EXP Computer CDS-620_820 User Manual

Page 27

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PCMCIA SOFTWARE INFORMATION

If you have installed the PCMCIA software, such as SystemSoft’s CardSoft and Databook’s Cardtalk,
then EXPCDS.EXE(or EXPCDM.EXE) will call the Card Services or Socket Services to enable the card.
If you don’t have one, EXPCDS(or EXPCDM.EXE) still can directly access hardware to enable the card.
In this case, your computer should have an Intel 82365SL Personal Computer Interface Controller
(PCIC) or other compatible controller.

PCMCIA software contains several components: Socket services, Card Services, Resource Initialization
Utility and Card Installation Utility. The remainder of this section will explain these four components and
list the device driver names for the major PCMCIA software.

Socket Services provides the interface between a system’s BIOS and the host controller chips (such as
the Intel 82365SL PCIC, Vadem 486 and so on.) Socket Services include functions such as configuring
a socket for an I/O or memory interface and controlling socket power voltages. The Socket Services
driver you have depends on the host computer chip of your computer.

Card Services provide the interface between the PC Card and the PCMCIA sockets. Card Services must
be aware of I/O, IRQ, and memory resources already used by the system so it can accurately assign
unused resources to PC Cards.

To ensure Card Services will operate reliably regardless of the system it is installed in, some PCMCIA
software provides its own resource initialization utility, which will check I/O ports, IRQs, and memory
addressing and then report that information to Card Services.

The Card Installation Utility detects the insertion and removal of PC cards, and automatically determines
the card type upon insertion so the card and socket will be configured properly.

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