National Instruments Laser Pointer 321827C 01 User Manual
Serial  
Getting Started with Your  
PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
and Software for  
Windows Me/9x  
PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
September 2000 Edition  
Part Number 321827C-01  
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Important Information  
Warranty  
The serial hardware is warranted against defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one year from the date of shipment,  
as evidenced by receipts or other documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace equipment that proves  
to be defective during the warranty period. This warranty includes parts and labor.  
The media on which you receive National Instruments software are warranted not to fail to execute programming instructions,  
due to defects in materials and workmanship, for a period of 90 days from date of shipment, as evidenced by receipts or other  
documentation. National Instruments will, at its option, repair or replace software media that do not execute programming  
instructions if National Instruments receives notice of such defects during the warranty period. National Instruments does not  
warrant that the operation of the software shall be uninterrupted or error free.  
A Return Material Authorization (RMA) number must be obtained from the factory and clearly marked on the outside of  
the package before any equipment will be accepted for warranty work. National Instruments will pay the shipping costs of  
returning to the owner parts which are covered by warranty.  
National Instruments believes that the information in this document is accurate. The document has been carefully reviewed  
for technical accuracy. In the event that technical or typographical errors exist, National Instruments reserves the right to  
make changes to subsequent editions of this document without prior notice to holders of this edition. The reader should consult  
National Instruments if errors are suspected. In no event shall National Instruments be liable for any damages arising out of  
or related to this document or the information contained in it.  
EXCEPT AS SPECIFIED HEREIN, NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AND SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY  
WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. CUSTOMER’S RIGHT TO RECOVER DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAULT OR  
NEGLIGENCE ON THE PART OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE AMOUNT THERETOFORE PAID BY THE CUSTOMER. NATIONAL  
INSTRUMENTS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM LOSS OF DATA, PROFITS, USE OF PRODUCTS, OR INCIDENTAL OR  
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY THEREOF. This limitation of the liability of National Instruments will  
apply regardless of the form of action, whether in contract or tort, including negligence. Any action against National Instruments  
must be brought within one year after the cause of action accrues. National Instruments shall not be liable for any delay in  
performance due to causes beyond its reasonable control. The warranty provided herein does not cover damages, defects,  
malfunctions, or service failures caused by owner’s failure to follow the National Instruments installation, operation, or  
maintenance instructions; owner’s modification of the product; owner’s abuse, misuse, or negligent acts; and power failure or  
surges, fire, flood, accident, actions of third parties, or other events outside reasonable control.  
Copyright  
Under the copyright laws, this publication may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form, electronic or mechanical, including  
photocopying, recording, storing in an information retrieval system, or translating, in whole or in part, without the prior written  
consent of National Instruments Corporation.  
Trademarks  
CVI™, LabVIEW™, National Instruments™, and ni.com™ are trademarks of National Instruments Corporation.  
Product and company names mentioned herein are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies.  
WARNING REGARDING USE OF NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS  
(1) NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE NOT DESIGNED WITH COMPONENTS AND TESTING FOR A LEVEL  
OF RELIABILITY SUITABLE FOR USE IN OR IN CONNECTION WITH SURGICAL IMPLANTS OR AS CRITICAL  
COMPONENTS IN ANY LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS WHOSE FAILURE TO PERFORM CAN REASONABLY BE  
EXPECTED TO CAUSE SIGNIFICANT INJURY TO A HUMAN.  
(2) IN ANY APPLICATION, INCLUDING THE ABOVE, RELIABILITY OF OPERATION OF THE SOFTWARE PRODUCTS  
CAN BE IMPAIRED BY ADVERSE FACTORS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO FLUCTUATIONS IN ELECTRICAL  
POWER SUPPLY, COMPUTER HARDWARE MALFUNCTIONS, COMPUTER OPERATING SYSTEM SOFTWARE  
FITNESS, FITNESS OF COMPILERS AND DEVELOPMENT SOFTWARE USED TO DEVELOP AN APPLICATION,  
INSTALLATION ERRORS, SOFTWARE AND HARDWARE COMPATIBILITY PROBLEMS, MALFUNCTIONS OR  
FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC MONITORING OR CONTROL DEVICES, TRANSIENT FAILURES OF ELECTRONIC  
SYSTEMS (HARDWARE AND/OR SOFTWARE), UNANTICIPATED USES OR MISUSES, OR ERRORS ON THE PART OF  
THE USER OR APPLICATIONS DESIGNER (ADVERSE FACTORS SUCH AS THESE ARE HEREAFTER  
COLLECTIVELY TERMED “SYSTEM FAILURES”). ANY APPLICATION WHERE A SYSTEM FAILURE WOULD  
CREATE A RISK OF HARM TO PROPERTY OR PERSONS (INCLUDING THE RISK OF BODILY INJURY AND DEATH)  
SHOULD NOT BE RELIANT SOLELY UPON ONE FORM OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEM DUE TO THE RISK OF SYSTEM  
FAILURE. TO AVOID DAMAGE, INJURY, OR DEATH, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER MUST TAKE  
REASONABLY PRUDENT STEPS TO PROTECT AGAINST SYSTEM FAILURES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO  
BACK-UP OR SHUT DOWN MECHANISMS. BECAUSE EACH END-USER SYSTEM IS CUSTOMIZED AND DIFFERS  
FROM NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS' TESTING PLATFORMS AND BECAUSE A USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER  
MAY USE NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS IN COMBINATION WITH OTHER PRODUCTS IN A MANNER NOT  
EVALUATED OR CONTEMPLATED BY NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS, THE USER OR APPLICATION DESIGNER IS  
ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR VERIFYING AND VALIDATING THE SUITABILITY OF NATIONAL  
INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS WHENEVER NATIONAL INSTRUMENTS PRODUCTS ARE INCORPORATED IN A  
SYSTEM OR APPLICATION, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE APPROPRIATE DESIGN, PROCESS AND  
SAFETY LEVEL OF SUCH SYSTEM OR APPLICATION.  
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Compliance  
FCC/Canada Radio Frequency Interference Compliance*  
Determining FCC Class  
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has rules to protect wireless communications from interference.  
The FCC places digital electronics into two classes. These classes are known as Class A (for use in industrial-  
commercial locations only) or Class B (for use in residential or commercial locations). Depending on where it is  
operated, this product could be subject to restrictions in the FCC rules. (In Canada, the Department of  
Communications (DOC), of Industry Canada, regulates wireless interference in much the same way.)  
Digital electronics emit weak signals during normal operation that can affect radio, television, or other wireless  
products. By examining the product you purchased, you can determine the FCC Class and therefore which of the two  
FCC/DOC Warnings apply in the following sections. (Some products may not be labeled at all for FCC; if so, the  
reader should then assume these are Class A devices.)  
FCC Class A products only display a simple warning statement of one paragraph in length regarding interference and  
undesired operation. Most of our products are FCC Class A. The FCC rules have restrictions regarding the locations  
where FCC Class A products can be operated.  
FCC Class B products display either a FCC ID code, starting with the letters EXN,  
or the FCC Class B compliance mark that appears as shown here on the right.  
Consult the FCC web site http://www.fcc.govfor more information.  
FCC/DOC Warnings  
This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in strict accordance with the  
instructions in this manual and the CE Mark Declaration of Conformity**, may cause interference to radio and  
television reception. Classification requirements are the same for the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)  
and the Canadian Department of Communications (DOC).  
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by National Instruments could void the user’s authority to operate  
the equipment under the FCC Rules.  
Class A  
Federal Communications Commission  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device, pursuant to part 15  
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference when the  
equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency  
energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful interference to  
radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause harmful interference in  
which case the user will be required to correct the interference at his own expense.  
Canadian Department of Communications  
This Class A digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe A respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du  
Canada.  
Class B  
Federal Communications Commission  
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to part 15  
of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a  
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed  
and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,  
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful  
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user  
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:  
•
•
Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna.  
Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver.  
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•
•
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected.  
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.  
Canadian Department of Communications  
This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.  
Cet appareil numérique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du Règlement sur le matériel brouilleur du  
Canada.  
European Union - Compliance to EEC Directives  
Readers in the EU/EEC/EEA must refer to the Manufacturer's Declaration of Conformity (DoC) for information**  
pertaining to the CE Mark compliance scheme. The Manufacturer includes a DoC for most every hardware product  
except for those bought for OEMs, if also available from an original manufacturer that also markets in the EU, or  
where compliance is not required as for electrically benign apparatus or cables.  
