National Instruments 321827C-01 User Manual

Serial

Getting Started with Your
PCMCIA Serial Hardware
and Software for
Windows

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Me/9

x

September 2000 Edition

Part Number 321827C-01

Support

Worldwide Technical Support and Product Information

ni.com

National Instruments Corporate Headquarters

11500 North Mopac Expressway Austin, Texas 78759-3504 USA Tel: [phone]

Worldwide Offices

Australia 03 9879 5166, Austria 0662 45 79 90 0, Belgium 02 757 00 20, Brazil 011 284 5011,
Canada (Calgary) 403 274 9391, Canada (Ontario) 905 785 0085, Canada (Québec) 514 694 8521,
China 0755 3904939, Denmark 45 76 26 00, Finland 09 725 725 11, France 01 48 14 24 24,
Germany 089 741 31 30, Greece 30 1 42 96 427, Hong Kong 2645 3186, India 91805275406,
Israel 03 6120092, Italy 02 413091, Japan 03 5472 2970, Korea 02 596 7456, Mexico (D.F.) 5 280 7625,
Mexico (Monterrey) 8 357 7695, Netherlands 0348 433466, New Zealand 09 914 0488, Norway 32 27 73 00,
Poland 0 22 528 94 06, Portugal 351 1 726 9011, Singapore 2265886, Spain 91 640 0085,
Sweden 08 587 895 00, Switzerland 056 200 51 51, Taiwan 02 2528 7227, United Kingdom 01635 523545

For further support information, see the Technical Support Resources appendix. To comment on the
documentation, send e-mail to [e-mail]

© Copyright 1998, 2000 National Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.

Important Information

Warranty

The serial hardware is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment,
as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves
to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.

The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions,
due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming
instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not
warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.

A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of
the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of
returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.

National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed
for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to
make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult
National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of
or related to this document or the information contained in it.

XCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN

E

WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE

NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER

NSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR

I

CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF

apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against National Instruments
must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in
performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects,
malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or
maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or
surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside reasonable control.

ATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY

, N

USTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR

. C

. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments will

. N

ATIONAL

Copyright

Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including
photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written
consent of National Instruments Corporation.

Trademarks

CVI™, LabVIEW™, National Instruments™, and ni.com™ are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.

Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.

WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS

(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL
OF RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL
COMPONENTS IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE
EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO A HUMAN.

(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS
CAN BE IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL
POWER SUPPLY, COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE
FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION,
INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR
FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES, TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC
SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR ERRORS ON THE PART OF
THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER
COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD
CREATE A RISK OF HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH)
SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM
FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE
REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO
BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS
FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER
MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT
EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS
ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL
INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A
SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND
SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.

Compliance

FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference Compliance*

Determining FCC Class

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference.
The FCC places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial­commercial locations only) or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). Depending on where it is
operated, this product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the Department of
Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.)

Digital electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless
products. By examining the product you purchased, you can determine the FCC Class and therefore which of the two
FCC/DOC Warnings apply in the following sections. (Some products may not be labeled at all for FCC; if so, the
reader should then assume these are Class A devices.)

FCC Class A products only display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and
undesired operation. Most of our products are FCC Class A. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations
where FCC Class A products can be operated.

FCC Class B products display either a FCC ID code, starting with the letters EXN,
or the FCC Class B compliance mark that appears as shown here on the right.

Consult the FCC web site

http://www.fcc.gov

FCC/DOC Warnings

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the
instructions in this manual and the CE Mark Declaration of Conformity**, may cause interference to radio and
television reception. Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
and the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).

Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could void the user’s authority to operate
the equipment under the FCC Rules.

Class A

Federal Communications Commission

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.

for more information.

Canadian Department of Communications

This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du
Canada.

Class B

Federal Communications Commission

This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

• Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.

• Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.

• Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.

• Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

Canadian Department of Communications

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du
Canada.

European Union - Compliance to EEC Directives

Readers in the EU/EEC/EEA must refer to the Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information**
pertaining to the CE Mark compliance scheme. The Manufacturer includes a DoC for most every hardware product
except for those bought for OEMs, if also available from an original manufacturer that also markets in the EU, or
where compliance is not required as for electrically benign apparatus or cables.

* Certain exemptions may apply in the USA, see FCC Rules §15.103 Exempted devices, and §15.105(c).

Also available in sections of CFR 47.

** The CE Mark Declaration of Conformity will contain important supplementary information and instructions

for the user or installer.

Contents

About This Manual

Conventions ...................................................................................................................xi

Related Documentation..................................................................................................xii

Chapter 1
Introduction

How to Use This Manual ............................................................................................... 1-1

What You Need to Get Started ...................................................................................... 1-2

Optional Equipment.......................................................................................................1-2

Serial Hardware Overview.............................................................................................1-2

NI-Serial Software Overview ........................................................................................ 1-3

Time-Saving Development Tools..................................................................................1-4

Using Your Serial Hardware with LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI........................... 1-4

Chapter 2
Installation and Verification

Install the Software ........................................................................................................ 2-1

Install the Hardware.......................................................................................................2-3

Verify the Installation .................................................................................................... 2-4

Verify the Hardware Resources.......................................................................2-6

Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with COMx............................2-7

Run the Diagnostic Test .................................................................................. 2-7

Connect the Cables ........................................................................................................2-8

Connecting Two-Wire Devices .....................................................................................2-9

Chapter 3
Configuration

View or Change Communication Port Settings............................................................. 3-1

Port Settings Tab............................................................................................................3-2

Bits per Second................................................................................................3-3

Data Bits ..........................................................................................................3-3

Parity................................................................................................................3-3

Stop Bits ..........................................................................................................3-3

Flow Control....................................................................................................3-3

© National Instruments Corporation vii PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Contents

Advanced Port Settings................................................................................... 3-3

Transceiver Mode ............................................................................. 3-4

Use FIFO Buffers .............................................................................3-4

Restore Defaults.............................................................................................. 3-4

Chapter 4
Using Your Serial Hardware

General Programming Requirements ............................................................................ 4-1

Advanced Transceiver Control for the PCMCIA-485................................................... 4-1

Four-Wire Mode ............................................................................................. 4-2

Two-Wire Mode: DTR
Two-Wire Mode: DTR
Two-Wire Mode: TXRDY

Setting the Transceiver Control Mode ............................................................ 4-3

Setting the Transceiver Mode with DeviceIoControl ..................................... 4-4

with Echo .................................................................. 4-2

Controlled ................................................................. 4-2

Auto Control........................................................ 4-3

Appendix A
Serial Port Information

Appendix B
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software

Appendix C
Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Appendix D
Specifications

Appendix E
Technical Support Resources

Glossary

Index

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x viii ni.com

Figures

Contents

Figure 2-1. Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box.....................................2-1

Figure 2-2. NI-Serial Setup Screen ..........................................................................2-2

Figure 2-3. Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card...........................................................2-3

Figure 2-4. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card

Correctly Installed .................................................................................2-5

Figure 2-5. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card

Incorrectly Installed...............................................................................2-6

Figure 2-6. DB-9 Connector Pin Locations .............................................................2-8

Figure 3-1. Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................3-2

Figure 3-2. Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box...................................................... 3-3

Figure A-1. Typical Full-Duplex System .................................................................A-4

Figure A-2. Typical Half-Duplex System.................................................................A-4

Figure A-3. Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors.................................A-5

Figure A-4. Straight-Through Cabling in a DTE-to-DCE Interface.........................A-6

Figure A-5. Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface ................................ A-6

Figure B-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall ........................................................B-2

Figure B-2. Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box.....................................B-3

