LAVA does not provide drivers or support for UNIX. SCO UNIX has a command called mkdev serial that can install the port in UNIX. Consult the documentation for your version of UNIX to see if this is the correct command for you and the appropriate switches.

LAVA PCI cards do not install in Win2000 using a setup utility. They install when New Hardware is found at boot up of Windows. Windows searches your hard and floppy drives for an .inf file that includes the setup information for our card. This is a plain text file that contains the setup information for our card. Sometimes, it does not find this file so it is necessary to have our card reinstall.

The following procedure will reinstall our card:

1) Right Click on My Computer from the desktop and enter Properties and then Device Manager. Enter the section called Other Devices or Unknown Devices.

2) Remove the reference to either PCI card or PCI Serial Controller or PCI parallel controller by right-clicking on it and entering Uninstall.

3) Shut down your computer normally and ensure that our card is seated properly in the PCI slot.

4) Upon entering Windows, when New Hardware is found direct it to the LAVA Win2000 .inf file.

5) Let Windows search for our installation file and reinstall our card correctly.

WINDOWS 2000 FEATURES

In Windows 95/98/Me we provide a utility for redirecting the COM port assignment that Windows assigns our ports. This utility is not necessary in later versions of Windows. The following is the procedure to redirect our port in Windows 2000.

1) Go to Device Manager by right-clicking on My Computer from the Desktop and entering Properties.

2) Open up Ports (COM & LPT) by clicking the + sign to the left.

3) Double-click the port you wish to redirect and enter the Port Settings Tab.

4) Click the Advanced Button.

5) In the Window that appears you can redirect the port assignment.

SPECIAL WINDOWS 2000 FEATURE

Parallel Port LPT assignments can be redirected. Currently the choice for redirection is LPT1 LPT2 or LPT3.

CLEANING UP OUR INF FILE

If you are updating the .inf file from a previous version of this file it is necessary to remove the old version. You must go to the Windows\inf folder. If you don’t see the inf folder then your folder options are set to hide that folder. To see that folder go to View|Folder Options|View

In there make sure that the show all files option is set. Our .inf file is found under the name oemX.inf, where X is some integer. You must edit using notepad.exe each oemX.inf file and look for a reference to LAVA. If there is a reference to LAVA then remove that file. Also, remove the associated oemX.pnf that is located here as well.

Question:

I have upgraded my system to a newer version of Windows. I left my LAVA card in the system during the upgrade. Now in Device Manager my card is showing up in Other Devices as PCI Parallel Card or PCI Serial Card. The peripheral attached to it (modem, printer, Zip drive) won’t work. What do I do now?

Answer:

During the installation of the upgrade, Windows was looking for the drivers on the Windows upgrade CD. The card’s drivers are not located on the CD so the installation routine couldn’t install the card properly. The following procedure will reinstall the card properly:

1) Go to Device Manager by right-clicking on My Computer from the Desktop and entering Properties. Then click the Device Manager tab.

2) In Device Manager remove the PCI Parallel Card or PCI Serial Card with the exclamation (!) mark by clicking it and hitting delete on the keyboard.

3) Close all open windows and reboot the system by using Start|Restart.

4) Upon booting into Windows the New Hardware Found wizard will appear. Direct this wizard to the LAVA Installation disk, following the procedure described in the LAVA Installation manual for installing the card in Windows.

Question:

I have upgraded my system to Windows system to Windows ME (Millenium Edition). I left my LAVA card in the system during the upgrade. Now in Device Manager my card is showing up in Other Devices as PCI Parallel Card or PCI Serial card. The peripheral attached to it (modem, printer, zip drive) won’t work. What do I do now?

Answer:

During the installation of the upgrade, Windows was looking for the drivers on the Windows ME upgrade CD. Our drivers are not located on the CD so it couldn’t install it properly. The following procedure will have our card reinstall properly:

1) Go to Device Manager by Right Clicking on My Computer from the Desktop and entering Properties. Then click the Device Manager tab.

2) In Device Manager remove the PCI Parallel Card or PCI Serial Card with the exclamation (!) mark by clicking it and hitting delete on the keyboard.

