Multitech ISI608PC Owner's Manual

Intelligent Serial Interface

Model ISI608PC Card

Owner ’s Manual

Owner's Manual

P/N 82033203, Revision D

Model #ISI608

This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, without prior
expressed written permission from Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. All rights
reserved.

Copyright © 1996 by Multi-Tech Systems, Inc.

Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., makes no representation or warranties with
respect to the contents hereof and specifically disclaims any implied
warranties of merchantability or fitness for any particular purpose.
Furthermore, Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., reserves the right to revise this
publication and to make changes from time to time in the content hereof
without obligation of Multi-Tech Systems, Inc., to notify any person or
organization of such revisions or changes.

Record of Revision

Revision Description
D Manual revised to include Windows NT Driver installation

(2/12/96) procedure; and overall technical, editorial and format

changes.

TRADEMARKS

Trademarks of Multi-Tech Systems, Inc. are as follows:
Multi-Tech, MultiExpress, and the Multi-Tech logo: Multi-Tech Systems,
Inc.
UNIX: X/Open Co. Ltd.
MS-DOS and Windows NT: Microsoft Corporation
SCO: The Santa Cruz Operation, Inc.
Pentium: Intel Corporation
PC-DOS: International Business Machines Corporation
Novell, NetWare, NetWare Connect and UNIXWare: Novell Corporation
Xenix:Xerox Corporation

Multi-Tech Systems, Inc.

2205 Woodale Drive

Mounds View, Minnesota 55112 U.S.A.

[phone] or [phone]

U. S. FAX [phone]

Fax-Back Service 612-717-5888

Technical Support [phone]

BBS [phone] or [phone]

Internet Address: http://www.multitech.com

Technical Writer: [e-mail]

Contents

Chapter 1 - Introduction and Description

Introduction to the IntelligentSerialInterface .................................. 6

Product Description....................................................................... 7

How to Use This Manual ............................................................... 8

ISI608 Applications........................................................................ 8

Technical Specifications ................................................................ 9

Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation

Safety Warnings.......................................................................... 12

ISI608 Installation........................................................................ 12

Determining Current System Settings ......................................... 13

Hardware Installation Procedure ................................................. 14

Chapter 3 - ISI608 Driver Installation

Introduction ................................................................................. 20

Novell NetWare Connect AIO Driver Installation ......................... 21

Configuring Ports for NetWare Connect ............................... 23

Removing the Driver (Novell)................................................ 23

Installing the ISI608 in Windows NT............................................ 24

Configuring Ports for Windows NT .............................................. 25

Removing the Driver (Windows NT)............................................ 26

Installation in SCO UNIX ............................................................. 26

Activating Ports in SCO UNIX ..................................................... 28

Removing the Driver (SCO UNIX)............................................... 30

Installation in SCO XENIX........................................................... 30

Activating Ports in SCO XENIX................................................... 32

Removing the Driver (SCO XENIX) ............................................ 34

Installing the ISI608 Driver on a UNIXWare Computer ............... 34

Activating ISI608 Ports on a UNIXWare System......................... 36

Removing the Driver (UNIXWare)............................................... 36

The Multi-Tech Installation Script ................................................ 37

Multi_Setup Utility........................................................................ 41

Multi_View Utility Installation ....................................................... 43

Description File Format......................................................... 45

Hot Key Entries..................................................................... 45

Terminal Escape Sequences ................................................ 46

Timing Specification.............................................................. 47

Administration Utility.................................................................... 49

Chapter 4 - Warranty, Service and Tech Support

Software User License Agreement.............................................. 52

Limited Warranty ......................................................................... 54

On-line Warranty Registration..................................................... 54

Tech Support ............................................................................... 55

Recording ISI608 Information ............................................... 55

Service ........................................................................................ 56

About the Multi-Tech BBS ........................................................... 57

How to Use the Multi-Tech BBS............................................ 57

About CompuServe/Internet........................................................ 59

About the Multi-Tech Fax-Back Service ...................................... 59

Appendices

Appendix A - Determining Current System Settings.................... 62

Appendix B - Base I/O Address Switch Settings ......................... 65

Appendix C - ISI608 Testing Utilities ........................................... 69

Appendix D - Crossover Cable Wiring Diagrams ........................ 74

Index

Chapter 1 - Introduction and Description

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

6

Introduction to the IntelligentSerialInterface

The new IntelligentSerialInterface card, model ISI608, is a

hardware solution for adding fast serial ports to communication

servers and async hosts that have 16-bit ISA-bus architecture.

