Socket PC Cards FAQ

Using OS/2 Warp! and Socket's PC Cards
Using 2 Socket Serial I/O Cards Together
Using Phoenix Card Manager 3.11 and Socket COM Port Cards
Installing The Socket Serial I/O Card Under Windows 95
Using SystemSoft's CardSoft 3.1 and Socket Cards
Using IBM's EasyPlay Drivers and Socket Cards
Uninstalling Serial I/O In Windows 95/98
Serial I/O and DOS Applications On A Windows 95/98 Notebook
Tips On Resolving The Error Message, "Wrong Host Or Hostbase May Be Specified"

Using OS/2 Warp! and Socket's PC Cards

At this time we have no drivers that support using OS/2 Warp! with our Socket EA/EA+ card. For either the Serial I/O Card or the PageCard please follow the instructions below:

If you have only one COM port, you don't need to do anything. If you have two or more COM ports, do the following:

Modify the file AUTODRV2.INI under \OS2 directory, the section [Modem] looks like: 

[Modem]
PORT1 = 3F8, IRQ = 4 <---- COM1
PORT1 = 2F8, IRQ = 3 <---- COM2
PORT1 = 3E8, IRQ = 4 <---- COM3
PORT1 = 2E8, IRQ = 3 <---- COM4

You should choose an IRQ for COM3 that is different than the IRQ of COM1, (and an IRQ for COM4 that is different than the IRQ of COM2 if you want to configure COM4, too). The IRQs that worked for our engineering machine were 10 for COM3, and 11 for COM4. This may not be the same for your machine.

Using 2 Socket Serial I/O Cards Together

The following describes the best method for getting 2 Socket Serial I/O cards running together on the same machine. It is also using the assumption that no card- & socket- services are being run. Next, rename the c:\socketio\socketio.ini to c:\socketio\socketio.old. Then add 2 devices drivers as the first 2 lines of your config.sys: 

device=c:\socketio\enableio.exe host=<name> socket=0 com=2
device=c:\socketio\enableio.exe host=<name> socket=1 com=3 ireq=5

Insert the host name in place of <name>. Be sure to put down the appropriate com ports depending on which ones you are using. We happened to be using 2 & 3 on our configuration example. Also, be sure to use the appropriate socket numbers. Some machines refer to their sockets as 0 & 1 while others refer to them as 1 & 2. Make sure that interrupt 5 is available. If not change the ireq on the 2nd device driver to an interrupt that is open.

Using Phoenix Card Manager 3.11 and Socket COM Port Cards

If you are using a Socket Serial I/O Card, PageCard or GPS Card with Phoenix Card Manager, you must have version 3.11 or later. If you need to upgrade, you can do so by contacting Micro Firmware at 800-767-5465 or 405-321-8333. If you are running Phoenix Card Manager, you should not run the Socket direct enabler software, enableio.exe, enablegp, or enablepc.

There is no special set up required if your Socket Serial I/O card is com 2. Just plug the card in and it's ready to go. If the Socket Serial I/O card will be com 3 or com 4 some special set up is required. Please follow the suggestions below.

Check the memory exclusion on your emm386 line in your config.sys. It should have the following memory exclusion: 

device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=c800-c8ff

Edit the PCM.INI file.

Look for the section [DEFAULT]. The second line in that section should be changed to read: 

pcmcs=/ADDR=C8 /poll /WAIT=12

Next, you should find the line that says COMORDER. If you are adding the Serial I/O as a Com 3 the line should read: 

COMORDER=3

If you are using pcmcia cards in Com 3 and Com 4 the line should read: 

COMORDER=3,4

Look for the section [COM]. If you are adding the Serial I/O as a Com 3 the interrupt on the 3rd line should be changed. It is currently set to 4 which conflicts with Com 1. To change the interrupt check the 3rd line in the section reads as follows but replace the 4 with the value for an open interrupt. You should do the same for line 4 if you are using pcmcia cards as Com 3 and Com 4. 

