B&B Electronics SSP-100 User Manual

i

SSP-100

Single Channel RS-232 PCMCIA

Asynchronous Adapter

for PCMCIA Card Standard compatible

User's

INTERFACE CARDS FOR IBM PC/AT AND PS/2

Manual

machines

i

Warranty Information

Quatech Inc. warrants the SSP-100 to be free of defects for one (5) year from the date of purchase.
Quatech Inc. will repair or replace any adapter that fails to perform under normal operating conditions
and in accordance with the procedures outlined in this document during the warranty period. Any
damage that results from improper installation, operation, or general misuse voids all warranty rights.

The authors have taken due care in the preparation of this document and any associated software
program(s). In no event will Quatech Inc. be liable for damages of any kind, incidental or consequential,
in regard to or arising out of the performance or form of the materials presented herein and in the
program(s) accompanying this document. No representation is made regarding the suitability of this
product for any particular purpose.

Quatech Inc. reserves the right to edit or append to this document or the product(s) to which it refers at
any time and without notice.

Please complete the following information and retain for your records. Have this information available
when requesting warranty service.

Date of purchase:

Model Number: SSP-100

Product Description: Single Channel Asynchronous RS-232

Communications PCMCIA Adapter

Serial Number:

SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

ii

Declaration of Conformity

Manufacturer's Name: B&B Electronics

Manufacturer's Address: 707 Dayton Road
P.O. Box 1040

Ottawa, IL 61350

Application of Council Directive:

Standards to which

Conformity is Declared: * EN50081-1

Type of Equipment: Information Technology Equipment

Equipment Class: Commercial, Residential, & Light

Product Name: PCMCIA Card

Model Number : SSP-100

89/336/EEC

(EN55022)

* EN50082-1

(IEC 801-2, IEC 801-3, & IEC 801-4)

Industrial

iii

Table of Contents

Introduction
DOS/Windows 3.x

SSP-100 Client Driver for DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Client Driver Installation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SSP-100 Enabler for DOS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Command Line Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Common Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-10

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Windows 95/98/Millennium (ME) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Installing a SSP-100 Under Windows
SSP-100 Resource Settings in Windows

Viewing Resource Settings with Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Windows 2000/XP

Installing a SSP-100 Under Windows 2000/XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SSP-100 Resource Settings in Windows 2000/XP . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Viewing Resource Settings with Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Windows NT

Installing SSP-100 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

External Connections
Specifications

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

95/98/ME

95/98/ME

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1-1
2-2

2-3
2-3
2-4
2-6
2-7
2-8

3-1
3-1
3-1
3-2
3-2
3-4

4-1
4-1
4-4
4-5
4-6

5-1
5-1

6-1
7-2

SSP-100(Rev. G and later) User's Manual

1-1

1. Introduction

The SSP-100 is a single channel RS-232 asynchronous serial adapter for systems
equipped with PCMCIA Type II and/or Type III expansion sockets. The SSP-100 is a
PCMCIA Type II (5 mm) card and is PCMCIA PC Card Standard Specification 2.1

compliant.

The SSP-100's serial port is implemented using a 16C750 Universal Asynchronous
Receiver/Transmitter (UART), which is the recommended communications interface
for multitasking environments and with applications involving high data transfer rates.

PCMCIA Card Cable Assembly

Standard D-9 Male

Figure 1. SSP-100 Card and Cable Assembly

SSP-100(Rev. G and later) User's Manual

2-1

This page intentionally left blank.

DOS/Windows 3.x

2-2

2. DOS/Windows 3.x

Client Driver (recommended)

Enabler

File type: DOS device driver

File type: DOS executable

Interfaces to PCMCIA Card
and Socket Services software
(PCMCIA host adapter

independent)

Interfaces directly to Intel
82365SL and other PCIC
compatible PCMCIA host
adapters

Allows automatic configuration
of SSP-100 adapters upon

insertion (Hot Swapping)

Does not support automatic
configuration of adapters upon

insertion (Hot Swapping)

Requires PCMCIA Card and
Socket Services software

Does not require PCMCIA
Card and Socket Services

software

Note: PCMCIA DOS support is dependent upon type of

machine

and card

and socket services software support. DOS support is

not guaranteed.