3) Close all open Windows and reboot the system by using Start - Shutdown.

4) Upon the boot into Windows you will see the New Hardware found wizard. Direct this wizard to our disk, following the procedure illustrated in the LAVA Installation manual for installing the card in Windows 95/98.

Standard Microsoft Basic Configurations for Communications Ports

COM BASIC CONF RESOURCE

COM1 0 03F8-03FF: IRQ 4

1 03F8-03FF: Any IRQ

COM2 2 02F8-02FF: IRQ3

3 02F8-02FF: Any IRQ

COM3 4 03E8-03EF: IRQ4

5 03E8-03EF: Any IRQ

COM4 6 02E8-02EF: IRQ3

7 02E8-02EF: Any IRQ

COMX 8 Any I/O range: Any IRQ

Standard Microsoft Basic Configurations for Parallel Ports

Printer Port

BASIC CONF RESOURCE

0 03BC-03BE

0378-037A

0278-027A

NO IRQ

1 03BC-03BE

0378-037A

0278-027A

Any IRQ

2 ANY I/O Range

No IRQ

3 Any I/O Range

Any IRQ

4 Any I/O Range

Any IRQ

Any DMA

ECP Printer Port

BASIC CONF RESOURCE

0 03BC-03BE

0378-037A

0278-027A

NO IRQ

1 03BC-03BE

0378-037A

0278-027A

Any IRQ

2 03BC-03BE

0378-037A

0278-027A

Any IRQ

Any DMA

3 ANY I/O Range

No IRQ

4 Any I/O Range

Any IRQ

Any DMA

Question:

I have installed my LAVA card that has jumpers into my operating system correctly. However, when I try to use the card the OS reports that the card is not functioning properly. What should I do?

Answer:

The answer to this question applies to all LAVA cards that have IRQ jumper settings. To correct this situation it is necessary to make some BIOS setting changes. The following description applies to an Award BIOS version 4.51 PG. Consult your motherboard manual to find equivalent setting changes and how to enter your BIOS setup.

Enter PNP CONFIGURATION SETUP.

Change RESOURCES CONTROLLED BY from AUTO to MANUAL.

Scroll down to the IRQ(s) assigned to our card and change that IRQ from PCI/ISA PnP to Legacy ISA.

RS232 DB9 Connector

-

RS-232 Serial PC Port Connector DB-25

-

RS232 RJ45 Connector

Question

I have installed my LAVA PCI serial card and then my Modem was installed by Plug and Play. I then looked in Control Panel|Modems and tried to click the properties, but nothing happened.

Answer

When a modem installs in the PnP (Plug and play) manner (at boot-up), the modem installs in Control Panel|Modems but when you click the properties button nothing happens. This is a known problem for which we are endeavouring to find a solution. The solution is:

Go to regedit by entering regedit from Start|Run.

Open up

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE System CurrentControlSet Services Class Modem.

Inside there may be several numbers, i.e. 0000,0001,00002….

Open up each of those and look for DriverDesc such as: 3ComImpactIQ or the name of the modem that you are using.

That is the folder that will need the string added to it.

To add the string the following method is followed:

Go to the Edit menu then New and String Value.

Change the name of that new string to the following exactly: AttachedTo

Change the value to COMx where x is the com port number to which the modem is attached. (i.e. COM3) by double-clicking it.

Question:

I am having trouble installing the LavaPort 650 PnP.

What are the best BIOS settings for the card?

Answer:

The optimum settings in the BIOS for the LavaPort 650 PnP are as follows:

If you are using the Win95 OS make sure that PnP OS is enabled.

If you are using NT or Windows 3.X then make sure it is disabled. Make sure that your on-board serial ports are NOT set to AUTO. Make sure that they are set to Strict addresses like 3f8 COM1 and 2f8 COM2.

IMPORTANT!! Before you make these BIOS settings changes for the on-board serial ports make sure that you remove all the serial ports from Device Manager (Win95) or from Control Panel Ports (NT). Then boot up in the OS WITHOUT the LavaPort installed. After the OS installs your on-board serial ports, shut down the system again and install the LavaPort as specified in the manual provided.

