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Product: Port Finder mcTRONic Systems Date: September 20, 1990 7426 Cornwall Bridge Ln. Document: Product Information Houston, TX 77041-1709 Version: PF.COM R2.53 (713) 462-7687 PF.SYS R1.11 Hours: 5-10 PM M-F CST Port Finder is a COM and LPT port utility program. Its primary purpose is to activate COM3 or 4 on computers that have the hardware and also use PC or MS DOS 3.3, 4.0 or higher. In addition to COM port activation, Port Finder allows all possible COM to COM and LPT to LPT port swaps. Port swapping allows use of COM3 and 4 in programs that only permit entry of COM1 or 2. In addition, both COM and LPT port swapping is useful for programs that are preconfigured to use a port other than the one you wish to use. You may find that it is easier to swap ports instead of reconfigur- ing your program or swapping cables. Port Finder comes in two forms. The first is PF.COM which performs all the aforementioned functions. PF.COM is usually added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and run each time you startup your computer. PF.COM can also be run at any time from the DOS prompt or used in batch files. The second form is PF.SYS which is a device driver and must be run from your CONFIG.SYS file on startup only. PF.SYS allows only COM to COM port swaps and is intended for use with other device drivers that might use COM3 or 4 directly or indi- rectly after a port swap. In addition to activating ports and port swapping, both PF.COM and PF.SYS will display actual COM port addresses in HEX. Also PF.COM will display the LPT port addresses in HEX, your computer type, BIOS date, DOS version, display adapter type, total base and extended memory, and total expanded memory with EMS version. All of this information can be very helpful when setting up a computer or troubleshooting a port or other problems. For your information, any program that bypasses DOS and directly addresses the COM or LPT ports will not be affected in any way by Port Finder. Many modem programs bypass DOS in order to achieve higher port speeds or the ability to multitask both COM and LPT ports for simultaneous use. This (bypass DOS) is not a problem with such a program as PROCOMM Plus as it works with both COM3 and 4. There are other programs which do not permit entry of COM3 and 4, who di- rectly address the hardware, and will not work with Port Finder. At least with Port Finder, your computer will know that COM3 or 4 is present as there will be many more pro- grams that will work properly with COM3 or 4 after running Port Finder. Port Finder has gained some fame after being recommended in two different magazine articles. The first was in the Advisor column of PC Magazine on October 17, 1989. The second in the July 1990 issue of Vulcan's Computer Monthly. The article in PC Magazine is very significant because it is most likely the number one computer magazine sold. The article in Vulcan's Computer Monthly was the first to rank Port Finder as the most useful Shareware utility out of 10 reviewed. Many thanks to these two publications for their choice of Port Finder. USAGE: Neither PF.COM nor PF.SYS require any runtime parameters to display COM port addresses or to activate COM3 or 4 ports. PF.COM will also automatically display LPT port addresses as well as other system information. DOS 3.3 or 4.0 only support access to a maximum of 4 COM and 3 LPT ports (though your BIOS does allocate a location for LPT4). The PF.COM runtime parameters in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file are: Syntax: [d:\path\]pf [parm1] [parm2] Do not include the brackets "[" or "]" which indicate op- tional information. d:\path\ = optional drive and path. [parm1] and/or [parm2] = optional parameters H = Display help screen C23 = Swap COM ports 2 & 3 RC = Reset COM port addressing C24 = Swap COM ports 2 & 4 RL = Reset LPT port addressing C34 = Swap COM ports 3 & 4 C12 = Swap COM ports 1 & 2 L12 = Swap LPT ports 1 & 2 C13 = Swap COM ports 1 & 3 L13 = Swap LPT ports 1 & 3 C14 = Swap COM ports 1 & 4 L23 = Swap LPT ports 2 & 3 The PF.SYS runtime parameters in a CONFIG.SYS file are: Syntax: device=[d:\path\]pf.sys [parm1] [parm2] Do not include the brackets "[" or "]" which indicate op- tional information. d:\path\ = optional drive and path. [parm1] and/or [parm2] = optional parameters C12 = Swap COM ports 1 & 2 C23 = Swap COM ports 2 & 3 C13 = Swap COM ports 1 & 3 C24 = Swap COM ports 2 & 4 C14 = Swap COM ports 1 & 4 C34 = Swap COM ports 3 & 4 NOTES: All parameters can be in upper or lower case. The COM and LPT port addresses displayed always indicate the final location after all port activations, port swaps or port resets have been executed. Enter all port numbers with low first, then high. If you become confused as to which port address belongs where, just use the RC or RL commands to restore the ports to their correct locations. Port Finder performs a