    AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1644          12/19/96

    TITLE:  AST/IBM Token Ring and Ascentia P

    ISSUE

       When the point enabler software is loaded for the AST PCMCIA
       Token Ring adapter, early Ascentia P systems may freeze or not
       recognize the card. There are a number of cards affected by this
       issue.  IBM has developed a new point enabler which will allow
       the AST, IBM, Thomas Conrad, and other IBM-based cards to
       function in the early Ascentia P systems.

       This issue affects all Ascentia P systems.

    BACKGROUND

       N/A

    ACTION

       Download the file PTRNEW.EXE from any of AST's On-Line! services
       as follows:

          AST WWW Site:  http://www.ast.com
          AST On-Line! BBS*:  See IB0001.TXT
          CompuServe:  GO: ASTFORUM
          Prodigy:   JUMP: ASTSUPPORT

          * Refer to IB0001.TXT for a list of AST's
            international BBS numbers.

       To decompress this file, create a temporary directory on your
       hard drive, copy the downloaded file to that directory, and run
       the file.

       This self-extracting zip file contains the new POINTTR.SYS and
       EN0.MSG files. Replace your original files with these updated
       files.

    NOTES

       On early Ascentia P systems, it may be necessary to include the
       following command line option when loading the point enabler:

           PCIC=FCFC

       This will tell the point enabler to look for the PCMCIA
       controller at address FCFC instead of the default address. Refer
       to your card's documentation for this and other command line options.

    TAN 000400DM

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