Okay. So I wanted to be the fastest kid on the block. I went out and bought a Motorola BitSurfr Pro (or US Robotics Courier I-modem, or Adtran Express XR/XRT, or 3COMImpact IQ, etc.). I rewired my house for ISDN, which cost me a small fortune, and now I’m ready to Surf the Web at blazing speeds! There’s just one problem. According to the packaging and all the advertising, ISDN is supposed to give me 128 KBps digital transmit rates - “over 4 times faster than the fastest analogue modem”. But all I can get right now is barely 80 kbps. My phone company says that I have two 64 kbps “B” (bearer/data) channels and one D (service) channel as part of my basic rate interface (BRI). I should be able to link the two B channels together and achieve 128 kbps. But I can’t even get close to that!

Is there a solution?

Yes! The LavaPort Communications Accelerators.

So what exactly is the Problem?

Simple. Your serial port isn’t fast enough for ISDN.

The documentation for my external ISDN terminal adapter recommends a 16550 UART serial port (which I have). Supposedly, this type of port supports a maximum data rate of 115 200 bits/second.

That’s true. The problem is, that 115.2 kbps is a theoretical maximum. If you’re communicating using Windows, 115.2 kbps is often difficult to achieve.

Why?

Using an analogue modem in DOS (or other single-tasking environment), most users should not have a problem achieving very close that rate over a decent phone line. Windows however, throws another variable into the loop: a Graphical User Interface (GUI) which requires an exorbitant amount of CPU time, and therefore tends to slow everything down.

Furthermore Windows handles the 16550 UART very inefficiently. Because the buffer of the 16550 is relatively small (16-bytes), Windows “tells” the serial port to interrupt the CPU and request service after each byte transferred . Effectively, this causes the whole system to slow down during data transfer.

What’s the solution?

The LavaPorts incorporate 32-byte FIFO buffers (the 16650 UART has twice the buffer of a 16550 UART). In addition, LavaPorts ship with Windows device drivers for Windows 3.1x &, Win95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP which allow the user to configure buffer triggers for most efficient operation. In this way, the port is triggered to interrupt the CPU only when really necessary, leaving the CPU free to perform other tasks. Since the LavaPorts incorporate a large buffer, the CPU can send & retrieve large chunks of data each time it services the port, rather than having to be interrupted for each byte sent or received. For transmission, the size of this “chunk” can actually be configured by the user using the Tx Blk (burst) function of the LAVA driver.

Unlike the 16550 UART, where the CPU must verify the status of the buffer after each byte sent to the serial port, LavaPorts allow the CPU to send a burst of data to the port without fear of error.

Well that’s great, but it still doesn’t get me beyond 115.2 kbps - it just makes me more efficient at the same, slow rate. How can I achieve 128 kbps?

You’ll notice that newer ISDN terminal adapters support 3 high-speed DTE rates: 115.2, 230.4, and 460.8 kbps. Now remember, we’re talking about serial port rates between the computer and terminal adapter - not between terminal adapter and telephone company. The outgoing (to the telephone line) rates can be 56, 64, 112, or 128 kbps - with the last two being key to this discussion. Think of it this way: if your TA is going to be transmitting out through the telephone system at 128 kbps (and probably compressing that data at least a little), shouldn’t you be feeding that transmission at a higher rate? That’s where LavaPorts become key. They support a maximum DTE rate of 460.8 kbps and can also fall back to rates of 230.4, and 115.2 kbps.

How do you do it, when others can’t?

The LavaPorts incorporate an onboard high-speed clock, which allows for DTE speeds faster than 115.2 kbps. Because the standard 16550 UART runs with an 1.8432 MHz clock-crystal, its mathematical maximum baud rate is 115.2 kbps. LavaPorts use a faster onboard clock-crystal (7.3728 MHz) and can therefore generate a faster baud rate. Combined with the its 32-byte buffer and Windows drivers, the Lavaport family breaks the 115.2 kbps barrier, efficiently and reliably.

A final question: One of the big headaches of ISDN is synchronizing flow control between the terminal adapter and serial port. How do LavaPorts handle this?