*
Certain exemptions may apply in the USA, see FCC Rules §15.103 Exempted devices, and §15.105(c).  
Also available in sections of CFR 47.  
** The CE Mark Declaration of Conformity will contain important supplementary information and instructions  
for the user or installer.  
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Contents  
About This Manual  
Conventions ...................................................................................................................xi  
Related Documentation..................................................................................................xii  
Chapter 1  
Introduction  
How to Use This Manual...............................................................................................1-1  
What You Need to Get Started ......................................................................................1-2  
Optional Equipment.......................................................................................................1-2  
Serial Hardware Overview.............................................................................................1-2  
NI-Serial Software Overview ........................................................................................1-3  
Time-Saving Development Tools..................................................................................1-4  
Using Your Serial Hardware with LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI...........................1-4  
Chapter 2  
Installation and Verification  
Install the Software ........................................................................................................2-1  
Install the Hardware.......................................................................................................2-3  
Verify the Installation ....................................................................................................2-4  
Verify the Hardware Resources.......................................................................2-6  
Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with COMx............................2-7  
Run the Diagnostic Test ..................................................................................2-7  
Connect the Cables ........................................................................................................2-8  
Connecting Two-Wire Devices .....................................................................................2-9  
Chapter 3  
Configuration  
View or Change Communication Port Settings.............................................................3-1  
Port Settings Tab............................................................................................................3-2  
Bits per Second................................................................................................3-3  
Data Bits..........................................................................................................3-3  
Parity................................................................................................................3-3  
Stop Bits ..........................................................................................................3-3  
Flow Control....................................................................................................3-3  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Contents  
Advanced Port Settings................................................................................... 3-3  
Transceiver Mode............................................................................. 3-4  
Use FIFO Buffers ............................................................................. 3-4  
Restore Defaults.............................................................................................. 3-4  
Chapter 4  
Using Your Serial Hardware  
General Programming Requirements ............................................................................ 4-1  
Advanced Transceiver Control for the PCMCIA-485................................................... 4-1  
Four-Wire Mode ............................................................................................. 4-2  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR with Echo .................................................................. 4-2  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR Controlled ................................................................. 4-2  
Two-Wire Mode: TXRDY Auto Control........................................................ 4-3  
Setting the Transceiver Control Mode............................................................ 4-3  
Setting the Transceiver Mode with DeviceIoControl ..................................... 4-4  
Appendix A  
Serial Port Information  
Appendix B  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
Appendix C  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Appendix D  
Specifications  
Appendix E  
Technical Support Resources  
Glossary  
Index  
PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
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Contents  
Figures  
Figure 2-1.  
Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box.....................................2-1  
Figure 2-2.  
Figure 2-3.  
Figure 2-4.  
NI-Serial Setup Screen ..........................................................................2-2  
Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card...........................................................2-3  
Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card  
Correctly Installed .................................................................................2-5  
Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card  
Incorrectly Installed...............................................................................2-6  
DB-9 Connector Pin Locations .............................................................2-8  
Figure 2-5.  
Figure 2-6.  
Figure 3-1.  
Figure 3-2.  
Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................3-2  
Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................3-3  
Figure A-1. Typical Full-Duplex System .................................................................A-4  
Figure A-2. Typical Half-Duplex System.................................................................A-4  
Figure A-3. Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors.................................A-5  
Figure A-4. Straight-Through Cabling in a DTE-to-DCE Interface.........................A-6  
Figure A-5. Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface................................A-6  
Figure B-1.  
Figure B-2.  
Figure B-3.  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall ........................................................B-2  
Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box.....................................B-3  
Successful Uninstallation ......................................................................B-4  
Figure C-1.  
Figure C-2.  
Ports List in Device Manager Tab.........................................................C-4  
Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager .........................C-7  
Tables  
Table 2-1.  
DB-9 Pin Descriptions...........................................................................2-8  
Table 4-1.  
Table 4-2.  
Table 4-3.  
Transceiver Control Modes...................................................................4-2  
Transceiver Mode Control Bytes ..........................................................4-3  
DeviceIoControl Function Input Values ..............................................4-4  
Table A-1.  
Table C-1.  
RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 Features.................................................A-1  
Standard DOS-Based Addresses ...........................................................C-5  
Table D-1.  
Table D-2.  
Table D-3.  
Physical Characteristics of the PCMCIA Serial Cards .........................D-1  
Environmental Characteristics of the Serial Hardware .........................D-2  
Software Characteristics........................................................................D-2  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
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About This Manual  
This manual contains instructions to help you install and configure the  
National Instruments serial hardware and the NI-Serial software for  
Windows Me/9x. This manual includes information about the  
PCMCIA-232, PCMCIA-232/2, PCMCIA-232/4, PCMCIA-485, and  
PCMCIA-485/2.  
This manual assumes that you are already familiar with Windows Me/9x.  
Conventions  
The following conventions appear in this manual:  
»
The » symbol leads you through nested menu items and dialog box options  
to a final action. The sequence File»Page Setup»Options directs you to  
pull down the File menu, select the Page Setup item, and select Options  
from the last dialog box.  
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.  
bold  
Bold text denotes items that you must select or click on in the software,  
such as menu items and dialog box options. Bold text also denotes  
parameter names.  
DTR  
Signal names with an overscore, such as DTR, indicate that the signal is  
active low.  
italic  
Italic text denotes variables, emphasis, a cross reference, or an introduction  
to a key concept. This font also denotes text that is a placeholder for a word  
or value that you must supply.  
monospace  
Text in this font denotes text or characters that you should enter from the  
keyboard, sections of code, programming examples, and syntax examples.  
This font is also used for the proper names of disk drives, paths, directories,  
programs, subprograms, subroutines, device names, functions, operations,  
variables, filenames and extensions, and code excerpts.  
monospace bold  
Bold text in this font denotes the messages and responses that the computer  
automatically prints to the screen. This font also emphasizes lines of code  
that are different from the other examples.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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About This Manual  
Related Documentation  
The following documents contain information that you might find helpful  
as you read this manual:  
•
ANSI/EIA-232-D Standard, Interface Between Data Terminal  
Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing  
Serial Binary Data Interchange  
•
•
EIA/RS-422-A Standard, Electrical Characteristics of Balanced  
Voltage Digital Interface Circuits  
EIA-485 Standard, Standard for Electrical Characteristics of  
Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital  
Multipoint Systems  
•
Microsoft Win32 Software Developer Kit, Online Documentation for  
Win32 Overviews, Win32 Reference, and Microsoft Programmer’s  
Guide to Windows 98/95, Microsoft Corporation  
•
•
NS16550AF Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with  
FIFOs, National Semiconductor  
ST16C654 Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with FIFOs,  
EXAR Corporation  
PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
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1
Introduction  
This chapter explains how to use this manual, lists what you need to get  
started and optional equipment you can order, and briefly describes the  
serial hardware and the NI-Serial software.  
How to Use This Manual  
Gather What You Need  
to Get Started  
Chapter 1  
Install the NI Serial  
Software  
Install the Serial Hardware  
Verify the Installation  
Chapter 2  
No  
Troubleshooting  
Passes?  
Yes  
Connect the Cables  
Configure the Serial Port  
Chapter 3  
Chapter 4  
Learn About Transceiver  
Control Modes  
Review Programming  
Requirements  
Write Application Program  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
What You Need to Get Started  
Before you install your serial hardware and the NI-Serial software, make  
sure you have all of the following items:  
❑ Windows Me/9x installed on your computer  
❑ One of the following serial interfaces, which is included in your kit:  
–
–
PCMCIA-232 (one, two, or four port)  
PCMCIA-485 (one or two port)  
❑ CD, NI-Serial Software for Windows 2000/NT/Me/9x, which is  
included in your kit  
❑ Adapter cable from PCMCIA card to DB-9 connector, which is  
included in your kit  
Optional Equipment  
For more information about ordering the following optional equipment,  
contact National Instruments:  
•
•
•
•
DB-9 RS-485 termination connector  
RS-232 9-pin to 9-pin null modem cable  
RS-232 9-pin to 25-pin null modem cable  
RS-485 9-pin to 9-pin null modem cable  
Serial Hardware Overview  
The serial hardware gives you a variety of solutions for serial  
communications. The PCMCIA-232 interfaces work with the RS-232  
protocols, and the PCMCIA-485 interfaces work with the RS-422 and  
RS-485 protocols. You can use the PCMCIA-232 hardware for serial  
communication up to distances of 50 ft. You can connect the PCMCIA-485  
hardware with up to 31 devices using serial cable lengths up to 4,000 ft.  
