National Instruments Computer Hardware Serial Hardware and Software for Windows User Manual User Manual
Serial  
Serial Hardware and  
Software for Windows  
User Manual  
PCI, PXI™, PCMCIA, and AT  
Serial Hardware  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
December 2000 Edition  
Part Number 322983A-01  
 
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™, ni.com™, and PXI™ 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.  
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.  
•
•
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.  
Contents  
About This Manual  
Conventions ...................................................................................................................xiii  
Related Documentation..................................................................................................xiv  
Chapter 1  
Introduction  
How to Use This Manual...............................................................................................1-1  
What You Need to Get Started ......................................................................................1-2  
Optional Equipment.......................................................................................................1-3  
Serial Hardware Overview.............................................................................................1-3  
PCI Kits ...........................................................................................................1-3  
PXI Kits...........................................................................................................1-4  
PCMCIA Kits..................................................................................................1-6  
AT Kits............................................................................................................1-6  
NI-Serial Software Overview ........................................................................................1-8  
Time-Saving Development Tools..................................................................................1-8  
Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Windows 2000 ...............................................................................................................2-1  
Install the Software..........................................................................................2-1  
Install the Hardware ........................................................................................2-2  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................2-4  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................2-5  
Windows Me/9x.............................................................................................................2-9  
Install the Software..........................................................................................2-9  
Install the Hardware ........................................................................................2-10  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................2-12  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................2-14  
Windows NT..................................................................................................................2-18  
Install the Software..........................................................................................2-18  
Install the Hardware ........................................................................................2-18  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................2-20  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................2-21  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Contents  
Chapter 3  
PXI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Windows 2000............................................................................................................... 3-1  
Install the Software ......................................................................................... 3-1  
Install the Hardware........................................................................................ 3-2  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 3-4  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 3-5  
Windows Me/9x............................................................................................................. 3-9  
Install the Software ......................................................................................... 3-9  
Install the Hardware........................................................................................ 3-10  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 3-11  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 3-13  
Windows NT ................................................................................................................. 3-17  
Install the Software ......................................................................................... 3-17  
Install the Hardware........................................................................................ 3-17  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 3-19  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 3-20  
Chapter 4  
PCMCIA Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Windows 2000............................................................................................................... 4-1  
Install the Software ......................................................................................... 4-1  
Install the Hardware........................................................................................ 4-2  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 4-3  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 4-5  
Windows Me/9x............................................................................................................. 4-8  
Install the Software ......................................................................................... 4-8  
Install the Hardware........................................................................................ 4-9  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 4-10  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 4-13  
Windows NT ................................................................................................................. 4-16  
Install the NI-Serial Software ......................................................................... 4-16  
Install the PCMCIA Serial Hardware ............................................................. 4-17  
Verify the Installation ..................................................................................... 4-18  
Configure Communication Port Settings ........................................................ 4-19  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Contents  
Chapter 5  
AT Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Windows 2000 ...............................................................................................................5-1  
Install the Software..........................................................................................5-1  
Install the Hardware ........................................................................................5-2  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................5-4  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................5-5  
Windows Me/9x.............................................................................................................5-9  
Install the Software..........................................................................................5-9  
Install the Hardware ........................................................................................5-10  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................5-12  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................5-14  
Windows NT..................................................................................................................5-18  
Installing the Microsoft PnP ISA Enabler Driver............................................5-18  
Install the NI-Serial Software..........................................................................5-19  
Install the Serial Hardware ..............................................................................5-19  
Verify the Installation......................................................................................5-21  
Configure Communication Port Settings.........................................................5-22  
Chapter 6  
Using Your Serial Hardware  
General Programming Requirements.............................................................................6-1  
Advanced Transceiver Control for the PCI/PXI/PCMCIA/AT-485 Boards .................6-1  
Four-Wire Mode..............................................................................................6-2  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR with Echo...................................................................6-2  
Two-Wire Mode: DTR Controlled..................................................................6-2  
Two-Wire Mode: TXRDY Auto Control ........................................................6-3  
Setting the Transceiver Control Mode ............................................................6-3  
Setting the Transceiver Mode with DeviceIoControl......................................6-4  
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
Appendix B  
Serial Port Information  
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
© National Instruments Corporation  
ix  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Contents  
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Appendix E  
Specifications  
Appendix F  
Technical Support Resources  
Glossary  
Index  
Figures  
Figure 2-1.  
Figure 2-2.  
Figure 2-3.  
Figure 2-4.  
Figure 2-5.  
Figure 2-6.  
Figure 2-7.  
Figure 2-8.  
Figure 2-9.  
PCI Serial Board Installation ................................................................ 2-3  
Device Manager for PCI Serial Board Ports......................................... 2-4  
Port Settings Tab................................................................................... 2-7  
Advanced Settings Dialog Box............................................................. 2-8  
PCI Serial Board Installation ................................................................ 2-11  
Device Manager Tab for PCI Serial Board Ports.................................. 2-13  
Port Settings Tab................................................................................... 2-16  
Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box ..................................................... 2-17  
Installing the PCI Serial Board ............................................................. 2-19  
Figure 2-10. niports Configuration Utility................................................................. 2-21  
Figure 2-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................... 2-22  
Figure 3-1.  
Figure 3-2.  
Figure 3-3.  
Figure 3-4.  
Figure 3-5.  
Figure 3-6.  
Figure 3-7.  
Figure 3-8.  
Figure 3-9.  
Installing the PXI Serial Board............................................................. 3-3  
Device Manager for PXI Serial Board Ports......................................... 3-4  
Port Settings Tab................................................................................... 3-7  
Advanced Settings Dialog Box............................................................. 3-8  
Installing the PXI Serial Board............................................................. 3-10  
Device Manager for PXI Serial Board Ports......................................... 3-12  
Port Settings Tab................................................................................... 3-15  
Advanced Settings Dialog Box............................................................. 3-16  
Installing the PXI Serial Board............................................................. 3-18  
Figure 3-10. niports Configuration Utility................................................................. 3-20  
Figure 3-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................... 3-21  
Figure 4-1.  
Figure 4-2.  
Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card .......................................................... 4-3  
Device Manager for PCMCIA Serial Card Ports.................................. 4-4  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
x
ni.com  
Contents  
Figure 4-3.  
Figure 4-4.  
Figure 4-5.  
Figure 4-6.  
Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................4-6  
Advanced Settings Dialog Box .............................................................4-7  
Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card...........................................................4-10  
Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card  
Correctly Installed .................................................................................4-11  
Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................4-14  
Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................4-15  
Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card...........................................................4-17  
Figure 4-7.  
Figure 4-8.  
Figure 4-9.  
Figure 4-10. niports Configuration Utility.................................................................4-19  
Figure 4-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box .........................................................4-20  
Figure 4-12. Resource Configuration Dialog Box for the PCMCIA-485..................4-22  
Figure 4-13. Resource Configuration Dialog Box for the PCMCIA-485/2...............4-23  
Figure 5-1.  
Figure 5-2.  
Figure 5-3.  
Figure 5-4.  
Figure 5-5.  
Figure 5-6.  
AT Serial Board Installation..................................................................5-3  
Device Manager for AT Serial Board Ports ..........................................5-4  
Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................5-7  
Advanced Settings Dialog Box .............................................................5-8  
AT Serial Board Installation..................................................................5-11  
Device Manager Ports List for AT Serial Board  
Correctly Installed .................................................................................5-13  
Port Settings Tab ...................................................................................5-16  
Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box......................................................5-17  
AT Serial Board Installation..................................................................5-20  
Figure 5-7.  
Figure 5-8.  
Figure 5-9.  
Figure 5-10. niports Configuration Utility.................................................................5-22  
Figure 5-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box .........................................................5-23  
Figure 5-12. PnP Port Configuration Dialog Box for the AT-232/4..........................5-25  
Figure A-1. DB-9 Connector Pin Locations .............................................................A-2  
Figure A-2. 10-Position Modular Jack Pin Locations...............................................A-3  
Figure A-3. DB-25 Connector Pin Locations ...........................................................A-4  
Figure A-4. Connecting the Cables to Your Four-Port PCI Serial Board.................A-5  
Figure A-5. 68-Pin Connector Pin Locations............................................................A-6  
Figure A-6. 100-Pin Connector Pin Locations..........................................................A-8  
Figure B-1.  
Figure B-2.  
Figure B-3.  
Figure B-4.  
Figure B-5.  
Figure B-6.  
Typical Full-Duplex System .................................................................B-4  
Typical Half-Duplex System.................................................................B-4  
Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors.................................B-5  
Transmission Line Using Bias Resistors...............................................B-6  
Straight-Through Cabling in a DTE-to-DCE Interface.........................B-7  
Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface................................B-7  
Figure C-1.  
Figure C-2.  
Figure C-3.  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall ........................................................C-2  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall ........................................................C-4  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall ........................................................C-5  
© National Instruments Corporation  
xi  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Contents  
Figure C-4.  
Figure C-5.  
Figure C-6.  
Figure C-7.  
Figure C-8.  
Figure C-9.  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-7  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-9  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-10  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-12  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-14  
Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-16  
Figure C-10. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-17  
Figure C-11. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-19  
Figure C-12. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ C-21  
Figure D-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall........................................................ D-2  
Figure D-2. Ports List in Device Manager ............................................................... D-12  
Figure D-3. Ports List in Device Manager ............................................................... D-14  
Figure D-4. Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager......................... D-17  
Tables  
Table 1-1.  
PXI Board Names and Descriptions .................................................... 1-5  
Table 6-1.  
Table 6-2.  
Table 6-3.  
Transceiver Control Modes................................................................... 6-2  
Transceiver Mode Control Bytes.......................................................... 6-4  
DeviceIoControl Function Input Values .............................................. 6-5  
Table A-1.  
Table A-2.  
Table A-3.  
Table A-4.  
Table A-5.  
DB-9 Pin Descriptions .......................................................................... A-2  
10-Position Modular Jack Pin Descriptions.......................................... A-3  
DB-25 Pin Descriptions ........................................................................ A-4  
68-Pin Connector Pin Descriptions....................................................... A-7  
100-Pin Connector Pin Descriptions..................................................... A-9  
Table B-1.  
Table D-1.  
RS-232, RS-422, and RS-485 Features................................................. B-1  
Standard DOS-Based Addresses........................................................... D-15  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
xii  
ni.com  
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 2000/NT/Me/9x. This manual includes information about the  
following serial hardware:  
•
PCI-232/2, PCI-232/4, PCI-232/8, PCI-232/16, PCI-485/2,  
PCI-485/4, and PCI-485/8 boards in both isolated and nonisolated  
versions  
•
PXI-8420 (two, four, eight, and 16 port), PXI-8421 (two, four, and  
eight port), PXI-8422 (two and four port), and PXI-8423 (two and  
four port)  
•
•
PCMCIA-232, PCMCIA-232/2, PCMCIA-232/4, PCMCIA-485, and  
PCMCIA-485/2  
AT-232/2, AT-232/4, AT-485/2, and AT-485/4 boards in both isolated  
and nonisolated versions  
This manual assumes that you are already familiar with  
Windows 2000/NT/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.  
♦
The ♦ symbol indicates that the following text applies only to a specific  
product, a specific operating system, or a specific software version.  
This icon denotes a note, which alerts you to important information.  
This icon denotes a caution, which advises you of precautions to take to  
avoid injury, data loss, or a system crash.  
AT serial boards  
AT serial boards refers to all port versions of the AT serial boards.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
xiii  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
About This Manual  
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.  
PCI serial boards  
PCI serial boards refers to all port versions of the PCI serial boards.  
PCMCIA serial boards refers to all versions of the PCMCIA serial boards.  
PXI serial boards refers to all port versions of the PXI serial boards.  
PCMCIA serial boards  
PXI serial boards  
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, Microsoft Programmer’s Guide  
to Windows 98/95, and Microsoft Windows NT System Guide,  
Microsoft Corporation  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
xiv  
ni.com  
   
