Incompatible data modem(s?)

[roj]

I wish to use my elderly HP/Compaq Presario R3460EA with a data modem
plugged into the PCMCIA slot. A search of HP sites provided the following =
incompatibility message with data modem for HSDPA access (3.5 G) :-
"The notebook is not compatible with several types of PCMCIA cards from
different vendors. If the PCMCIA card is not compatible, try using a card
from a different manufacturer. This problem is due to the nVidia chipset
limitation of the positive decoding. The problem cannot be fixed within the
system BIOS. The PCMCIA cards claiming memory resources outside of the
PCMCIA controller´s aperture (memory mapped I/O below 1M) will not function
due to the absence of a fully subtractive bridge. The BIOS workaround cannot
be used to address this issue."


I can understand "not compatible" but not the reasons. Several such cards
are listed below.

Why then the advice "try using a card from a different manufacturer"? The
thought of buying a row of $300 modems for trial gives me a cold shudder.



What differences exist that might allow compatibility?



Would a USB modem bypass the incompatibility?



Thanks for thought and advice,

roj



Incompatibles listed here :

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...9117&cc=ca&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_CAEN

The known incompatible cards include:

a.. SIIG 1394 2-Port CardBus
b.. IOGEAR 1394 3-Port CardBus Adapter
c.. COMPAQ SmartCard Reader
d.. Sierra 750 card
e.. Merlin C201 card
f.. PCMCIA-UMTS-Modem card
g.. ISDN- AVM Fritz Card (PCMCIA)
h.. ADAPTEC SlimSCSI 1460D PCCARD

 

[Bob Willard]

I wish to use my elderly HP/Compaq Presario R3460EA with a data modem
plugged into the PCMCIA slot. A search of HP sites provided the following =
incompatibility message with data modem for HSDPA access (3.5 G) :-
"The notebook is not compatible with several types of PCMCIA cards from
different vendors. If the PCMCIA card is not compatible, try using a card
from a different manufacturer. This problem is due to the nVidia chipset
limitation of the positive decoding. The problem cannot be fixed within the
system BIOS. The PCMCIA cards claiming memory resources outside of the
PCMCIA controller´s aperture (memory mapped I/O below 1M) will not function
due to the absence of a fully subtractive bridge. The BIOS workaround cannot
be used to address this issue."


I can understand "not compatible" but not the reasons. Several such cards
are listed below.

Why then the advice "try using a card from a different manufacturer"? The
thought of buying a row of $300 modems for trial gives me a cold shudder.



What differences exist that might allow compatibility?



Would a USB modem bypass the incompatibility?



Thanks for thought and advice,

roj



Incompatibles listed here :

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...9117&cc=ca&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_CAEN

The known incompatible cards include:

a.. SIIG 1394 2-Port CardBus
b.. IOGEAR 1394 3-Port CardBus Adapter
c.. COMPAQ SmartCard Reader
d.. Sierra 750 card
e.. Merlin C201 card
f.. PCMCIA-UMTS-Modem card
g.. ISDN- AVM Fritz Card (PCMCIA)
h.. ADAPTEC SlimSCSI 1460D PCCARD

Google for "subtractive bridge" to understand more.

Yes -- if that PC has USB ports, then a USB modem will avoid the problem
with that PC's PCI.

 

[roj]

Thanks Bob,
Yes, your advice helped here with Google providing the
MS paper.
Supporting Subtractive PCI-to-PCI Bridges in Windows, WinHEC 2004 Version -
April 27, 2004
I love the "content of this paper assumes that reader is familiar with the
basics of PCI-to-PCI bridges" just your everyday run-of-the-mill MS
assumption - never mind, I get the point. It does sound as if the HP advice
"try another card" misses the point completely, namely that Win XP does not
handle this at all,

"However, Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, and Microsoft
Windows ServerT 2003 do not fully support these bridge types. Current plans
are to include support for these subtractive bridges in Microsoft Windows
VistaT."
so many thanks for the USB advice, which gives me the essential guidance.
By the way, some PCI cards have USB adaptors. I take it that these too must
fail without the bridge support since it is the data decoding which will be
missing?
Regards,
roj

 

[Paul]

Thanks Bob,
Yes, your advice helped here with Google providing the
MS paper.
Supporting Subtractive PCI-to-PCI Bridges in Windows, WinHEC 2004 Version -
April 27, 2004
I love the "content of this paper assumes that reader is familiar with the
basics of PCI-to-PCI bridges" just your everyday run-of-the-mill MS
assumption - never mind, I get the point. It does sound as if the HP advice
"try another card" misses the point completely, namely that Win XP does not
handle this at all,

"However, Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, and Microsoft
Windows ServerT 2003 do not fully support these bridge types. Current plans
are to include support for these subtractive bridges in Microsoft Windows
VistaT."
so many thanks for the USB advice, which gives me the essential guidance.
By the way, some PCI cards have USB adaptors. I take it that these too must
fail without the bridge support since it is the data decoding which will be
missing?
Regards,
roj

I found the article in question on the HP site. It doesn't state what notebook
is involved, and I haven't been able to figure out what product this article is
referring to.

http://h10025.www1.hp.com/ewfrf/wc/...9117&cc=us&dlc=en&lc=en&jumpid=reg_R1002_USEN

My first question would be, does the hardware inside your notebook, match
the description ? Do you have an Nvidia chipset ? I suspect you have
a chipset from another manufacturer. But I cannot find any descriptions
of the design of your notebook, so you'll have to check that for
yourself (Device Manager, Everest, Sisoftware Sandra, etc).

Paul

 

[Bob Willard]

Thanks Bob,
Yes, your advice helped here with Google providing the
MS paper.
Supporting Subtractive PCI-to-PCI Bridges in Windows, WinHEC 2004 Version -
April 27, 2004
I love the "content of this paper assumes that reader is familiar with the
basics of PCI-to-PCI bridges" just your everyday run-of-the-mill MS
assumption - never mind, I get the point. It does sound as if the HP advice
"try another card" misses the point completely, namely that Win XP does not
handle this at all,

"However, Microsoft® Windows® 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, and Microsoft
Windows ServerT 2003 do not fully support these bridge types. Current plans
are to include support for these subtractive bridges in Microsoft Windows
VistaT."
so many thanks for the USB advice, which gives me the essential guidance.
By the way, some PCI cards have USB adaptors. I take it that these too must
fail without the bridge support since it is the data decoding which will be
missing?
Regards,
roj

I kinda assumed that your PC already has native USB support, so you wouldn't
need a PCMCIA-USB card.

Note that a PCI card is not the same as a PCMCIA card; different physical
size and shape. PCMCIA is, electrically and logically, based on PCI; so,
many of the non-physical features and restrictions are the same.

I would not expect that a PCI-USB card would have the same PCI-PCI bridge
problems, since USB is not at all like PCI. But, it is possible that some
PCI-USB card might have a PCI-PCI bridge (due, perhaps, to a shared design),
and such a PCI-PCI-USB card might have that bridge problem.

 

[roj]

Hi Bob,
Meant to say "some PCMCIA cards have USB adaptors"
Searching shows no nVidia chipset presence on the Presario laptop;
there is a (now obsolete) Texas Instruments PCI 1620 CardBus
Controller with UltraMedia, so maybe, with the existing PCI Standard
PCI-to-PCI bridge shown, the various modem options will not clash/crash!
And YES, there is native USB support up to v 2.0, so OK there.
Cheers and thanks for help,
roj