Melco Connect Support Notes
Melco Connect Support Notes
Melco Connect Support Notes
Support Notes
Connecting Melco Embroidery Machine to Wilcom Sirius Embroidery Software
8060671
Copyright 1990-99 by WILCOM Pty Ltd. All rights reserved. No parts of this publication or the accompanying software may be copied or distributed, transmitted, transcribed, stored in a retrieval system or translated into any human or computer language, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, magnetic, manual, or otherwise, or disclosed to any third party without the express written permission of: WILCOM Pty Ltd (A.C.N. 001 971 919) 146-156 Wyndham Street, Alexandria (Sydney) New South Wales, 2015, Australia PO Box 581, Alexandria, 1435 Phone: +61 2 9578 5100 Fax: +61 2 9578 5108 Email: [email protected] Web: http://www.wilcom.com.au WILCOM Pty Ltd MAKES NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTIES WITH RESPECT TO THE CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION & SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ANY IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABLE QUALITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE. Further, WILCOM Pty Ltd reserves the right to revise this publication and to make changes in it from time to time without obligation of WILCOM Pty Ltd to notify any person or organization of such revisions or changes. The screen illustrations in this publication are intended to be representations, not exact duplicates of the screen layouts generated by the software. SUBJECT TO ANY WARRANTIES IMPLIED BY LAW WHICH ARE INCAPABLE OF LIMITATION OR EXCLUSION THE SOFTWARE IS PURCHASED AS IS WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY AS TO ITS PERFORMANCE, ACCURACY, FREEDOM FROM ERROR OR TO ANY RESULTS GENERATED THROUGH ITS USE AND WITHOUT ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR OF FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE SOFTWARE IS BEING ACQUIRED. THE PURCHASER RELIES ON ITS OWN SKILL AND JUDGEMENT IN SELECTING THE SOFTWARE FOR ITS OWN USE AND ASSUMES THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE RESULTS AND PERFORMANCE OF THE SOFTWARE. WILCOM Pty Ltd SPECIFICALLY DOES NOT WARRANT THAT THE SOFTWARE WILL MEET THE PURCHASERS REQUIREMENTS OR OPERATE WITHOUT INTERRUPTION OR ERROR. P/N 8060671 Rev 1. 1 March 00
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Contents
Overview 1 Section 1 Section 2 Determing your Melco Machine Connection Interface 2 Setting up Ethernet Connection for Sirius 6
Installing and configuring the Ethernet Network card in the PC 7 Installing Wilcom Sirius software and Melco machine RSA files 7 Checking that RSA files are already installed in Wilcom Sirius 8 Configuring Wilcom Sirius software to suit your Melco Ethernet-connected machine 9 Creating a new machine connection in Wilcom Sirius 9 Setting up the new machine connection in Sirius 10 Testing the new connection and setup 11
Section 3
Section 4
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Section 5
Appendices 27
Wilcom Security Devices 27 Installing IPX/SPX network protocols for Melco Ethernet 28 Installing IPX/SPX Protocols 28 Configuring IPX/SPX network protocols frame type to communicate with Ethernet-connected Melco machine 29 Finding Melco StarLAN card settings 31
Section 6
Troubleshooting StarLAN-connected Melco machines 34 Reserving IRQ, DMA or Base I/O addresses 34 Reserving an IRQ address 36 Reserving an Input/Output (I/O) address 36 Reserving a DMA address 37
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Overview
There are generally four main steps to follow to setup and configure your Melco embroidery machine with Wilcom Sirius software:
Determine the interface type your Melco machine uses. Install and configure the Interface Hardware in the PC. Install Wilcom Sirius Software, including Melco RSA files. Configure the Wilcom Sirius software for Your Machine Connection.
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Section 1
There are 3 different types of hardware interface connections used by various models of Melco machines.
