Multifunction PCI serial card

  • Thread starter Thread starter Mike Engel
  • Start date Start date
M

Mike Engel

Hi all,

I use the mf.sys and two inf files I found in the newsgroup to install the
serial driver for my serial card that is connected on
a PCI to ISA brigde. The in the device manager under XP pro I can see that
the driver is loaded correctly( no resource conflict etc.). When I load my
application it finds the new installed serial port and then tries to write
to the serial port. It seems that the write is in an endless loop, because
it never finishes. When I open the Explorer and start moving through the
folders suddenly my application finishes writing.

Any ideas?

Are their some test tools under XP to test the serial interface?

Many thanks.

Mike Engel
 
Hi Mike,

I have experienced similar problems in old days (time of Win95) with serial cards and no IRQ available to them (or not working).
Check IRQ number or your serial card. (And if this IRQ is shared with some IRQ from other hardware).

Also hardware with edge triggered IRQ may be a problem, but I do not recall seeing this on PCI.

Regards,
Slobodan
 
Hi Slobodan,

yes my serial card uses IRQ10 the same that the PCI to ISA bridge uses. But
I have disabled the irq use of the serial card. You can configure the use if
interrupts by the serial card. Under the device manager in the resources tab
I can see the I/O and IRQ that is used and XP says no conflict.

In my *.inf file I use this part to configure the serial card
HKR,Child0000,ResourceMap,1,06,08

CAn I disable or not use an IRQ for the serial port?

Many thanks,

Mike Engel

Slobodan Brcin (eMVP) said:
Hi Mike,

I have experienced similar problems in old days (time of Win95) with
Click to expand...
serial cards and no IRQ available to them (or not working).
 
Hi Mike,

I'm afraid that for serial ports you will need to use IRQ. Without it you would need to write your own driver/or program to pull
data on time interval (not a very useful anyway).
Check IRQ of your video adapter and make sure that you don't use same IRQ as it does. (If you do have it plug card in next PCI
slot.)

Under XP you won't see IRQ conflicts since intended behavior of good drivers and hardware is to share same IRQ lines and handlers.
(All new hardware use interrupt on level to accomplish usage of same IRQ) Your card might use IRQ triggered on edge instead and some
other driver could intercept IRQ before serial driver, so it is never notified to handle new data.

Regards,
Slobodan
 
Hi Slobodan,

thanks for your help, will look on my machine which IRQ my video adapter is
using.

Best regards,

Mike Engel

Slobodan Brcin (eMVP) said:
Hi Mike,

I'm afraid that for serial ports you will need to use IRQ. Without it you
Click to expand...
would need to write your own driver/or program to pull
data on time interval (not a very useful anyway).
Check IRQ of your video adapter and make sure that you don't use same IRQ
Click to expand...
as it does. (If you do have it plug card in next PCI
slot.)

Under XP you won't see IRQ conflicts since intended behavior of good
Click to expand...
drivers and hardware is to share same IRQ lines and handlers.
(All new hardware use interrupt on level to accomplish usage of same IRQ)
Click to expand...
Your card might use IRQ triggered on edge instead and some
 
Hi Slobodan,

you where right. My problem seems to be that I do not have configured my
card to interrupts. I tried it with a USB mouse, which uses the same IRQ.
When I move the mouse my application works.

The problems seems to be that the serial driver needs an interrupt for
reading and writing. When I move the USB mouse I generate a interrupt which
is shared over several devices. One of them is my serial card connected on
the PCI to ISA bridge. I guess the serial driver will get the IRQ and really
can access the card.

Many thanks.

Mike Engel
 
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