About This Manual  
•
•
NS16550AF Universal Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with  
FIFOs, National Semiconductor  
ST16C654 Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitter with FIFOs,  
EXAR Corporation  
© National Instruments Corporation  
xv  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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  
Chapters  
2, 3, 4, and 5  
No  
Troubleshooting  
Passes?  
Yes  
Configure the Serial Port  
Learn About Transceiver  
Control Modes  
Chapter 6  
Review Programming  
Requirements  
Write Application Program  
© National Instruments Corporation  
1-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
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 2000/NT/Me/9x installed on your computer  
❑ One of the following serial boards, which is included in your kit:  
PCI Kits  
–
–
–
–
PCI-232 (two, four, eight, or 16 port)  
PCI-485 (two, four, or eight port)  
PCI-232 isolated (two or four port)  
PCI-485 isolated (two or four port)  
PXI Kits  
–
–
–
–
PXI-8420 (two, four, eight, or 16 port)  
PXI-8421 (two, four, or eight port)  
PXI-8422 (two or four port)  
PXI-8423 (two or four port)  
PCMCIA Kits  
–
–
PCMCIA-232 (one, two, or four port)  
PCMCIA-485 (one or two port)  
AT Kits  
–
–
–
–
AT-232 (two or four port)  
AT-485 (two or four port)  
AT-232 (two or four port) isolated  
AT-485 (two or four port) isolated  
❑ CD, NI-Serial Software for Windows 2000/NT/Me/9x, which is  
included in your kit  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Optional Equipment  
For more information about ordering the following optional equipment,  
contact National Instruments:  
•
•
•
DB-9 RS-485 termination connector (PCI-485, PCMCIA-485,  
PXI-8421, PXI-8423, and AT-485 only)  
10-position modular jack to DB-9 cable (PCI, PXI, and AT four-port  
boards only)  
10-position modular jack to DB-25 cable (PCI, PXI, and AT four-port  
boards only)  
•
•
•
•
•
68-pin to DB-9 adapter cable (PCI and PXI eight-port boards only)  
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  
Breakout box (PCI/PXI-232 16-port board only)  
Serial Hardware Overview  
PCI Kits  
The serial hardware gives you a variety of solutions for serial  
communication. The PCI-232 boards work with the RS-232 protocols, and  
the PCI-485 boards work with the RS-422 and RS-485 protocols. You can  
use the PCI-232 boards for serial communication up to distances of 50 ft.  
You can connect the PCI-485 boards to up to 31 devices using serial cable  
lengths up to 4,000 ft.  
Additionally, the PCI serial boards are available in a two-port version  
(PCI-232/2 and PCI-485/2), a four-port version (PCI-232/4 and  
PCI-485/4), an eight-port version (PCI-232/8 and PCI-485/8), and a  
sixteen-port version (PCI-232/16). The two-port versions use DB-9  
connectors. The four-port versions use 10-position modular jacks to  
provide all four connections on a single back panel. Optional cable  
accessories convert the 10-position modular jacks to either DB-9 or DB-25  
connectors with standard pinouts. The eight-port versions use adapter  
cables to convert the 68-pin connector on the board to eight DB-9  
connectors. The 16-port version uses a breakout box to convert the 100-pin  
connector on the board to sixteen DB-9 connectors. Throughout this  
manual, PCI serial boards refers to all versions of the PCI serial boards.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Introduction  
The isolated PCI-232 and PCI-485 boards are designed for applications in  
harsh environments. Isolated ports provide reliable communication in  
situations involving ground loops from different ground levels or high  
common mode voltage induced on the lines in noisy environments.  
Non-isolated ports may not provide reliable communication in those  
situations. The isolation between each communication port and the host PC  
ensures the safe operation of the PC and the devices connected to other  
ports on the same board, in case of accidental high voltages on  
communication lines.  
The PCI-485 boards support four hardware transceiver control modes  
for reliable communication with two- and four-wire devices. For more  
information about transceiver control modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using  
Your Serial Hardware.  
All serial hardware uses standard 16550-compatible UARTs (Universal  
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for complete compatibility  
with standard PC COM ports. The serial hardware contains FIFOs  
(First-In-First-Out) buffers to reduce susceptibility to interrupt latency  
for faster transmission rates. Full Plug and Play compatibility allows  
switchless configuration and installation. For more information about  
the serial hardware specifications and operating conditions, refer to  
Appendix E, Specifications.  
PXI Kits  
The serial hardware gives you a variety of solutions for serial  
communication. The RS-232 boards (PXI-8420 and PXI-8422) work with  
the RS-232 protocols. The RS-485 boards (PXI-8421 and PXI-8423) work  
with the RS-422 and RS-485 protocols. You can use the RS-232 boards for  
serial communication up to distances of 50 ft. You can connect the RS-485  
boards to up to 31 devices using serial cable lengths up to 4,000 ft.  
Additionally, the PXI serial boards are available in a two-port version, a  
four-port version, an eight-port version (PXI-8420 and PXI-8421 only),  
and a 16-port version (PXI-8420 only). The two-port versions use DB-9  
connectors. The four-port versions use 10-position modular jacks to  
provide all four connections on a single front panel. Optional cable  
accessories convert the 10-position modular jacks to either DB-9 or DB-25  
connectors with standard pinouts. The eight-port versions use two different  
adapter cables to convert the 68-pin connector on the board to eight DB-9  
connectors. The 16-port version uses a breakout box to convert the 100-pin  
connector on the board to sixteen DB-9 connectors. Throughout this  
manual, PXI serial boards refers to all versions of the PXI serial boards.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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The isolated PXI boards are designed for applications in harsh  
environments. Isolated ports provide reliable communication in situations  
involving ground loops from different ground levels or high common mode  
voltage induced on the lines in noisy environments. Non-isolated ports may  
not provide reliable communication in those situations. The isolation  
between each communication port and the host PC ensures the safe  
operation of the PC and the devices connected to other ports on the same  
board, in case of accidental high voltages on communication lines.  
The RS-485 boards (PXI-8421 and PXI-8423) support four hardware  
transceiver control modes for reliable communication with two- and  
four-wire devices. For more information about transceiver control modes,  
refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
All serial hardware uses standard 16550-compatible UARTs (Universal  
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for complete compatibility  
with standard PC COM ports. The serial hardware contains FIFOs  
(First-In-First-Out) buffers to reduce susceptibility to interrupt latency  
for faster transmission rates. Full Plug and Play compatibility allows  
switchless configuration and installation. For more information about  
the serial hardware specifications and operating conditions, refer to  
Appendix E, Specifications.  
Table 1-1 lists the PXI serial board numbers and corresponding board  
descriptions.  
Table 1-1. PXI Board Names and Descriptions  
PXI Board Name  
PXI-8420  
Description  
RS-232 two port  
RS-232 four port  
RS-232 eight port  
RS-232 16 port  
PXI-8421  
RS-485 two port  
RS-485 four port  
RS-485 eight port  
PXI-8422  
PXI-8423  
RS-232 two port isolated  
RS-232 four port isolated  
RS-485 two port isolated  
RS-485 four port isolated  
© National Instruments Corporation  
1-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Chapter 1  
Introduction  
PCMCIA Kits  
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.  
The PCMCIA-485 interfaces support four hardware transceiver control  
modes for reliable communication with two-wire and four-wire devices.  
Refer to Chapter 6, 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 E, Specifications, for more information about the serial hardware  
specifications and operating conditions.  
AT Kits  
The serial hardware gives you a variety of solutions for serial  
communications. The AT-232 boards work with the RS-232 protocols, and  
the AT-485 boards work with the RS-422 and RS-485 protocols. You can  
use the AT-232 hardware for serial communication up to distances of 50 ft.  
You can connect the AT-485 hardware with up to 31 devices using serial  
cable lengths up to 4,000 ft.  
The AT boards are available in three different versions:  
•
•
Shared IRQ: All ports on the board share the same IRQ.  
Isolated: All ports on the board are isolated and share the same IRQ.  
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Introduction  
Additionally, the AT serial boards are available in a two-port version  
(AT-232/2 and AT-485/2) or a four-port version (AT-232/4 and AT-485/4).  
The two-port versions use DB-9 connectors. The four-port versions use  
10-position modular jacks to provide all four connections on a single back  
panel. Optional cable accessories convert the 10-position modular jacks to  
either DB-9 or DB-25 connectors with standard pinouts. Throughout this  
manual, references to AT serial boards generally refer to all versions of the  
boards.  
The isolated AT-232 and AT-485 boards are designed for applications in  
harsh environments. Isolated ports provide reliable communication in  
situations involving ground loops from different ground levels or high  
common mode voltage induced on the lines in noisy environments. The  
non-isolated ports may not provide reliable communication in those  
situations. The isolation between each communication port and the host PC  
ensures safe operation of the PC and the devices connected to other ports  
on the same board in case of accidental high voltages on communication  
lines.  
The AT-485 boards support four hardware transceiver control modes  
for reliable communication with two- and four-wire devices. For more  
information about transceiver control modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using  
Your Serial Hardware.  
All serial hardware uses standard 16550-compatible UARTs (Universal  
Asynchronous Receiver/Transmitters) for complete compatibility  
with standard PC COM ports. The serial hardware contains FIFOs  
(First-In-First-Out) buffers to reduce susceptibility to interrupt latency  
for faster transmission rates. Full Plug and Play compatibility allows  
switchless configuration and installation. For more information about  
the serial hardware specifications and operating conditions, refer to  
Appendix E, Specifications.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
1-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Chapter 1  
Introduction  
NI-Serial Software Overview  
The NI-Serial software for Windows 2000/NT/Me/9x includes a native  
Windows 2000/Me/9x device driver and Windows NT kernel driver that  
provide full interrupt-driven, buffered I/O for multiple COM ports. You  
can obtain a maximum baud rate of either 460.8 KBaud (PCI/PXI-485 kits)  
or 115.2 KBaud (PCI/PXI/PCMCIA/AT-232 kits). You can also use up to  
256 serial ports under Windows 2000 or up to 99 serial ports under  
Windows NT/Me/9x. The NI-Serial software also includes a configuration  
utility, which is fully integrated into the Windows 2000/Me/9x Device  
Manager and Windows NT Control Panel. For more information about  
software specifications, refer to Appendix E, Specifications.  
The NI-Serial software includes the following components:  
•
•
•
•
Device driver  
Diagnostic utility  
Configuration utility  
Product manuals  
Time-Saving Development Tools  
Your kit includes the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000/NT/Me/9x. In  
addition, you can order the Measurement Studio 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.  
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Measurement Studio bundles LabWindows/CVI for C programmers,  
ComponentWorks for Microsoft Visual C++ programmers, and  
ComponentWorks++ for Microsoft Visual C++ programmers.  
Measurement Studio is designed for building measurement and automation  
applications with the programming environment of your choice:  
•
LabWindows/CVI is an interactive ANSI C programming environment  
designed for building virtual instrument applications.  
LabWindows/CVI delivers a drag-and-drop editor for building user  
interfaces, a complete ANSI C environment for building your test  
program logic, and a collection of automated code generation tools, as  
well as utilities for building automated test systems, monitoring  
applications, or laboratory experiments.  
•
•
ComponentWorks for Visual Basic is a collection of ActiveX controls  
designed for building virtual instrumentation systems. Based on  
ActiveX technology, ComponentWorks controls are configured  
through simple property pages. You can use the ComponentWorks  
GPIB, Serial, and VISA I/O controls and property pages to set up  
communication with your instruments.  
ComponentWorks++ for Visual C++ takes advantage of integrated  
C++ libraries and ActiveX to help you build measurement and  
automation applications. With the ComponentWorks++ instrument  
classes, you can use the IEEE 488.2 library and VISA, an  
industry-standard I/O library, to communicate with GPIB, VXI, or  
Serial devices using the same set of components.  
After you install your serial hardware and the NI-Serial software, you can  
use standard serial I/O functions in LabVIEW and Measurement Studio  
with your serial interface. If you already have one or more of these  
applications and want to use them with your serial interface, refer to your  
product documentation for information about serial I/O functions. For  
ordering information, contact National Instruments.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
1-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
2
PCI Serial Hardware Installation,  
Verification, and Configuration  
This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software and PCI serial  
hardware and how to verify the installation. It also describes how to  
configure the communication port settings.  
To begin your installation, see the section of this chapter containing  
instructions for your operating system (Windows 2000, Windows Me/9x, or  
Windows NT.)  
Windows 2000  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
3. Click on the Add New Programs button and then the CD or Floppy  
button.  
4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button.  
5. When prompted, click on the Finish button to install the program files  
from the CD.  
6. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
7. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install  
the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000, skip to the next section,  
Install the Hardware. Otherwise, continue to step 8.  
8. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows 2000.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
2-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
9. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish. When you complete the wizard,  
continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
Note If you are installing a PCI-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias  
resistors, depending on your application. Bias resistors are not available on the eight-port  
PCI-485. For more information, refer to Appendix B, Serial Port Information.  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your PCI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the PCI serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Find an unused PCI expansion slot in your computer.  
4. Remove the corresponding expansion slot cover on the back panel of  
the computer.  
5. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
6. Insert the PCI serial board into the slot with the serial connectors  
toward the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert the  
board all the way into the slot. The board might seem to click firmly  
into place, even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 2-1 shows  
how to install the PCI serial board into an expansion slot.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
2
1
3
1
PC  
2
PCI Serial Board  
3
PCI Slot  
Figure 2-1. PCI Serial Board Installation  
7. Screw the PCI serial board mounting bracket to the back panel  
mounting rail of the computer.  
8. Replace the cover.  
9. Turn on your computer and start Windows 2000.  
10. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The PCI serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
Figure 2-2 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 2-2. Device Manager for PCI Serial Board Ports  
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5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
note the Port 1, Port 2, etc. entries next to the COM numbers. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select Start»Programs»  
National Instruments»NI-Serial»Diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows 2000  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 2-3 shows the Port Settings tab.  
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Chapter 2  
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Figure 2-3. Port Settings Tab  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Chapter 2  
PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Advanced Settings  
To view or change the advanced settings, click on the Advanced button.  
Figure 2-4 shows the Advanced Settings dialog box.  
Figure 2-4. Advanced Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to PCI-485  
boards. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6,  
Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
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.  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows Me/9x  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
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.  
5. When prompted, click on the Finish button to install the program files  
from floppy disks or CD-ROM.  
6. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
7. 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 8.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
8. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows Me/9x.  
9. Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. Your  
operating system (Windows Me/9x) may show the Windows Default  
Driver option. If so, make sure the Windows Default Driver is  
selected and click on the OK button. If the Windows Default Driver  
option is not shown, the installation continues automatically. When  
you finish, continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
Note If you are installing a PCI-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias  
resistors, depending on your application. Bias resistors are not available on the eight-port  
PCI-485. For more information, refer to Appendix B, Serial Port Information.  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your PCI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the PCI serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Find an unused PCI expansion slot in your computer.  
4. Remove the corresponding expansion slot cover on the back panel of  
the computer.  
5. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
6. Insert the PCI serial board into the slot with the serial connectors  
toward the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert the  
board all the way into the slot. The board might seem to click firmly  
into place, even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 2-5 shows  
how to install the PCI serial board into an expansion slot.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
2
1
3
1
PC  
2
PCI Serial Board  
3
PCI Slot  
Figure 2-5. PCI Serial Board Installation  
7. Screw the PCI serial board mounting bracket to the back panel  
mounting rail of the computer.  
8. Replace the cover.  
9. Turn on your computer and start Windows Me/9x.  
10. Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. Your  
operating system (Windows Me/9x) may show the Windows Default  
Driver option. If so, make sure the Windows Default Driver is  
selected and click on the OK button. If the Windows Default Driver  
option is not shown, the installation continues automatically.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
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PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Verify the Installation  
Before you verify the installation, keep in mind that the serial ports  
built into your 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 not configured.  
To verify the hardware and software installation, 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 Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The PCI serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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Figure 2-6 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 2-6. Device Manager Tab for PCI Serial Board Ports  
5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
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6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
complete the following steps:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Ports (COM & LPT),  
double-click on the serial port (COMx).  
b. Click on the Port Settings tab to display the serial number of the  
serial hardware and the physical port number starting at 1. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the  
next port down, and so on.  
7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select Start»Programs»  
National Instruments Serial»Diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows Me/9x  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, 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 Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
Note If you want your serial ports to use the names COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4,  
refer to the Common Questions section of Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions.  
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4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
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Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 2-7 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 2-7. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Port Settings  
To view or change the advanced port settings, click on the Advanced  
button. Figure 2-8 shows the Advanced Port Settings dialog box.  
Figure 2-8. Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced port setting options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to PCI-485  
boards. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6,  
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.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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PCI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows NT  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows NT:  
1. Log in as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
3. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
4. Click on the Install button.  
5. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD, and click on the Next button.  
6. When prompted, click the Finish button to install the program files.  
7. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
Note The setup wizard backs up the Windows NT serial driver serial.systo  
serial.bakand then overwrites serial.sys. You can find serial.sysin  
the WinNT\system32\driversdirectory.  
8. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows NT and continue  
to the Verify the Installation section.  
The software installation is complete. Continue to the next section, Install  
the Hardware.  
Install the Hardware  
Note If you are installing a PCI-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias  
resistors, depending on your application. Bias resistors are not available on the eight-port  
PCI-485. For more information, refer to Appendix B, Serial Port Information.  
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Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your PCI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the PCI serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Find an unused PCI expansion slot in your computer.  
4. Remove the corresponding expansion slot cover on the back panel of  
the computer.  
5. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
6. Insert the PCI serial board into the slot with the serial connectors  
toward the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert the  
board all the way into the slot. The board might seem to click firmly  
into place, even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 2-9 shows  
how to install the PCI serial board into an expansion slot.  
2
1
3
1
PC  
2
PCI Serial Board  
3
PCI Slot  
Figure 2-9. Installing the PCI Serial Board  
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7. Screw the PCI serial board mounting bracket to the back panel  
mounting rail of the computer.  
8. Replace the cover.  
9. Turn on your computer and start Windows NT.  
The hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section, Verify  
the Installation.  
Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Determine which physical port is associated with COMx, as follows:  
a. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
A list of installed National Instruments ports with their logical  
COMx names appears. If your interface is not on this list, refer to  
Appendix D, Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
b. Select the COM port that you want to verify and click on the  
Settings button.  
The General Port Settings dialog box displays the serial number  
of the serial hardware and the physical port number starting at 1.  
For all serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2  
refers to the next port down, and so on.  
2. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select  
Start»Programs»National Instruments Serial»diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
3. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
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Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows NT  
Control Panel. You can use it to view or change the configuration of your  
serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the niports  
icon. A list of installed National Instruments ports appears, as shown  
in Figure 2-10.  
Figure 2-10. niports Configuration Utility  
2. Select the port that you want to configure and refer to the following  
instructions:  
•
•
•
To remove hardware information about the port from  
Windows NT, click on the Delete button. You should do this  
before you remove your hardware.  
To view or change the port settings, click on the Settings button.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
General Port Settings.  
In the General Port Settings dialog box, click on the Resources  
button to view the resources for the port.  
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General Port Settings  
The following sections describe the options you can set in the General  
Port Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 2-11.  
Figure 2-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box  
COM Port Number  
You can use the COM Port Number control to change the logical COMx  
name of the selected port.  
Transceiver Mode  
The Transceiver Mode list box shows the transceiver mode in use, and  
applies only to PCI-485 boards. For more information about transceiver  
modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
FIFO Enabled  
You can use the FIFO Enabled checkbox to enable or disable the  
FIFO buffers on the selected port. FIFO buffers are present on the  
16550-compatible UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the  
receiver.  
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FIFO Buffer Size  
The Receive FIFO size control sets the number of characters received in  
the FIFO before the PC is interrupted to read the data. The Transmit FIFO  
size 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 FIFO size value  
to prevent overrun errors due to interrupt latency.  
If your data transfer sizes are small and your Receive FIFO size value  
is above your data sizes, your system is less efficient. Therefore, set the  
Receive FIFO size value below your data sizes.  
Resources  
To view the resource configuration dialog box for the selected port, click  
on the Resources button. You cannot change these resources; they are  
automatically assigned.  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
3
PXI Serial Hardware Installation,  
Verification, and Configuration  
This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software and PXI serial  
hardware and how to verify the installation. It also describes how to view  
or change the communication port settings.  
To begin your installation, see the section of this chapter containing  
instructions for your operating system (Windows 2000, Windows Me/9x, or  
Windows NT.)  
Windows 2000  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
3. Click on the Add New Programs button and then the CD or Floppy  
button.  
4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button.  
5. When prompted, click on the Finish button to install the program files  
from the CD.  
6. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
7. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install  
the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000, skip to the next section,  
Install the Hardware. Otherwise, continue to step 8.  
8. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows 2000.  
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9. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish. When you complete the wizard,  
continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your PXI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your PXI or CompactPCI chassis. Keep the chassis plugged  
in so that it remains grounded while you install the PXI serial board.  
2. Find an unused PXI or CompactPCI 5 V peripheral slot.  
3. Remove the corresponding filler panel.  
4. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
5. Insert the PXI serial board into the 5 V slot. Use the injector/ejector  
handle to fully inject the device into place. Figure 3-1 shows how  
to install the PXI serial board into a PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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3
ON  
STANDBY  
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
2
1
4
1
2
Injector/Ejector Handle (In Down  
Position)  
3
4
PXI Chassis  
Injector/Ejector Rail  
PXI Serial Board  
Figure 3-1. Installing the PXI Serial Board  
6. Screw the PXI serial board front panel to the front panel mounting rail  
of the PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
7. Turn on your PXI or CompactPCI chassis and start Windows 2000.  
8. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Chapter 3  
PXI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The PXI serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
Figure 3-2 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 3-2. Device Manager for PXI Serial Board Ports  
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5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
note the Port 1, Port 2, etc. entries next to the COM numbers. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select Start»Programs»  
National Instruments»NI-Serial»Diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows 2000  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 3-3 shows the Port Settings tab.  
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Figure 3-3. Port Settings Tab  
Advanced Settings  
To view or change the advanced settings, click on the Advanced button.  
Figure 3-4 shows the Advanced Settings dialog box.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Chapter 3  
PXI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Figure 3-4. Advanced Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to RS-485  
boards. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6,  
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.  
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Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows Me/9x  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows Me/9x:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
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. The setup wizard  
begins. The setup wizard guides you through the necessary steps to  
install the NI-Serial software. To go back and change values where  
appropriate, click on the Back button. To exit the setup wizard at any  
time, click 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  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. Make sure  
that Windows Default Driver is selected and click on the OK button.  
When you finish, continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Chapter 3  
PXI Serial Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration  
Install the Hardware  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your PXI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your PXI or CompactPCI chassis. Keep the chassis plugged  
in so that it remains grounded while you install the PXI serial board.  
2. Find an unused PXI or CompactPCI 5 V peripheral slot.  
3. Remove the corresponding filler panel.  
4. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
5. Insert the PXI serial board into the 5 V slot. Use the injector/ejector  
handle to fully inject the device into place. Figure 3-5 shows how  
to install the PXI serial board into a PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
3
ON  
STANDBY  
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
2
4
1
1
2
Injector/Ejector Handle (In Down  
Position)  
3
4
PXI Chassis  
Injector/Ejector Rail  
PXI Serial Board  
Figure 3-5. Installing the PXI Serial Board  
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6. Screw the PXI serial board front panel to the front panel mounting rail  
of the PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
7. Turn on your PXI or CompactPCI chassis and start Windows Me/9x.  
8. Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. Make sure  
that Windows Default Driver is selected and click on the OK button.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
Verify the Installation  
Before you verify the installation, keep in mind that the serial ports  
built into your 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 not configured.  
To verify the hardware and software installation, 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 Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The PXI serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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Figure 3-6 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 3-6. Device Manager for PXI Serial Board Ports  
5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
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6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
complete the following steps:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Ports (COM & LPT),  
double-click on the serial port (COMx).  
b. Click on the Port Settings tab to display the serial number of the  
serial hardware and the physical port number starting at 1. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the  
next port down, and so on.  
7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select  
Start»Programs»National Instruments Serial»diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows Me/9x  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, 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 Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
Note If you want your serial ports to use the names COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4,  
refer to the Common Questions section of Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions.  
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4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
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Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 3-7 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 3-7. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Port Settings  
To view or change the advanced port settings, click on the Advanced  
button. Figure 3-8 shows the Advanced Port Settings dialog box.  
Figure 3-8. Advanced Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to RS-485  
boards. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6,  
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.  
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Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows NT  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows NT:  
1. Log in as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
3. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
4. Click on the Install button.  
5. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x, and click on the Next button. The setup wizard  
begins. The setup wizard guides you through the necessary steps to  
install the NI-Serial software. To go back and change values where  
appropriate, click on the Back button. To exit the setup wizard at any  
time, click on the Cancel button.  
Note The setup wizard backs up the Windows NT serial driver serial.systo  
serial.bakand then overwrites serial.sys. You can find serial.sysin  
the WinNT\system32\driversdirectory.  
6. If you your hardware is already installed, restart Windows NT and  
continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
The software installation is complete. Continue to the next section, Install  
the Hardware.  
Install the Hardware  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
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To install your PXI serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your PXI or CompactPCI chassis. Keep the PXI or  
CompactPCI chassis plugged in so that it remains grounded while you  
install the PXI serial board.  
2. Find an unused PXI or CompactPCI 5 V peripheral slot.  
3. Remove the corresponding filler panel.  
4. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
5. Insert the PXI serial board into the 5 V slot. Use the injector/ejector  
handle to fully inject the device into place. Figure 3-9 shows how to  
install the PXI serial board into a PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
3
ON  
STANDBY  
1
2
4
5
6
7
8
2
4
1
1
2
Injector/Ejector Handle (In Down  
Position)  
PXI Serial Board  
3
4
PXI Chassis  
Injector/Ejector Rail  
Figure 3-9. Installing the PXI Serial Board  
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6. Screw the PXI serial board front panel to the front panel mounting rail  
of the PXI or CompactPCI chassis.  
7. Turn on your PXI or CompactPCI chassis and start Windows NT.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Determine which physical port is associated with COMx, as follows:  
a. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
A list of installed National Instruments ports with their logical  
COMx names appears. If your interface is not on this list, refer to  
Appendix D, Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
b. Select the COM port that you want to verify and click on the  
Settings button.  
The General Port Settings dialog box displays the serial number  
of the serial hardware and the physical port number starting at 1.  
For all serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2  
refers to the next port down, and so on.  
2. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select  
Start»Programs»National Instruments Serial»diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
3. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
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Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows NT  
Control Panel. You can use it to view or change the configuration of your  
serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the niports  
icon. A list of installed National Instruments ports appears, as shown  
in Figure 3-10.  
Figure 3-10. niports Configuration Utility  
2. Select the port that you want to configure and refer to the following  
instructions:  
•
•
•
To remove hardware information about the port from  
Windows NT, click on the Delete button. You should do this  
before you remove your hardware.  
To view or change the port settings, click on the Settings button.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
General Port Settings.  
In the General Port Settings dialog box, click on the Resources  
button to view the resources for the port.  
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General Port Settings  
The following sections describe the options you can set in the General  
Port Settings dialog box, shown in Figure 3-11.  
Figure 3-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box  
COM Port Number  
You can use the COM Port Number control to change the logical COMx  
name of the selected port.  
Transceiver Mode  
The Transceiver Mode list box shows the transceiver mode in use, and  
applies only to RS-485 boards. For more information about transceiver  
modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
FIFO Enabled  
You can use the FIFO Enabled checkbox to enable or disable the  
FIFO buffers on the selected port. FIFO buffers are present on the  
16550-compatible UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the  
receiver.  
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FIFO Buffer Size  
The Receive FIFO size control sets the number of characters received in  
the FIFO before the PC is interrupted to read the data. The Transmit FIFO  
size 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 FIFO size value  
to prevent overrun errors due to interrupt latency.  
If your data transfer sizes are small and your Receive FIFO size value  
is above your data sizes, your system is less efficient. Therefore, set the  
Receive FIFO size value below your data sizes.  
Resources  
To view the resource configuration dialog box for the selected port, click  
on the Resources button. You cannot change these resources; they are  
automatically assigned.  
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PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
Installation, Verification, and  
Configuration  
This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software and PCMCIA  
serial hardware and how to verify the installation. It also describes how to  
view or change the communication port settings.  
To begin your installation, see the section of this chapter containing  
instructions for your operating system (Windows 2000, Windows Me/9x, or  
Windows NT.)  
Windows 2000  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