Ethernet Network (New Melco machines since 1998) Melco StarLAN Network (Most Existing Melco machines in the market) Paper Tape Reader Port (Very old Star, Starlet & Superstar machines)
Melco Machine Model Prefix EMT-... EMB-... EP1 (?) EMC- EP1Star, Starlet and Superstar Series Interface Type Ethernet Interface Cable Ethernet Cable with RJ-45 connector
Melco StarLAN Network Paper Tape Reader (PTR) Port and Wilcom DCi
StarLAN network cable with RJ-11 connector (looks like a telephone cable) Serial Cable from PC to DCi, specialized parallel cable from DCi to PTR port.
Tip If your Melco machine is presently connected and working with Melco ENS or EDS II or III software, you can determine the type of interface by checking the hardware settings in those programs and use them in Wilcom Sirius.
You can also check the interface itself. See the following Images showing the three connection types and the network cables used:
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Ethernet network
Dongle Mouse Video (moitor) Ethernet network cable Audio (sound) card
Keyboard
RJ-45 Ethernet network cable - approx. 12mm or 7/16 inch wide, with 8 pins in the connector.
RJ-11 Melco StarLAN network cable - approx. 10mm or 3/8 inch wide, with 6 pins in the connector.
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Keyboard
network cable.
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Figure 4: Typical Wilcom DCi pack (power pack, serial cable, DCi & machine
cable). If your Melco embroidery machine uses a DCi, the DCi's machine cable attaches to the Tape Reader port on the Melco embroidery machine.
Star machines: the Tape Reader Port is inside the machine i.e. the cover needs to be removed to gain access. Starlet machines: the Tape Reader Port was an option - check if you have it installed on your machine. Once you have determined which connection type your Melco machine uses:
via Ethernet: Go to Setting up Ethernet Connection for Sirius on page 6. via StarLAN network card: Go to Setting up Melco Starlan Network for Sirius on page 13 via Paper Tape Reader Port and Wilcom DCi: Go to on page 22
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Section 2
Warning Use this section ONLY if your Melco machine uses an Ethernet
Network interface. If your machine uses a different interface or if you are not sure what type it has, return to Section 1 to determine the connection type. To connect your Melco Ethernet-connected Machine to a Wilcom Sirius System you need to:
Install and configure the Ethernet Network in the PC. Install Wilcom Sirius software, including Melco RSA files. Configure Wilcom Sirius software to suit your Melco Ethernet machine. This diagram shows how a typical Ethernet network PC and ethernet-connected Melco machine looks once connected.
PC with Ethernet Network Interface card
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Install the Ethernet network card as per the instructions that come with the Ethernet network card. Install all cabling and a network hub, as required. Consult a PC Technician if necessary.
In Windows, follow the hardware vendors instructions to install software drivers. Once installed, check it is present in Windows Control Panel > System > Device Manager tab, Network Adapters.
Via Windows Control Panel > Network , install the IPX/SPX network protocols. Set the Frame Type for Ethernet to 'Ethernet 802.3' via the 'Advanced' properties of the IPX/SPX Protocol. For further assistance on installing these protocols, refer to Appendices - Installing IPX/SPX network protocols.
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To install the Wilcom Sirius software to install the Melco machine RSA files
Install the Wilcom Sirius software according to the installation instructions in the Wilcom Sirius User Manual. During installation you will be prompted with the following message. You MUST answer Yes to this dialog box, in order to install the Melco RSA files which allow communication with the Melco machine.
On the Windows Desktop, go to Start > Find > Files and Folders. In the Named field, type: *.RSA. In the Look In box, choose the C: drive (or the drive Wilcom Sirius is installed on). Click Find Now. This will list all RSA files on your computer. The RSA files should be in the c:\eswin\bin folder (or the drive/folder you installed Wilcom Sirius to). If the RSA files are not already installed or they are not installed in the c:\eswin\bin folder, you need to reinstall the Wilcom Sirius software following the instructions in To install the Wilcom Sirius software to install the Melco machine RSA files on page 8. If the RSA files are already installed, go to Configuring Wilcom Sirius software to suit your Melco Ethernet-connected machine on page 9.
