The ICU keeps track of system resources (interrupts, DMA channels, memory ranges and I/O ports). Use the ICU to define the system configuration before installing Plug and Play cards (that is, Plug and Play ISA cards or PCI cards). You can also use the ICU to find nonconflicting resources when you install standard ISA cards.
Are you adding a Plug and Play card into a Plug and Play ready system? You need not run the ICU.
Use the ICU in these situations:
Prepare an ISA System That is not yet Plug and Play Ready
Use the ICU to save the existing configuration
into non-volatile storage. Then power down and
insert Plug and Play cards.
Add a Standard ISA card to a Plug and Play system.
Use the ICU to configure resources for the card and
save them into non-volatile storage. Run the ICU
each time you want to install a standard ISA card
in your system. Then configure the card according
to the card manufacturer's directions, and install
the card.
Perform Special Operations on Plug and Play cards.
See the ICU User's Guide for details on locking and
other special operations you can perform on Plug
and Play card resources.
You must REBOOT the system to use the new configuration.
Readying Your System for Plug and Play
Use the ICU to create a complete description of system resource use before you install a Plug and Play card.
Before you make changes to your system configuration with the ICU, run the Configuration Assistance Utility. Run the Utility from an MS-DOS prompt by typing:
c:\plugplay\icu\cassist
(This assumes you installed the ICU in the default location of c:\plugplay).
After you run cassist, invoke the ICU and verify that the displayed configuration matches the actual configuration of the system. In particular, you will have to use the Add feature of the ICU to add entries for add-in ISA cards that were not found by cassist.
Add a Card
Adding a card configures a standard ISA card into the system. Start the process of adding a card from either the Configure menu or from the Add Card button on the toolbar.
A drop-down menu or list appears listing card categories. Select the appropriate category for the card you are adding (for example, select Communications for a FAX/MODEM card or select Other for a sound card), then press OK.
Choose A Card to Add(Add Card)2
Find the name of the card you are adding in the alphabetical list shown. Press OK to let the ICU choose the resource assignments for the card. Press Advanced... to assign the card's resources yourself.
The ICU does not add the card if the resources it needs are already assigned to another card. If such conflicts exist, you must resolve them before you can add the card.
If the card you are adding is not in the list, select Unlisted Card (the last entry in the list) and press OK. The ICU asks whether you have a configuration file for the card. If no file came with the card (check the card documentation), press No.
If a configuration file came with the card (check the card documentation), press Yes. Use the file selection screen that appears to select a drive, directory, and file to load.
Card Configuration(Add Card)
This screen lists the card functions you can configure. Select the desired function and press the Settings... button.
Pressing the OK button on the Settings... screen returns you to this display. Select another function to specify, or press OK when you are done configuring all the card functions you want to configure.
Note: If a vertical scroll bar appears to the right of this display, there are more functions for this card than fit on one screen.
Configuration Settings5
On this screen you select the configuration choice for the card function selected in the Card Configuration screen. To change the configuration choice, use the arrow to the right to drop down a list of available choices.
Some configuration choices allow you to directly change the resources associated with the choice. If the <Resource> Options button becomes solid black when a resource type is selected, you can choose a value for that resource. Otherwise, the values for that resource are determined by the function's configuration choice.
To change the resource values, select the resource, then press the <Resource> Options button. A small window opens. Use the down-arrow to show the options for the resource. Choose the desired value and press OK.
Press the OK button on the bottom of the Settings... screen to complete configuration on this function. This action returns you to the Card Configuration screen, where you can select another card function to configure or press OK to complete the add or modify operation and return to the top ICU screen.
Add an Unlisted Card
On this screen you enter the resources you want
assigned to the card. Select a resource type to add by clicking on the top line of the empty resource list box.
When you select a resource type, the Add <Resource> button becomes usable. Press the Add <Resource> button. The ICU pops up a window into which you type the resource value you want the card to use. See the card documentation for appropriate resource types and values for the card.
