WHITE PAPER
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February 1998
Prepared By
Portable Software
Marketing
Compaq Computer
Corporation
CONTENTS
Platform PC Card
Support..........................3
Supported PC Card
Features ......................... 3
CardBus Support .................. 3
Enhanced Power Management4
Extended Feature Set............5
Supported PC Card
Types............................. 6
CardWare® 5.0
Availability.....................6
Additional PC Card
Support Resources......... 7
PCMCIA Association............. 7
Compaq PC Card Solutions
Program .............................. 7
World Wide Web Resources ... 8
Frequently Asked
Questions ....................... 9
List of Tables ............... 10
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Compaq Portable PC Card Support for
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Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
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Compaq delivers the highest quality portable computer solutions for Windows NT 4.0
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Workstation. The purpose of this White Paper is to describe unique features Compaq
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provides with respect to PC Card functionality.
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To enable CardBus PC Card functionality for Windows NT 4.0 on portable platforms,
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Compaq provides CardWare® 5.0 licensed from Award Software International. PC Card
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support is an area of hardware functionality where only a limited feature set is inherently
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supported by the operating system. CardWare® 5.0 is an award winning application that
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greatly expands the level of PC Card functionality under Windows NT 4.0. This White
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Paper will highlight supported Compaq platforms and key features, as well as other
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initiatives that contribute to a comprehensive PC Card solution for Compaq portable
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customers using Windows NT 4.0.
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This is the second edition of the document. This edition includes minor updates to include
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the Armada 4200 as well as the Armada 7800 platform.
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This document is intended for external audiences with a need for information about the
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Compaq implementation of PC Card support under Windows NT 4.0.
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1
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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NOTICE
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The information in this publication is subject to change without notice.
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THE COMPETITIVE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS PUBLICATION IS BASED ON
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DATA AVAILABLE FROM PUBLIC SOURCES AT THE TIME OF PUBLICATION. COMPAQ
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COMPUTER CORPORATION SHALL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INACCURACIES,
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ERRORS, OR OMISSIONS IN INFORMATION CONTAINED HEREIN, INCLUDING, BUT NOT
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LIMITED TO, INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM THIRD PARTY SOURCES, SUCH AS
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PUBLICATIONS OF OTHER COMPANIES, THE PRESS, OR COMPETITIVE DATA
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ORGANIZATIONS.
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THIS PUBLICATION IS MADE AVAILABLE ON AN “AS IS” BASIS AND COMPAQ
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SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL ASSOCIATED WARRANTIES, WHETHER EXPRESS OR
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IMPLIED. IN NO EVENT WILL COMPAQ BE LIABLE FOR DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL,
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INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES IN CONNECTION WITH THE USE OF OR
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RELIANCE ON THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS PUBLICATION, EVEN IF ADVISED OF
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THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. COMPAQ RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MAKE
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IMPROVEMENTS OR CHANGES TO THIS PUBLICATION AND THE PRODUCTS AND
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SERVICES HEREIN DESCRIBED AT ANY TIME, WITHOUT NOTICE OR OBLIGATION.
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This publication does not constitute an endorsement of the product or products that were tested.
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The configuration or configurations tested or described may or may not be the only available
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solution. This test is not a determination of product quality or correctness, nor does it ensure
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compliance with any federal, state or local requirements. Compaq does not warrant products other
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than its own and then, only as strictly stated in Compaq product warranties.
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ARMADA, Compaq, LTE, Deskpro, Presario, ProLiant, and ProSignia are trademarks registered
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in the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
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LTE 5000, MultiBay, and Netelligent are trademarks of Compaq Computer Corporation.
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Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or registered trademarks of their
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respective companies.
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Microsoft, Windows NT are trademarks and/or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
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©1998 Compaq Computer Corporation.