Two configuration software programs are provided with the SSP-100: a Client Driver,
and a card Enabler. Both of these programs are executed from DOS (before entering
Windows) and allow operation of the SSP-100 in both the DOS and Windows 3.x
environments. For optimal operation, however, the Client Driver is the preferred
method of installation and configuration. The table below highlights the differences
between these programs.

Figure 2. Client Driver versus Enabler for DOS/Windows 3.x.

Card and Socket Services software is commercially available from several vendors for
most desktop and laptop PCs. If you are unsure whether Card and Socket Services
software is currently installed on your system, install the SSP-100 Client Driver as
discussed in following section. When loaded, the Client Driver will display an error
message if Card and Socket Services software is not detected.

2-3 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

2.1 SSP-100 Client Driver for DOS

In order to use the SSP-100 Client Driver, the system must be configured with Card and
Socket Services software. Card and Socket Services software is not provided with the
SSP-100 but is available.

IMPORTANT:

Some versions of Card and Socket Services dated before
1993 do not support general purpose I/O cards. If after
careful installation of the Client Driver the adapter does
not configure or operate properly, an updated version of
Card and Socket Services may be required.

2.1.1 Client Driver Installation

The following procedure is used to install the SSP-100 Client Driver:

1. Copy the Client Driver from the SSP-100 distribution diskette onto the
system's hard drive.

2. Using an ASCII text editor, open the system's CONFIG.SYS file located in the
root directory of the boot drive.

3. Locate the line(s) in the CONFIG.SYS file where the Card and Socket Services
software is installed.

4. AFTER the line(s) installing the Card and Socket Services software, add the
following line to the CONFIG.SYS file: DEVICE = drive:\path\
SSP130CL.SYS options where options are the SSP-100 Client Driver
command line options discussed on the following pages.

5. Save the CONFIG.SYS file and exit the text editor.

6. Insert the SSP-100 into one of the system's PCMCIA slots.

NOTE: Since the SSP-100 Client Driver supports "Hot Swapping", it is not
necessary to have the SSP-100 installed when booting the system. By inserting
the card before booting, however, the Client Driver will report the adapter
configuration during the boot process thereby verifying the changes made to the
CONFIG.SYS.

DOS/Windows 3.x

2-4

7. Reboot the system and note the message displayed when the SSP-100 Client
Driver is loaded. If the Client Driver reports an "invalid command line
option", correct the entry in the CONFIG.SYS file and reboot the system
again. If the Client Driver reports "Card and Socket Services not found", a
version of Card and Socket Services must be installed on the system or the
SSP-100 Enabler program must be used to configure the adapter. If the Client
Driver reports the desired adapter configuration, the installation process is
complete and the SSP-100 may be removed and/ or inserted from the system
as desired. On each insertion into the PCMCIA socket, the SSP-100 will be
automatically reconfigured according to the command line options.

2.1.2 Command Line Options

The SSP-100 Client Driver accepts up to eight command line arguments from the user
to determine the configuration of theSSP-100. If any arguments are provided, the
Client Driver will attempt to configure any SSP-100s with the options specified in the
order they are entered on the command line. Each argument must be enclosed in
parenthesis and must be separated from other arguments by a space on the command
line. Within each argument, any or all of the following parameters may be specified
using a comma (no spaces) to separate each parameter:

Baddress specifies a the base I/O address of the SSP-100 in hexadecimal. This address

must reside on an even 8-byte boundary. If this option is omitted, a base
address will be assigned by Card and Socket Services.

Iirq specifies the interrupt level (IRQ) of the SSP-100 in decimal. irq must be one

of the following values: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, or 0 if no IRQ is
desired. If this option is omitted, an interrupt level will be assigned by Card
and Socket Services.

Ssocket specifies which PCMCIA socket the SSP-100 must be inserted into for this

configuration argument to be used. socket must be in the range 0 - 15. If this
option is omitted, the configuration argument will apply to SSP-100s
inserted into any socket.

Cclock specifies the multiple of the standard frequency for the UART clock. Valid

values for clock are 1 or 8. A value of 1 yields a clock frequency of 1.8432
MHz; a value of 8 yields 14.7456 MHz. If this option is omitted, the
standard clock frequency will be used.

2.1.2.1 Example 1
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\ SSP130CL.SYS

2-5 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

In example 1, no command line arguments are specified. The Client Driver will
configure a SSP-100 inserted into any socket with a base address and IRQ assigned by
Card and Socket Services.