Serial ports are essential to communication servers, which

pool modems and other communication devices for users on a

LAN, and to asynchronous hosts that provide user access

through serial ports.

The ISI608 ships with a NetWare® Loadable Module

(aioisix.nlm) for NetWare Connect communication servers,

and drivers for each of the following multiusers operating

systems: Windows® NT, SCO® UNIX®, XenixTM, and SCO

UNIXWare®.

The IntelligentSerialInterface card(s) can be combined to

support asynchronous serial devices (local or dial-up). The

ports can be used to connect basic terminals with or without

multiple pages of memory to multiplexer channels and

asynchronous modems. When multiple page terminals are

used in an UNIX environment, a utility called

"Multi_View"

allows you to have multiple sessions. Each ISI608 port can

support as many screens as there are physical pages of

memory on the terminal. If you have SCO UNIX System V/386

Version 4.0 or later, there is an extended feature supplement

(

EFS

) "rolled into" the operating system which now officially
supports data rates up to 33,600 bps; also included is a text­driven configuration facility so the system administrator can
create the appropriate modem dialer without having to
purchase a "C-Language" programming environment or
knowing how to write a dialer program in "C". In an Windows
NT environment, there is an built-in "autodetect" utility that
enables detection of Multi-Tech modems; this utility sets the
proper initilization strings.

This manual contains product specification, installation
instructions, and technical support information which will assist
you in the installation process. It is assumed that you have
basic PC skills at the very least. Therefore, we have not
included step-by-step instructions for such basic operations as
logging in and file editing, etc.

1 - Introduction and Description

7

Product Description

The ISI608 is a multiport serial port expansion card which
adds data buffering on each port for enhanced serial port
performance. The ISI608 features an on-board microprocessor
to coordinate the communications activity of your local and
remote terminals. Using an ISI608 to provide additional serial
connections enables your system's processor to perform more
efficiently. This is because the ISI608 handles all of the byte­by-byte interrupts generated by asynchronous terminals and
stores the data in buffers. The processor, along with 256K
bytes of RAM work together to dynamically allocate resources
to the most active port. The ISI then generates one interrupt
for an entire block of information and transfers the block to the
system's microprocessor.

The ISI608 has one 78-pin (DB78S) connector which
interfaces with an eight-port fan-out, or “

octopus

”, cable
(supplied with the card), providing eight additional serial ports.
It is a "3/4 size" add-on card which supports a high-speed
interface up to 115.2K bps. The ISI608 features one bank of 8
DIP-Switches for I/O address selection and one jumper block
for IRQ selection.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

8

How to Use This Manual

This manual contains both hardware and operating system(s)
driver installation procedures, technical support, warranty and
BBS information and a number of appendices for additional
information on selected topics. Hardware configuration and
installation procedures are described in Chapter 2. The
installation of the ISI608 card also involves linking a driver to
the operating system, this information is provided in Chapter 3.
An explanation of the Multi_View utility, used in the UNIX
environment is available in Chapter 3 as well.

Most of the steps listed in the driver installation section
instructs you to "press Enter". This is a reference to the key
commonly known as the "Enter", "carriage-return", or simply
"Return" key. Also, please take the time to notice the
difference between the letter O and the number 0. Both the
letter and the number may be used within this manual.

ISI608 Applications

The most common application, is when a powerful
microcomputer is being used as a server or host, but lacks
enough connectivity to accommodate the desired number of
users. For this application, the ISI608 is the solution. The
ISI608 provides eight additional serial ports with every card
installed, with potentially four additional cards installed per
system -- for a total of thirty-two serial ports per system.

1 - Introduction and Description

9

Technical Specifications

Computer Requirements

* 386, 486, or Pentium®- based PC or compatible with ISA

Bus Architecture

* Microsoft Windows NT 3.5x, SCO's UNIX System V/386

(Version 3.2, Release 2.0 or later), SCO's XENIX System
V/386 (Version 2.3.2C or later), or UNIXWare (Release

1.1 or later), Novell's Netware
* At least one floppy drive
* 800 blocks of hard disk space for UNIX; 100 K bytes for

Windows NT; 50 K bytes for Novell

Physical/Electrical/Environmental

* Dimensions: 9.17" x 4.2" x .06"