checksum when it loads. If it is not correct, the program will terminate with an error mes- sage. If this happens to you stop using the version you have. Request a new copy of the program if you purchased it from mcTRONic Systems or download a new copy from the RBBS you got it from. I would like to hear about any such prob- lems. In addition to the other features mentioned, when you load either PF.COM or PF.SYS, Port Finder will determine if you have a joystick port and add that information to your equipment list. When IBM first came out with the PC and its BIOS, the BIOS would do this for you. When IBM came out with the AT BIOS they left out this feature. Whether your joystick is added to your equipment list or not does not seem to make any difference in your ability to use that port. The only problem is that there are many programs that list your equipment as found by your BIOS and if the joy- stick presence is not included, these programs will say you do not have a joystick, even when you do. I don't know about you, but if a program does indicate a joystick is present or not, I would like it to say YES if I do have one. TECHNICAL DATA: Your computer BIOS assigns logical COM and LPT ports numbers, from low too high, to all responding I/O ports in order as they are found, and non-responding I/O port ad- dresses are skipped. Thus if you had but one COM port, and it was the address for COM2, your computer BIOS would assign it to COM1 because no real COM1 address was present. Port Finder, which is used as an extension of your computer BIOS, also activates COM3 and 4 ports in the same manner. In fact, if you only had a COM3 or 4 port in your system, Port Finder would assign these ports to COM1 and 2. In addition, Port Finder will activate up to 4 COM port addresses, if your system had four ports and two of them were not the normal COM1 and 2 addresses. COM PORT ADDRESSES: MACHINE COMx I/O INT MEM ACT PORT ALL COM1 3F8 HEX IRQ4 40:00 NO ALL COM2 2F8 HEX IRQ3 40:02 NO PC/XT/AT COM3 3E8 HEX IRQ4 40:04 YES PC/XT/AT COM4 2E8 HEX IRQ3 40:06 YES PC/XT/AT COM3 3E0 HEX IRQ4 40:04 YES PC/XT/AT COM4 2E0 HEX IRQ3 40:06 YES PC/XT/AT COM3 338 HEX IRQ4 40:04 YES PC/XT/AT COM4 238 HEX IRQ3 40:06 YES PS/2 COM3 3220 HEX IRQ3 40:04 YES PS/2 COM4 3228 HEX IRQ3 40:06 YES PS/2 COM5 4220 HEX IRQ3 NONE NO PS/2 COM6 4228 HEX IRQ3 NONE NO PS/2 COM7 5220 HEX IRQ3 NONE NO PS/2 COM8 5228 HEX IRQ3 NONE NO SERIAL PORT COUNT IS AT MEM LOCATION 40:11 BITS 2, 3 & 4 LPT PORT ADDRESSES: LPTx MEM I/O COMMENT LPT1 40:08 3BC HEX MAY BE INCLUDED ON MDA OR OTHER CARD LPT2 40:0A 378 HEX MAY BE ADDRESSED AS LPT1 ON PC/XT/AT LPT3 40:0C 278 HEX MAY BE ADDRESSED AS LPT2 ON PC/XT/AT BATCH FILE ERRORLEVEL: The Port Finder program PF.COM can be used in a batch file to determine the COM ports that are present. Port Finder exits with an errorlevel number which corresponds to the ports active in your system. All possible combinations are covered. ERRORLEVEL 0 - NO COM PORTS ERRORLEVEL 8 - COM4 ERRORLEVEL 1 - COM1 ERRORLEVEL 9 - COM1,4 ERRORLEVEL 2 - COM2 ERRORLEVEL 10 - COM2,4 ERRORLEVEL 3 - COM1,2 ERRORLEVEL 11 - COM1,2,4 ERRORLEVEL 4 - COM3 ERRORLEVEL 12 - COM3,4 ERRORLEVEL 5 - COM1,3 ERRORLEVEL 13 - COM1,3,4 ERRORLEVEL 6 - COM2,3 ERRORLEVEL 14 - COM2,3,4 ERRORLEVEL 7 - COM1,2,3 ERRORLEVEL 15 - COM1,2,3,4 COMMTEST.BAT IS AN EXAMPLE COM PORT ERRORLEVEL BATCH FILE INSTALLATION: Installation of Port Finder on your Hard Disk is easy us- ing supplied INSTALL program. If you are unfamiliar with ASCII files and how to edit or create them, you should pur- chase a book about DOS commands and file formats. The file PF.COM is normally added to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file towards the beginning, but at least before any file that requires COM3 or 4. The file PF.SYS should be added to your CONFIG.SYS file before any other device driver that may need COM3 or 4. You do not need to load both PF.SYS and PF.COM. If you do not have another device driver that could use COM3 or 4 then use PF.COM in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. If you do have a device driver that can use COM3 or 4, load PF.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file. As an example of how to install Port Finder, let us assume the following. You do not need to use PF.