3. Click on the Add New Programs button and then the CD or Floppy  
button.  
4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button.  
5. When prompted, click on the Finish button to install the program files  
from the CD.  
6. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
7. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install  
the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000, skip to the next section,  
Install the Hardware. Otherwise, continue to step 8.  
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8. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish. When you complete the wizard,  
continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
To install the PCMCIA-232 or PCMCIA-485 in your computer, first start  
Windows 2000. 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 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display the  
Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking Next in  
each window and then Finish.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
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Figure 4-1 shows how to insert a PCMCIA serial card and how to connect  
the cable.  
1
2
1
PCMCIA Socket  
2
PCMCIA Serial Cable  
Figure 4-1. Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The PCMCIA serial cards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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Figure 4-2 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 4-2. Device Manager for PCMCIA Serial Card Ports  
5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial card.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
note the Port 1, Port 2, etc. entries next to the COM numbers. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
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7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select Start»Programs»  
National Instruments»NI-Serial»Diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows 2000  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
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Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 4-3 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 4-3. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Settings  
To view or change the advanced settings, click on the Advanced button.  
Figure 4-4 shows the Advanced Settings dialog box.  
Figure 4-4. Advanced Settings Dialog Box  
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 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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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.  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows Me/9x  
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. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
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.  
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.  
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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  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. When you  
finish, continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the section  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
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.  
If the New Hardware Found dialog box does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
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Figure 4-5 shows how to insert a PCMCIA serial card and how to connect  
the cable.  
1
2
1
PCMCIA Socket  
2
PCMCIA Serial Cable  
Figure 4-5. Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
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.  
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The two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards are configured as devices  
belonging to the “multi-function adapters” class. The multi-function parent  
device is listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child  
device is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon. If you have  
installed one of these interfaces, double-click on the Multi-function  
adapters icon as well as the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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 4-6 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is installed  
properly.  
Figure 4-6. Device Manager Ports List for PCMCIA Serial Card Correctly Installed  
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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.  
If Windows Me/9x did not assign any resources to the port, the Resources  
page shows only a Set Configuration Manually button. Click on the Set  
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 D, 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 D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
When you have finished verifying the hardware resources, proceed to the  
next section.  
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 D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.  
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After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the cables.  
See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information about cable  
connections.  
Configure 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 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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.  
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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 4-7 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 4-7. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Port Settings  
You can view or change the advanced port settings by clicking on the  
Advanced button on the Port Settings tab. Figure 4-8 shows the  
Advanced Port Settings dialog box.  
Figure 4-8. Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box  
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 6, 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.  
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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 D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions.  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows NT  
Install the NI-Serial Software  
Install the NI-Serial software for Windows NT before you install the  
hardware.  
1. Log on as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
3. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel  
to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
4. Click on the Install button.  
5. 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.  
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.  
Note This installation backs up the Microsoft Windows NT serial driver serial.systo  
serial.bakand then overwrites serial.sys. You can find serial.sysin the  
Windows NT...\system32\driversdirectory.  
The software installation is complete. Proceed to the next section, Install  
the PCMCIA Serial Hardware.  
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Install the PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
Complete the following steps to install the PCMCIA-232 or PCMCIA-485  
in your computer:  
1. Shut down the computer.  
2. Insert the card 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.  
3. Power on the computer and start Windows NT.  
Figure 4-9 shows how to insert a PCMCIA serial card and how to connect  
the cable.  
1
2
1
PCMCIA Socket  
2
PCMCIA Serial Cable  
Figure 4-9. Inserting a PCMCIA Serial Card  
Proceed to the next section, Select Resources for the PCMCIA Card.  
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Select Resources for the PCMCIA Card  
Complete the following steps to select resources for your PCMCIA card.  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the niports icon.  
3. Select the PCMCIA card you just installed from the Add a New  
PCMCIA Card list, and click on the Add button.  
4. In the Resource Configuration dialog box, select nonconflicting base  
I/O address and IRQ settings for your port/card, and click on OK.  
For more information on selecting resources for your port/card, refer  
to the Resource Settings section.  
5. Exit niports and restart the computer.  
After you have selected resources for your PCMCIA card, proceed to the  
next section, Verify the Installation.  
Verify the Installation  
Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated  
with COMx  
Select Start»Settings»Control Panel, and double-click on niports. A list  
showing installed National Instruments ports with their logical COMx  
names appears. If your interface is not on the list, refer to Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Select the COM port you want and click on the Settings button to display  
the General Port Settings dialog box for that port. This dialog box  
displays 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.  
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.  
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If the diagnostic test completes with no failures, your serial hardware and  
software are installed properly. If it fails, refer to Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.  
After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the cables.  
See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information about cable  
connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated with the Windows NT  
Control Panel. You can use it to examine or modify the configuration of the  
serial port.  
Follow these steps to configure the serial port.  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the niports  
icon. A list of National Instruments ports appears, as shown in  
Figure 4-10.  
Figure 4-10. niports Configuration Utility  
2. Select the port you are interested in.  
3. Click on the Settings button to view or configure the port settings.  
Refer to the next section, General Port Settings, for more information.  
4. Click on the Resources button in the General Port Settings dialog  
box to view or configure the resources for the port. Refer to the  
Resource Settings section, for more information.  
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5. Click on Delete to remove hardware information about the port from  
Windows NT. You should do this before you physically remove your  
PCMCIA card.  
6. Click on Add to configure resources for a new PCMCIA card.  
General Port Settings  
This section describes the options you can set in the General Port Settings  
dialog box, shown in Figure 4-11.  
Figure 4-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box  
COM Port Number  
You can use the COM Port Number control to change the COMx name of  
the port selected.  
Transceiver Mode  
The transceiver mode selection shows the transceiver mode in use, and  
applies only to PCMCIA-485 cards. Refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial  
Hardware, for more information about transceiver modes. If you use  
two-wire TXRDY mode, FIFOs must be enabled.  
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FIFO Enabled  
You can use the FIFO Enabled control to enable or disable the FIFO  
buffers on the serial port. FIFO buffers are present on the  
16550-compatible UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the  
receiver.  
FIFO Buffers  
The FIFO buffer control is available by clicking on the Advanced button  
on the Port Settings tab. FIFO buffers are present on the 16550-compatible  
UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the receiver. The receive FIFO  
trigger denotes the number of characters received in the FIFO before the PC  
is interrupted to read the data. The transmit FIFO trigger denotes the  
maximum number of bytes written to the FIFO in a block when the PC is  
interrupted to write the data. Consider the following points when selecting  
FIFO settings:  
•
You can select larger FIFO settings to reduce the number of interrupts  
and therefore minimize system overhead.  
•
If transfer rates are high, you can lower receive FIFO settings to reduce  
the number of interrupts and therefore prevent overrun errors due to  
interrupt latency.  
•
If data transfer sizes are small, selecting receive FIFO settings just  
above data sizes can reduce efficiency, so select lower settings.  
Resources  
Click on the Resources button to display the resource configuration dialog  
box for the port. For more information on resource configuration, refer to  
the next section, Resource Settings.  
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Resource Settings  
The following sections explain the resource configuration options for each  
serial interface.  
PCMCIA-232, PCMCIA-485, PCMCIA-232/4  
Figure 4-12 shows the resource configuration dialog box for a  
PCMCIA-485. The PCMCIA-232 and PCMCIA-232/4 dialog boxes  
are similar.  
Figure 4-12. Resource Configuration Dialog Box for the PCMCIA-485  
Base I/O Address:  
IRQ:  
The base I/O address assigned to the port.  
The IRQ assigned to the port.  
Length:  
The size (in bytes) of the I/O window.  
For the PCMCIA-232 and PCMCIA-485, the  
length is 8 (the size of the I/O window for one  
port).  
For the PCMCIA-232/4, the length is 32 bytes  
(the size of the I/O window for four ports).  
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PCMCIA-232/2, PCMCIA-485/2  
These cards require two base I/O settings, one for each port, and they share  
an IRQ.  
Figure 4-13 shows the resource configuration dialog box for a  
PCMCIA-485/2. The PCMCIA-232/2 dialog box is similar.  
Figure 4-13. Resource Configuration Dialog Box for the PCMCIA-485/2  
Base I/O Address:  
The base I/O addresses assigned to the two  
ports.  
IRQ:  
The IRQ shared by the two ports.  
Length:  
The size of each I/O window (in bytes).  
Note When you select resources for the PCMCIA cards, use the Microsoft Windows NT  
diagnostics utility to make sure that the resources have not been assigned to any other  
device. This utility displays a list of I/O port addresses and IRQ levels that are currently  
being used in your system.  
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5
AT Serial Hardware Installation,  
Verification, and Configuration  
This chapter describes how to install the NI-Serial software and AT serial  
hardware and how to verify the installation. It also describes how to view  
or change the communication port settings.  
To begin your installation, see the section of this chapter containing  
instructions for your operating system (Windows 2000, Windows Me/9x, or  
Windows NT.)  
Windows 2000  
Install the Software  
Before you install your serial hardware, complete the following steps to  
install the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs appears.  
3. Click on the Add New Programs button and then the CD or Floppy  
button.  
4. When prompted, insert the NI-Serial Software for Windows  
2000/NT/Me/9x CD and click on the Next button.  
5. When prompted, click on the Finish button to install the program files  
from the CD.  
6. The setup wizard begins. The setup wizard guides you through the  
necessary steps to install the NI-Serial software. To exit the setup  
wizard at any time, click on the Cancel button.  
7. If you need to install your hardware, or if this is your first time to install  
the NI-Serial software for Windows 2000, skip to the next section,  
Install the Hardware. Otherwise, continue to step 8.  
8. If your hardware is already installed, restart Windows 2000.  
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9. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish. When you complete the wizard,  
continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
Note If you are installing a AT-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias resistors,  
depending on your application. For more information, refer to Appendix B, Serial Port  
Information.  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your AT serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the AT serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Find an unused AT expansion slot in your computer.  
4. Remove the corresponding expansion slot cover on the back panel of  
the computer.  
5. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
6. Insert the AT serial board into the slot with the serial connectors toward  
the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert the board all  
the way into the slot. The board might seem to click firmly into place,  
even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 5-1 shows how to  
install the AT serial board into an expansion slot.  
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3
1
2
1
PC  
2
AT Socket  
3
AT Serial Card  
Figure 5-1. AT Serial Board Installation  
7. Screw the AT serial board mounting bracket to the back panel  
mounting rail of the computer.  
8. Replace the cover.  
9. Turn on your computer and start Windows 2000.  
10. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish.  
If the Found New Hardware Wizard does not appear, refer to the  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
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Verify the Installation  
To verify the hardware and software installation, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display all of  
the ports.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
The AT serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is  
listed under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device  
is listed as a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
Figure 5-2 shows the Device Manager tab for serial hardware that is  
installed properly.  
Figure 5-2. Device Manager for AT Serial Board Ports  
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5. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
c. Repeat steps 5a and 5b until you have verified the resources for  
each board.  
6. (Optional) To determine which physical port is associated with COMx,  
note the Port 1, Port 2, etc. entries next to the COM numbers. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
7. Run the diagnostic utility, as follows: select Start»Programs»  
National Instruments»NI-Serial»Diagnostics.  
The diagnostic utility 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.  
If the test is successful, your serial hardware and software are installed  
properly. If the test fails, refer to Appendix D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions, to troubleshoot the problem.  
8. After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the  
cables. See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information  
about cable connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows 2000  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
To configure a serial port, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
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4. Double-click on the port you want to configure and refer to the  
following instructions:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click  
on the Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section,  
Port Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable  
the FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click  
on the Advanced button. For more information about the settings,  
refer to the next section, Port Settings Tab.  
Note Transceiver modes apply to RS-485 interfaces only. For more information about  
transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
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Port Settings Tab  
In the Port Settings tab, you can change any of the settings by clicking on  
the arrow button to the right of a field. When you click on the arrow button,  
a list of valid values for that field appears and you can select the desired  
setting from the list. Figure 5-3 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 5-3. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Settings  
To view or change the advanced settings, click on the Advanced button.  
Figure 5-4 shows the Advanced Settings dialog box.  
Figure 5-4. Advanced Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
This field shows the transceiver mode in use, and applies only to AT-485  
boards. For more information about transceiver modes, refer to Chapter 6,  
Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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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.  
Restore Defaults  
To reset the fields to their default values at any time, click on the Restore  
Defaults button.  
Windows Me/9x  
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. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
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.  
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.  
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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  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes, but you  
must make sure Windows Default Driver is selected and click on OK.  
When you finish, continue to the Verify the Installation section.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Install the Hardware  
This section describes how to install your AT serial hardware.  
Note If you are installing a AT-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias  
resistors, depending on your application. For more information, refer to Appendix B,  
Serial Port Information.  
Caution Before you remove your board from the package, touch the antistatic plastic  
package to a metal part of your system chassis to discharge electrostatic energy, which can  
damage several components on your serial board.  
To install your AT serial board, complete the following steps:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the AT serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Find an unused AT expansion slot in your computer.  
4. Remove the corresponding expansion slot cover on the back panel of  
the computer.  
5. Touch a metal part on your chassis to discharge any static electricity.  
6. Insert the AT serial board into the slot with the serial connectors toward  
the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert the board all  
the way into the slot. The board might seem to click firmly into place,  
even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 5-5 shows how to  
install the AT serial board into an expansion slot.  
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3
1
2
1
PC  
2
AT Socket  
3
AT Serial Card  
Figure 5-5. AT Serial Board Installation  
7. Screw the AT serial board mounting bracket to the back panel  
mounting rail of the computer.  
8. Replace the cover.  
9. Turn on your computer and start Windows Me/9x.  
10. Watch for Windows Me/9x to display one or more New Hardware  
Found dialog boxes. In the dialog box, select Windows Default  
Driver and click on OK.  
If no New Hardware Found dialog box appears, refer to the Forcing  
Windows to Detect Your Hardware section in Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
The serial hardware installation is complete. Continue to the next section,  
Verify the Installation.  
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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 shared IRQ AT serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
“multi-function adapters” class. The multi-function parent device is listed  
under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device is listed as  
a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon. If you have installed one of  
these interfaces, double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon as well  
as the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to look at the ports resources. To modify  
the hardware resources, double-click on the Multi-Function adapters  
icon.  
If a circled exclamation point appears through the port icon, the serial port  
is not installed properly. A problem with the port may 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 5-6 shows an example of NI serial hardware that is installed  
properly.  
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Figure 5-6. Device Manager Ports List for AT Serial Board Correctly 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.  
If Windows Me/9x did not assign any resources to the port, the Resources  
page shows only a Set Configuration Manually button. Click on the Set  
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 D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions. You may have to free an interrupt request level so that  
one can be assigned to your serial hardware. For instructions, refer to the  
Freeing an Interrupt Request Level section in Appendix D,  
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. On all serial hardware,  
PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next port down, and  
so on.  
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 D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.  
After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the cables.  
See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information about cable  
connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated into the Windows Me/9x  
Device Manager. You can use it to view or change the configuration of  
your serial ports.  
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.  
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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:  
•
To view the hardware resources assigned to the serial port, click on the  
Resources tab.  
•
To view or change the port settings, click on the Port Settings tab.  
For more information about the settings, refer to the next section, Port  
Settings Tab.  
•
To change the RS-485 transceiver mode, or to enable or disable the  
FIFOs on the serial hardware, in the Port Settings tab, click on the  
Advanced button. For more information about the settings, refer to the  
next section, Port Settings Tab.  
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 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
5. To save your changes, click on the OK button. To exit without saving  
the changes, click on the Cancel button.  
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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 5-7 shows the Port Settings tab.  
Figure 5-7. Port Settings Tab  
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Advanced Port Settings  
You can view or change the advanced port settings by clicking on the  
Advanced button on the Port Settings tab. Figure 5-8 shows the  
Advanced Port Settings dialog box.  
Figure 5-8. Advanced Port Settings Dialog Box  
The following sections describe the advanced settings options.  
Transceiver Mode  
The transceiver mode selection is available by clicking on the Advanced  
button on the Port Settings tab. It shows the transceiver mode in use, and  
applies only to AT-485 boards. For more information about transceiver  
modes, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware.  
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Use FIFO Buffers  
The FIFO buffer control is available by clicking on the Advanced button  
on the Port Settings tab. FIFO buffers are present on the 16550-compatible  
UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the receiver. The receiver  
FIFO trigger denotes the number of characters received in the FIFO before  
the PC is interrupted to read the data. The transmit FIFO trigger denotes the  
maximum number of bytes written to the FIFO in a block when the PC is  
interrupted to write the data. Consider the following points when selecting  
FIFO settings:  
•
•
•
You can select larger FIFO settings to reduce the number of interrupts  
and therefore minimize system overhead.  
If transfer rates are high, you can lower receive FIFO settings to  
prevent overrun errors due to interrupt latency.  
If data transfer sizes are small, selecting receive FIFO settings just  
above data sizes can reduce efficiency, so select lower settings.  
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 D, Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions.  
Windows NT  
Installing the Microsoft PnP ISA Enabler Driver  
When you install an AT board, you must install the PnP ISA Enabler  
Driver.  
The AT serial hardware is Plug and Play. Windows NT 4.0 does not support  
Plug and Play. In order for Windows NT to detect and install the Plug and  
Play hardware, you must install the PnP ISA Enabler driver included on  
your Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM. Complete the following steps to install  
the driver:  
1. Locate the Pnpisa.inffile in the Drvlib\Pnpisa\X86folder on  
the Windows NT 4.0 CD-ROM.  
2. Right-click on the Pnpisa.inffile, then select Install on the menu  
that appears.  
3. Restart the computer.  
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Install the NI-Serial Software  
Install the NI-Serial software for Windows NT before you install the  
hardware. Make sure that you have already installed the PnP ISA Enabler  
driver as described in the previous section.  
1. Log on as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
3. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel  
to launch the Add/Remove Programs applet. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears.  
4. Click on the Install button.  
5. 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.  
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.  
Note This installation backs up the Microsoft Windows NT serial driver serial.systo  
serial.bakand then overwrites serial.sys. You can find serial.sysin the  
Windows NT.....\system32\driversdirectory.  
The software installation is complete. Proceed to the next section, Install  
the Serial Hardware.  
Install the Serial Hardware  
This section describes how to install your AT serial board.  
Note If you are installing an AT-485, you might need to adjust the value of the bias  
resistors, depending on your application. For more information, refer to Appendix B,  
Serial Port Information.  
Caution Electrostatic discharge can damage several components on your board. To avoid  
such damage in handling the board, touch the antistatic plastic package to a metal part of  
your computer chassis before removing the board from the package.  
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Complete the following steps to install your AT serial board:  
1. Turn off your computer. Keep the computer plugged in so that it  
remains grounded while you install the AT serial board.  
2. Remove the top or side cover of the computer.  
3. Remove the expansion slot cover on the back of the computer.  
4. Insert the AT serial board into an unused slot with the serial connectors  
sticking out of the opening on the back panel. Make sure that you insert  
the board all the way into the slot. The board may seem to click firmly  
into place, even though it is only part of the way in. Figure 5-9 shows  
the installation of an AT serial board.  
3
1
2
1
PC  
2
AT Socket  
3
AT Serial Card  
Figure 5-9. AT Serial Board Installation  
5. Screw the mounting bracket of the AT serial board to the back panel  
rail of the computer.  
6. Replace the cover, and turn on your computer.  
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7. Windows NT displays one or more New Hardware Found dialog  
boxes, depending on your serial hardware. In each dialog box, make  
sure that Windows Default Driver is selected, and click on OK.  
8. The serial configuration software displays a PnP Port Configuration  
dialog box. Select a nonconflicting base I/O address and IRQ setting  
for the port/card, and click on OK. For more information on selecting  
resources for your post/card, refer to the Resource Settings section.  
9. After you have selected the resources for all ports, choose to restart the  
computer when the system prompts you.  
The serial hardware installation is now complete.  
Verify the Installation  
Determine Which Physical Port Is Associated  
with COMx  
Select Start»Settings»Control Panel, and double-click on niports. A list  
showing installed National Instruments ports with their logical COMx  
names appears. If your interface is not on the list, refer to Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions.  
Select the COM port you want and click on the Settings button to display  
the General Port Settings dialog box for that port. This dialog box  
displays the serial number of the serial hardware and the physical port  
number starting at 1. On all serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port,  
PORT2 refers to the next port down, and so on.  
When you have finished verifying the driver installation and physical port,  
proceed to the next section, Run the Diagnostic Test.  
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.  
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If the diagnostic test completes with no failures, your serial hardware  
and software are installed properly. If it fails, refer to Appendix D,  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions, for troubleshooting instructions.  
After you verify the hardware and software installation, connect the cables.  
See Appendix A, Connector Descriptions, for information about cable  
connections.  
Configure Communication Port Settings  
The serial configuration utility is fully integrated with the Windows NT  
Control Panel. You can use it to examine or modify the configuration of the  
serial port.  
Follow these steps to configure the serial port.  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the niports  
icon. A list of National Instruments ports appears, as shown in  
Figure 5-10.  
Figure 5-10. niports Configuration Utility  
2. Select the port you are interested in.  
3. Click on the Settings button to view or configure the port settings.  
Refer to the next section, General Port Settings, for more information.  
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4. Click on the Resources button in the General Port Settings dialog  
box to view or configure the resources for the port. Refer to the  
Resource Settings section, later in this chapter, for more information.  
5. Click on Delete to remove hardware information about the port from  
Windows NT. You should do this before you remove the serial  
interface from the system.  
General Port Settings  
This section describes the options you can set in the General Port Settings  
dialog box, shown in Figure 5-11.  
Figure 5-11. General Port Settings Dialog Box  
COM Port Number  
You can use the COM Port Number control to change the COMx name  
of the port selected.  
Transceiver Mode  
The transceiver mode selection shows the transceiver mode in use, and  
applies only to AT-485 boards. Refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial  
Hardware, for more information about transceiver modes. If you use  
two-wire TXRDY mode, FIFOs must be enabled.  
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FIFO Enabled  
You can use the FIFO Enabled control to enable or disable the  
FIFO buffers on the serial port. FIFO buffers are present on the  
16550-compatible UARTs—one for the transmitter and one for the  
receiver.  
FIFO Buffer Size  
FIFO buffers are present on the 16550-compatible UARTs—one for the  
transmitter and one for the receiver. The receiver FIFO trigger denotes the  
number of characters received in the FIFO before the PC is interrupted to  
read the data. The transmit FIFO trigger denotes the maximum number of  
bytes written to the FIFO in a block when the PC is interrupted to write the  
data. Consider the following points when selecting FIFO settings:  
•
You can select larger FIFO settings to reduce the number of interrupts  
and therefore minimize system overhead.  
•
If transfer rates are high, you can lower receive FIFO settings to reduce  
the number of interrupts and therefore prevent overrun errors due to  
interrupt latency.  
•
If data transfer sizes are small, selecting receive FIFO settings just  
above data sizes can reduce efficiency, so select lower settings.  
Resources  
Click on the Resources button to display the resource configuration dialog  
box for the port. For more information on resource configuration, refer to  
the next section, Resource Settings.  
Resource Settings  
The following sections explain the resource configuration options for each  
serial interface.  
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AT Boards (Shared IRQ)  
Figure 5-12 shows the PnP Port Configuration dialog box for an  
AT-232/4 with shared IRQ. The dialog boxes for other shared IRQ AT  
boards are similar.  
Figure 5-12. PnP Port Configuration Dialog Box for the AT-232/4  
Each shared IRQ AT board requires multiple base I/O settings (one for each  
port) and one IRQ that is shared between the ports.  
Input/Output Range:  
Each Input/Output Range listing  
displays the I/O address ranges assigned  
to the corresponding port on the board.  
Interrupt Request:  
The IRQ shared between the ports on the  
board.  
Note The niports utility informs you if your resources conflict with the resources of any  
other interface in the system. It does not check for conflicts with ports on the same board.  
Make sure to assign base I/O addresses that do not conflict with those assigned to another  
port on the same board.  
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Note If you are unable to change the base I/O address by double-clicking on the  
Input/Output Range control, select a different Basic Configuration in the Setting based on:  
control.  
AT Boards (Non-Shared IRQ)  
Each port on the board requires one I/O window and one IRQ.  
Input/Output Range:  
IRQ:  
The base I/O address range assigned to  
the port.  
The IRQ assigned to the port.  
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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  
communications software. NI serial ports are used like any other Windows  
communications (COM) port. Windows 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 Measurement Studio and want to use it with your  
serial hardware, refer to your LabVIEW or Measurement Studio  
documentation for information about serial I/O functions.  
Advanced Transceiver Control for the  
PCI/PXI/PCMCIA/AT-485 Boards  
Note Transceiver modes apply only to the PCI/PXI/PCMCIA/AT-485 boards.  
The RS-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 6-1  
lists the status of the transmitters and receivers under each of the  
transceiver control modes.  
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Table 6-1. 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 B, Serial Port Information.  
Setting the Transceiver Control Mode  
Windows 2000  
To set the transceiver control mode, use the Windows 2000 Device  
Manager. For instructions on how to use the Device Manager, refer to the  
chapter with installation instructions for your hardware platform. The mode  
you select in the Device Manager is automatically configured when you  
open a port on a serial interface.  
Windows Me/9x  
To set the transceiver control mode, use the Windows Me/9x Device  
Manager. For instructions on how to use the Device Manager, refer to  
chapter with installation instructions for your hardware platform. 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 6-2  
shows the control bytes for each mode.  
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Table 6-2. Transceiver Mode Control Bytes  
Transceiver Mode  
Control Byte  
0x00  
Four-wire mode  
Two-wire mode: DTR with echo  
Two-wire mode: DTR controlled  
Two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control  
0x01  
0x02  
0x03  
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 want  
to set the board to two-wire mode with DTR control, you would write a  
0x02 to address 0x3FF. The board would immediately switch to the  
two-wire mode with DTR control.  
Windows NT  
To set the transceiver control mode, use the serial configuration utility.  
For instructions on how to use the utility, refer to chapter with installation  
instructions for your hardware platform. The mode you select in the  
configuration utility is automatically configured when you open a port on  
a serial interface.  
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 6-3 for  
programming different transceiver modes.  
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Table 6-3. DeviceIoControl Function Input Values  
DeviceIoControl  
Transceiver Mode  
Function Input Value  
Four-wire mode  
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:  
Windows 2000  
ULONG TranceiverMode = 131;  
ULONG dummy;  
DeviceIoControl(hDevice,  
IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE,(PVOID)  
&TransceiverMode,sizeof(ULONG),NULL,0,&dummy,NULL);  
Windows NT/Me/9x  
ULONG TranceiverMode = 131;  
DeviceIoControl(hDevice,  
IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_TRANSCEIVER_MODE,(PVOID)  
&TransceiverMode,sizeof(ULONG),lpOutBuffer,  
nOutBufferSize,lpBytesReturned,lpOverlapped);  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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A
Connector Descriptions  
Connecting Cables  
For the PCMCIA serial cards and two-port PCI, PXI, and AT serial boards,  
you can use the standard DB-9 connector found on most serial cables.  
To use the DB-9 connector with the four-port serial boards, you need the  
10-position modular jack to DB-9 cable, which is available from National  
Instruments. You can also use a DB-25 connector with the four-port serial  
boards by ordering the 10-position modular jack to DB-25 converter cable  
from National Instruments. The eight-port serial boards include a pig tail  
cable adapter, providing eight standard DB-9 connectors. The 16-port  
boards include a break out box, providing 16 standard DB-9 connectors.  
Note To achieve the specified isolation voltage for four-port isolated PCI or AT serial  
boards, use only the 10-position modular jack to DB-9 cable included in your four-port  
isolated PCI or AT serial board kit.  
For more information about cable connectors, see the connector  
descriptions in this appendix.  
Connecting Two-Wire Devices  
The PCI-485, PCMCIA-485, RS-485 PXI (PXI-8421 and PXI-8423), and  
AT-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 board using  
half-duplex communication, you need a single twisted pair of wires. At the  
board, connect the TXD+ and RXD+ signals (pins 8 and 4 on a  
DB-9 connector, pins 5 and 20 on a DB-25 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. Use the same method to connect the  
TXD– and RXD– signals (pins 9 and 5 on a DB-9 connector, pins 22 and 7  
on a DB-25 connector) to the second wire.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
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Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
For information about setting the transceiver mode for two-wire  
communication, refer to Chapter 6, Using Your Serial Hardware. For more  
information about duplex architectures, refer to Appendix B, Serial Port  
Information.  
DB-9 Connector  
Figure A-1 and Table A-1 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
DB-9 connector, the 10-position modular jack to DB-9 cable, the cable  
adapter for the eight-port board, and the DB-9 connectors to the 16-port  
breakout box.  
PIN 5  
PIN 9  
PIN 6  
PIN 1  
Figure A-1. DB-9 Connector Pin Locations  
Table A-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.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
A-2  
ni.com  
           
