AST RESEARCH, INC.        TECHNICAL BULLETIN # 1554         8-19-96   
 
 
 
TITLE: Ascentia P and PC Card Point Enablers
 
 
SUMMARY 
 
   PC Card point enablers may not function with the PC card slots on 
   the Ascentia P.
 
   This issue only affects the following systems: 501996 and 501997.
 
 
ISSUE 
 
   When a point enabler is installed on the Ascentia P system, 
   the driver may report that there is no working PC card slot on the 
   system, or that the slot or card is not functioning properly. 
   This only affects Ascentia P systems running DOS/Windows 3.1x.
 
 
BACKGROUND 
 
   The Ascentia P mobile system was designed as a Plug-and-Play (PnP)
   system for use with Windows 95 or with DOS/Win3.1x and card and 
   socket services.  Card and socket services provides for limited 
   PnP functionality in the DOS/Win3.xx environment.  The benefits of
   cards and socket services include hot swapping, I/O conflict 
   management, and multiple card management.  Point enablers are 
   PC Card-specific.  Most do not allow hot swapping and can be 
   intolerant of multiple PC Cards. 

   The PCMCIA controller on the Ascentia P is on a PCI bus located at
   address FCFCh.  Point enablers for PC cards are usually very 
   specific to the card and look for PCMCIA at the traditional ISA bus
   address 3E0h.  Since PCMCIA is not located at address 3E0h, a point
   enabler may not be able to find the controller, generating an error. 
   For a point enabler to function, the driver must have the ability 
   to specify address FCFCh and only look for one PCMCIA controller.
 
 
ACTION 
 
   Use card and socket services on Ascentia P systems that are 
   running DOS/Win3.1x, if a point enabler does not work.  If you 
   still wish to use point enablers for a PC card, please contact 
   the manufacturer of the card.
 
NOTES 
 
   N/A
 
TAN 000653JZ
 
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