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Compaq Portable PC Card Support for Microsoft Windows NT 4.0
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Second Edition (February 1998)
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First Edition (October 1997)
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0298/B
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2
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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PLATFORM PC CARD SUPPORT
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NOTE:
Direct enablers are basic
software drivers provided by a
PC Card vendor. These drivers
allow the peripheral to be used
under native Windows NT 4.0.
Contact your PC Card vendor
directly for information about the
level of Windows NT 4.0 support
offered.
Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 is pre-installed on select models within the Armada 1500, Armada
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7300, Armada 7700 and Armada 7800 families. The operating system is supported on all models
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within the Armada 1500, Armada 4100, Armada 4200, Armada 7300, Armada 7700, Armada 7800
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and LTE 5000 families. Table 1 summarizes which versions of CardWare® 5.0 are supported on
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each portable family. Note that PC Card features inherently supported by Windows NT 4.0 are
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supported across all product families (see the section titled Supported PC Card Features for more
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information). Using a PC Card under Windows NT 4.0 without CardWare® 5.0 requires basic
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software drivers for the PC Card peripheral called direct enablers1 and that the PC Card be inserted
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into the slot prior to turning on the notebook. Using a direct enabler offers support for a specific
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PC Card and only for a limited set of features and functionality when compared with PC Cards
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operating under CardWare® 5.0. Hot PC Card insertion, auto-configuration and CardBus are
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examples of features not supported through the use of a direct enabler, but are supported by
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CardWare. See the section titled Supported PC Card Features & Card Types for more information
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about PC Card features supported under CardWare® 5.0 versus those offered by the native
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operating system.
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SUPPORTED PLATFORMS
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Supported Platforms
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LTE 5000 Family ü û ü
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Armada 4100 Family ü û ü
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Armada 4200 Family ü û ü
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Armada 1500 Family ü ü ü
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Armada 7300 Family ü ü ü
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Armada 7700 Family ü ü ü
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Armada 7800 Family ü û ü
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Table 1 - PC Card support by Compaq portable computer family
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SUPPORTED PC CARD FEATURES
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CardWare® 5.0 greatly expands the set of PC Card features over those inherently offered by
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Windows NT 4.0. Table 3 summarizes major features by specific versions of CardWare® 5.0 and
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compares this expanded feature set with the limited set offered by Windows NT 4.0. The following
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is a discussion of key areas where CardWare® 5.0 provides additional value and makes PC Card
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technology, namely CardBus and enhanced power management, more usable for Compaq portable
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customers.
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CardBus Support
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One of the key hardware technology advancements introduced with the Armada 1500, Armada
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4200, Armada 7300, Armada 7700 and Armada 7800 families is CardBus support, which paves the
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way for higher performance PC Card devices. CardBus is based on the widely accepted PCMCIA
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Association industry standard for 32-bit PC Cards. These devices are able to take advantage of
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Due to the way direct enablers are designed, they can compromise system integrity and render other PC Cards unusable.
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Compaq recommends caution when using direct enablers.
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Windows NT 4.0 Native
PC Card Support
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.0x)
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.1x)
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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internal bus speeds that can be as much as four to six times faster than with 16-bit PC Cards in
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certain configurations. CardBus devices continue to use the same, well known, PC Card form
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factor and support many of the features that make PC Cards ideally suited to the portable platform
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NOTE:
Standby and hibernation are not
fully supported when connected to
a local area network or using a
PC Card SCSI interface. Compaq
recommends removing these types
of devices from the PC card slots
before entering either of these
states.
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such as hot swapping support.
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CardBus is not inherently supported by Windows NT 4.0, but is supported on Compaq portable
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platforms through CardWare® 5.0.
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CARDBUS FEATURES & BENEFITS
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Feature Benefit
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Uses PC Card form factor
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3.3 volt power consumption Extends battery life in most configurations.
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33MHz PCI Bus
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Bus mastering capability Reduces processor overhead improving overall system performance.
