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Evaluation Kit User Manual
EV9000
2001 Consumer Microcircuits Limited
9
UM9000/2
1.8.4
Parallel Port Cable
A 25 conductor parallel port cable is supplied having male DB25 connectors at both ends.
1.9 Limitations
1.9.1 Software
The EV9000 software uses Microsoft Windows to ease setup and operation while providing
flexibility and power. However, the high sustained throughput required of the parallel port
connection to the EV9000 Evaluation Kit cannot be supported by Windows. As a result, the
EV9000 software bypasses some DOS and Windows conventions. Please note that concurrent
tasks will be suspended during execution of the EV9000 sofware. Network software may have to
be restarted after using this evaluation kit. The EV9000 software will also stop the PC’s clock, so
timestamps when saving files may not be accurate.
The EV9000 software will occupy all the PC’s resources during various tests. This prevents
keyboard activity from being recognized during test execution. Any tests which wait until a
modem produces a specific logic output signal (e.g. BFREE becomes logic 1) will execute
indefinitely if the test setup is inappropriate. The program may appear to be stuck in such a case.
The EV9000 HALT switch must be pressed to terminate the test. Please note that traditional
Windows commands such as Alt-Tab and Alt-Ctl-Del may not work when the software is busy.
Trying to use the software without an evaluation kit connected to the PC parallel port may cause
the software to hang if a test is executed. If this happens, pressing the Alt-Ctl-Del keys on the PC
keyboard may enable you to quit from the application. Otherwise, a hard reset of the PC will have
to be performed.
Please note that the EV9000 software is NOT suitable for use under Linux, OS2, Windows '2000
or Windows NT operating systems.
In addition, some atypical PC’s may have software and/or hardware incompatibilities with the
EV9000 Modem Evaluation Kit.
1.9.2 Hardware
1.9.2.1 Initialising
There is no hardware reset switch or function in the EV9000 hardware design. The HALT switch
(SW1) produces a signal used by the EV9000 software to indicate that a test should be
terminated. In order to be sure of the state of the hardware, the EV9000 software must be started
after the EV9000 is powered and the parallel port connection has been made between the PC and
EV9000. Failure to follow this procedure could produce spurious commands which affect the
hardware state. Upon being started, the EV9000 software will initialise all of the EV9000
hardware.
1.9.2.2 Parallel Port Compatibility
The EV9000 parallel interface design is compatible with most PC parallel ports. However, the
integral pull-up resistors provided with certain PC parallel ports are too high in value to support the
required digital signal speeds. Accordingly, the EV9000 parallel port interface circuit includes
supplementary 560
Ω
pull-up (to +5V) resistors on pins 1, 14, 16, and 17 of the DB25 parallel port
connector. These may not be needed when interfacing to certain types of PC and may be
disconnected by removing jumpers E13, E14, E15 and E16 if the PC has insufficient drive
capability on its parallel port. One should also use a parallel port cable less than, or equal to, 1.5
metre long because the capacitance of longer cables limits signaling speed. Nonetheless, in
some cases a PC’s parallel port may still not operate quickly enough.