Figure B-3. Successful Uninstallation ......................................................................B-4

Figure C-1. Ports List in Device Manager Tab.........................................................C-4

Figure C-2. Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager .........................C-7

Tables

Table 2-1. DB-9 Pin Descriptions...........................................................................2-8

Table 4-1. Transceiver Control Modes ................................................................... 4-2

Table 4-2. Transceiver Mode Control Bytes ..........................................................4-3

Table 4-3. DeviceIoControl Function Input Values ..............................................4-4

Table A-1. RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 Features.................................................A-1

Table C-1. Standard DOS-Based Addresses ...........................................................C-5

Table D-1. Physical Characteristics of the PCMCIA Serial Cards ......................... D-1

Table D-2. Environmental Characteristics of the Serial Hardware .........................D-2

Table D-3. Software Characteristics........................................................................ D-2

© National Instruments Corporation ix PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

About This Manual

This manual contains instructions to help you install and configure the
National Instruments serial hardware and the NI-Serial software for
Windows Me/9x. This manual includes information about the
PCMCIA-232, PCMCIA-232/2, PCMCIA-232/4, PCMCIA-485, and
PCMCIA-485/2.

This manual assumes that you are already familiar with Windows Me/9x.

Conventions

The following conventions appear in this manual:

» The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options

to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options
from the last dialog box.

This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.

bold Bold text denotes items that you must select or click on in the software,

such as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes
parameter names.

DTR

italic Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction

monospace

monospace bold

© National Instruments Corporation xi PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Signal names with an overscore, such as DTR, indicate that the signal is
active low.

to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word
or value that you must supply.

Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,
variables, filenames and extensions, and code excerpts.

Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code
that are different from the other examples.

About This Manual

Related Documentation

The following documents contain information that you might find helpful
as you read this manual:

• ANSI/EIA-232-D Standard, Interface Between Data Terminal

Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing
Serial Binary Data Interchange

• EIA/RS-422-A Standard, Electrical Characteristics of Balanced

Voltage Digital Interface Circuits

• EIA-485 Standard, Standard for Electrical Characteristics of

Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital
Multipoint Systems

Microsoft Win32 Software Developer Kit

•

Win32 Overviews, Win32 Reference, and Microsoft Programmer’s
Guide to Windows 98/95, Microsoft Corporation

• NS16550AF Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with
FIFOs, National Semiconductor

• ST16C654 Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with FIFOs,
EXAR Corporation

, Online Documentation for

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x xii ni.com

Introduction

This chapter explains how to use this manual, lists what you need to get
started and optional equipment you can order, and briefly describes the
serial hardware and the NI-Serial software.

How to Use This Manual

1

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Gather What You Need

to Get Started

Install the NI Serial

Software

Install the Serial Hardware

Verify the Installation

Passes?

Ye s

Connect the Cables

Configure the Serial Port

Learn About Transceiver

Control Modes

Review Programming

Requirements

No

Troubleshooting

Write Application Program

© National Instruments Corporation 1-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 1 Introduction

What You Need to Get Started

Before you install your serial hardware and the NI-Serial software, make
sure you have all of the following items:

❑

Windows Me/9x installed on your computer

❑

One of the following serial interfaces, which is included in your kit:

– PCMCIA-232 (one, two, or four port)

– PCMCIA-485 (one or two port)

❑ CD, NI-Serial Software for Windows 2000/NT/Me/9x, which is

included in your kit

❑

Adapter cable from PCMCIA card to DB-9 connector, which is
included in your kit

Optional Equipment

For more information about ordering the following optional equipment,
contact National Instruments:

• DB-9 RS-485 termination connector

• RS-232 9-pin to 9-pin null modem cable

• RS-232 9-pin to 25-pin null modem cable

• RS-485 9-pin to 9-pin null modem cable

Serial Hardware Overview

The serial hardware gives you a variety of solutions for serial
communications. The PCMCIA-232 interfaces work with the RS-232
protocols, and the PCMCIA-485 interfaces work with the RS-422 and
RS-485 protocols. You can use the PCMCIA-232 hardware for serial
communication up to distances of 50 ft. You can connect the PCMCIA-485
hardware with up to 31 devices using serial cable lengths up to 4,000 ft.

The PCMCIA-232 is available with one, two, or four ports. The
PCMCIA-485 is available in a one-port version or two-port version. All
PCMCIA cards come with cables for each port that terminates in a standard
DB-9 D-Sub connector. Throughout this manual, references to PCMCIA
serial interfaces generally refer to all versions of the interfaces.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 1-2 ni.com

The PCMCIA-485 interfaces support four hardware transceiver control
modes for reliable communication with two-wire and four-wire devices.
Refer to Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware, for more information
about transceiver control modes.

All of the serial hardware uses standard 16550-compatible UARTs
(Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for 100 percent
compatibility with standard PC COM ports. The serial hardware contains
FIFOs (First-In-First-Out buffers) for reduced susceptibility to interrupt
latency and faster transmission rates. Full Plug and Play compatibility gives
you the convenience of switchless configuration and installation. Refer to
Appendix D, Specifications, for more information about the serial
hardware specifications and operating conditions.

NI-Serial Software Overview

The NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x includes a native Windows
device driver that provides full interrupt-driven, buffered I/O for multiple
COM ports. You can obtain a maximum baud rate of 115.2 KBaud.
You can also use any number of serial ports under Windows Me/9x.
The NI-Serial software also includes a configuration utility, which is fully
integrated into the Windows Me/9x Device Manager. For more information
about software specifications, refer to Appendix D, Specifications.

Chapter 1 Introduction

The NI-Serial software includes the following components:

• Device driver

• Diagnostic utility

• Configuration utility

• Product manuals

The NI-Serial software supports all National Instruments serial hardware,
including the AT, PCI, PXI/CompactPCI, and PCMCIA versions.

© National Instruments Corporation 1-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 1 Introduction

Time-Saving Development Tools

Your kit includes the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x. In addition,
you can order the LabWindows/CVI or LabVIEW software from National
Instruments to speed your application development time and make it easier
to communicate with your instruments.

LabVIEW is an easy-to-use, graphical programming environment
you can use to acquire data from thousands of different instruments,
including IEEE 488.2 devices, VXI devices, serial devices, PLCs, and
plug-in data acquisition boards. After you have acquired raw data, you can
convert it into meaningful results using the powerful data analysis routines
in LabVIEW. LabVIEW also comes with hundreds of instrument drivers,
which dramatically reduce software development time, because you do not
have to spend time programming the low-level control of each instrument.

LabWindows/CVI is similar to LabVIEW, except that it combines an
interactive, easy-to-use development approach with the programming
power and flexibility of compiled ANSI C code.

For ordering information, or to request free demonstration software,
contact National Instruments.

Using Your Serial Hardware with LabVIEW
and LabWindows/CVI

After you install your serial hardware and the NI-Serial software, you can
use standard serial I/O functions in LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI with
your serial interface. If you already have LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI
and want to use it with your serial hardware, refer to your LabVIEW or
LabWindows/CVI documentation for information about serial I/O
functions.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 1-4 ni.com

Installation and Verification

This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software, serial
hardware, and cables, and how to verify the installation.

Install the Software

Install the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x before you install the
hardware:

1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.

2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel

to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. A dialog box similar to
the one in Figure 2-1 appears.

2

Figure 2-1.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

3. Click on the Install button.

4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button to proceed. The
software installation wizard begins with the screen shown in
Figure 2-2.

Figure 2-2. NI-Serial Setup Screen

The setup wizard guides you through the necessary steps to install the
NI-Serial software. You can go back and change values where
appropriate by clicking on the Back button. You can exit the setup
where appropriate by clicking on the Cancel button.

5. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install
the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x, skip to the next section,

Install the Hardware

. Otherwise, continue to Step 6.

6. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows Me/9x.

Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and
display one or more
finish, continue to the

New Hardware Found

If no

Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware
Troubleshooting and Common Questions

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 2-2 ni.com

New Hardware Found

Verify the Installation

dialog box appears, refer to the section

.

dialog boxes. When you
section.

in Appendix C,

Install the Hardware

To install the PCMCIA-232 or PCMCIA-485 in your computer, first start
Windows Me/9x. If the card is not already inserted, insert it into a free PC
Card (PCMCIA) socket the same way you insert a disk into a floppy drive.
The card has no jumpers or switches to set, and you do not need to shut
down the system before you insert it.

Windows Me/9x automatically displays one or more New Hardware

Found dialog boxes when it detects and configures a PC Card.

New Hardware Found

If the

Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix C,
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.

Figure 2-3 shows how to insert a PCMCIA serial card and how to connect
the cable.

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

dialog box does not appear, refer to the

Portable

Computer

PCMCIA Socket

PCMCIA Serial Cable

Figure 2-3.

Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card

The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,

Verify the Installation.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

Verify the Installation

When you begin to verify the installation, keep in mind that the serial ports
built into the computer are typically named from COM1 to COM4.
Windows Me/9x typically issues port names to the ports on NI serial
hardware starting with COM5, COM6, and so on. If not enough resources
are available to assign to all the NI serial ports, the port with the higher
COMx name is left unconfigured.

Double-click on the System icon in the Control Panel. In the System
Properties window that appears, select the Device Manager tab, and click
on the View devices by type button at the top of the page. If necessary,
double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to view all of the ports.

The two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards are configured as devices
belonging to the “multi-function adapters” class. The multi-function parent
device is listed under the
device is listed as a port under the
installed one of these interfaces, double-click on the

adapters

If a circled exclamation point appears through the port icon, the serial port
is not installed properly. A problem with the port could have occurred
because Windows Me/9x could not acquire resources for the port, or
because an interrupt request resource conflict exists. If no circled
exclamation point appears, the serial hardware is installed correctly.
Figure 2-4 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is installed
properly and Figure 2-5 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is not
working properly.

icon as well as the

Multi-function adapters

Ports

(COM & LPT) icon. If you have

Ports

(COM & LPT) icon.

icon, and each child

Multi-function

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 2-4 ni.com

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

Figure 2-4.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-5 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card Correctly Installed

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

Figure 2-5. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card Incorrectly Installed

Verify the Hardware Resources

For every port of the newly installed serial interface, double-click on
the name of the serial port in the Device Manager. Then, click on the
Resources tab. If the resources were assigned correctly, the Resources
page shows which resources are assigned to your serial ports.

If Windows Me/9x did not assign any resources to the port, the
page shows only a Set Configuration Manually button. Click on the

Configuration Manually

button and try to assign conflict-free resources

to your serial hardware. For instructions, refer to the Selecting

Conflict-Free Resources section of Appendix C, Troubleshooting and
Common Questions. You might have to free an interrupt request level so

that one can be assigned to your serial hardware. For instructions, refer to
the section Freeing an Interrupt Request Level

in Appendix C,

Troubleshooting and Common Questions.

When you have finished verifying the hardware resources, proceed to the
next section.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 2-6 ni.com

Resources

Set

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with COMx

For every port of the newly installed serial interface, double-click on the
name of the serial port in the Device Manager. Then, click on the Port
Settings tab. The top of this page displays the serial number of the serial
hardware, and the physical port number starting at 1.

When you have finished verifying the driver installation and physical port,
proceed to the next section.

Run the Diagnostic Test

To verify and test the installation, run the diagnostic program that came
with your NI-Serial software. The diagnostic program verifies that your
serial driver is installed properly, that the configuration of your hardware
does not conflict with anything else in your system, and that the serial
driver can communicate with your hardware correctly.

To run the test, select the diagnostics item under Start»Programs»
National Instruments Serial.

If the diagnostic test completes with no failures, your serial hardware
and software are installed properly. If it fails, refer to Appendix C,

Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.

© National Instruments Corporation 2-7 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

Connect the Cables

For the PCMCIA serial cards, you can use the standard DB-9 connector
found on most serial cables.

Figure 2-6 and Table 2-1 give the pin locations and descriptions of the
DB-9 connector, which is found on the PCMCIA serial cable.

PIN 5

PIN 1

Figure 2-6.

Table 2-1.

DB-9 Connector Pin Locations

DB-9 Pin Descriptions

PIN 9

PIN 6

DB-9 Pin 232 Signal 485 Signal

1 DCD* GND

2 RXD CTS+ (HSI+)

3 TXD RTS+ (HSO+)

4 DTR* RXD+

5 GND RXD–

6 DSR* CTS– (HSI–)

7 RTS RTS– (HSO–)

8 CTS TXD+

9 RI* TXD–

* These signals are not supported by the isolated 232 boards or ports 9-16 of the RS-232
sixteen-port board.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 2-8 ni.com

Connecting Two-Wire Devices

The PCMCIA-485 boards are designed to work with either two- or
four-wire devices. If you are using a two-wire device, refer to the device
documentation for specific wiring instructions.

In general, half-duplex networks use a single twisted pair of wires for
communication in both directions, so you must connect both the transmitter
and the receiver at each end of the same pair of wires. For example, to
connect an RS-485 data acquisition device to a port on your PCMCIA-485
using half-duplex communication, you need a single twisted pair of wires.
At the PCMCIA-485, connect the TXD+ and RXD+ signals (pins 8 and 4
on a DB-9 connector) together and to one wire. Connect the other end of
this wire to both the TXD+ and RXD+ signals on the data acquisition
device. You use the same method to connect the TXD– and RXD– signals
(pins 9 and 5 on a DB-9 connector) to the second wire.

For information about setting the transceiver mode for two-wire
communication, refer to Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware. For more
information about duplex architectures, refer to Appendix A, Serial Port

Information.

Chapter 2 Installation and Verification

© National Instruments Corporation 2-9 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Configuration

This chapter describes how to view or change the communication port
settings.

View or Change Communication Port Settings

The serial configuration utility is fully integrated with the Windows Me/9x
Device Manager. You can use it to examine or modify the configuration of
the serial port.

Follow these steps to configure the serial port. Repeat the configuration
procedure for each serial port in your system.

1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the System
icon. The System Properties window appears.

2. Select the Device Manager tab, and click on the View devices by type
button at the top of the page.

3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.

4. Double-click on the name of the port you want to configure.

3

You can now view or change information about your serial port in the
following ways:

• Click on the Resources tab to view information about the hardware
resources assigned to the serial port.

• Click on the Port Settings tab to view information about the software
configuration for the serial port. Refer to the next section, Port Settings

Tab, for more information.

• On the Port Settings tab, click on the Advanced button to change the
RS-485 transceiver mode and to enable or disable the FIFOs on the
serial hardware. Refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab, for more
information.

Note

If you use two-wire TXRDY mode, FIFOs must be enabled. Transceiver modes
apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to
Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 3 Configuration

After you have selected the serial port parameters for the current port, click
on the OK button to save the changes or click on the Cancel button to exit
the dialog box without saving changes.

Port Settings Tab

On the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on
the arrow button to the right of the setting. When you click on the arrow
button, a list of valid values for that setting appears. Select the desired
setting from the list. Figure 3-1 shows the Port Settings tab.

Figure 3-1.

