NSLink (TM) driver for the Microsoft Windows(TM) 2000 and XP Operating Systems.
This driver is designed exclusively for the Windows 2000 and
Windows XP Operating Systems, and is not intended for use with
any other Microsoft operating system.
This readme.txt file provides basic instructions for installing the
NSLink software for the DeviceMaster RTS. For more detailed
instructions, see the installation documentation which came with
the device. Additional information is also available after the
installation is complete by selecting help in the setup program.
You can view the help information before installation by running
WINHELP sisetup.hlp. At the time of this release, the information
in the help file was modeled on the NSLink Windows 2000 installation.
The Help file information is generally applicable to the Windows XP
installation as well, but some details and screen shots may differ
slightly from those described for Windows 2000.
==================================================
Windows 2000 Software Installation (See below for XP installation)
Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu. Select the Hardware Page tab, then press the Hardware
Wizard button. In the Hardware Wizard screens, select Next and
then the Add/Troubleshoot a device, and run the Add a new device
Wizard. Select "No, I want to select hardware from a list", then
select "Multiport serial adapters" as the type of hardware to
install. Press the "Have Disk" button, point the installation to
the install disk or downloaded directory with the NSLink driver
and the NETCTMSI.INF install script file. A list with the various
NSLink device's should appear. Select the device type (DeviceMaster,
Si, IA) with the number of ports which matches the device you are
Installing. Allow the wizard to copy the files and perform the
installation.
NOTE: Wait until all ports have been installed for the device
before clicking on the Finish installation button for the device.
Also, if a Finish Installation appears for any of the ports, click
on finish and select 'no' to the 'reboot the computer' display until
all ports have been installed. Otherwise, the COM assignments to the
ports for the device being installed will not be in ascending order.
Exit the Hardware Wizard, and from the same Hardware tab Page,
select the Device Manager button. If you are running any legacy
WindowsNT drivers in your system, then click on the "+" sign in
front of the group of hardware devices labeled "Ports (COM & LPT)".
Check that all COM assignments (i.e. COM3) in the parenthesis for
each port are unique. If there are any conflicts, note them.
Now, click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters". Then, double click on the
serial adapter device you just installed, this will bring up the
property sheets for that device.
Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device you have just
installed, and click on the Properties button. Click on the box
in front of MAC, and change the address field to match the MAC
Address on the label found on your NSLink device. Make sure that
the Number of Ports entry matches the total number of ports found
on the device you installed.
If this device had conflicting COM assignments, you can now resolve
them by selecting the port on the "Main Setup" tab and clicking
on the Properties button. Now go to the Com Name field and select
a different COM name, which is unique from those seen in the
"Ports (COM & LPT)" list.
Select <OK> to close the NSLink property sheet. It should
ask if you would like to install NS utility programs. Respond
with a YES.
Exit the property sheets for the device and reboot the computer.
After the computer boots up, verify the installation as
in the following section.
--------------------------
VERIFYING THE INSTALLATION
Use the following procedure to verify installation:
1. Start the Event Viewer program.
A successful driver installation is indicated by a
log entry for the driver software stating that it was
successfully initialized.
A failed installation is indicated by a 'Stop Event Log' entry
for the driver, stating that there was a problem and
the software was not loaded.
2. The NSLink device should display a blink pattern which runs
across all of the front panel port lights about every
6 seconds. If it is blinking the first port light rapidly,
then the Server has not been successful in communicating with
the device.
If the software failed to load, consult the detailed
troubleshooting guide in the manual or online help provided
in the installed Setup program.
You can use the supplied Comtrol WCOM32 test terminal program
to verify the system is functional. Consult the property
page program help information for more detail.
==================================================
Windows XP Software Installation
Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu (note: add/remove hardware can also be accessed from the
control panel). Select the 'Hardware' tab, then press the "Add Hardware
Wizard' button. In the 'Add Hardware Wizard' screen, select Next.