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
Modular Jack Connector  
Figure A-2 and Table A-2 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
10-position modular jack.  
Pin 1  
Pin 10  
Figure A-2. 10-Position Modular Jack Pin Locations  
Table A-2. 10-Position Modular Jack Pin Descriptions  
10-Position  
Modular Jack Pin  
232 Signal  
DCD*  
485 Signal  
10  
9
8
7
6
5
4
3
2
1
GND  
RXD  
CTS+ (HSI+)  
RTS+ (HSO+)  
RXD+  
TXD  
DTR*  
GND  
DSR*  
RTS  
RXD–  
CTS– (HSI–)  
RTS– (HSO–)  
TXD+  
CTS  
RI*  
TXD–  
No Connect  
No Connect  
* These signals are not supported by the isolated 232 ports.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
A-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
           
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
DB-25 Connector  
Figure A-3 and Table A-3 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
DB-25 connector, which is on the optional 10-position modular jack  
to DB-25 cable.  
PIN 13  
PIN 25  
PIN 14  
PIN 1  
Figure A-3. DB-25 Connector Pin Locations  
Table A-3. DB-25 Pin Descriptions  
DB-25 Pin  
232 Signal  
485 Signal  
RTS+ (HSO+)  
CTS+ (HSI+)  
RTS– (HSO–)  
TXD+  
2
3
TXD  
RXD  
RTS  
CTS  
4
5
6
DSR*  
GND  
DCD*  
DTR*  
RI*  
CTS– (HSI–)  
RXD–  
7
8
GND  
20  
22  
RXD+  
TXD–  
Pins not listed in this table are No Connect.  
* These signals are not supported by the isolated 232 ports.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
A-4  
ni.com  
           
