Category : System Diagnostics for your computer
Archive   : CTSSPU13.ZIP
Filename : HISTORY.DOC

CTS Serial Port Utilities, Version 1.3 HISTORY.DOC

Last updated: February, 1994

This file contains a synopsis of all changes in the CTS Serial Port
Utilities up to and including this release.


Version 1.3 February, 1994
============================
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-- Problems --
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* Some network cards were interferred with by the PortInfo
test resulting in a lockup after PortInfo completed running.
Two changes in PortInfo address this problem:

1) There is a new command line option "/XIi" that you can use if
you know which IRQ your network uses. This command line option
forces PortInfo to eXclude Irq "i" from the test. For example, if
your network card is on IRQ 5, then add "/XI5" to the command
line. Use of this command completely resolves the problem.

2) PortInfo has also been changed to avoid the lockup condition
if you don't specify the "/XIi" command option. Starting with
version 1.3, PortInfo no longer causes a lockup, but you may lose
your network connection. You canlog out and then back in to the
network to re-establish your connection.

* Under some circumstances, PortInfo would repeat message
PI-3000 (a port address conflict message) when detecting two
serial ports installed at the same address. Fixed!


Version 1.2 December, 1993
============================
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-- Problems --
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* PortInfo would not detect a PS/2 mouse on an ALR EISA system. Fixed.

* DOS_COM /n was broken by previous "fix". Unbroken!


Version 1.1 November, 1993
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-- Problems --
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* PortInfo failed to detect PS/2 mice. Fixed.

* "DOS_COM /n /Aaaa" failed to install the port "n" at address "aaa"
in the BIOS data area. Fixed.

* The DOS_FMT command line was not parsed properly if the format was
specified before the port ("DOS_FMT /n /Ffff" works,
"DOS_FMT /Ffff /n" does not). Fixed.

----------------------------
-- Changes / Improvements --
----------------------------
* PortInfo automatically detects and tests any ports listed
in the BIOS data area when no CTSCOMn environment variables are
set for the ports.

* The "Emulated UART" note was expanded to cover original 8250B UARTs
installed in fast computers. This UART is too slow for the faster
computer bus, and is occasionally detected by PortInfo as an
"Emulated UART".

* Removed "/Iii" from a startup error message. "/Iii" is not used by
any current utilities.

* All of the control utilities (all programs except PortInfo) now
support batch file operation. They will automatically continue after
waiting for a keystroke for 3 seconds.

* The control utilities BUFFER, COM_BPS, COM_FMT, DTR, IRQ, RESETCOM
and RTS will first attempt to use the standard and CTSCOMn port
assignments. If these fail, then they will check the BIOS data area
for a possible alternate serial ports installed by DOS_COM or
other BIOS data area update programs.

Version 1.0 October, 1993
============================
* Original Release