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PCMCIA(PC CARD) SOFTWARE INFORMATION
If you have installed the PCMCIA software, such as SystemSoft’s
CardSoft or Databook’s Cardtalk, then EXPCDI.EXE will call this
PCMCIA software to enable the card. If you don’t have one, the
EXPCDI still can directly access your hardware to enable the card. In
this case, your computer should have an Intel 82365SL Personal
Computer Interface Controller (PCIC) or another compatible controller.
PCMCIA software contains several components: Socket services, Card
Services, Resource Initialization Utility and Card Installation Utility. The
remainder of this section will explain the four components and list the
device driver names for the major PCMCIA software.
Socket Services provide the interface between a system’s BIOS and the
host controller chips (such as the Intel 82365SL PCIC, Vadem 468, etc. )
Socket Services includes functions such as configuring a socket for an
I/O or memory interface and controlling socket power voltages. The
Socket Services driver you have varies with the host computer chip of
your computer.
Card Services provides the interface between the PC Card and the
PCMCIA sockets. Card Services must be aware of the I/O, IRQ, and
memory resources already used by the system so it can accurately
assign unused resources to the PC Cards.
To ensure Card Services will operate reliably regardless of the system it
is installed on, some PCMCIA software provides its own resource
initialization utility, which will check I/O ports, IRQs, and memory
addresses and then report that information to Card Services.
The Card Installation Utility detects the insertion and removal of PC
cards, and automatically determines the card type upon insertion so the
card and socket will be configured properly.