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Ensure the Melco machine is connected to the PC and powered on. Start the Sirius ES Designer software. Go to the menu item Special > Hardware Setup. Select Direct Machine Connection from the drop down list (click on the arrow to the right of the drop down list to drop down and display the list).
Click on the New button. You will see a screen like to the following.
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Repeat these steps for any additional Ethernet-connected machines. So you have a separate Direct Machine Connection setup in the Hardware Setup dialog box for each machine. For more details, See Setting up the new machine connection in Sirius on page 10 for details. Click Close when finished with all Hardware Setup(s) to exit the Hardware Setup dialog box.
In the Name field, type in the name of your machine. This can be any name you wish. The Comment field can be left blank, or you can add your own comment here. In the Port drop down list, select Ethernet. The Protocol field will be automatically filled in for you as Melco Ethernet Network . Auto Download: If you tick the Auto Download checkbox it will mean that you are not prompted to get the machine ready for download, before the design in transferred to the embroidery machine. Select which Ethernet machine you wish to set up.
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Click on the Peripheral Name drop-down list and select the machine you wish to set up (Note: you need to create a new machine setup for each machine you have connected via ethernet). If no names are present, click the Find button. This will automatically search for and then list in the Peripheral Name drop-down list any machines on the Ethernet network.
To set the Available Machine Type(s) for your Melco machine Click on Melco. Click on the right pointing arrow. Melco should now appear in the For this machine window. Your setup screen should now look like the following but with a machine listed in the Peripheral Name drop-down list.
Ensure the embroidery machine is connected to the ethernet network hub. Check there is power to the hub and the embroidery machine.
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Check the PC is connected to the hub. Send a design from Wilcom Sirius to the embroidery machine via the new interface.
Note From Sirius V6.0 onwards, there are two mini-applications for transferring designs to the machine: the Stitch Manager provided from Sirius Version 5.0, and the enhanced graphical Machine Manager from Version 6.0. Machine Manager is only available in fully V6-enabled Sirius systems (not with V6 software installed on V5.x systems which take a Basic Update only to V6). Machine Manager in the File menu as Stitch to Machine Manager (just above Stitch to Stitch Manager ). Note also that the button Stitch to Machine refers to the original Stitch Manager and not Machine Manager.
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Section 3
Warning Use this section ONLY if your Melco machine uses a StarLAN
network card to interface to the Melco machine. If your machine uses a different interface, or if you are not sure what type it has, See Determing your Melco Machine Connection Interface on page 2 for details. To connect your Melco StarLAN Machine to a Wilcom Sirius System you need to:
Determine the hardware settings of your StarLAN card. Install the Melco StarLAN Network card in the PC and connect the StarLAN network cable. Install Wilcom Sirius software, including Melco .RSA files. Configure Wilcom Sirius software to suit your Melco StarLAN card and Melco machine.
PC with Melco Star LAN Network card installed RJ-11 Network cable
This diagram shows how the final StarLAN-connected system will look, when all hardware components are installed.
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Obtain the Melco StarLAN card jumper settings (IRQ , Base Address and DMA address) from card itself (see Figure 7 above for detailed view). For alternative methods of determining the cards address settings, refer to Appendix - Finding Melco StarLAN card settings.
Warning The Melco StarLAN card is not a Windows Plug & Play card. This
means it needs to be manually configured in Wilcom Sirius. It may also require settings to be altered in Windows, to allow the card to operate without conflicting with another hardware device. This is explained in Troubleshooting StarLAN-connected Melco machines on page 34. If in doubt, consult a PC Technician, referring them to this document.
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JP1 Jumper for setting Base I/O Address DMA settings and Jumpers. Both JP3 and JP4 need to be jumpered to the same value to set the DMA address.
If the card is already working in another software program, either a previous version of Sirius or Melco EDS or ENS, you can also obtain these settings from those software packages, typically in the Hardware or Hardware Setup sections. Refer to Appendices - Finding Melco StarLAN settings for alternative methods of determining the StarLAN card's hardware settings.
