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Checking PC Card ISDN
For technical support and advanced users
V1.91 - DD / COM One - 11/2002

 

Note: We recommend users to read the FAQ's before to use this document.

 

1. List of products concerned. 1

2. Basic Check list 2

ISDN adapter : leds. 2

Things to check. 2

MC218 / MC220 only : 2

Do a ISDN connection test 2

Direct ISDN line or behind a ISDN PBX ?. 2

3. Diagnostic. 3

Windows 9x : installation tips. 3

Windows NT 4 : installation tips. 3

Analog call trough ISDN.. 3

MC220 LAN adapter 3

Does ISDN work under another OS ?. 3

Under Windows NT 4 : is a card manager installed ?. 3

4. Error messages from DUN.. 4

Windows 95 / 98. 4

5. Details about some functions. 4

More about Diag function. 4

Note about IRQ of our ISDN.. 4

CAPI 4

Call Back. 5

Call back with Windows 95/98, ME, 2000. 5

Call back with Windows NT 4. 5

6. Tricks. 5

WinNT 4 : Changing PC Card IRQ.. 5

Removing manually ISDN driver 6

INF files to remove under Win95/98. 6

7. Notes. 6

PC Card Firmwares. 6

About drivers. 6

Form ISDN.. 6

 

1. List of products concerned

This document applies to these PC Cards :
- MC218 (COM One Communication Card, 3 in 1).
- MC220 (COM One Platinium Card, 4 in 1).
- MC222 (COM One Platinium Card, 2 in 1).
- MC223 (COM One Platinium Card, 3 in 1).

OEM note : Most of the information's of this document are true for our OEM products too.

2. Basic Check list

ISDN adapter : leds

On the ISDN adapter, what is the status of the 2 leds after starting the computer ?

- The 2 leds are lighted on O O : there's a hardware problem.
- The 2 leds never light
O O : something is wrong in the installation (or hardware failure).

When you plug the ISDN adapter to the card under Win 95/98, or when you start Windows (all versions), the leds will switch on for 2 seconds then switch off.
This mean the initialization between the PC Card and the adapter is OK

Orange led : mean the ISDN network has assigned you a TEI number (note: behind some PBX the led is off until you do your first ISDN call, this is normal).
Green led : mean "connected" (remote has answered).

Things to check

- What is the operating system used ?

- In the Control panel / Modems, what do you see ?
(You must see the “COM One Platinium …” driver, a wrong driver (ie. “Standard PCMCIA driver”) can work for PSTN but don’t work for ISDN -> you must remove it).

- In Control panel / System / tab Devices manager, do you see any conflicts or anomalies ?

- Does the firmware version (display with “at *i”) match with the TECH driver version ? (ie. M11 with TECH0359. See DRV_MC22x.doc for more details).

MC218 / MC220 only :

- Before to install ISDN, did the PSTN mode worked ? (if not, we recommend to test PSTN first).

Do a ISDN connection test

- With drivers up to v1.7 : Icon SX128 / button Test / call a ISP number (example: +33 (0)8 36 06 13 18).
- With drivers since v1.8 : in the task bar open COM One control panel / line “Connection test” / call a ISP number.

Note: The most common error message returned is : "Local configuration not correct", it does not provide usefull information.

Direct ISDN line or behind a ISDN PBX ?

To know it, do you need to enter a first prefix number before to dial? if yes then you're behind a PBX.

Note for MC220 ISDN : during the boot the 2 leds switch on, and after, the led "orange" keeps lighted, this may mean you're onto an ISDN PBX.

If you're calling from behind a PBX:
- Usually lines are setup for voice only,  is your ISDN line configured for Data?   (to check with the PBX administrator).
- Try to call from a direct ISDN line (direct ISDN switch on the orange led the first call, then orange led keep switched on, it's normal).
- Some PBX requires the ISDN device to present it's number before to be allowed an outgoing call (open the SX128 control panel / Tools / Fill the box "Default calling address" with the ISDN line identifier number / OK / OK / restart Windows).

3. Diagnostic

Windows 9x : installation tips

If the computer own a internal modem (i.e. "TOSHIBA Internal V.90 Modem"), we recommend to disable it (control panel / system / devices manager / modems).

Infrared (IRDA) : you may have to disable it (Control panel / System / tab Devices manager / Infrared devices / disable "Infrared communication device").

Windows NT 4 : installation tips

Before to install ISDN drivers, PSTN driver must be installed and dialup networking must have been tested with PSTN (this allow WinNT 4 to manage correctly RAS and network settings).