The PCMCIA-232 is available with one, two, or four ports. The  
PCMCIA-485 is available in a one-port version or two-port version. All  
PCMCIA cards come with cables for each port that terminates in a standard  
DB-9 D-Sub connector. Throughout this manual, references to PCMCIA  
serial interfaces generally refer to all versions of the interfaces.  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
The PCMCIA-485 interfaces support four hardware transceiver control  
modes for reliable communication with two-wire and four-wire devices.  
Refer to Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware, for more information  
about transceiver control modes.  
All of the serial hardware uses standard 16550-compatible UARTs  
(Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for 100 percent  
compatibility with standard PC COM ports. The serial hardware contains  
FIFOs (First-In-First-Out buffers) for reduced susceptibility to interrupt  
latency and faster transmission rates. Full Plug and Play compatibility gives  
you the convenience of switchless configuration and installation. Refer to  
Appendix D, Specifications, for more information about the serial  
hardware specifications and operating conditions.  
NI-Serial Software Overview  
The NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x includes a native Windows  
device driver that provides full interrupt-driven, buffered I/O for multiple  
COM ports. You can obtain a maximum baud rate of 115.2 KBaud.  
You can also use any number of serial ports under Windows Me/9x.  
The NI-Serial software also includes a configuration utility, which is fully  
integrated into the Windows Me/9x Device Manager. For more information  
about software specifications, refer to Appendix D, Specifications.  
The NI-Serial software includes the following components:  
•
•
•
•
Device driver  
Diagnostic utility  
Configuration utility  
Product manuals  
The NI-Serial software supports all National Instruments serial hardware,  
including the AT, PCI, PXI/CompactPCI, and PCMCIA versions.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Chapter 1  
Introduction  
Time-Saving Development Tools  
Your kit includes the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x. In addition,  
you can order the LabWindows/CVI or LabVIEW software from National  
Instruments to speed your application development time and make it easier  
to communicate with your instruments.  
LabVIEW is an easy-to-use, graphical programming environment  
you can use to acquire data from thousands of different instruments,  
including IEEE 488.2 devices, VXI devices, serial devices, PLCs, and  
plug-in data acquisition boards. After you have acquired raw data, you can  
convert it into meaningful results using the powerful data analysis routines  
in LabVIEW. LabVIEW also comes with hundreds of instrument drivers,  
which dramatically reduce software development time, because you do not  
have to spend time programming the low-level control of each instrument.  
LabWindows/CVI is similar to LabVIEW, except that it combines an  
interactive, easy-to-use development approach with the programming  
power and flexibility of compiled ANSI C code.  
For ordering information, or to request free demonstration software,  
contact National Instruments.  
Using Your Serial Hardware with LabVIEW  
and LabWindows/CVI  
After you install your serial hardware and the NI-Serial software, you can  
use standard serial I/O functions in LabVIEW and LabWindows/CVI with  
your serial interface. If you already have LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI  
and want to use it with your serial hardware, refer to your LabVIEW or  
LabWindows/CVI documentation for information about serial I/O  
functions.  
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2
Installation and Verification  
This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software, serial  
hardware, and cables, and how to verify the installation.  
Install the Software  
Install the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x before you install the  
hardware:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel  
to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. A dialog box similar to  
the one in Figure 2-1 appears.  
Figure 2-1. Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Verification  
3. Click on the Install button.  
4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button to proceed. The  
software installation wizard begins with the screen shown in  
Figure 2-2.  
Figure 2-2. NI-Serial Setup Screen  
The setup wizard guides you through the necessary steps to install the  
NI-Serial software. You can go back and change values where  
appropriate by clicking on the Back button. You can exit the setup  
where appropriate by clicking on the Cancel button.  
5. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install  
the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x, skip to the next section,  
Install the Hardware. Otherwise, continue to Step 6.  
6. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows Me/9x.  
Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and  
New Hardware Found  
display one or more  
finish, continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
New Hardware Found  
dialog boxes. When you  
If no  
dialog box appears, refer to the section  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware in Appendix C,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Verification  
Install the Hardware  
To install the PCMCIA-232 or PCMCIA-485 in your computer, first start  
Windows Me/9x. If the card is not already inserted, insert it into a free PC  
Card (PCMCIA) socket the same way you insert a disk into a floppy drive.  
The card has no jumpers or switches to set, and you do not need to shut  
down the system before you insert it.  
Windows Me/9x automatically displays one or more New Hardware  
Found dialog boxes when it detects and configures a PC Card.  
New Hardware Found  
If the  
dialog box does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix C,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Figure 2-3 shows how to insert a PCMCIA serial card and how to connect  
the cable.  
Portable  
Computer  
PCMCIA Socket  
PCMCIA Serial Cable  
Figure 2-3. Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Chapter 2  
Installation and Verification  
Verify the Installation  
When you begin to verify the installation, keep in mind that the serial ports  
built into the computer are typically named from COM1 to COM4.  
Windows Me/9x typically issues port names to the ports on NI serial  
hardware starting with COM5, COM6, and so on. If not enough resources  
are available to assign to all the NI serial ports, the port with the higher  
COMx name is left unconfigured.  
Double-click on the System icon in the Control Panel. In the System  
Properties window that appears, select the Device Manager tab, and click  
on the View devices by type button at the top of the page. If necessary,  
double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to view all of the ports.  
The two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards are configured as devices  
belonging to the “multi-function adapters” class. The multi-function parent  
Multi-function adapters  
device is listed under the  
icon, and each child  
Ports  
device is listed as a port under the  
(COM & LPT) icon. If you have  
Multi-function  
(COM & LPT) icon.  
installed one of these interfaces, double-click on the  
adapters Ports  
icon as well as the  
If a circled exclamation point appears through the port icon, the serial port  
is not installed properly. A problem with the port could have occurred  
because Windows Me/9x could not acquire resources for the port, or  
because an interrupt request resource conflict exists. If no circled  
exclamation point appears, the serial hardware is installed correctly.  
Figure 2-4 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is installed  
properly and Figure 2-5 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is not  
working properly.  
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Figure 2-4. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card Correctly Installed  
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Figure 2-5. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card Incorrectly Installed  
Verify the Hardware Resources  
For every port of the newly installed serial interface, double-click on  
the name of the serial port in the Device Manager. Then, click on the  
Resources tab. If the resources were assigned correctly, the Resources  
page shows which resources are assigned to your serial ports.  
Resources  
If Windows Me/9x did not assign any resources to the port, the  
Set  
page shows only a Set Configuration Manually button. Click on the  
Configuration Manually  
button and try to assign conflict-free resources  
to your serial hardware. For instructions, refer to the Selecting  
Conflict-Free Resources section of Appendix C, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions. You might have to free an interrupt request level so  
that one can be assigned to your serial hardware. For instructions, refer to  
the section Freeing an Interrupt Request Level in Appendix C,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
When you have finished verifying the hardware resources, proceed to the  
next section.  
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Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with COMx  
For every port of the newly installed serial interface, double-click on the  
name of the serial port in the Device Manager. Then, click on the Port  
Settings tab. The top of this page displays the serial number of the serial  
hardware, and the physical port number starting at 1.  
When you have finished verifying the driver installation and physical port,  
proceed to the next section.  
Run the Diagnostic Test  
To verify and test the installation, run the diagnostic program that came  
with your NI-Serial software. The diagnostic program verifies that your  
serial driver is installed properly, that the configuration of your hardware  
does not conflict with anything else in your system, and that the serial  
driver can communicate with your hardware correctly.  
To run the test, select the diagnostics item under Start»Programs»  
National Instruments Serial.  
If the diagnostic test completes with no failures, your serial hardware  
and software are installed properly. If it fails, refer to Appendix C,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.  
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Connect the Cables  
For the PCMCIA serial cards, you can use the standard DB-9 connector  
found on most serial cables.  
Figure 2-6 and Table 2-1 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
DB-9 connector, which is found on the PCMCIA serial cable.  
