#MultiI/O Serial Problems
23 messages in this thread
Foiled again… The EMC Multi I/O board I recently bought has two serial
ports which I assumed would fit my needs nicely. One port would serve an
IBM serial mouse and the other could be used by my modem….WRONG!!!!
The serial mouse (Logitech) requires COM_1 with IRQ_4. No problem. My
telecommunications program (TELIX) can use any COM port from COM_1 to
COM_7. Again no problem. However the largest IRQ line it will accept is
IRQ_7. Serial port 2 on the Multi I/O board is assigned IRQ_10 and I
don't see any other alternate (other than to swap it's IRQ with serial
port 1 which then makes the mouse inoperative)
Does any one know of any work around or will I not be able to connect a
serial mouse and also connect my modem with this telecommunications
program?
pick up a copy of Qmodem…it's the best comm program availible for the
IBM. And a PD version should be here on CI$.
OR
get a comm program for windows, windows like WB has a prefs for the serial
ports, and it can be set to 10.
OR
Get a hold of logitech and see if you can get a version of the mouse
driver that will allow configurable IRQ's
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
Okay I have downloaded a copy of Qmodem, set up the program to use COM_3 with
IRQ_10. Now it seems the program can send data out to the modem but not
receive data back in. I can send the reset command, go ON HOOK, and go OFF
HOOK but I don't get any OK message back from the modem
Also in DOS I have checked the COM port status with the MODE command. COM_1 and
COM_2 check out okay. But when I type MODE COM3 I get an
ILLEGAL DEVICE – COM 3 error message.
Any ideas what the problem is?
Hmmmmm…do you get that message with the modem unhooked?
Check your cable, modem settings, try setting it to Com4.
Does the modem work when you have it set to Com 1 IRQ4 ?
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
The modem has been connected to Serial Port 1 set up as COM_1 using IRQ_4
for over a month and has worked fine. The modem must now be connected to
Port 2 since the mouse driver can only use Port 1 (because of the COM_2,
IRQ_3 conflict with the BridgeBoard)
I've checked all of the cabling, modem settings etc.
I tried setting up Serial Port 1 as COM_3 and Serial Port 2 set up as
COM_4. In this set up the DOS MODE command recognized only COM_1. COM_2
through 4 gave an ILLEGAL DEVICE NAME. I get the same results with the
modem unhooked.
I also tried running QMODEM using COM_4, IRQ_10. Still the same results,
commands are going out to the modem and the modem executes them but
nothing is coming back.
COM 2 is an I/O port confict, so it will always turns up bad.
Try using it at com 1 with IRQ 10 set.
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
I understand the COM_2 is a conflict. I was just indicating that there was a
change with DOS's recognition of COM_2. In my first set up (COM1 + IRQ4 and
COM3 + IRQ 10) DOS recognized COM_2 as a valid device name. In the second set
up (COM3 + IRQ4 and COM4 + IRQ10) DOS did reported COM_2 as an INVALID DEVICE
NAME. This seems very strange to me since neither set up involved COM_2!!!
Your problem is not special to the Bridgeboard. IRQ conflicts on COM ports
are a major headache in most PC clones. In most cases, you can't use more
than two ports no matter how the hardware is configured.
— Ron Legro, Milwaukee
via AUTOPILOT. (the only way to fly)
My problem is that currently I can't get more than one port to work.
Dave, I've now gone through numerous combinations of Serial Port, COM and
IRQ settings with QMODEM.
Here are the ones where QMODEM worked fine:
Port 1, COM 1, IRQ 4
Port 1, COM 3, IRQ 4
Port 2, COM 3, IRQ 4
And here are the ones in which QMODEM sends instructions to the modem but
will not receive anything back:
Port 1, COM 1, IRQ 10
Port 2, COM 3, IRQ 10
Port 2, COM 4, IRQ 10
So it appears that the common demoninator in all the failures is the use
of IRQ 10.
(Note that even where QMODEM did work fine with COM 3, DOS still gave an
ILLEGAL DEVICE NAME – COM 3 message when checked with MODE COM3 command)
Hmmmm. I can't think why you would have problems at IRQ 10.
What else do you have in the IBM side of the system?
I test somethings out with the I/O board I have here…..I if remember
correctly I tested it with a modem.
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
I've got the 286BB, the multi-I/O board and a Sound Blaster card. That's
it. On the multi-I/O I've got a modem, a mouse and a joystick. The
parallel port is disabled as are the IDE controller and floppy controller.
The Sound Blaster is set up to use IRQ_5. Its joystick port is disabled.
I tried taking the Sound Blaster card out but with the same results so
there's no conflict there.
Well, I can think of one thing that could kill this — IRQ _2_. On AT
systems, and hopefully bridgeboards, this is moved to IRQ 9 and IRQs 9-15
are sent through IRQ 2. If this isn't working right, no serial port
interrupts will be generated and you won't receive data.
Try getting your hands on some other card that will generate high IRQ's
(16-bit SCSI controllers do this well) and try to see if you can get it to
work. If not, your BB is likely to be toast….
Oh, I forgot to mention, IRQ 2 is used by the _video_ circuits, would you
happen to be using a VGA card in your system? if so, check to see that IRQ
2 is turned OFF on this card…
// Brian — Cruising on AutoPilot…..
\X/
The super I/O board we sell dosen't use IRQ 2, but the BB does.
You might have a point concerning redirection, I don't know if the BB does
this or not, though it should (uses a standard chipset right?)
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
Dave,
How about a different mouse driver for the Cutie mouse you sell, so it can
use Com3/IRQ10? Any word from BTC on this? I would like to free up Com1
for other programs that only have a choice between Com1/2.
73, Kelly
BTC is a "generic" company out of taiwan. I dought they would be much help
technicaly on any of their products.
Dave
Elite MicroComputers – Flying high on AutoPilot
Ronnie,
I would try to get a updated driver from Logitech. I have not found their
most recent releases to be that picky. Otherwise, you could try to get
your hands on the Microsoft Mouse driver (which works with the Logitechs I
have at work), which is also not particular about serial ports.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
Do you know if in fact there is one? Thanks for the help.
Ronnie,
No, I'm not sure that the Logitech driver you are using is outdated, or
not capable enough. I just know that I have never had to worry about the
limitations that you are talking about.
Your best bet, however, is the MS driver, which (I believe) is supplied
with Windows. Not the most current driver, but one that will probably be
more robust than what you are using.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
That sounds promising but I don't know where I can yet hold of an MS driver. I
hate to buy Windows just for the mouse driver (I'm running a 286. Windows
would really be a dog on this system). I may try Logitech for a driver update
Thanks for the idea.
Ronnie,
You might try the Microsoft Library right here on CIS. They used to, I
believe, have a version of their mouse driver there.
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot
I just looked in Microsoft Library and in the IBM forums. I did find a
mouse driver in the Zenith Forum for using a mouse on COM_3 but it uses
IRQ_5. The only IRQ choices on EMC's Multi-I/O board are 4 and 10 so
that's no good. I wasn't able to find any "standard" mouse drivers, only
software specific ones.
I believe you mentioned that you didn't have any problems. Are you using
two serial ports with a Bridgeboard? What system do you have?
Ronnie,
I have installed mice on some pretty weird PC setups, where serial ports
had high interrupts (like 10). I had no problems with using the MS
driver. No BB experience, however…I just built a PC instead. I play
Wolfenstein 3D while the Amiga does the real work 🙂
//Jonathan,
\\//via AutoPilot