3=0x3e8,0x8,0x4,0x1

To find out what interrupts are open and can be used you should go to dos to the c:\pcm311> prompt and type the following: 

c:\pcm311> PCMRMAN /MAP <then hit the enter key>

This will give you resource information. Check the section that gives you the IRQ Allocations. The numbers listed tell you what interrupts are available.

Make sure to change the interrupt in the Control Panel in Windows, also. To do that go to Control Panel, Ports, Com 3, Settings, Advanced, and change Interrupt Request Line. You will need to reboot for all these settings to be set.

Edit your c:\windows\system.ini file. Check the [386Enh] section for the following two lines. If they are not present you should add them. Then reboot Windows. 

comirqsharing=true

pcmciatimer=false

These changes should now allow you to use a Socket Serial I/O Card with Phoenix Card Manager 3.11 or later as Com 3 or Com 4. These instructions also are applicable if you are using the Socket PageCard or Socket Global Positioning System as Com 3 or Com 4. If you are not successful in getting the card recognized and working after making these changes please contact Technical Support at 213.368.3760.

Installing The Socket Serial I/O Card Under Windows 95

Do not run the Socket I/O Install program. If you have Socket I/O version 2.3 or later please do the following:

Insert your Socket Serial I/O card into any PC Card slot in your notebook or desktop computer. Windows 95 will display a dialog box asking how the card should be installed. The default selection Driver disk provided by hardware manufacturer is the correct option (as shown below), so press ENTER or click on the OK button.

Windows 95 will the prompt your for the letter of the floppy drive containing the installation disk:

Insert the Socket I/O Installation Disk into the floppy driver, enter the appropriate floppy drive letter in the dialog box and click OK. Windows 95 will copy some files to complete the installation. When the installation is complete, you will hear two beeps: a low one followed by a higher beep. To see what COM port the Serial I/O card was assigned to, left click once on the PC Card Icon in the Task Bar.

If you have Socket I/O version 2.2 or earlier please do the following:

When you insert a Socket I/O serial card while running under Windows 95, the card may be automatically recognized. If the card is not recognized, the dialog box for NEW HARDWARE FOUND (as shown below) will appear. Complete the instructions as follows:

You should pick the THIRD available option, "Select from a list of alternate drivers" as follows:

Windows 95 will then ask what type of hardware you are installing. Scroll down the list until you find the phrase PORTS (COM & LPT), highlight it and click on "OK".

You will be asked to specify which of the MANUFACTURERS you are installing. Scroll down the list until you find "(Standard port types)" and click on it. In the MODELS LIST, you should select "Communications Port ." Click on "OK."

To verify that the card is installed correctly, click on MY COMPUTER, choose PROPERTIES, select DEVICE MANAGER and left click on PORTS (COM & LPT). You can then double click on the COMMUNICATIONS PORT and it should give the device status as "This device is working properly."

Using SystemSoft's CardSoft 3.1 and Socket Cards

If your notebook has only a Com 1 present, the card will come in as a Com 2. This should happen with no extra configuration. If this does not happen, please check the config.sys for the correct memory exclusion. You should see that follows: 

device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=d000-d7ff or
device=c:\dos\emm386.exe noems x=d000-dfff

It is important to remember that Socket cards are seen as a modem card to CardSoft. That simply means it will be installed as another Com Port on the notebook.

If your notebook has a Com 2 present and the Socket card will be recognized as Com 3 you will need to reconfigure some files in order to give Com 3 (or 4) it's own interrupt. The first thing you will need to do is find out what interrupts are open on your notebook. SystemSoft provides a utility that shows the open resource allocation.

Go to the directory in DOS that your software is installed in. For CardSoft 3.1 the default is C:\CARDSOFT>. Also you should type what is in bold and execute any command that is inside of <brackets>.

Remove all PCMCIA cards and at the C:\CARDSOFT prompt type: 

CSALLOC /R <enter>

You will see a display similar to what is listed below: 

SystemSoft Plug-N-Play Card Services
Allocation Utility Version 2.06 (2137-11)
Copyright 1993-1994 SystemSoft Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.

