just want to thank you Ken for the advice it was the dip switch settings which wouldnt allow me to connect to the 22-COMM-E to configure it using Drive Exec, it returned a fault something along the lines of too many instances when trying to connect to the card.
after that it was just plain sailing setting it up!
i did read through the adaptor manual but didnt pick up on the fact it has to be setup in single drive mode before switching over to multidrive, ive setup the cards many times before in single drive mode, but ive learnt something new from this experience, thanks again Ken, i was praying it would be you who would be online to help as you are the AB guru.
Rob
yes i had cycled the power with every critical change i made, and i was called in another engineer had taken the old card out, but i do no that when i plugged the old one back in again it was dead, no comms lights and not able to see it in RS Linx.