For the Interrupt(IRQ) and DMA resources, you can either type in a value or choose from a list (use the down-arrow to the right to get the list of unassigned IRQs and DMAs). For the memory and I/O port resources, enter a starting address and ending address as hexadecimal numbers.
Note: Serial ports COM 1 and COM 2 have standard Interrupt (IRQ) and I/O Port values associated with them. They are:
IRQ I/O Port
COM 1 4 3f8h-3ffh
COM 2 3 2f8h-2ffh
Serial ports COM 3 and COM 4 are not standard. See the card documentation for the Interrupt and I/O Port values the card manufacturer associates with COM ports 3 and 4.
Once values are listed for a resource, you can use all three buttons below the resource lists to change the contents of the list:
Add <resource> Adds a new resource value to the list
Modify <resource> Replaces the selected value with the
value you enter
Remove <resource> Removes a resource value from the list
When you have finished, press OK to add the card and return
to the ICU top window.
Advanced Menu
This menu handles Locking and Image File operations.
Locking keeps a Plug and Play card from being dynamically configured: the current resources assigned to the card remain assigned to the card (even after rebooting the system) until the card is unlocked. The locking function is only valid for Plug and Play cards.
Image files contain system configuration information. You can save them to diskette and copy them to other systems, or use them to restore a working configuration if non-volatile storage becomes corrupted.
R_ADV_MENU_HELP
IMG_FOR_ADV_MENU_HELP
CARD_RESOURCE_HELP
COMMON_BUTTON_HELP
CFG_MENU_HELP
CONFLICT_HELP
CHG_RES_ASSIGN_HELP
RM_CONFLICT_CARD_HELP
FIND_RES_HELP
FILE_MENU_HELP
Locking(Advanced Menu)
Both Locking choices are toggles. If they are checked, they are enabled. The locking function is only valid for Plug and Play cards.
Locking Enabled
Select BEFORE you attempt to lock resources for
a card. A check mark indicates that locking is enabled.
Lock/Unlock Card
This selection toggles the locking feature on Plug and
Play ISA cards. If you choose this menu item when the
highlighted card is unlocked, it locks the card. If
you choose this menu item when the highlighted card is
locked, or there are locked functions on the high-
lighted card, the card (or the locked functions) are
unlocked.
Image Files(Advanced Menu)
You may perform the following Image file operations:
Load Image
Select to use system configuration data
from a previously saved image file. The ICU asks
you to supply filename, directory, and drive. After
an image file is loaded, you can use Save on the File
menu to write the configuration information to
non-volatile storage.
Save Image
Select to save the current configuration
data to the most recently saved image file.
A Save As... window appears if you have not
previously created an image file.
Save Image As...
Select to save the system configuration
image using a new file name. Specify the file
using a .img filename extension.
Card Resource Usage)
This display shows the resource values currently assigned to the highlighted card. If the box under a resource type is empty, there are no resources of that type assigned to the card. (All cards do not require all resource types).
Press the Print to File button to copy the information on this display to a file.
You cannot change the information in this display. If you want to change the resources assigned to this card, use the Modify feature of the ICU. Press Cancel, then select Modify (via the Configure menu or the toolbar button).
Command Buttons
As you use the ICU, you can press one of these buttons to specify an immediate action, as follows:
Add <resource>
Adds a new resource value to the list.
Advanced...
Press to open the Card Configuration screens, in which
you choose specific options for the selected card.
Cancel
Press to cancel any changes made and return to the previous
window.
Close
Closes the current window.
Help
Displays help about the current screen.
Modify <resource>
Replaces the selected value with the value you enter.
Press to accept settings as displayed and commit the
changes.
Print to File
Writes the information on the screen to a file.
Signals that you do not want to perform the action in
question.
Remove <resource>
Removes a resource value from the list.
<Resource> Options
Press to change the resource values assigned to an existing
card.
Settings...
Press to choose a new value for the highlighted function.
Configure Menu7
You can perform the following actions:
Add Card
Select to insert a new card into the system configuration. See the Add a Card topic for more help.
Modify Card
Select to change the resources assigned to the highlighted card in the system configuration list. See the Modify a Card topic for more help.
