E x p a n s i o n C a r d s
4/2 OWNER’S HANDBOOK
Configuring the card
Part of the installation procedure for an expansion card involves
setting up or “configuring” the card so it will work correctly in the
computer.
Most modern PCI cards employ a feature called “Plug and Play”
(PnP). This allows Windows 95 – and other PnP-aware operating
systems – to configure the card automatically the first time you turn
on the computer after installing the card.
However, many ISA cards (and some PCI cards) require manual
configuration. If manual configuration is required, you will
probably need to specify at least two of the following:
♦
Interrupt request level (IRQ)
♦
Direct memory access (DMA) channel
♦
Base input/output (I/O) port address
♦
Base memory address
The important thing to understand is that the settings of the card
you are installing must be different from the settings used by other
cards already in the computer or by components on the computer’s
motherboard. In other words, the settings must not “conflict”.
The documentation accompanying the card should tell you whether
the card supports Plug and Play, or if not, how to configure it.
Remember to check any diskettes supplied with the card for
README or other help files.
Some cards require you to move jumpers or set switches on the card
to configure them. This is best done before installing the card in the
computer. Other cards can be configured by running a
configuration program after installing the card. Some cards use a
mixture of both methods.
Cards often come with pre-configured or default settings. It is best
to rely on these settings as much as possible, and change them only
if they conflict with other devices.