23.3 cm x 10.67 cm x .15 cm
* Baud Rates: 300 to 115.2K bps per port
* Bus Type: ISA or EISA
* Connectors: DB78S
* Cabling: Eight port fan-out cable. DB78M (male)

interface to card, eight DB25 (male)

connectors for serial devices
* Serial Interface:Eight RS232C or RS232D ports
* Temperature: 32° to 120°F (0° to 50°C)
* Power: 1.5 amps @ +5v DC
* Base I/O One 16-byte address space per card.
* Address: Valid options range from 100h to 3F0h

(DIP-switch setting)
* Interrupt One IRQ per card. Valid options
* Request: include 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, & 15

(Jumper setting)
* Warranty: Two years
Manufactured in Mounds View, MN, U.S.A.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

10

Chapter 2 - Hardware Installation

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

12

Safety Warnings

1.Never install telephone wiring during a lightning storm.

2.Never install telephone jacks in wet locations unless the jack is
specifically designed for wet locations.

3.This product is to be used with UL and

CUL

listed computers.

4.Never touch uninsulated telephone wires or terminals unless the
telephone line has been disconnected at the network interface.

5.Use caution when installing or modifying telephone lines.

6.Avoid using a telephone (other than a cordless type) during an
electrical storm. There may be a remote risk of electrical shock
from lightning.

7.Do not use the telephone to report a gas leak in the vicinity of
the leak.

ISI608 Installation

This chapter provides you with the procedures to install the
Multi-Tech ISI608 card(s) in your ISA or EISA bus personal
computer (or compatible with 16 bit ISA slot).

Hardware installation involves:

1) Opening your PC.

2) Setting card configuration (determining I/O address DIP­Switch setting and IRQ jumper setting).

3) Installing the card into the PC.

2 - Hardware Installation

13

Determining Current System Settings

When you install a device into your computer, the processor
must have a means of routing information to and from the
device and the device must have a means of gaining the
processor's attention. These are called Input/Output (

I/O

)

addresses and Interrupt Requests

(IRQs

), respectively. The
ISI608 card requires 16 I/O addresses and one IRQ value
which are not used by any other device in your system. When
selecting a unique base I/O address, be sure that the next
address is also unused. To determine your ISI's current
settings, refer to Appendix A and B.

If you are certain that these settings are not already in use,
continue with the hardware configuration and installation. You
can install up to four ISI608 cards into your system. Each card
is shipped with its IRQ set at level 3 and a base I/O address of
200 hex. Check your system’s device settings to see if these
values can be used. If the defaults are already in use, select a
unique IRQ and I/O address and record those values for the
hardware and software installation sections that follow.

Table 2-1.

Recommended Base I/O Address and IRQ Values

ISI608 Card Base I/OAddress IRQ

Initial 8 port board 200h 3
First 8 port upgrade 210h 4
Second 8 port upgrade 220h 5
Third 8 port upgrade 230h 7

Note: If you choose IRQ 3 or 4, you may have to disable a
COM device from your BIOS setup. Also, most 386 or higher
compatible computers will not be able to assign IRQ2 to the
ISI card because IRQ2 is used for slave interrupt control.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

14

Hardware Installation Procedure

Perform the procedures in Table 2-2 to install the ISI608
card(s) into your PC-ISA bus computer. The installation
procedures include setting the I/O address switch block and
the IRQ jumper. This section may be skipped if the defaults: I/
O Address 200 Hex and IRQ 3 are the values you have
selected. However, if you are installing multiple cards, step 4a
of Table 2-2 describes how to configure your card(s).

Table 2-2

ISI608 Installation Procedure

Step Procedure

1 Make sure your computer and any peripheral

equipment connected to it are turned off. Failure to do
so may damage both your ISI card(s) and your PC.
The ISI608 may be installed in a PC-AT, 386, 486, or
Pentium equivalent ISA or EISA bus computer.

2 Remove the cover of your computer as instructed in

your computer’s documentation.

3 Locate the unused slot(s) which you will be using for

your ISI608 card(s), and remove the slot cover(s) per
the instructions in your computer’s documentation.

4 Check the settings of the I/O address switch and the

IRQ jumper to ensure that they are set properly for
your installation.

Figure 2-1. ISI608 Board Components

2 - Hardware Installation

15

Table 2-2 (cont’d)

Step Procedure

4a The default setting for the ISI608’s base I/O address is

200 hex. The default value for the IRQ jumper is IRQ

3. Choose the IRQ value by covering the appropriate
pins with the shorting plug (supplied). Reference the
diagram shown below, if needed. If your system
requires a different setting or if you are installing
multiple cards, refer to Appendix B for a table of valid
address settings.