Remove Card
Select to remove the resources assigned to the selected card from the system configuration list and free its resources for reuse. See the Remove Card topic for more help.
You can perform each of these actions from the toolbar, too.
Conflict Resolution
When the ICU detects a resource conflict, it reports the card and the resource type that are the cause of the conflict. The ICU reports the first conflict it finds. Other conflicts may also be present.
To resolve the conflict, reconfigure or remove a conflicting card. Reconfiguring is often an iterative process. Use the ICU to reassign resource values until you find a combination that works. Consult the card manual and the manuals of other cards in the system for possible configuration options.
To resolve conflicts, you can either:
- change resource assignments (press the Next button), or
- remove the conflicting card (press the Next button twice)
Remember that some conflicts cannot be resolved.
See Finding Usable Resources for ways to determine whether you can resolve the conflict by changing assignments.
REMINDERS: be sure to record any new resource values that you assign to a card and to reconfigure the card to use those values. You must reboot the system for the changes to take effect.
Change Resource Assignments(Conflict Resolution)4
Modify the resource usage for the card that uses the same resources as the card you wish to add. To do so, you might have to modify the resources for more than one card to fit all cards into the system.
The motherboard system device cannot be removed or modified. However, even if the motherboard system device is the source of the conflict, you might still be able to resolve the conflict. The ICU reports only the first detected conflict, so another, reconfigurable card might be using resources that your card can use.
See Finding Usable Resources.
Remove Conflicting Card(Conflict Resolution)v
To free resources, determine whether you need all the cards in your system. Remove any that you no longer need.
Finding Usable Resources(Conflict Resolution)c
To determine whether you can modify installed cards to make room for the new card, consult the documentation for all the cards in your system.
Use this alternative method only for Plug and Play cards and for cards with configuration files in the ICU database:
1. Remove the card using resources that the new card requires.
2. Add the new card.
3. Reinstall (Add card) the card you just removed.
By removing and adding cards in different orders, you can use the ICU to find resource allocations for the cards that work together instead of searching through the card documentation.
File MenuD
You can choose from the following menu items:
Save
Places the current configuration data in non-volatile storage.
Exit
Closes the utility. The ICU asks for confirmation:
"Configuration has been modified.
Do you want to save?"
To preserve the changes in non-volatile storage, press Yes.
HELP_MENU_HELP
HELP_ON_HELP
KBD_CTRL_HELP
MODIFY_CARD_HELP
CONFIGURE_MOD_HELP
UNLISTED_MOD_HELP
REMOVE_CARD_HELP
SYSTEM_RESOURCE_HELP!
TOOLBAR_BUTTON_HELP"
VIEW_MENU_HE
Help Menu
You can select any of the following items:
Contents
Displays a list of topics that you can display by pressing
the Help button. This list is alphabetical.
Previous message
Displays the last message that appeared on the screen.
About...
Displays the program's name, version number, and copyright
statement.
See How to Get Help for alternative methods.
How to Get Help
Help menu
Select the Contents item from the menu. Select a topic and press the Help button. Select the Previous message item to see the last message that appeared on the screen.
Help button
Press the Help button on a screen to get information about
the actions you can perform from that screen.
When in Help, use these buttons to change the Help display:
Prev
Displays the topic immediately before the current one.
Next
Displays the topic immediately after the current one.
Cancel/Close
Returns to the ICU.
Use the arrow keys or the scroll bar to move through
explanations longer than one screen.
Keyboard Control/
If you don't have a mouse, use these keyboard controls to operate the ISA Configuration Utility
Alt+<key>
Moves to the menu indicated by the underlined
letter. For example, to open the File menu and
select Save, press Alt+F, then S.
Tab key
Moves the highlight from one functional area (button or
list) to the next area on the right.
Up and Down Arrow keys
Moves the selection box up and down a list.
Space bar
Highlights the selected item in a list.
Enter key
Selects the highlighted button or list item.
Modify a Card
From the Menu or on the toolbar, you can choose to modify the resources assigned to a card. Select a card in the System Configuration list, then either select Modify on the Configure menu or press the Modify button on the toolbar.
