Contents

A Guide to CardWizard Welcome to CardWizard.  This on-line Help is designed to make it easy for you to use CardWizard with a minimum of effort. Use this Help with the CardWizard documentation which provides additional informtation on CardWizard installaiton and use. Make your selection by clicking on the desired underlined topic which apppears below.
PCMCIA Overview

PCMCIA Overview

The Specification

The Hardware

PCMCIA Sockets

PCMCIA Cards

•	Card Types (I, II, & III)

•	ATA Cards

•	FAX/Modem Cards

•	Flash Cards

•	LAN/Network Cards

•	SCSI & Other Cards

•	SRAM Cards

The Software

How to Use CardWizard

Select the desired topic on using CardWizard from below.  In addition, when using CardWizard, you can select Help (or press the F1 key) in any of the dialog boxes which appear.

•	Introduction

•	Menu Commands

•	Toolbar

•	The "Wizard" Button

Glossary

Click here for a listing of available defined PCMCIA and CardWizard terms.

For Help on Help, Press F1


PCMCIA Overview

The PCMCIA Overview section provides general information about the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.  Although most people associate PCMCIA only with the credit-card sized computer devices bearing the same name, PCMCIA is much more than that.  Within this section you will find information about the specification which created a standard for the hardware (PCMCIA cards and sockets) and the software.  This section is provided merely for your curiosity and to shed some light on the "wizardry" within PCMCIA.

The Specification

The Hardware

The Software


The Specification

PCMCIA is an acronym for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.  The PCMCIA committee set out to standardize a way to add credit-card size peripheral devices to a wide range of personal computers with as little effort as possible.  The goal to provide "screwdriverless expansion" has been the driving factor behind each release of the PCMCIA standard.  Originally, PCMCIA described a standard for memory cards only; this was version 1.  Version 2 extended the standard to include almost any peripheral that an ISA bus could take but the evolving specification was still too volatile for universal acceptance.  Fortunately, with the arrival of PCMCIA 2.10, there has been less emphasis on the standard, and more emphasis on the exciting possibilities allowed by this standard.

The Hardware

The Software


The Hardware

When speaking of PCMCIA hardware, most often you think of PC cards but PCMCIA hardware also refers to the receptacle socket(s) on a computer into which the PC Cards can be inserted and removed.

PCMCIA Sockets

PCMCIA Cards (PC Cards)


PCMCIA Sockets

PCMCIA sockets come in various shapes and sizes, just like the PC Cards that are inserted into them.  Sockets may come pre-installed on your system, as is the case with most Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) and notebook computers being sold today.  Or, you may upgrade your desktop system to PCMCIA by adding in a PCMCIA card reader.  Regardless of how your sockets were installed in your computer, they all have the same key elements.  Each PCMCIA socket has 68 pins and is either Type I, II, or III depending on the thickness of the socket.  Type I slots are 3.3 mm thick, Type II slots are 5mm thick, and Type III slots are 10.5 mm thick.  A few notebook vendors are pushing the PCMCIA committee to define a Type IV, which would be up to 16mm in thickness.  Although the PCMCIA has not accepted this new size yet, a few notebook vendors do offer the slightly thicker slot.

Many of todays computers come with multiple sockets to offer end-users a wide variety of choices when purchasing PC Cards.  A popular notebook configuration offers two Type II slots, into which either two Type I or Type II PC Cards can be inserted simultaneously, or one Type III card may be placed in the bottom slot.

PCMCIA Cards (PC Cards)


PCMCIA Cards (PC Cards)

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


Card Types (I, II, & III)

The PCMCIA standard describes three different sizes for PC Cards.  All PCMCIA cards have the same length and width (85.6mm X 54mm) but they may vary in thickness.  A Type I card is 3.3 mm thick and is a common choice for solid state memory cards, like SRAM and Flash.  A Type II card (shown below) is 5mm thick and is typically used for I/O devices such as Fax/Modem, SCSI, network, and solid state ATA cards (Sundisk).  A Type III card is 10.5 mm thick and is generally used for rotating hard drives.

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


ATA Cards

The term ATA, AT Attachment, applies to both Type II solid state ATA-Flash disks and Type III rotating hard drives.  ATA cards can be used like any other storage devices (i.e., floppy disk or internal hard drive).  In other words, they are assigned a drive letter, and must be formatted before initial use.

Type III ATA cards offer the most capacity compared to other PCMCIA storage devices.  ATA capacities in the type III PCMCIA form factor can exceed 200 megabytes.  They are also generally much less expensive than other types of memory cards, such as Flash and SRAM.  However, they are not as sturdy as their solid state counterparts, and thus require gentle care.  Be sure to handle these cards carefully; dropping one may result in a damaged card and the loss of valuable data.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


FAX/Modem Cards

PCMCIA FAX/Modems provide the same functionality as their full-size counterparts.  You can send and receive information in the form of a facsimile or as data through on-line systems such as Internet and Compuserve.  PCMCIA Fax/Modem cards require a pigtail (dongle) into which a telephone wire can be connected.  PCMCIA FAX/Modems range in speeds from 2400 - 28,800 kbps and usually fit into a Type II slot.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


Flash Cards

Flash memory cards are sturdy solid state data storage devices which may vary in capacity from less than 1MB to over 40MB.  Flash cards require additional software to program and operate the advanced flash memory chips contained within each PCMCIA flash card.  Memory Technology Drivers (MTDs) are required to communicate with the specific flash media being used in the card.  A Flash File System is also provided, for seamless integration between the operating system and the Flash media.

The MTDs, as well as Microsoft's Flash File System, have been optimized by SystemSoft for improved Flash performance.  Lastly, like other storage media (i.e., floppy disks and hard drives), Flash cards are assigned drive letters and require formatting before use.  For this reason, you may need a special Flash formatting utility such as MCFORMAT.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


LAN/Network Cards

PCMCIA LAN (Local Area Network) cards have the same functionality as their full size counter-parts.  LAN cards are used to connect to a network server.  LAN PC Cards usually require a pigtail into which a network cable (it looks like heavy telephone wire) can be connected.  Once attached to a network server, you will have access to an abundance of files and utilities, most of which are shareable among workgroups and others connected to the network.

There are many different types of PCMCIA network cards.  For example, there are Token Ring PC Cards which enable you to connect to a Token Ring network server.  Other types of network cards are:  Ethernet 10 base T, Ethernet 10 base 2, IBM 3270 emulation, IBM 5250 emulation, and Wireless.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

SCSI & Other Cards

SRAM Cards


SCSI & Other Cards

PCMCIA SCSI (Small Computer System Interface) cards allow for high speed data exchange between host and system and an external peripheral, such as a CD-ROM drive.  SCSI cards allow for up to seven peripheral devices to be linked (or daisy-chained) together.  With PCMCIA SCSI it is possible to connect to a CD-ROM, SCSI hard drive, and Bernoulli driver using only a single PCMCIA slot.

