[SOLVED] Using a PCMCIA Card Reader in MS-DOS

[Richy1985]

Well it's no rest for the wicked. One problem solved but still one to go.

I have an old Viglen 486 computer that came pre-installed with a PCMCIA card reader. The interface is rather primitive. The reader does not connect via a USB port but by a 40 pin IDE ribbon cable that connects to a Controller Card that is fitted to an ISA slot on the motherboard.

After doing some research, I downloaded some driver software called Card Soft v3.1 which apparently contains the drivers needed to run a PCMCIA card reader. After some difficulty, I transferred the files to a floppy disk booted into DOS and typed A: [Enter} install {Enter}. Then my computer just hangs and I have to do a hard reset. I managed to install drivers for Windows 3.1 but the reader is still not working.

I have attached some pictures:
https://ibb.co/jLY2JHc

PCMCIA4 hosted at ImgBB

Image PCMCIA4 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/ynmbSFW

PCMCIA2 hosted at ImgBB

Image PCMCIA2 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

https://ibb.co/qCvG990

PCMCIA4 hosted at ImgBB

Image PCMCIA4 hosted in ImgBB

ibb.co

Anyone who can help me gets a virtual beer. 😉

Many thanks,

Richard

 

[Richy1985]

Good evening everyone,

I wanted to post an update on my PCMCIA card reader topic which I haven't updated in over a year.

I am delighted report that the PCMCIA card reader is now working!

By pure chance I came across an identical PCMCIA card reader still in it's original box and sealed on eBay that included the original drivers on diskettes and an instruction manual. Manufactured by a company called Protege Corporation.

It wasn't just the lack of drivers that prevented me from getting this device to work - there was crucial information in the manual that I never would have known about or figured out on my own if I did not have it.

The pin headers for setting the IRQs - not required to be jumpered when using the device in Windows 3.1. The IRQ only has to be set when using the card reader on a certain operating system, I forget the name.

In the first picture I uploaded there is a table titled: IDE I/O ADDA. I had pin headers 1 & 2 jumpered, which set the device to 'Primary IDE' this was wrong and I needed to jumper pins 7 & 8.

Another pin header I had jumpered was NOT supposed to be jumpered, something to do with factory defaults. The card reader would not detect a PCMCIA card with this header jumpered.

Anyway, everything is now working fine and the hard disk LED works fine which I was sure was faulty.

Just before I found this on eBay I was convinced that one of the capacitors in the card reader was faulty. I am so glad I waited around for what seems like an eternity for a very rare, identical, complete package to come along. Instead of diving in and trying to fix things that did not need to be fixed!