DOS/Windows 3.x

2-6

2.1.2.2 Example 2
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS (b290,i11)

In example 2, a single command line argument is provided. The Client Driver will
attempt to configure a SSP-100 inserted into any socket with a base address of 290H
and IRQ 11. If address 290H or IRQ 11 is unavailable, the SSP-100 will not be
configured.

2.1.2.3 Example 3
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS(s0,b300,i5,o2)

In example 3, a single command line argument is provided. The Client Driver will
attempt to configure a SSP-100 inserted into socket 0 with a base address of 300H and
IRQ 5. If address 300H or IRQ 5 is unavailable, the SSP-100 will not be configured. In
addition, if aSSP-100 is inserted into any other socket, it will not be configured.

2.1.2.4 Example 4
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS(i5,h,b300)

In example 4, a single command line argument is provided. Because the parameter
order is not significant, the Client Driver will attempt to configure a SSP-100 inserted
into any socket with a base address of 300H and IRQ 5. If address 300H or IRQ 5 is
unavailable, the SSP-100 will not be configured.

2.1.2.5 Example 5
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS (b300,i5) (i10) ( )

In example 5, three command line arguments are provided. The Client Driver will first
attempt to configure a SSP-100 inserted into any socket with a base address of 300H
and IRQ 5. If address 300H or IRQ 5 is unavailable, the Client Driver will proceed to
the second command line argument and attempt to configure the card with a base
address assigned by Card and Socket Services and IRQ 10. If IRQ 10 is also
unavailable, the Client Driver will proceed to the third command line argument and
attempt to configure the SSP-100 with a base address and an IRQ assigned by Card and
Socket Services.

2-7 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

2.1.2.6 Example 6
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS (b300,i5) ( ) (i10)

In example 6, the three command line arguments of example 5 have been rearranged.
The Client Driver will first attempt to configure a SSP-100 inserted into any socket with
a base address of 300H and IRQ 5. If address 300H or IRQ 5 is unavailable, the Client
Driver will proceed to the second command line argument and attempt to configure the
card with a base address and IRQ assigned by Card and Socket Services. Since the
second command line argument includes all available address and IRQ resources, the
third command line argument will never be reached by the Client Driver. It is the
user's responsibility to place the command line arguments in a logical order.

2.1.2.7 Example 7
DEVICE = C:\SSP-100\SSP130CL.SYS (s0,b300,i5) (s1,b340,i10)

The type of configuration shown in example 7 may be desirable in systems where more
than one SSP-100 is to be installed. In this example, the Client Driver will attempt to
configure a SSP-100 inserted into socket 0 with a base address of 300H and IRQ 5. If the
SSP-100 is inserted into socket 1, the Client Driver will attempt to configure it with base
address 340H and IRQ 10. This allows the user to force the SSP-100's address and IRQ
settings to be socket specific which may simplify cable connections and software
development. As in the previous examples, however, if the requested address or
interrupt resources are not available, the SSP-100 will not be configured.

2.1.3 Common Problems

Generic Client Drivers:

Many Card and Socket Services packages include a generic client driver (or
SuperClient) which configures standard I/O devices. If one of these generic client
drivers is installed, it may configure the SSP-100 causing the SSP-100 client driver to
fail installation. In these cases, the user should do one of the following:

1. Modify the operation of the generic client driver to disable the configuration
of modem/serial port cards. Consult the Card and Socket Services
documentation for availability and details of this feature.

2. Place the SSP-100 client driver before the generic client driver in the
CONFIG.SYS.

DOS/Windows 3.x

2-8

Available Resources:
One function of the Card and Socket Services software is to track which system
resources (memory addresses, I/O addresses, IRQs, etc.) are available for assignment to
inserted PCMCIA cards. Sometimes, however, the Card Services software assumes or
incorrectly determines that a particular resource is used when it is actually available.
Most Card and Socket Services generate a resource table in a file (typically in the form
of an .INI file) which the user can modify to adjust the available system resources.
Consult the Card and Socket Services documentation for availability and details of this
feature.

Multiple Configuration Attempts:
Some Card and Socket Services have a setting which aborts the configuration process
after a single configuration failure (such as a request for an unavailable resource). The
user should change this setting to allow for multiple configuration attempts. Consult
the Card and Socket Services documentation for availability and details of this feature.

Older Versions of Card and Socket Services:
Some versions of Card and Socket Services dated before 1993 do not support general
purpose I/O cards. If after careful installation of the Client Driver the SSP-100 does not
configure or operate properly, an updated version of Card and Socket Services may be
required. Card and Socket Services software is available.