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Table 2 - CardBus features & benefits summary
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Enhanced Power Management
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Standby and hibernation states are important power saving features portable users rely on to
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conserve battery power. Under Windows NT 4.0 PC Card devices are not able to respond to power
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management events such as entering standby mode. As such, power management functionality can
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lead to unexpected results when PC Cards are in use under native Windows NT 4.0. The way a
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particular PC Card behaves in response to power management events depends to a large extent on
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the direct enabler provided by the PC Card vendor. Contact your PC Card vendor directly for more
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information should you have a need to use a particular device without the benefit of
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CardWare® 5.0.
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Another key feature CardWare® 5.0 delivers is full support for the Advanced Power Management
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(APM) specification, version 1.2. PC Cards used in conjunction with CardWare® 5.0 operate more
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reliably when responding to power management events.
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The only notable exceptions to the power management support with PC Cards are local area
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networking (LAN) and SCSI interfaces. These types of devices typically do not support standby or
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hibernation modes with or without CardWare® 5.0. This limitation is not the result of any
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shortcoming in CardWare® 5.0, but rather lack of a widely accepted standard for developing power
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management-aware software drivers.
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The PCMCIA is an industry association responsible for developing PC Card standards. The
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Association recently ratified an addendum to the PC Card standard that defined a workable
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solution for to more reliable PC Card operation in response to power management events. This
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addendum, known as Proposition 187 – The NT Bindings Proposal is new and many PC Card
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vendors have yet to release updated software drivers that incorporate this latest addition to the
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PCMCIA specification. Customers who require the highest levels of reliability and performance on
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Compaq portable platforms should insist on PC Card vendors whose products have been designed
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to meet the PCMCIA specification. For more information on selecting PC Card solutions
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recommended by Compaq, refer to the section titled Compaq PC Card Solutions Program.
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4
Provides the benefits of higher performance in the convenient form factor users have come to
expect from the PC Card standard. Portable platforms with PC Card slots that are CardBus
enabled also allow backward compatibility for 16-bit PC Cards.
Provides up to 132MB per second peak transfer rates to support high performance peripherals
such as 100Mbps Ethernet network interface cards and up to 40Mbps Ultra SCSI PC Card
interfaces.
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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Extended Feature Set
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Beyond CardBus support and enhanced power management, CardWare® 5.0 adds a number of
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features not included in basic PC Card support provided by Windows NT 4.0. This extended
NOTE:
The Supported Features table
uses “l” symbol to denote
features that are supported with
known exceptions or limitations.
Refer to the footnotes for more
detail.
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feature set greatly improves the overall usability of PC Card devices on Compaq portable products.
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Table 3 summarizes all major PC Card features supported on Compaq portable platforms using
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Windows NT 4.0. The table compares those features provided with CardWare® 5.0 and compares
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with the basic PC Card feature set provided by Windows NT 4.0
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SUPPORTED FEATURES
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Supported Features
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PC Card-16 ü ü ü
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32 Bit CardBus Cards
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APM 1.1 ü û û
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APM 1.2 û ü ü
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Multi Volt Cards ü ü ü
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5.0 Volt Cards ü ü ü
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3.3 Volt Cards û ü ü
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Socket Naming û ü ü
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Socket Power on/off û û ü
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Windows System Tray Icon ü û ü
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Configuration on Card Insertion &
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Automatic Application Launch
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Hot PC Card Insertion û ü ü
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Hot PC Card Removal
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Recognition Beeps û ü ü
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Docking Station PC Card Slot Support ü ü ü
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Ring Resume
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Standby with PC Cards
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2
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Under CardWare® 5.0, hot card removal and auto card configuration requires drivers that specifically support these
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features. Customers should contact their CardBus PC Card vendor for information about the latest drivers.
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Automatic configuration under native Windows NT 4.0 is only supported with ATA PC Card devices and only when the
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device is inserted prior to power-on.
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Automatic configuration under CardWare® 5.0 version 2.0x is not supported with LAN, SCSI or CardBus PC Cards.
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Automatic configuration of CardBus PC Cards under CardWare® 5.0 version 2.1 requires software driver support from the
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card vendor. Contact your PC Card vendor directly for information on level of support for automatic configuration.