The following sections describe the options you can set in the Device
Manager Port Settings tab.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 3-2 ni.com

Port Settings Tab

Bits per Second

Data Bits

Parity

Stop Bits

Flow Control

Chapter 3 Configuration

Bits per second, or baud rate, is the speed for a serial port.

Data bits is the number of data bits in a single serial byte.

Parity is the specification for even, odd, or no parity bits in each

transmitted byte.

Stop bits is the number of terminating bits on the end of each transmitted
serial byte.

Flow control is a method for temporarily halting the stream of serial bytes
to prevent overflow.

Advanced Port Settings

You can view or change the advanced port settings by clicking on the

Advanced button on the Port Settings tab. Figure 3-2 shows the
Advanced Port Settings dialog box.

Figure 3-2.

© National Instruments Corporation 3-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box

Chapter 3 Configuration

The following sections describe the advanced settings options.

Transceiver Mode

This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to
PCMCIA-485 boards. For more information about transceiver modes,
referto Chapter4, Using Your Serial Hardware.

Use FIFO Buffers

FIFO buffers are present on the 16550-compatible UARTs—one for the
transmitter and one for the receiver. The Receive Buffer control sets the
number of characters received in the FIFO before the PC is interrupted to
read the data. The Transmit Buffer control sets the maximum number of
bytes written to the FIFO in a block when the PC is interrupted to write the
data. When you configure FIFO settings, consider the following points:

• You can select larger FIFO buffer sizes to reduce the number of
interrupts your PC receives and therefore minimize system overhead.

• If transfer rates are high, you can lower the Receive Buffer value to
prevent overrun errors due to interrupt latency.

• If your data transfer sizes are small and your Receive Buffer value is
above your data sizes, your system is less efficient. Therefore, set the
Receive Buffer value below your data sizes.

Note

If you want your serial hardware ports to use the names COM1, COM2, COM3, or

COM4, refer to the Common Questions section of Appendix C, Troubleshooting and

Common Questions.

Restore Defaults

To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore
Defaults button.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 3-4 ni.com

Using Your Serial Hardware

This chapter describes how to set the hardware transceiver control mode for
your RS-485 interfaces and lists some general programming requirements.

General Programming Requirements

The NI-Serial software is fully integrated into the standard Windows Me/9x
communications software. NI serial ports are used like any other
Windows Me/9x communications (COM) port. Windows Me/9x has
standard communication functions for use within either Win16 or
Win32 applications.

When you develop your application, remember that you must use
the standard Microsoft Windows serial communication functions. For
information about Microsoft Windows serial communication functions,
refer to the Win32 Software Development Kit and to the Win32 Overviews
and Win32 Reference online help.

If you have LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI and want to use it with your
serial hardware, refer to your LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI
documentation for information about serial I/O functions.

4

Advanced Transceiver Control for the PCMCIA-485

Note

Transceiver modes apply only to the PCMCIA-485 boards.

The PCMCIA-485 boards support four modes of hardware transceiver
control. You can use hardware flow control to enable and disable your
transmitters and receivers so that they function on different bus topologies.
Table 4-1 lists the status of the transmitters and receivers under each of the
transceiver control modes.

© National Instruments Corporation 4-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Chapter 4 Using Your Serial Hardware

Four-wire mode Always enabled Always enabled

Table 4-1. Transceiver Control Modes

Mode Transmitter Receiver

Two-wire mode:
DTR

with echo

Two-wire mode:
DTR

controlled

Two-wire mode:
TXRDY

Note

Signal names with an overscore, such as DTR, indicate that the signal is active low.

auto control

Four-Wire Mode

Use the four-wire mode for most full-duplex systems. In this mode, the
transmitter and receiver are always enabled. This mode is the default.

Two-Wire Mode: DTR with Echo

Use this mode in half-duplex systems where the DTR (Data Terminal
Ready) line must control the transmitter. In the DTR
transmitter is tri-stated when the DTR
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is asserted. To transmit, your
application must first clear the DTR
data is fully transmitted, your application once again sets the DTR
disable the transmitter. Because the receiver is always enabled in this
mode, you not only receive packets from other devices, you also receive the
packets sent from your transmitter.

Enabled with
DTR

unasserted

Enabled with
DTR

unasserted

Enabled with
TXRDY

asserted

bit to enable the transmitter. After the

Always enabled

Enabled with
DTR

asserted

Enabled with
TXRDY

signal of the UART (Universal

unasserted

-with-echo mode, the

bit to

Two-Wire Mode: DTR Controlled

This mode is similar to the two-wire, DTR-with-echo mode. Use this mode
in half-duplex systems where the DTR
Although this mode uses the same method as the DTR
control the transmitter, the hardware automatically disables the receiver
whenever the transmitter is enabled. Thus, you do not receive the packets
sent from your transmitter.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 4-2 ni.com

line must control the transmitter.

-with-echo mode to

Two-Wire Mode: TXRDY Auto Control

In this mode, the serial hardware transparently enables the transmitter and
receiver in a two-wire system. Use this mode to remove the burden of flow
control from your application. By connecting the transmitter to the
TXRDY
each byte to be transmitted. Also, the hardware disables the receiver
whenever the transmitter is enabled, so you do not receive the packets sent
from your transmitter.

Note

When you are communicating with a two-wire device, National Instruments
recommends that you use the two-wire TXRDY
handles the transmitter/receiver enabling for a two-wire connection in your hardware,
it reduces the software overhead required to perform this operation in your application
program.

For more information about serial communication in two- or four-wire modes, refer to the

Serial Communication Issues section in Appendix A, Serial Port Information.

(Transmit Ready) line, the hardware enables the transmitter for

Setting the Transceiver Control Mode

The recommended method for setting the transceiver control mode is
with the serial configuration utility located in the Windows Me/9x
Device Manager. For more information, refer to the View or Change

Communication Port Settings section in Chapter 3, Configuration.

The mode you select in the Device Manager is automatically configured
when you open a port on a serial interface. You can also set the hardware
transceiver control mode from within a DOS application. For each port you
want to control, write the control byte for the mode you want to select to
the scratch register of the UART. Table 4-2 shows the control bytes for
each mode.

Chapter 4 Using Your Serial Hardware

auto control mode. Because this mode

Table 4-2.

Transceiver Mode Control Byte

Four-wire mode 0x00

Two-wire mode: DTR with echo 0x01

Two-wire mode: DTR controlled 0x02

Two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control 0x03

© National Instruments Corporation 4-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Transceiver Mode Control Bytes

Chapter 4 Using Your Serial Hardware

The scratch register is located at offset 7 from the base address of the port.
For example, if COM2 were located at base address 0x3F8, and you wanted
to set the PCMCIA-485 board to two-wire mode with DTR
would write a 0x02 to I/O address 0x3FF. The PCMCIA-485 board would
immediately switch to the two-wire mode with DTR

Setting the Transceiver Mode with DeviceIoControl

The NI-Serial software extends the
for programming the transceiver control mode. To program the transceiver
control mode using

DeviceIoControl

1. Add the following lines to your source code:

#include <winioctl.h>

#define IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE
CTL_CODE(FILE_DEVICE_SERIAL_PORT,37,
METHOD_BUFFERED,FILE_ANY_ACCESS)

2. Use the Win32 function

a. Use the defined control code value listed in step 1 to set the

transceiver mode.

b. Use the input buffer values (unsigned long) listed in Table 4-3 for

programming different transceiver modes.

DeviceIoControl

, complete the following steps:

DeviceIoControl

control, you

control.

Windows function

, as follows:

Table 4-3.