PIN 5  
PIN 9  
PIN 6  
PIN 1  
Figure 2-6. DB-9 Connector Pin Locations  
Table 2-1. DB-9 Pin Descriptions  
DB-9 Pin  
232 Signal  
DCD*  
485 Signal  
GND  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
RXD  
TXD  
DTR*  
GND  
DSR*  
RTS  
CTS+ (HSI+)  
RTS+ (HSO+)  
RXD+  
RXD–  
CTS– (HSI–)  
RTS– (HSO–)  
TXD+  
CTS  
RI*  
TXD–  
* These signals are not supported by the isolated 232 boards or ports 9-16 of the RS-232  
sixteen-port board.  
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Connecting Two-Wire Devices  
The PCMCIA-485 boards are designed to work with either two- or  
four-wire devices. If you are using a two-wire device, refer to the device  
documentation for specific wiring instructions.  
In general, half-duplex networks use a single twisted pair of wires for  
communication in both directions, so you must connect both the transmitter  
and the receiver at each end of the same pair of wires. For example, to  
connect an RS-485 data acquisition device to a port on your PCMCIA-485  
using half-duplex communication, you need a single twisted pair of wires.  
At the PCMCIA-485, connect the TXD+ and RXD+ signals (pins 8 and 4  
on a DB-9 connector) together and to one wire. Connect the other end of  
this wire to both the TXD+ and RXD+ signals on the data acquisition  
device. You use the same method to connect the TXD– and RXD– signals  
(pins 9 and 5 on a DB-9 connector) to the second wire.  
For information about setting the transceiver mode for two-wire  
communication, refer to Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware. For more  
information about duplex architectures, refer to Appendix A, Serial Port  
Information.  
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3
Configuration  
This chapter describes how to view or change the communication port  
settings.  
View or Change Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated with the Windows Me/9x  
Device Manager. You can use it to examine or modify the configuration of  
the serial port.  
Follow these steps to configure the serial port. Repeat the configuration  
procedure for each serial port in your system.  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the System  
icon. The System Properties window appears.  
2. Select the Device Manager tab, and click on the View devices by type  
button at the top of the page.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
4. Double-click on the name of the port you want to configure.  
You can now view or change information about your serial port in the  
following ways:  
•
Click on the Resources tab to view information about the hardware  
resources assigned to the serial port.  
•
Click on the Port Settings tab to view information about the software  
configuration for the serial port. Refer to the next section, Port Settings  
Tab, for more information.  
•
On the Port Settings tab, click on the Advanced button to change the  
RS-485 transceiver mode and to enable or disable the FIFOs on the  
serial hardware. Refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab, for more  
information.  
Note If you use two-wire TXRDY mode, FIFOs must be enabled. Transceiver modes  
apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to  
Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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After you have selected the serial port parameters for the current port, click  
on the OK button to save the changes or click on the Cancel button to exit  
the dialog box without saving changes.  
Port Settings Tab  
On the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of the setting. When you click on the arrow  
button, a list of valid values for that setting appears. Select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 3-1 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 3-1. Port Settings Tab  
The following sections describe the options you can set in the Device  
Manager Port Settings tab.  
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Bits per Second  
Data Bits  
Bits per second, or baud rate, is the speed for a serial port.  
Data bits is the number of data bits in a single serial byte.  
Parity  
Parity is the specification for even, odd, or no parity bits in each  
transmitted byte.  
Stop Bits  
Stop bits is the number of terminating bits on the end of each transmitted  
serial byte.  
Flow Control  
Flow control is a method for temporarily halting the stream of serial bytes  
to prevent overflow.  
Advanced Port Settings  
You can view or change the advanced port settings by clicking on the  
Advanced button on the Port Settings tab. Figure 3-2 shows the  
Advanced Port Settings dialog box.  
Figure 3-2. Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box  
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The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to  
PCMCIA-485 boards. For more information about transceiver modes,  
refer to Chapter 4, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
Use FIFO Buffers  
FIFO buffers are present on the 16550-compatible UARTs—one for the  
transmitter and one for the receiver. The Receive Buffer control sets the  
number of characters received in the FIFO before the PC is interrupted to  
read the data. The Transmit Buffer control sets the maximum number of  
bytes written to the FIFO in a block when the PC is interrupted to write the  
data. When you configure FIFO settings, consider the following points:  
•
•
•
You can select larger FIFO buffer sizes to reduce the number of  
interrupts your PC receives and therefore minimize system overhead.  
If transfer rates are high, you can lower the Receive Buffer value to  
prevent overrun errors due to interrupt latency.  
If your data transfer sizes are small and your Receive Buffer value is  
above your data sizes, your system is less efficient. Therefore, set the  
Receive Buffer value below your data sizes.  
Note If you want your serial hardware ports to use the names COM1, COM2, COM3, or  
COM4, refer to the Common Questions section of Appendix C, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions.  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
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4
Using Your Serial Hardware  
This chapter describes how to set the hardware transceiver control mode for  
your RS-485 interfaces and lists some general programming requirements.  
General Programming Requirements  
The NI-Serial software is fully integrated into the standard Windows Me/9x  
communications software. NI serial ports are used like any other  
Windows Me/9x communications (COM) port. Windows Me/9x has  
standard communication functions for use within either Win16 or  
Win32 applications.  
When you develop your application, remember that you must use  
the standard Microsoft Windows serial communication functions. For  
information about Microsoft Windows serial communication functions,  
refer to the Win32 Software Development Kit and to the Win32 Overviews  
and Win32 Reference online help.  
If you have LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI and want to use it with your  
serial hardware, refer to your LabVIEW or LabWindows/CVI  
documentation for information about serial I/O functions.  
Advanced Transceiver Control for the PCMCIA-485  
Note Transceiver modes apply only to the PCMCIA-485 boards.  
The PCMCIA-485 boards support four modes of hardware transceiver  
control. You can use hardware flow control to enable and disable your  
transmitters and receivers so that they function on different bus topologies.  
Table 4-1 lists the status of the transmitters and receivers under each of the  
transceiver control modes.  
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Table 4-1. Transceiver Control Modes  
Mode  
Transmitter  
Receiver  
Four-wire mode  
Always enabled  
Always enabled  
Always enabled  
Two-wire mode:  
DTR with echo  
Enabled with  
DTR unasserted  
Two-wire mode:  
DTR controlled  
Enabled with  
DTR unasserted  
Enabled with  
DTR asserted  
Two-wire mode:  
Enabled with  
Enabled with  
TXRDY auto control  
TXRDY asserted  
TXRDY unasserted  
Note Signal names with an overscore, such as DTR, indicate that the signal is active low.  
Four-Wire Mode  
Use the four-wire mode for most full-duplex systems. In this mode, the  
transmitter and receiver are always enabled. This mode is the default.  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR with Echo  
Use this mode in half-duplex systems where the DTR (Data Terminal  
Ready) line must control the transmitter. In the DTR-with-echo mode, the  
transmitter is tri-stated when the DTR signal of the UART (Universal  
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter) is asserted. To transmit, your  
application must first clear the DTR bit to enable the transmitter. After the  
data is fully transmitted, your application once again sets the DTR bit to  
disable the transmitter. Because the receiver is always enabled in this  
mode, you not only receive packets from other devices, you also receive the  
packets sent from your transmitter.  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR Controlled  
This mode is similar to the two-wire, DTR-with-echo mode. Use this mode  
in half-duplex systems where the DTR line must control the transmitter.  
Although this mode uses the same method as the DTR-with-echo mode to  
control the transmitter, the hardware automatically disables the receiver  
whenever the transmitter is enabled. Thus, you do not receive the packets  
sent from your transmitter.  
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Two-Wire Mode: TXRDY Auto Control  
In this mode, the serial hardware transparently enables the transmitter and  
receiver in a two-wire system. Use this mode to remove the burden of flow  
control from your application. By connecting the transmitter to the  
TXRDY (Transmit Ready) line, the hardware enables the transmitter for  
each byte to be transmitted. Also, the hardware disables the receiver  
whenever the transmitter is enabled, so you do not receive the packets sent  
from your transmitter.  
Note When you are communicating with a two-wire device, National Instruments  
recommends that you use the two-wire TXRDY auto control mode. Because this mode  
handles the transmitter/receiver enabling for a two-wire connection in your hardware,  
it reduces the software overhead required to perform this operation in your application  
program.  
For more information about serial communication in two- or four-wire modes, refer to the  
Serial Communication Issues section in Appendix A, Serial Port Information.  