2.2 SSP-100 Enabler for DOS

For systems that are not operating PCMCIA Card and Socket Services software, the
SSP-100 DOS Enabler may be used to enable and configure the adapter. This Enabler,
SSP200EN.EXE, will operate on any DOS system using an Intel 82365SL or PCIC
compatible PCMCIA host adapter including the Cirrus Logic CL-PD6710 /6720, the
VLSI VL82C146, and the Vadem VG-365 among others.

IMPORTANT:

In order to use the SSP-100 Enabler for DOS, the system
MUST NOT be configured with Card and Socket Services
software. If a Card and Socket Services software is installed,
the SSP-100 Enabler may interfere with its operation and
with the device(s) it controls.

2-9 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

The SSP-100 Enabler does not support automatic configuration of adapters upon
insertion, more commonly referred to as "Hot Swapping". This means the adapter must
be installed in one of the system's PCMCIA sockets before executing SSP130EN.EXE. If
more than one adapter is installed in a system, the Enabler must be executed separately
for each adapter. Furthermore, SSP130EN.EXE should be executed to release the
resources used by the adapter before it is removed from the PCMCIA socket. Since
PCMCIA adapters do not retain their configuration after removal, any adapter that is
removed from the system must be reconfigured with the Enabler after re-inserting it
into a PCMCIA socket.

IMPORTANT:

The Enabler requires a region of high DOS memory when
configuring a SSP-100. This region is 1000H bytes (4KB) long
and by default begins at address D0000H (the default address
may be changed using the "W" option). If a memory manager
such as EMM386, QEMM, or 386Max is installed on the system,
this region of DOS memory must be excluded from the memory
manager's control. Consult the documentation provided with
the memory manager software for instructions on how to
exclude this memory region.

2.2.1 Command Line Options

To configure a SSP-100 in the system, the Enabler requires one command line argument
from the user to determine the configuration of the card. This argument must be
enclosed in parenthesis and within the argument, any or all of the following parameters
may be specified using a comma (no spaces) to separate each parameter:

Ssocket specifies which PCMCIA socket the SSP-100 must be inserted into for this

configuration argument to be used. socket must be in the range 0 - 15. This
option is required if the 'R' option is not used.

Baddress specifies the base I/O address of the SSP-100 in hexadecimal. This address

must reside on an even 8-byte boundary. This option is required if the 'R'
option is not used.

Iirq specifies the interrupt level (IRQ) of the SSP-100 in decimal. irq must be one

of the following values: 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14, 15, or 0 if no IRQ is
desired. This option is required if the 'R' option is not used.

Waddress specifies the base address of the memory window required to configure the

SSP-100. Set address = D0 for a memory window at segment D000, address
D8 for a memory window at segment D800, etc. Valid settings for address
are C8, CC, D0, D4, D8, and DC. If this option is omitted, a memory
window at segment D000 will be used.

Cclock specifies the multiple of the standard frequency for the UART clock. Valid

values for clock are 1 or 8. A value of 1 yields a clock frequency of 1.8432
MHz; a value of 8 yields 14.7456 MHz. If this option is omitted, the
standard clock frequency will be used.

Before removing a SSP-100 from its PCMCIA socket, the Enabler should be executed to
free the system resources allocated when the card was installed. For this operation the
Enabler provides on additional command line option:

R instructs the enabler to release the resources previously allocated to the

SSP-100. When the 'R' option is used, any settings specified by the 'B' and 'I'
options are ignored.

2.2.1.1 Example 1
SSP130EN.EXE

In example 1, no command line argument is specified. The Enabler will report an error
and display the proper usage of the command.

2.2.1.2 Example 2
SSP130EN.EXE (s0,b300,i5)

In example 2, the Enabler will configure the SSP-100 in socket 0 with a base address of
300H and IRQ 5 using a configuration memory window at segment D000.

2.2.1.3 Example 3
SSP130EN.EXE (i10,h,b340,s1)

In example 3, the Enabler will configure the SSP-100 in socket 1 with a base address of
340H and IRQ 10 using a configuration memory window at segment D000.

2.2.1.4 Example 4
SSP130EN.EXE (s0,b300,i3,wd8)

In example 4, the Enabler will configure the SSP-100 in socket 0 with a base address of
300H and IRQ 3 using a configuration memory window at segment D800.