The wizard will now search for new hardware. Once it has finished searching,
select the 'Yes, I have already connected the hardware' option and then
press the 'next' button. At the bottom of the list of installed hardware,
choose "Add A New Hardware Device" and select 'next'. At this page select
'Install the hardware that I manually select from a list (Advanced)' and
press the 'next' button. In the Common Hardware Types select "Multi-port
serial adapters" as the type of hardware to install and press the
'next' button. Press the "Have Disk" button, point the installation to
the install disk or downloaded directory (default is c:\comtrol) with the
NSLink driver and the NETCTMSI.INF install script file. A list with
the various NSLink devices should appear, Select the appropriate device
and press the 'next' button. To start installing the hardware, again,
select the 'next' button. Allow the wizard to copy files and perform the
installation. When the installation prepares to start, you will receive
a warning message stating that 'the software has not passed Windows
Logo Testing to verify its compatibility with Windows XP.' Choose
'Continue Anyway'. You may be prompted several times with this message,
once for the initial installation and once for each port as it is installed.
Keep selecting "Continue Anyway" whenever prompted.
Exit the Hardware Wizard, and from the same Hardware tab Page,
select the Device Manager button. If you are running any legacy
WindowsNT drivers in your system, then click on the "+" sign in
front of the group of hardware devices labeled "Ports (COM & LPT)".
Check that all COM assignments (i.e. COM3) in the parenthesis for
each port are unique. If there are any conflicts, note them.
Now, click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters". Then, double click on the
serial adapter device you just installed, this will bring up the
property sheets for that device.
Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device you just
installed, and click on the Properties button. Click on the box
in front of MAC, and change the address field to match the MAC
Address on the label found on your NSLink device. Make sure that
the Number of Ports entry matches the total number of ports found
on the device you installed. You may also use the down-arrow next
to the MAC address to select from the available list of devices.
If your device does not show in the drop-down window it may not be
on the same Ethernet segment and the MAC address may not be a
valid option. In that case look at the detailed instruction
manual for IP installation or trouble-shooting techniques.
If this device had conflicting COM assignments, you can now resolve
them by selecting the port on the "Main Setup" tab and clicking
on the Properties button. Now go to the Com Name field and select
a different COM name, which is unique from those seen in the
Ports (COM & LPT) list.
Select <OK> to close the NSLink property sheet. It should
ask if you would like to install NS utility programs. Respond
with a YES.
Exit the property sheets for the device and reboot the computer.
After the computer boots up, verify the installation as
in the following section.
--------------------------
VERIFYING THE INSTALLATION
Open Computer Management in Control Panel and select DeviceManager.
Expand the Multi-port serial adapters and double click on the
device. Check the Device status window to confirm that it states
that "This device is operating properly".
From this window, select the 'Main Setup' tab, then press the
'Properties' button, select the 'Advisor' tab. The summary window
should show "Device is active and OK".
If the software failed to load, consult the detailed
troubleshooting guide in the manual or online help provided
in the installed Setup program.
You can use the supplied Comtrol WCOM32 test terminal program
to verify the system is functional. Consult the property
page program help information for more detail.
==================================================
UPGRADING THE DRIVER
If upgrading the driver, remove the current driver by following
the instructions in the REMOVING THE SOFTWARE section.
Afterwards, follow the same directions in the "INSTALLING THE
SOFTWARE" section.
==================================================
REMOVING THE SOFTWARE
1. Start the Add/Remove Hardware Wizard in the Control Panel.
2. Select Uninstall/Unplug a device.
3. Select Uninstall device.
3. Select The Comtrol device to uninstall.
4. Select Yes, I want to uninstall this device and Finish
=================================================================
PROGRAMMING IP INFORMATION INTO A DEVICE
On networks that do not support the assignment of a static IP to a device
using the Address Request Protocol (ARP), the following sections describe
how you may manually program a device with a static IP for your network.
You must be in the MAC mode of addressing the device, and the device must
be fully operational to perform any IP programming. The first subsection
describes how you can activate this form of device addressing.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE AFTER INSTALLATION
1. Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu.
2. Select the Hardware tab Page
3. Select the Device Manager button.
4. Click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters".
5. Double click on the serial adapter device you want, this will bring
up the property sheets for that device.
6. Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device for which you desire
to change the address.
7. Click on the Properties button.
8. If the check box in front of the Network Address for MAC is checked,
then MAC address access to the device is already active. Otherwise,
proceed with the following steps to activate MAC address access to
the device.
