1. 6536.exe Driver
2. RKTAPI.TXT File Contents

RKTAPI.TXT Driver File Contents (6536.exe)

RocketPort(TM) Device Driver for the Windows(TM) 3.1 
Custom API Interface Documentation
LAST UPDATE:12-04-95 12:14 P.M.

ADDITIONAL SOFTWARE/CODE REQUIRED

To use the functionality of this driver, you should download the 
PROG16.ZIP file from the FTP or BBS sites (RocketPort directory).  
	ftp://ftp.comtrol.com
	BBS: (612) 631-8310

SUPPORT FOR EXISTING APPLICATION PROGRAMS

Most existing application programs for the Windows operating system
will operate on RocketPort controller ports without modification, as
long as the port is below COM10. 

Exceptions are programs that access the COM hardware directly. 
This is true for the system mouse. Mouse drivers written to support 
standard COM hardware will not operate on RocketPort controller ports.

This device driver cannot co-exist in a system that is using the Hostess
and Hostess 550 device driver for the Windows 3.1 operating system or
the RocketPort series device driver for the MS-DOS operating system.

Existing application programs do not operate on Ports COM10 and above.
To write programs to operate on these ports, use the functions listed
in the "EXTENDED WINDOWS SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT" discussion.


STANDARD WINDOWS SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

RocketPort controller ports below COM10 support the standard Windows
communications functions described in the Microsoft Windows 3.1 Software
Development Kit (SDK) Programming Reference, Volume 1. These are listed
below:
	BuildCommDCB
	ClearCommBreak
	CloseComm
	EnableCommNotification
	EscapeCommFunction
	FlushComm
	GetCommState
	GetCommError
	GetCommEventMask
	OpenComm
	ReadComm
	SetCommBreak
	SetCommEventMask
	SetCommState
	TransmitCommChar
	WriteComm

These functions can be used only on ports COM1 through COM9. To access
RocketPort controller ports above COM9, read the following discussion.


EXTENDED WINDOWS SERIAL COMMUNICATIONS SUPPORT

To allow RocketPort controller ports above COM9 to be accessed, additional
communications functions are provided by the device driver. These functions
have the same names as the standard communications functions listed above,
but with the rkt prefix. They provide the same functionality as the standard
communications functions. These extended functions can be used on any
RocketPort controller port, but they must be used to access ports above
COM9.

	rktBuildCommDCB
	rktClearCommBreak
	rktCloseComm
	rktEnableCommNotification
	rktEscapeCommFunction
	rktFlushComm
	rktGetCommState
	rktGetCommError
	rktGetCommEventMask
	rktOpenComm
	rktReadComm
	rktSetCommBreak
	rktSetCommEventMask
	rktSetCommState
	rktTransmitCommChar
	rktWriteComm


IMPORTS FOR THE EXTENDED COMMUNICATIONS FUNCTIONS

In order to use the extended communications functions in an application
program, the function names can be included in the IMPORTS section of
the module definition file.  A preferred method is to use an import
library, setup your linker to link to COMMRKT.LIB. COMMRKT.LIB can be
found in the PROG16.ZIP file that you must download from the FTP or BBS
sites.  


SUPPORTED DEVICE CONTROL BLOCK (DCB) SETTINGS

Each member in the DCB structure is listed below, followed by allowable
settings. The "Standard" notation indicates that standard Windows operating
system support is provided as described in the Microsoft Windows 3.1
Software Development Kit (SDK) Programming Reference, Volume 1.

DCB Member        Allowable Settings
----------        ------------------
Id:               Standard
BaudRate:         Listed above under Supported Baud Rates
ByteSize:         7, 8
Parity:           NOPARITY, ODDPARITY, EVENPARITY
StopBits:         ONESTOPBIT, TWOSTOPBITS
RlsTimeout:       Standard 
CtsTimeout:       Standard 
DsrTimeout:       Standard (not supported on the 8-port RJ11 model)
fBinary:          Standard
fRtsDisable:      Standard (not supported on the 8-port RJ11 model)
fParity:          Standard
fOutxCtsFlow:     Standard (not supported on the 8-port RJ11 model)
fOutxDsrFlow:     Not supported
fDtrDisable:      Standard
fOutX:            Standard
fInX:             Standard
fPeChar:          Standard
fNull:            Standard
fChEvt:           Standard
fDtrflow:         Not supported
fRtsflow:         Standard (not supported on the 8-port RJ11 model)
XonChar:          Standard
XoffChar:         Standard
XonLim:           Not used, fixed by the RocketPort hardware
XoffLim:          Not used, fixed by the RocketPort hardware
PeChar:           Standard
EofChar:          Standard
EvtChar:          Standard
TxDelay:          Standard