DOS/Windows 3.x 2-10

=

2-11

SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

2.2.1.5 Example 5
SSP130EN.EXE (o1,i5,b340,s1)

In example 2, the Enabler will configure the SSP-100 in socket 1 with a base address of
340H and IRQ 5 using a configuration memory window at segment D000.

2.2.1.6 Example 6
SSP130EN.EXE (s0,b300,i5,r)

In example 6, the Enabler will release the configuration used by the SSP-100 in socket 0
using a configuration memory window at segment D000. The base address and IRQ
parameters are ignored and may be omitted.

2.2.1.7 Example 7
SSP130EN.EXE (s1,r,wcc)

In example 7, the Enabler will release the configuration used by the SSP-100 in socket 1
using a configuration memory window at segment CC00.

2.2.2 Common Problems

Memory Range Exclusion:

The Enabler requires a region of high DOS memory when configuring a SSP-100. This
region is 1000H bytes (4KB) long and by default begins at address D0000H (the default
address may be changed using the "W" option). If a memory manager such as
EMM386, QEMM, or 386Max is installed on the system, this region of DOS memory
must be excluded from the memory manager's control. Consult the documentation
provided with the memory manager software for instructions on how to exclude this
memory region.

Furthermore, some systems use the high memory area for BIOS shadowing to improve
overall system performance. In order for the Enabler to operate, any BIOS shadowing
must be disabled in the address range specified for the configuration window. BIOS
shadowing can usually be disabled through the system's CMOS setup utility.

Socket Numbers:

The Enabler requires the SSP-100's socket number to be specified on the command line
and the SSP-100 must be inserted into the socket before the Enabler is invoked. Some
vendors number their sockets from 1 to N while other vendors number their sockets
from 0 to N-1. For theSSP-100 Enabler, the lowest socket number in the system is
designated socket 0.

DOS/Windows 3.x

2-12

Card and Socket Services Software:
In order to use the SSP-100 Enabler for DOS, the system MUST NOT be configured
with Card and Socket Services software. If a Card and Socket Services software is
installed, the Enabler may interfere with its operation and with the device(s) it controls.
For systems configured with Card and Socket Services, the SSP-100 Client Driver is the
recommended method of configuration.

3-1 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

This page intentionally left blank.

Windows

95/98/Millennium

(ME)

3-2

3. Windows 95/98/Millennium (ME

To allow easy configuration of the SSP-100, an Windows
configuration file has been written for the hardware.

)

95/98/ME

3.1 Installing a SSP-100 Under Windows 95/98/ME

1. Insert the SSP-100 into any available PC Card socket.

2. The first time a new PC Card type is installed the New Hardware Found
window opens. After this first installation Windows 95/98/ME will
automatically detect and configure the card. If the New Hardware Found
window does not open, then skip to the next section, “SSP-100 Resource
Settings".

3. The New Hardware Found window provides several options to configure
the SSP-100 card. Click the "Search for the best driver for your device"
option button. Click "NEXT" to continue.

4. An "Install from Disk" dialog box should appear. Insert the Quatech COM
CD file, select the correct drive letter and path, and click "OK". Windows
95/98/ME

will browse the path for the aforementioned files.

"INF"

5. During the installation process, it may be required to supply the computer
with the Windows
click "OK".

95/98/ME

CD or installation CDs. Insert the CD and

The SSP-100 PC Card should now be configured. With the default configuration,
the SSP-100's interrupt status register will be enable and the 16C750 UART’s
scratchpad register will be disabled. In the future, Windows

95/98/ME

will

automatically recognize and configure the SSP-100 in this default configuration.

3.2 SSP-100 Resource Settings in Windows 95/98/ME

Windows 95/98/ME maintains a registry of all known hardware installed within the
computer. Inside this hardware registry Windows 95/98/ME keeps track of all the
computer's resources, such as base I/O addresses, IRQ levels, and DMA channels. In
the case of a PC Card (PCMCIA) type board, Windows 95/98/ME configures the new
hardware using free resources it finds within the hardware registry, and updates the
registry automatically.

3-3 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

To view and/or edit hardware devices in Windows 95/98/ME use the system Device

Manager. To access Device Manager double click the System icon in the Windows
95/98/ME control panel, or click the My Computer icon on the Windows 95/98/ME

desktop with the right mouse button and select Properties from the pull down menu.
Consult Windows 95/98/ME on-line help for details on the use of the Device Manager.