The term "Other" refers vaguely to all those PCMCIA cards that can not be grouped under a specific heading because their configuration is somewhat unique and specialized.  Cards falling in this category are PCMCIA Sound cards, GPS (Global Positioning System) cards, Encryption cards, Video and Camera cards, Pager cards, Ethernet/Modem combination cards, etc...  There are virtually no restrictions on the types of cards that can be integrated into the PCMCIA form factor.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SRAM Cards


SRAM Cards

SRAM cards are sturdy, solid state devices that store data much like other media formats (e.g., floppy disk, hard drive, tape drive, etc.).  Most SRAM cards require a small battery to retain their memory.  For this reason, be sure to maintain a fresh battery in the card.  SRAM cards range in capacity from 64K to 6MB and fit into a Type I slot.

Card Types (I, II, & III)

ATA Cards

FAX/Modem Cards

Flash Cards

LAN/Network Cards

SCSI & Other Cards


The Software

Although CardWizard is a Windows application, all PC Card configurations are actually done by software drivers buried deep in DOS.  PCMCIA software is often described by its layered components.  The two bottom layers of every PCMCIA software suite are commonly referred to as Socket Services and Card Services.  The Socket Services layer is hardware dependent and handles the basic I/O system interface for PC Cards.  The Card Services layer is hardware independent and provides an interface between the higher levels of PCMCIA software and the Socket Services.  Card Services also monitors system resources and acts as a central resource arbitrator (like a resource traffic cop).  The higher levels of software are often referred to as Card Services client drivers or enablers.  Although every card vendor could potentially provide a card services client driver with each card, CardWizard provides several Card Services client drivers as standard components.  One of these standard drivers is called CARDID.EXE.  CARDID is a special Card Services client driver, or super client driver, responsible for the configuration of all Fax/Modem and ATA cards in addition to an assortment of network cards and I/O cards.

How The Layers Work Together

Every time a card is inserted it generates an interrupt which Socket Services reports to Card Services.  Card Services then alerts every single client driver that a card has been inserted.  When one of the clients recognizes the inserted card, it communicates back down to Card Services and requests system resources with which to configure the card.  Card Services checks its resource inventory.  If the resources are available, Card Services allocates the resources and the card is configured; otherwise, the card will not get configured.  A similar chain of events occurs when a card is removed but it in the reverse order.  Shown below is a graphical representation of how the layers appear together.

The Specification

The Hardware


How to use CardWizard

Introduction

Menu Commands

Toolbar

The "Wizard" Button

For Help on Help, Press F1


Introduction

SystemSoft's CardWizard is a Windows 3.1 application that creates a new standard for improving PCMCIA card ease-of-use.  CardWizard allows you to view PCMCIA slots, trouble-shoot card configuration problems, resolve resource conflicts, receive notification of card activity, and launch PC applications upon card insertion.

CardWizard features a PCMCIA expert system that addresses advanced configuration issues.  The expert system assumes the role of a computer-based technical support advisor.  It will guide you through dialog boxes to diagnose and resolve many common PCMCIA compatibility problems, such as missing card drivers, improperly installed software, IRQ and I/O port resource conflicts, and incorrect allocation of memory windows.  Once CardWizard has identified and resolved the configuration issue, it will be able to automatically configure the card properly each time it is inserted.

What CardWizard Can Do

I Inserted My Card.  Now What?


What CardWizard Can Do

CardWizard has all of the following features:

Automatic detection and correction of PCMCIA card configuration problems

Intuitive system resource management - I/O Ports, IRQs, and Memory

Support for all types of PCMCIA cards - Fax/Modem, LAN, ATA Hard Disk, Flash and SRAM

User-friendly graphical interface

Graphical real-time display of slot contents; in full-screen mode and minimized icon mode

Easy updating and modification of card configuration parameters

Automatic program launch on card insertion

Sound association (.WAV files) for PCMCIA card insertion and removal events

Status and configuration information displayed for every card

I Inserted My Card.  Now What?


I Inserted My Card.  Now What?

The answer to this question really depends on whether your card was configured or not.  CardWizard has two distinct ways of notifying you when a card is configured or not configured.  Whenever you insert a card, CardWizard sounds either a single beep or a double beep.  A single beep indicates that your PCMCIA card is not configured, whereas a double beep indicates that your card is configured.  Aside from the beeps, CardWizard also displays very clear messages about cards that are in the machine.  If a card is configured CardWizard displays an icon representation of the inserted card and tells you the resources that have been assigned to it.  An unconfigured card displays a special icon which contains a yellow question mark; also, a message is displayed which tells you that the card is not configured.

Card Configured

You will hear a double beep to indicate that CardWizard has located system resources and allocated them to your card.  You can now use your card as if it were any other peripheral device.  Click on the Wizard button if you are unsure about the card's configuration.

Card Not Configured

You will hear a single beep to indicate that CardWizard was not able to configure the card.  Click on the "Wizard" button and let CardWizard troubleshoot the problem.

Card Not Recognized

You will hear a single beep to indicate that this card is not recognized by any loaded software.  To identify the card, click on the Wizard button.

How to use CardWizard


Menu Commands

File 	Choose File to exit CardWizard.

View 	Open CardWizard resource windows.

Settings	Modify configuration settings in Settings.

Options 	Change events on card insertions and removals.

Window 	Rearrange the appearance of CardWizard windows.

Help 	Show this Help system and version information.


File

File contains the Exit option.  Exit closes the CardWizard application.


Exit

Allows you to exit CardWizard.


View

Click on an item in the View pull-down below for detailed information.


Card Information

The Card Information screen is the main CardWizard screen.  It displays up-to-date information about all the PCMCIA slots in your computer.  CardWizard displays a graphical representation of the contents of each slot.  Additionally, CardWizard displays up to three lines of card information which it reads directly off of the card.  Typically, the first line displays the card name, the second line displays the manufacturer, and the last line displays the card's function or type.

The Card Information screen displays information for four potential scenarios:

Card Configured:  On the left, CardWizard displays a graphical representation of the card and any available card manufacturer information.  On the right, CardWizard displays all system resources that the card is using.

Card Not Configured:  On the left, CardWizard shows a picture of a question mark and any available card manufacturer information.  On the right, CardWizard displays a message suggesting that you click on the "Wizard" button to correct the problem.

Card Not Recognized:  On the left, CardWizard shows a picture of a question mark and any available card manufacturer information.  On the right, CardWizard displays a message asking you to click on the "Wizard" button to select the type of card you have inserted.

No Card Inserted:  CardWizard displays a picture of an empty slot.

The Card Information screen also contains the "Wizard".  The Wizard can be activated at any time to diagnose and automatically correct configuration problems.  CardWizard will go to great lengths to configure your card.  Oftentimes, it will open up a dialogue with you to assure that the recommended course of action is the right choice for you.

The "Wizard" Button


I/O Range

When CardWizard first loads up it scans your machine and creates an inventory of resources which CardWizard will later refer to when configuring PC cards.  One of the resources CardWizard scans for is I/O ranges.

Upon scanning the system, CardWizard can determine which resources are Free and which are Used.  Free indicates that the resource is available and can be used to configure PCMCIA cards.  Used indicates that the resource is unavailable because it is already in use by the system or another PCMCIA card.