MEM:
D000-D3FF

IOP:
100-16F,170-177(R),178-1EF,1F8-2E7,2E8-2EF(R),
2F0-2F7,2F8-2FF(AR),300-36F,370- 377(R),378-3E7,
3E8-3EF(R),3F8-3FF(R),500-5EF(R),5F8-6F6(R),
6F7-7EF(R),7F8-7FF(R),900- 9EF(R),9F8-AF6(R),
AF7-BEF(R),BF8-BFF(R),D00-DEF(R),DF8-EF6(R),
EF7-FEF(R),FF8-FFF(R) 

IRQ:
3(A),5,9,A(AR),B,F

(A) - Allocated. (R) - Reserved. (S) - Shared.

You should check the IRQ: section. This will show you what interrupts are open and can be used for Com 3 or 4. Remember that Com 1 uses IRQ 4 and Com 2 uses IRQ 3 so they are not available. The list above shows that IRQ 3 is Allocated and IRQ 10 is Allocated and Reserved. The available IRQs to try for Com 3 or Com 4 are 5, 9, 11 and 15. Remember that each notebook is different so it's important to check this display. Also, this is a picture of your system in DOS so if something in Windows (i.e., cd-rom, network card, sound card) is using one of the interrupts you won't be able to tell. Because those extra devices usually use IRQ 5, it is suggested that the other IRQs be tried first.

Once you know what interrupts you can try you need to change those settings in the cardid.ini file. At the C:\CARDSOFT> prompt type: 

EDIT CARDID.INI <enter>

You will see a display similar to what is printed below: 

[Common]
;
; Common Information section created by Config
;
ComPort1=3F8
ComIRQ1=4
ComPort2=2F8
ComIRQ2=3
ComPort3=3E8
ComIRQ3=4	CHANGE THIS TO COMIRQ3=9
ComPort4=2E8
ComIRQ4=3
ComBySocket=No
ComBDAAbsolute=Yes

Change the line specifying the irq for Com 3 to be: 

ComIRQ3=9

The other part of the cardid.ini file that needs to be checked in the lines: 

FirstModem=1
SecondModem=2
ThirdModem=3
FourthModem=4

This section indicates what com ports your first PCMCIA modem cards should come in as. If your first PCMCIA card is a fax modem card on Com 2 and the card is on Com 3 the lines should be set to: 

FirstModem=2
SecondModem=3
ThirdModem=4
FourthModem=4

If your notebook has a built in modem (or other device) on Com 2 and the first PCMCIA modem card is the card then the lines should be set to: 

FirstModem=3
SecondModem=4
ThirdModem=4
FourthModem=4

In order for the settings to take effect you must save this file and then cold boot the notebook with your PCMCIA card inserted. Once you have rebooted you should return in DOS to the C:\CARDSOFT> prompt and type: 

cardinfo /v|more <enter>

SystemSoft PCMCIA Card Information Utility,
Version 1.08 (2090-01)
Copyright 1992-1994 SystemSoft Corporation.
All Rights Reserved

Client Information for handle 9F1E:
Client Revision = 1.03
CS Support Level = 2.1
Revision Date = 04-25-1994
Client Name = "CardID"
Vendor Name = "SystemSoft Corporation"
Latest Error on slot 1 = IN_USE (1E), on Function RequestIrq (20)

Slot 0:
[Card Information]
Card Type = "Modem" (COM 2)
Manufacturer = "Intelligent"
Product Name = "ANGIA FAX/MODEM"
[Configuration Info]
Configuring client handle is 9F1E
Memory+I/O interface, Vcc 50, Vpp1 50, Vpp2 50
Config base 0100, Config values:
Option value: 61
Status value: 08
Copy value: 00
I/O range 2F8-2FF, 8-bit
Assigned IRQ is 3 (enabled)

Slot 1:
[Card Information]
Card Type = "Modem" (COM 3)
Manufacturer = "Socket Communications Inc"
Product Name = "PageCard Revision A"
[Configuration Info]
Configuring client handle is 9F1E
Memory+I/O interface, Vcc 50, Vpp1 50, Vpp2 50
Config base 8000, Config values:
Option value: 41
Status value: 00
Copy value: 00
I/O range 3E8-3EF, 8-bit
Assigned IRQ is 9 (enabled)

This gives the slot information. It shows a PCMCIA modem enabled as Com 2 with it's default interrupt of 3 and the card enabled as Com 3 with the interrupt 9.