Note 1 : When you boot the computer, the PC Card and the ISDN adapter *must* be plugged.

Note 2 :  when you install the PSTN driver (Control Panel / Modem), Windows must detect the PC Card : you must NOT select a COM port in the list.
If Windows do not detect the PC Card, this mean something is wrong into Windows NT 4 or into the BIOS. Windows is not be able to detect any PC Card modem (even from other brands).

Analog call trough ISDN

Can you do analog trough ISDN ? :
Run HyperTerminal, select the PC Card driver, type "ati" to check you're using the analog driver and not "SX128 MODEM" then try to dial an analog modem:
at s95=44
at dt 0836061318
(call any analog modem number)

If you see the "CONNECT" message, analog trough ISDN is working. Report this information to the technical support.

MC220 LAN adapter

If the user own a MC220 LAN adapter, does it work ?. Report this information to the technical support.

Does ISDN work under another OS ?

For computer's having a dual boot (ex: WinNT 4 + Win 95) : Does the ISDN works under the other OS ?.  Report this information to the technical support.

Under Windows NT 4 : is a card manager installed ?

Card managers examples :
- SystemSoft's Card Wizard.
- Softex's Phoenix Card Executive (mainly installed on Dell Latitude notebooks).
- Award CardWare.

The MC22x ISDN/LAN and MC22x ISDN functions, can't work under WinNT 4 if some card managers are installed because MC220 ISDN/LAN technology requires a direct access to PCMCIA controller.

You must uninstall the software in order to install and run the ISDN/LAN functions.

Note that most of Dell notebooks can not support PC Cards without Softex !…

Note: PSTN and GSM modes work without any changes.

4. Error messages from DUN

Windows 95 / 98

DUN stands for Dial Up Networking (named Remote Access Service under WinNT 4).

Error 630 : The computer is not receiving a response from the modem.
Check the modem selected into the DUN is a "SX128 MODEM ..." and not "COMOne Platinium Card".

Error 678 : The computer you are dialing is not answering. Try again.
- Check if you are dialing the right number (i.e.: add or remove prefix).
- This error message can appear after an update of ISDN drivers. Go in the properties of the DUN connection, then reselect the "SX128 MODEM ..." driver.

5. Details about some functions

More about Diag function

Access from : icon SX128 / Tools / Diagnostic / Diag / Save as, then file opens automatically.

What's the right value of CSC ? (Card Services Connector)
0 = mean driver don't see the PC Card.
1 = mean driver see the PC Card (mean the ISDN interface is plugged to the PC Card).

IIC (the value is coded in bits)
2047 = mean driver see the PC Card but not the ISDN adapter.

Note about IRQ of our ISDN

An IRQ is only used when you open a B channel (Test function doesn't use a B channel but only the D channel).
From about v1.6, our driver use the same IRQ as the modem COM port. Check if the BIOS doesn't reserve it, else disable PnP for this IRQ into the BIOS.

CAPI

- After CAPI installation (with ISDN driver 2.0), you can see the device into "Control Panel"
/ "Network" / "ACOTEC CAPI20 Protocol v1.1 -> SX128 MAC Driver for CAPI-Subsystem".

- Applications working with CAPI 1.1 should be able to work with CAPI 2.0 too.

- We have used the following CAPI applications:
T-Online 2.0x - 16 Bit CAPI
ZOC (Terminal Program) - 32 Bit CAPI
cFosWin - 16 Bit CAPI
Symantec PC AnyWhere v8

- The following applications did not work correctly :
WinFax PRO 9.0 (fax via CAPI 2.0)
AVM CapiPort

Q: Why can't I fax via CAPI ?
A: It is not possible faxing using CAPI because it would need a additional software to create the analog modulation and we don't provide this software.
This should be possible by adding a software as Acotec or RVS Comm, but we've not tested this solution.
Practically it is not interesting to use CAPI fax software : this kind of software is big (10 Mb) and slow down the system. The hardware of the MC220 does the same thing !.
Conclusion : To sent faxes, we recommend to use the analog part of the MC220 (select the analog COM port).

Symantec Winfax Pro 9.0 error message known : "The CAPI installed on your system does not support the G3 Fax protocol. You will not be able to fax with this version of CAPI. Contact your ISDN card manufacturer for a CAPI update with fax support".

Call Back

Call back with Windows 95/98, ME, 2000

Q : My modem don't see the incoming call (ie. when doing call back).