Setting the Transceiver Control Mode  
The recommended method for setting the transceiver control mode is  
with the serial configuration utility located in the Windows Me/9x  
Device Manager. For more information, refer to the View or Change  
Communication Port Settings section in Chapter 3, Configuration.  
The mode you select in the Device Manager is automatically configured  
when you open a port on a serial interface. You can also set the hardware  
transceiver control mode from within a DOS application. For each port you  
want to control, write the control byte for the mode you want to select to  
the scratch register of the UART. Table 4-2 shows the control bytes for  
each mode.  
Table 4-2. Transceiver Mode Control Bytes  
Transceiver Mode  
Four-wire mode  
Control Byte  
0x00  
Two-wire mode: DTR with echo  
Two-wire mode: DTR controlled  
Two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control  
0x01  
0x02  
0x03  
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The scratch register is located at offset 7 from the base address of the port.  
For example, if COM2 were located at base address 0x3F8, and you wanted  
to set the PCMCIA-485 board to two-wire mode with DTR control, you  
would write a 0x02 to I/O address 0x3FF. The PCMCIA-485 board would  
immediately switch to the two-wire mode with DTR control.  
Setting the Transceiver Mode with DeviceIoControl  
The NI-Serial software extends the DeviceIoControlWindows function  
for programming the transceiver control mode. To program the transceiver  
control mode using DeviceIoControl, complete the following steps:  
1. Add the following lines to your source code:  
#include <winioctl.h>  
#define IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE  
CTL_CODE(FILE_DEVICE_SERIAL_PORT,37,  
METHOD_BUFFERED,FILE_ANY_ACCESS)  
2. Use the Win32 function DeviceIoControl, as follows:  
a. Use the defined control code value listed in step 1 to set the  
transceiver mode.  
b. Use the input buffer values (unsigned long) listed in Table 4-3 for  
programming different transceiver modes.  
Table 4-3. DeviceIoControl Function Input Values  
DeviceIoControl  
Transceiver Mode  
Four-wire mode  
Function Input Value  
128  
129  
130  
131  
Two-wire mode: DTR with echo  
Two-wire mode: DTR controlled  
Two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control  
For example, to set TXRDY two-wire auto control mode, use the  
following code:  
ULONG TranceiverMode = 131;  
DeviceIoControl(hDevice,  
IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE,(PVOID)  
&TransceiverMode,sizeof(ULONG),lpOutBuffer,  
nOutBufferSize,lpBytesReturned,lpOverlapped);  
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A
Serial Port Information  
This appendix describes the RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 standards  
and explains some of the issues involved with these types of serial  
communication.  
Table A-1 lists the features of the RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 standards.  
Table A-1. RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 Features  
Feature  
Type of  
RS-232  
RS-422  
RS-485  
Single ended Differential  
Differential  
transmission lines  
Maximum number  
of drivers  
1
1
32  
Maximum number  
of receivers  
1
10  
32  
Maximum cable  
length  
50 ft  
4,000 ft  
4,000 ft  
Maximum data rate  
Maximum CMV  
Driver output  
20 kbytes/s  
25 V  
10 Mbytes/s  
7 V  
10 Mbytes/s  
+12 to –7 V  
1.5 to 6 V  
60 Ω  
5 to 25 V  
> 3 kΩ  
2 to 6 V  
100 Ω  
Driver load  
RS-232  
As specified in the ANSI/EIA-232-D Standard, Interface Between Data  
Terminal Equipment and Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment Employing  
Serial Binary Data Interchange, RS-232 standardizes serial  
communication between computers, and between computer terminals and  
modems. Most applications use the RS-232 standard to interface  
peripherals to personal computers. RS-232 uses transmission lines in which  
the state of each signal is represented by referencing the voltage level of a  
single line to ground. RS-232 was designed for serial communication up to  
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Serial Port Information  
distances of 50 ft and with data rates up to 20 kbytes/s. However, because  
of improvements in line drivers and cabling, you can usually increase the  
actual performance of the bus past the limitations on speed and distance  
recommended in the specification.  
RS-422  
As specified in the EIA/RS-422-A Standard, Electrical Characteristics of  
Balanced Voltage Digital Interface Circuits, RS-422 defines a serial  
interface much like RS-232. However, RS-422 uses balanced  
(or differential) transmission lines. Balanced transmission lines use two  
transmission lines for each signal. The state of each signal is represented,  
not by a voltage level on one line referenced to ground as in RS-232, but  
rather by the relative voltage of the two lines to each other. For example,  
the TX signal is carried on two wires, wire A and wire B. A logical 1 is  
represented by the voltage on line A being greater than the voltage on  
line B. A logical 0 is represented by the voltage on line A being less than  
the voltage on line B. Differential voltage transmission creates a signal that  
is more immune to noise as well as voltage loss due to transmission line  
effects. Thus, you can use RS-422 for longer distances (up to 4,000 ft) and  
greater transmission speeds (up to 10 Mbytes/s) than RS-232.  
RS-485  
As specified in the EIA-485 Standard, Standard for Electrical  
Characteristics of Generators and Receivers for Use in Balanced Digital  
Multipoint Systems, RS-485 expands on the RS-422 standard by increasing  
the number of devices you can use from 10 to 32 and by working with  
half-duplex bus architectures. Unlike the RS-422 standard, RS-485  
addresses the issue of using multiple transmitters on the same line. RS-485  
defines the electrical characteristics necessary to ensure adequate signal  
voltages under maximum load, short-circuit protection. RS-485 can also  
withstand multiple drivers driving conflicting signals at the same time.  
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Serial Port Information  
Serial Communication Issues  
This section explains some serial communication issues, including duplex  
architectures, termination methods, bias resistors, and types of connecting  
equipment.  
Duplex Architectures  
Duplex refers to the means of bandwidth usage in a serial system. The two  
common means of bi-directional serial communication are full duplex and  
half duplex. Half-duplex communication involves a transmitter and a  
receiver connected to each end of the same wire or pair of wires. Because  
the same transmission line both sends and receives data, devices cannot  
send data in both directions at the same time. First, one device transmits  
over the wire(s) to the receiver of the second device. When the first device  
finishes transmitting, both devices switch the connections from their  
transmitter to their receiver, or vice versa. The device that was receiving  
data can then transmit over the line.  
In full-duplex communication, the devices use a separate wire (or pair of  
wires) for simultaneous transmission in each direction. Thus, the devices  
do not switch between transmitting and receiving.  
In a differential serial bus (such as RS-422 or RS-485), a half-duplex  
system transmits and receives over the same twisted pair of wires.  
Thus, half-duplex communication is often referred to as two-wire  
communications. Likewise, full-duplex communication is often referred  
to as four-wire communications, because the full-duplex system uses a  
separate pair of wires for communication in each direction.  
Full Duplex  
A typical full-duplex multidrop bus architecture involves a master-slave  
protocol. Only one device, the master, can control access to the bus. All  
other devices are slaves. Slave devices must wait for the master to give them  
access to the bus. In a typical full-duplex system, one transmission line  
connects the bus master transmitter to all of the slave receivers. A second  
transmission line connects all of the slave transmitters to the bus master  
receiver. Because each transmission line has two separate wires, a  
full-duplex system is often referred to as a four-wire system. Figure A-1  
shows a typical full-duplex system.  
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Slave 1  
Slave 2  
Slave n  
Tx  
Tx  
Tx  
Rx  
Rx  
Rx  
Tx  
Rx  
Figure A-1. Typical Full-Duplex System  
Half Duplex  
A typical half-duplex multidrop bus architecture also involves a  
master-slave protocol. However, in a half-duplex system, all transmitters  
and receivers are connected to the same transmission line. A half-duplex  
system is often referred to as a two-wire system. Figure A-2 shows a typical  
half-duplex system.  
Slave 1  
Slave 2  
Slave n  
Tx  
Tx  
Tx  
Rx  
Rx  
Rx  
Tx  
Rx  
Figure A-2. Typical Half-Duplex System  
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Termination  
Because each differential pair of wires is a transmission line, you must  
properly terminate the line to prevent reflections. A common method of  
terminating a two-wire multidrop RS-485 network is to install terminating  
resistors at each end of the multidrop network. If you daisy-chained  
multiple instruments together, you need a terminating resistor at only the  
first and last instruments. The terminating resistor should match the  
characteristic impedance of the transmission line (typically 100 to 120 Ω).  