DeviceIoControl Function Input Values

DeviceIoControl

Transceiver Mode

Function Input Value

Four-wire mode 128

Two-wire mode: DTR with echo 129

Two-wire mode: DTR controlled 130

Two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control 131

For example, to set TXRDY

two-wire auto control mode, use the

following code:

ULONG TranceiverMode = 131;
DeviceIoControl(hDevice,
IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE,(PVOID)
&TransceiverMode,sizeof(ULONG),lpOutBuffer,
nOutBufferSize,lpBytesReturned,lpOverlapped);

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x 4-4 ni.com

Serial Port Information

This appendix describes the RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 standards
and explains some of the issues involved with these types of serial
communication.

Table A-1 lists the features of the RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 standards.

A

RS-232

Table A-1.

Feature RS-232 RS-422 RS-485

Type of
transmission lines

Maximum number
of drivers

Maximum number
of receivers

Maximum cable
length

Maximum data rate 20 kbytes/s 10 Mbytes/s 10 Mbytes/s

Maximum CMV ± 25 V ±7 V +12 to –7 V

Driver output 5 to 25 V 2 to 6 V 1.5 to 6 V

Driver load > 3 kΩ 100 Ω 60 Ω

As specified in the ANSI/EIA-232-D Standard, Interface Between Data

Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing
Serial Binary Data Interchange, RS-232 standardizes serial

communication between computers, and between computer terminals and
modems. Most applications use the RS-232 standard to interface
peripherals to personal computers. RS-232 uses transmission lines in which
the state of each signal is represented by referencing the voltage level of a
single line to ground. RS-232 was designed for serial communication up to

RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 Features

Single ended Differential Differential

1 1 32

1 10 32

50 ft 4,000 ft 4,000 ft

© National Instruments Corporation A-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix A Serial Port Information

distances of 50 ft and with data rates up to 20 kbytes/s. However, because
of improvements in line drivers and cabling, you can usually increase the
actual performance of the bus past the limitations on speed and distance
recommended in the specification.

RS-422

As specified in the EIA/RS-422-A Standard, Electrical Characteristics of
Balanced Voltage Digital Interface Circuits, RS-422 defines a serial

interface much like RS-232. However, RS-422 uses balanced
(or differential) transmission lines. Balanced transmission lines use two
transmission lines for each signal. The state of each signal is represented,
not by a voltage level on one line referenced to ground as in RS-232, but
rather by the relative voltage of the two lines to each other. For example,
the TX signal is carried on two wires, wire A and wire B. A logical 1 is
represented by the voltage on line A being greater than the voltage on
line B. A logical 0 is represented by the voltage on line A being less than
the voltage on line B. Differential voltage transmission creates a signal that
is more immune to noise as well as voltage loss due to transmission line
effects. Thus, you can use RS-422 for longer distances (up to 4,000 ft) and
greater transmission speeds (up to 10 Mbytes/s) than RS-232.

RS-485

As specified in the EIA-485 Standard, Standard for Electrical
Characteristics of Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital
Multipoint Systems, RS-485 expands on the RS-422 standard by increasing

the number of devices you can use from 10 to 32 and by working with
half-duplex bus architectures. Unlike the RS-422 standard, RS-485
addresses the issue of using multiple transmitters on the same line. RS-485
defines the electrical characteristics necessary to ensure adequate signal
voltages under maximum load, short-circuit protection. RS-485 can also
withstand multiple drivers driving conflicting signals at the same time.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x A-2 ni.com

Serial Communication Issues

This section explains some serial communication issues, including duplex
architectures, termination methods, bias resistors, and types of connecting
equipment.

Duplex Architectures

Duplex refers to the means of bandwidth usage in a serial system. The two
common means of bi-directional serial communication are full duplex and
half duplex. Half-duplex communication involves a transmitter and a
receiver connected to each end of the same wire or pair of wires. Because
the same transmission line both sends and receives data, devices cannot
send data in both directions at the same time. First, one device transmits
over the wire(s) to the receiver of the second device. When the first device
finishes transmitting, both devices switch the connections from their
transmitter to their receiver, or vice versa. The device that was receiving
data can then transmit over the line.

In full-duplex communication, the devices use a separate wire (or pair of
wires) for simultaneous transmission in each direction. Thus, the devices
do not switch between transmitting and receiving.

Appendix A Serial Port Information

In a differential serial bus (such as RS-422 or RS-485), a half-duplex
system transmits and receives over the same twisted pair of wires.
Thus, half-duplex communication is often referred to as two-wire
communications. Likewise, full-duplex communication is often referred
to as four-wire communications, because the full-duplex system uses a
separate pair of wires for communication in each direction.

Full Duplex

A typical full-duplex multidrop bus architecture involves a master-slave
protocol. Only one device, the master, can control access to the bus. All
other devices are slaves. Slave devices must wait for the master to give them
access to the bus. In a typical full-duplex system, one transmission line
connects the bus master transmitter to all of the slave receivers. A second
transmission line connects all of the slave transmitters to the bus master
receiver. Because each transmission line has two separate wires, a
full-duplex system is often referred to as a four-wire system. Figure A-1
shows a typical full-duplex system.

© National Instruments Corporation A-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix A Serial Port Information

Tx

Tx

MASTER

Rx

Half Duplex

A typical half-duplex multidrop bus architecture also involves a
master-slave protocol. However, in a half-duplex system, all transmitters
and receivers are connected to the same transmission line. A half-duplex
system is often referred to as a two-wire system. Figure A-2 shows a typical
half-duplex system.

Slave 1 Slave 2 Slave n

Rx

Tx

Rx

Tx

Figure A-1. Typical Full-Duplex System

Rx

Slave 1 Slave 2 Slave n

Tx

MASTER

Rx

Tx

Rx Rx

Tx

Tx

Rx

Figure A-2. Typical Half-Duplex System

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x A-4 ni.com

Termination

Appendix A Serial Port Information

Because each differential pair of wires is a transmission line, you must
properly terminate the line to prevent reflections. A common method of
terminating a two-wire multidrop RS-485 network is to install terminating
resistors at each end of the multidrop network. If you daisy-chained
multiple instruments together, you need a terminating resistor at only the
first and last instruments. The terminating resistor should match the
characteristic impedance of the transmission line (typically 100 to 120 Ω).
You can order an optional DB-9 RS-485 termination connector that
contains embedded terminating resistors for easy termination from
National Instruments. For ordering information, contact National
Instruments.

Figure A-3 shows a multidrop network using terminating resistors.

Tx

MASTER

Rx

DTE vs. DCE

100

Slave 1

Tx

Ω

Rx

Figure A-3.

Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors

Slave 2 Slave n

Tx

Rx

100

Tx

Ω

Rx

In the RS-232 specification, DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and DCE
(Data Communications Equipment)

1

refer to the types of equipment on
either end of a serial connection. In general, DTE and DCE refer to
computer equipment and modems, respectively. Because the RS-232
specification mainly involves connecting a DTE directly to a DCE and vice
versa, the pinouts are defined so that cabling is simple. That is, a cable
connected a computer to a modem by wiring pin 1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2,
and so on. This method is known as straight-through cabling.

Figure A-4 shows straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE interface.

1

In Revision D of the RS-232 specification, a DCE is a Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment.