Some resources have special attributes.  Aside from Free and Used, resources can also be Reserved, Included or Excluded.  A resource can only have special attributes if they are delegated by an end-user.  Click on the picture below for more information about resource attributes.


Free Resources

A Free Resource is one that is available to CardWizard for PCMCIA card configurations.  *FREE* resources never have an "OWNER".


Used Resources

A Used Resource is one that is unavailable and will not be used to configure newly inserted PCMCIA Cards.  The "Owner" column displays the current users of the resource.  This column contains either the word "SYSTEM" or the name of the PCMCIA card which is using the resource.  "SYSTEM" indicates that a non-PCMCIA related component is using the resource.


Reserved Resources

A Reserved Resource is a special type of free resource.  Some cards can use any resource as long as it is available, whereas other cards require a specific resource.  You would not want a card that can use any available resource to be configured with a resource that another card absolutely needs.  For this reason, it is possible to turn a FREE resource into a RESERVED resource.

NOTE:  Resource editing is an advanced function of CardWizard intended for experienced users.  Normally it is unnecessary to edit system resources.

Reserving I/O Ranges

Reserving IRQs

Reserving Memory Ranges


Reserving I/O Ranges

A resource must be available (*FREE*) before it can be reserved.  It is impossible to reserve a resource that is not available.  The first step to reserving an I/O range is to know the starting address and size of the I/O range you want to reserve.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the I/O range you want to reserve.  CardWizard displays all "reservable" I/O ranges in 8-bit increments, and it will not allow you to pick an illegal option.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 8 bits away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would reserve an 8-bit I/O range from 0320-0327.  Once you have determined a valid I/O range to reserve, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be a reserved range.


Reserving IRQs

A resource must be available (*FREE*) before it can be reserved.  It is impossible to reserve a resource that is not available.  The first step to reserving an IRQ is to know which one you want to reserve.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose the IRQ you want to reserve.  CardWizard displays all "reservable" IRQ ranges and it will not allow you to pick an illegal option.  Once you have chosen an IRQ to reserve, click on the "OK" box and the IRQ will automatically be reserved.


Reserving Memory Ranges

A resource must be available (*FREE*) before it can be reserved.  It is impossible to reserve a resource that is not available.  The first step to reserving a memory range is to know the starting address and size of the memory range you want to reserve.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the memory range you want to reserve.  CardWizard displays all "reservable" memory ranges in 4K increments, and it will not allow you to pick an illegal option.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 4K away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would reserve a 4K memory range from D8000-D8fff.  Once you have determined a valid memory range to reserve, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be a reserved range.


Included Resources

An Included Resource is a special type of free resource.  An Included resource is one which was originally a USED resource.  When CardWizard scans system resources at boot time, it creates a very accurate inventory of system resources.  Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to create a resource scanning utility that is perfect for all platforms.  For this reason, CardWizard allows you to edit system resources.  If you know that a system resource is really available even though CardWizard thinks it is USED, you can INCLUDE it and make it available for PCMCIA card configurations.  Once you INCLUDE a resource, it will instantly appear as a FREE resource.

NOTE:  Resource editing is an advanced feature of CardWizard intended for experienced users.  Normally it is unnecessary to edit system resources.  Do not include a resource unless you are sure of its availability.

Including An I/O Range

Including An IRQ

Including A Memory Range


Including An I/O Range

Including a resource essentially means that you want to make a resource available for card configurations that is currently considered unavailable by CardWizard.  The first step to including an I/O range is to know the starting address and size of the I/O range you want to include.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the I/O range you want to include.  CardWizard displays all "includable" I/O ranges in 8-bit increments and it will not allow you to pick illegal options.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 8 bits away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would include an 8-bit I/O range from 0240-0247.  Once you have determined a valid I/O range to include, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be an included range.


Including An IRQ

Including a resource essentially means that you want to make a resource available for card configurations that is currently considered unavailable by CardWizard.  The first step to including an IRQ is to know which one you want to include.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose the IRQ you want to include.  CardWizard displays all "includable" IRQ ranges and will not allow you to pick illegal options.  Once you have chosen an IRQ to include, click on the "OK" box and the IRQ will automatically be included.


Including A Memory Range

Including a resource essentially means that you want to make a resource available for card configurations that is currently considered unavailable by CardWizard.  The first step to including a memory range is to know the starting address and size of the memory range you want to include.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the memory range you want to include.  CardWizard displays all "includable" memory ranges in 4K increments and will not allow you to pick illegal options.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 4K away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would reserve a 32K memory range from c8000-cffff.  Once you have determined a valid memory range to include, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be included.


Excluded Resources

An Excluded Resource is a special type of used resource.  An Excluded resource is one which was originally a FREE resource.  When CardWizard scans system resources at boot time, it creates a very accurate inventory of system resources.  Unfortunately, it is not currently possible to create a resource scanning utility that is perfect for all platforms.  For this reason, CardWizard allows you to edit system resources.  If you know that a system resource IS NOT really available even though CardWizard displays it as FREE, you can EXCLUDE it and make it unavailable for PCMCIA card configurations.  Once you EXCLUDE a resource, it will instantly be shown as a USED resource with "SYSTEM" as its owner.

NOTE:  Resource editing is an advanced feature of CardWizard intended for experienced users.  Normally it is unnecessary to edit system resources.  Only exclude a resource if you are sure that it is not available.

Excluding An I/O Range

Excluding An IRQ

Excluding A Memory Range


Excluding An I/O Range

Excluding a resource essentially means that you want to force a resource to be unavailable, even though CardWizard has sensed that it is available for PC card configurations.  The first step to excluding an I/O range is to know the starting address and size of the I/O range you want to exclude.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the I/O range you want to exclude.  CardWizard displays all "excludable" I/O ranges in 8-bit increments and will not allow you to pick illegal options.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 8 bits away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would exclude a 32-bit I/O range from 0300-031f.  Once you have determined a valid I/O range to exclude, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be a excluded.


Excluding An IRQ

Excluding a resource essentially means that you want to force a resource to be unavailable, even though CardWizard has sensed that it is available for PC card configurations.  The first step to excluding an IRQ is to know which one you want to exclude.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose the IRQ you want to exclude.  CardWizard displays all "excludable" IRQ ranges and will not allow you to pick illegal options.  Once you have chosen an IRQ to exclude, click on the "OK" box and the IRQ will automatically be excluded.


Excluding A Memory Range

Excluding a resource essentially means that you want to force a resource to be unavailable, even though CardWizard has sensed that it is available for PC card configurations.  The first step to excluding a memory range is to know the starting address and size of the memory range you want to exclude.  Next, click on the "Add" button.  A screen like the one below will appear.

Use the mouse to choose a starting address and an ending address for the memory range you want to exclude.  CardWizard displays all "excludable" memory ranges in 4K increments and will not allow you to pick illegal options.  CardWizard also helps you to make decisions.  For example, when you choose a starting address, CardWizard automatically displays the first logical ending address 4K away in the "End" box.  The example in the picture above would exclude a 16K memory range from cc000-cffff.  Once you have determined a valid memory range to exclude, click on the "OK" box and the new range will automatically be excluded.