One of the main features of LavaPorts are their onboard flow control. First, let’s look at how flow control is handled by a 16550 serial port. The 16550 UART is basically a dumb device: it performs only two instructions: a) send what’s in the buffer, and b) if there’s a problem tell the CPU about it.

If the 16550 UART receives a signal from the ISDN adapter to stop sending data (in the form of either a toggling of the RTS/CTS line - hardware flow control - or in the form of an Xoff character - software), it will send this message to the CPU, but will continue sending the data which is in its buffer. Since the ISDN adapter can no longer receive this data, an error occurs and the CPU must find what bytes were not received and retry the transmission. In contrast, LavaPorts handle all flow control functions without intervention from the CPU. If a LavaPort receives a signal to stop transmission (either through hardware or through software flow control), it stops. The CPU is not interrupted needlessly, and no retry is ever required. When the signal to resume transmission is received, the LavaPort resumes, and only notifies the CPU when the data in its buffer has been depleted to the appropriate trigger level.

So if I get a LavaPort, I can use BONDING to actually achieve 128 kbps with my ISDN terminal adapter?

Now let’s get our terminology straight. LavaPorts are not synchronous DTE interfaces. It will not allow you to do what is technically called BONDING. LavaPorts will however support true 128 kbps operation - in asynchronous mode. You may therefore use both Asynchronous Inverse Multiplexing (AIMux) and Multi-Link PPP protocols to “bond” both 64 kbps B-Channels together to achieve 128 kbps. With Multi-Link PPP, you’ll be able to switch from 128 kbps to 64 kbps data + Voice and back seamlessly. Most importantly, a LavaPort will allow you to achieve the data rates which you paid for when you bought your ISDN terminal adapter: 128 kbps direct to your desktop.

To properly install an ISA serial port, you need a free IRQ and I/O address on your computer for the LAVA card to use.

Shut down your computer

To check for free resources, shut down your computer. If the card is in your computer, remove it now. Next, restart your computer.

Set the I/O address

Once your computer has restarted without the card, go into Windows Device Manager, and select “Ports”. Choose a COM port, select “Properties”, and write down the I/O address.

After you’ve done this for all COM ports, set the addressing jumpers on your card to an address NOT ALREADY USED by Windows. For example, if you found that COM1 had an address of 03F8, you would configure your card to use the next available address of 02F8.

Set the IRQ

Next, return to Device Manager, select “View”, and choose “Resources by type”. This will give you a list of all IRQs that are currently being used by the computer. Write down all numbers from 1 to 15 that DO NOT appear in that list. Any IRQ that you have written down can be used as a free IRQ for the port you are installing.

Set IRQ jumper on the card to one of the free IRQs in your computer. Once you’ve done this, you are ready to shut down the computer, and install the card.

Restart your computer

Once the card is installed in the computer, reboot your system. After the Operating System is fully loaded, go to Control Panel, and select “Printers and Other Hardware”. In that Window you should see an option to “Add Hardware”. Windows will then search for hardware, and ask you if the hardware is currently connected to the computer. Select “Yes, I have already connected the hardware”. You will then see a Window where you are prompted to select the type of device you have installed. Select “Add a New Hardware Device”, which should appear as the last entry on the list.

Windows will then prompt you to either automatically or manually install the device. At this point select “Install the hardware that I manually select from a list”. You should then be able to select “Ports”, then choose “Standard” and “Communications port”.

Prior to finishing the installation, select “View or Change Resources for this Hardware (Advanced)”. This option will allow you to configure Windows to recognize the resources you have selected for your card. Once you select this option, the “Add New Hardware Property” window should appear. Now select “Set Configuration Manually.” Under “Settings Based On”, choose “Basic Configuration 0008″. This option will allow you to specify the settings for your card. You should now be able to double-click the I/O range and the IRQ and enter the resources to reflect how you set the jumpers on your card.

Once this is done, select Finish, and restart your computer.