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file. You are not sure how to modify your AU- TOEXEC.BAT file that does exist on your C: hard drive root directory. You have the Port Finder disk and its files located in the A: drive. You would use the following steps to install Port Finder in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. A: copy pf.com c:\ c: cd\ copy con+autoexec.bat autoexec.new pf (press F6)^Z rename autoexec.bat autoexec.old rename autoexec.new autoexec.bat You are done! Restart your computer and sit back. Normally Port Finder might be the second or third command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, after such commands as @echo off, however the above procedure will work if you know nothing about editing your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. ORDERING INFORMATION: Port Finder cost just $10 plus shipping. Shipping costs are $2.50 inside the U.S. and $7.50 outside the U.S. in U.S. funds only. If you order Port Finder from outside the U.S. you must send a money order or add another $5 for money transfer. Port Finder comes on 3.5 or 5.25 inch disk, please specify size with order. CONSIDERATIONS ON COM PORT SWAPPING: Port Finder allows all possible COM to COM port swapping, however not all possible COM port swaps will work on your system. Without regard to the following rules, any COM port swap combination may work in your situation. I have includ- ed all possible swap combinations just in case your system does not work like the norm. First of all, even though Port Finder will place up to four COM ports to your disposal, the IBM PC/XT/AT structure was only designed to have two COM ports work at the same time. The main restriction is caused by only having two hardware interrupts available to all four COM ports. Through the use of special software and/or hardware it is possible to run up to four or more COM ports. Normally however this will not be the case. If you talk to other experts on COM ports you may get a different opinion of what is proper in port swapping and what is not. My view on the subject is as follows: 1. Swap only ports that share the same interrupt. A mouse driver set for COM1 (IRQ4) will have problems if the mouse is on COM4 (IRQ3) which was swapped with COM1 (PF C14). If the mouse was on COM3 (IRQ4) and swapped with COM1 (PF C13) it should work fine. Therefore swap COM1 with COM3 (PF C13) and COM2 with COM4 (PF C24). This appears to go against what Lori Grunin stated in the PC Magazine article. Swap- ping COM1 with COM2 (PF C12) or COM3 with COM4 (PF C34) may still work on your system. It depends both on the software used and the actual interrupts your COM ports use. 2. If you are going to use two COM ports at one time they should be on opposite interrupts. If you are going to use two ports at once the possibilities are COM1 (IRQ4) with COM2 (IRQ3) (same as COM2 with COM1), COM1 (IRQ4) with COM4 (IRQ3), COM2 (IRQ3) with COM3 (IRQ4) and COM3 (IRQ4) with COM4 (IRQ3). Divide your COM port inputs into two groups of two. Pare serial devices that you will not use at the same time on the same interrupt (IRQ4 with IRQ4 and IRQ3 with IRQ3). MICROSOFT WINDOWS CONSIDERATIONS: If you load either PF.SYS in your CONFIG.SYS file or PF.COM in your AUTOEXEC.BAT before you run Windows your COM ports will be activated and Windows will use them without further entries in the Windows INI files. It is best to have loaded PF.SYS or PF.COM before you INSTALL Windows for the first time so it will fill in the .INI files for you. You can run PF.COM from within Windows and the file PF.PIF will allow it in a Window (The PF211.PIF file is for Windows 2.11). However any Port Swaps that are made will be ignored by Windows if made after Windows is loaded. Any port swaps made before Windows is loaded will be honored by Windows. I am working on a fix for Port Finder swaps while still in Windows. ADVERTISEMENT: If you need a good mail list program then send for my Shareware program MAILALL. It is the best and least expensive mail list program you can buy for a small company or personal use. Also each copy of MAILALL includes a copy of PORT FINDER! MAILALL will maintain the names of up to 20 address files (per address name file as you can have more than one) each with 4000 addresses on a hard disk or 1440 addresses per floppy disk. There are 12 data fields and you can sort the address file by any two that you wish. MAILALL will print Labels (up to four across), Reports, and Envelopes. You can edit or print all functions based on address search matches from one to all 12 fields. MAILALL can import or export WORDSTAR mailmerge data files and can export MULTIMATE ADVANTAGE II mailmerge files. MAILALL is network compatible and supports any Microsoft compatible mouse. The user can select any printer port that he would like and the program colors are also user selectable. It cost just $27.50 shipped FIRST CLASS MAIL to you. Send for it today! ------------------------------------------------------------- To register your copy of Port Finder, fill out this form and send to mcTRONic Systems, 7426 Cornwall Bridge Ln. Houston, TX 77041-1709. Date: __/__/__ Serial Number: _________ Version: _____ Name: _____________________________________________________ Company Name: _____________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________ City: ____________________ State: ___ Zip Code: ___________ Purchased From: ___________________________________________ City: ____________________ State: ___ Zip Code: ___________ -------------------------------------------------------------