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OPERATIONS MANUAL PPM-GX500
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This section documents the usage of the WinSystems Serial Console feature
present on the PPM-GX500 board. The serial console consists of special BIOS code
and a special terminal program used to communicate with the board. The principal
design characteristic for the serial console is the ability to access the Insyde CMOS
setup options without the need for a standard keyboard or video adapter and
monitor. This allows embedded system designers and technicians access to CMOS
setup on the PPM-GX500 using only a laptop computer with a hardware serial port.
Serial Console Reference
Introduction
WINCOM.EXE Serial Console Client
WINCOM.EXE is a DOS application that runs on a laptop or other 100% PC-compatible system
in accessing the PPM-GX500. The client is started on the DOS command line with:
wincom port interrupt baud_rate
Argument
port
is replaced with the I/O port address of the desired COM port in hex (i.e. 3F8
for COM1 and 2F8 for COM2). This allows for the usage of nonstandard addresses for COM
ports.
Argument
interrupt
is replaced with the IRQ number assigned to the desired COM port.
Typically the values would be 4 for COM1 and 3 for COM2.
Argument
baud rate
is replaced with one of the following values which is the baud rate to use
for the connection.
1200
2400
4800
9600
19200
38400
57600
115200
The baud rate MUST be matched to the
Console Baud Rate
selected in CMOS setup (discussed
later) in order for the systems to communicate. The default value is 38400.
NOTE
: WINCOM runs best in a pure DOS environment. It is possible to use WINCOM in a
DOS box under Windows, but there are a number of limitations in doing so and success is not
guaranteed due to differences in low-level hardware drivers. It is recommended that a DOS
boot disk be made containing
WINCOM.EXE, which can be used when access to the PPM-GX500
is desired.
When run in a pure DOS environment, all keys and key combinations are passed directly to
the target PPM-GX500. For example,
<CTRL><ALT><DEL>
will result in the target system
performing a warm reboot. There are however, three keystroke combinations reserved by
WINCOM.
<ALT><END>
Exits WINCOM.
<ALT><PgUp>
Prompts for upload filename. (Used in conjunction with SCOPY.EXE)
<ALT><PgDn>
Prompts for download filename. (Used in conjunction with SCOPY.EXE)