9. Click on the check box in front of the IP entry for Network Address
on the Device Setup page of the Device Properties window. This will
uncheck the box and gray out the IP address entry area.
10. Click on the check box in front of the MAC entry for Network Address
on the Device Setup page of the Device Properties window. This will
check the box and enable the MAC address entry window for editing.
11. Either enter the 6 byte MAC address on the bottom of the device or
select the address on the device in the list displayed when you click
on the arrow button on the right side of the MAC address entry area.
12. Review your selections. Make changes if needed, and click the
OK button.
NOTE: The OK button is at the bottom of this window. If you are
using 640x480 screen resolution, you may need to drag the
window higher in order to see the buttons.
The Main Setup window displays.
13. If you have other RocketPort Serial Hub Si devices to program
with IP addresses make sure they all are set for MAC address
access at this time by repeating steps 5 through 12 for each of
them.
14. When you are done with all devices, click the OK button. You
are asked to confirm that you want to save configuration changes
and exit.
NOTE: It may take a minute or two before the method of addressing switch
is completed. If after this time the switch has not completed then
restart the system.
When the cycle is complete, you may now complete IP programming.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
RETRIEVING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN A DEVICE
1. Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu.
2. Select the Hardware tab Page
3. Select the Device Manager button.
4. Click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters".
5. Double click on the serial adapter device you want, this will bring
up the property sheets for that device.
6. Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device for which you desire
to change the address.
7. Select the device you wish to program in the Configuration window on
the Main Setup page.
8. Click on the Properties button to open the Device Properties window.
9. If the check box in front of the Network Address for IP is checked,
perform the steps in the "ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE
AFTER INSTALLATION" section.
10. Select the "IP Programming" tab at the top of the window.
11. Click the Retrieve button. If the device is not configured for
MAC address access a reminder is displayed. Click OK and perform the
steps in the "ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE AFTER
INSTALLATION" section.
12. Click OK to continue with the retrieval of current IP programming
contained in the device, Cancel to return without retrieving any
data.
13. If you clicked OK, the IP Address, Gateway, and Subnet Mask edit
regions will now contain the data currently stored in the device.
If there is no data stored in the device, these will all display
"0.0.0.0".
14. To program in a new address, skip to step #11 in the next section.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
PROGRAMMING A STATIC IP INTO DEVICE
1. Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu.
2. Select the Hardware tab Page
3. Select the Device Manager button.
4. Click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters".
5. Double click on the serial adapter device you want, this will bring
up the property sheets for that device.
6. Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device for which you desire
to change the address.
7. Select the device you wish to program in the Configuration window on
the Main Setup page.
8. Click on the Properties button to open the Device Properties window.
9. If the check box in front of the Network Address for IP is checked,
perform the steps in the "ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE
AFTER INSTALLATION" section.
10. Select the "IP Programming" tab at the top of the window.
11. Enter the IP Address, Gateway, and Subnet Mask data you need for
correct IP programming of the device for your network.
12. Click on the Program button to send them down to the device. This
will pop-up a confirmation.
13. Click OK to program the device, Cancel to return.
14. If device programming is successful, a confirmation window appears
indicating that you need to reset the device before the programming
is activated in the device.
15. Click OK.
16. Before resetting the device to use the new information, you should
verify that it has been properly programmed with your IP data .
To do this, first clear all of the IP programming information
fields (note: This is not using the 'CLEAR' button. Place the cursor
into each line and delete the entries. See step #11 in the next section.)
Perform the steps defined in the "RETRIEVING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN
A DEVICE" section. If the correct information is retrieved, proceed
to the next step; otherwise, repeat steps 11 through 15 to reprogram
the correct IP information into the device.
17. Click the Reset button when you are ready to activate the IP
programming in the device. This will pop-up a confirmation window.
18. Click OK to reset the entire device, Cancel to return without
resetting the device.
19. If you clicked OK, the LED's on the device will begin to blink in its
normal self test routine and continue to blink until the device is
reloaded and is ready for operation.
20. Click OK at the bottom of the window.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
CLEARING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN A DEVICE
1. Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu.
