1785-PCMK/B on XP Laptop Docking port

[waterboy 7]

I am trying to configure the 1785-PCMK/B on my laptop Docking port. My machine has no PCMCIA slot, it has instead an Expresscard slot (and the adaptor from Duel-Systems doesn't work and even though I asked ahead of time if it would work they now want to charge me 20% to return it since it doesnt, Be Warned about them!) However my Docking Port has a PCI slot. So I got a PCI to PCMCIA card in there and the 1785-PCMK/B card is recognized by device manager and drivers were installed normally. When I went to configure the driver in RSLINX the machine will BSOD evertime I try. I suspect it's a memory conflict. Anyone had luck running the 1785-PCMK/B on XP and what settings did you use?

[Ken Roach 194]

I run the 1784-PCMK/B under Windows XP Professional SP2 all the time.... but in a true PC Card slot on my Dell D610. I agree that it's a memory conflict or hardware access conflict. I have heard of users BSOD'ing their PCs by defining 1784-PKTX drivers in machines not equipped with PCI buses, or defining 1784-PCMK drives in machines not equipped with PC Card interfaces. You're sort of in-between in your case. Control Panel -> System -> Hardware -> Device Manager shows the Devices installed on your XP computer. On my PC, the 1784-PCMK shows up at the top of the list, under the "Allen-Bradley PCMCIA Family", as a 1784-PCMK Series B card. The driver is version 1.0.0.0 dated 5/16/2000. The Resources tab shows it is using IRQ7 and FFAFD000 through FFAFDFFF memory locations, automatically set, with no conflicts. Does you Device Manager show a PC Card slot manager ? Are you certain you defined a 1784-PCMK driver, not a 1784-PKTX driver ?

[waterboy 7]

pretty darn sure. I just got it from the rockwell site too so it's current. Also found a kb article while describes this scenario perfectly and blames a corrupted driver. But doesn't say where to download a non corrupted driver. The cards shows up in the Dos based diags at address d000 (as I recall) but changing it there or in the rslinx server app crashes the system. Even trying to remove or Stop it crashed the system. I had to edit the registry to remove the offending KT+ driver. I'm not sure what to try next except maybe remove everthing and start over. and I hate that solution. Nothing learned that way. Edited 7 Aug 2007 by waterboy

[gravitar 3]

Just as a sanity-check, have you tried any other PCMCIA cards (non-AB) in the socket?

[waterboy 7]

No I didn't. I don't have any other PCMCIA cards around. The AB stuff is the last holdout to the older technology. But FWIW the card was recognized by windows and the drivers installed properly. So I suspect the PCI adapter is doing it's job, I still suspect that there is just some odd incompatibility issue at work.

[gravitar 3]

If it were me I think I would want to first check to see if it accepts ANY PC-cards. If you can't round one up, I'd be happy to mail you an old modem or ethernet card. I've got a stack of them :)

[waterboy 7]

I could probably find an old laptop with a modem card in it. I suppose that can't hurt to try. I just don't have a sense that the problem is going to be that easy. I mentioned earlier that I bought the expresscard to pcmcia adaptor from duel-systems and I did try a modem card in that device and it worked, well at least it was recognized, but it didn't even attempt to recognize this AB card, perhaps because of this same bottom line issue. That makes me think the problem is wierdness (non-standard pcmcia protocol) in the card itself that the driver will handle if I can solve the memory config problem. I'll locate a modem card just for grins tomorrow and keep ya posted. Perhaps I should use the DH+ PCI card I have here instead. . . Edited 7 Aug 2007 by waterboy