Note:  If a port is operating in RS-422 mode, then none of the modem
       control lines are supported, and hardware flow control is not
       supported.


GETCOMMERROR SUPPORT

The GetCommError or rktGetCommError functions can return status flags
in the status member of the COMSTAT structure. The following status flags
are supported:
  CSTF_EOF
  CSTF_TXIM

The remaining status flags are not supported and are never set:
  CSTF_CTSHOLD
  CSTF_DSRHOLD
  CSTF_RLSDHOLD
  CSTF_XOFFHOLD
  CSTF_XOFFSENT


VIRTUALIZATION

RocketPort controller ports are not virtualized. A RocketPort controller
port cannot be opened simultaneously by multiple applications. If a port
is already open, subsequent opens fail with IE_OPEN. Also, RocketPort
controller ports cannot be used by DOS applications running in DOS virtual
machines.


WINDOWS OPERATING SYSTEM MODES

RocketPort supports Windows 3.1 386 enhanced mode only.


MOUSE SUPPORT

Mouse drivers written for standard COM ports will not operate on RocketPort
controller ports.


LPT (LINE PRINTER) SUPPORT

The extended Windows communications functions (those with rkt prefix)
do not provide LPT support. LPT support is still available using the
standard Windows communications functions.

FLOW CONTROL SUPPORT

Hardware flow control using the RTS and CTS modem control lines is
supported (except on the 8-port RJ11 model). These are set using the
fRtsFlow and fOutxCtsFlow members of the DCB.

Hardware flow control using the DTR and DSR modem control lines is
not supported. Therefore, the fDtrFlow and fOutxDsrFlow members of the
DCB have no effect.

Software flow control, as set up by the fOutX, fInX, XonChar, and XoffChar
members of the DCB, is supported. However, the XonLim and XoffLim members
of the DCB have no effect; the XON and XOFF thresholds are fixed by the
RocketPort hardware.

When using the EscapeCommFunction and rktEscapeCommFunction functions
on RocketPort controller ports, they do not support the SETXOFF function.


MODEM CONTROL SUPPORT

If the RocketPort model has support for a modem control line, then
driver support for that modem control lines exists. 

All RocketPort models except the 8-port RJ11 support DTR, RTS, CD (also
called RLSD), CTS, and DSR.

The 8-port RJ11 model supports DTR and CD. On this model, neither the
fOutxCtsFlow or fRtsFlow members of the DCB are supported.

No RocketPort model supports Ring Indicator (RI), so the device driver
does not support RI.

If a port is set to RS-422 mode, then no modem control or hardware
flow control support is provided.


GETBASEIRQ SUPPORT

The EscapeCommFunction and rktEscapeCommFunction functions, when used
on RocketPort controller ports, do not support the GETBASEIRQ function.
If the fcn parameter is set to GETBASEIRQ, zero returns to indicate that
there is no support.


WM_COMMNOTIFY MESSAGE SUPPORT

Microsoft Corporation reports the following bug for the Windows 3.1
operating system COM support: "When using WM_COMMNOTIFY messages in a
communications application, these messages may appear to have stopped
being posted." The RocketPort series does not have this limitation.


MAXIMUM TRANSMISSION AND RECEIVE QUEUE SIZES

Microsoft Corporation reports the following bug for the Windows 3.1
operating system COM support: "The cbInQueue and cbOutQueue parameters
of OpenComm() are both type UINT and should be valid up to 64K. However,
values greater than or equal to 32K cause strange behavior." The RocketPort
series does not have this limitation. You may use queue sizes up to 64K-1.