IRQ

When CardWizard first loads up it scans your machine and creates an inventory of resources which CardWizard will later refer to when configuring PC cards.  One of the resources CardWizard scans for is Interrupt ReQuest (IRQ) lines.

Upon scanning the system, CardWizard can determine which resources are Free and which are Used.  Free indicates that the resource is available and can be used to configure PCMCIA cards.  Used indicates that the resource is unavailable because it is already in use by the system or another PCMCIA card.

Some resources can have special attributes.  Aside from Free and Used, resources can also be Reserved, Included or Excluded.  A resource can only have special attributes if they are delegated by an end-user.  Click on the picture below for more information about resource attributes.


Memory Range

When CardWizard first loads up it scans your machine and creates an inventory of resources which CardWizard will later refer to when configuring PC cards.  One of the resources CardWizard scans for is memory ranges.

Upon scanning the system, CardWizard can determine which resources are Free and which are Used.  Free indicates that the resource is available and can be used to configure PCMCIA cards.  Used indicates that the resource is unavailable because it is already in use by the system or another PCMCIA card.

Some resources can have special attributes.  Aside from Free and Used, resources can also be Reserved, Included or Excluded.  A resource can only have special attributes if they are delegated by an end-user.  Click on the picture below for more information about resource attributes.


Modules...

The Modules dialog box displays version information about the various drivers which are loaded for PCMCIA card support.  CardWizard extracts important information from the PCMCIA software drivers and lists it here in an easy-to-read display.  Click on the picture below for additional information.


Modules Information

When PCMCIA modules are written in accordance with the PCMCIA specification, it is easy for CardWizard to extract important information from the software.  CardWizard attempts to extract all of the following:

Name:  corresponds to the name of the module as it appears within the software.  The name may appear as "Unknown" if it is non-existent or indecipherable.

Version:  refers to the unique identification number of the module.

Version Date:  refers to the release date of the module.

PCMCIA Version:  refers to the level of PCMCIA compliance.  The most recent PCMCIA specification release is 2.10.

Vendor Name:  refers to the legal owner of the module.


Toolbar

Click on Toolbar to make the toolbar buttons appear or disappear.


Status Bar

Click on Status Bar to make the status bar appear or disappear.


Minimize

Click on Minimize to miniaturize the CardWizard window.  When you minimize CardWizard, a miniature window pops up which displays the number of slots in your system with a graphical depiction of any inserted cards.  This has the same effect as clicking on the "Minimize" button in the upper right hand corner of the CardWizard window.


Settings

Click on one of the items in the Settings pull-down below for detailed information.


Modem...

The Modem... screen allows you to change the configuration settings for PCMCIA Fax/modem cards.  It also allows you to access the Windows Com Port settings so you can synchronize your Windows settings with the PCMCIA modem settings.

This section is intended for advanced users who are familiar with managing system resources and configuring modem cards.  It is easiest to run the Wizard and have it guide you through the proper configuration or re-configuration of a PCMCIA card.  The Modem Card Settings screen is shown below.  Click within the picture for information about this screen.


Com Port Order

The Com Port Order box describes how CardWizard will attempt to configure an inserted PCMCIA modem card.  The default is to try COM1 settings first, COM2 settings second, COM3 settings third, and COM4 settings fourth.  If you know, for instance, that COM1 and COM2 are not available on your system, you can rearrange the order so that COM3 and COM4 are attempted first and second.

CardWizard is quite persistent about configuring Fax/modem cards.  If CardWizard finds that none of the Com ports and/or their associated IRQs are available, it will attempt to find some combination of available Com port and IRQ that works.


Com Port Settings

The Com Port Settings screen allows you to change the settings associated with the communication (COM) ports.  Whereas the previous screen allows you to specify the order of the Com ports, this screen allows you to change the definition of the Com ports.

CardWizard displays the PCMCIA Com Port Settings adjacent to the Windows Com Port Settings.  This allows you to view all settings at once and change them if necessary.  For example, if your PCMCIA modem is configured for COM3 : IRQ 5, make sure that your Windows IRQ setting for COM3 is also IRQ 5.  CardWizard provides access to the Windows Com Port Settings on this screen as well.  Instead of going to Windows "Control Panel" and choosing "Ports", simply click on the "Ports" button provided in this screen.

This screen cannot help you determine when a specified resource is available or not; it does not have Wizard capabilities.  Refer to the resource settings windows (I/O Range and IRQ) for information about system resources or run the Wizard for more comprehensive help.


Com Port Settings Box

The Com Port Settings Box allows you to change the definitions of the four Com ports.  Normally, you will not have to change the I/O Address associated with a Com port because these special 8-bit I/O address ranges are industry standards and they do not overlap.  It is common, however, to change the associated IRQ.  As you may already know, the IRQ lines overlap; by default, COM1 and COM3 are both set to IRQ 4, and COM2 and COM4 are both set to IRQ 3.  Because IRQ line sharing for peripheral devices is not an industry standard, it is probable that an IRQ conflict will occur when a PCMCIA card is inserted.  To change settings in this screen, use a pointing device to click on one of the resource scrolling arrows and then choose a new resource.


Windows Com Port Settings Box

The Windows Com Port Settings Box allows you to view the Windows com port  settings.  The same settings can also be viewed by going into the Windows Control Panel and clicking on the Ports icon.  CardWizard provides access here in an easy-to-read format so you can synchronize your PCMCIA settings with your Windows settings.  Click on the Ports button to edit the Windows settings.


Ports Button

By clicking on the Ports Button, you can bring up the Windows Control Panel Ports setting dialog box.  This allows you to specify the communication settings for the serial (COM) port you select.


Modem Options

Enable Audio allows you to hear all the normal beeps and sounds that are emitted when a fax/modem is attempting to connect to a remote modem.  When no "X" appears in the check box, you will not hear these connection sounds.

Modem Ring Resume controls whether or not your system wakes up from a Suspend mode when a call comes in to your fax/modem card.  When no "X" appears in the check box, a system in suspend mode will remain suspended and any calls to your PCMCIA fax/modem will be ignored.


Network...

The Network... section allows you to change the configuration settings for network cards that have built-in support in CardWizard.  It will not allow you to change the settings for those network cards that require their own Card Services client drivers.

This section is intended for advanced users who are familiar with managing system resources and configuring network cards.  It is easiest to run the Wizard and have it guide you through the proper configuration or re-configuration of a PCMCIA card.

The picture below shows the Network Card Settings screen.  The settings specified on the left half correspond to the first inserted PCMCIA network card, whereas the settings specified on the right correspond to the second inserted PCMCIA network card.  For each network card, you can specify values for two separate memory addresses (most network cards require only one), one I/O address, and one IRQ line.  Additionally, a check box on the bottom left allows you to change the ring speed from 4Mbps to 16Mbps for IBM Token Ring cards.  (When an X is showing in the Fast Token Ring box, it is setup for a token ring transfer speed of 16bps).

This screen cannot help you determine when a specified resource is available or not; it does not have Wizard capabilities.  Refer to the resource settings windows (I/O Range, IRQ and Memory Range) for information about system resources or run the Wizard for more comprehensive help.

