FaxModem Wizard, wiz811.zip, v8.11.01, uploaded by the author: Jon Krahmer, FreeWare Jon Krahmer is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). File: wiz811.zip Fine tune your Modem and resolve COM-IRQ problems Copyright (C) since 1990 belong to Jon Krahmer. All Rights Reserved. Voice: 281-261-0307, Fax: 281-499-5939 ---------------------------------------------- ElectraSoft 3207 Carmel Valley Dr. MISSOURI CITY TX 77459-3068 About FaxModem Wizard FaxModem Wizard will tell you what, if anything, is on each of your four COM-Ports and which IRQ is connected to each COM-Port, COM?-IRQ?. It will give you a written report about your Modem. Packing List: wiz811.TXT COMTEST.COM Use FaxModem Wizard is used by professionals and layman to install hardware and software on COM1 through COM4 in IBM compatible computers. If you want to fine-tune your computer or you think you may have a hardware conflict, you are welcome to use these utilities. You will want to read the whole wiz811 file, but carefully study the "USING COMTEST.COM" section. wiz811.TXT o This file tells you the purpose of FaxModem Wizard. o Information about various FaxModems and instructions on how to install and diagnose FaxModems and software. o (taken from FaxMail for Windows) Questions and Answers pertaining to FaxModem problems and solutions. COMTEST.COM (included with FaxMail for Windows) The opening screens of COMTEST will tell you which of your four COM-Ports have a UART on them and which of them are vacant. It will tell you what IRQ each COM-Port is set to. When you have read the opening screen, press [Esc] [Esc] to exit COMTEST or [Any-Key] to proceed to the FaxModem Tester. If you like this utility you will probably like FaxMail for Windows. You can get FaxMail for Windows from many BBSs and most FTP Internet Sites around the world: http://www.ElectraSoft.com/ or http://www.blkbox.com/~jonk/ CompuServe: GO WINCON, and get FAXWIN.ZIP, FAXNET.ZIP or 32BFAX.ZIP If you can not locate the latest version or need tech-support, contact: ElectraSoft, 3207 Carmel Valley Drive, Missouri City, TX 77459-3068 Voice: 281-261-0307 FAX: 281-499-5939 email: FaxMail@ElectraSoft.com or jonk@blkbox.com WWW: http://www.ElectraSoft.com/ or http://www.blkbox.com/~jonk/ USING COMTEST.COM: FaxModem Wizard COM-Port/FaxModem Tester. FaxModem Wizard not only tells you what kind of UART is present on each of your four COM-Ports, but what IRQ it is using. Great tool for finding COM-IRQ conflicts. Definition: FaxModem Wizard COM-Port/FaxModem Tester, COMTEST.COM. FaxModem Wizard not only tells you what kind of UART is present on each of your four COM-Ports, but what IRQ it is using. It will generate a text file called COMTEST.TXT that you can read later. This file can be emailed to ElectraSoft for analyses. Usage: Find COM-IRQ conflicts. How to use COMTEST.COM. Windows 3.1x Exit (do not use the Windows "MS-DOS Command Prompt") Windows. CD\FAXMAIL COMTEST.COM EDIT COMTEST.TXT Windows 95/98 Windows 95/98 Method 1 Select [Start], [Shut Down], [(*)Restart the computer in MS-DOS mode?]. CD\FAXMAIL COMTEST.COM EDIT COMTEST.TXT Windows 95/98 Method 2 Turn on your computer and select [6. Command prompt only]. CD\FAXMAIL COMTEST.COM EDIT COMTEST.TXT Windows 95/98 Method 3 Put the following four lines in your Windows 95/98 AUTOEXEC.BAT. CD\FAXMAIL COMTEST.COM EDIT COMTEST.TXT CD\ Windows NT 1. Be sure that no software is using any of the four COM-Ports. 