2. Select the Hardware tab Page
3. Select the Device Manager button.
4. Click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters".
5. Double click on the serial adapter device you want, this will bring
up the property sheets for that device.
6. Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device for which you desire
to change the address.
7. Select the device you wish to program in the Configuration window on
the Main Setup page.
8. Click on the Properties button to open the Device Properties window.
9. If the check box in front of the Network Address for IP is checked,
perform the steps in the "ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE
AFTER INSTALLATION" section.
10. Select the "IP Programming" tab at the top of the window.
11. Click on the Clear button.
12. Click OK to continue with clearing out the IP programming contained
in the device, Cancel to return without making any changes.
13. If device was successfully cleared, a confirmation window appears
indicating that you need to reset the device before the programming
is activated in the device.
14. Click OK. The IP Address, Gateway, and Subnet Mask windows should
now be cleared of any information.
15. Click the Reset button when you are ready to complete the clearing
of the IP programming in the operational device. This will pop-up
a confirmation window.
16. Click OK to reset the entire device, Cancel to return without
resetting the device.
17. If you clicked OK, the LED on the front of the device will begin
to blink and continue to blink until the device is reloaded and is
ready for operation.
18. Once the LED stops blinking you can perform the steps defined in the
"RETRIEVING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN A DEVICE" section above to verify
that the device is properly programmed with your IP data.
19. Click OK at the bottom of the window if the IP programming has been
cleared from the device. Otherwise, repeat steps 11 through 18 to
clear the IP programming from the device.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
DISABLING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN A DEVICE (DeviceMaster units only)
1. Right click on the My Computer Icon and select Properties from
the menu.
2. Select the Hardware tab Page
3. Select the Device Manager button.
4. Click on the "+" sign in front of the group of hardware devices
labeled "Multiport serial adapters".
5. Double click on the serial adapter device you want, this will bring
up the property sheets for that device.
6. Select the "Main Setup" tab, select the device for which you desire
to change the address.
7. Select the device you wish to program in the Configuration window on
the Main Setup page.
8. Click on the Properties button to open the Device Properties window.
9. If the check box in front of the Network Address for IP is checked,
perform the steps in the "ACTIVATING MAC ADDRESS ACCESS TO A DEVICE
AFTER INSTALLATION" section.
10. Select the "IP Programming" tab at the top of the window.
11. Click on the Disable button. This will prevent the unit from sending
DHCP requests.
12. Click OK to continue with clearing out the IP programming contained
in the device, Cancel to return without making any changes.
13. If device was successfully cleared, a confirmation window appears
indicating that you need to reset the device before the programming
is activated in the device.
14. Click OK. The IP Address, Gateway, and Subnet Mask windows should
now be cleared of any information.
15. Click the Reset button when you are ready to complete the clearing
of the IP programming in the operational device. This will pop-up
a confirmation window.
16. Click OK to reset the entire device, Cancel to return without
resetting the device.
17. If you clicked OK, the LED on the front of the device will begin
to blink and continue to blink until the device is reloaded and is
ready for operation.
18. Once the LED stops blinking you can perform the steps defined in the
"RETRIEVING THE IP PROGRAMMING IN A DEVICE" section above to verify
that the device is properly programmed with your IP data.
19. Click OK at the bottom of the window if the IP programming has been
cleared from the device. Otherwise, repeat steps 11 through 18 to
clear the IP programming from the device.
=================================================================
INSTALLATION TROUBLESHOOTING
Follow these steps to begin installation troubleshooting.
For more extensive information, see the Installation and
Configuration Guide for your specific product.
* Check the Event Viewer in the DeviceManager Tools
group for useful informational messages.
* SERIAL DEVICES: Check to make sure that you have the correct
cables on the correct ports and that the cables are connected securely.
* Check to make sure the Ethernet hub and any other network
devices that may be between the server and the device are
powered up and working correctly.
* Check to make sure that the network address shown on the Device
Setup window matches the network address of the device.
* Select the Device Advisor tab from the Device Setup window,
and look for error messages and indications of network problems.