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Hot PC Card removal under CardWare® 5.0 is supported for modem, ATA, SRAM and Flash PC Cards. Hot removal for
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LAN, SCSI and CardBus type PC Cards is only available under CardWare® 5.0 if there is card specific driver support for
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this feature. Contact your PC Card vendor directly for information on the level of support for hot removal.
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Windows NT 4.0 does not support ring resume.
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When resuming from standby mode, behavior may vary depending on the type of PC Card inserted and the level of power
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management support by the card driver.
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2
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Windows NT 4.0 Native
PC Card Support
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û û û
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CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.0x)
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CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.1x)
5
ü
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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Supported Features
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Hibernation with PC Cards
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Table 3 - CardWare® 5.0 Feature Comparison by Version
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SUPPORTED PC CARD TYPES
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Table 4 summarizes the various types of PC Card devices supported by CardWare® 5.0 as
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compared with those supported by native Windows NT 4.0. Note that all card types referenced in
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the table, with the exception of CardBus PC Cards, refer to PC Card-16 (i.e. 16-bit) devices.
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CardBus PC Cards are generally restricted to LAN, SCSI and emerging technologies such as video
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conferencing PC Cards.
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SUPPORTED PC CARD TYPES
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Supported PC Card Types
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CardBus PC Cards û ü ü
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Modem ü ü ü
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6
10
LAN
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SCSI
ATA ü ü ü
SRAM û ü ü
12
FTL Flash
FFS Flash û û û
Multi-Function Cards
DMA Cards û û û
Table 4 - Supported PC Cards - Windows NT 4.0 versus CardWare® 5.0
CARDWARE
CardWare® 5.0 is pre-installed on select models within the Armada 1500, Armada 7300, Armada
7700 and Armada 7800 families. It is also available on the Compaq Software CD specific to each
Armada notebook computer family. For a small fee, this CD is available through Compaq
Customer Service & Support and includes all software for your Armada notebook. For customers
who only require CardWare® 5.0 and would prefer not receive it on CD, Compaq Customer Service
9
When resuming from hibernation, behavior may vary depending on the type of PC Card inserted and the level of power
management support by the card driver.
10
LAN cards under CardWare® 5.0 do not support hot removal without card-specific software driver support.
Consequently, resuming from standby or hibernation mode may lead to unexpected results. Compaq does not recommend
using standby and hibernation with a LAN card under CardWare® 5.0.
11
SCSI cards under CardWare® 5.0 do not support hot removal without card-specific software driver support.
Consequently, resuming from standby or hibernation mode may lead to unexpected results. Compaq does not recommend
using standby and hibernation with a SCSI card under CardWare® 5.0.
12
FTL devices formatted under Windows 95 and CardWare® 5.0 under Windows NT 4.0 on Compaq portable platforms are
fully interoperable.
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Multi-function PC Cards requires PC Card specific software driver support for Windows NT 4.0 with CardWare® 5.0.
Contact your PC Card vendor directly for information about Windows NT 4.0 support.
9
13
®
5.0 AVAILABILITY
Windows NT 4.0 Native
PC Card Support
û
Windows NT 4.0 Native
PC Card Support
ü ü ü
ü ü ü
û ü ü
û ü ü
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.0x)
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.0x)
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.1x)
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0 (v2.1x)
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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& Support is also able to send the application on diskette. Finally, CardWare® 5.0 Version 2.1x will
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be made available on the Compaq Web site at http://www.compaq.com.