Card Configuration(Modify Card)
This screen lists the card functions you can configure. Select the desired function and press the Settings... button.
Pressing the OK button on the Settings... screen returns you to this display. Select another function to specify, or press OK when you are done configuring all the card functions you want to configure.
Note: If there is a vertical scroll bar to the right of this display, there are more functions for this card than fit on one screen.
Modify an Unlisted CardK
This screen lists the resources currently assigned to the card. Highlight the resource you want to modify by clicking on it. If you want to add a resource of a type that does not exist for this card, click on the top line of the empty resource list box.
The three buttons below the resource lists change when you highlight different resource types: they are:
Add <resource> Adds a new resource value to the list
Modify <resource> Replaces the selected value with the
value you enter
Remove <resource> Removes a resource value from the list
If there are no resource values in the resource list you select, only the Add <resource> button becomes usable.
Choose the appropriate button. Add and Modify pop up a display into which you type the resource value you want the card to use. See the card documentation for appropriate values for the card.
For IRQ and DMA, you can either type in a value or choose from a list (use the down-arrow to the right to get the list of unassigned IRQs and DMAs). For memory and I/O port, enter a starting address and ending address as hexadecimal numbers.
Note: Serial ports COM 1 and COM 2 have standard Interrupt (IRQ) and I/O Port values associated with them. They are:
IRQ I/O Port
COM 1 4 3f8h-3ffh
COM 2 3 2f8h-2ffh
Serial ports COM 3 and COM 4 are not standard. See the card documentation for the Interrupt and I/O Port values the card manufacturer associates with COM ports 3 and 4.
Remove a Card
Select Remove Card... from the Configure menu or press the Remove button to free the resources allocated to the selected card and remove its name from the list. A message asks:
"Remove the selected card?"
Select Yes to confirm or No or Cancel to cancel the action.
After you save the configuration and power down the system, physically remove the card from the system. Failure to do so can cause problems when you add a Plug and Play card that uses the system resources that were previously assigned to the removed card.
System Resource Usage
This display shows the resources currently used by the system. If you press the Used by Card... button, or double-click on a resource value, the ICU shows you the card that uses the resource, as well as the rest of the resources assigned to that card.
Press the Print to File button to copy the information on this display to a file.
You cannot change the information in this display.
Toolbar Buttons
The toolbar is the line of buttons above the list of cards currently configured into the system. From the ISA Configuration Utility opening screen, press one of these buttons to specify an action, as follows:
Press to insert a new card in the system.
Remove
Press to free the resources allocated to the card and
remove its name from the list.
Modify
Press to modify a card's existing resource values.
View
Press to display the interrupt level (IRQ), DMA channel,
memory, and/or I/O port values used by the selected card.
Lock
Press to prevent the configuration manager from assigning
the Plug and Play card's resources to any other card.
This button is only visible when locking is enabled and
the highlighted card is not locked.
Unlock
Press to release the lock on the Plug and Play card's
resources. This button is only visible when locking
is enabled and the highlighted card (or functions on
the highlighted card) is locked.
View Menu?
The display shows the interrupt level (IRQ), DMA channel, memory, and/or I/O port values used by each card or by the system.
System Resources
displays the resources used by all cards in the system.
From the dialog, press the Used by Card... button to
find out what card uses the highlighted resource.
Card Resources
displays the resources used by the card highlighted on
the Cards Configured in the System list.
For both displays, you can record the resource settings with the
Print to File button. You can use the log file for reference.
const UI_HELP_CONTEXT WHEN_TO_USE_ICU_HELP = 0x0001; // When to Use the ISA Configuration Utility (ICU)j
const UI_HELP_CONTEXT READY_FOR_PNP_HELP = 0x0002; // Readying Your System for Plug and PlayN
const UI_HELP_CONTEXT ADD_CARD_HELP = 0x0003; // Add a Carde
const UI_HELP_CONTEXT CHOOSE_TO_ADD_HELP = 0x0004; // Choose A Card to Add(Add Card)c
(.txt)