TechNote

Installing the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode Using Smart LAN Support Software Release 4.2 or later

Before you begin...

Compatible computers

• Any 16- or 32-bit computer which is compatible with the 16-bit ISA specification

• EISA computers

Handling precautions

• Before handling the Ringnode, discharge the static electricity from your body by touching a protective grounding device or the metal chassis of your computer.

• In dry climates or other environments where static electricity is prevalent, wear a grounding strap on your wrist before handling the Ringnode or removing the cover of your computer.

• Always handle the Ringnode carefully by its edges and avoid touching any of the components, connections, or edge connectors.

1 Installing the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode in your computer

Always turn off the mains power to your computer before you install or remove any adapters.

1. Remove the cover of your computer.

2. Select an empty 16-bit expansion slot in which to install the Ringnode.

3. Remove the blanking bracket. Keep the bracket's retaining screw.

4. Push the Ringnode firmly into its socket. Do not force it in. If it does not slide in easily, it may be misaligned.

5. Secure the Ringnode in place with the retaining screw.

6. Replace the cover of your computer.

7. Connect a data cable to the appropriate connector (STP or UTP) on your Ringnode.

8. Connect the other end of the data cable to a working token-ring network.

9. Following the instructions in Section 2, run the configuration software to view the configuration of your Ringnode. Change any settings you want to change. When you have finished configuring the Ringnode, run the Ringnode diagnostics program (DIAG). The diagnostics program is described in the Smart LAN Support Software Installation Guide (part number: 100-091).

2 Using the Ringnode configuration software

If you change any of the hardware switches, the Ringnode is disabled. To enable the Ringnode, you must run the configuration software, update the Ringnode's configuration, then perform a hard reset.

To configure a Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode, we recommend you use the token-ring configuration program, TRCFG.BAT.

Before running TRCFG.BAT, do the following:

1. Make sure that the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode is correctly installed in your computer.

2. Prepare a backup copy of the release disks using the DOS diskcopy command. Label the backup copy clearly. Store the original disks in a safe place for protection.

2.1 Running the token-ring configuration program

1. Either boot your system using the Install disk and press F3 from the Main Menu, or boot your system with your own DOS and run TRCFG.BAT from the Install disk.

2. The screen displays the Welcome window. To proceed to the main window, press return. The window displays the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnodes installed in your computer. If your screen tells you that your AT Plus Ringnode is in AT mode, then refer to the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode Installation Guide (part number: 100-106). If your screen tells you that your AT Plus Ringnode is in Normal mode, then select the Ringnode that you want to configure, and press return.

3. The screen displays the Configuration window. Enter any new values you require for the individual settings. For details about these settings, see Section 2.2.

4. When you have configured all of the options that you want to change, press F4. To update the Ringnode's configuration, press F4 again. The screen prompts you to perform a hard reset of your system.

5. Reboot your computer.

6. To make sure your Ringnode is working correctly, run DIAG. To do this, either boot your system using the Install disk and press F1 from the Main Menu, or at the DOS prompt type: DIAG

2.2 The configuration window options

I/O Address

You can change the I/O location that your Ringnode uses. Make sure that you do not specify an I/O location that another adapter in your computer uses. The default is 0A20.

Smartrom

If you want the workstation you are configuring to boot from a network server or you are using other Smartrom features, enable the Smartrom option. The default setting is Smartrom disabled.

The I/O setting controls the memory address of the Smartrom. If the Smartrom is disabled, the Smartrom addresses in Table 2.0 are not used.

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I/O address   Smartrom address

---

0A20 - 0A2F   CC000 - CDFFF
1A20 - 1A2F   DC000 - DDFFF
2A20 - 2A2F   CE000 - CFFFF
3A20 - 3A2F   DE000 - DFFFF

---

Table 2.0 The memory addresses that the Ringnode uses

Ring Speed

Make sure that the Ring Speed you select matches that of your network. If it does not, you will seriously impair the operation of your network. The default is 4Mbps.

DMA Channel

If you want your Ringnode to use Bus Master DMA, we recommend channel 5 or 6. Note that some EISA computers do not permit you to use DMA channel 3.

If you set the DMA channel to PIO mode, you make the Ringnode use PIO (Programmed I/O) rather than Bus Master DMA.

INT Channel

Select an interrupt channel that does not conflict with the interrupts used by any other boards or devices installed in your computer.

The possible interrupt channels you can specify are 2, 3 (the default), 5, 7, 10, 11, 12, and 15.

Ensure that the interrupt channel you choose is suitable for the software that you want to run. For example, the IBM 3270 Emulation program does not work with some interrupt channels.

In addition, bear in mind the following when you are choosing your interrupt channel:

INT Channel 2 maybe used by some manufacturers’ communications adapters.

INT Channel 3 maybe used by:

• Any other Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnodes in your computer, if they are using the default interrupt setting.
• A built-in second serial port, or alternative asynchronous adapter. You may be able to disable the serial port by using your computer’s configuration utility.
• IBM’s SDLC (Synchronous Data Link Control) and BSC (Binary Synchronous Communications) adapters.
• Some other manufacturers' network adapters.

INT Channel 5 maybe used by an alternative parallel port (if it is using interrupts).

INT Channel 7 maybe used by a parallel printer port (if it is using interrupts).

INT Channels 10, 11, 12, and 15 maybe used by some devices on your computer's motherboard. For example, many computers use interrupt 12 for the mouse. If you think you have a problem for this reason, the technical reference manual that was supplied with your computer may help you to decide which is the best interrupt level to use.

I/O Width

You can use the Smart 16/4 AT Plus Ringnode in either 16- or 32-bit bus slots. If the Ringnode is installed in a 16-bit slot, but you require an 8-bit transfer method, specify an 8-bit I/O width.

If the Madge Ringnode Diagnostics program fails, it is possible that your computer’s bus architecture is not fully ISA compatible. One option to achieve compatibility is to try setting the I/O Width option to 8 bits.

By default, your Ringnode always uses 16 bits if it can. If you have installed your Ringnode into a 32-bit slot, the Ringnode performs 16-bit data-transfers.

Bus Timing

This is a compatibility option. If the Madge Ringnode Diagnostics program fails, it is possible that your computer’s bus architecture is not fully ISA compatible. One option to achieve compatibility is to try setting the Bus Timing option to OTHER. The default setting is NORMAL

Bus Mode

This is a compatibility option. If the Madge Ringnode Diagnostics program fails, it is possible that your computer’s bus architecture is not fully ISA compatible. One option to achieve compatibility is to try setting Bus Mode to SYNC. Asynchronous mode is the default.