Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Fri, 10 Mar 2006 itfactor36 AT gmail.com wrote:

> I wrote:  Anyone know which module in BL3-40 would get an EXP CDS 940
> PCMCIA 2X CD-ROM and 16 bit soundcard combination working properly as
> it did in Win9x ??  If  card-CD-ROM working right in BL3, then maybe
> playing multimedia (CD's) and copying from CD's easier.
>
> > A compatibility list says some but not all of that model CD-ROM drive are
> > supported.
> > http://pcmcia-cs.sourceforge.net/ftp/doc/PCMCIA-HOWTO-5.html#ss5.1
> > Explains how to modify PCMCIA config for a new device, using cardmgr.

> > From the links sindi writes just above, this card-drive combo might
> not be supported.  OTOH, from some further research, the Debian-laptop
> forum discusses this card of this card at
> http://lists.debian.org/debian-laptop/2000/04/msg00142.html
> Since the thread postings mention Debian's outmoded "2.1 slink" and
> "2.2 potato" releases, the kernels used here to recognize card would
> be up to Linux kernel 2.2.x

This discussion seems to have petered out at the stage where he was 
supposed to use cardctl to learn more about the card so he could edit his 
configuration to make it work if he had the sort that does work in linux.
BL3.40 does not have cardctl but you can use cardmgr similarly.

If you insert the card while running BL3.40 and type cardmgr -o what does 
it tell you?

I found info for your card at http://tuxmobil.org/pcmcia_ci10275.html.
Traveller 3220 worked for someone with linux:
/var/lib/pcmcia/stab output:
EXP CD940 CD-ROM
product info:  "EXP", "CD-ROM", "I2.

Here is what you probably need in /etc/pcmcia/config:

PCMCIA Card Configuration Database (the more recent version using ide-cs 
not ide_cs module, from the year 2000 - which is later than BL3).

device "ide-cs"
 class "ide" module "ide-cs"

card "EXP CD940 CD-ROM"
  version "EXP   ", "CD-ROM"
  bind "ide-cs"

Why the space between EXP and " ?  Maybe you can omit it.

BL3.40 has these first two lines, and you would add the 
last three to /etc/pcmcia/config.

I think instead of version you can enter a line with manfid:
  manfid 0x????, 0x???? (fill in the actual numbers for ???)
Or with function if it has one.

The above tells the computer if a device identifies itself as EXP CD940
treat it as an ide device using ide-cs module, which cardmgr loads for you 
if you are lucky and have one of the models of this card that works in 
linux.

> If this helps, pic of card at
> http://www.expnet.com/know.nsf/a87c96fe8c97753f8525644900608242/f1b674eb2f3d344788256449007ec6e0?OpenDocument
> Card-supported notebooks at

I had to switch from Pine via ssh, to webmail, to view this long URL.
A black box said to weigh 3 lb and have mike and speaker included.

This site says to also download the ESS Audio driver.

Someone with an AST J30 laptop with 8MB used this device in linux and 
disabled 'the sound' (onboard sound, EXP sound?) and used 'the ESS card' 
as SB16 clone (insmod sb io=0x220, irq=5 dma=1 dma16= 5).  You could try 
booting with Slackware 7.1 a sound kernel (bare.i?), that has drivers 
built-in for many cards and might identify yours.  Or experiment with 
BL3.4 and download the modules for 2.2.26 and insmod soundcore, insmod 
sound, insmod uart_401, insmod sb as above (does a pcmcia card need all 
this stuff that I use for ISA cards?).

Tech Support FAQs say there is no DMA channel in PCMCIA sound cards (which 
you need to play some types of sound - midi, mp3?).

1-800-EXP-6922 help line, or email tech support for info on the sound 
chip at support AT expcomputer.com

http://www.expnet.com/know.nsf/65d6ec1049b020ef88256425002dab4b/9f546db18d6ee91988256472006a33a5?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,CDS,940
> Note from pic that the card itself is marked as a PCMCIA type 2.1 card.

Supposed to work in all types of PCMCIA slot.  1996.

> EXP describes the card-CDROM-combo in further detail at
> http://www.expnet.com/know.nsf/65d6ec1049b020ef88256425002dab4b/0199464e8282fa5e8825642d006d4007?OpenDocument&Highlight=0,CDS,940
> (intended primarily for DOS/Win3.1 and Win95)

Have you considered making a DOS partition and copying files from CD to 
linux via DOS?  We do that for computers where the parport transfer works 
in DOS but not linux, using a transfer cable and laplink pro.

> The cable from the card attaches to the CD-ROM drive through a
> standard 15-pin serial adapter, so I would guess that module would be
> very unlikely to be IDE or parport.  Have not yet tried using the BL
> sb16 pckg yet.

The package is for kernel 2.2.16 and for BL3.32 which lacked the sound 
devices.  BL3.40 is 2.2.26 and has the sound devices and a 
sound-compatible kernel, so use Steven's modules for 2.2.26.

The new serial ports are 9-pin, the older ones 25-pin, same size as 
parallel port.)?  Both are male.  Game/midi ports on sound cards are 
15-pin female but the same general shape as serial.  Which do you have?

> This physical descr. may or may not help in compiling a module for
> this, assuming that such a module for the card can be compiled and run
> in BL3.

No need to compile the module, just see if it already works for your 
device.


> itfactor36