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
Figure A-4 shows how to connect the cables when you install a four-port  
PCI serial board.  
485 Terminator  
(485 Boards Only)  
10-Position Modular Jack  
to DB-9 Cable  
Additional  
Serial Cable  
Serial Board  
10-Position Modular Jack  
to DB-25 Cable  
Additional  
Serial Cable  
Figure A-4. Connecting the Cables to Your Four-Port PCI Serial Board  
© National Instruments Corporation  
A-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
68-Pin Connector  
Figure A-5 and Table A-4 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
68-pin connector.  
PIN 68  
PIN 34  
PIN 35  
PIN 1  
Figure A-5. 68-Pin Connector Pin Locations  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
A-6  
ni.com  
       
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
Table A-4. 68-Pin Connector Pin Descriptions  
68-Pin Connector Port  
485  
232  
485  
Signal  
D-Sub 9  
Connector  
232  
Signal  
D-Sub 9  
Connector  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
6
8
5
4
9
3
2
1
7
66  
68  
65  
64  
60  
63  
62  
61  
67  
57  
59  
56  
55  
60  
54  
53  
52  
58  
49  
51  
48  
47  
43  
46  
45  
44  
50  
40  
42  
39  
38  
43  
37  
36  
35  
41  
32  
34  
31  
30  
26  
29  
28  
27  
33  
23  
25  
22  
21  
26  
20  
19  
18  
24  
15  
17  
14  
13  
9
RXD–  
CTS+  
RTS+  
RXD+  
GND  
5
2
3
4
1
6
7
8
9
DCD  
RXD  
TXD  
DTR  
GND  
DSR  
RTS  
CTS  
RI  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
12  
11  
10  
16  
CTS–  
RTS–  
TXD+  
TXD–  
© National Instruments Corporation  
A-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
100-Pin Connector  
Figure A-6 and Table A-5 give the pin locations and descriptions of the  
100-pin connector.  
PIN 100  
PIN 50  
PIN 51  
PIN 1  
Figure A-6. 100-Pin Connector Pin Locations  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
A-8  
ni.com  
       
Appendix A  
Connector Descriptions  
Table A-5. 100-Pin Connector Pin Descriptions  
100-Pin Connector Port  
232  
232  
D-Sub 9  
1
2
2
3
6
4
5
6
7
8
9
10  
—
32  
33  
—
51  
—
82  
83  
—
11  
—
20  
21  
—
51  
—
70  
71  
—
12  
—
30  
31  
—
13  
—
22  
23  
—
14  
—
28  
29  
—
15  
—
24  
25  
—
16  
—
26  
27  
—
Signal Connector  
46  
47  
48  
49  
1
42  
43  
44  
45  
1
10  
11  
12  
13  
50  
60  
61  
62  
63  
38  
39  
40  
41  
50  
88  
89  
90  
91  
14  
15  
16  
17  
50  
64  
65  
66  
67  
34  
35  
36  
37  
50  
84  
85  
86  
87  
—
18  
19  
—
51  
—
68  
69  
—
DCD*  
RXD  
TXD  
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
3
7
4
8
5
9
DTR*  
1
1
51 100 100 100 100 GND  
52  
53  
54  
55  
96  
97  
98  
99  
56  
57  
58  
59  
92  
93  
94  
95  
—
80  
81  
—
—
72  
73  
—
—
78  
79  
—
—
74  
75  
—
—
76  
77  
—
DSR*  
RTS  
CTS  
RI*  
* These signals are not supported on ports 9-16 of the 16-port PCI and PXI serial boards.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
A-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
B
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 B-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  
© National Instruments Corporation  
B-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Appendix B  
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.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
B-2  
ni.com  
   
Appendix B  
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 B-1  
shows a typical full-duplex system.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
B-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Appendix B  
Serial Port Information  
Slave 1  
Slave 2  
Slave n  
Tx  
Tx  
Tx  
Rx  
Rx  
Rx  
Tx  
Rx  
Figure B-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 B-2 shows a typical  
half-duplex system.  
Slave 1  
Slave 2  
Slave n  
Tx  
Tx  
Tx  
Rx  
Rx  
Rx  
Tx  
Rx  
Figure B-2. Typical Half-Duplex System  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
B-4  
ni.com  
           
Appendix B  
Serial Port Information  
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 B-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 B-3. Multidrop Network Using Terminating Resistors  
Bias Resistors  
A transmission line enters an indeterminate state if no nodes are  
transmitting on it. This indeterminate state can cause the receivers to  
receive invalid data bits from noise picked up on the cable. To prevent a line  
from receiving these data bits, force the transmission line into a known  
state. To do so, install two 620 Ω bias resistors at one node on the  
transmission line; doing so creates a voltage divider that forces the voltage  
between the differential pair to be greater than 200 mV, the threshold  
voltage for the receiver. You should install these resistors on only one node.  
Note Bias resistors are not available on the eight-port PCI-485 or eight-port PXI-8421.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
B-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
         
Appendix B  
Serial Port Information  
Figure B-4 shows a transmission line using bias resistors.  
+5  
620  
Bias Resistor  
A
B
100  
Rx  
Termination Resistor  
620  
Bias Resistor  
Figure B-4. Transmission Line Using Bias Resistors  
On the PCI RS-485 2- and 4-port serial cards, there are four  
user-configurable bias resistors in front of each connector. These resistors  
are socketed and pre-loaded with 620 Ω resistors. They are connected to the  
receive signals of each port to maintain a known state when the bus is idle.  
The connections are made as follows:  
•
•
RXD+ and CTS– are pulled up to VCC  
RXD– and CTS+ are pulled down to GND  
Rather than using two 620 Ω resistors at one node, you can increase the  
value of the resistors and put them at every node. For instance, if there are  
eight nodes in a system, you can use 4.7 kΩ resistors at each node to  
effectively achieve the same result.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
B-6  
ni.com  
     
Appendix B  
Serial Port Information  
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 B-5 shows straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE interface.  
Rx D  
Tx D  
Rx D  
Pin 2  
DTE  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
Pin 2  
Pin 3  
DCE  
DCE  
DTE  
Tx D  
Pin 3  
Figure B-5. 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 B-6 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 B-6. Null-Modem Cabling in a DTE-to-DTE Interface  
1
In Revision D of the RS-232 specification, a DCE is a Data Circuit-Terminating Equipment.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
B-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
           
C
Uninstalling the  
Hardware and Software  
This appendix describes how to uninstall your serial hardware and the  
NI-Serial software.  
To begin your uninstallation, see the section of this appendix containing  
instructions for your hardware platform and operating system:  
PCI Hardware  
Windows 2000 ...................................................................C-2  
Windows Me/9x .................................................................C-3  
Windows NT ......................................................................C-5  
PXI Hardware  
Windows 2000 ...................................................................C-7  
Windows Me/9x .................................................................C-8  
Windows NT ......................................................................C-10  
PCMCIA Hardware  
Windows 2000 ...................................................................C-12  
Windows Me/9x .................................................................C-13  
Windows NT ......................................................................C-15  
AT Hardware  
Windows 2000 ...................................................................C-17  
Windows Me/9x .................................................................C-18  
Windows NT ......................................................................C-20  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
PCI Hardware  
Windows 2000  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, right-click on the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-1.  
Figure C-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-2  
ni.com  
           
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Choose the Uninstall... option.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select NI-Serial and click on the Change/Remove button. The  
uninstallation program removes all folders, utilities, and registry  
entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows 2000, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 2, PCI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows Me/9x  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Device Manager tab and click on the View devices by type  
button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, select the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-2.  
Figure C-2. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
5. Click on the Remove button.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-4  
ni.com  
       
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
3. Select the NI-Serial software you want to uninstall, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstallation program removes all folders,  
utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows Me/9x, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 2, PCI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows NT  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Log in as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
3. From the Ports list, select the port of the board you want to uninstall,  
as shown in Figure C-3.  
Figure C-3. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
         
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
4. Click on the Delete button.  
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have removed every PCI serial port that  
you want to uninstall.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select the NI-Serial software you want to uninstall, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstallation program removes all folders,  
utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows NT, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 2, PCI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-6  
ni.com  
 
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
PXI Hardware  
Windows 2000  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, right-click on the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-4.  
Figure C-4. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
           
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Choose the Uninstall... option.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select NI-Serial and click on the Change/Remove button. The  
uninstallation program removes all folders, utilities, and registry  
entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows 2000, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 3, PXI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows Me/9x  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Device Manager tab and click on the View devices by type  
button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, select the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-5.  
Figure C-5. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
5. Click on the Remove button.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
3. Select the NI-Serial software you want to uninstall, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstallation program removes all folders,  
utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows Me/9x, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 3, PXI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows NT  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Log in as Administratoror as a user who has Administrator  
privileges.  
2. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the niports  
icon. From the Ports list, select the port of the board you want to  
uninstall, as shown in Figure C-6.  
Figure C-6. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-10  
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Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
3. Click on the Delete button.  
4. Repeat steps 3 and 4 until you have removed every PXI serial port that  
you want to uninstall.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select the NI-Serial software you want to uninstall, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstallation program removes all folders,  
utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows NT, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 3, PXI Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-11  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
 
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
PCMCIA Hardware  
Windows 2000  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, right-click on the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-7.  
Figure C-7. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-12  
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Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Choose the Uninstall... option.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select NI-Serial and click on the Change/Remove button. The  
uninstallation program removes all folders, utilities, and registry  
entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Remove the PCMCIA serial interface from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 4, PCMCIA Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows Me/9x  
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.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-13  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Select the National Instruments port to remove from the list of ports,  
as shown in Figure C-8.  
Figure C-8. 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  
Manager, you must open the Multi-function adapters class, select the name of your  
interface, and click on the Remove button.  
7. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove this interface or click on Cancel to cancel your request.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-14  
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Appendix C  
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. The Add/Remove  
Programs Properties dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the  
software available for removal.  
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.  
4. Remove your PCMCIA card from your computer.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 4, PCMCIA Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows NT  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before physically removing the serial hardware, you must remove the  
hardware information from the Windows NT Control Panel.  
Follow these steps to uninstall the hardware:  
1. Double-click on the niports icon under Start»Settings»Control  
Panel.  
2. Select the port to remove from the list of ports as shown in Figure C-9.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-15  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
Figure C-9. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
3. Click on the Delete button.  
Note For two-port and four-port PCMCIA cards, all ports on the interface are removed.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before uninstalling the software, remove all serial port information from  
the Windows NT Control Panel, as described in the previous section. You  
do not need to shut down Windows NT 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. The Add/Remove  
Programs Properties dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the  
software available for removal.  
3. Select the serial software you want to remove, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstall program runs and removes all  
folders, utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial  
software.  
4. Shut down Windows NT, power off your computer, and remove your  
serial interfaces.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 4, PCMCIA Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-16  
ni.com  
       
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
AT Hardware  
Windows 2000  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before you physically remove the serial hardware from your system, you  
must remove the hardware information. To do so, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, right-click on the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure C-10.  
Figure C-10. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-17  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
           
Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Choose the Uninstall... option.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before you uninstall the NI-Serial software, you must remove the hardware  
information from your system, as described in the previous section.  
To uninstall the NI-Serial software, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel.  
2. Double-click on the Add/Remove Programs icon. The Add/Remove  
Programs dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the software that  
you can uninstall.  
3. Select NI-Serial and click on the Change/Remove button. The  
uninstallation program removes all folders, utilities, and registry  
entries associated with the NI-Serial software.  
4. Shut down Windows 2000, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
The uninstallation program removes only items that the setup wizard  
installed. If you added anything to a directory that the setup wizard created,  
the uninstallation program does not delete that directory. You must remove  
any remaining components yourself.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 5, AT Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows Me/9x  
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.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
5. Select the National Instruments port to remove from the list of ports,  
as shown in Figure C-11.  
Figure C-11. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
6. Click on the Remove button.  
Note To remove ports on shared IRQ AT boards from within the Device Manager, you  
must open the Multi-function adapters class, select the name of your interface, and click  
on the Remove button.  
7. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove this interface or click on Cancel to cancel your request.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-19  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix C  
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. The Add/Remove  
Programs Properties dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the  
software available for removal.  
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.  
4. Shut down Windows Me/9x, turn off your computer, and physically  
remove the serial interfaces from your system.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 5, AT Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Windows NT  
Uninstall the Hardware  
Before physically removing the serial hardware, you must remove the  
hardware information from the Windows NT Control Panel.  
Follow these steps to uninstall the hardware:  
1. Double-click on the niports icon under Start»Settings»Control  
Panel.  
2. Select the port to remove from the list of ports as shown in  
Figure C-12.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
C-20  
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Appendix C  
Uninstalling the Hardware and Software  
Figure C-12. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
3. Click on the Delete button.  
Note For shared IRQ AT boards, all ports on the interface are removed.  
Uninstall the Software  
Before uninstalling the software, remove all serial port information from  
the Windows NT Control Panel, as described in the previous section. You  
do not need to shut down Windows NT 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. The Add/Remove  
Programs Properties dialog box appears. This dialog box lists the  
software available for removal.  
3. Select the serial software you want to remove, and click on the  
Add/Remove button. The uninstall program runs and removes all  
folders, utilities, and registry entries associated with the NI-Serial  
software.  
4. Shut down Windows NT, power off your computer, and remove your  
serial interfaces.  
To reinstall the hardware and software, refer to Chapter 5, AT Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
C-21  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
D
Troubleshooting and  
Common Questions  
This appendix describes how to troubleshoot problems and answers some  
common questions.  
To find the information you are looking for, see the section of this appendix  
for your operating system:  
Windows 2000  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware......................D-2  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages...............................D-3  
Common Questions ............................................................D-4  
Windows Me/9x  
Freeing an Interrupt Request Level ....................................D-6  
Selecting Conflict-Free Resources .....................................D-7  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages...............................D-9  
Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards ...........D-11  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware......................D-11  
Common Questions ............................................................D-14  
Windows NT  
Missing Serial Port in the niports List................................D-18  
Resolving Resource Conflicts ............................................D-19  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages...............................D-20  
Common Questions ............................................................D-22  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Windows 2000  
Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware  
If Windows 2000 did not display the Found New Hardware Wizard, it did  
not detect your hardware. To solve this problem, complete the following  
steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Select the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon.  
4. From the Multi-function adapters list, right-click on the National  
Instruments interface that you want to uninstall, as shown in  
Figure D-1. (This example shows a PCI interface.)  
Figure D-1. Selecting an Interface to Uninstall  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-2  
ni.com  
             
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
5. Choose the Uninstall... option.  
6. In the Confirm Device Removal dialog box, click on the OK button  
to remove the hardware information, or click on the Cancel button to  
cancel your request.  
7. Click on the Scan for Hardware Changes icon at the top of the  
Device Manager window.  
8. Windows 2000 should automatically detect your hardware and display  
the Found New Hardware Wizard. Complete the wizard by clicking  
Next in each window and then Finish.  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages  
This section lists possible error messages returned by the diagnostic utility,  
along with solutions.  
No National Instruments Serial Port Found or  
Diagnostic Utility Does Not Show All Installed Ports  
If the No National Instruments serial port founderror message  
appears or the diagnostic utility does not show all the ports you installed,  
follow all the steps in the Forcing Windows to Detect Your Hardware  
section above.  
Address Test Failed  
If the address test failed, Interrupt test cannot be  
performederror message appears, you might have an address conflict  
with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem, change the base  
addresses assigned to your legacy boards and refer to the Resolving  
Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards section.  
Interrupt Test Failed  
If the Interrupt test failederror message appears, you might have  
an IRQ conflict with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem,  
change the IRQ level assigned to your legacy boards and refer to the next  
section, Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
         
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
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 2000 user’s guide for instructions on how to use the  
Device Manager to reserve I/O and IRQ resources for legacy boards.  
Common Questions  
How can I determine which type of serial hardware I have installed?  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display a list of  
installed ports.  
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»NI-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?  
To determine which physical port is associated with COMx, complete the  
following steps:  
1. In the Device Manager, under Ports (COM & LPT), double-click on  
a serial port.  
2. Note the Port 1, Port 2, etc. entries next to the COM numbers. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
How can I change the COM numbers of my National Instruments  
serial ports?  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
System icon.  
2. Click on the Hardware tab and click on the Device Manager button.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
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Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
3. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
4. Double-click on the port you want to configure.  
5. Click on the Port Settings tab.  
6. Click on the Advanced button. The Advanced Settings dialog box  
should pop up.  
7. Change the COM number in the COM Port Number field. (You can  
use a COM number that is designated as in use, as long as no hardware  
is actually using that COM number.)  
How do I remove information about serial boards from the Device  
Manager?  
Refer to the hardware uninstallation section for your hardware platform in  
Appendix C, Uninstalling the Hardware and Software.  
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.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Windows Me/9x  
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.  
6. In the Device Manager 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.  
8. Click on the Resources 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 installation verification section of the chapter for  
your hardware platform.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-6  
ni.com  
       
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Selecting Conflict-Free Resources  
PCI and PXI Boards  
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.  
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.  
AT Boards  
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.  
2. Double-click on the System icon.  
3. Select the Device Manager tab, and click on the View devices by type  
button at the top of the page.  
4. Double-click on the Ports (COM & LPT) icon. A list of installed  
ports appears.  
5. Double-click on the name of the serial port you want to change, then  
click on the Resources tab.  
Note To change the resources of ports on shared IRQ AT boards from within the Device  
Manager, you must open the Multi-function adapters class and double-click on the name  
of your interface. Use the Resources page to change the resources. Any resource changes  
are automatically reflected to the child devices.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
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.  
PCMCIA Boards  
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  
within the Device Manager, you must open the Multi-function adapters class and  
double-click on the name of your interface. Use the 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.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-8  
ni.com  
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages  
This section lists possible error messages returned by the diagnostic utility,  
along with solutions.  
No National Instruments Serial Port Found  
If the No National Instruments serial port founderror message  
appears, complete the following steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. If a serial board is missing from the Multi-function adapters list,  
reinstall the hardware and software. For instructions on how to do  
so, refer to the installation and verification chapter for your  
hardware plaform.  
c. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
d. Check the hardware resources. If they are in conflict, refer to the  
previous section, Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages.  
2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, in the Device Manager, the  
Driver tab shows information about the installed driver. Make sure that  
the National Instruments serial driver is installed for the port.  
If the serial driver is a Microsoft driver, reinstall the NI-Serial  
software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation and  
verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
3. Make sure that the National Instruments serial driver is installed, as  
follows:  
a. Locate the niserial.vxdfile in the \Windows\system  
directory.  
b. If the niserial.vxdfile is missing, reinstall the hardware and  
software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation  
and verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Diagnostic Utility Does Not Show All Installed Ports  
If the diagnostic utility does not show all the ports you installed, complete  
the following steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. In the Device Manager tab, under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial board.  
b. If a serial board is missing from the Multi-function adapters list,  
reinstall the hardware and software. For instructions on how to do  
so, refer to the installation and verification chapter for your  
hardware platform.  
c. Click on the Resources tab. If the resources were assigned  
properly, the Resources tab shows which resources are assigned  
to your serial ports.  
d. Check the hardware resources. If they are in conflict, refer to the  
previous section, Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages.  
2. In some versions of Windows Me/9x, in the Device Manager, the  
Driver tab shows information about the installed driver. Make sure that  
the National Instruments serial driver is installed for the port.  
If the serial driver is a Microsoft driver, reinstall the NI-Serial  
software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation and  
verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
3. Physically make sure the correct number of boards/ports are installed.  
Address Test Failed  
If the address test failed, Interrupt test cannot be  
performederror message appears, you might have an address conflict  
with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem, change the base  
addresses assigned to your legacy boards and refer to the Resolving  
Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards section later in this appendix.  
Interrupt Test Failed  
If the Interrupt test failederror message appears, you might have  
an IRQ conflict with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem,  
change the IRQ level assigned to your legacy boards and refer to the next  
section, Resolving Resource Conflicts with Legacy Boards.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-10  
ni.com  
     
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
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  
PCI and PXI Hardware  
If Windows Me/9x did not display the New Hardware Found dialog box,  
it did not detect your hardware. To solve this problem, 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 Other Devices icon. Windows Me/9x lists the  
boards it does not recognize under Other Devices.  
4. Double-click on the Multi-function adapters icon, where  
Windows Me/9x lists the parent devices of the PCI or PXI ports.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-11  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
5. Select the interface that Windows Me/9x did not detect, as shown in  
Figure D-2. (This example shows a PCI interface.)  
Figure D-2. Ports List in Device Manager  
6. Click on the Remove button.  
7. Click on the OK button to remove the serial hardware information.  
8. Repeat steps 5 through 7 until you have removed all serial interfaces.  
9. Click on the Refresh button.  
10. Windows Me/9x should automatically detect your hardware and  
display one or more New Hardware Found dialog boxes. Your  
operating system (Windows Me/9x) may show the Windows Default  
Driver option. If so, make sure the Windows Default Driver is  
selected and click on the OK button. If the Windows Default Driver  
option is not shown, the installation continues automatically.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-12  
ni.com  
     
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
AT and PCMCIA Hardware  
If Windows does not detect your serial hardware correctly, or you have  
been using your serial hardware with the default Windows Me/9x serial  
driver or an older version of the NI-Serial software, Windows Me/9x 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 System icon.  
3. Select the Device Manager tab.  
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 Me/9x recognizes.  
If you have already installed the hardware, double-click on Other  
Devices to display where Windows Me/9x lists the ports it does not  
recognize.  
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 D-3 shows the Ports list in the Device Manager with  
a port selected. (This example shows an AT interface.)  
Note To remove ports on shared IRQ cards, you must open the Multifunction adapter  
class, select the name of the interface, and click on the Remove button.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-13  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Figure D-3. Ports List in Device Manager  
7. Click on the Remove button, and click on OK to confirm the removal  
of the serial hardware information.  
Repeat steps 6 and 7 until all serial board entries are removed. Then, click  
on Refresh to force Windows Me/9x to detect the serial hardware and  
display the New Hardware Found dialog box.  
Common Questions  
How can I determine which type of serial hardware I have installed?  
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 Ports (COM & LPT) icon to display a list of  
installed ports.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-14  
ni.com  
             
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
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?  
To determine which physical port is associated with COMx, complete the  
following steps:  
1. In the Device Manager tab, under Ports (COM & LPT), double-click  
on a serial port.  
2. Click on the Port Settings tab to display the serial number of the serial  
hardware and the physical port number starting at 1. For all serial  
hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next port  
down, and so on.  
How can I change the COM numbers of my National Instruments  
serial ports?  
To name serial ports COM1, COM2, COM3, or COM4, change the base  
address of the port. To do so, refer to the Troubleshooting Diagnostic  
Messages section earlier in this appendix.  
When you change the base address, Windows Me/9x automatically  
converts it to the corresponding COM name listed in Table D-1. You do not  
need to change the IRQ setting for Windows Me/9x to change the name.  
Table D-1. Standard DOS-Based Addresses  
COM Port  
COM1  
Base Address  
3f8  
2f8  
3e8  
2e8  
COM2  
COM3  
COM4  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-15  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
How do I change the resources assigned to the serial interface?  
PCI and PXI Boards  
♦
The PCI and PXI serial boards are configured as devices belonging to the  
multi-function adapters class. The multi-function parent device is listed  
under the Multi-function adapters icon, and each child device is listed as  
a port under the Ports (COM & LPT) icon.  
To change the resources of serial ports, complete the following steps:  
1. In the Device Manager tab, under Multi-function adapters,  
double-click on a serial interface.  
2. Click on the Resources tab to change the resources. Your changes are  
automatically reflected to the child devices under Ports (COM &  
LPT).  
♦
AT and PCMCIA Boards  
Because the shared IRQ boards 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 shared IRQ boards 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 D-4 shows the Multi-function adapters class in the  
Device Manager. (This example shows an AT interface.)  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-16  
ni.com  
 
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Figure D-4. Multi-Function Adapter Class in the Device Manager  
How do I remove information about serial boards from the Device  
Manager?  
Refer to the hardware uninstallation section for your hardware platform and  
operating system in Appendix C, Uninstalling the Hardware and Software.  
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.  
How many interrupts are required for my serial interface?  
If you have a shared IRQ board or an isolated board, you need one interrupt  
per board. This is the hardware that currently ships with Windows Me/9x.  
If you have an older non-shared IRQ board, you need as many interrupts as  
there are ports on the board.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-17  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
           
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Windows NT  
Missing Serial Port in the niports List  
PCI and PXI Boards  
The serial configuration utility contains configuration information for  
serial hardware that is installed in your system.  
To start the configuration utility, select Start»Settings»Control Panel  
and double-click on the niports icon.  
If your PCI or PXI serial hardware is missing from this list, complete the  
following steps:  
1. Physically make sure that your board is installed properly.  
2. Make sure that the National Instruments serial driver is installed,  
as follows:  
a. Locate serial.sysin the WinNT\system32\drivers  
directory.  
b. Right-click on serial.sysand select Properties.  
c. Click on the Version tab. If the Company Name is Microsoft,  
the National Instruments serial driver is not installed properly.  
To solve this problem, reinstall the NI-Serial software. For  
instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation and  
verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
AT Boards  
The serial configuration utility niports contains configuration information  
for serial hardware it is aware of that is installed in your system.  
To start the configuration utility, select Start»Settings»Control Panel,  
and double-click on the niports icon.  
If your AT serial board is missing from the list, follow these steps:  
1. Make sure the hardware is installed.  
2. Make sure you have installed the Microsoft PnP ISA Enabler driver.  
niports cannot recognize the AT boards without the Microsoft PnP  
ISA Enabler driver. For more information, refer to the Installing the  
Microsoft PnP ISA Enabler Driver section of Chapter 5, AT Serial  
Hardware Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-18  
ni.com  
     
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
PCMCIA Boards  
The serial configuration utility niports contains configuration information  
for serial hardware it is aware of that is installed in your system.  
To start the configuration utility, select Start»Settings»Control Panel,  
and double-click on the niports icon.  
If serial ports are missing from this list, make sure you selected resources  
for your PCMCIA card as described in the Select Resources for the  
PCMCIA Card section in Chapter 4, PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
Installation, Verification, and Configuration.  
Resolving Resource Conflicts  
Resource conflicts occur when your system contains hardware that is  
configured to use the same resources as your serial interface. The serial  
driver detects some resource conflicts when it loads. When the driver  
detects conflicts as it loads, it records an error message describing the  
conflict.  
To resolve a resource conflict, complete the following steps:  
1. Select Start»Programs»Administrative Tools»Event Viewer to run  
the Event Viewer and determine which resource is in conflict.  
2. Change the resources of the device that caused the conflict.  
To help you select conflict-free resources, you can use the  
Windows NT Diagnostics utility. This utility displays a list of the  
I/O port addresses, interrupt levels, and DMA channels that your  
system is currently using. You can assign resources that are not listed  
by this utility to your device.  
To run the Windows NT Diagnostics utility, select  
Start»Programs»Administrative Tools»Windows NT Diagnostics.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-19  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Troubleshooting Diagnostic Messages  
This section lists possible error messages returned by the diagnostic utility,  
along with solutions.  
No National Instruments Serial Port Found  
If the No National Instruments serial port founderror message  
appears, complete the following steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
b. In the Ports list, select a port and click on the Settings button.  
If the serial port is missing from the Ports list, reinstall the  
hardware and software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to  
the installation and verification chapter for your hardware  
platform.  
c. In the General Port Settings dialog box, click on the Resources  
button to view the resources for the port.  
d. Check the hardware resources. If they are in conflict, refer to the  
previous section, Resolving Resource Conflicts.  
2. Make sure that the National Instruments serial driver is installed,  
as follows:  
a. Locate the serial.sysfile in the WinNT\system32\drivers  
directory.  
b. If the serial.sysfile is missing, reinstall the hardware and  
software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation  
and verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
c. Right-click on the serial.sysfile and select Properties.  
d. Click on the Version tab. If the Company Name is Microsoft,  
the National Instruments serial driver is not installed properly.  
To solve this problem, reinstall the NI-Serial software. For  
instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation and  
verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-20  
ni.com  
     