3.2.1Viewing Resource Settings with Device Manager

1. Start the Windows 95/98/ME Device Manager.

2. Double click on the hardware class Quatech Comm Adapters to list
hardware devices in the class.

3. The SSP-100 “parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The device
name for the SSP-100 is Quatech SSP-100: RS-232 Serial Port PC Card.

4. Open the Properties dialog for the SSP-100 device, then click the Resources
tab to view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource
allocations.

5. Double click the hardware class Ports (Com and LPT). The Quatech

Communications Port listed in this class is a “child device” of the SSP-100
“parent

device.”

6. Open the Properties dialog for the COM port, then click the Resources tab to
view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource allocations.
These will match those of the “parent

device.”

7. Record the COM Port device name (COM1, COM2, etc.) for the SSP-100. This
name is required by a Windows 95/98/ME application when accessing a
particular port.

3.2.2Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager

1. Start the Windows

2. Double click on the hardware class Quatech Comm Adapters to list
hardware devices in the class.

3. The SSP-100 “parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The device
name for the SSP-100 is Quatech SSP-100: RS-232 Serial Port PC Card.

4. Open the Properties dialog for the SSP-100 device, then click the Resources
tab to view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource
allocations.

95/98/ME

Device Manager.

Windows

95/98/Millennium

(ME)

3-4

5. Several predefined Basic Configurations have been included for the SSP-100

Basic

Configuration

I/O Range

***

Clock

Speed

Scratch

Pad/ ISR

0000*

3F8-3FF

Normal ISR 0001*

2F8-2FF

Normal ISR

0002*

3E8-3EF

Normal ISR

0003*

2E8-2EF

Normal ISR 0004

Any

Normal ISR 0005

Any

8x ISR 0006

Any

Normal

Scratch Pad

0007

Any

8x

Scratch Pad

(see Figure 5. SSP-100 Basic Configuration Table). The Basic Configurations
provide many combinations of the operating modes and options listed below.

When the Use Automatic Settings check box is enabled Windows

95/98/ME
will attempt to configure the SSP-100 in the order listed in the Basic
Configurations table.

* Indicates “COM” mode addressing. Addresses 3F8, 2F8, 3E8, and 2E8 are the standard
addresses for COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4, respectively. Windows
enumerates any COM port at a non-standard address starting with COM5.

95/98/ME

*** Any indicates variable value; this value may or may not be user selectable depending on
platform.

6. Select a Basic Configurations that displays "No conflicts" in the bottom
display region titled Conflicting Device List from the drop down list. Some
applications may not be able to access ports higher than COM4. To use the
SSP-100 PCMCIA serial ports with these applications you might be forced to
remove other serial communications devices from your system

7. To modify the Interrupt Request setting click the resource name and
the Change Setting button. An Edit Resource window will open up. Inside
this window click on the up/down arrows to the right of the Interrupt
Request value. This scrolls you through all of the allowable resources for
your hardware. Pay attention to the conflict information at the bottom of the
window. Do not select a value that causes a conflict with any other installed
hardware.

8. If any changes have been made to the
automatically be reconfigured to the new resources specified. Any time a
PCMCIA card of this type is inserted Windows
configure the card at these resource settings. Click the Use Automatic
Settings box to reset this card type for automatic configuration.

SSP-100’s

click

configuration the card will

95/98/ME

will attempt to

3-5 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

3.3 Frequently Asked Questions

Basic Configuration List Not Available:

A problem noted on some systems is after a basic configuration has been manually
selected the basic configurations list for the SSP-100 is no longer available. The solution
to this problem is to check the “Use Automatic Settings” box and allow Windows
95/98/ME
again be visible.

to reconfigure the SSP-100 card. The basic configurations list should once

Base I/O Address Resource Modification Not Allowed:
The SSP-100 is configured to allow only a fixed number of base I/O addresses. To
change the I/O address resources for the SSP-100 select another “Basic Configuration”.
Refer to the Basic Configurations table for a list of the availabe I/O address resources
for the SSP-100

Windows 2000

/XP

4-1

4 Windows 2000/XP

To allow easy configuration of the SSP-100, an Windows 2000/XP "INF" configuration
file has been written for the hardware.

4.1Installing a SSP-100 Under Windows 2000/XP.

