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PCChost 1420 PCI-to-CardBus Bridge

Frequently Asked Questions

  1. What is the difference between the PCChost 1225 and 1420?
  2. Is there any performance improvement with the PCChost 1420 over the PCChost 1225?
  3. Will the PCChost 1420 support 16-bit PC Cards?
  4. Does Sycard maintain a database of systems that will work with the PCChost 1420?
  5. Does Windows 98/ME/2000/XP support the PCChost 1420?
  6. Does Windows 95 support the PCChost 1420?
  7. Does Windows NT 4.0 support the PCChost 1420?
  8. Can I upgrade the PCChost 1225 to PCChost 1420?
  9. Is the PCChost 1420 ACPI compliant?
  10. Does the PCChost 1420 support Zoomed Video?
  11. Do you supply any hardware debug or utility software with the PCChost 1420?
  12. How do I develop a device driver for my CardBus card?
  13. When I plug a PC Card in, the systems doesn't recognize it, but if I boot-up with the card plugged in, then it works OK. What's wrong?
  14. I'm having trouble installing the PCChost 1420 in a particular computer.
  15. What does the EEPROM on the PCChost 1420 do?
  16. I damaged a pin on the 68-pin connector. Can it be repaired?
  17. I would like to order the 68-pin connector and replace it myself. Do you sell the connector only?
  18. My notebook computer has a TI PCI-1420 chip, can you supply technical support or drivers for my computer?
  1. What is the difference between the PCChost 1225 and 1420?

    2. The PCChost 1225 is based on Texas Instruments PCI-1225 CardBus controller while the PCChost 1420 is based on the PCI-1420. The PCI-1420 is a improved version of the PCI-1225 chip with lower power consumption. The PCI-1225 is no longer being manufactured by Texas Instruments.

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  2. Is there any performance improvement with the PCChost 1420 over the PCChost 1225?

    3. No, the PCI-1225 and PCI-1420 chips offers the same transfer rates approaching the maximum PCI bandwidth of 132MBtes/sec.

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  3. Will the PCChost 1420 support 16-bit PC Cards?

    4. Yes, the PCChost 1420 supports both 5V and 3.3V 16-bit PC Cards.

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  4. Does Sycard maintain a database of systems that will work with the PCChost 1420?

    5. No. Because of the large number of systems and configuration differences in OS, BIOS, and system resources, it is impossible for us to maintain an up-to-date list of systems.

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  5. Does Windows 98/ME/2000/XP support the PCChost 1420?

    6. Yes, all versions of Windows 98/ME/2000/XP directly supports the TI PCI1420 chip used on the PCChost 1420.

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  6. Does Windows 95 support the PCChost 1420?

    7. Windows 95 does not directly support the PCI1420 chip used on the PCChost 1420.

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  7. Does Windows NT 4.0 support the PCChost 1420?

    8. Windows NT 4.0 does not directly support the PCI1420 chip used on the PCChost 1420. Other software vendors, such as Touchstone/Unicore, SystemSoft or Softex Inc offer support for this chip. See the following links for more information:

    http://www.systemsoft.com/l-2/products-windowsnt.htm http://www.unicore.com/products/cardware/cardwarent.cfm
    http://www.softexinc.com/

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  8. Can I upgrade the PCChost 1225 to PCChost 1420?

    9. No.

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  9. Is the PCChost 1420 ACPI compliant?

    10. Yes, the PCChost 1420 is fully ACPI compliant.

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  10. Does the PCChost 1420 support Zoomed Video?

    11. Yes, the PCChost supports zoomed video on both slots 0 and 1.

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  11. Do you supply any hardware debug or utility software with the PCChost 1420?

    12. No. However, Texas Instruments can supply a debug program called PCIBUS.EXE that is designed to directly access the registers on the PCI1420. Contact Sycard or Texas Instruments for information.

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  12. How do I develop a device driver for my CardBus card?

    13. Developing a driver requires a Driver Development kit (DDK). Microsoft supports driver development for all of their OSs through these DDKs. DDKs are also available from third party vendors: Jungo

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  13. When I plug a PC Card in, the systems doesn't recognize it, but if I boot-up with the card plugged in, then it works OK. What's wrong?

    14. Your status change interrupts are not configured correctly. The CardBus controller issues a hardware interrupt on card insertion and removal. On initial boot-up, if there is a card inserted, the PC Card driver will issue a simulated hardware interrupt to configure the card.

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  14. I'm having trouble installing the PCChost 1420 in a particular computer.

    15. Most installation problems are related to the system BIOS. Unfortunately, other than a BIOS upgrades, there is little that can be done. If the problem persists, try another system. The requirements for the system BIOS can be found on the Microsoft Web site at: http://www.microsoft.com/whdc/default.mspx

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  15. What does the EEPROM on the PCChost 1420 do?

    16. The on-board EEPROM is used to initialize the PCI1420 CardBus controller for use with various versions of Microsoft Windows. On power-up the EEPROM configures the programmable I/O pins for use with the indicator LEDs, interrupt type and power switch chip (TPS2206).

    Enable clock to external voltage switch chip (TPS2206) by setting bit 27 in the System Control register at PCI configuration offset 80H. Configure multifunction pins for PCChost 1420 by setting the multifunction routing register at PCI configuration space offset 8CH to 1DC7H and offset 8EH to 0007H. Enable ExCA legacy interrupts by setting bit 7 in the bridge control register at PCI configuration space offset 3EH.

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  16. I damaged a pin on the 68-pin connector. Can it be repaired?

    17. Sycard offers a fixed price repair service to replace damaged connectors. Contact Sycard Technology at 408-749-0130 for pricing and leadtime.

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  17. I would like to order the 68-pin connector and replace it myself. Do you sell the connector only?

    18. Sycard does not sell the connector directly. However, it can be obtained from AMP or one of AMP's distributors. The AMP part number is 146321-1.

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  18. My notebook computer has a TI PCI-1420 chip. Can you supply technical support or drivers for my computer?

    19. No. You will need to contact your notebook computer vendor for support.

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Updated May 4, 2005

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