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Diagnostic Utility Does Not Show All Installed Ports  
If the diagnostic utility does not show all the ports you installed, complete  
the following steps:  
1. Verify the hardware resources, as follows:  
a. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
b. In the Ports list, select a port and click on the Settings button.  
If the serial port is missing from the Ports list, reinstall the  
hardware and software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to  
the installation and verification chapter for your hardware  
platform.  
c. In the General Port Settings dialog box, click on the Resources  
button to view the resources for the port.  
d. Check the hardware resources. If they are in conflict, refer to the  
previous section, Resolving Resource Conflicts.  
2. Make sure that the National Instruments serial driver is installed,  
as follows:  
a. Locate the serial.sysfile in the WinNT\system32\drivers  
directory.  
b. If the serial.sysfile is missing, reinstall the hardware and  
software. For instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation  
and verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
c. Right-click on the serial.sysfile and select Properties.  
d. Click on the Version tab. If the Company Name is Microsoft,  
the National Instruments serial driver is not installed properly.  
To solve this problem, reinstall the NI-Serial software. For  
instructions on how to do so, refer to the installation and  
verification chapter for your hardware platform.  
3. Physically make sure the correct number of boards and ports are  
installed.  
Address Test Failed  
If the address test failed, Interrupt test cannot be  
performederror message appears, you might have an address conflict  
with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem, change the base  
addresses assigned to your legacy boards. For instructions on how to do so,  
refer to your legacy board documentation.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-21  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
Interrupt Test Failed  
If the Interrupt test failederror message appears, you might have  
an IRQ conflict with legacy boards in your system. To solve this problem,  
change the IRQ level assigned to your legacy boards. For instructions on  
how to do so, refer to your legacy board documentation.  
Common Questions  
How can I determine which type of serial hardware I have installed?  
To display a list of installed ports, select Start»Settings»Control Panel  
and double-click on the niports icon.  
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?  
To determine which physical port is associated with COMx, complete the  
following steps:  
1. Select Start»Settings»Control Panel and double-click on the  
niports icon.  
A list of installed National Instruments ports with their logical COMx  
names appears. If your interface is not on this list, refer to the Missing  
Serial Port in the niports List section earlier in this appendix.  
2. Select a COM port and click on the Settings button.  
The General Port Settings dialog box displays the serial number of  
the serial hardware and the physical port number starting at 1. For all  
serial hardware, PORT1 refers to the top port, PORT2 refers to the next  
port down, and so on.  
How can I change the COM numbers of my National Instruments  
serial ports?  
Refer to the general port settings section in the installation and verification  
chapter for your hardware platform.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
D-22  
ni.com  
                 
Appendix D  
Troubleshooting and Common Questions  
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.  
How many interrupts are required for my serial interface?  
If you have a shared IRQ card or an isolated serial card, you need one  
interrupt per card. This is the hardware that currently ships with  
Windows NT.  
If you have an older, non-shared IRQ card, you need as many interrupts as  
there are ports on the card.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
D-23  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
E
Specifications  
This appendix describes the characteristics of the serial hardware, the  
NI-Serial software, along with the recommended operating conditions.  
PCI Serial Hardware  
Two-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by 14.22 cm  
(4.2 by 5.6 in.)  
I/O connector.......................................... DB-9  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-485/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 350 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
PCI-232/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 50 mA typical  
100 mA maximum  
12 VDC.................................. 20 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
Isolated Two-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by 14.22 cm  
(4.2 by 5.6 in.)  
I/O connector.......................................... DB-9  
Isolation voltage  
From port to port............................. 2000 Vrms/60s  
From any port to host computer...... 2000 Vrms/60s  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Appendix E  
Specifications for PCI Serial Hardware  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-485/2  
+5 VDC ....................................800 mA typical  
1300 mA maximum  
PCI-232/2  
+5 VDC ....................................400 mA typical  
650 mA maximum  
Four-Port Boards  
Dimensions .............................................10.67 by 17.27 cm  
(4.2 by 6.8 in.)  
I/O connector1.........................................10-position modular jack  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-485/4  
+5 VDC ....................................700 mA typical  
1300 mA maximum  
PCI-232/4  
+5 VDC ....................................70 mA typical  
150 mA maximum  
12 VDC ..................................40 mA typical  
400 mA maximum  
Isolated Four-Port Boards  
Dimensions .............................................10.67 by 17.27 cm  
(4.2 by 6.8 in.)  
I/O connector1.........................................10-position modular jack  
Isolation voltage  
From port to port .............................2000 Vrms/60s  
From any port to host computer ......2000 Vrms/60s  
1
The four-port PCI serial boards require a cable to convert the 10-position modular jack to either DB-9 or DB-25 connectors.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
E-2  
ni.com  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for PCI Serial Hardware  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-485/4  
+5 VDC.................................... 1000 mA typical  
1500 mA maximum  
PCI-232/4  
+5 VDC.................................... 500 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
Eight-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by14.48 cm  
(4.2 by 5.7 in.)  
I/O connector1 ........................................ 68-position, SCSI type connector  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-485/8  
+5 VDC.................................... 1100 mA typical  
2000 mA maximum  
PCI-232/8  
+5 VDC.................................... 100 mA typical  
180 mA maximum  
12 VDC.................................. 80 mA typical  
800 mA maximum  
16-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by17.52 cm  
(4.2 by 6.9 in.)  
I/O connector2 ........................................ 100-position, SCSI type  
connector  
Power requirement (from PCI channel)  
PCI-232/16  
+5 VDC.................................... 250 mA typical  
500 mA maximum  
1
The eight-port PCI serial boards require a cable, which is included in your kit, to convert the 68-position connector to  
eight DB-9 connectors.  
2
The 16-port PCI serial boards require a breakout box, which is included in your kit, to separate the 100-position connector to  
16 DB-9 connectors.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for PCI Serial Hardware  
Environmental Characteristics  
Operating environment  
Component temperature ..................0 to 70 °C  
Relative humidity ............................10 to 90%, noncondensing  
Storage environment  
Temperature.....................................–40 to 120 °C  
Relative humidity ............................5 to 90%, noncondensing  
EMI.........................................................FCC Class A Verified  
Software Characteristics  
Maximum serial transfer rate1  
RS-485.............................................460,800 bps  
RS-232.............................................115,200 bps  
1
Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and instrumentation capabilities.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
E-4  
ni.com  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for PXI Serial Hardware  
PXI Serial Hardware  
Two-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 100 by 160 mm  
(3.94 by 6.30 in.)  
I/O connector.......................................... DB-9  
Power requirement (from PXI channel)  
PXI-8420/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 100 mA typical  
150 mA maximum  
12 VDC.................................. 20 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
PXI-8421/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 350 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
PXI-8422/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 400 mA typical  
650 mA maximum  
PXI-8423/2  
+5 VDC.................................... 800 mA typical  
1300 mA maximum  
Four-Port Boards  
Dimensions............................................. 100 by 160 mm  
(3.94 by 6.30 in.)  
I/O connector1 ........................................ 10-position modular jack  
Power requirement (from PXI channel)  
PXI-8420/4  
+5 VDC.................................... 125 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
12 VDC.................................. 40 mA typical  
400 mA maximum  
1
The four-port PXI serial boards require a cable to convert the 10-position modular jack to either DB-9 or DB-25 connectors.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
     
Appendix E  
Specifications for PXI Serial Hardware  
PXI-8421/4  
+5 VDC ....................................350 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
PXI-8422/4  
+5 VDC ....................................500 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
PXI-8423/4  
+5 VDC ....................................1000 mA typical  
1500 mA maximum  
Eight-Port Boards  
Dimensions .............................................100 by 160 mm  
(3.94 by 6.30 in.)  
I/O connector1.........................................68-position, SCSI type connector  
Power requirement (from PXI channel)  
PXI-8420/8  
+5 VDC ....................................150 mA typical  
250 mA maximum  
12 VDC ..................................80 mA typical  
800 mA maximum  
PXI-8421/8  
+5 VDC ....................................1100 mA typical  
2000 mA maximum  
16-Port Boards  
Dimensions .............................................100 by 160 mm  
(3.94 by 6.30 in.)  
I/O connector2.........................................100-position, SCSI type  
connector  
Power requirement (from PXI channel)  
PXI-8420/16  
+5 VDC ....................................500 mA typical  
750 mA maximum  
1
The eight-port PXI serial boards require cables, which are included in your kit, to convert the 68-position connector to  
eight DB-9 connectors.  
2
The 16-port PCI serial boards require a breakout box, which is included in your kit, to separate the 100-position connector to  
16 DB-9 connectors.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
E-6  
ni.com  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for PXI Serial Hardware  
Environmental Characteristics  
Operating environment  
Component temperature.................. 0 to 70 °C  
Relative humidity............................ 10 to 90%, noncondensing  
Storage environment  
Temperature.................................... –40 to 120 °C  
Relative humidity............................ 5 to 90%, noncondensing  
EMI ........................................................ FCC Class A Verified  
Software Characteristics  
Maximum serial transfer rate1  
RS-485 ............................................ 460,800 bps  
RS-232 ............................................ 115,200 bps  
1
Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and instrumentation capabilities.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
PCMCIA Serial Hardware  
Hardware Specifications  
Dimensions .............................................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 ..................................+5 VDC 40 mA typical  
PCMCIA-485 ..................................+5 VDC 100 mA typical  
PCMCIA-232/2 ...............................+5 VDC 60 mA typical  
PCMCIA-485/2 ...............................+5 VDC 100 mA typical  
PCMCIA-232/4 ...............................+5 VDC 60 mA typical  
Operating environment  
Component temperature ..................0 to 70° C  
Relative humidity ............................10 to 90%, noncondensing  
Storage environment  
Temperature.....................................–40 to 120° C  
Relative humidity ............................5 to 90%, noncondensing  
EMI.........................................................FCC Class A verified  
Software Specifications  
Maximum serial transfer rate1 ................115,200 bps  
1
Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and instrumentation capabilities.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
E-8  
ni.com  
     
Appendix E  
Specifications for AT Serial Hardware  
AT Serial Hardware  
Hardware Characteristics  
Two-Port AT Serial Boards (Nonisolated)  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by 16.51 cm  
(4.2 by 6.5 in.)  
I/O connector.......................................... DB-9  
Power requirement  
(from PC AT I/O channel)  
AT-485/2.......................................... +5 VDC 390 mA typical  
510 mA maximum  
AT-232/2.......................................... +5 VDC 260 mA typical  
340 mA maximum  
AT-485/2 (Shared IRQ)................... +5 VDC 140 mA typical  
180 mA maximum  
AT-232/2 (Shared IRQ)................... +5 VDC  
70 mA typical  
100 mA maximum  
Two-Port AT Serial Boards (Isolated)  
Dimensions............................................. 10.67 by 18.70 cm  
(4.2 by 7.4 in.)  
I/O connector.......................................... DB-9  
Isolation Voltage  
From Port to Port ............................ 3000 Vrms/60s  
From Any Port to Host  
Computer ........................................ 2000 Vrms/60s  
Power Requirement  
(from PC AT I/O channel)  
AT-485/2 Isolated............................ +5 VDC 220 mA typical  
260 mA maximum  
AT-232/2 Isolated............................ +5 VDC 160 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
       
Appendix E  
Specifications for AT Serial Hardware  
Four-Port AT Serial Boards (Nonisolated)  
Dimensions .............................................10.67 by 16.51 cm  
(4.2 by 6.5 in.)  
I/O connector1.........................................10-position modular jack  
Power Requirement  
(from PC AT I/O channel)  
AT-485/4 ..........................................+5 VDC  
AT-232/4 ..........................................+5 VDC  
AT-485/4 (Shared IRQ)....................+5 VDC  
AT-232/4 (Shared IRQ)....................+5 VDC  
160 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
110 mA typical  
150 mA maximum  
160 mA typical  
200 mA maximum  
110 mA typical  
150 mA maximum  
Four-Port AT Serial Boards (Isolated)  
Dimensions .............................................10.67 by 25.40 cm  
(4.2 by 10.0 in.)  
I/O connector2.........................................10-position modular jack  
Isolation voltage  
From Port to Port.............................3000 Vrms/60s  
From Any Port to Host  
Computer.........................................2000 Vrms/60s  
Power Requirement  
(from PC AT I/O channel)  
AT-485/4 Isolated.............................+5 VDC  
300 mA typical  
360 mA maximum  
AT-232/4 Isolated.............................+5 VDC  
280 mA typical  
320 mA maximum  
1
The four-port AT serial board requires a cable to convert the 10-position modular jack to either DB-9 or DB-25 connectors.  
2
The four-port isolated AT serial board requires cables, which are included in your kit, to convert the 10-position modular jack  
to a DB-9 connector. Use only the type of cables provided in your kit.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
E-10  
ni.com  
   
Appendix E  
Specifications for AT Serial Hardware  
Environmental Characteristics  
Operating environment  
Component temperature.................. 0 to 70° C  
Relative humidity............................ 10 to 90%, noncondensing  
Storage environment  
Temperature .................................... –40 to 120° C  
Relative humidity............................ 5 to 90%, noncondensing  
EMI  
AT serial.......................................... FCC Class B verified  
AT serial isolated............................. FCC Class A verified  
Software Characteristics  
Maximum serial transfer rate ................. 115,200 bps1  
1
Actual speed may vary considerably from speed shown due to system and instrumentation capabilities.  
© National Instruments Corporation  
E-11  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
F
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  
© National Instruments Corporation  
F-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
             
Appendix F  
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.  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
F-2  
ni.com  
 
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  
© National Instruments Corporation  
G-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
   
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
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
G-2  
ni.com  
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  
© National Instruments Corporation  
G-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Index  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-7  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-8  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-8  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-7  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-7  
transceiver mode  
Numerics  
100-pin connector, A-8  
pin descriptions (table), A-9  
pin locations (figure), A-8  
10-position modular jack, A-3  
pin descriptions (table), A-3  
pin locations (figure), A-3  
16-port boards specifications  
PCI, E-3  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-8  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-8  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-7  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-8  
PXI, E-6  
using FIFO buffers, 2-9, 2-17, 3-8, 3-16,  
4-8, 4-15, 5-9, 5-18  
advanced transceiver control, 6-1  
four-wire mode, 6-2  
68-pin connector, A-6  
pin descriptions (table), A-7  
pin locations (figure), A-6  
setting transceiver control mode, 6-3  
transceiver mode control bytes (table), 6-4  
transceiver mode control modes (table), 6-2  
two-wire mode: DTR controlled, 6-2  
two-wire mode: DTR with Echo, 6-2  
two-wire mode: TXRDY auto control, 6-3  
AT serial board installation (figure), 5-3,  
5-11, 5-20  
A
advanced port settings  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-17  
dialog box (figure)  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-17  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-17  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-15  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-16  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-17  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-15  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-16  
transceiver mode  
B
bias resistors, B-5  
using in transmission line (figure), B-6  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-17  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-17  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-15  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-16  
advanced settings  
C
cable connection, A-1  
changing communication port settings  
Windows 2000, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5  
Windows NT, 2-21, 3-20, 4-19, 5-22  
changing resources assigned to serial  
interface, D-16  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-8  
dialog box (figure)  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-8  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-8  
COM port number, 2-22, 3-21, 4-20, 5-23  
© National Instruments Corporation  
I-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
 
