Madge CardBus Adapter Beta Test Program
The Madge CardBus Adapter is an efficient and fully-featured, credit-card-sized Token Ring adapter for use in the PC Card 32 (also referred to as CardBus) slots of portable computers. Unlike many other adapters, the Madge CardBus Adapter provides mobile users with a high-performance and extremely robust and flexible solution for Token Ring connectivity.
Madge is introducing the CardBus Adapter Test Program to allow developers of CardBus systems and software to perform compatibility testing of their products with Madge's prototype CardBus Token-Ring adapter.
- To ensure compatibility and interoperability between Madge's product and key hardware and software products.
- To build development and support contacts prior to the launch of the Madge CardBus Adapter, and widespread adoption of CardBus technology.
- To provide exchange of CardBus products for future support and development.
The test program will run approximately from late November '96 until the end of Jan '97, when the product is expected to be launched.
Each participant will be assigned a single point of contact for communication during the program - your contact is shown on the business card included in this pack.
The support contacts will have direct access to Madge development and be able to provide up to date information on the status of testing within Madge and any issues that may have been identified.
The beta kit shipped to you includes a number of prototype Madge CardBus adapter units, a floppy diskette (or email) with the ringspeed configuration and diagnostics utilities, in addition to the Madge Card & Socket services, the Miniport (Windows 95) and the DOS ODI drivers.
A participant questionnaire is included to allow for simple and easy feedback of any comments.
The Madge CardBus Adapter utilises 32-bit bus master DMA to provide performance comparable to an internal PCI-based Token Ring adapter. This makes it the fastest available laptop connectivity option.
[Graph here]
Figure 1 CardBus v PCMCIA Performance
A subset of the final CardBus Support Software is provided with the beta product. This comprises a Miniport driver (MCBWIN.SYS) for testing under Windows 95 and a DOS ODI driver (MCBODI.EXE) for DOS clients.
It is hoped that 3rd party Card and Socket Services will become available for Windows NT 4.0 which will allow the existing Win95 driver to be used without modification. For more details on this, contact your test program support contact.
For ease of use the Madge CardBus Adapter is fully Plug and Play compatible and only requires the ringspeed to be configured. For DOS clients this is achieved by running the utility, TRCFGC.EXE. On the first installation under Windows 95 a dialog box will be displayed prompting you to configure the ringspeed.
When using Card & Socket services supplied by laptop vendors, many users can find problems with the size of these drivers. Madge supplies a highly simplified DOS based Card & Socket services that supports both the Madge CardBus Adapter and the Smart PCMCIA Ringnodes thus reducing memory usage and simplifying installation. Note: This utility is not designed to be used with any other PC Card adapters.
The Madge DOS card & socket services currently supports the Toshiba TOPIC95 controller and the TI1130 & TI1131 controllers from Texas Instruments.
Listed below are the key features supported by this revision of the Madge CardBus Adapter.
- 3.3 v operating voltage
- 32-bit address/data bus (non-stepped)
- zero wait-state burst data transfer rate of up to 132 Mbyte/s at 33MHz
- hot insertion support
- advanced power management features
- plug & play compatible
- low power start up mode (<70mA)
- on-board MAC layer protocol handling
- 512 Kbytes of DRAM
- soft-configurable ring data rate, 4Mbps or 16Mbps
Standby current 1: 50 mA
Standby current (clock stopped) 1 : 1 mA (approx.)
Typical current 2 : 350 mA
(interface ASIC only)
Typical current 2 : 280 mA
(interface ASIC & clock stopped)
Maximum current 3 : 465 mA
(inserted into16 Mbps ring)
Notes :
All figures are quoted for a 3.3 V power supply and a 33MHz PCI clock, at approx. 20 degrees Celsius.
In "Standby" mode the card is inserted and powered by the host to 3.3 V. The on-card 5 V regulator and crystal are powered down, as is the Token Ring chipset.
The "typical" figures quoted have all components powered but the card is not inserted onto the network.
The "maximum" figures quoted reflect normal operation, i.e. inserted on the network and transferring data.
| Network type: | 4 or 16 Mbps IBM and IEEE 802.5 Token Ring |
| Supply voltage: | +3.3V DC +/-5% |
| Power: | 1.75W maximum |
| Bus interface: | PC Card 32 (CardBus) |
| Data transfer: | 32-bit bus master DMA & PIO |
| Ring interface: | 9-pin D-type (STP) (standard cable included) RJ-45 (UTP) |
| EMC compliance: | N/A - Beta product |
| Memory: | 512 KB dynamic RAM on-board |
| IRQ options: | System allocated (PCI interrupts supported) |
| I/O options: | System allocated |
| Remote booting: | Not available to date |
| Dimensions: | 86mm x 54mm x 5mm |
| Weight: | 0.04Kg (approx.) |
| Temperature range: | 0 - 70(C) |
| Humidity range: | 10% - 80% non-condensing |
| Warranty period: | N/A |
[Awaiting information]
![[Adapter Installation]](../../../graphics/bk_hw.gif)
![[Driver Installation]](../../../graphics/bk_sw.gif)
![[Software Utilities]](../../../graphics/bk_cfg.gif)
![[Additional Information]](../../../graphics/bk_plus.gif)