Installing the Melco StarLAN Network card in the PC and connecting the StarLAN network cable
To install the Melco StarLAN Network card in the PC and connect the StarLAN network cable
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Power off the PC. Insert the Melco StarLAN Network card in the PC into an available ISA slot, if it is not already inserted.
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Warning The Melco StarLAN card will NOT fit into a PCI slot. Some new PCs do not come with ANY ISA slots on the motherboard - please check when you purchase the PC that you have enough ISA and PCI slots for your requirements. (Note; a Wilcom 'Trysoft' security device if you have one also requires one ISA slot. See Appendix, Wilcom Security Devices' if you are not sure).
Connect the RJ-11 cable. The RJ-11 cable is connected one end to the Melco StarLAN card in the PC and the other end to the Melco embroidery machine. Refer to Figure 2 for how to identify the 'RJ-11' StarLAN network cable. Install Sirius software and Melco machine RSA files
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Note If you have already installed the Wilcom Sirius software and wish to
check that you have the RSA files installed, please go to the next Step. Install the Wilcom Sirius software according to the installation instructions in the Wilcom Sirius User Manual. During installation you will be prompted with the following message. You MUST answer Yes to this dialog box, in order to install the Melco RSA files which allow communication with the Melco machine
Check if the RSA files are already installed in Sirius. If Sirius is already installed and you are not sure if the RSA files are installed please do the following, otherwise skip to Configuring Wilcom Sirius software to suit your Melco DCi-connected machine. on page 23 On the Windows Desktop, go to Start > Find > Files and Folders... In the Named field, type: *.RSA In the Look In box, choose the C: drive (or the drive Sirius is installed on to) Click Find Now. This will list all RSA files on your computer. The RSA files should be in the c:\eswin\bin folder (or the drive/folder you installed Wilcom Sirius to). If the RSA files are not already installed or they are not installed in the c:\eswin\bin folder, you need to reinstall the Wilcom Sirius software following the instructions in Installing Wilcom Sirius software and Melco machine RSA files on page 7. If the RSA files are already installed, go to the next Section.
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Configuring Sirius software to suit your Melco StarLAN card and Melco machine.
Creating a new machine connection setup in Wilcom Sirius
To create a New machine connection setup in Wilcom Sirius
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In the Sirius ES Designer application, select the menu item Special > Hardware Setup. Select Direct Machine Connection from the drop down list. If necessary, click on the arrow to the right of the drop down list. Click on the New button. You will a screen similar to below.
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Click in the Name: field and type in the name of the machine. This can be any name you wish. The Comment field is not mandatory. Set the Connected to Type to Network . From the Port drop down list, click on the arrow and click on Network . This should automatically fill in the fields as below. Auto Download : If you tick the Auto Download checkbox it will mean that you are not prompted to get the machine ready for download, before the design in transferred to the embroidery machine.
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Note If you are configuring more than one Melco StarLAN Network
machine connection, you will need to set the ID number to match the Machine Number(s) each Melco embroidery machine is set to - check the Melco machine's LCD display for the Machine ID or Number. I.e. ID: 1 is for a Machine with a Machine ID of 01, ID: 2 is for a Machine with a Machine ID of 02.
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Setup StarLAN Card Settings in Sirius to match the settings on the StarLAN card.
Tip There are two revisions of the Melco StarLAN card: Revision E and
Revision F. The Revision letter is hand-written in the Rev field on the card itself (see top of Figure 4). The settings above are the default settings for the Revision F and Revision E cards. Click on the Setup button to check the network card settings. You will see a screen similar to the following:
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Enter the settings you obtained from Determining the hardware settings of your StarLAN card on page 14, then click OK. Set the Available Machine Types for your Melco machine. Go to the Machine Type section at the bottom of the Embroidery Machine Connection dialog box. Click on Melco format.
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Click OK and then Cancel. Click OK and then Close to return to the design screen.