You can order an optional DB-9 RS-485 termination connector that  
contains embedded terminating resistors for easy termination from  
National Instruments. For ordering information, contact National  
Instruments.  
Figure A-3 shows a multidrop network using terminating resistors.  
Slave 1  
Slave 2  
Slave n  
Tx  
Tx  
Tx  
Rx  
Rx  
Rx  
Tx  
Rx  
100 Ω  
100 Ω  
Figure A-3. Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors  
DTE vs. DCE  
In the RS-232 specification, DTE (Data Terminal Equipment) and DCE  
(Data Communications Equipment)1 refer to the types of equipment on  
either end of a serial connection. In general, DTE and DCE refer to  
computer equipment and modems, respectively. Because the RS-232  
specification mainly involves connecting a DTE directly to a DCE and vice  
versa, the pinouts are defined so that cabling is simple. That is, a cable  
connected a computer to a modem by wiring pin 1 to pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2,  
and so on. This method is known as straight-through cabling.  
Figure A-4 shows straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE interface.  
1
In Revision D of the RS-232 specification, a DCE is a Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment.  
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Rx D  
Pin 2  
Rx D  
Tx D  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
DTE  
DCE  
DCE  
DTE  
Tx D  
Pin 3  
Figure A-4. Straight-Through Cabling in a DTE-to-DCE Interface  
Straight-through cabling is still the standard method to connect a modem to  
your PC. However, because many applications use serial communication to  
connect two or more DTEs without modems, the cabling becomes more  
complicated. If two DTEs are wired together using a straight-through cable,  
one transmitter is connected to the other transmitter, and one receiver is  
connected to the other receiver. In this setup, no transmissions can occur.  
Thus, these applications must use a cabling scheme that connects the  
transmitter on one device to the receiver on the other device and vice versa.  
This method is known as null-modem cabling, because it replaces the two  
modems that traditional RS-232 applications would require between the  
two DTEs. To communicate from one serial port to another, use a  
null-modem cable.  
Figure A-5 shows null-modem cabling in a DTE-to-DTE interface.  
Rx D  
Tx D  
Rx D  
Tx D  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
DTE  
DTE  
Figure A-5. Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface  
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B
Uninstalling the  
Hardware and Software  
This appendix describes how to uninstall your serial hardware and the  
NI-Serial software.  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before physically removing the serial hardware, you must remove the  
hardware information from the Windows Me/9x Device Manager.  
Follow these steps to uninstall the hardware:  
1. Double-click on the System icon under Start»Settings»Control  
Panel. The System Properties dialog box appears.  
2. Select the Device Manager tab.  
3. Click on the View devices by type button.  
4. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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Appendix B  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Select the National Instruments port to remove from the list of ports,  
as shown in Figure B-1.  
Figure B-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
6. Click on the Remove button.  
Note To remove ports on two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards from within the Device  
Multi-function adapters  
Manager, you must open the  
interface, and click on the  
class, select the name of your  
Remove  
button.  
Confirm Device Removal  
7. In the  
dialog box, click on the OK button  
Cancel  
to remove this interface or click on  
to cancel your request.  
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Appendix B  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
Uninstall the Software  
Before uninstalling the software, remove all serial port information from  
the Windows Me/9x Device Manager, as described in the previous section.  
You do not need to shut down Windows Me/9x before uninstalling the  
software.  
Complete the following steps to remove the NI-Serial software:  
»
»
1. Select Start Settings Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel  
to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. A dialog box similar to  
the one in Figure B-2 appears. This dialog box lists the software  
available for removal.  
Figure B-2. Add/Remove Programs Properties Dialog Box  
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Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
3. Select the serial software you want to remove, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstall program runs and removes all  
folders, programs, VxDs, DLLs, and registry entries associated with  
the NI-Serial software. Figure B-3 shows the results of a successful  
uninstallation.  
4. Remove your PCMCIA card from your computer.  
Figure B-3. Successful Uninstallation  
If you want to reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 2,  
Installation and Verification.  
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C
Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions  
This appendix describes how to troubleshoot problems and answers some  
common questions.  
Freeing an Interrupt Request Level  
To free an interrupt request level for your serial port, you must disable the  
device that is using the interrupt request level. To view the system-wide  
allocation of interrupt request resources and remove a device, complete the  
following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Device Manager tab.  
3. Double-click on the Computer icon and click on the View  
Resources tab.  
4. Click on the Interrupt Request (IRQ) button. Scan through the list of  
IRQ settings to determine which devices are using which interrupt  
request levels.  
5. When you locate a device that you are not currently using, click on the  
Cancel button.  
Device Manager  
6. In the  
tab, double-click on the icon for that device.  
7. In the Device usage field, a checkmark appears to the left of the current  
configuration, usually Original Configuration (Current). Click on  
the checkbox to remove the checkmark.  
Resources  
8. Click on the  
tab and make sure that Use automatic settings  
is unchecked.  
9. Repeat steps 7 through 9 for each unused device.  
10. Click on the OK button to save your changes.  
11. Restart Windows Me/9x to assign resources to your serial port. Then,  
complete step 6 in the Verify the Installation section of Chapter 2,  
Installation and Verification.  
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Appendix C  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Selecting Conflict-Free Resources  
When the Device Manager indicates a conflict with another device, you can  
usually correct the problem by manually selecting conflict-free resources.  
To do so, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Device Manager tab and click on the View devices by  
type button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, double-click on the serial  
interface that you want to change.  
5. Click on the Resources tab.  
Note To change the resources of ports on two-port or four-port PCMCIA cards from  
Multi-function adapters  
within the Device Manager, you must open the  
double-click on the name of your interface. Use the  
class and  
Resources  
page to change the  
resources. Any resource changes are automatically reflected to the child devices.  
6. Uncheck the Use automatic settings checkbox and click on the  
Change Setting button. If the system does not allow you to change the  
settings, select the configuration that gives you a conflict-free base  
address and interrupt level from the Setting based on list box.  
7. Click on the OK button to save your changes.  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages  
This section lists possible Diagnostic error messages, along with solutions.  
•
If the No National Instruments serial port founderror  
message appears, refer to Chapter 2, Installation and Verification, and  
follow these troubleshooting steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources.  
Driver  
2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, the  
tab in the Device  
Manager gives you the information about the driver installed.  
Verify that the National Instruments serial driver is installed for  
the port.  
3. If either the serial hardware or niserial.vxdfile is missing,  
reinstall the hardware and software. You can find niserial.vxd  
in the \Windows\systemdirectory.  
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Appendix C  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
•
If the utility reports fewer ports installed than it should, refer to  
Chapter 2, Installation and Verification, and follow these  
troubleshooting steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources.  
2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, the Driver tab in the Device  
Manager gives you the information about the driver installed.  
Verify that the National Instruments serial driver is installed for  
the port.  
3. Check the hardware installation to make sure the correct number  
of boards/ports are installed.  
•
•
If the I/O address test failed, Interrupt test cannot  
be performederror message appears, verify the hardware resources  
as described in Chapter 2, Installation and Verification. If the test still  
fails, you probably have an I/O address conflict with legacy boards.  
Refer to the next section, Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy  
Boards.  
If the Interrupt test failederror message appears, verify the  
hardware resources as described in Chapter 2, Installation and  
Verification. If the test still fails, you probably have an interrupt level  
conflict with legacy boards. Refer to the next section, Resolving  
Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards.  
Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards  
Resource conflicts typically occur if your system contains legacy boards  
that use resources that are not reserved properly. If a resource conflict  
exists, write down the resource that caused the conflict and refer to the  
Microsoft Windows Me/9x user’s guide for instructions on how to use the  
Device Manager to reserve I/O and IRQ resources for legacy boards.  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware  
If Windows does not detect your serial hardware correctly, or you have been  
using your serial hardware with the default Windows serial driver or an  
older version of the NI-Serial software, Windows does not display the New  
Hardware Found dialog box. To fix this problem, follow these steps:  
1. Select  
.
Start»Settings»Control Panel  
2. Double-click on the  
icon.  
tab.  
System  
3. Select the  
Device Manager  
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Appendix C  
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4. Click on the View devices by type button.  
5. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display a list of all  
ports that Windows recognizes. If you have previously installed a  
Other Devices  
, where Windows  
PCMCIA serial card, double-click on  
lists the ports it does not recognize.  
