Quatech SPP-100 PCMCIA Parallel Port
Client device driver for OS/2
Release 1.00

June 1995



GENERAL NOTES
-------------

1.  This device driver will work with OS/2 2.1 or later.

2.  This device driver will NOT work on MicroChannel systems.

3.  This device driver replaces the standard OS/2 parallel
    port device driver, adding PCMCIA client support to it.
    It drives PCMCIA and non-PCMCIA parallel ports.

4.  This client driver will not configure any PCMCIA cards
    other than the Quatech SPP-100.

5.  Complete PCMCIA support is built into OS/2 3.0 (Warp).  Earlier
    versions of OS/2 contain Card Services, but require a separate
    add-on installation of Socket Services.

6.  Some printers may require a hardware reset of the parallel
    port in order to initially come online.  The SPP-100 is always 
    reset when it is inserted into a socket and configured, so if 
    the printer is connected to the SPP-100 when the card is inserted 
    (or if the card is already inserted when the computer boots), 
    there is no problem.  If the printer is connected to the SPP-100 
    after the card is inserted, it may sometimes be necessary to remove 
    and reinsert the SPP-100 in order to reset the printer.   



INSTALLATION
------------

        Follow these simple directions exactly or your computer
may fail to boot.


1.  Copy the client driver file to the hard disk.

        OS/2 3.0:       Copy SPP100.SYS from the installation
         (Warp)         diskette to the \OS2\BOOT directory
                        on the boot drive partition.

         - OR -


        OS/2 2.x:       Copy SPP100.SYS from the installation
                        diskette to the \OS2 directory
                        on the boot drive partition.


2.  Edit the CONFIG.SYS file.

        A.  Open an OS/2 command prompt window.

        B.  Change to the root directory of the boot drive partition.
            For example, if the machine boots from drive D:, type the
            following:

                        D:
                        CD\

        C.  Load CONFIG.SYS into a text editor.  For example, to use
            the OS/2 System Editor, type the following:

                        E CONFIG.SYS

        D.  Find the line in CONFIG.SYS that reads "BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS".

        E.  Comment out this line by inserting "REM " in front of it.
            The line should now read "REM BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS".

        F.  Insert the following new line below the commented-out line:

                        BASEDEV=SPP100.SYS

            Do NOT include any path information for the SPP100.SYS file.
            BASEDEV device drivers MUST be located in the directory
            specified in step 1 above.

        G.  Save the CONFIG.SYS file.


3.  Shutdown the computer and reboot.





DEINSTALLATION
--------------

1.  Edit the CONFIG.SYS file.

        A.  Restore the "BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS" statement by removing
            the "REM " inserted during installation step 2E.

        B.  Comment out the "BASEDEV=SPP100.SYS" line by inserting "REM "
            in front of it.

        C.  Save the CONFIG.SYS file


2.  Shutdown the computer and reboot.





PORT CONFIGURATION
------------------

        The client driver supports a limited set of configurations
for the SPP-100.  These choices have been made to maintain maximum
compatibility with the standard OS/2 parallel port device driver.

        The client driver tries Configuration 1 first, then Configuration 2.
If neither configuration is available, the SPP-100 is left unconfigured.

        Configuration 1: LPT2 at base address 0x378.

        Configuration 2: LPT3 at base address 0x278.



1.  The client driver examines the BIOS equipment list during system boot
    to see how many non-PCMCIA parallel ports are already installed.

2.  A configuration will fail if the port (LPT2 or LPT3) already exists
    OR if Card Services reports the address range already in use.

3.  The client driver never attempts to configure an SPP-100 for LPT1.

4.  The addresses used for LPT2 (0x378) and LPT3 (0x278) cannot be changed.

5.  On a card removal, the client driver unconfigures the SPP-100 and
    makes the resources it was using available for any device.

6.  The use of interrupts (IRQs) varies according to the version of OS/2
    being used.  See the section on IRQs below.

7.  If multiple SPP-100 cards are present in sockets when the computer
    is booted, Card Services will normally try to configure the card in
    the lowest-numbered socket first and progress to higher-numbered
    sockets.





INTERRUPTS (IRQs)
-----------------

1.  OS/2 2.1:  The client driver never uses IRQs for parallel ports.  All
               ports operate in a polled mode.  This is true for both PCMCIA
               and non-PCMCIA parallel ports.  (Note that this is an change
               from the standard parallel port device driver, which always
               requires IRQ7 for LPT1 and LPT2 and IRQ5 for LPT3.)

2.  OS/2 3.0:  The client driver uses IRQs if the "/IRQ" switch is present
     (Warp)    on the driver's command line.  If the switch is not present,
               polled mode is used for all ports.  To use IRQs, the driver's
               CONFIG.SYS line should read:

                        BASEDEV=SPP100.SYS /IRQ

3.  The "/IRQ" switch changes the configurations above to include IRQs.

        Configuration 1: LPT2 at base address 0x378, using IRQ7.

        Configuration 2: LPT3 at base address 0x278, using IRQ5.





TECHNICAL NOTES
---------------

1.  In a DOS session, the BIOS data area always indicates
    parallel ports installed at 0x3BC, 0x378, and 0x278.
    The BIOS data area's parallel port count, however, is
    accurate at the time the DOS session is started.  This
    count is not updated while the session is open if hot
    insertions or removals occur.  Nonetheless, DOS sessions
    seem to be able to use hot-inserted ports.