2. Select "MS-DOS Command Prompt" and type: CD\FAXMAIL COMTEST.COM EDIT COMTEST.TXT Note: Windows NT will warn you that the COM-IRQs can not be opened, and ask if you want to [Terminate] or [Ignore]. Respond with [Ignore] to all warning message. See "RESOLVING CONFLICTS" and "FaxModem INSTALLATION" in this file. FaxModem INSTALLATION: Notes: 1. To stay safe when removing/replacing hardware, always turn your computer off and unplug it. 2. To reduce the possibility of damaging electronic components in your computer with "static potentials" when removing/replacing hardware, place one hand on the metal chassis before removing/replacing hardware. Read "USING COMTEST.COM" first... (IMPORTANT: Read but don't do this unless you are installing or reinstalling a FaxModem) Definitions: COM, Communications-Port (1 - 4). IRQ, Interrupt-ReQuest (0 - 15). External FaxModem, is placed *ON* a COM-Port (UART). Internal FaxModem, *REPLACES* a COM-Port (UART). A majority of the people I give tech-support to have a hardware conflict due to improper Internal FaxModem installation! Notes: 1. An External Modem is plugged into an existing COM-Port (UART)! 2. An Internal Modem is a UART and REPLACES an existing COM-Port (UART)! If you are having problems with a Modem, read the above lines until you comprehend and understand them. Installing an External FaxModem: Plug one end of the COM cable into your FaxModem and the other end into a vacant COM-Port. You will have to know what COM-Port and what IRQ you plugged into so you can let the software know during software installation. Installing an Internal FaxModem: When installing an Internal FaxModem, be sure you disable the COM-Port (located on your IO-Board) you are going to replace. Then; before installing the Internal FaxModem, test, with the opening screen of COMTEST.COM (comes with FaxMail for Windows and *MUST* be run from DOS. It will *NOT* work while in Windows.), to be sure the COM-Port really is disabled, and then, AND ONLY THEN, are you ready to install the "Internal FaxModem". Not doing this properly is the overwhelming major reason for Modem and other computer problems that to the average person seem to have no relationship to their modem, but it does! If you are installing on COM2-IRQ3, the COMTEST.COM opening screen should look like this BEFORE you install the FaxModem. COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM3-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. Then you are ready to set the jumpers on your Internal FaxModem to COM2-IRQ3 and insert it into a vacant slot; thus replacing the COM2 UART. You can use DEBUG.EXE to help install Modems, but it is not as accurate as COMTEST.COM (see Note 5). If you are reinstalling a FaxModem on a different COM-IRQ, keep in mind that you may have to reinstall or run setup on all the software that is presently using the FaxModem. If COM1-IRQ4 and COM2-IRQ3 are in use, I would suggest one of the following configurations: COM3-IRQ5, COM3-IRQ7, or COM3-IRQ2 If we would have found COM2 unused we would have configured like this: COM2-IRQ3 Here is a list of suggested combinations: COM1-IRQ4 COM2-IRQ3 COM3-IRQ5 COM3-IRQ7 COM3-IRQ2 COM4-IRQ5 COM4-IRQ7 COM4-IRQ2 FaxMail for Windows will supports COM1 through COM4 on IRQ0 through IRQ15. But...Before these addresses can be used, your "COM-Port/FaxModem" must first support the configuration and second you must properly configure said device. Never skip a COM-Port as the system will go into "conflict-convulsion" from time to time. To find a vacant IRQ, run something like SYSONFO.EXE, etc. Here is some information on IRQs in the IBM-Compatible. They are: IRQ0 - IRQ15. N/A means not normally available for your FaxModem. IRQ0 {INT 08h, Reserved for 8253 Channel 0 System-Timer-Tick, N/A IRQ1 {INT 09h, Reserved for Key-Board Attention, N/A IRQ2 {INT 0Ah, Reserved for Future use, (you can use if not in use) IRQ3 {INT 0Bh, Reserved for COM2-IRQ3, or COM4-IRQ3 *If not used by COM2 IRQ4 {INT 0Ch, Reserved for COM1-IRQ4, or COM3-IRQ4 *If not used by COM1 IRQ5 {INT 