Is there a WinXP driver for an older PCMCIA-GPIB card

[Anonymous]

I have a NI PCMCIA-GPIB card that I used several years ago with DOS
and Windows 3.1
I would like to use it with a Compaq Presario 2100
running Windows XP (Home).
I tried the NI-488.2 version 2.1 but
after installing the SW and powering up with the card installed, the
add new hardware wizard could not find a driver.
I uninstalled
everything and loaded version 1.7. This time the wizard loaded a
driver but said the card could not be "started".
I suspect that the
system is trying to use a windows 2000 driver.
Is there a Windows
XP driver that will work with this card?

[BeckyB]

Hello �

According to the compatibility chart, the correct driver for a PCMCIA GPIB card on a system running Windows XP is version 2.1. If the Add New Hardware Wizard still cannot find this driver, please try to manually select this driver. Make sure you are using the native Microsoft PCMCIA support as the National Instruments GPIB driver is not made to work with third party PCMCIA controller drivers such as SoftEx.

Have a great day!

Becky B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[gary15]

Thanks for responding Becky! I downloaded version 2.1 of the "driver" from the NI website. What I got was not a single driver but a directory with sub-directories under it and lots of files. I tried telling the add new hardware wizard that I would select the driver manually then I went through each of these directories and sub-directories looking for a driver that it would install. There was only one folder that contained anything the wizard recognized as a driver. However, it did not work. The error message I got said something about the "Windows 2000 driver" so I presume that's all the wizard could find. What is the actual name of the driver file used for Win XP? Maybe I can search for it. By the way, my PCMCIA controller driver says it is supplied by Micro
soft and is called O2Micro OZ6912 CardBus Controller (file version 5.1.2600.12106 (xpsp 1.020828-1920))
Regards
Gary

[BeckyB]

gary15 -

After further research, the correct driver for a PCMCIA GPIB on a Windows XP Home machine is version 1.7. Is the error you are receiving "Code 10, Device Cannot Start"? If so, please check your BIOS version. If it is KH.F.06, there is a known problem with PCMCIA GPIB and this BIOS and currently the only workaround is to use another laptop. Let me know if this helps!

Becky B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments

[gary15]

Becky

My BIOS is: KE.M1.54

When I load version 1.7 I first get the following warning: "NI-VISA version 2.5 or higher was not found on your computer. NI-VISA is required if you want to run instrument driver software. You can install NI-VISA from 'NI-488.2 for windows' CD. After you complete the NI-488.2 installation, open the CD root folder in windows explorer and launch SetupVisa.exe".

When I restart the computer with the PCMCIA-GPIB card installed, the Found New Hardware wizard comes up. Since I do not have an installation CD (I downloaded the stuff from your website) I select "Install automatically". It seems to find a driver and installs it. Then it gives me the error: "The device could not start (code 10)". If I then go into ST
ART>>CONTROL PANEL>>SYSTEM>>HARDWARE>>DEVICE MANAGER the PCMCIA-GPIB device has a yellow exclamation mark in front of it. If I click on it and look at properties then at driver details it says the driver is: C:\windows\System32\DRIVERS\gpibatnt.sys

Is this actually the correct driver?
Do I really need NI-VISA?
Could that be my problem?
If so, how can I get it?
Are there any known problems with my version of the BIOS?
If not, has the PCMCIA-GPIB card actually been verified with this BIOS?

Thanks for your patience.
Gary

[BeckyB]

Gary -

That is the correct driver. NI-VISA is only needed if you plan on using instrument drivers. If you wish to download and try installing NI-VISA, click here.

There is a known problem with the Compaq Presario 2543AP notebook and the PCMCIA-GPIB using BIOS version KH.F.06. This known problem appears to be exactly what you are reproducing (Code 10, yellow exclamation mark, etc.). Unfortunately, the only known workaround at this time is to install the PCMCIA-GPIB on another notebook. Do you have another notebook you can try the card on to verify that the
problem is with the notebook and not the card?

Becky B.
Applications Engineer
National Instruments