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Documentation / rocket.txt


Based on kernel version 2.6.27. Page generated on 2008-10-13 09:53 EST.

1	Comtrol(tm) RocketPort(R)/RocketModem(TM) Series 
2	Device Driver for the Linux Operating System
3	
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5	
6	PRODUCT OVERVIEW
7	----------------
8	
9	This driver provides a loadable kernel driver for the Comtrol RocketPort
10	and RocketModem PCI boards. These boards provide, 2, 4, 8, 16, or 32 
11	high-speed serial ports or modems.  This driver supports up to a combination
12	of four RocketPort or RocketModems boards in one machine simultaneously.
13	This file assumes that you are using the RocketPort driver which is
14	integrated into the kernel sources.  
15	
16	The driver can also be installed as an external module using the usual 
17	"make;make install" routine.  This external module driver, obtainable 
18	from the Comtrol website listed below, is useful for updating the driver
19	or installing it into kernels which do not have the driver configured
20	into them.  Installations instructions for the external module
21	are in the included README and HW_INSTALL files.
22	
23	RocketPort ISA and RocketModem II PCI boards currently are only supported by
24	this driver in module form.
25	
26	The RocketPort ISA board requires I/O ports to be configured by the DIP
27	switches on the board.  See the section "ISA Rocketport Boards" below for
28	information on how to set the DIP switches.
29	
30	You pass the I/O port to the driver using the following module parameters:
31	
32	board1 :	I/O port for the first ISA board
33	board2 :	I/O port for the second ISA board
34	board3 :	I/O port for the third ISA board
35	board4 :	I/O port for the fourth ISA board
36	
37	There is a set of utilities and scripts provided with the external driver
38	( downloadable from http://www.comtrol.com ) that ease the configuration and
39	setup of the ISA cards.
40	
41	The RocketModem II PCI boards require firmware to be loaded into the card
42	before it will function.  The driver has only been tested as a module for this
43	board.
44	
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46	
47	INSTALLATION PROCEDURES
48	-----------------------
49	
50	RocketPort/RocketModem PCI cards require no driver configuration, they are 
51	automatically detected and configured.
52	
53	The RocketPort driver can be installed as a module (recommended) or built 
54	into the kernel. This is selected, as for other drivers, through the `make config`
55	command from the root of the Linux source tree during the kernel build process. 
56	
57	The RocketPort/RocketModem serial ports installed by this driver are assigned
58	device major number 46, and will be named /dev/ttyRx, where x is the port number 
59	starting at zero (ex. /dev/ttyR0, /devttyR1, ...).  If you have multiple cards
60	installed in the system, the mapping of port names to serial ports is displayed
61	in the system log at /var/log/messages.
62	
63	If installed as a module, the module must be loaded.  This can be done
64	manually by entering "modprobe rocket".  To have the module loaded automatically
65	upon system boot, edit the /etc/modprobe.conf file and add the line
66	"alias char-major-46 rocket".
67	
68	In order to use the ports, their device names (nodes) must be created with mknod.
69	This is only required once, the system will retain the names once created.  To 
70	create the RocketPort/RocketModem device names, use the command 
71	"mknod /dev/ttyRx c 46 x" where x is the port number starting at zero.  For example:
72	
73	>mknod /dev/ttyR0 c 46 0
74	>mknod /dev/ttyR1 c 46 1
75	>mknod /dev/ttyR2 c 46 2  
76	
77	The Linux script MAKEDEV will create the first 16 ttyRx device names (nodes)
78	for you:
79	
80	>/dev/MAKEDEV ttyR
81	
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83	
84	ISA Rocketport Boards
85	---------------------
86	
87	You must assign and configure the I/O addresses used by the ISA Rocketport
88	card before installing and using it.  This is done by setting a set of DIP
89	switches on the Rocketport board.
