "Mobile" processors.
They market themselves as Portable Desktops. I think - because of
that, you can disable "Power Management" which automatically assigns
IRQs. I recommend you call the company personally to check that out.
Let us know what you find out?

"Marc Reinig" <> wrote in message news:<rEDLb.7763$ m>...
> Unless your device that is performing poorly needs a truely huge amount of
> processor power (Gigabit ethernet or equivalent is about the only thing that
> comes to mind, and what would that be doing on a laptop ;=) ), there is
> little reason to try and change IRQ. If a device really requires that,
> either it is so poorly deisgned as to be considered broken or the driver is
> likewise poorly designed.
>
> Modern laptops should be able to cope with almost any combination of devices
> with no problems.
>

Yeah, this is what Dell says too. But while this may be true in
theory, it doesn't fly in practical application. I have the same
problem with a Dell C840.

I have tried many different 1394 cards, storage devices, and input
devices (preamps), as well as many different drivers for each device &
all of them have problems. I have completely reformatted and
reinstalled from the OS up 5 different times in failed efforts to fix
the drivers. All this leads me to believe that there is an issue with
the laptop. It works fine 90% of the time, but will glitch
occasionally when recording to or reading from a firewire device.
That isn't good enough for a critical live-recording situation.

So I guess I'm back to the dedicated HDR...

PS