CardSoft has certain tones that indicate whether cards are configured correctly or not. When a card is inserted and it is configured correctly you should hear 2 quick beeps, the second one being slight higher in tone. This is referred to as a "happy beep". If the card is not configured correctly you will hear one low tone -- or an "unhappy beep".

Once you have your cards correctly configured within DOS you must also make sure that the IRQs match in Windows. In order to do that you should:

  1. Enter Windows
  2. Go to the Control Panel within the Main Group
  3. Double-click on Ports
  4. Double-click on Com 3
  5. Single-click on Advanced
  6. Change "Interrupt Request Line" to match the IRQ chosen in cardid.ini
  7. Once you change that line Windows will prompt you to restart. This must be done or the change won't take effect.

Using IBM's EasyPlay Drivers and Socket Cards

The Socket card should be automatically recognized in the IBM Thinkpad if it is being assigned to Com 2. In order to get a card recognized on Com 3 through the IBM EasyPlay drivers you need to change the interrupt in 2 places. First, edit the autodrv.ini file that is in the thinkpad subdirectory.

At the C:\thinkpad> prompt type: 

EDIT AUTODRV.INI <enter>

You will find a section that looks like the lines below. Make sure to change the line below that is marked in order to change the interrupt for Com 3. 

[MODEM]
CARDID=MODEM
OPTION=UPDATEBDA1
; PORT1 : COM1 (3F8), COM2 (2F8), COM3 (3E8), COM4 (2E8)
; IRQ : INTERRUPT LEVEL

;* PORT1=3F8,2F8,3E8,2E8,3220,3228,4220,4228,5220,5228
;* IRQ=4,3

PORT1=3F8,IRQ=4
PORT1=2F8,IRQ=3
PORT1=3E8,IRQ=4 **** This is the line to change********
PORT1=2E8,IRQ=3

Change the line so it reads: 

PORT1=3E8,IRQ=7

Once you have your cards correctly configured within DOS you must also make sure that the IRQs match in Windows. In order to do that you should:

  1. Enter Windows
  2. Go to the Control Panel within the Main Group
  3. Double-click on Ports
  4. Double-click on Com 3
  5. Single-click on Advanced
  6. Change "Interrupt Request Line" to match the IRQ chosen in cardid.ini
  7. Once you change that line Windows will prompt you to restart. This must be done or the change won't take effect.

If the card still does not seem to be recognized it may be because 7 is not an open interrupt on your machine. You can try 5, 10, 11, and 15 or any other interrupt you believe may be open. Make sure to change the interrupt in both the autodrv.ini AND the Windows Control Panel followed by a cold boot of the machine.

Uninstalling Serial I/O In Windows 95/98

If Socket's Serial I/O card drivers were originally installed incorrectly in Windows 95/98, you must remove the drivers before attempting to reinstall. To remove the drivers, please follow the procedure below. DISCLAIMER: ANY TIME YOU MODIFY YOUR WINDOWS 95/98 SYSTEM REGISTRY, YOU RISK LOSING IMPORTANT INFORMATION. BE SURE TO BACK UP ALL IMPORTANT FILES BEFORE YOU IMPLEMENT THE PROCEDURES DESCRIBED BELOW.

  1. From the Start Menu, choose Run, then type in "regedit". This will bring up the Registry Editor.
  2. Double click on H-Key_Local_Machine
  3. Double click on Enum
  4. Double click on PCMCIA
  5. Check for a line, or lines referring to Socket Communications Serial Adapter and delete ONLY that line.

If you originally installed the card with an alternate Windows 95 drivers or the generic Communications Port driver (that means you have our disk version 2.1 or 2.2), this is all that is needed to remove the drivers. Please cold boot your computer by turning it completely off and then back on again. You can now reinstall per the instructions in your manual or refer to technote 4.