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Tip:
The PC Card Solutions program
can be reached on the Compaq
Web site at
http://www.compaq.com/support/t
echpubs/pcmcia/pccardlist.html
DELIVERY MECHANISM
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Delivery Mechanism
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Pre-installed
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LTE 5000 Software CD û ü
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Armada 1500 Software CD ü ü
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Armada 4100 Software CD û ü
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Armada 4200 Software CD û ü
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Armada 7000 Software CD ü ü
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Armada 7800 QuickRestore CD û ü
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Compaq SoftPaq Diskettes ü ü
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Compaq WWW Site û ü
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Table 5 - Summary of the various ways to obtain a copy of CardWare® 5.0
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ADDITIONAL PC CARD SUPPORT RESOURCES
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PCMCIA Association
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Based in San Jose, California, PCMCIA is a not-for-profit trade association founded in 1989 to
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establish technical standards for PC Card technology. It is made up of representatives from more
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than 300 leading PC Card vendors and personal computer manufacturers worldwide. Compaq has
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been an active participant since the Association’s inception and is responsible for introducing a
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number of technical and marketing initiatives focused on improving usability of PC Card devices
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and evangelizing adoption throughout the industry. For more information about PCMCIA or PC
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Card technology in general refer to the Association’s Web site at http://www.pc-card.com.
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Compaq PC Card Solutions Program
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The Compaq PC Card Solutions Program is an initiative started in 1995 with the mandate of
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identifying proven PC Card solutions to Compaq commercial portable customers. The PC Card
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Solutions Lab tests a wide variety of PC Card devices from a number of different manufacturers.
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PC Card products are qualified for inclusion on either the Premier List or Standard List of
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products. A Premier PC Card is tested by Compaq and meets the most stringent criteria for
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compatibility and reliability across all Compaq portable products including the LTE Elite, Contura
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400, LTE 5000 and the complete Armada family of notebook computers16. Standard PC Cards are
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vendor-tested in the Compaq PC Card Solutions Lab on the latest Compaq portable platforms. The
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Standard List is a useful resource for customers looking for a PC Card solution proven on a
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specific portable computer running a specific operating system.
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The PC Card Solutions Program is yet another way Compaq delivers on it promise to provide the
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most usable and reliable Windows NT 4.0 PC Card support in the industry.
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14
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Available 3Q97.
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15
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CardWare® 5.0 is currently being preinstalled on the Armada 7800, Armada 7700, Armada 7300 Armada 1500.
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16
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The Compaq Presario portable computer family does not participate in the PC Card Solutions Program.
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7
15
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0
14
(v2.0x)
ü ü
CardWare® 5.0 for
Windows NT 4.0
(v2.1x)
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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World Wide Web Resources
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Many PC Card vendors who participate in the PC Card Solutions Program can be reached on the
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Web. Refer to Table 6 for information on how to reach participating vendors on the World Wide
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Web.
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PC CARD SOLUTIONS PARTICIPANT ON THE WEB
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Vendor Category World Wide Web Site
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8
3Com
Adaptec
Angia
Avatar
Compaq
IBM
Intel
Lasat
Madge
Megahertz
Motorola
Nogatech
Ositech
Proxim
Psion Dacom
SanDisk
TDK
Viking
Components
Modems, Ethernet & Token Ring
Network Cards
SCSI Interface Cards http://www.adaptec.com/portpcon/d_sheets/1460a-2Features.html
Modems, ISDN Cards http://www.angia.com/web/products/isdn/
External Read/Write Removable
Rotating Media
Modems, Ethernet & Token Ring
Network Cards
Ethernet & Token Ring Network
Cards
Memory Cards http://www.intel.com/
Modems http://www.lasat.com/products/
Ethernet & Token Ring Network
Cards
Modems http://www.megahertz.com/
Modems http://www.mot.com/MIMS/ISG/Products/mariner/
Video Conferencing http://www.nogatech.com/
Modems, Ethernet & Token Ring
Network Cards
Ethernet & Token Ring Network
Cards
Modems http://www.psiondacom.com/
ATA Storage Devices http://www.sandisk.com/
Modems, Ethernet & Token Ring
Network Cards, CardBus Cards
Modems, ATA Storage Devices http://www.vikingcomponents.com/56K/336pccardmodems.html
http://www.3com.com/client/mcd/products/index.html
http://www.goavatar.com/products/shark250/index.html
http://www.compaq.com/support/files/NPD/netelligent/nic/tx/index.html
http://www.networking.ibm.com/trc/trcprod.html
http://www.madge.com/product/adapt/spcmcia.htm
http://www.mot.com/MIMS/ISG/Products/montana/
http://www.option.com/
http://www.proxim.com/
http://www.tdksystems.com/PRODINFO/PRODDTL/pccy5600.htm
http://www.vikingcomponents.com/products/flash.html
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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Xircom
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Table 6 - Web sites for participants in the Compaq PC Card Solutions Program
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
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Will Compaq continue to offer CardWare® 5.0 under Microsoft Windows NT 5.0?