* If operating in a multiple-server environment, check to make
sure that the individual servers are not trying to access the same
physical port. The first server to open the physical port owns that port
until it does a close. Subsequent opens by different servers will fail
until the initial server has closed the port.
* Use the Test Terminal program to troubleshoot communications
on a port-by-port basis.
* Use the Port Monitor program to check for errors, modem
control, and status signals.
* Use the Peer Tracer program to track and trace RPSH-Si
internal events.
* If you have more than one device, follow the procedures given in
"HOT-SWAPPING" (above) to swap out units. If this corrects the
problem, the device you removed from service may be defective or
in need of repair.
============================================
SOFTWARE CAPABILITIES AND LIMITATIONS
This driver was written to the Win32 API, this means that it
works with applications like:
* Remote Access Server
* Terminal and FAX programs
* Most Windows applications requiring standard COM port connections
Note: device names above COM9 require the \\.\ (backslash backslash period
backslash) in order for the system to recognize them; e.g., to reference
COM20 use \\.\COM20 as the file name.
The following lists Comtrol NSLink device driver capabilities and
limitations for the Win32 API. Refer to the Comtrol NSLink Installation
Reference for additional information.
a) Device Control Block Settings
Item Status
------------------- ----------------------------------------------
BaudRate any valid baud rate between 75 and 230,400
ByteSize 7 or 8
ErrorChar supported
EofChar not used, supports only binary
EvtChar supported
fAbortOnError supported
fBinary always binary mode
fDtrControl supported
fDsrSensitivity not supported
fErrorChar supported
fInX, fOutX supported
fNull supported
fParity supported
fOutxCtsFlow supported
fRtsControl RTS_CONTROL_DISABLE, RTS_CONTROL_ENABLE,
RTS_CONTROL_HANDSHAKE, RTS_CONTROL_TOGGLE
Other flow control SERIAL_DSR_HANDSHAKE, SERIAL_DCD_HANDSHAKE
fTXContinueOnXoff supported as always TRUE
Parity EVENPARITY, NOPARITY, or ODDPARITY
StopBits ONESTOPBIT or TWOSTOPBITS
XonChar, XoffChar supported
RsMode 232, 422, or 485
b) Unsupported IOCTL functionality
Item Status
--------------------------- --------------------------------------
IOCTL_SERIAL_SET_HANDFLOW
(unsupported options) SERIAL_DSR_SENSITIVITY
IOCTL_SERIAL_GET_COMMSTATUS fCtsHold, fDsrHold, fRlsdHold,
(unsupported options) fXoffHold, fXoffSent
=================
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
USA
Phone: (763) 494-4100
FAX: (763) 494-4199
email: support@comtrol.com
Web: http://www.comtrol.com/
FTP: ftp.comtrol.com
Comtrol Europe
Phone: +44 (0) 1 869-323-220
FAX: +44 (0) 1 869-323-211
email: support@comtrol.co.uk
Web: http://www.comtrol.co.uk
===================================================================
COPYRIGHTS AND NOTICES
Copyright 2003. Comtrol Corporation.
All Rights Reserved.
Comtrol Corporation makes no representations or warranties with
regard to the contents of this guide or to the suitability of
Comtrol products for any particular purpose. Specifications
subject to change without notice. Some software or features may
not be available at the time of publication. Contact your
reseller for current product information.
TRADEMARKS
Comtrol is a trademark of Comtrol Corporation.
Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation.
NSLink is a trademark of Comtrol Corporation.
Other product names mentioned herein may be trademarks and/or
registered trademarks of their respective companies.
DOCUMENT NUMBER: 8000717
Download Driver Pack
After your driver has been downloaded, follow these simple steps to install it.
Expand the archive file (if the download file is in zip or rar format).
If the expanded file has an .exe extension, double click it and follow the installation instructions.
Otherwise, open Device Manager by right-clicking the Start menu and selecting Device Manager.
Find the device and model you want to update in the device list.
Double-click on it to open the Properties dialog box.
From the Properties dialog box, select the Driver tab.
Click the Update Driver button, then follow the instructions.
Very important: You must reboot your system to ensure that any driver updates have taken effect.
For more help, visit our Driver Support section for step-by-step videos on how to install drivers for every file type.