Most network cards require a memory window, an I/O range, and an IRQ line.  Therefore, the first step is to find out what resources your network card requires.  Next, you should modify the settings using a pointing device so they match the required resources.  Lastly, click on the "OK" button to make the changes permanent.  When you make changes in this screen, the changes take effect immediately (the next time you insert your card).  If the card is not configured, you can run the Wizard to find out why.


ATA...

The ATA... section allows you to change the configuration settings for ATA cards.  CardWizard can configure both Type II solid-state ATA-Flash disks as well as Type III rotating media ATA cards automatically.  CardWizard has built-in support for all PCMCIA ATA devices.

This screen is intended for advanced users who are familiar with managing system resources and configuring ATA devices.  It is preferable to run the Wizard and let it guide you to a proper configuration or re-configuration of your PCMCIA card.

The picture below displays the ATA Settings screen; click within the picture for additional information.  When configuring an ATA device, it is necessary to associate one or more addressing types from the box on the left to the ATA addressing order box on the right.  The ATA Addressing Order describes how CardWizard will attempt to configure an inserted PCMCIA ATA device.  In the example below, CardWizard would first attempt to configure an inserted ATA card in Linear I/O mode, then Secondary I/O mode, and lastly in Primary I/O mode; it would not attempt to configure the ATA card in memory mode.

This screen cannot help you determine when a specified resource is available or not; it does not have Wizard capabilities.  Refer to the resource settings windows (I/O Range and Memory Range) for information about system resources or run the Wizard for more comprehensive help.


ATA Addressing Types

There are four ATA Addressing Types:  Primary, Secondary, Linear and Memory.

Try Primary attempts to configure ATA cards using the industry standard primary IDE I/O addresses 1F0-1F7 and 3F6-3F7.

Try Secondary attempts to configure ATA cards using the industry standard secondary IDE I/O addresses 170-177 and 376-377.

Try Linear attempts to configure ATA cards using an available I/O range which begins on a 16 bit boundary and contains 16 contiguous bytes of I/O address space. (e.g. 380-38F)

Try Memory (Memory Mapped) attempts to configure ATA cards using an available 2K memory window which begins on a 4K boundary. (e.g. D8000-D87FF)  The additional difficulty of managing a memory mapped ATA device relative to the inconsequential performance gains realized, makes memory mapping a poor choice when compared with configuring ATA cards with I/O addresses.

To Add one of the ATA Addressing Types to the ATA Addressing Order Box, highlight one of the addressing types by clicking on it and then click on the ">>>Add" button.


ATA Addressing Order

The ATA Addressing Order Box describes how CardWizard will attempt to configure an inserted PCMCIA ATA device.  In the example shown here, CardWizard would first attempt to configure an inserted ATA card in Linear I/O mode, then Secondary I/O mode, and lastly in Primary I/O mode; it would not attempt to configure the ATA card in memory mode.

To Remove one of the ATA Addressing Types from the ATA Addressing Order Box, highlight one of the addressing types by clicking on it and then click on the "<<<Remove" button.

You can erase all entries from the ATA Addressing Order box by clicking on the "Clear" button.


Western Digital Caviar Card
Non Compliant PCMCIA ATA Cards

The Western Digital Caviar Ultralite Card is unique because it does not contain the necessary internal information (CIS) for CardWizard to configure it.  If you check the " Non Compliant PCMCIA ATA Cards " checkbox, CardWizard will be able to configure the card.

WARNING:  Enabling the Western Digital card could affect the way CardWizard configures other PC cards.  This checkbox should only be marked if you have a Western Digital Caviar Ultralite Card PCMCIA card.


Clear ATA Addressing Order Button

The Clear button allows you to erase all entries from the ATA Addressing Order box.  When you click on the Clear button, all ATA addressing types will appear in the ATA Addressing Types Box.  If you leave the ATA Addressing Order box empty (cleared), no ATA cards will configure.


Speaker Beeps...

Click on one of the items in the window below for further information.


Beep in DOS

Allows you to turn beeps on or off for card insertions and removals in DOS.


Beep in Windows

Allows you to turn beeps on or off for card insertions and removals in Windows.


Revert to Defaults

This option allows you to return to the original configuration.  Revert to Defaults is helpful if you have made changes to Modem, Network, or ATA parameters that you now need to reverse.


Options

Click on one of the items in the Options pull-down below for detailed information.


Notify...

Click on any item in the window below for further information.


Enable Messages

Display Message on Card Insertion, Configured:  Allows you to select whether a message should pop-up when you insert a PC card and it gets configured.  When an "X" is showing in the check box, a message will pop-up each time a card is inserted displaying the name of the card and a miniature graphical representation of the card type.  To toggle this messaging option, simply click once in the option box at left.  The change will take effect immediately.

Display Message on Card Insertion, Not Configured:  Allows you to select whether a message should pop-up when you insert a PC card and it does not get configured.  When an "X" is showing in the check box, a message will pop-up each time a card is inserted warning that the card has not been configured.  To toggle this messaging option, simply click once in the option box at left.  The change will take effect immediately.

Display Message on Card Insertion, Unrecognized:  Allows you to select whether a message should pop-up when you insert a PC card and it does not get recognized.  When an "X" is showing in the check box, a message will pop-up each time a card is inserted warning that the card has not been recognized.  To toggle this messaging option, simply click once in the option box at left.  The change will take effect immediately.

Display Message on Card Removal:  Allows you to select whether a message should pop-up each time a card is removed.  When an "X" is showing in the check box, a message will appear each time a card is removed from any of the PCMCIA slots in your computer.  To toggle removal messaging, simply click once in the option box at left.  The change will take effect immediately.


User Message Confirmation

Wait for User Confirmation:  This option allows you to choose whether pop-up messages should disappear automatically after a specified time interval, or whether you want to confirm each message by clicking on the "OK" button.  An "X" in the "Wait for User Confirmation" checkbox indicates that you will have to click on pop-up messages to make them disappear.  Additionally, when an "X" is showing in this checkbox, you will not have the option to specify a message time-out interval for pop-up messages. (See below)

Duration of Notification Messages in Seconds  CardWizard insertion and removal messages can be configured to automatically disappear after a set time interval.  This option allows you to set the duration of all displayed messages.  Simply point or click on either the up or down arrow to increase or decrease the duration in seconds of all displayed messages.  This change will take effect immediately.


PCMCIA Views...

Click on any item in the window below for further information.


First Slot Number

This box lets you decide whether CardWizard should refer to your first slot as slot 0 or slot 1.  If you choose to call the first slot "Slot 0" and your computer has two PCMCIA slots, the first slot will be called slot 0 and the second will be called slot 1.  The default First Slot Number is Slot 1.  This change will take effect immediately.


Slot Representation

CardWizard displays your system's PCMCIA slots one on top of the other.  CardWizard lets you decide whether you want the top displayed slot to be your first slot or the bottom displayed slot to be your first slot.  The default Slot Representation setting is "First as bottom slot".  This change will take effect immediately.