A : Our ISDN driver (SX128 Control panel) has a default value: the sub address is set to "01".
This permit to avoid the PC Card ISDN get any incoming ISDN call (ex.: ISDN phone calls).

1) This mean that is you want to receive an ISDN call, others must dial "your number" + "*01"
Ex: "0556693080*01"
BUT: this service named "local sub address" is not supported by default by your telecom installation.

2) The second (more simple) solution is to remove the value "01" from the sub address box, then restart Windows.
Now, the PC Card ISDN will take any incoming ISDN calls !.

Call back with Windows NT 4

Control panel / Services / Network / Remove Access Service / Configure the communication device (usually "SX2TAPI (ISDN 1)" ) for "Dial out and Receive calls".

For more information :
For external ISDN devices: call back with "Dial Out only" works. With ISDN (internal) TAPI devices : with "Dial Out only" the computer don't see the call back. You must set "Dial Out and Receive calls".

6. Tricks

WinNT 4 : Changing PC Card IRQ

PC Card ISDN under Windows NT 4
Changing PC Card IRQ
COM One technical support 21/10/98

1) Get COM port used by the PC Card
-----------------------------------
Control panel / Modems
select the modem line then click "Properties".
Get the COM Port used by your modem (ex: "Port: COM3").

2) Know free IRQ's
------------------
Start / Programs / Administrative Tools (Common) / Windows NT Diagnostics
Tab: Resources
Write down all the values not used between 01 and 15. These are free IRQ's.

3) Know values used by all Serial COM ports
-------------------------------------------
Click the button "Devices", then double click the choice "Serial".

Now you get a window named "Serial Properties"
containing all the "Interrupt Request" and "Input/Output Range" for each COM
port.

Note: The PCMCIA COM Port values should be the 2 lines of the bottom of the
list.

4) Changing your modem IRQ
--------------------------
Control Panel / Ports
Click the COM port used by your modem, then "Settings" / button "Advanced" now
try changing the IRQ to a free value.

You will have to restart Windows NT 4.

Removing manually ISDN driver

Process made for driver SX128 v1.60. Since v1.70, the uninstallation is automatic.

Error message example during Windows 9x startup : "SX2PORT.VXD file is missing".

 

Registry :

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\VxD\SX2CARR

Remove these keys :

SX2CARR
SX2CTRL
SX2PORT
SX2PROT
SX2RELAY

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Enum\PCMCIA\PCCARD or product name

INF files to remove under Win95/98

- Delete the following files from C:\WINDOWS or C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM
mdmsx128.inf
pcom.inf
sx128.inf
com_1.inf
cssind.inf
sx2tapi.inf


- With driver before v1.7 : run RMSXFLS.EXE to delete ISDN driver files.

7. Notes

PC Card Firmwares

MC218 : we recommend firmwares from xxxxWW.H45 and next.
MC220 : support ISDN from firmwares
xxxxWW.L10.

About drivers

Some patches files are available for ISDN drivers, these are described into the DRV_MC2xx.DOC document.

MC218 is compatible with ISDN drivers of MC220 up to version TECH0359 (recommended).

MC218  / MC220 note : with old drivers (from 1997) the ISDN control panel was a white icon “SX128” in the task bar. Since year 2000, it is replaced by a red and white “COM One” icon.

Form ISDN

This form ask for all usefull informations to solve ISDN troubles.

PC Card ISDN : support form
Document v1.21, 09/2000, DD/COM One.

Here are the information the support will need
----------------------------------------------
- Computer FULL name : ...

- Operating system name and version (services packs installed?) : ...

- Direct ISDN line or behind a PBX ? : ...

- Was the OS installed by the manufacturer of the PC (OEM OS), or from a
standard CD-Rom ? : ...

- PC Card name (ie.: MC220, MC222) : ....

- ISDN control panel version (ie. V2.01): ...
(Double click onto the icon SX128 or COM One in the task bar, then get the version number).

- Driver's CD-Rom version (ie.: TECH0359) : ...

- Is any PCMCIA manager installed? (ex: System Soft Card Wizard) : ...
Did you install this software yourself, or the manufacturer did? : ...

- PCMCIA controller name : ...
Win95/98: Control panel / System / PCMCIA socket, then write down all the lines inside.
WinNT 4: Run the Loader 4.xx select the PC Card, then read the name of the controller.

- Don't forget to write your questions with most details possible (ie. Error message). Thank you.
Q : ...