Frequently Asked Questions about eMASTER+ PCI Adapters Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions about eMASTER+ PCI adapters, to help you get up and running as quickly as possible.. Q: Where can I get the latest drivers for my Cogent PCI adapter? A: Download the file EMPCI.EXE (a self-extracting archive) from any of Cogent's public forums, including CompuServe (!GO Cogent), the Cogent BBS (360) 378-5405, the Cogent FTP site (ftp.pacificrim.net/Pub/Cogentdata), or the Cogent World Wide Web (http://www.cogentdata.com). Q: How do I configure the Cogent PCI adapter for my computer? A: PCI is self-configuring, so for most PCI computers all you are required to do is plug in your adapter and let PCI do the rest. But, some PCI computers with ISA or EISA buses require that you manually configure your PCI adapter using your computer's BIOS. If you need to manually configure your eMASTER+ adapter, refer to your eMASTER+ or PCI system manual for additional help. Q: What interrupt should I use with my PCI adapter? A: The Cogent eMASTER+ PCI can use any interrupt assigned to it. Since PCI is self-configuring, you should not have to worry about interrupts. Some PCI systems are not self-configuring, so you will need to assign interrupts to your system's PCI slots, either by manually setting a jumper on your computer's motherboard, or setting the interrupt in your computer's PCI BIOS. In either case, assign the PCI interrupt INTA to any available ISA interrupt except interrupts 14 and 15, as noted below. Remember, multiple eMASTER+ adapters can share the same interrupt. Q: What interrupts should I NOT use with my PCI adapter? A: You should NOT use Interrupt 14 with any PCI adapters except PCI IDE adapters. IRQ 14 can only be configured for edge-triggered interrupts. This prevents its ability to use shared interrupts (shared interrupts require level-triggering) and makes Interrupt 14 a very poor PCI interrupt choice. If you are using your eMASTER+ adapter for the NetWare file server OS, do not use IRQ 15 for any network adapter. The NetWare file server uses IRQ 15 for its own housekeeping functions. Q: Which slot should I use for my Cogent eMASTER+ PCI adapter? A: eMASTER+ PCI supports bus mastering for optimal performance. Therefore, install the adapter in a slot which supports bus mastering. Contact your computer's manufacturer if you are unsure which slots are bus mastering slots. Q: Is my Cogent PCI adapter a 3.3 volt or a 5 volt adapter? A: All eMASTER+ PCI adapters support 5 volt slots. In addition, the EM110 TX/T4 Ultimate Combo supports both 3.3 volt and 5 volt slots. Most PCI systems sold today use 5 volt slots. Your adapter will only fit into slots that match its voltage requirements. In other words, if your adapter fits into a particular PCI slot, that slot provides the right voltage level. Q: Do I need a specific version of EMM386.EXE for my eMASTER+ PCI adapter? A: EMM386.EXE versions 4.48 and earlier conflict with some implementations of the PCI bus I/O allocation scheme. If you suspect that your EMM386 conflicts with your PCI device, upgrade to version 4.49 (shipped with DOS 6.22) by running the EMM386UP.BAT batch file in the EMM386UP subdirectory of the eMASTER+ setup diskette. (This batch file works with DOS 6.2.) If you are using the German version of MS-DOS, run the EMM386UP.BAT batch file in the EMM386UP\GERMAN subdirectory of the eMASTER+ setup diskette. Q: What kind of AUI cable should I use with my EM960 PCI Combo adapter? A: As with all your cabling types, your AUI cabling should meet IEEE 802.3 specifications. This means that, at a minimum, your AUI cable should have pin 14 grounded, either to the cable hood, the grounding mesh of the cable itself, or to any one of pins 1, 4, 6, 8 or 11. By using such a cable, the EM960 PCI Combo will be able to correctly `AutoSense' that you are using AUI cable, and as a result will work properly. The EM960 PCI Combo adapter has an on-board jumper that allows you to manually select the AUI cable port so that, even if you are using non-standard AUI cable, you may still use the EM960C in your environment. The jumper should be installed across the two pins at C4, when used with non-standard AUI cable. Q: I have an M54PI motherboard from Micronics (or as supplied by Micron and Microsys), and am having problems. What should I do? A: The M54PI Micronics motherboard has only one slot for use by INTA PCI adapters. It is the PCI slot furthest from the power supply. You should install your Cogent adapter in this slot. This limitation only exists on the M54PI. Other Micronics motherboards support INTA PCI adapters in all PCI slots. Q: Can I use my eMASTER+ PCI adapter in my Compaq DeskPro PCI NetWare server? A: Yes. The Compaq DeskPro locates PCI BIOS services far into addressable memory (at 4 gigabytes, to