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At the time of this printing it is unclear as to the level of PC Card support inherent in Windows NT
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5.0. Compaq will continue to bring the highest levels of functionality and usability to portable
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customers choosing to use either Windows NT 4.0 or Windows NT 5.0. This means a commitment
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to ensure that PC Card support meets or exceeds the level of functionality currently provided under
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Windows NT 4.0 with CardWare® 5.0. Whether this will require the use of a third-party application
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or simply ensuring that all PC Card features of Windows NT 5.0 are enabled remains to be seen.
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Will standby and hibernation features work while connected to a local area network
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using a PC Card network interface card?
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Compaq does not recommend entering standby or hibernation with a PC Card local area network
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interface installed. Doing so may lead to unexpected behavior and potentially result in loss of data.
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Certain PC Card vendors who choose to adopt the latest Proposition 187 – NT Bindings Proposal
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in their software drivers will perform more reliably when responding to power management events
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such as standby. Contact your PC Card vendor for more information on the level of support offered
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for power management in their PC Card software drivers.
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What is the best way to choose PC Cards most suited for use with my Compaq LTE
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Elite, Contura 400, LTE 5000 or Armada portable computer?
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In 1995 Compaq unveiled its PC Card Solutions Program; an initiative to help customers choose
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PC Card devices found to be most compatible with Compaq portable computers. The Program tests
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a wide variety of PC Cards from many different manufacturers. These test results are published
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quarterly with PC Cards qualifying for either the Premier List or Standard List.
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Premier cards meet stringent compatibility and reliability criteria across all Compaq commercial
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portable platforms under Windows NT 4.0, Windows 95, Windows 3.1x and MS DOS 6.2x. The
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result is a list of proven PC Card solutions customers can purchase with confidence.
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Standard List PC Cards have been vendor tested on select Compaq portable computer models
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under some, but not necessarily all, operating systems supported by Compaq. This is yet another
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resource for customers who are looking for PC Card solutions.
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Are Zoomed Video PC Cards supported under Windows NT 4.0?
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Due to a limitation in the operating system, Windows NT 4.0 does not support Zoomed Video PC
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Card devices with or without CardWare® 5.0.
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Who do I call to receive technical support for CardWare® 5.0?
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If you have difficulty with installation, setup or configuration of CardWare® 5.0, contact Compaq
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Customer Service & Support. Customer Service & Support is also able to provide support for
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installation, setup and configuration of Premier List qualified PC Card solutions. Customers should
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contact their PC Card vendor directly for support on devices not included on the Premier List.
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9
Modems, Ethernet & Token Network
Cards, CardBus Cards
http://www.xircom.com/Products/ce3/
WHITE PAPER (cont.)
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LIST OF TABLES
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Table 1 - PC Card support by Compaq portable computer family..................................................3
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Table 2 - CardBus features & benefits summary...........................................................................4
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Table 3 - CardWare® 5.0 Feature Comparison by Version ............................................................ 6
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Table 4 - Supported PC Cards - Windows NT 4.0 versus CardWare® 5.0......................................6
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Table 5 - Summary of the various ways to obtain a copy of CardWare® 5.0 ..................................7
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Table 6 - Web sites for participants in the Compaq PC Card Solutions Program............................ 9
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10
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