0Dh, Reserved for XT-HardDrive, Can used unless you have an XT IRQ6 {INT 0Eh, Reserved for Disk Attention, N/A IRQ7 {INT 0Fh, LPT1, but usually doesn't need IRQ, usually can be used IRQ8 - IRQ15 {Available in AT and up, but not in XT computers) The following report was generated by Peter Norton's SYSINFO.EXE on a 486DX-50: *************************** * Hardware Interrupts * *************************** Number Address Name Owner IRQ 00 FCAC:0043 Timer Output 0 BIOS IRQ 01 FCAC:0048 Keyboard BIOS IRQ 02 08AB:0057 [Cascade] DOS System Area IRQ 03 08AB:006F COM2 DOS System Area IRQ 04 0A4D:9F5A COM1 FM_ROCK2.COM IRQ 05 08AB:009F LPT2 DOS System Area IRQ 06 08AB:00B7 Floppy Disk DOS System Area IRQ 07 0070:06F4 LPT1 DOS System Area IRQ 08 0000:0000 Real-time Clock Unused IRQ 09 0000:0000 Reserved Unused IRQ 10 0000:0000 Reserved Unused IRQ 11 0000:0000 Reserved Unused IRQ 12 0000:0000 Reserved Unused IRQ 13 0000:0000 Coprocessor Unused IRQ 14 0000:0000 Fixed Disk Unused IRQ 15 0000:0000 Reserved Unused Note 1: As you can see, if IRQ4 is used by COM1, you have to find another IRQ for COM3. If you have a COM1-IRQ4 and you use COM3 you will need to use an alternative IRQ. The same goes if you are going to use COM4 and you have a COM2-IRQ3. Note 2: It is best to use COM1-IRQ4 or COM2-IRQ3 for FaxModems, as they were originally and specifically set aside for communications. Experience has shown me that some FaxModems do not perform as well on COM3 and COM4 using IRQ5, IRQ7 or IRQ2. Note 3: By the way, the problem with this and most system tests, such as MSD.EXE, is that they tell you what is suppose to be or what is normally on an IRQ. For instances, when I ran this test, as you can see, it says that "LPT1" is on IRQ7. The fact is I have a Rockwell class 1,2 FaxModem on COM3-IRQ7. When I ran COMTEST.COM I got the following results: FaxModem Wizard COM-Port Test is part of "FaxMail for Windows" (C) Copyright since 1990, Jon Krahmer, All Rights Reserved. COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ3: FIFO UART (16550AN Chip) or Equivalent detected. This is a high performance UART with buffering. COM3-IRQ7: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. Press [Esc] [Esc] to exit COMTEST or [Any-Key] to Continue... Note 4: TEST RESULTS Rockwell, Internal, V.32AC, V1.270, TR14-Jxxx-001 Accelerator-Kit: COM1-IRQ4 { Class 1 (FM_ROCK1.COM); Worked well { Class 2 (FM_ROCK2.COM); Worked well COM2-IRQ3 { Class 1 (FM_ROCK1.COM); Worked well { Class 2 (FM_ROCK2.COM); Worked well COM3-IRQ2,5,7 { Class 1 (FM_ROCK1.COM); Poor, usually failed to send { Class 2 (FM_ROCK2.COM); Worked COM4-IRQ2,5,7 { Class 1 (FM_ROCK1.COM); Poor, usually failed to send { Class 2 (FM_ROCK2.COM); Worked GVC, Internal, FM144/144, FM-144HVBIS with built-in FIFO: COM3-IRQ5 { Class 2 (FM_ROCK1.COM); Works well If your computer has a built-in COM1-IRQ4 and COM2-IRQ3, you can disable either COM1-IRQ4 or COM2-IRQ3 and then set your FaxModem to that COM-Port and IRQ. This is done be getting out your manuals and moving the jumpers or contact the company you bought your computer and FaxModem from. Note 5: At Segment 0040, Offset 0000 DOS keeps a table of ports starting with your COM-Ports. The BIOS and DOS assume that you know that you can not skip a COM-port or reuse an IRQ. If you do, it will raise havoc with your system. If you skip a COM-Port, your system will compress the COM-Port table thus making it useless to any program that depend on it. For instance, if you have a UART on: COM1, COM2, and COM4 your system will report that you have a UART on: COM1, COM2, and COM3 Example of how to verify this: Go to the DOS-Prompt and type: CD\ {go to the root directory DEBUG {or \DOS\DEBUG -D 0040:0000 {the - prompt will appear {something similar to the following will appear 0040:0000 F8 03 F8 02 E8 03 00 00-78 03 00 00 00 00 00 00 ........x.... Q [Enter] {to Quit DEBUG We are only concerned with the first 8 BYTEs (4 WORDs). 