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Installation of Multiple Condor PC Card (PCMCIA) Products under Windows XP/2000
This discussion documents a characteristic of the device driver Condor engineering provides for our PC Card (PCMCIA) products to operate under Windows XP/2000. This characteristic may result in a reallocation of the assigned device number when two Condor PC Card devices are simultaneously installed in a Windows XP/2000 computer. This discussion applies to laptop computers supporting two PC Card slots as well as desktop computers with a PC Card adapter installed.
Device Identification
When you install a Condor API product (i.e CEI-710-SW, CEI-715-SW or BusTools/1553-API), the installed device is assigned a device number (0-9), based on the order in which devices are installed. For PC Card devices under the Windows NT or 9x operating systems, this device number remains associated with the API installation value assignment throughout the lifespan of the device on that computer. Under Windows XP/2000, the device number associated with the API installation value may change after a restart or removal of the device when multiple PC Card devices are installed. The actual device number is enumerated to the PC Card devices dynamically based on the physical location where devices are installed in the PC Card sockets at boot-up or on the order in which the devices are plugged into the computer after Windows has started.
Installation of the Condor API and Devices
When you first install Condor PC Card products, the first device installed is designated as Device 0; the second device is designated as Device 1. This should be true regardless of the physical slot in which they are installed. They should also appear in the Windows Device Manager and PCMCIA Controller dialog box designated with this device number (i.e., CEI-715 (Board0) Dev0 and/or PCCARD-1553 (Board0) Dev1). When running the test configuration program for either board, the device number remains as assigned when installed until the computer is restarted.
First Possible Problem Scenario
When you restart the computer, Windows initializes the Condor PC Card devices installed in the PC Card slots in a specific order, and the device driver enumeratex the device number on a first come, first serve basis. With most Cardbus controllers, the lower slot is initialized first. The problem occurs when you install two Condor PC Card devices in your computer. If the first device is installed in the upper PC Card slot, it is initially defined as Device 0. When the second device is installed in the lower PC Card slot it is defined as Device 1. A computer restart causes in a swap of the original device numbers. The device driver enumerates the device installed in the lower PC Card slot as Device 0 and the device installed in the upper PC Card slot as Device 1.
Second Possible Problem Scenario
When you restart the computer with neither Condor PC Card device installed, the device number assignment is based on the order in which the devices are installed and is independent of the installed slot. The first PC Card device installed in either PC Card slot is enumerated as Device 0 and the second PC Card device installed is enumerated as Device 1.
Third Possible Problem Scenario
When you remove both PC Card devices from your computer then reinstall only one of the devices, it is enumerated as Device 0 regardless of its device assignment during installation.
Resolution
There is currently no method to positively determine the currently defined, enumerated device number for a PC Card device; rather, it is up to the operator to determine the desired device number scheme based on the placement of the PC Card devices in the computerâs PC Card slots. If you plan on installing both a CEI-710/715 and a PCCARD-1553, install the CEI-710/715 first and in the lower PC Card slot; installing the PCCARD-1553 second and in the upper PC Card slot.
Problems Encountered with BusTools/1553-API Test Applications
When you install BusTools/1553-API, batch files are created containing the device number and board type assigned during the installation. These batch files are referenced by the Test Config and One-Shot shortcuts, and are used to invoke the respective executable with the desired arguments. If the PCCARD-1553 was assigned as Device 0 during installation, but is then enumerated as Device 1 after a computer restart, the invocations of these test applications will fail. To successfully test the application, double-click on the respective executable by viewing the contents of the \Condor BusTools-1553-API\Examples\Win32 folder using the Windows Explorer. Enter the device number assigned based on the situation, and not necessarily based on what was assigned during the installation of the product. You should modify the respective batch file for both executables in this same folder, changing the device number argument(s) as necessary.
Problems Encountered with BusTools/1553 In the installation of BusTools/1553, the initial definition is that Device 0 is a Condor MIL-STD-1553 device. If the PCCARD-1553 is enumerated as Device 1, you must modify the file BUSTOOLS32.INI as follows:
- Open BusTools/1553.
- Click New Topology from the toolbar.
- Set the Board Configuration to PCCARD-1553.
- Click OK.
- When an error dialog box appears, click OK.
- Close BusTools/1553.
- Edit the file BUSTOOLS32.INI (located in the \Windows or \WinNT folder) using any text editor, (such as Notepad).
- Modify the (second) line under [Setup Info0] from HARDWARE_ADDRESS=0x0 to HARDWARE_ADDRESS=0x1.
- Close and save BUSTOOLS32.INI.
- Open BusTools/1553.
- Click New Topology from the toolbar.
- The Board Configuration should show PCCARD-1553. Do not modify this selection, as that causes an overwrite of the BUSTOOLS32.INI file and the modification performed in step 8 will be lost.
- Click OK to successfully complete the initialization of the PCCARD-1553.
See Appendix D of the "BusTools/1553 User Manual" for more information regarding hardware configuration issues.
Problems Encountered with CEI-710 and CEI-715 Test Config Applications
When you install either of these products, a Test Config shortcut is created to invoke the respective test configuration executable. When the program is executed, the operator is prompted for the desired device number. Enter the appropriate device number based on the situation, not necessarily based on what was assigned during the installation of the product.
Problems Encountered with BusTools/ARINC
The BusTools/ARINC application requires Device 0 to be an ARINC device. If you install either a CEI-710 or CEI-715 in combination with a PCCARD-1553, you must insure the ARINC device is enumerated as Device 0. Insure this assignment by always installing the CEI-710/715 in the lower PC Card slot, and installing it first before installing the PCCARD-1553.