1784-PCMK/B Card Health

msinclair

Member
Join Date
Sep 2003
Location
US
Posts
398
My 1784-PCMK/B card seems to no longer work for me. I have used it on and off for about 3 years (on this PC) to work with DH-485 devices, and it has worked well.

This past December, I needed to use it for DH+. Again no problem (a bit of a nuisance to configure, then reboot to switch, but not a problem).

This morning, I had to switch to DH-485 again, and rather than changing my configuration, I deleted it from Linx and added a new one. Since then, I cannot boot up without generating a fault.

The fault I see is:



PCMCIA Card Configuration Error

The following PCMCIA card has been inserted in the socket but is not available for use due to a configuration error.

Manufacturer: Allen-Bradley Co.
Card Type: 1784-PCMK Series B

A hardware initialization error occurred while trying to configure this PCMCIA card. The following are possible reasons and solutions to the problem.

1. The PCMCIA card is not functional. Run any diagnostic program that may have come with your card to verify that the card is no longer functional.

2. There is a resource conflict between the PCMCIA card and another device in the system. Try different values for the I/O, Memory, and IRQ assignments for this card in the appropriate control panel for the card.

3. The resources selected for the PCMCIA card are invalid. Try different values for the I/O, Memory and IRQ assignments for this card in the appropriate control panel for the card.



I assumed I had just picked a bad IRQ or board address, but have now spent the better part of 1 1/2 hours changing them and rebooting, then reading more Knowledgebase documents on Rockwell's web site, and changing the settings again (based on the recommendations there) and rebooting, and the using my system diagnostics, finding my own "empty" addresses and rebooting . . .

I'm pretty convinced that I will not find an IRQ/address combination that will work. That said, I don't want to throw the card out unless I can prove it is bad.



I am running NT4.0 (sp 6)
I am running RS Linx 2.41.00
I am running Phoenix Softex Card Executive 2.31.HP


Is there a utility or technique to check the integrity of the card? Does anyone have any other advice and/or ideas to try?


Thanks,

Marc
 
Probably the most expedient thing to do is try the card on a PC that has a plug-and-play OS and built-in PCMCIA services. If the card's PNP drivers don't work on a Win98 or Win2000 system, then you probably have a bad card. If they do, then keep hunting for available resources and conflicts on the NT system.
 
Thanks Ken,

I'll see if I can find one . . .

I just found the "PCMK Utilities Software for use with the 1784-PCMK" disk in some of my old AB disks. Do you know if the "diagnostic" program there would work to test an NT 4 system?

Marc


PS: I tried running it, and had a handful of the tests fail.
 
PCMK

Have you tried other PCMCIA devices to make sure its not your computer instead of the card.
I've sent my Dell 8200 back for repair twice because of the problem.
 
Hi Mark,

I was using an Ethernet card in that same slot this morning (prior to "reconfiguring" the PCMK card). I have since plugged the ethernet card back in and don't get the error on startup at all. I have not tried to go on-line with it since.

This error message appears just after Windows finishes loading (before trying to run anything like RSLinx). It occurs whenever I have the PCMK driver configured in RSLinx and reboot the system. The card (and the IRQ) appears "correctly" in the PCMCIA manager (Card Executive), though it indicates that the memory selections were not accepted (those fields are blank).

Thanks for the feedback,

Marc
 
I know you have probably done this but sometimes its better to start from scratch:
With the PCMK card not inserted in system, go to Control Panel and click on Devices icon, scroll down to Pcmcia and click Startup then select System, click OK.
Power system off.

Insert PCMK card in socket and reboot. Go to Control Panel again click on the
PC card/ Pcmcia icon, should have the PCMK card in whatever socket it was installed with a red slash going threw it, that's fine.

Now we need to find an open IRQ, so click on Start on the bottom of your screen then, Programs, and Administrative Tools, then go to Widows NT Diagnostics, click on the Resources tab. All the IRQ on that list are being used by the device next to them. Select an IRQ that is not on that list and set that IRQ for the PCMK card in RSLinx. Remember the lower IRQ number the higher priority, Exit from Widows NT Diagnostics.

1. Start RSLinx click on Communications, Configure Drivers,
2. Select 1784-PCMK Devices, click Add New…
3. Under board type select PCMK
4. Board address select a board address (DC00 works well, the address can not be used by other devices)
5. For Interrupt select the open IRQ found under Widows NT Diagnostics.
6. Station Number any open station number on the DH+ will do
7. Network Type DHPLUS (or DH485)
8. Baud rate should match the PLC
9. Click OK
10. Close RSLinx
11. Reboot system, open RSLinx, PCMK driver should be running.

http://domino.automation.rockwell.c...696A3A6C331C188A85256AFB00532105?OpenDocument
 

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