Modem and Serial PC Card Devices

Preconfiguration Information

If a PC Card modem or serial device is recognized, the pcser device driver is automatically loaded, ports and IRQs allocated, and special files created (if they don't already exist).

Configuration Procedure

Initial Installation and Configuration

1. Install the Solaris software, including the PCMCIA packages in the SUNWpcmc cluster.

2. Boot the system.

3. Insert the modem or serial device.

Identifying an Unrecognized Device

If you insert a PC Card modem or serial device and it isn't recognized (no special files are created under /dev/cua or /dev/term), use the prtconf command to try to find the problem.

1. Become root.

2. Run the prtconf -D command to see if your modem or serial device is recognized.

   An unrecognized device will appear at the end of the prtconf output. For example:

   # prtconf -D . . . pcic, instance #0 (driver name: pcic) . . . pccard111.222 (driver not attached)

3. If your device is not recognized "(driver not attached)", use the add_drv command to add the name of your device as another known alias for pcser devices.

   For example, type the following at the command line:

   # add_drv -i'"pccard111.222"' pcser

   ---

   Note -

   Include the double quotes in single quotes to keep the shell from stripping out the double quotes. Use the identification string listed in the prtconf output. Use the entire string in the add_drv command. Seeadd_drv(1M) .

   ---

Misidentifying a Recognized Device

1. Run the prtconf -D command to see if your modem or serial device is erroneously recognized as a memory card.

   If the device is incorrectly recognized as a memory card, for example, the output of the prtconf command could show:

   # prtconf -D . . . pcic, instance #0 (driver name: pcic) . . . memory, instance #0 (driver name: pcmem) pcram, instance #0 (driver name: pcram)

2. Use the Configuration Assistant to identify the memory resource conflict, and add correct information for the device on the View/Edit Devices menu.

   The problem is typically a resource conflict between device memory settings. See "Identifying and Correcting Problems" in the Configuring Devices chapter of this book.

3. To work properly with the Solaris operating environment, all devices must be accounted for, even those the Solaris environment does not support. The Configuration Assistant software accounts for all devices in your system.

Additional Configuration

When adding a new serial port or modem to the system, you often need to edit configuration files so that applications can use the new communications port. For example, the /etc/uucp/devices file needs to be updated to use UUCP and PPP. See "UUCP Databases and Programs" in TCP/IP and Data Communications Administration Guide.

Special Files

The serial devices in /dev/term and /dev/cua are named by socket number. A card inserted in socket 0 is pc0, and socket 1 is pc1. See pcser(7D).

Hot-Plugging

If a PC Card modem or serial device is unplugged while in use, the device driver returns errors until the card is replaced in the socket.

The device must be closed and reopened with the card reinserted before the device begins working again. The restart process depends on the application. For example, a tip session automatically exits when a card in use is unplugged. To restart the system, you must restart the tip session.