Impulse 3603 - Manual (Page 4)

Card Setup
Sealevel Systems PC-SIO-232 Page 2
Card Setup
Card and Socket Services must be loaded on the system prior to installing the PC-SIO-232 card. Card and Socket
Services are supplied by the PCMCIA slot provider (i.e. the computer manufacturer or the PC adapter
manufacturer). These may be in the form of a third party add-on Card and Socket service (e.g. CardSoft’s
CardWizard) or with your current operating system (e.g. Windows 95/98/ME/2000/XP).
Socket Services are the lowest level of the PCMCIA Software hierarchy. Socket Services provide a standard
interface to the higher-level drivers and isolate the socket controller’s specific hardware details. Socket Services
provide the ‘BIOS’ interface to the socket controller hardware. Socket Services are typically hidden under Card
Services and are rarely directly accessible by application software.
Card Services provide the interface to application software and drivers. Card Services are responsible for allocating
card resources and ensuring that card resources do not interfere with other existing system resources. Card Services
are typically implemented as a driver. Almost all PCMCIA type cards require some sort of software driver. In the
case of the PC-SIO-232, the generic Card Services driver supplied with the computer system should provide
adequate support for most applications. A DOS ‘Enabler’ is also provided for older systems in which the Generic
Enabler isn’t adequate. Please refer to Appendix C for information on the SEAPC enabler and the diagnostic tool
SSEnable.
Connecting the PC-SIO-232 to the computer requires no special technical skills. In fact it is usually done in as
simple as two steps:
1. Follow the directions given for your operating system found on the supplied software.
2. Simply slide the card into a PCMCIA Type II compliant slot on the personal computer. The PCMCIA slot
is keyed so that the PC-SIO-232 cannot be installed backwards or upside down. The card should install
with a minimal amount of pressure. Do not force the card into the slot. Forcing the card can result in
damage to the PC-SIO-232 or to the PCMCIA slot. After the card has been installed into the PCMCIA
slot, the I/O cable should be connected to the card. The cable is also keyed to prevent it from being
installed incorrectly.