If you installed the card by inserting our disk when prompted (that means you have our disk version 2.3 or later and inserted the disk when asked) you also need to remove any reference to the Serial I/O card in the Windows\INF directory. Follow the directions in the next section to complete the remove the drivers procedure.

If you have Windows 95 release 950 B or Windows 98 do the following:

Open Windows Explorer. Go to the View menu and choose Options. Under Hidden Files make sure "Show All Files" is chosen. If it is not, change the setting and click OK. In Windows Explorer, go to the Windows\Inf\Other subdirectory. There should be an .inf entry called MicrosoftIOSOCKET.INF. Highlight the file and delete it. Please cold boot your computer by turning it completely off and then back on again. You can now reinstall per the instructions in your manual or refer to technote 4.

If you have Windows 95 release 950 or 950 A, do the following:

When Windows 95 reads a Manufacturer's INF file, it copies the information to a file called OEM*.INF. Each time you install another piece of hardware that requires a disk, a new OEM*.INF file is created. You may have OEM1.INF or higher. You must edit the latest OEM*.inf file and remove all lines relating to the Socket Serial I/O card. In other words, if you had OEM0.INF, OEM1.INF and OEM2.INF, you would edit OEM2.INF and delete the lines relating to the Serial I/O Card from that file.

Scroll through the file to finds the lines that refer to Socket and delete them. They are: 

[Manufacturer]
%String1%=Socket
	(THIS LINE (NOT THE HEADING) SHOULD BE REMOVED!)

[Socket]
	(THIS IS THE SECTION THAT WOULD BE REMOVED!)
%String2%=ComPort,PCMCIA\SOCKET_COMMUNICATIONS_INC
SERIAL_PORT_ADAPTER_REVISION_B-5E3E

[Strings]
String0="Microsoft"
String1="Socket Communications"
	(THIS LINE (NOT THE HEADING) SHOULD BE REMOVED!)
String2="Socket PCMCIA Serial Adapter"
	(THIS LINE (NOT THE HEADING) SHOULD BE REMOVED!)
PortsClassName="Ports (COM & LPT)"
You can now reinstall per the instructions in your manual or refer to technote 4.

Serial I/O and DOS Applications On A Windows 95/98 Notebook

Overview

Some of the most popular court reporting software runs under MS-DOS rather than Windows. There are also other DOS applications that people are still attempting to use, even on a Windows 95/98 notebook. To use the I/O Card with these MS-DOS programs on a Windows 95/98 notebook, you have to install the card twice: once for Windows 95/98 and once for MS-DOS. For most notebooks, this is a simple procedure. In a few cases, your notebook may be configured so that conventional resources are unavailable to the I/O Card. This requires a more advanced setup procedure. This document will first explain the basic setup procedure that applies to the majority of users and will then describe the advanced setup procedure for identifying and eliminating resource conflicts.

The Basic Setup Procedure

For most users, the following procedure is all that is required for setting up your I/O Card to work with MS-DOS court reporting software on a Windows 95/98 notebook. In a few cases, you will have to take additional steps. All users should follow this basic procedure:

  1. Insert the I/O Card in your notebook and remove other PCMCIA cards
  2. Install the I/O Card to work with Windows 95/98
  3. Boot MS-DOS (start, shutdown, restart in DOS mode)
  4. From MS-DOS, run Socket's INSTALL program (ie: a:\install)
  5. Reboot MS-DOS and run STARTCOM to verify that the I/O Card has been installed properly for MS-DOS
  6. If STARTCOM reports errors, follow the advanced setup procedure
  7. Tips on resolving the error message, "Wrong Host or HostBase May be Specified"

Insert the I/O Card in your notebook and remove any fax/modem card

Insert the I/O Card in your notebook's bottom PCMCIA slot and remove any PCMCIA card that may be in the top slot. Also, disable your notebook's infrared port if it is active (contact your notebook's manufacturer to find out how to do this). After you have finished this setup procedure and are able to run your court reporting software, you can try using the I/O Card along with a second PCMCIA device such as a fax/modem card.