© National Instruments Corporation A-5 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix A Serial Port Information

DTE

Pin 2

Pin 3

Rx D

Tx D

Pin 2

Pin 3

DCE

DCE

Pin 2

Pin 3

Rx D

Tx D

Pin 2

Pin 3

DTE

Figure A-4. Straight-Through Cabling in a DTE-to-DCE Interface

Straight-through cabling is still the standard method to connect a modem to
your PC. However, because many applications use serial communication to
connect two or more DTEs without modems, the cabling becomes more
complicated. If two DTEs are wired together using a straight-through cable,
one transmitter is connected to the other transmitter, and one receiver is
connected to the other receiver. In this setup, no transmissions can occur.
Thus, these applications must use a cabling scheme that connects the
transmitter on one device to the receiver on the other device and vice versa.
This method is known as null-modem cabling, because it replaces the two
modems that traditional RS-232 applications would require between the
two DTEs. To communicate from one serial port to another, use a
null-modem cable.

Figure A-5 shows null-modem cabling in a DTE-to-DTE interface.

Rx D

Pin 2

DTE DTE

Tx D

Rx D

Tx D

Pin 2

Pin 3Pin 3

Figure A-5. Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x A-6 ni.com

Uninstalling the
Hardware and Software

This appendix describes how to uninstall your serial hardware and the
NI-Serial software.

Uninstall the Hardware

Before physically removing the serial hardware, you must remove the
hardware information from the Windows Me/9x Device Manager.

Follow these steps to uninstall the hardware:

1. Double-click on the System icon under Start»Settings»Control

Panel. The System Properties dialog box appears.

2. Select the Device Manager tab.

3. Click on the View devices by type button.

4. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.

B

© National Instruments Corporation B-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix B Uninstalling the Hardware and Software

5. Select the National Instruments port to remove from the list of ports,
as shown in Figure B-1.

Figure B-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall

6. Click on the Remove button.

Note

To remove ports on two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards from within the Device
Manager, you must open the
interface, and click on the

7. In the
to remove this interface or click on

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x B-2 ni.com

Multi-function adapters

Remove

button.

Confirm Device Removal

class, select the name of your

dialog box, click on the OK button

Cancel

to cancel your request.

Uninstall the Software

Before uninstalling the software, remove all serial port information from
the Windows Me/9x Device Manager, as described in the previous section.
You do not need to shut down Windows Me/9x before uninstalling the
software.

Complete the following steps to remove the NI-Serial software:

1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.

2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel

to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. A dialog box similar to
the one in Figure B-2 appears. This dialog box lists the software
available for removal.

Appendix B Uninstalling the Hardware and Software

Figure B-2.

© National Instruments Corporation B-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box

Appendix B Uninstalling the Hardware and Software

3. Select the serial software you want to remove, and click on the
Add/Remove button. The uninstall program runs and removes all
folders, programs, VxDs, DLLs, and registry entries associated with
the NI-Serial software. Figure B-3 shows the results of a successful
uninstallation.

4. Remove your PCMCIA card from your computer.

Figure B-3. Successful Uninstallation

If you want to reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 2,

Installation and Verification.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x B-4 ni.com

Troubleshooting and
Common Questions

This appendix describes how to troubleshoot problems and answers some
common questions.

Freeing an Interrupt Request Level

To free an interrupt request level for your serial port, you must disable the
device that is using the interrupt request level. To view the system-wide
allocation of interrupt request resources and remove a device, complete the
following steps:

1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the
System icon.

2. Click on the Device Manager tab.

3. Double-click on the Computer icon and click on the View
Resources tab.

4. Click on the Interrupt Request (IRQ) button. Scan through the list of
IRQ settings to determine which devices are using which interrupt
request levels.

5. When you locate a device that you are not currently using, click on the
Cancel button.

6. In the

7. In the Device usage field, a checkmark appears to the left of the current

8. Click on the

9. Repeat steps 7 through 9 for each unused device.

10. Click on the OK button to save your changes.

11. Restart Windows Me/9x to assign resources to your serial port. Then,

Device Manager

configuration, usually Original Configuration (Current). Click on
the checkbox to remove the checkmark.

Resources

is unchecked.

complete step 6 in the Verify the Installation section of Chapter 2,

Installation and Verification.

tab, double-click on the icon for that device.

tab and make sure that Use automatic settings

C

© National Instruments Corporation C-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Selecting Conflict-Free Resources

When the Device Manager indicates a conflict with another device, you can
usually correct the problem by manually selecting conflict-free resources.
To do so, complete the following steps:

1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the
System icon.

2. Click on the Device Manager tab and click on the View devices by
type button.

3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.

4. From the Multi-function adapters list, double-click on the serial
interface that you want to change.

5. Click on the Resources tab.

Note

To change the resources of ports on two-port or four-port PCMCIA cards from
within the Device Manager, you must open the
double-click on the name of your interface. Use the
resources. Any resource changes are automatically reflected to the child devices.

Multi-function adapters

Resources

class and

page to change the

6. Uncheck the Use automatic settings checkbox and click on the
Change Setting button. If the system does not allow you to change the
settings, select the configuration that gives you a conflict-free base
address and interrupt level from the Setting based on list box.

7. Click on the OK button to save your changes.

Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages

This section lists possible Diagnostic error messages, along with solutions.

• If the

No National Instruments serial port found error

message appears, refer to Chapter 2, Installation and Verification, and
follow these troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify the hardware resources.

2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, the

Manager gives you the information about the driver installed.
Verify that the National Instruments serial driver is installed for
the port.

3. If either the serial hardware or

reinstall the hardware and software. You can find
in the

\Windows\system

niserial.vxd

directory.

Driver

tab in the Device

file is missing,

niserial.vxd

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x C-2 ni.com

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

• If the utility reports fewer ports installed than it should, refer to
Chapter 2, Installation and Verification, and follow these
troubleshooting steps:

1. Verify the hardware resources.

2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, the Driver tab in the Device

Manager gives you the information about the driver installed.
Verify that the National Instruments serial driver is installed for
the port.

3. Check the hardware installation to make sure the correct number

of boards/ports are installed.

• If the

• If the

I/O address test failed, Interrupt test cannot

be performed

as described in Chapter 2, Installation and Verification. If the test still
fails, you probably have an I/O address conflict with legacy boards.
Refer to the next section, Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy
Boards.

Interrupt test failed

hardware resources as described in Chapter 2, Installation and
Verification. If the test still fails, you probably have an interrupt level
conflict with legacy boards. Refer to the next section, Resolving
Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards.

error message appears, verify the hardware resources

error message appears, verify the

Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards

Resource conflicts typically occur if your system contains legacy boards
that use resources that are not reserved properly. If a resource conflict
exists, write down the resource that caused the conflict and refer to the
Microsoft Windows Me/9x user’s guide for instructions on how to use the
Device Manager to reserve I/O and IRQ resources for legacy boards.

Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware

If Windows does not detect your serial hardware correctly, or you have been
using your serial hardware with the default Windows serial driver or an
older version of the NI-Serial software, Windows does not display the New
Hardware Found dialog box. To fix this problem, follow these steps:

1. Select

2. Double-click on the

3. Select the

© National Instruments Corporation C-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Start»Settings»Control Panel

System

Device Manager

icon.

tab.

.

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

4. Click on the View devices by type button.

5. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display a list of all

ports that Windows recognizes. If you have previously installed a
PCMCIA serial card, double-click on
lists the ports it does not recognize.

Other Devices

, where Windows

Note

To remove ports on two- or four-port cards, you must open the

adapter

class, select the name of the interface, and click on the

6. Select a National Instruments port name from the list of ports that
corresponds to a serial port (for example, COM 5, COM 6, COM 7, or
COM 8). Figure C-1 shows the Ports list in the Device Manager with
a port selected.

Multifunction

Remove

button.

Figure C-1. Ports List in Device Manager Tab

7. Click on the Remove button, and click on OK to confirm the removal
of the serial hardware information.

8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all serial port entries are removed. Then,
click on Refresh to force Windows Me/9x to detect serial hardware
and display the

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x C-4 ni.com

New Hardware Found

dialog box.

