[TRLog] PCI IRQ Steering
Michael Tope
Michael Tope" <W4EF@dellroy.com
Sun, 7 Jan 2001 18:46:06 -0800
Dave,
Just to let you know, I pulled out my network card and serial port
expander last night and "removed" them from the system window
in control panel. After restoring COM1 (the serial port on the mother
board), I then reinstalled the network card and port expander using
the IRQ reserve feature in the BIOS for COM2-COM4 on the ISA
port expander. This has restored COM1 functionality in Windows
as well as giving me COM2 - COM4 functionality when running
TRlog in a DOS window. Windows 98 doesn't appear to "see" COM2-
COM4, but the port expander is an old card, and I don't think it was
designed to support WIN98. Anyway, I now have a COM port again
to talk to my PK-232 as well as 4 COM ports available for use with
TRlog.
Thanks a bunch for the help - your suggestions were right on target.
Also, its good to hear from you again. Last time we talked I think you
were in Idaho and I was in Florida. Looks like we have both switched
coasts.
73 de Mike, W4EF..............
----- Original Message -----
From: "NR1DX" <nr1dx@cyberportal.net>
To: "Michael Tope" <W4EF@dellroy.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 06, 2001 2:04 PM
Subject: Re: [TRLog] PCI IRQ Steering
> Mike
>
> This can be tough to solve. Because of the way Bios and windows assigns
> ports and IRQ's. The first thing I would try is un-installing (REMOVE in
> the SYSTEM WINDOW in the CONTROL PANEL) both Network card and the serial
> port. Then physically remove and re-install the cards in DIFFERENT PCI
> SLOTS in the computer. Generally I get better results doing one card at a
> time.. For the braver some of this can be done with the REGISTRY EDITOR but
> you will need a couple of good books and lots of time to read and tinker.(
> I have literally lost whole weekends ) TRLog WILL NOT recognize COM5 and 6
> when run in DOS WINDOW if they are PCI cards with shared IRQ's. You must
> reboot to DOS, load the DOS drivers for your serial card then load TRLOG to
> get to COM5 and 6. This is part TRLOG problem and part the way the drivers
> are written. DOS drivers for native DOS are DIFFERENT than DOS DRIVERs for
> DOS in A window. Most after market card manufacturers only write drivers
> for WINDOWS and Native DOS, not DOS in a window. In many cases TRLog
> doesn't like PCI serial cards sometimes even when they do come up as
> COM1,2,3 or 4, unless the are run form a DOS boot with the DOS driver.
>
> To get 6 useable COM ports for TRLOG. I Took all the cards out of the
> system setup the on mother board serial ports as COM 1@ IRQ 4, and COM 4 @
> IRQ 10. Next I installed the ISA serial card with COM 2 @IRQ3 and COM3@ IRQ
> 9. On boot up i go to BIOS setup screen and RESERVE these IRQ's for Legacy
> ISA devices. Next I install the PCI serial cards which should assign to
> COM5 and COM6 at what ever IRQ PCI is using, usually 11.
>
> LPT1 is assigned from the mother board at IRQ5 and LPT2 is assigned IRQ7
> from the same ISA card above. I use these for keying and PTT linear control.
>
> Finally I install the rest of the PCI cards (NO MORE ISA Cards!, just the
> one.) If I want COM 5 and COM 6 as well under TRLog I boot from DOS, load
> the special DOS driver for the PCI serial card, then load TRLog. All my
> Windows based programs see the COM5 and COM6 with no problem of course.
>
> Three Books I highly recommend are:
> 1) "Microsoft Help Desk" by Microsoft Press.,
> 2) "The Windows 98 Registry, a survival guide for Users" by John Woram
> 3) " Windows 98 Secrets " by Livingston and Straub.
>
> Good luck and let me know how you make out, this can be real frustrating
> and time consuming but it can be solved. Im avaiable on the phone to talk
> to as well and will make on the air skeds. again GOOD LUCK.
>
> Dave
> NR1DX
>
>
>
> At 05:06 PM 1/6/01 -0800, you wrote:
>
> >After switching to a cable modem several months ago, I just got around to
> >playing with my serial
> >ports again. It now seems that my COM1 has been subverted into a COM5, and
> >COM2/COM3 on my
> >Dolphin serial port expander don't work at all (the system doesn't even
> >see them). It appears that all this
> >trouble was caused by the PCI IRQ steering feature that my 10baseT network
> >card uses to share IRQ11
> >with the video adapter. Aside from getting rid of the network card (I love
> >my cable modem) is there any
> >way to fix this?
> >
> >73 de Mike, W4EF..................................
> >
> >
> >--
> >FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/FAQ/trlog
> >Submissions: trlog@contesting.com
> >Administrative requests: trlog-REQUEST@contesting.com
> >Problems: owner-trlog@contesting.com
> >Feature Wishlist: http://web.jzap.com/n6tr/trwish.html
>
>
--
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