Ensure the Melco machine is connected to the PC, and is powered on. Test your connection by sending a design to the machine. Test the interface by sending a design to the machine.
Note From Sirius V6.0 onwards, there are two mini-applications for transferring designs to the machine: the Stitch Manager provided from Sirius Version 5.0, and the enhanced graphical Machine Manager from Version 6.0. Machine Manager is only available in fully V6-enabled Sirius systems (not with V6 software installed on V5.x systems which take a Basic Update only to V6). Machine Manager in the File menu as Stitch to Machine Manager (just above Stitch to Stitch Manager ). Note also that the button Stitch to Machine refers to the original Stitch Manager and not Machine Manager.
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Section 4
The Wilcom Direct Connect Interface (DCi) is a hardware device that connects embroidery machines to a personal computer. It works by emulating a Paper Tape Reader and connects to a Paper Tape Reader port on the embroidery machine.
Warning Use this section ONLY if your Melco machine has a Paper Tape Reader
or uses a Wilcom DCi to interface to the Melco Star, Starlet or Superstar machine. If your machine uses a different interface, or if you are not sure what type it has, go to Section 1 above. Background on the Star series machines : The Star was the first machine made by Melco and was sold for several years. The Superstar and the Starlet machines were both released at about the same time. The Superstar was a replacement version of the Star, while the Starlet was a de-tuned version of the Superstar.
PC DCi interface module DCi power adapter module Melco Star, Starlet or Superstar embroidery
This is how a DCi setup will appear when connected to the PC and the Melco embroidery machine.
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In the Star machine, the PTR port was INSIDE the machine i.e. The cover of the machine needs to be removed in order to access the port. The PTR port on the Starlet machine was an OPTIONAL extra, please check if you have the PTR port on your Starlet machine.
Start the Sirius ES Designer software. In Designer, go to the menu item Special > Hardware Setup. Select Direct Machine Connection from the drop down list. (click on the arrow to the right of the drop down list to 'drop down' and display the list):
Click on the New button. You will a screen like the following.
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In the Name field, type in the name of your machine. This can be any name you wish. The Comment field can be left blank, or you can add your own comment here. In the Port : drop down list, select the serial port the serial cable from the PC to the DCi is connected to, e.g. COM2. In the Protocol field, select DCi Serial. Click on Setup. The information for Baud Rate etc. Please consult the Wilcom DCi User Manual for the correct port settings for your DCi. Example settings are shown here. Baud Rate = 9600 Data Bits = 8 Stop Bits = 1 Handshaking = Hardware. Parity = None. Click OK.
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For the Available Machine Type(s), click on Tajima and/or Barudan format. Then click on the right pointing arrow. Tajima and/or Barudan should now appear in the For this machine window. Your setup screen should now look like the following (but with the specific COM port your DCi is connected to)
Click OK to accept the settings. Repeat these instructions for any additional DCi-connected machines. You need to have a separate Direct Machine Connection setup in the Hardware Setup dialog box for each machine. Click Close when finished with all Hardware Setup(s) to exit the Hardware Setup dialog box.
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on V5.x systems which take a Basic Update only to V6). Machine Manager in the File menu as Stitch to Machine Manager (just above Stitch to Stitch Manager ). Note also that the button Stitch to Machine refers to the original Stitch Manager and not Machine Manager.
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Section 5
Appendices
The following appendices can be used if you require further assistance or have been referred to this section whilst following the installation instructions above.
Wilcom security devices Installing IPX/SPX network protocols for Melco Ethernet Finding Melco StarLAN card settings
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The Trysoft slots into an ISA slot on your motherboard. Refer to Figure 7 to identify ISA slots on your PC's motherboard. All versions of Sirius software support Trysoft device.
The Dongle connects to any free working parallel (printer) port on the back of the PC. Sirius Versions 5.2 and later support Dongle device.
From the Windows Desktop go to Start > Settings > Control Panel . Double click the Network icon. Choose the Configuration tab and you will see a screen similar to this.