Common Questions

How can I determine which type of serial hardware I have installed?

1. Select

System

2. Click on the

type

3. Double-click on the
installed ports.

How can I determine which version of the NI-Serial software I have
installed?

The Read Me file gives the version of the software. To open the file, select
Start»Programs»National Instruments Serial»Read Me.

What do I do if the diagnostic test fails with an error?

Refer to the Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages section earlier in this
appendix.

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Start»Settings»Control Panel

icon.

Device Manager

button.

Ports (COM & LPT)

tab and click on the

and double-click on the

View devices by

icon to display a list of

How can I determine which port is associated with COMx?

Refer to the section Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with

COMx, in Chapter 2, Installation and Verification.

How can I change the COM number of my National Instruments serial
ports?

Table C-1 lists standard DOS-base addresses for serial ports.

Table C-1.

COM Port Base Address

COM1 3f8

COM2 2f8

COM3 3e8

COM4 2e8

© National Instruments Corporation C-5 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Standard DOS-Based Addresses

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

In most cases, Windows Me/9x does not assign names COM1 through
COM4 to the serial hardware. Rather, it names the ports starting with
COM5. If you assign any of the base addresses in Table D-1 to a National
Instruments serial port, Windows Me/9x automatically changes the COM
port name to the corresponding one listed in this table. You do not need to
change the IRQ setting for this name change to occur. To change the base
address, refer to the Selecting Conflict-Free Resources section earlier in
this appendix.

How do I change the resources assigned to PCMCIA two-port or
four-port serial cards?

Because the two-port PCMCIA cards are single physical devices that
support multiple ports, they are registered as “multi-function adapters” in
the Device Manager. Each port is a child device listed under Ports (COM
& LPT). Windows Me/9x does not allow the resources of the
multi-function child devices to be changed directly.

To change the resources of ports on two-port PCMCIA cards from within
the Device Manager, you must open the Multi-function adapters class and
double-click on the Multi-function Parent item that corresponds to your
National Instruments serial interface. Use the Resources page to change
the resources. Any resource changes are automatically reflected to the child
devices. Figure C-2 shows the Multi-function adapters class in the Device
Manager.

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x C-6 ni.com

Appendix C Troubleshooting and Common Questions

Figure C-2.

Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager

How do I remove information about PCMCIA two-port or four-port
serial cards from the Device Manager?

Because the two-port PCMCIA cards are single physical devices that
support multiple ports, they are registered as “multi-function adapters”
in the Device Manager. Each port is a child device listed under Ports
(COM & LPT). Windows Me/9x does not allow multi-function child
devices to be removed directly within the Device Manager. You must open
the Multi-function adapters class as shown in Figure C-2, select your
interface, and click on the Remove button.

What is the maximum baud rate supported and how can I set it?

The maximum baud rate supported is 460.8 Kbaud for RS-485 and

115.2 Kbaud for RS-232. To set the baud rate, use the SetCommState

Win32 function and pass the actual value of the baud rate in the BaudRate
field of the DCB structure.

© National Instruments Corporation C-7 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Specifications

This appendix describes the characteristics of the serial hardware, the
NI-Serial software, along with the recommended operating conditions.

Hardware Specifications

D

Table D-1.

Characteristic Specification

Dimensions 85.6 by 54.0 by 0.5 cm

I/O Connector Special Cable with DB-9 Dsub

Power Requirement
(from PCMCIA expansion slot)

PCMCIA-232

PCMCIA-485

PCMCIA-232/2

PCMCIA-485/2

PCMCIA-232/4

Physical Characteristics of the PCMCIA Serial Cards

(3.370 by 2.126 by 0.197 in.)

Connector and Converter for
PC Card

+5 VDC 40 mA Typical

+5 VDC 100 mA Typical

+5 VDC 60 mA Typical

+5 VDC 100 mA Typical

+5 VDC 60 mA Typical

© National Instruments Corporation D-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix D Specifications

Table D-2.

Characteristic Specification

Operating Environment

Component Temperature
Relative Humidity

Storage Environment

Temper ature
Relative Humidity

EMI FCC Class A Verified

Software Specifications

Maximum Serial Transfer Rate 115,200 bps*

* Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and
instrumentation capabilities.

Environmental Characteristics of the Serial Hardware

0 to 70° C
10 to 90%, noncondensing

–40 to 120° C
5 to 90%, noncondensing

Table D-3.

Software Characteristics

Characteristic Specification

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x D-2 ni.com

Technical Support Resources

Web Support

National Instruments Web support is your first stop for help in solving
installation, configuration, and application problems and questions. Online
problem-solving and diagnostic resources include frequently asked
questions, knowledge bases, product-specific troubleshooting wizards,
manuals, drivers, software updates, and more. Web support is available
through the Technical Support section of

NI Developer Zone

ni.com

E

The NI Developer Zone at
building measurement and automation systems. At the NI Developer Zone,
you can easily access the latest example programs, system configurators,
tutorials, technical news, as well as a community of developers ready to
share their own techniques.

Customer Education

National Instruments provides a number of alternatives to satisfy your
training needs, from self-paced tutorials, videos, and interactive CDs to
instructor-led hands-on courses at locations around the world. Visit the
Customer Education section of
syllabi, training centers, and class registration.

System Integration

If you have time constraints, limited in-house technical resources, or other
dilemmas, you may prefer to employ consulting or system integration
services. You can rely on the expertise available through our worldwide
network of Alliance Program members. To find out more about our
Alliance system integration solutions, visit the System Integration section
of

ni.com

ni.com/zone

ni.com

for online course schedules,

is the essential resource for

© National Instruments Corporation E-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Appendix E Technical Support Resources

Worldwide Support

National Instruments has offices located around the world to help address
your support needs. You can access our branch office Web sites from the
Worldwide Offices section of
up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers, e-mail addresses,
and current events.

If you have searched the technical support resources on our Web site and
still cannot find the answers you need, contact your local office or National
Instruments corporate. Phone numbers for our worldwide offices are listed
at the front of this manual.

ni.com

. Branch office Web sites provide

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x E-2 ni.com

Glossary

Prefix Meaning Value

p- pico- 10

n- nano- 10

µ- micro- 10

m- milli- 10

k- kilo- 10

M- mega- 10

G- giga- 10

t- tera- 10

° degrees

Ω ohms

% percent

–12

–9

– 6

–3

3

6

9

12

A amperes

ANSI American National Standards Institute

bbits

Bbytes

baud bits per second

bps bits per second

CCelsius

COM Computer Output Microform; used in reference to a communication port

CTS clear to send

DB-xx subminiature D connector, where xx is the number of pins

© National Instruments Corporation G-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Glossary

DCD data carrier detect

DCE data communications equipment or data circuit-terminating equipment

DLL dynamic link library

DMA direct memory access

DSR data set ready

DTE data terminal equipment

DTR

data terminal ready—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low

duplex the means of bandwidth usage in a serial system

EIA Electronic Industries Association

EMI electromagnetic interference

FCC Federal Communications Commission

FIFO First-In-First-Out

ft feet

GND ground

HSI handshake input

HSO handshake output

Hz Hertz

IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers

in. inches

I/O input/output

IRQ interrupt request

ISA Industry Standard Architecture

Kbaud kilobits per second

m meters

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x G-2 ni.com

MB megabytes of memory

PC personal computer

PCI Peripheral Components Interconnect

RAM random-access memory

RI ring indicator

RTS request to send

RX receive

Glossary

RXD

receive data—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low

s seconds

SCSI Small Computer Systems Interface

TX transmit

TXD

TXRDY

transmit data—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low

transmit ready—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low

UART Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter

V volts

VDC volts direct current

VXI VME eXtensions for Instrumentation

Win16 describes a 16-bit Windows application

Win32 describes a 32-bit Windows application

© National Instruments Corporation G-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Index

