Installing the ISA Configuration UtilityThe user can run the ISA Configuration Utility from the
hard-disk drive only if using MS-DOS. Although Dell recommends
running the program from a diskette only, it runs considerably
faster from a hard-disk drive than from a diskette.
a:install Then follow the instructions on the screen. After the installation procedure is completed and the MS-DOS prompt is displayed, remove the ISA Configuration Utility Diskette 1 from drive A and reboot the system before starting the ISA Configuration Utility. Starting the ISA Configuration UtilityIf running the ISA Configuration Utility from a hard-disk
drive, remove any TSR programs from memory before starting the
utility. These programs take up space in the system memory even
when they are not running, thus reducing the amount of memory
available to the ISA Configuration Utility.
device=c:\ directory \config\dwcfgmg.sys /nolock
Another method of conserving conventional memory is to load the Configuration Manager into high memory using a memory manager, such as emm386.exe. The following example does this: device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems devicehigh /size=a700 c:\plugplay\config\dwcfgmg.sys The next example loads the Configuration Manager into high memory, with the /nolock parameter specified: device=c:\windows\emm386.exe noems devicehigh /size32e0 c:\plugplay\config\dwcfgmg.sys /nolock To run the program from the hard-disk drive, type the
following: cd \plugplay\icu icu
|
| Keys | Action |
| Performs the operation indicated by the menu item containing the underlined letter Y. (X corresponds to the first letter of the menu name.) | |
| <TAB> | Moves from one control button or list to another. |
| Up-and down-arrow keys | Moves up and down items in a list. |
| <SPACEBAR> | Highlights an item in a list. |
| <ENTER> | Selects the highlighted button or item in a list. |
Viewing Resources
The ISA Configuration Utility displays all resources currently
used by the system. To view all the system resources, select SYSTEM
RESOURCES from the View menu. The System Resource Usage
dialog box displays all resources currently used by the system.
To determine which card uses a particular resource shown in the
System Resource Usage dialog box, select the resource in question
and then click on the Used By Card button. The Card Resource
Usage dialog box appears with the information.
To view the resources that a particular card is using, select the
card from the list displayed, and then select the CARD
RESOURCES item from the View menu or click on the View
button. The Card Resource Usage box displays the resources
assigned to that card.
The user can save the information displayed in the resource usage
dialog boxes by clicking on the PRINT TO FILE button. The
ISA Configuration Utility then prompts for the name of the file
to create.
Adding a Card
Use the following procedure to add a listed card with the ISA
Configuration Utility:
1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Click on the Add button, or select ADD CARD from the Configuration menu.
3. Click on the name of the category of card that is to be added. If the Add button was clicked on in step
2, click on OK for a dialog box listing the names of all available cards of that type.
4. Select the name of the card to be added.
 |
NOTES: If the name of the card is
not displayed, select UNLISTED CARD
at the bottom of the listing. Insert the diskette that
was supplied by the manufacturer, click on YES,
and specify the path from the Load Configuration File
dialog box. Then click on the Open button. If no diskette
was supplied, click NO when the
ISA Configuration Utility asks whether there is a
configuration file for the card, and enter the CARD
NAME and the resources it is using. |
5. To select the resources yourself, click on the Advanced button. To change any of the resource settings
for the card, select the resource setting, and then click on the Settings button. Click on the down-arrow
next to the Configuration Choice box. Then click on the setting from the list of available settings.
To change individual resource values for the current configuration setting, select the resource value to
be changed and click on the Options button.
6. Click on the OK button in the Configuration Settings dialog box once finished selecting resources for
the functions.
7. Turn off the system if the system configuration has been modified, and change the jumpers on the ISA
expansion cards to match the settings in the ISA Configuration Utility.
Modifying a Card
Modifying a card allows the user to change the system
resources used by a client. This feature is helpful when adding a
card that requires resources already in use by other cards or
devices in the system. The user can allocate different resources
to the cards currently in the system to free the resources
necessary for the card to be installed.
This feature can also be used to force Plug and Play or PCI cards
to use specific resource values. This procedure is called locking
a card. Lock a card only if it uses static device drivers.
|
NOTE: The user cannot modify the resources of a PCI card, but can only view the resources currently assigned and lock or unlock them. |
To modify the resource settings for a listed or unlisted card,
complete the following steps:
1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Select the card from the list of installed cards in the ISA Configuration Utility window, and choose
MODIFY CARD from the Configure menu or click on the Modify button.
|
NOTE: When the user modifies an unlisted card, the ISA Configuration Utility cannot display the valid resources for the card. Therefore, refer to the documentation from the manufacturer that describes the settings the card can use. |
3. To add, modify, or remove a resource value, select the box beneath the resource to be assigned, and then
select the Add, Modify, or Remove button.