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Appendices
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Note If you already have the IPX/SPX compatible protocol appearing in the list of network components (you may need to scroll down to see all the Protocols that are installed), skip ahead to next section. 4 5 6 7
Click on the Add button and choose Protocol by selecting it and clicking Add : In the Manufacturers box, select Microsoft . In the Network Protocols box, select IPX/SPX compatible protocol and click OK You will be required to insert the Windows installation CD-ROM, and when complete, reboot your PC. When complete, carry out the section below - configuration of the protocols.
Configuring IPX/SPX network protocols frame type to communicate with Ethernet-connected Melco machine
This section is necessary to complete the installation and configuration of the IPX/SPX network protocols for communication via Ethernet to Melco machine. If you already have them installed, or have just completed the section above, you can now follow the instruction.
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To configure IPX/SPX network protocols Frame Type for communicating with an Ethernet-connected Melco machine
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From the Windows Desktop, go to Start > Settings > Control Panel . Double click the Network icon. Choose the Configuration tab. Select the IPX/SPX compatible protocol attached to your Network card.
Note Your Ethernet card name may be different to that listed here. i.e. Realtek may be Intel or some other brand name. The brand of the card you are using is unimportant.
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Click on Properties. Choose the Advanced tab. Under Property select Frame Type and under Value select Ethernet 802.3 as in the following:
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Click OK until you are prompted for the Windows installation CD-ROM. When complete, you will need to reboot the PC. This completes the installation and configuration of the IPX/SPX network protocols, suitable for use with Melco Ethernet-connected machines.
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Appendices
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IRQ Base I/O Address (Base Address) DMA The settings can be found in one of the following ways:
From the documentation contained with the card. From your existing software e.g. Melco EDS II or III Config utility, Melco ENS. From the card itself.
Locate and open the Melco Apps Program Group Double click on the Config icon
Click on Start . Choose Programs Choose Melco Apps Click on Config Either method will give you the following EDS-III screen (EDS II users should see a similar screen).
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Click on the Hardware button to the right of the screen. You will see a screen similar to the following:
Record your existing settings here, from the screen above: IRQ: DMA: I/O Base Address:
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Appendices
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JP1 Jumper for setting Base I/O Address DMA settings and Jumpers. Both JP3 and JP4 need to be jumpered to the same value to set the DMA address.
Figure 13: Melco StarLAN card -location of jumper switch settings and jumpers.
JP1 sets the Base I/O Address. JP2 sets the IRQ address. JP3 & JP4 (DREQ and DACK on the card) set the DMA address - both have to be set to the same setting, whether it is 0,1 or 2. Record your existing settings here, from the screen above: IRQ: DMA: I/O Base Address:
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Section 6
Use this section only if you encounter problems sending a design to a Melco StarLAN machine.
Note down the settings of your Melco network card. From the Windows Desktop, right-click My Computer and select Properties. Click on the Device Manager tab. You should see a screen similar to this:
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With Computer selected from the list as shown above, click the Properties button. Click on the View Resources tab and you will see a screen similar to this:
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Reconfigure your Melco StarLAN card (and the corresponding settings in Wilcom Sirius) to use a different IRQ or; If you know that the conflicting device is Plug and Play, you can click on the Reserve Resources tab, click Interrupt Request (IRQ), click on Add and type in the IRQ number you wish to reserve, then click OK, e.g. The following example would reserve IRQ3:
Reconfigure your Melco StarLAN card (and the corresponding settings in Wilcom Sirius) to use a different I/O, or; If you know that the conflicting device is Plug and Play, you can click on the Reserve Resources tab, click Input/Output(I/O) , click on Add and type in the I/O number range you wish to reserve, then click OK. The following example would reserve I/O address 0300-0330:
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Reconfigure your card (and the corresponding settings in Wilcom Sirius) to use a different DMA address or; If you know that the conflicting device is Plug and Play, you can click on the Reserve Resources tab, click Direct Memory Access (DMA), click on Add and type in the DMA number you wish to reserve, then click OK. The following example would reserve DMA 01:
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