1. Insert the Quatech COM CD into an available CD-ROM.

2. Insert the SSP-100 into any available PC Card socket.

3. You will be prompted to search for the correct driver. Choose the drive
where the Quatech COM CD is located and select “Browse” from the ‘Files

Needed’window.

Figure 5

4-2 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

4. Double click ‘Serial Port Adapters

Figure 6

5. Double click ‘Drivers

Figure 7

’

’

Windows 2000

/XP

4-3

6. Double click on ‘Windows 2000, XP for PCI, PCMCIA,

Figure 8

7. Click on ‘qserbrd.inf’and

Figure 9

select open.

ISA

’

8. Select ‘OK’at the files needed window.

Figure 10

9. The same process as above in steps 1-9 will have to be repeated for the next
file ‘qserprt

.inf’.

In step 7 be sure to shoose ‘qserprt

.inf’and

select open.

4.2 SSP-100 Resource Settings in Windows 2000/XP

Windows 2000/XP maintains a registry of all known hardware installed within the
computer. Inside this hardware registry Windows 2000/XP keeps track of all the
computer's resources, such as base I/O addresses, IRQ levels, and DMA channels. In
the case of a PC Card (PCMCIA) type board, Windows 2000/XP configures the new
hardware using free resources it finds within the hardware registry, and updates the
registry automatically.

To view and/or edit hardware devices in Windows 2000 use the system Device
Manager.

Windows 2000/XP handles the SSP-100 as a "parent/child device".

v The SSP-100 is the "parent device" and is listed under the hardware class

v The serial port is a "child device" of the "parent device" SSP-100 (Quatech

4-4 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's

To access Device Manager double click the System icon in the Windows

click the My Computer icon on the Windows

Properties from the pull down menu. Click on the Hardware tab then click on the Device Manager.

Consult Windows

2000/XP

on-line help for details on the use of the Device Manager

2000/XP

desktop with the right mouse button and select

2000/XP

control panel, or

Quatech SSP-100 PCMCIA RS-232 Serial Adapter in the device manager.

PCMCIA Serial Port). There is 1 child COM port for the SSP-100

(Quatech

Manual

PCMCIA Serial Port) which is listed under the hardware class Ports (Com &
LPT).

4.2.1 Viewing Resource Settings with Device Manager

1. Start the Windows 2000/XP Device Manager.

2. Double click on the hardware class Quatech SSP-100 PCMCIA RS-232 Serial
Adapter to list hardware devices in the class.

3. The SSP-100 “parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The device

Windows 2000/XP 4-5

name for the SSP-100 is Quatech SSP-100 PCMCIA RS-232 Serial Adapter.

4. Open the Properties dialog for the SSP-100 device, select Resources tab to
view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource allocations.
Examine and remember the Input/Output Range, then close the properties
window.

5. Double click the hardware class Ports (Com and LPT). The Quatech

PCMCIA Serial Port listed in this class is the “child device” of the SSP-100
“parent

device.”

4-6 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

6. Use the COM Port device names (COM5, COM6, etc.) to access any of the
particular serial ports on the SSP-100. This name is required by a Windows

2000 application when accessing a particular port

4.2.2Changing Resource Settings with Device Manager

1. Start the Windows 2000/XP Device Manager.

2. Double click on the hardware class Quatech Multiport Serial Devices to list

hardware devices in the class.

3. The SSP-100 “parent device” belongs to this hardware class. The device
name for the SSP-100 is Quatech SSP-100 PCMCIA RS-232 Serial Adapter.

4. Open the Properties dialog for the SSP-100 device, then click the Advanced
tab to view the clock rate settings.

Windows 2000/XP

4-7

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4-8 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

Data Rate Multiplier

Clock Mode

Max bps

Description

Auto

921,600

Auto clock mode enables applications to request
any baud rate up to 921,600. The hardware
drivers will select the correct clock multiplier
based on the baud rate requested

X1

115,200

The X1 clock mode mimics a standard COM port.
The hardware drivers lock the clock to the
standard rate. The port will run at the baud rate
requested by the application.

X2

230,400

The X2 clock mode locks the ports hardware
clock at double the standard rate. The baud rate
the port runs at will always be double the rate
requested by the applications. This mode is
useful for legacy applicattions which cannot
request baud rates over 115,200

X4

460,800

The X4 clock mode locks the ports hardware clock
at four times the standard rate. The baud rate the
port runs at will always be four times the rate
requested by the application. This mode is useful
for legacy applications which cannot request
baud rates over 115.200.