4. Click on the OK button to complete the card modifications and return to the ISA Configuration Utility
window.
5. To change the resource settings for the card, select the resource setting, and then click on the
Settings button. Click on the down-arrow next to the Configuration Choice box. Then click on the new
resource setting from the list of available settings.
6. To change individual resource values for the current configuration setting, select the resource value to
be changed, and click on the Options button located below the resource values.
7. Once finished selecting resources for the unlisted card, click on the OK button in the Configure
Unlisted Card dialog box. If the card needs to be reconfigured, record the resource settings recommended
by the ISA Configuration Utility. Click on the Close button to accept the resource settings currently
displayed.
Removing a Card
To remove a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card from the
system, the user does not need to run the ISA Configuration
Utility. However, this utility does need to be run when removing
an ISA expansion card. Use the following procedure to remove an
ISA expansion card from the computer system:
1. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
2. Select the card from the current system configuration list in the ISA Configuration Utility window.
3. Select REMOVE CARD from the Configuration menu, or click on the Remove button.
4. Click on YES to free the resources allocated to the card and remove its name from the list of active
cards, or click on NO to cancel the operation.
5. Remove the card from the system immediately. Failure to do so can damage the system.
Locking Cards
The ISA Configuration Utility includes a locking mechanism
that enables the user to allocate the system resources for all or
for some functions of a Plug and Play expansion card. Plug and
Play expansion cards are dynamic, meaning that they are allocated
resources at system boot. Some device drivers support this
dynamic card configuration, but some do not. Device drivers that
do not support dynamic card configuration are referred to as
static device drivers.
To determine whether the expansion card has static device
drivers, check the documentation that came with the device
driver. If you are using a static device driver, you need to
permanently associate resources with a Plug and Play expansion
card instead of relying on the default Plug and Play behavior.
Otherwise, the device driver might not be able to find the card
the next time the system boots. The procedure is known as locking
a card.
|
NOTE: The locking feature of the ISA
Configuration Utility is valid only for Plug and Play
cards and PCI cards. |
To lock the card resources or particular functions of the card,
the user must first enable the locking feature. The user must
also select a Plug and Play or PCI expansion card from the list
of cards installed.
To lock or unlock all the resources and configurations for a Plug
and Play or PCI expansion card, perform the following steps:
1. If it is not already installed, install the Plug and Play or PCI expansion card. Then turn on the
system. The Plug and Play expansion card is configured automatically by the system.
2. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
3. Select LOCKING ENABLED from the Advanced menu in the ISA Configuration Utility window. A check mark
will appear next to the LOCKING ENABLED item to show that it is active, and a Lock button appears on the
tool bar.
4. Select the Plug and Play expansion card that to be locked or unlocked from the Cards Configured in
System list.
5. Click on the Lock button or select LOCK/UNLOCK CARD from the Advanced menu.
Locking Configuration Resources
The user can also lock individual resources for a card. To do
so, perform the following steps:
1. If it is not already installed, install the Plug and Play expansion card. Then turn on the system.
2. Start the ISA Configuration Utility.
3. Select LOCKING ENABLED from the Advanced menu in the ISA Configuration Utility window. A check mark
appears next to the LOCKING ENABLED item to show that it is active, and a Lock button appears on the tool
bar.
4. Select the Plug and Play expansion card to be locked or unlocked from the Cards Configured in System
list.
5. Click on the Modify button, or select MODIFY CARD from the Configure menu.
6. From the Card Configuration dialog box, select the function to be locked or unlocked.
7. Click on the Settings button. Modify the resource setting and/or resources offered on the Configuration
Settings screen, if necessary.
8. Click in the LOCK RESOURCES box. The LOCK RESOURCES box toggles the lock state of the selected
configuration setting.
9. Repeat this procedure for any other configurations settings to be locked or unlocked. Click on the OK
button in the Card Configuration dialog once finished making the selections.
Saving the System Configuration
The system configuration can be saved to NVRAM as each card's
resources are configured. To do this, select SAVE from the
File menu and then continue with your operation.
Exiting From the ISA Configuration Utility
At the ISA Configuration Utility window, select EXIT
from the File menu to exit the ISA Configuration Utility. If any
changes to the system configuration have been made, the user is
asked whether or not to save the changes.
Click on the Yes button to have the ISA Configuration Utility
save the updated system configuration data into NVRAM and in the system.img
file. Click on the No button to exit the ISA Configuration
Utility without saving any of the configuration changes. Clicking
on the Cancel button causes nothing to be saved, and the utility
continues to operate.