Install the I/O Card to work with Windows 95/98

If you use the earlier release of WINDOWS 95, the first time you insert the I/O Card you will see a screen titled NEW HARDWARE FOUND. Insert the Socket I/O Installation Disk into your floppy drive and make sure that DRIVER FROM DISK PROVIDED BY HARDWARE MANUFACTURER is selected, and click OK. On the INSTALL FROM DISK screen, make sure the correct floppy drive is referenced in the COPY MANUFACTURER'S FILES FROM: box and click OK. Windows 95 will complete the installation. With the later version of WINDOWS 95 OR WITH WINDOWS 98, the first time you insert the I/O Card you will see a screen titled UPDATE DEVICE DRIVER WIZARD. Insert the Socket I/O Installation Disk and click NEXT>. On the next screen, click OTHER LOCATIONS... and specify Drive A. Windows will report that it found the driver for the "Socket PCMCIA Serial Adapter." Click FINISH.

Boot MS-DOS

Keep the I/O Card inserted in your notebook and close all Windows applications. Click the Windows START button and then click SHUT DOWN... You will see the SHUT DOWN WINDOWS screen:

Make sure that RESTART THE COMPUTER IN MS-DOS MODE? is selected and click YES. Your notebook will reboot into the MS-DOS environment.

NOTE: To install the I/O Card so that it works with MS-DOS, you must use the SHUT DOWN WINDOWS screen. Do not run the MS-DOS PROMPT utility from your desktop or from the START/PROGRAMS menu.

From MS-DOS, run Socket's INSTALL program

When you see the C:\WINDOWS> prompt, you are in the MS-DOS environment rather than Windows 95/98. With the Socket I/O Installation Disk inserted in your floppy drive, type: 

A:\INSTALL

A few seconds after you press ENTER you will see a screen that begins with Welcome to the Socket IO installation program! Press the ENTER key. When asked to select your computer, press ENTER. Continue to press ENTER in response to every question. When you see the message Installation is complete followed by the A:\> prompt, remove the installation disk and turn off your notebook.

Reboot MS-DOS and run STARTCOM

Turn your notebook back on and boot MS-DOS as described in Step 3. At the C:\Windows> prompt, type: 

STARTCOM

You should see the message: 

Scanning c:\socketio\socketio.ini
Card initialized as COM2
Socket IO enabled

In most cases, this means that the I/O Card can now be accessed by your court reporting software as COM2. If you see the message: 

Card not found in socket

put the I/O Card in the other PCMCIA slot and run STARTCOM again.

If STARTCOM reports errors, follow the advanced setup procedure

If you can run STARTCOM without receiving an error message, the I/O Card is probably set up properly to run with your court reporting software. Refer to the section Advanced Setup Procedures at the end of this chapter if STARTCOM reports either of the following errors: 

Wrong Host or HostBase:

or 

COM port conflict with existing ComX device

The "X" in the error message above will be replaced by the Com port assigned to the I/O Card. You should also refer to the section Advanced Setup Procedures at the end of this chapter if you need to provide your court reporting software with information about the I/O Card's COM port or Interrupt Request.

Tips On Resolving The Error Message, "Wrong Host Or Hostbase May Be Specified"

When running Socket's direct enabler to turn on the Serial I/O card in DOS you may receive the error, "WRONG HOST OR HOSTBASE MAY BE SPECIFIED". If you receive that error message, follow the steps below to eliminate the error message and get the Serial I/O card enabled.

If you have Windows 95 installed on the computer, you can get the HostBase resources there. With Windows 95 running, insert your I/O Card into a PC Card slot in your Windows 95 notebook. Click the Windows START button, click SETTINGS, and then click CONTROL PANEL.

Find the System icon on the Control Panel screen:

Double click on the SYSTEM icon and you will see the SYSTEM PROPERTIES screen. Click on the DEVICE MANAGER tab at the top of the SYSTEM PROPERTIES screen.

You will see the list of devices currently running on your notebook.