90	
91	
92	SETTING THE I/O ADDRESS
93	-----------------------
94	
95	Before installing RocketPort(R) or RocketPort RA boards, you must find
96	a range of I/O addresses for it to use. The first RocketPort card
97	requires a 68-byte contiguous block of I/O addresses, starting at one
98	of the following: 0x100h, 0x140h, 0x180h, 0x200h, 0x240h, 0x280h,
99	0x300h, 0x340h, 0x380h.  This I/O address must be reflected in the DIP
100	switches of *all* of the Rocketport cards.
101	
102	The second, third, and fourth RocketPort cards require a 64-byte
103	contiguous block of I/O addresses, starting at one of the following
104	I/O addresses: 0x100h, 0x140h, 0x180h, 0x1C0h, 0x200h, 0x240h, 0x280h,
105	0x2C0h, 0x300h, 0x340h, 0x380h, 0x3C0h.  The I/O address used by the
106	second, third, and fourth Rocketport cards (if present) are set via
107	software control.  The DIP switch settings for the I/O address must be
108	set to the value of the first Rocketport cards.
109	
110	In order to distinguish each of the card from the others, each card
111	must have a unique board ID set on the dip switches.  The first
112	Rocketport board must be set with the DIP switches corresponding to
113	the first board, the second board must be set with the DIP switches
114	corresponding to the second board, etc.  IMPORTANT: The board ID is
115	the only place where the DIP switch settings should differ between the
116	various Rocketport boards in a system.
117	
118	The I/O address range used by any of the RocketPort cards must not
119	conflict with any other cards in the system, including other
120	RocketPort cards.  Below, you will find a list of commonly used I/O
121	address ranges which may be in use by other devices in your system.
122	On a Linux system, "cat /proc/ioports" will also be helpful in
123	identifying what I/O addresses are being used by devices on your
124	system.
125	
126	Remember, the FIRST RocketPort uses 68 I/O addresses.  So, if you set it
127	for 0x100, it will occupy 0x100 to 0x143.  This would mean that you
128	CAN NOT set the second, third or fourth board for address 0x140 since
129	the first 4 bytes of that range are used by the first board.  You would
130	need to set the second, third, or fourth board to one of the next available
131	blocks such as 0x180.
132	
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134	
135	RocketPort and RocketPort RA SW1 Settings:
136	
137	          +-------------------------------+
138	          | 8 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
139	          +-------+-------+---------------+
140	          | Unused| Card  | I/O Port Block|
141	          +-------------------------------+
142	
143	DIP Switches                             DIP Switches
144	7    8                                   6    5
145	===================                      ===================
146	On   On   UNUSED, MUST BE ON.            On   On   First Card    <==== Default
147	                                         On   Off  Second Card
148	                                         Off  On   Third Card
149	                                         Off  Off  Fourth Card
150	
151	DIP Switches         I/O Address Range
152	4    3    2    1     Used by the First Card
153	=====================================
154	On   Off  On   Off   100-143
155	On   Off  Off  On    140-183
156	On   Off  Off  Off   180-1C3       <==== Default
157	Off  On   On   Off   200-243
158	Off  On   Off  On    240-283
159	Off  On   Off  Off   280-2C3
160	Off  Off  On   Off   300-343
161	Off  Off  Off  On    340-383
162	Off  Off  Off  Off   380-3C3
163	
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165	
166	REPORTING BUGS
167	--------------
168	
169	For technical support, please provide the following
170	information: Driver version, kernel release, distribution of
171	kernel, and type of board you are using. Error messages and log
172	printouts port configuration details are especially helpful.
173	
174	USA
175	    Phone: (612) 494-4100
176	      FAX: (612) 494-4199
177	    email: support[AT]comtrol[DOT]com
178	
179	Comtrol Europe
180	    Phone: +44 (0) 1 869 323-220
181	      FAX: +44 (0) 1 869 323-211
182	    email: support[AT]comtrol.co[DOT]uk
183	
184	Web:	http://www.comtrol.com
185	FTP:	ftp.comtrol.com
186	
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188	
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