Multifunction  
Note To remove ports on two- or four-port cards, you must open the  
adapter  
Remove  
button.  
class, select the name of the interface, and click on the  
6. Select a National Instruments port name from the list of ports that  
corresponds to a serial port (for example, COM 5, COM 6, COM 7, or  
COM 8). Figure C-1 shows the Ports list in the Device Manager with  
a port selected.  
Figure C-1. Ports List in Device Manager Tab  
7. Click on the Remove button, and click on OK to confirm the removal  
of the serial hardware information.  
8. Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all serial port entries are removed. Then,  
click on Refresh to force Windows Me/9x to detect serial hardware  
New Hardware Found  
and display the  
dialog box.  
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Appendix C  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Common Questions  
How can I determine which type of serial hardware I have installed?  
1. Select  
and double-click on the  
Start»Settings»Control Panel  
icon.  
System  
2. Click on the  
tab and click on the  
Device Manager  
View devices by  
button.  
type  
3. Double-click on the  
installed ports.  
icon to display a list of  
Ports (COM & LPT)  
How can I determine which version of the NI-Serial software I have  
installed?  
The Read Me file gives the version of the software. To open the file, select  
Start»Programs»National Instruments Serial»Read Me.  
What do I do if the diagnostic test fails with an error?  
Refer to the Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages section earlier in this  
appendix.  
How can I determine which port is associated with COMx?  
Refer to the section Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated with  
COMx, in Chapter 2, Installation and Verification.  
How can I change the COM number of my National Instruments serial  
ports?  
Table C-1 lists standard DOS-base addresses for serial ports.  
Table C-1. Standard DOS-Based Addresses  
COM Port  
COM1  
Base Address  
3f8  
2f8  
3e8  
2e8  
COM2  
COM3  
COM4  
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Appendix C  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
In most cases, Windows Me/9x does not assign names COM1 through  
COM4 to the serial hardware. Rather, it names the ports starting with  
COM5. If you assign any of the base addresses in Table D-1 to a National  
Instruments serial port, Windows Me/9x automatically changes the COM  
port name to the corresponding one listed in this table. You do not need to  
change the IRQ setting for this name change to occur. To change the base  
address, refer to the Selecting Conflict-Free Resources section earlier in  
this appendix.  
How do I change the resources assigned to PCMCIA two-port or  
four-port serial cards?  
Because the two-port PCMCIA cards are single physical devices that  
support multiple ports, they are registered as “multi-function adapters” in  
the Device Manager. Each port is a child device listed under Ports (COM  
& LPT). Windows Me/9x does not allow the resources of the  
multi-function child devices to be changed directly.  
To change the resources of ports on two-port PCMCIA cards from within  
the Device Manager, you must open the Multi-function adapters class and  
double-click on the Multi-function Parent item that corresponds to your  
National Instruments serial interface. Use the Resources page to change  
the resources. Any resource changes are automatically reflected to the child  
devices. Figure C-2 shows the Multi-function adapters class in the Device  
Manager.  
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Figure C-2. Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager  
How do I remove information about PCMCIA two-port or four-port  
serial cards from the Device Manager?  
Because the two-port PCMCIA cards are single physical devices that  
support multiple ports, they are registered as “multi-function adapters”  
in the Device Manager. Each port is a child device listed under Ports  
(COM & LPT). Windows Me/9x does not allow multi-function child  
devices to be removed directly within the Device Manager. You must open  
the Multi-function adapters class as shown in Figure C-2, select your  
interface, and click on the Remove button.  
What is the maximum baud rate supported and how can I set it?  
The maximum baud rate supported is 460.8 Kbaud for RS-485 and  
115.2 Kbaud for RS-232. To set the baud rate, use the SetCommState  
Win32 function and pass the actual value of the baud rate in the BaudRate  
field of the DCB structure.  
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D
Specifications  
This appendix describes the characteristics of the serial hardware, the  
NI-Serial software, along with the recommended operating conditions.  
Hardware Specifications  
Table D-1. Physical Characteristics of the PCMCIA Serial Cards  
Characteristic  
Dimensions  
Specification  
85.6 by 54.0 by 0.5 cm  
(3.370 by 2.126 by 0.197 in.)  
I/O Connector  
Special Cable with DB-9 Dsub  
Connector and Converter for  
PC Card  
Power Requirement  
(from PCMCIA expansion slot)  
PCMCIA-232  
PCMCIA-485  
PCMCIA-232/2  
PCMCIA-485/2  
PCMCIA-232/4  
+5 VDC 40 mA Typical  
+5 VDC 100 mA Typical  
+5 VDC 60 mA Typical  
+5 VDC 100 mA Typical  
+5 VDC 60 mA Typical  
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Appendix D  
Specifications  
Table D-2. Environmental Characteristics of the Serial Hardware  
Characteristic  
Specification  
Operating Environment  
Component Temperature  
Relative Humidity  
0 to 70° C  
10 to 90%, noncondensing  
Storage Environment  
Temperature  
–40 to 120° C  
Relative Humidity  
5 to 90%, noncondensing  
EMI  
FCC Class A Verified  
Software Specifications  
Table D-3. Software Characteristics  
Characteristic  
Maximum Serial Transfer Rate  
Specification  
115,200 bps*  
* Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and  
instrumentation capabilities.  
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E
Technical Support Resources  
Web Support  
National Instruments Web support is your first stop for help in solving  
installation, configuration, and application problems and questions. Online  
problem-solving and diagnostic resources include frequently asked  
questions, knowledge bases, product-specific troubleshooting wizards,  
manuals, drivers, software updates, and more. Web support is available  
through the Technical Support section of ni.com  
NI Developer Zone  
The NI Developer Zone at ni.com/zoneis the essential resource for  
building measurement and automation systems. At the NI Developer Zone,  
you can easily access the latest example programs, system configurators,  
tutorials, technical news, as well as a community of developers ready to  
share their own techniques.  
Customer Education  
National Instruments provides a number of alternatives to satisfy your  
training needs, from self-paced tutorials, videos, and interactive CDs to  
instructor-led hands-on courses at locations around the world. Visit the  
Customer Education section of ni.comfor online course schedules,  
syllabi, training centers, and class registration.  
System Integration  
If you have time constraints, limited in-house technical resources, or other  
dilemmas, you may prefer to employ consulting or system integration  
services. You can rely on the expertise available through our worldwide  
network of Alliance Program members. To find out more about our  
Alliance system integration solutions, visit the System Integration section  
of ni.com  
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Appendix E  
Technical Support Resources  
Worldwide Support  
National Instruments has offices located around the world to help address  
your support needs. You can access our branch office Web sites from the  
Worldwide Offices section of ni.com. Branch office Web sites provide  
up-to-date contact information, support phone numbers, e-mail addresses,  
and current events.  
If you have searched the technical support resources on our Web site and  
still cannot find the answers you need, contact your local office or National  
Instruments corporate. Phone numbers for our worldwide offices are listed  
at the front of this manual.  
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Glossary  
Prefix  
p-  
Meaning  
pico-  
Value  
10–12  
10–9  
10– 6  
10–3  
103  
n-  
nano-  
micro-  
milli-  
kilo-  
µ-  
m-  
k-  
M-  
G-  
t-  
mega-  
giga-  
106  
109  
tera-  
1012  
°
degrees  
ohms  
Ω
%
percent  
amperes  
A
ANSI  
b
American National Standards Institute  
bits  
B
bytes  
baud  
bps  
C
bits per second  
bits per second  
Celsius  
COM  
CTS  
DB-xx  
Computer Output Microform; used in reference to a communication port  
clear to send  
subminiature D connector, where xx is the number of pins  
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Glossary  
DCD  
DCE  
DLL  
DMA  
DSR  
DTE  
DTR  
duplex  
EIA  
EMI  
FCC  
FIFO  
ft  
data carrier detect  
data communications equipment or data circuit-terminating equipment  
dynamic link library  
direct memory access  
data set ready  
data terminal equipment  
data terminal ready—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low  
the means of bandwidth usage in a serial system  
Electronic Industries Association  
electromagnetic interference  
Federal Communications Commission  
First-In-First-Out  
feet  
GND  
HSI  
ground  
handshake input  
HSO  
Hz  
handshake output  
Hertz  
IEEE  
in.  
Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers  
inches  
I/O  
input/output  
IRQ  
ISA  
interrupt request  
Industry Standard Architecture  
kilobits per second  
meters  
Kbaud  
m
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Glossary  
MB  
megabytes of memory  
PC  
personal computer  
PCI  
Peripheral Components Interconnect  
RAM  
RI  
random-access memory  
ring indicator  
RTS  
RX  
request to send  
receive  
RXD  
s
receive data—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low  
seconds  
SCSI  
TX  
Small Computer Systems Interface  
transmit  
TXD  
TXRDY  
UART  
V
transmit data—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low  
transmit ready—the overscore denotes that the signal is active low  
Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter  
volts  
VDC  
VXI  
Win16  
Win32  
volts direct current  
VME eXtensions for Instrumentation  
describes a 16-bit Windows application  
describes a 32-bit Windows application  
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Index  
naming National Instruments serial  
ports, C-5  
A
add/remove programs properties dialog box  
(figure), 2-1, B-3  
removing information about PCMCIA serial  
cards from the device manager, C-7  
communication port settings, 3-1  
viewing or changing, 3-1  
configuration, 3-1  
conflict-free resources, C-2  
selecting, C-2  
connecting cables, 2-8  
advanced port settings, 3-3  
dialog box (figure), 3-3  
transceiver mode, 3-4  
using FIFO buffers, 3-4  
advanced transceiver control for the  
PCMCIA-485, 4-1  
four-wire mode, 4-2  
connecting two-wire devices, 2-9  
conventions, xi  
customer education, E-1  
setting transceiver control mode, 4-3  
transceiver mode control modes (table), 4-2  
two-wire mode: DTR controlled, 4-2  
two-wire mode: DTR with Echo, 4-2  
two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control, 4-3  
D
data bits, 3-3  
DB-9  
B
pin descriptions (table), 2-8  
pin locations (figure), 2-8  
DCE vs. DTE, A-5  
bits per second, 3-3  
default restoration, 3-4  
determining port associated with COMx,  
2-7, C-5  
determining type of serial hardware  
installed, C-5  
determining version of NI-Serial software  
installed, C-5  
development tools for saving time, 1-4  
device manager tab for PCMCIA serial card  
ports incorrectly installed (figure), 2-6  
device manager tab ports list (figure), 2-5, C-4  
DeviceloControl, 4-4  
C
cable connection, 2-8  
changing communication port settings, 3-1  
changing resources assigned to PCMCIA serial  
cards, C-6  
common questions, C-5  
changing resources assigned to PCMCIA  
serial cards, C-6  
determining port associated with  
COMx, C-5  
determining type of serial hardware  
installed, C-5  
determining version of NI-Serial software  
installed, C-5  
input values (table), 4-4  
setting transceiver mode with, 4-4  
diagnostic messages, C-2  
troubleshooting, C-2  
diagnostic test failure, C-5  
maximum supported baud rate, C-7  
diagnostic test failure, C-5  
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Index  
DOS-based addresses (table), C-5  
DTE vs. DCE, A-5  
I
installation  
DTE-to-DCE interface, A-6  
straight-through cabling in (figure), A-6  
DTE-to-DTE interface, A-6  
null-modem cabling in (figure), A-6  
duplex architectures, A-3  
full duplex, A-3  
determining port associated with  
COMx, 2-7  
getting started, 1-2  
running the diagnostic test, 2-7  
serial hardware, 2-3  
serial software, 2-1  
verification, 2-1  
half duplex, A-4  
verifying hardware installation, 2-4  
verifying hardware resources, 2-6  
interrupt request level, C-1  
freeing, C-1  
E
environmental characteristics, D-2  
introduction, 1-1  
F
FIFO buffers, 3-4  
flow control, 3-3  
forcing Windows to detect hardware, C-3  
four-wire mode, 4-2  
freeing an interrupt request level, C-1  
full duplex, A-3  
L
LabVIEW, 1-4  
using with serial hardware, 1-4  
LabWindows/CVI, 1-4  
using with serial hardware, 1-4  
legacy boards, C-3  
full-duplex system (figure), A-4  
resolving resource conflicts with, C-3  
G
M
general programming requirements, 4-1  
getting started, 1-2  
maximum supported baud rate, C-7  
multidrop network using terminating resistors  
(figure), A-5  
glossary, G-1  
multi-function adapter class in the Device  
Manager (figure), C-7  
H
half duplex, A-4  
half-duplex system (figure), A-4  
hardware installation, 2-3  
getting started, 1-2  
verification, 2-4  
hardware resources, verification, 2-6  
N
naming National Instruments serial ports, C-5  
standard DOS-based addresses  
(table), C-5  
National Instruments Web support, E-1  
NI Developer Zone, E-1  
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I-2  
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Index  
NI-Serial setup screen (figure), 2-2  
null-modem cabling in a DTE-to-DTE  
interface (figure), A-6  
R
related documentation, xii  
removing information about PCMCIA serial  
cards from the device manager, C-7  
resolving resource conflicts with legacy  
boards, C-3  
restoring defaults, 3-4  
RS-232 standard, A-1  
O
optional equipment, 1-2  
overview of serial hardware, 1-2  
overview of serial software, 1-3  
features (table), A-1  
RS-422 standard, A-2  
features (table), A-1  
RS-485 standard, A-2  
features (table), A-1  
running the diagnostic test, 2-7  
P
parity, 3-3  
PCMCIA-485  
advanced transceiver control for, 4-1  
setting transceiver control mode, 4-3  
transceiver mode control modes  
(table), 4-2  
S
selecting an interface to uninstall (figure), B-2  
selecting conflict-free resources, C-2  
serial communication issues, A-3  
DTE vs. DCE, A-5  
duplex architectures, A-3  
termination, A-5  
serial hardware  
two-wire mode: DTR controlled, 4-2  
two-wire mode: DTR with Echo, 4-2  
two-wire mode: TXRDY auto  
control, 4-3  
physical characteristics, D-1  
pin descriptions  
DB-9  
forcing Windows to detect, C-3  
general programming requirements, 4-1  
installation, 2-3  
overview, 1-2  
selecting an interface to uninstall  
(figure), B-2  
connector pin descriptions  
(table), 2-8  
connector pin locations  
(figure), 2-8  
port settings tab, 3-2  
figure, 3-2  
uninstalling, B-1  
using, 4-1  
options  
advanced port settings, 3-3  
bits per second, 3-3  
data bits, 3-3  
flow control, 3-3  
parity, 3-3  
using with LabVIEW and  
LabWindows/CVI, 1-4  
serial port information, A-1  
serial software  
add/remove programs properties dialog  
box (figure), B-3  
installation, 2-1  
stop bits, 3-3  
restore defaults button, 3-4  
ports list in device manager tab (figure), C-4  
overview, 1-3  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
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Index  
successful uninstallation (figure), B-4  
uninstalling, B-3  
two-wire devices, 2-9  
connecting, 2-9  
setting transceiver control mode, 4-3  
setting with DeviceloControl, 4-4  
setup screen for NI-Serial software  
(figure), 2-2  
typical full-duplex system (figure), A-4  
typical half-duplex system (figure), A-4  
U
software installation, 2-1  
uninstalling serial hardware, B-1  
uninstalling serial software, B-3  
using FIFO buffers, 3-4  
getting started, 1-2  
software specifications, D-2  
specifications, D-1  
using serial hardware, 4-1  
using this manual, 1-1  
environmental characteristics, D-2  
physical characteristics, D-1  
software specifications, D-2  
standard DOS-based addresses (table), C-5  
stop bits, 3-3  
V
verifying hardware installation, 2-4  
verifying hardware resources, 2-6  
viewing or changing communication port  
settings, 3-1  
straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE  
interface (figure), A-6  
successful uninstallation (figure), B-4  
system integration, by National  
Instruments, E-1  
W
T
Web support from National Instruments, E-1  
Win32 Overviews and Win32 Reference, 4-1  
Win32 Software Development Kit, 4-1  
worldwide technical support, E-2  
technical support resources, E-1  
termination, A-5  
multidrop network using terminating  
resistors (figure), A-5  
time-saving development tools, 1-4  
transceiver control modes (table), 4-2  
transceiver mode, 3-4  
setting with DeviceloControl, 4-4  
transceiver mode control bytes (figure), 4-3  
troubleshooting, C-1  
diagnostic messages, C-2  
forcing Windows to detect your  
hardware, C-3  
freeing an interrupt request level, C-1  
resolving resource conflicts with legacy  
boards, C-3  
selecting conflict-free resources, C-2  
PCMCIA Serial for Windows Me/9x  
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