be exact.) However, The NetWare file server Operating System cannot manage non-contiguous blocks of extended memory and cannot give PCI adapters access to these PCI BIOS services. A special DOS driver from Compaq allows PCI adapters to find these services. This driver can be found in the SP1116.EXE service pack on Compaq's CompuServe forum !GO CPQFORUM or Compaq's BBS 713.378.1418. Q. Can I use NetWare's System Fault Tolerance (SFT) III solution with my Cogent PCI adapter? A. Yes. All of Cogent's eMASTER+ PCI adapters can be used as the network adapter for Novell's SFT III for both NetWare 3.x or NetWare 4.x. Mirrored Server Link (MSL) drivers for SFT III are not currently available for Cogent adapters. Q: Is Novell's 32-bit client for Windows 95 compatible with my Cogent PCI adapter ? A: Yes. The Novell 32-bit client for Windows 95 is compatible with the regular Windows 95 driver supplied on your eMASTER+ diskette in the \WIN95 directory. Q: Does my Cogent PCI adapter support shared interrupts? A: As fully compliant PCI devices, all Cogent eMASTER+ PCI adapters support shared interrupts. If you feel that you are having a shared interrupt difficulty with one of the other devices on your motherboard, you can try assigning your PCI devices to unique interrupts. Q: Where can I get the latest BIOS for my PCI system? A: We highly recommend that you obtain the latest FLASH BIOS for your PCI system before you install any PCI adapters. PCI system vendors update their BIOS offerings regularly to provide new enhancements and compatibility features. Below is a list of just some popular PCI system vendors, and the CompuServe and/or BBS forums where their BIOS updates can be found. System Vendor BBS System Vendor BBS A.I.R. 408.428.1735 Gateway 2000 605.232.1735 ACER 408.428.0140 Hewlett-Packard 408.553.3500 ACEROPEN 408.383.2770 IBM 919.517.0001 ALR 714.458.6834 Intel 503.645.6275 American Megatrends 404.246.8780 IVY 408.956.9084 AREA (Gigabyte) 714.993.1581 LION NICE 408.954.0687 AST 714.727.4132 Micron 208.465.8982 ASUS Germany 49.2102.448690 Micronics 510.651.6837 ASUS Taiwan 886.289.64667 Mylex 510.793.3491 ASUS U.S.A. 408.956.9084 Orbit I.G. 313.721.8959 Award Software 415.968.0249 Shuttle computers 408 956 5712 Cogent Data 360.378.5405 SuperMicro 408.451.1114 Compaq 713.378.1418 Tangent 415.342.7047 Digital Equipment Inc. 508.568.5481 TMC 408.946.6932 Dell 512.728.8528 Tyan 408.956.8171 Q: Is the eMASTER+ PCI adapter compatible with my PCI SCSI (Adaptec, Buslogic, etc.) adapter? A: Yes. The PCI bus can easily handle traffic loads from both a PCI Ethernet adapter and a PCI SCSI adapter simultaneously. For best performance and compatibility results, install your PCI Ethernet adapter in a higher priority PCI slot (PCI slot 1, often located nearest the power supply) and install your SCSI adapter in a lower priority PCI slot. This arrangement will help prevent bus resource conflicts on some PCI machines. Q: Why does the link status LED on my eMASTER+ PCI T4 adapter blink? The link status LED for the T4 adapters will blink if you are making a 100 Mbits/sec. connection. This blinking is a normal function of the LED, and indicates that a good link has been established. For 10 Mbits/sec. links, the T4's link status LED will remain constantly lit. Q: My PCI system uses an Intel 430FX PCI chipset (or any chipset that utilizes the "Read Multiple" feature of the PCI bus), and I want to optimize performance with my eMASTER+ PCI adapter. What can I do? A: You can identify the Intel 430FX PCI chipset by looking for the following numbers on the Intel chips used on your motherboard: 82437FX, 82438FX, 82371FB, 82438FX If your motherboard uses this chipset (or any chipset that utilizes the "Read Multiple" feature of the PCI bus), optimize your driver as follows: For a NetWare Server Using the FULLPACKET keyword. Example: LOAD EMPCI.LAN FULLPACKET For a DOS ODI Client Add the FULLPACKET parameter to the NET.CFG file in the LINK DRIVER section for the EMPCI driver. Example: Link Driver EMPCI FULLPACKET For a Windows NT Server or Workstation Using Windows NT's REGEDIT32 application, go into: SYSTEM - CURRENT CONTROL SET- SERVICES - EMPCI1-PARAMETERS Select the FULLPACKET option, and change the Data to a value of "1." (If you are not familiar with REGEDIT32, contact Cogent Technical Support.) For Windows 95 Go to Control Panel/Networks and highlight your eMASTER+ adapter. Under Properties/Advanced, set FULLPACKET to "1." For Windows for Workgroups Go to the custom parameters for your eMASTER+ adapter, and set FULLPACKET to "1." For NDIS 2.0 (DOS and OS/2) Environments Add the following line to the PROTOCOL.INI [EMPCI] section: [EMPCI] FULLPACKET=TRUE copyright 1996 Cogent Data Technologies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in U.S.A. Current as of April 11, 1996