Minimized View

If you select "Minimized View always on top", CardWizard will always be displayed on top of your screen when it is running as a minimized icon.  The CardWizard icon displays slot information and can be moved to any part of the screen so it will not interfere with other applications.


Sound...

The Sound... screen allows you to associate sounds (.WAV files) with PCMCIA card insertion and removal events provided you have a sound system.  CardWizard allows you to associate a different sound for all of the following events:  Card Insertion, Unrecognized Card, Unconfigured Card, and Card Removal.

NOTE:  CardWizard automatically grays out the "Sound" menu option if you do not have a sound system installed.

To associate a sound file with an event:

First, click on the radio button next to the event to which you want to associate a sound.

Second, click on the "Browse" button and select a sound file (.WAV file) for the event you have chosen.

Third, click on the "Test" button to listen to the sound before enabling it.

Fourth, click inside the "Enable" box to activate the sound the next time the event occurs.

Last, click on the "OK" button to accept the settings and exit.

Click on one of the items in the picture shown below for additional information.


Enable (Sound)

Enable allows you to activate and deactivate PCMCIA card sound events.  An "X" indicates that the sound file appearing on the right will play when the associated event occurs.


Event (Sound)

It is possible to associate sounds for up to four distinct events.

Insertion:  The PC card has been inserted, recognized and configured.

Unconfigured Card:  The PC card has been inserted and recognized, but not configured.  i.e.  There is a resource conflict

Unrecognized Card:  The PC card has been inserted, but not recognized by recognition software.  i.e.  A Card Services Client Driver is not loaded.

Removal:  The PC card has been removed.

To associate a sound with one of the above events, click on the event radio button and click on the "Browse" button to choose a sound (.WAV) file.


Sound File Name

Once you have chosen a sound (.WAV) file using the "Browse" option, the name and location of the sound file will appear next to the event under the "Sound File Heading".  In the event that the address of the sound file is long, CardWizard will abbreviate the address so the most crucial information is displayed.


Browse Button (Sound)

By clicking on the Browse button, you will have access to files on any of the drives available to you.  Choose a file that has a .WAV extension (a sound file) and choose "OK" to select it.  The file will appear to the right of the associated event under the "Sound File Name" heading.


Test Button (Sound)

Once you have selected a sound (.WAV) file to associate with an event, you can listen to it by clicking on the Test button.


Clear Button (Sound)

Click on the Clear button to erase an entire line.  Only the highlighted line will be cleared.


Launch...

The Launch... screen allows you to associate applications with PCMCIA cards so that an application will automatically launch when the associated PC Card is inserted.

NOTE:  CardWizard will only launch an application when the associated PC Card is configured.

To associate an application with a PC Card for auto-launch:

First, highlight a card in the "Card Name" box by clicking on it.

Second, click on the "Card" button.  The card's name and manufacturer information will be displayed below the "Card Name, Manufacturer" heading.

Third, click on the "Browse" button and select an application to be launched for the card you have selected.  The application name and location will appear below the "Application File Name" heading.

Fourth, click on the "Test" button to verify that you have chosen the right application and that it launches properly.

Fifth, click inside the "Enable" box to activate auto launch the next time the card is inserted.  You should also click the "Enable Confirmation" box if you want CardWizard to prompt you each time whether the associated application should be launched or not.

Last, click on the "OK" button to accept the settings and exit.

Click on one of the items in the picture shown below for additional information.


Enable Launch

Enable allows you to activate or deactivate application auto-launching for PC Card insertions.  An "X" indicates that the application appearing on the right will be launched each time the associated PC Card is inserted if the card is configured.


Enable Confirmation on Launch

Enable Confirmation allows you to decide whether the launch application should be launched or not.  An "X" indicates that CardWizard will prompt you (Yes/No) before launching an associated application.


Card Name, Manufacturer (Launch)

The Card Name, Manufacturer column displays the identity of the card which will have launch applications associated with it.  CardWizard reads this information directly off of the PC Card hardware itself from the card's CIS.


Application File Name (Launch)

Once you have chosen a launch application using the "Browse" option, the name and location of the application will appear next to the associated card under the under the "Application File Name Heading".  In the event that the address of the application is long, CardWizard will abbreviate the address so the most crucial information is displayed.


Card Name Box (Launch)

The Card Name Box contains the names of all PC Cards that are currently installed in your machine.  If you remove or insert a card while in the Launch dialog box, this box will be updated automatically.


Card Button (Launch)

If you have highlighted a card in the "Card Name" box, clicking on the Card Button will place the card beneath the "Card Name, Manufacturer" heading so you can associate an application with it.


Browse Button (Launch)

By clicking on the Browse button, you will have access to files on any of the drives available to you.  Select a launch application and choose "OK" to select it.  The application name will appear to the right of the associated card beneath the "Application File Name" heading.


Test Button (Launch)

Once you have selected an application to launch with a specified PC Card, you can simulate an auto-launch by clicking on the Test button.


Clear Button (Launch)

Click on the Clear button to erase an entire line.  Only the highlighted line will be cleared.


Window

Click on one of the items in the Window pull-down below for detailed information.


Cascade

Cascade arranges your windows one in front of the other, the foremost slightly offset to the right and down so that each title bar is visible.  This is the default arrangement.


Tile

Tile arranges open windows to the exact sizes needed to fill the window space such that they do not overlap.  This is convenient when you are using click and drag to move messages, addresses, or items between windows.


Arrange Icons

Choose this menu item to arrange your icons on the screen so that they snap to a grid.


Open Windows

This area displays the name of all windows that are currently open in CardWizard.  The line which contains the checkmark on the left is the window that was most recently in use.


Help

Click on one of the items in the Help pull-down below for detailed information.


Contents

Choose this menu item to bring up this CardWizard Help.


About CardWizard

Choose this menu item to display the version and copyright information about CardWizard


Using Help

Choose this menu item to bring up comprehensive instructions on using CardWizard Help.


ReadMe File
ReadMe..

Choose this menu item to view the Readme file included with your CardWizard software.

.


Toolbar

Click on any of the buttons in the Toolbar shown below for detailed information.


The "Wizard" Button

The Wizard button is located in the bottom right hand corner of the Card Information window and is shown below.

The Wizard is a PCMCIA technical support engineer at the push of a button, only smarter.  The Wizard can fix most PCMCIA problems within seconds.  Even when Wizard cannot fix a problem, it can pinpoint the problem exactly so that you or a technical support engineer can fix the problem more easily.

Each time the Wizard is activated, it performs a series of self-checks to assure that all necessary components are installed and working properly.  CardWizard then analyzes the computer to verify that there are resources available for PC card configuration.


Modules (View menu)

The Modules section lets you view important version information about the various drivers that are loaded for PCMCIA support.


Modem (Settings menu)

The Modem section allows you to change the configuration settings for PCMCIA modem cards.  It also will allow you to access the Windows Com Port settings so you can synchronize your Windows settings with the PCMCIA modem settings.


Network (Settings menu)

The Network section allows you to change the configuration settings for network cards that have built-in support in CardWizard.  It will not allow you to change the settings for those network cards that require their own Card Services client driver.