Click the icon on the left of the line that says PCMCIA SOCKET:

Click on the line that identifies your PCMCIA controller so it is highlighted. Click the PROPERTIES button. You will see the properties screen for your PCMCIA controller. Click the RESOURCES tab at the top of the screen:

If there is an Input/Output Range listed record the first four digits of the Input/Output Range (03E0 in our example). This number is known as the "HostBase Address" of your PCMCIA controller. Ignore the Interrupt Request setting on this screen and proceed to Step 2. If there is a Memory Range instead of an Input/Output Range please skip to Step 3.

At this point you will need to edit the socketio.ini file to record the new setting. Keep the I/O Card inserted in your notebook and close all Windows applications. Click the Windows START button and then click SHUT DOWN... You will see the SHUT DOWN WINDOWS screen. Make sure that RESTART THE COMPUTER IN MS-DOS MODE? is selected and click YES. Your notebook will reboot into the DOS environment.

When you see the C:\WINDOWS> prompt on your screen, you are in the DOS environment rather than Windows 95.

Type: 

CD\SOCKETIO

If you installed Socket's direct enabler according to the instructions in the previous section, you should see the C:\SOCKETIO> prompt.

Edit the SOCKETIO.INI file by typing: 

EDIT SOCKETIO.INI

The file should resemble this: 

[SOCKETIO]
Host = PCIC
Socket = 0
Com = 0
MemBase=0xD4000
MemSize=0x1000

If the HostBase Address you recorded for your PCMCIA controller is not 03E0 (if, for example, it is FCFC) then insert a new line above the MemBase = line and indicate the HostBase Address preceded by "0x" (make sure to use the number 0 and not the letter O): 

HOSTBASE = 0XFCFC

Here is an example of an edited SOCKETIO.INI file (with edits in bold): 

[SOCKETIO]
Host = PCIC
Socket = 0
Com = 0
HOSTBASE = 0XFCFC
MemBase=0xD4000
MemSize=0x1000

Save your new SOCKETIO.INI file and exit the MS-DOS EDIT program. At the C:\SOCKETIO> prompt, type: 

STARTCOM

You should see a message that ends with: "Socket IO enabled."

If you find a Memory Range assigned to the PCMCIA Socket line in Device Manager, you will need to disable Plug & Play in the BIOS of your computer. Socket advises you contact the computer manufacturer and ask them to walk you through this procedure. Any time you enter the BIOS of your computer and make changes, you should have someone who is thoroughly knowledgable about that model help you. Once you have diabled Plug & Play in the BIOS you need to go back to Step 1 and proceed.

If neither procedure eliminates the error message you can will need to add a line to your computer's config.sys file to turn the card on. This will enable the card automatically when you boot up and you will no longer need to run startcom.bat.

  1. Shutdown and restart your computer in DOS mode. To do this go the Start/Shutdown and select "Restart in MS-DOS mode".
  2. This will take you to a c:\windows> prompt. Type CD\ and hit enter.
  3. Type EDIT CONFIG.SYS and hit enter.
  4. Add the following line as the FIRST line in the config.sys: device=c:\socketio\enableio.exe file=c:\socketio\socketio.ini
  5. Save and exit the config.sys file. Shut down and restart the computer for the change to take affect.

If you still have the "Wrong Host or HostBase" error message please contact Technical Support.

Limitation of Liability. Information in this document is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Socket Communications, Inc or Synchrotech, a Division of Synchronized Technologies, Inc. Under no circumstance, including Socket's or Synchrotech's negligence, shall Socket or Synchrotech be liable for any incidental, special, or consequential damages, including lost profits, that result from the use or inability to use the product or related documentation, even if Socket or Synchrotech have been advised of the possibility of such damage. Some jurisdictions do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential damages, so the above may not apply to you. In no event shall Socket's or Synchrotech's total liability to you for damages, losses, and causes of action exceed the amount paid by you for the Socket or Synchrotech product.

Synchrotech's Tech Support Department

Valid HTML 4.01 Valid CSS RSS/XML Feed Follow us on Twitter Linear Flash PC Card FAQ