X8

921,600

The X8 clock mode locks the ports hardware clock
at eight times the standard rate. The baud rate
the port runs at will always be eight times the
rate requested by the application. This mode is
useful for legacy applications which cannot
request baud rates over 115.200.

5. Open the Properties dialog for the SSP-100 device, then click the Resources
tab to view the Input/Output Range and Interrupt Request resource
allocations. If options that are not available on the preceding pages are
required, a different basic configuration will have to be selected. To do this,
de-select the Use Automatic Settings box and choose the basic configuration
that corresponds to the set of options required.

Windows 2000

/XP

4-9

Basic

Configuration

I/O

Range

IRQ

0000

Variable

Variable

0001

2E8-2EF

Variable

0002

3E8-3EF

Variable

0003

2F8-2FF

Variable

0004

3F8-3FF

Variable

6. Windows 2000/XP should have chosen an available Interrupt Request
setting automatically when the I/O address range was configured by a Basic
Configuration selection. This default Interrupt Request setting should not
need changed as long as "No conflicts" is displayed in the bottom display
region titled Conflicting Device List. If you are satisfied with Windows
2000/XP selection then skip the next step

7. To modify the Interrupt Request setting click the resource name and click
the Change Setting button. An Edit Resource window will open up. Inside
this window click on the up/down arrows to the right of the Interrupt

4-10

SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

Request value. This scrolls you through all of the allowable resources for
your hardware. Pay attention to the conflict information at the bottom of the
window. Do not select a value that causes a conflict with any other installed
hardware.

8. If any changes have been made to the
automatically be reconfigured to the new resources specified. Any time a
PCMCIA card of this type is inserted Windows 2000/XP will attempt to
configure the card at these resource settings. Click the Use Automatic
Settings box to reset this card type for automatic configuration.

SSP-100’s

configuration the card will

Windows NT

5-1

5 Windows NT

5.1Installing SSP-100

To allow easy configuration of the SSP-100 the Quatech Device Manager for Windows
NT has been written for the hardware. This configuration utility supports the SSP-100
only in block addressing mode.

To begin the installation, open Windows Explorer and search for the ‘Setup.exe
command to install the Quatech Device Manager. <See following Windows Explorer
figure.> (D:\Serial Port Adapters\Drivers\Windows NT 4.0 for PCI, PCMCIA,ISA).
Once the installation is complete an icon will be placed on the desktop.

Windows NT Explorer

’

5-2 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

1. Locate and double click the Quatech Device Manager icon on the desktop

Device Manager Icon on Desktop

Windows NT

5-3

2. Click the ‘Add’button at the bottom of the Quatech Device Manager Window

3. Follow the steps for the ‘Add Quatech Hardware Wizard’.

5-4 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

4. Complete the final steps of the installation, shut down Windows NT insert

The SSP-100 PC Card should now be configured. In the future, Windows NT will
automatically recognize and configure the SSP-100.

Note: Windows NT does not support ‘Plug
PCMCIA Card must be inserted prior to starting Windows NT and can not be removed
and reinserted while Windows NT is running.

the PCMCIA Card and re-boot the computer.

Additional help is available

online

and

Play’for PCMCIA cards. The

External Connections

6-1

6. External Connections

An adapter cable is included with the SSP-100 to convert the 9-pin PCMCIA output
connector into a standard D-9 male connector, data terminal equipment (DTE), as
shown in the figures below.

Standard D-9

(Male)

Figure 14. SSP-100 Adapter Cable.

GND

DTR

TxD

RxD

DCD

5

9

8

CTS

7

RTS

6

DSR

RI

4

3

2

1

D-9 Male

Figure 15. RS-232 Signal Assignment.

Connector

7-1 SSP-100 (Rev. G and later) User's Manual

This page intentionally left blank.

SSP-100 User's Manual

7-2

7. Specifications

Bus Interface PCMCIA

PC Card Standard 2.1 compliant

Physical Dimensions Type II PCMCIA card (5mm)

Maximum Baud Rate 921.6K

Power Requirements +5 volts 20 mA (typical)

30 mA (maximum)

Connector Adapter to standard male D-9

SSP-100
User's Manual
Revision
February 2005
P/N 940-0074-320

3.20