ATA (Settings menu)

The ATA... section allows you to change the configuration settings for ATA cards.  CardWizard can configure both Type II solid-state ATA-Flash disks as well as Type III rotating media ATA cards automatically.  CardWizard has built-in support for all PCMCIA ATA devices.


Speaker Beeps (Options menu)

Allows you to select audio messaging for card insertions and removals.


Notify (Options menu)

Allows you to select visual messaging for card insertions and removals.


PCMCIA Views (Options menu)

Allows you to configure the appearance of card information displays.


Sound (Options menu)

Allows you to associate sound (.wav files) to PCMCIA card insertion and removal events.


Launch (Options menu)

Allows you to associate applications with PCMCIA card insertions so an application will launch automatically when a card is inserted.


Glossary

Adapter

ATA

Bernoulli

Card

Card Information Structure

Card Services

Card Services Client

Card Type

CARDID.EXE

CardWizard

CD-ROM

CIS

Client

Combination Cards

Communication Ports (COM)

Compatibility

CONFIG.SYS

Configure

CSALLOC

Device

Device_Driver

Dongle

Encryption

Ethernet

FAT File System

FAX

FAX Card

Flash card

Flash File System (FFS)

IDE

GPS

Hot Swap

Interrupts

I/O Ports

IRQs

ISA Bus

MCFORMAT

MEMCARD

Memory

Memory Technology Driver (MTD)

Modem Card

Notebook

Pager

PC Card

PCMCIA

PDA

Peripheral

Pigtail

Recognized

Resume

SCSI

Socket

Socket Services

Solid State

SRAM Card

Super Client Driver

Suspend

System Resources

Token Ring

Tuple

Type I Card

Type II Card

Type III Card

Window (Memory or I/O)


Adapter

In PCMCIA terms, an adapter is the hardware which connects a computer bus to PC Card sockets.  Also: Certain PC Cards are commonly called adapters.


ATA (AT-Attachment)

Acronym for AT Attachment specification.  The industry standard for interfacing to hard drives with Integrated Drive Electronics (IDE).  Generally speaking, PCMCIA ATA devices are hard disk cards which may be of Type II or Type III in thickness.


Socket

The physical 68-pin receptacle device that accepts PC Cards.


PC Cards

PC Cards refer to the those cards compliant with the PCMCIA Standard.  About the size of a credit card but varying in thickness, PC Cards plug into a 68-pin receptacle PCMCIA socket to expand the capability of your system.  PC Cards can be "hot-swapped", which means they can be inserted or removed from your system at any time for immediate use.  PCMCIA memory cards such as Flash, SRAM, and ATA allow you to add additional storage to your system.  Other types of cards are specialized devices, like modems, network adapters, sound cards, or SCSI cards.


IDE

IDE is an acronym for Integrated Drive Electronics, which is a type of interface for controlling hard disks.


Card

A PCMCIA-compliant card.  Also known as a PC Card.


PCMCIA

An acronym for Personal Computer Memory Card International Association.  The PCMCIA has created a series of specifications to standardize both PCMCIA hardware and software implementations.


Card Information Structure (CIS)

The CIS (Card Information Structure) is a memory area inside most PC Cards.  This memory area contains information (in the form of Tuples) to allow the system and application software to communicate properly with the PC Card.


Tuple

Information within a PC Card's CIS is organized in a linked-list format using tuples.  These tuples describe a PC Card's characteristics so that it can be properly configured by PCMCIA software such as CardWizard.


Card Type

May refer either to the function performed by a PC Card or its thickness.  Examples are:  ATA hard drive, Network Adapter, or Type II card.


Configure

The act of programming a socket and PC Card for use in a system.  A PC Card is configured once the necessary system resources have been set aside for its use.  To configure a PC card, a recognizing client (Card Services client) requests specific system resources from card services.  If the requested resources are available, CardWizard will allocate them to the card and the card will be configured.  CardWizard emits a double beep when it configures a PC Card.


CardWizard

CardWizard is a Windows 3.1 application that creates a new standard for improving PCMCIA card ease-of-use.  CardWizard allows you to view PCMCIA slots, trouble-shoot card configuration problems, resolve resource conflicts, and launch PC applications upon card insertion.  CardWizard features an expert system that performs intelligent diagnosis by examining the PCMCIA card and the host PC environment.  In many cases, CardWizard can make the necessary corrections automatically to minimize your trouble-shooting experience.


Device

A term applied to a peripheral in a computer system.  Examples are hard drives, printers, modems, serial ports and network adapters.


GPS

Acronym for Global Positioning System.  GPS is a navigational system using satellites.  A recent PCMCIA development is the implementation of GPS receivers as PC Cards.


Hot Swap

Inserting (or removing) a PC Card in a socket while the computer is on is called Hot Swapping.  Without PCMCIA, inserting a modem into the expansion bus inside your computer requires you to turn off the power, remove the cover, install the card, and then turn the power back on.  This process is often difficult and time consuming.  With PC Cards however, once you've plugged the card into a PCMCIA slot, it is immediately ready for use.


Interrupts

Interrupts are electrical impulses used to get the system's attention.  When a PC Card is inserted into a PCMCIA slot, an interrupt is generated to inform the system of the event.  The interrupt is passed via an IRQs line.


I/O Ports

An I/O port (Input/Output) is a memory address used to pass information to or from a peripheral device such as a PCMCIA card.  I/O port address space is separate from memory address space.  CardWizard configures PC Cards with I/O ports to use unoccupied port address space.


Memory

Memory is a place (address) used to store information while it is being worked on.  CardWizard configures PC Cards to use a small amount of the unoccupied address space in what DOS refers to as the upper memory area.


Recognized

Recognized means that a PC Card has been identified by software when it is inserted.  A card can only be recognized if the appropriate Card Services client driver is present to handle the card.  For example, a modem card will only be recognized if the Super Client Driver CARDID.EXE is loaded.  A PC Card must be recognized before it can be configured.


System Resources

A system interacts with its world through three resources:  Memory, IRQs and I/O ports.  Because system resources are scarce, it is important to have intelligent software to allocate these resources efficiently.  Card Services is the PCMCIA resource manager built into CardWizard.


Card Services

Card Services is the hardware independent nucleus of PCMCIA.  Card Services is the link between the hardware and software responsible for managing system resource requests and allocation.


Card Services Client

A Card Services Client (client driver) is a device driver for a particular PC Card that interacts with the Card Services driver.  It contains configuration information about a particular PC Card.  In order to configure a PC Card, the client must ask Card Services (the resource manager) to allocate available system resources so that the PC Card can function.  When a client is able to communicate with Card Services, it is said to be registered.


Socket Services

A low-level hardware dependent software layer responsible for programming a particular PCMCIA adapter.  For example,  SS365SL.EXE is the socket services responsible for programming the Intel 82365SL PCMCIA adapter.  Socket Services not only sets up the adapter, but also relays information about insertion/removal events to Card Services.