0040:0000 F8 03 F8 02 E8 03 00 00 {as you found them F8 03,F8 02,E8 03,00 00 {separated 03F8 02F8 03E8 0000 {formatted from BYTEs to WORDs 3F8 2F8 3E8 000 {formatted to human terms COM1 COM2 COM3 {No COM4; or was there? It looks like you have a COM1, COM2 and COM3 :-) RESOLVING CONFLICTS: Read "USING COMTEST.COM" and "FaxModem INSTALLATION" first... Example of a conflict and how to resolve it Lets assume you have a mouse on COM1-IRQ4 and a modem on COM4-IRQ3. You have a hardware conflict. You should never skip a COM-Port as the system will go into "conflict-convulsion". Your computer has a COM-Port table at real-mode Segment 0040h, Offset 0000h, 0040:0000. It assumes that you did not skip a port, and if you did, it will compress it down to where, in this case, your COM4 is entered into the COM-port table at the location reserved for COM3. When you go into Windows, Windows looks at the COM-Port table and thinks you have a COM1, COM2 and COM3. When it goes to access COM3, bad things happen, because it is not there. FaxModem Wizard, COMTEST.COM, is included with FaxMail for Windows. It will tell you what, if anything, is on each of your four COM-Ports and which IRQ each COM-Port is using, COM?-IRQ?. It will give you a written report about your Modem. Exit Windows and Run COMTEST.COM. In this example the results will look like this: COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ3: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM3-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM4-IRQ3: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. To Correct this conflict: Method 1 1. Turn off your computer and remove your modem. 2. Turn on your computer and run FaxModem Wizard (COMTEST.COM). The UART on COM4 should now be gone as shown in this example. COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ3: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM3-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. 3. Turn off your computer and disable COM2. For most computers, this is done by removing the I/O board and moving or removing the jumpers so that COM2 is disabled. The "I/O board" is the input output board that controls the HardDrive, COM-Ports and etc. If this is the case with your computer, get out the jumper-sheet that came with your computer's I/O board, and move the jumpers so that COM2 is disabled. 4. Run FaxModem Wizard and look for the following results: COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM3-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. 5. Get out the jumper-sheet that came with your modem and set your modem to COM2-IRQ3 and insert it into any vacant slot. 6. Run FaxModem Wizard to verify that it looks like this: COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ3: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM3-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected. If you have a high performance modem, COM2-IRQ3 will look like this: COM2-IRQ3: FIFO UART (16550AN Chip) or Equivalent detected. This is a high performance UART with buffering. Method 2 If COM2-IRQ3 is being used or you are unable to disable COM2, you can set your modem to COM3-IRQ7 or COM3-IRQ5. If you have a sound card, it may be using IRQ5. If this is the case, then you will have to use COM3-IRQ7. Thus FaxModem Wizard will look like this. COM1-IRQ4: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM2-IRQ3: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM3-IRQ7: UART (16450 Chip) or Equivalent detected. COM4-IRQ*: No UART/COM/Modem/Serial Port detected.