200 hex/IRQ 3

Figure 2-2. I/O Address/IRQ Default Setting

Note: If you are installing the ISI608 as a second card in a
MultiComRN

Gateway

(remote node gateway) the suggested

I/O address is 210 hex/IRQ4.

210 hex/IRQ 4

Figure 2-3. I/O Address /IRQ Alternate Setting

Record any changes you make to these settings and keep
them handy for the software installation section in
Chapter 3.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

16

Table 2-2 (cont’d)

Step Procedure

5 Install the ISI608 card(s) into the selected expansion

slot(s) in the same manner as any other add-on card,
as instructed in your computer’s documentation.

6 Fasten the retaining bracket to the computer chassis

and replace the cover.

7 Attach the octopus cable to the DB78S female

connector on the ISI608 card at the back of your
computer. The RS232 ports provided by the octopus
cable are for connection to modems, multiplexers or
other devices. If the other device is a local terminal
port, then a crossover cable is required (not included)
between the octopus cable and the terminal port. See
Appendix D for schematic of a crossover cable.

NOTE

Any cables connected to the computer must be

shielded to reduce interference.

Figure 2-4. Octopus Cable

2 - Hardware Installation

17

Table 2-2 (cont’d)

Step Procedure

8 Turn power on to the computer and refer to the

manual that was provided with the software you will be
using with the ISI608 in order to perform software
installation procedures.

NOTE

If the ISI608 card is being used as an expansion card (Remote
Node--model #RNI08) for the MultiComRN

Gateway

, then you
must reconfigure the gateway software, using the
RNSERCON.EXE program. You will need to add the card's
settings to the Board Information entry and assign access
rights to each user under the User Information entry. See
Chapter Three of the MultiComRN

Gateway

Owners manual

for server configuration.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

18

Chapter 3 - ISI608 Driver Installation

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

20

Introduction

The ISI608 ships with a NetWare® Loadable Module
(aioisix.nlm) for NetWare Connect communication Servers,
and drivers for each of the following multiusers operating
systems: Windows® NT, SCO® UNIX®, SCO XenixTM, and SCO
UNIXWare®. This chapter will guide you through the
installation of these drivers. Section 3.9 details the Multi-Tech
Installation Script, which is executed by a UNIX operating
system.

As with all software, you should make a backup copy of the
diskette you received and use the copy for the installation. If
you received a 3½" diskette, the capacity is 720KB. Consult
your system manual for instructions on disk copying. Also, if
you have a numeric keypad, and you intend to use it for the
installation process, make sure you have

"Num Lock"

on.

The process of installing a device driver consists of a
modification to your system. For this reason, only the "

super

user

" (system administrator) is allowed to perform the
installation. If you cannot login as the root, you must find the
person in your organization who has this authorization (i.e.,
password). To begin the driver installation, login as root. Then
proceed with the appropriate section.

3 - ISI608 Driver Installation

21

Novell NetWare Connect AIO Driver Installation

Multi-Tech Systems provides “AIO” drivers for the ISI608, so
that it can function with Novell compatible asynchronous
applications (i.e., NetWare Connect). The drivers need to be
loaded on the file server in which the board(s) is/are installed.
The drivers can be loaded from the file server’s console
prompt or they can be incorporated, for autoloading, in the
AUTOEXEC.NCF file. The AIO driver is simply an NLM
(NetWare Loadable Module) which runs on the file server.

To install the Multi-Tech AIO driver, copy the file

“AIOISIX.NLM”

to the system directory of the file server from a
workstation on the network. For example, you may use the
following command to do the copy:

COPY A:\AIOISIX.NLM F:\SYSTEM

To load the AIO driver, go to the system or PC (in which the
ISI608 resides) console and at the prompt (:) type:

LOAD AIOISIX [port=W] [int=X] [name=Y] [node=Z]

where
W is the hexadecimal I/O port address for the ISI608. The

ISI608 occupies the next 15 I/O addresses on the bus. That
is, if you specify the address 100 hex, then the ISI608 will
occupy the addresses from 100 hex to 10F hex (total of 16
addresses).

X is the interrupt (IRQ) vector number for the ISI608. The
ISI608 can be set for IRQ vectors 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 10, 11, 12 & 15.

Y sets the ISI608 board name.
Z overrides the default node ID number for the ISI608.

