ATAPI support in CardWare for DOS/Windows 3.x

ATAPI support in CardWare for DOS/Windows 3.x
Starting from version 6.00.010 CardWare for DOS/Windows 3.x supports ATAPI devices including CD-ROMs/CDR/CDRW devices (later commonly named as CDx), attached to the PC via PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter. ATAPI disks are supported as usual with hot-swapping. The only limitation: the disk should be attached to the PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter and powered on BEFORE PC-Card is inserted to the PC slot. However CDx devices requires support from Microsoft MSCDEX.EXE driver. PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter could be inserted prior to BOOT of PC or hot-inserted. Please notice, that CDx device should be attached to the PCIMCIA-2-IDE adapter and powered on BEFORE PC-Card is inserted to the PC slot. After insertion of the PC Card, you should hear 3 beeps. It means, that CardWare correctly recognized CDx and registered CDx driver to DOS. After card is inserted you should run MSCDEX.EXE (DOS 3.0 or later) with the following parameters: "MSCDEX.EXE /D:PCATACD1". MSCDEX will show you the drive letter of the installed CDx drive. After this CDx device should be fully functional. Please be aware of following limitations: At the moment CardWare supports only one CDx attached via PCMCIA-2-IDE interface. Any additional CDx attached to PCMCIA-2-IDE card(s) will be not recognized by CardWare. CardWare does not support audio disks yet. Since MSCDEX does not support hot-removal of CDx devices from system, the drive letter assigned to the CDx device will persist in the system even after PCMCIA-2-IDE controller is unplugged. Of course this drive letter will be no longer accessible. If after hot removal you re-insert the PC-Card again, you should not try to run MSCDEX again. You will be able to use CDx using the same drive letter as before.

Starting from version 6.00.010 CardWare for DOS/Windows 3.x supports ATAPI devices including CD-ROMs/CDR/CDRW devices (later commonly named as CDx), attached to the PC via PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter.

ATAPI disks are supported as usual with hot-swapping. The only limitation: the disk should be attached to the PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter and powered on BEFORE PC-Card is inserted to the PC slot.

However CDx devices requires support from Microsoft MSCDEX.EXE driver.

PCMCIA-2-IDE adapter could be inserted prior to BOOT of PC or hot-inserted. Please notice, that CDx device should be attached to the PCIMCIA-2-IDE adapter and powered on BEFORE PC-Card is inserted to the PC slot. After insertion of the PC Card, you should hear 3 beeps. It means, that CardWare correctly recognized CDx and registered CDx driver to DOS.

After card is inserted you should run MSCDEX.EXE (DOS 3.0 or later) with the following parameters: "MSCDEX.EXE /D:PCATACD1". MSCDEX will show you the drive letter of the installed CDx drive. After this CDx device should be fully functional.

Please be aware of following limitations:

At the moment CardWare supports only one CDx attached via PCMCIA-2-IDE interface. Any additional CDx attached to PCMCIA-2-IDE card(s) will be not recognized by CardWare.
CardWare does not support audio disks yet.
Since MSCDEX does not support hot-removal of CDx devices from system, the drive letter assigned to the CDx device will persist in the system even after PCMCIA-2-IDE controller is unplugged. Of course this drive letter will be no longer accessible. If after hot removal you re-insert the PC-Card again, you should not try to run MSCDEX again. You will be able to use CDx using the same drive letter as before.