Optiplex 330: Error allocating MEM BAR for PCI device

rvaughn801,

Thank you for using the Dell Community Forum.

This systems pci bus is 2.3 compliant. I am not sure about that error message from the card. Have you contacted the manufacturer of the card?

I worked for an hour with Allen-Bradley tech support, with no improvement. The tech had heard of some issues with Dell Opti Plexes, but did not have any suggestions. I spoke to another vendor of similar network cards and got the suggestion of checking for a more recent BIOS. I downloaded and flashed the most recent BIOS, but there was no improvement. At this point I am going to try the other vendor's card, and hope that works. If that works, I will try to get Allen-Bradley to take back the card that does not work. -Richard

I tried another industrial network interface card from another vendor and it has the same error. This vendor is SST www.mysst.com and I have had good luck with their products. The SST site trouble shooting said to check video settings (here is the text):

"Do you have a 16-bit video card?"

If your video card is set for 16-bit access it may result in large areas of memory (A000-BFFF and C000-DFFF) being configured for 16-bit access. When your application tries to access the 5136-SD card, it sees every other byte as FF, and the loader returns an error. Try running the card at an address in the range E000-EFFF (this doesn't work on all computers). Otherwise, the solution is to configure the video card for 8-bit access. You'll pay a small penalty in performance but it probably won't be noticeable. How you reconfigure it depends on the video card; check the documentation and software that came with it.

I tried setting my video for 16 bit and then for 8 bit with no improvement.

Are there any other ideas?

Thanks,
Richard

Sorry to bump an old thread, but I just ran into this problem myself.  I have an OptiPlex 745 with the current BIOS.  I am trying to install an Allen-Bradley 1784-PKTX and am getting the same ERROR ALLOCATING MEM BAR FOR PCI DEVICE error message.  Has anyone come up with a solution for this issue?  Thanks.

 

Joe

I gave up on the 1784-PKTX, and went with the Brad Harrison SST-DHP-PCI card.  I still get the same error, but at least I could get the card to work on the Optiplex.  I never could get the PKTX to work.  I went through tech support, and AB took the PKTX cards back.  All I was out was a bunch of time.

 

Does your PKTX card work, in spite of the error?

 

Have you installed enough of these cards to know all the tricks (don't use Plug and Play, don't install the driver, etc.)?

 

After all the work I did, I decided I didn't do anyone any favors installing these junky, expensive cards.  I should have upgraded to 5/05s when I had the chance.

 

I can't help get rid of the Optiplex error, but if you want any specific DH+ advice you can e-mail me at my username plus @earthlink.net.

 

Good luck.