Check your settings

Once your computer has restarted, you should go back to Device Manager, and ensure that the resources the computer has given to the card match what you specified earlier. At this point, you may find your port has defaulted to become something other than what you specified. If you wish to change this setting, double-click the port listing and go to the “Port-Settings” tab. Choose “Advanced”.

Change the COM number to what you desire.

Once these changes are made, you should be able to use your ISA serial port.

Introduction

Dial-up Networking Requirements:

Windows CD

DNS server IP addresses (primary and secondary) from ISP:

Domain Name from ISP

Telephone number to ISP

User name for ISP

If dial-up networking is already installed with dial-up adapter and TCP/IP protocol then go straight to configuration.

Installation:

Verify if Dial-up Networking is installed:

Check Start, Settings, Control Panel, Add Remove Programs, Windows Setup

Then check in Communications, Details

If Dial-up Networking is selected, then it is installed.

Verify if Dial-up Adapter and TCP/IP protocol is installed:

Check Start, Settings, Control Panel, Network, Configuration

If Dial-up Adapter, TCP/IP protocol, and Client for Microsoft Networks is selected then they are installed.

Installation of Network Components:

In Start, Settings, Control Panel, Networks

Client for Microsoft Networks

Click Add Dbl Click Client

Choose Microsoft then Client for Microsoft Networks

Click OK

Dial-up Adapter:

Click Add , double-click Adapter

Choose Microsoft then Dial-up Adapter

Click OK

TCP/IP Stack:

Click Add, double-click Protocol

Choose Microsoft

Choose TCP/IP

Click OK

Click OK from configuration and Restart System

Configuration of TCP/IP:

In Start, Settings, Control Panel, Networks, TCP/IP properties the following settings are selected:

IP Address: Obtain an IP address Automatically

WINS configuration: Use DHCP for WINS Resolution

Gateway: Leave blank

Bindings: Select Client for Microsoft Networks

Advanced: Leave with Defaults

DNS Configuration: Enable DNS

DNS Configuration: Host (username)

Domain Name: (domain name)

DNS server search order: (Primary DNS Server)(Secondary DNS Server)

Setup of Connection Icon:

Double Click My Computer, Dial-up Networking, and Make New Connection Icons

Give Icon a name like the name of the ISP

If modem not displayed select modem from modem area

Select the highest modem speed

Make sure that Only Connect at this Speed is NOT selected

Click OK

Click NEXT in Make New Connection Wizard

Enter phone number to ISP

Setup of Dial-up Properties:

Click on the New Connection Icon just created

Click Server Type, Pick Dial-up Server: Choose PPP as Server Type

In Advanced Options: Enable Software Compression Checked

Log On to Server: Not Checked

Require Encrypted password: Not Checked

TCP/IP: (only Protocol enabled)

(disable IPX & NetBEUI)

TCP/IP settings: Make sure Server assigned IP address and Specify Name Server address are selected

Add Primary and Secondary Server IP addresses

For Primary and secondary WINS Configuration: Leave at 0.0.0.0

Check use IP header Compression and use Default Gateway on Remote Network

Question:

I have my TA installed on a LavaPort with Windows NT 4.0 and my TA configured and installed using its 230400 modem installation file but Dial Up Networking does not have that 230400 setting. I tried editing the Connection to no avail. What should I do?

Answer:

Dial up Networking takes its initial speed setting from the maximum setting set in Control Panel modems. To make sure that Dial Up Networking has that 230400 setting in it, make sure that you configure the modem to 230400 in Control Panel modems and then add the New Dial Up Networking Connection. If you have already added that connection and it only has that 115200 setting then delete that connection, configure the modem and add a New Dial Up Networking Connection.

Question:

My Terminal Adapter needs to have an AT command sent to it to configure it to 230400. After I send it that command I can’t get a response in my terminal application. What should I do?

Answer:

Many terminal adapters can only autobaud up to 115200 after that they have to be set to a fixed rate of 230400 that is why you have to send it that AT command. The response you are getting when it does not respond in your terminal application is normal. Don’t worry about it. Simply disconnect or hangup after sending that AT command. Configure your baud rate in your application to 230400 and then connect again. At this point you will be getting a response from your TA and you can complete your installation.