A

add/remove programs properties dialog box

(figure), 2-1, B-3

advanced port settings, 3-3

dialog box (figure), 3-3
transceiver mode, 3-4
using FIFO buffers, 3-4

advanced transceiver control for the

PCMCIA-485, 4-1

four-wire mode, 4-2
setting transceiver control mode, 4-3
transceiver mode control modes (table), 4-2
two-wire mode: DTR
two-wire mode: DTR
two-wire mode: TXRDY

controlled, 4-2
with Echo, 4-2

auto control, 4-3

B

bits per second, 3-3

C

cable connection, 2-8
changing communication port settings, 3-1
changing resources assigned to PCMCIA serial

cards, C-6

common questions, C-5

changing resources assigned to PCMCIA

serial cards, C-6

determining port associated with

COMx,C-5

determining type of serial hardware

installed, C-5

determining version of NI-Serial software

installed, C-5
diagnostic test failure, C-5
maximum supported baud rate, C-7

naming National Instruments serial

ports, C-5

removing information about PCMCIA serial

cards from the device manager, C-7

communication port settings, 3-1

viewing or changing, 3-1
configuration, 3-1
conflict-free resources, C-2

selecting, C-2
connecting cables, 2-8
connecting two-wire devices, 2-9
conventions, xi
customer education, E-1

D

data bits, 3-3
DB-9

pin descriptions (table), 2-8

pin locations (figure), 2-8
DCE vs. DTE, A-5
default restoration, 3-4
determining port associated with COMx,

2-7, C-5

determining type of serial hardware

installed, C-5

determining version of NI-Serial software

installed, C-5
development tools for saving time, 1-4
device manager tab for PCMCIA serial card

ports incorrectly installed (figure), 2-6
device manager tab ports list (figure), 2-5, C-4
DeviceloControl, 4-4

input values (table), 4-4
setting transceiver mode with, 4-4

diagnostic messages, C-2

troubleshooting, C-2

diagnostic test failure, C-5

© National Instruments Corporation I-1 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Index

DOS-based addresses (table), C-5
DTE vs. DCE, A-5
DTE-to-DCE interface, A-6

straight-through cabling in (figure), A-6

DTE-to-DTE interface, A-6

null-modem cabling in (figure), A-6

duplex architectures, A-3

full duplex, A-3
half duplex, A-4

E

environmental characteristics, D-2

F

FIFO buffers, 3-4
flow control, 3-3
forcing Windows to detect hardware, C-3
four-wire mode, 4-2
freeing an interrupt request level, C-1
full duplex, A-3

full-duplex system (figure), A-4

I

installation

determining port associated with

COMx,2-7
getting started, 1-2
running the diagnostic test, 2-7
serial hardware, 2-3
serial software, 2-1
verification, 2-1
verifying hardware installation, 2-4
verifying hardware resources, 2-6

interrupt request level, C-1

freeing, C-1

introduction, 1-1

L

LabVIEW, 1-4

using with serial hardware, 1-4

LabWindows/CVI, 1-4

using with serial hardware, 1-4

legacy boards, C-3

resolving resource conflicts with, C-3

G

general programming requirements, 4-1
getting started, 1-2
glossary, G-1

H

half duplex, A-4

half-duplex system (figure), A-4

hardware installation, 2-3

getting started, 1-2
verification, 2-4

hardware resources, verification, 2-6

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x I-2 ni.com

M

maximum supported baud rate, C-7
multidrop network using terminating resistors

(figure), A-5

multi-function adapter class in the Device

Manager (figure), C-7

N

naming National Instruments serial ports, C-5

standard DOS-based addresses

(table), C-5

National Instruments Web support, E-1
NI Developer Zone, E-1

Index

NI-Serial setup screen (figure), 2-2
null-modem cabling in a DTE-to-DTE

interface (figure), A-6

O

optional equipment, 1-2
overview of serial hardware, 1-2
overview of serial software, 1-3

P

parity, 3-3
PCMCIA-485

advanced transceiver control for, 4-1

setting transceiver control mode, 4-3
transceiver mode control modes

(table), 4-2
two-wire mode: DTR
two-wire mode: DTR
two-wire mode: TXRDY

control, 4-3

physical characteristics, D-1
pin descriptions

DB-9

connector pin descriptions

(table), 2-8

connector pin locations

(figure), 2-8

port settings tab, 3-2

figure, 3-2
options

advanced port settings, 3-3
bits per second, 3-3
data bits, 3-3
flow control, 3-3
parity, 3-3
stop bits, 3-3

restore defaults button, 3-4

ports list in device manager tab (figure), C-4

controlled, 4-2
with Echo, 4-2

auto

R

related documentation, xii
removing information about PCMCIA serial

cards from the device manager, C-7

resolving resource conflicts with legacy

boards, C-3
restoring defaults, 3-4
RS-232 standard, A-1

features (table), A-1

RS-422 standard, A-2

features (table), A-1

RS-485 standard, A-2

features (table), A-1

running the diagnostic test, 2-7

S

selecting an interface to uninstall (figure), B-2
selecting conflict-free resources, C-2
serial communication issues, A-3

DTE vs. DCE, A-5
duplex architectures, A-3
termination, A-5

serial hardware

forcing Windows to detect, C-3
general programming requirements, 4-1
installation, 2-3
overview, 1-2
selecting an interface to uninstall

(figure), B-2
uninstalling, B-1
using, 4-1
using with LabVIEW and

LabWindows/CVI, 1-4

serial port information, A-1
serial software

add/remove programs properties dialog

box (figure), B-3
installation, 2-1
overview, 1-3

© National Instruments Corporation I-3 PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x

Index

successful uninstallation (figure), B-4
uninstalling, B-3

setting transceiver control mode, 4-3

setting with DeviceloControl, 4-4

setup screen for NI-Serial software

(figure), 2-2

software installation, 2-1

getting started, 1-2
software specifications, D-2
specifications, D-1

environmental characteristics, D-2

physical characteristics, D-1

software specifications, D-2
standard DOS-based addresses (table), C-5
stop bits, 3-3
straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE

interface (figure), A-6
successful uninstallation (figure), B-4
system integration, by National

Instruments, E-1

T

technical support resources, E-1
termination, A-5

multidrop network using terminating

resistors (figure), A-5
time-saving development tools, 1-4
transceiver control modes (table), 4-2
transceiver mode, 3-4

setting with DeviceloControl, 4-4
transceiver mode control bytes (figure), 4-3
troubleshooting, C-1

diagnostic messages, C-2

forcing Windows to detect your

hardware, C-3
freeing an interrupt request level, C-1
resolving resource conflicts with legacy

boards, C-3
selecting conflict-free resources, C-2

two-wire devices, 2-9

connecting, 2-9
typical full-duplex system (figure), A-4
typical half-duplex system (figure), A-4

U

uninstalling serial hardware, B-1
uninstalling serial software, B-3
using FIFO buffers, 3-4
using serial hardware, 4-1
using this manual, 1-1

V

verifying hardware installation, 2-4
verifying hardware resources, 2-6
viewing or changing communication port

settings, 3-1

W

Web support from National Instruments, E-1
Win32 Overviews and Win32 Reference, 4-1
Win32 Software Development Kit, 4-1
worldwide technical support, E-2

PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x I-4 ni.com