Note that all these parameters are optional. In a case where
none of them are supplied, the ISI608 AIO driver will assume
the default I/O address and IRQ values and try to load the
driver.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

22

IRQ Jumpers

Setting IRQs consists of installing the IRQ jumper on the two
pins that indicate the interrupt vector.

For example, IRQ3 is chosen in the configuration below.

2345710111215

: [:] :::::::

Error Messages

1.

*Error: An ISI608 does not seem to appear at address X*

This means that the driver could not find the ISI608 residing at
the address X. Make sure that there is no other device in your
system at the same I/O address. Make sure that the ISI608 is
seated properly in the system slot.

2.

*Error: ISI608 rejected the load header*
*Error: ISI608 got out of sync*
*Error: ISI608 verify failed at address X*
*Error: Expected X received Y*
*Error: Verify got out of sync*

All the above errors represent problems with the file server not
being able to communicate with the ISI608. Make sure that
you do not have any other device residing in the system at the
same I/O address you have chosen for the ISI608. Power
down the server, make sure that the ISI608 is seated properly
in the system slot. Power up the file server and try to load the
AIO driver again. If the problem persists, contact the Multi­Tech Technical Support team.

3 - ISI608 Driver Installation

23

Troubleshooting
Problem: I loaded the driver at the file server console, then I

started NetWare Connect and connected a modem to a port
on an ISI608. When I try to communicate with the modem, I
see the DTR of the modem being raised, but the modem does
not respond to my AT commands.

Solution: There might be an IRQ conflict between an ISI608
and some other hardware in your system. Even though that
particular device (for example, a mouse) is not activated under
NetWare, that device will still control the IRQ. Refer to your
system's documentation to find out how to disable that device.

Configuring Ports for NetWare Connect

To set-up NetWare Connect ports, type

LOAD NWCCON

at
the NetWare console prompt. This command string will invoke
the NetWare Connect Configuration Utility. Choose the
appropriate menu options (e.g., modem type, speed and flow
control...).

Removing the Driver (Novell)

In Novell, remove file

“AIOISIX.NLM”

from the System

Directory and make the appropiate changes to the

Autoexec.ncf. file.

ISI608PC Owner’s Manual

24

Installing the ISI608 in Windows NT

The following procedure describes how to install the ISI608 in
a system running Microsoft Windows NT for use with Remote
Access Service (RAS) server.

Table 3-1

ISI608 Driver Installation for Windows NT

Step Procedure

1 Configure and install the ISI608 in an available ISA

slot as described earlier in Chapter 2 of this manual.
2 Power up the NT system.
3 To add the ISI608 adapter--click on

Program Manager » click on Main » click on Control

Panel » click on Network

Under the section entitled

Installed Adapter Cards --

click on »Add Adapter » choose Requires disk from

manufacturer »
4 Insert the Multi-Tech driver diskette into drive A, and

type the path A:\WinNT\ in that window and <CR>.
5 Select OEM option, and choose

Multi-Tech's

ISI608 Adapter.
6

Choose the appropriate number of ISI608 cards you

wish to install. If you are installing more than one

card, choose an I/O address and IRQ for each card.
7 In order for the Windows NT server to access the

ports of the ISI608, you need to map each port as a

COM port. The installation program provided by Multi-

Tech detects all the COM ports that are already

activated in the system and presents you with an

automatic enumeration of COM port mappings for the

ISI608 ports. You can choose to go with this

"automatic enumeration" or you can enter the COM

port names for each port.

3 - ISI608 Driver Installation

25

Table 3-1

ISI608 Driver Installation for Windows NT (cont'd)

Step Procedure

8 Once the installation is completed, you need to "OK"

the "Network" selection. Windows NT will create

appropriate bindings for the driver. To take the driver

into effect, you need to reboot the system. You can

look at the "Event Viewer" to see if the

ISI608

driver is

loaded successfully.

Configuring Ports for Windows NT

Table 3-2

Configuration Utility for Windows NT

Step Procedure

1 Configure each port of the ISI608 for RAS, click on

Main» click on Control Panel» click on Network».

Choose "RAS" in the software box and select

configure. Configure each port of the ISI608 for the

appropriate modem types and speeds, and dialin/

dialout operations.
2 Go to Remote Access Administration applet. Stop the

Remote access server and restart the server. Now

you should have all the ports listed in the RAS

administrator activated.
3 You can use any PPP client, or NetBios client to log

into the Windows NT server and access the resources

on the network; and you can use the ISI608 ports to

dial from your NT machine.
Refer to a Windows NT manual for any further information on

Windows NT operation.