Super Client Driver

A Super Client Driver is a special Card Services Client.  As the name suggests, it is super because it contains information for configuring many different PC Cards. The Super Client Driver provided with CardWizard is called CARDID.EXE.  Whereas an ordinary Card Services client driver can configure one PC card, CARDID can configure FAX/Data/Modem cards, ATA cards, GPS cards, Serial I/O cards, Pager cards, and many network cards.


Device Driver

An MS-DOS program that contains a set of instructions to control a device connected to the computer.  For every device, there is a device driver to control it.  For example, MS-DOS has built-in device drivers for your keyboard, monitor, hard and floppy disk drives.  In the same way, PCMCIA hardware requires device drivers for the sockets and the cards.


COM (communication port)

An abbreviation for communications.  COM is the designation for a serial communication port generally used for modems.  Example:  COM2 indicates serial port 2.


CONFIG.SYS

A special MS-DOS file that defines how your system is configured.  The CONFIG.SYS file specifies which devices to install and which installable device drivers to use.  It also contains commands that determine how MS-DOS uses memory and controls files.  CardWizard installs several device drivers in the CONFIG.SYS.


FAX

FAX is an abbreviation for telephonic facsimile transmission.  Facsimile transmission is a method of transmitting messages from one FAX machine to another via telephone line.


FAX Card

A full functioning integrated circuit (IC) FAX card that complies with the PCMCIA specification.  A FAX card may be installed in a laptop or palmtop computer to allow facsimile transmission.


Flash Card

A non-volatile memory card that complies with the PCMCIA specification.  Flash cards contain flash silicon memory technology that allows quick programming and electrical erasure.  They are usually Type I in thickness and range in capacity from 256K to 40MB.


Flash File System (FFS)

A Flash File System is a necessary software layer which facilitates reads and writes to Flash media.  It is an alternative to the DOS FAT (File Allocation Table) File System.


CD-ROM

Read only disk technology based on the Compact Disk format.  Storage is approximately 600Mbytes per disk.


Compatibility

For PCMCIA, compatibility is a measure of the ability to interwork with other parts of the PCMCIA standard and other vendor implementations of the PCMCIA standard.


Ethernet

Network standard developed by Xerox from which the IEEE 802.3 standard was derived.  Ethernet supports a data rate of 10Mbits/sec.


FAT File System

The FAT (File Allocation Table) is a table where MS-DOS records the locations of files on a disk.  The FAT file system is based on a bit mapped table located at a certain location on the mass storage device.  This bit mapped table controls the allocation of sectors.


SCSI

SCSI is an acronym for Small Computer Standard Interface.  SCSI is a high speed parallel data bus intended to connect high speed peripherals, such as disk drives, scanners, CDROMS, and tape drives together.


Modem Card

MODulate/DEModulate - Hardware that converts digital signals into analog signals suitable for transmission over the switched phone network.


Memory Technology Driver (MTD)

Memory Technology Drivers are Card Services client drivers that provide access and programming information about a particular PC memory card.  Common memory technologies that require MTDs are Flash memory and SRAM memory.


ISA Bus

ISA, or Industry Standard Architecture, is a bus standard for AT class machines.  The ISA standard provides a 16 bit expansion bus capability.


Suspend

The Suspend Mode is the lowest power state in which a computer enters through an inactivity timer or user command.  The state before Suspend is saved and re-entered on user command.  The re-entry into active mode is called Resume.


Resume

Resume is the process of entering the system's active mode after the system is in a low power Suspend mode.


Type I Card

A standard physical description of a PC Card.  Type I cards are 3.3 mm thick and typically used for memory PC Cards.


Type II Card

A standard physical description of a PC Card.  Type II cards are 5mm thick and typically used for I/O devices.


Type III Card

A standard physical description of a PC Card.  Type III cards are 10.5mm thick and typically used for ATA rotating hard drive.


SRAM Card

SRAM (Static Random Access Memory) is a type of memory chip used in many PC Cards.  SRAM cards range in capacity from 64K to 6MB and are Type I in thickness.  SRAM cards require a battery to maintain stored data.


Pigtail

Often called a dongle, a pigtail is a cord which connects a PCMCIA card and an I/O device.  Many modem, network, and SCSI cards come with detachable pigtails.


Window (Memory or I/O)

A region in system memory or I/O space through which a PCMCIA card can be accessed.  A window is a hardware mapping mechanism between the host address space and the card address space.


Peripheral

Any machinery connected to the computer, including monitors, printers, scanners, mice, external hard or floppy drives, CD-ROM drivers, speakers, or keyboards.


PDA

PDA, short for Personal Digital Assistant, refers to any of the miniature hand held computing devices available today.  PDAs are practical because they are portable and easy to use.  Many PDAs use a pen-based system instead of a keyboard.


Notebook Computer

A compact and portable computer often used for business travel.  A notebook usually weighs between 3 and 5 pounds and has approximately 4-6 hours of battery life.


Solid State

When referring to memory storage devices, solid state implies that the storage medium has no or few movable parts.  Therefore, solid state devices are very durable and reliable.  Flash and SRAM are solid state media.


MEMCARD

MEMCARD.EXE is a Flash card formatting utility specifically for flash cards which use the Microsoft Flash File System (MS-FFS).


MCFORMAT

MCFORMAT.EXE is a Flash card formatting utility written by SystemSoft which can be used for flash cards that use either MS-FFS (Microsoft Flash File System) or FTL (File Translation Layer).


Bernoulli

A Bernoulli box is a mass storage system that uses removable cartridges.  This medium is commonly used by graphic designers and printing companies.


Pager

A miniature wireless communication device that allows a carrier to receive small packets of information wherever he/she may be.  Most often, the packet of information is the telephone number of someone who is trying to reach you.


Combination Cards

Refers to a PC Card that has more than one function.  For example, one type of combination card is a modem/network card that combines the functionality of two types of I/O cards into a single card.


Encryption

To scramble information with a code or password so that other people can't read it.  Encryption technology has migrated to the PCMCIA form factor.  Encryption PC Cards are currently being used for protective measures to allow only certain people access to a network or private files.


CARDID.EXE

CARDID.EXE is the name of the DOS super client driver that is a standard part of CardWizard.  CARDID is responsible for configuring fax/modem cards, ATA cards, and some network cards.  The initiator file, CARDID.INI, contains the configuration parameters for CARDID.EXE.


CSALLOC

CSALLOC.EXE is a DOS driver that comes standard with CardWizard.  It is CSALLOC's duty to compile an inventory of system resources which it compiles at boot time.  Card Services (CS.EXE) refers to the resource inventory (CSALLOC.INI) when it configures newly inserted PC Cards.


Token Ring

An IBM networking format.  Token Ring networks can have a transfer speeds of either 4-Mbps (megabits per second) or 16Mbps.  (Ethernet networks have a transfer speed of 10-Mbps)


IRQs

An acronym for Interrupt ReQuest.  An IRQ is a hardware resource which is assigned to certain devices.  Devices transmit interrupts by using an IRQ hardware line to send signals to the system.  IRQs are relatively scarce; a standard PC-AT machine has 16 IRQs, many of which are used by core system components (such as the keyboard, floppy disk, and serial ports).