Index  
common questions  
communication port settings  
viewing or changing  
changing resources assigned to serial  
interface, D-16  
Windows 2000, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5  
determining number of interrupts required  
for a serial interface, D-17, D-23  
determining port associated with COMx  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, 2-14, 3-13,  
4-13, 5-14  
Windows NT, 2-21, 3-20, 4-19, 5-22  
ComponentWorks, 1-9  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
ComponentWorks++, 1-9  
configuration  
determining type of serial hardware  
installed  
resource settings, 5-24  
conflict-free resources, D-7  
selecting, D-7  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-14  
Windows NT, D-22  
determining version of NI-Serial software  
installed  
connecting cables, A-1  
connecting cables to four-port PCI serial board  
(figure), A-5  
connecting two-wire devices, A-1  
conventions, xiii  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
customer education, F-1  
diagnostic test failure  
D
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
DB-25 connector, A-4  
pin descriptions (table), A-4  
pin locations (figure), A-4  
DB-9  
maximum supported baud rate  
Windows 2000, D-5  
Windows Me/9x, D-17  
Windows NT, D-23  
100-pin connector pin descriptions  
(figure), A-8  
100-pin connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-9  
naming National Instruments serial ports  
Windows 2000, D-4  
68-pin connector pin descriptions  
(figure), A-6  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
68-pin connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-7  
connector, A-2  
removing information about serial boards  
from Device Manager  
Windows 2000, D-5  
pin descriptions (table), A-2  
pin locations (figure), A-2  
DCE vs. DTE, B-7  
default restoration, 2-9, 2-18, 3-9, 3-17, 4-8,  
4-16, 5-9  
Windows Me/9x, D-17  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-14  
Windows NT, D-22  
determining number of interrupts required for  
a serial interface, D-23  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
I-2  
ni.com  
Index  
determining port associated with COMx  
Windows 2000, D-4  
no National Instruments serial port found  
Windows 2000, D-3  
Windows Me/9x, 4-12, 5-14, D-15  
Windows NT, 4-18, 5-21, D-22  
determining type of serial hardware installed  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-9  
Windows NT, D-20  
troubleshooting  
Windows 2000, D-3  
Windows Me/9x, D-14  
Windows Me/9x, D-9  
Windows NT, D-22  
Windows NT, D-20  
determining version of NI-Serial software  
installed  
diagnostic test failure  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
Windows NT, D-22  
DOS-based addresses (table), D-15  
DTE vs. DCE, B-7  
development tools for saving time, 1-8  
Device Manager for AT serial board ports  
(figure), 5-4, 5-13  
Device Manager for PCI serial board ports  
(figure), 2-4, 2-13  
Device Manager for PCMCIA serial card ports  
(figure), 4-4, 4-11  
Device Manager for PXI serial board ports  
(figure), 3-4, 3-12  
DTE-to-DCE interface, B-7  
straight-through cabling in (figure), B-7  
DTE-to-DTE interface, B-7  
null-modem cabling in (figure), B-7  
duplex architectures, B-3  
full duplex, B-3  
half duplex, B-4  
Device Manager ports list (figure), D-12, D-14  
DeviceloControl, 6-4  
E
input values (table), 6-5  
eight-port boards specifications  
PCI, E-3  
PXI, E-6  
environmental characteristics  
AT, E-11  
setting transceiver mode with, 6-4  
diagnostic messages  
address test failed  
Windows 2000, D-3  
Windows Me/9x, D-10  
Windows NT, D-21  
PCI, E-4  
PXI, E-7  
diagnostic utility does not show all  
installed ports  
F
Windows Me/9x, D-10  
Windows NT, D-21  
interrupt test failed  
FIFO buffer size, 2-23, 3-22, 4-21, 5-24  
FIFO buffers, 2-9, 2-17, 3-8, 3-16, 4-8, 4-15,  
5-9, 5-18  
Windows 2000, D-3  
Windows Me/9x, D-10  
Windows NT, D-22  
FIFO enabled, 2-22, 3-21, 4-21, 5-24  
FIFO buffer size, 2-23, 3-22, 4-21, 5-24  
© National Instruments Corporation  
I-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Index  
forcing Windows to detect hardware  
Windows 2000, D-2  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
four-port boards  
H
half duplex, B-4  
half-duplex system (figure), B-4  
hardware installation  
connecting cables to (figure), A-5  
isolated four-port boards  
AT, E-10  
PCI, E-2  
specifications  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-2  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-10  
AT, Windows NT, 5-19  
getting started, 1-2  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-10  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-18  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-2  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-9  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-17  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-2  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-10  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-17  
verification  
AT, E-10  
PCI, E-2  
PXI, E-5  
four-wire mode, 6-2  
freeing an interrupt request level, D-6  
full duplex, B-3  
full-duplex system (figure), B-4  
G
AT, Windows 2000, 5-4  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-12  
AT, Windows NT, 5-21  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-4  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-12  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-20  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-3  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-10  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-18  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-4  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-11  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-19  
hardware specifications  
AT, E-9  
general port settings  
AT, 5-23  
dialog box (figure), 5-23  
transceiver mode, 5-23  
COM port number, 2-22, 3-21, 4-20, 5-23  
FIFO enabled, 2-22, 3-21, 4-21, 5-24  
PCI, 2-22  
dialog box (figure), 2-22  
transceiver mode, 2-22  
PCMCIA, 4-20  
dialog box (figure), 4-20  
transceiver mode, 4-20  
PXI, 3-21  
dialog box (figure), 3-21  
transceiver mode, 3-21  
resources, 2-23, 3-22, 4-21, 5-24  
general programming requirements, 6-1  
getting started, 1-2  
PCI, E-1  
PCMCIA, E-8  
PXI, E-5  
glossary, G-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
I-4  
ni.com  
Index  
verification  
AT, 5-1  
I
installation  
PCI, 2-1  
PCMCIA, 4-1  
PXI, 3-1  
AT serial board installation (figure), 5-3,  
5-11, 5-20  
determining port associated with COMx  
Windows Me/9x, 4-12, 5-14  
Windows NT, 4-18, 5-21  
getting started, 1-2  
installing the PnP ISA Enabler  
Driver, 5-18  
PCI serial board installation (figure), 2-3,  
2-11, 2-19  
PCMCIA serial card installation (figure),  
4-3, 4-10, 4-17  
verifying hardware installation, 4-10  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-4  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-12  
AT, Windows NT, 5-21  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-4  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-12  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-20  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-3  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-12  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-18  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-4  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-11  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-19  
verifying hardware resources  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-13  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-12  
installing the PnP ISA Enabler Driver, 5-18  
interrupt request level, D-6  
freeing, D-6  
PXI serial board installation (figure), 3-3,  
3-10, 3-18  
running the diagnostic test  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-14  
AT, Windows NT, 5-21  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-12  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-18  
selecting resources for the PCMCIA  
card, 4-18  
serial hardware  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-2  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-10  
AT, Windows NT, 5-19  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-10  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-18  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-2  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-9  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-17  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-2  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-10  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-17  
serial software  
introduction, 1-1  
isolated four-port boards  
AT, E-10  
PCI, E-2  
isolated two-port boards  
AT, E-9  
PCI, E-1  
L
LabVIEW, 1-8  
LabWindows/CVI, 1-9  
legacy boards  
resolving resource conflicts with  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
Windows 2000, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1  
Windows Me/9x, 2-9, 3-9, 4-8, 5-9  
Windows NT, 2-18, 3-17, 4-16, 5-19  
© National Instruments Corporation  
I-5  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Index  
PCMCIA, 1-6  
PXI, 1-4  
overview of serial software, 1-8  
M
maximum supported baud rate  
Windows 2000, D-5  
Windows Me/9x, D-17  
Windows NT, D-23  
Measurement Studio, 1-8  
P
PCI serial board installation (figure), 2-3,  
2-11, 2-19  
PCMCIA card installation (figure), 4-3,  
4-10, 4-17  
missing serial port in the niports list, D-18  
modular jack connector, A-3  
pin descriptions (table), A-3  
pin locations (figure), A-3  
multidrop network using terminating resistors  
(figure), B-5  
pin descriptions  
100-pin connector pin descriptions  
(figure), A-8  
100-pin connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-9  
multi-function adapter class in the Device  
Manager (figure), D-17  
68-pin connector pin descriptions  
(figure), A-6  
68-pin connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-7  
N
naming National Instruments serial ports  
standard DOS-based addresses  
(table), D-15  
DB-25  
connector, A-4  
connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-4  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-15  
Windows NT, D-22  
connector pin locations (figure), A-4  
DB-9  
National Instruments Web support, F-1  
NI Developer Zone, F-1  
niports configuration utility (figure)  
AT, 5-22  
100-pin description (table), A-9  
68-pin description (table), A-7  
connector, A-2  
connector pin descriptions  
(table), A-2  
PCI, 2-21  
PCMCIA, 4-19  
PXI, 3-20  
connector pin locations (figure), A-2  
PnP port configuration dialog box for the  
AT-232/4 (figure), 5-25  
port settings tab  
null-modem cabling in a DTE-to-DTE  
interface (figure), B-7  
number of interrupts required for a serial  
interface, D-17  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-7  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-16  
options  
O
advanced port settings  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-17  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-17  
optional equipment, 1-3  
overview of serial hardware  
AT, 1-6  
PCI, 1-3  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
I-6  
ni.com  
Index  
PCMCIA, Windows  
Me/9x, 4-15  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-16  
AT boards (shared IRQ), 5-25  
PCMCIA-232, PCMCIA-485,  
PCMCIA-232/4, 4-22  
advanced settings  
PCMCIA-232/2, PCMCIA-485/2, 4-23  
restoring defaults, 2-9, 2-18, 3-9, 3-17, 4-8,  
4-16, 5-9  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-8  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-8  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-7  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-7  
RS-232 standard, B-1  
features (table), B-1  
RS-422 standard, B-2  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-6  
features (table), B-1  
RS-485 standard, B-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-16  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-6  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-14  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-6  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-15  
restore defaults button, 2-9, 2-18, 3-9,  
3-17, 4-8, 4-16, 5-9  
features (table), B-1  
running the diagnostic test  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-14  
AT, Windows NT, 5-21  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-12  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-18  
ports list in Device Manager (figure),  
D-12, D-14  
PXI serial board installation (figure), 3-3,  
3-10, 3-18  
PXI serial board names and descriptions  
(table), 1-5  
S
selecting an interface to uninstall (figure)  
AT, Windows 2000, C-17  
AT, Windows Me/9x, C-19  
AT, Windows NT, C-21  
R
PCI, Windows 2000, C-2, D-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, C-4  
PCI, Windows NT, C-5  
related documentation, xiv  
removing information about serial boards  
from Device Manager  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, C-12  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, C-14  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, C-16  
PXI, Windows 2000, C-7  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, C-9  
PXI, Windows NT, C-10  
selecting conflict-free resources, D-7  
selecting resources for the PCMCIA  
card, 4-18  
Windows 2000, D-5  
Windows Me/9x, D-17  
resolving resource conflicts, D-19  
resolving resource conflicts with legacy  
boards  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
resource configuration dialog box for the  
PCMCIA-485 (figure), 4-22  
resource configuration dialog box for the  
PCMCIA-485/2 (figure), 4-23  
resource settings, 4-22, 5-24  
AT boards (non-shared IRQ), 5-26  
serial communication issues, B-3  
bias resistors, B-5  
DTE vs. DCE, B-7  
duplex architectures, B-3  
termination, B-5  
© National Instruments Corporation  
I-7  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Index  
serial hardware  
PCI, Windows 2000, C-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, C-3  
PCI, Windows NT, C-5  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, C-12  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, C-13  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, C-15  
PXI, Windows 2000, C-7  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, C-8  
PXI, Windows NT, C-10  
forcing Windows to detect  
Windows 2000, D-2  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
general programming requirements, 6-1  
installation  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-2  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-10  
AT, Windows NT, 5-19  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-10  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-18  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-2  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-9  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-17  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-2  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-10  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-17  
overview  
using, 6-1  
serial port information, B-1  
serial software  
installation  
Windows 2000, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1  
Windows Me/9x, 2-9, 3-9, 4-8, 5-9  
Windows NT, 2-18, 3-17, 4-16, 5-19  
overview, 1-8  
uninstalling  
Windows 2000, C-3, C-8, C-13, C-18  
AT, 1-6  
PCI, 1-3  
Windows Me/9x, C-4, C-9,  
C-15, C-20  
Windows NT, C-6, C-11, C-16, C-21  
setting transceiver control mode, 6-3  
setting with DeviceloControl, 6-4  
software characteristics  
AT, E-11  
PCMCIA, 1-6  
PXI, 1-4  
selecting an interface to uninstall (figure)  
AT, Windows 2000, C-17  
AT, Windows Me/9x, C-19  
AT, Windows NT, C-21  
PCI, Windows 2000, C-2, D-2  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, C-4  
PCI, Windows NT, C-5  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, C-12  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, C-14  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, C-16  
PXI, Windows 2000, C-7  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, C-9  
PXI, Windows NT, C-10  
uninstalling  
PCI, E-4  
PCMCIA, E-8  
PXI, E-7  
software installation  
getting started, 1-2  
Windows 2000, 2-1, 3-1, 4-1, 5-1  
Windows Me/9x, 2-9, 3-9, 4-8, 5-9  
Windows NT, 2-18, 3-17, 4-16, 5-19  
specifications, E-1  
16-port boards  
PCI, E-3  
PXI, E-6  
AT, E-9  
AT, Windows 2000, C-17  
AT, Windows Me/9x, C-18  
AT, Windows NT, C-20  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
I-8  
ni.com  
Index  
eight-port boards  
PCI, E-3  
time-saving development tools, 1-8  
transceiver control modes (table), 6-2  
transceiver mode  
PXI, E-6  
environmental characteristics  
AT, E-11  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-8  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-17  
AT, Windows NT, 5-23  
PCI, E-4  
PXI, E-7  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-8  
four-port boards  
AT, E-10  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-17  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-22  
PCI, E-2  
PXI, E-5  
isolated four-port boards  
AT, E-10  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-7  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-15  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-20  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-8  
PCI, E-2  
isolated two-port boards  
AT, E-9  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-16  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-21  
setting with DeviceloControl, 6-4  
PCI, E-1  
PCI, E-1  
PCMCIA, E-8  
PXI, E-5  
transceiver mode control bytes (table), 6-4  
transmission line using bias resistors  
(figure), B-6  
troubleshooting, D-1  
diagnostic messages  
software characteristics  
AT, E-11  
Windows 2000, D-3  
Windows Me/9x, D-9  
PCI, E-4  
Windows NT, D-20  
forcing Windows to detect your hardware  
Windows 2000, D-2  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
freeing an interrupt request level, D-6  
missing serial port in the niports list, D-18  
resolving resource conflicts, D-19  
resolving resource conflicts with legacy  
boards  
PCMCIA, E-8  
PXI, E-7  
two-port boards  
AT, E-9  
PCI, E-1  
PXI, E-5  
standard DOS-based addresses (table), D-15  
straight-through cabling in a DTE-to-DCE  
interface (figure), B-7  
system integration, by National  
Instruments, F-1  
Windows 2000, D-4  
Windows Me/9x, D-11  
selecting conflict-free resources, D-7  
two-port boards specifications  
AT, E-9  
T
technical support resources, F-1  
termination, B-5  
isolated two-port boards  
AT, E-9  
multidrop network using terminating  
resistors (figure), B-5  
PCI, E-1  
© National Instruments Corporation  
I-9  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
Index  
PCI, E-1  
PXI, E-5  
two-wire devices, A-1  
connecting, A-1  
typical full-duplex system (figure), B-4  
typical half-duplex system (figure), B-4  
V
verifying hardware installation  
AT, Windows 2000, 5-4  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-12  
AT, Windows NT, 5-21  
PCI, Windows 2000, 2-4  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, 2-12  
PCI, Windows NT, 2-20  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, 4-3  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-10  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, 4-18  
PXI, Windows 2000, 3-4  
U
uninstalling serial hardware  
AT Windows Me/9x, C-18  
AT, Windows 2000, C-17  
AT, Windows NT, C-20  
PCI, Windows 2000, C-2  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, 3-11  
PXI, Windows NT, 3-19  
PCI, Windows Me/9x, C-3  
PCI, Windows NT, C-5  
PCMCIA, Windows 2000, C-12  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, C-13  
PCMCIA, Windows NT, C-15  
PXI, Windows 2000, C-7  
verifying hardware resources  
AT, Windows Me/9x, 5-13  
PCMCIA, Windows Me/9x, 4-12  
viewing or changing communication port  
settings  
Windows 2000, 2-5, 3-5, 4-5, 5-5  
Windows Me/9x, 2-14, 3-13, 4-13, 5-14  
Windows NT, 2-21, 3-20, 4-19, 5-22  
PXI, Windows Me/9x, C-8  
PXI, Windows NT, C-10  
uninstalling serial software  
Windows 2000, C-3, C-8, C-13, C-18  
Windows Me/9x, C-4, C-9, C-15, C-20  
Windows NT, C-6, C-11, C-16, C-21  
using FIFO buffers, 2-9, 2-17, 3-8, 3-16, 4-8,  
4-15, 5-9, 5-18  
W
Web support from National Instruments, F-1  
Win32 Overviews and Win32 Reference, 6-1  
Win32 Software Development Kit, 6-1  
worldwide technical support, F-2  
using serial hardware, 6-1  
using this manual, 1-1  
Serial Hardware and Software for Windows  
I-10  
ni.com  

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