ISA Device under XP

[imported_RockSteady]

Here is the situation: Trying to run a multi-channel analyzer ISA card under Windows XP. XP and the card get along fine (no drivers need, it is just an input/output device). But when using XP I cannot control the device the ISA card is attached to. I can do this when the card is installed on a Windows 95/98 machine. The only difference I can tell OS-wise is under 98 the Input/Output range is automatically configured to 0274-0277. Under XP the device is assigned three ranges, the third is 0274-0277.

To my inexperienced/uneducated mind, I think XP is using one of the other two assigned I/O ranges. I do not know why there are three ranges in XP and only one in 98. If any of you think I am barking up the right tree, is there a way to 'eliminate' the other two ranges? Trying to manually configure the ranges in XP forces me to identify 6-7 more than the original 3, so that does not work.

If you read all of that and are still interested you may be wondering why I am trying to use an old ISA I/O card with XP? Well it controls a relatively expensive (and old) piece of equipment. The software is DOS based. A network upgrade is forcing an OS upgrade (no more 95/98 machines). So I'm hoping to make the old (but good) equipment work with XP instead of shelling out $20k or more for new stuff.

Thanks for reading, I hope you can help.

 

[dclive]

Originally posted by: RockSteady
Here is the situation: Trying to run a multi-channel analyzer ISA card under Windows XP. XP and the card get along fine (no drivers need, it is just an input/output device). But when using XP I cannot control the device the ISA card is attached to. I can do this when the card is installed on a Windows 95/98 machine. The only difference I can tell OS-wise is under 98 the Input/Output range is automatically configured to 0274-0277. Under XP the device is assigned three ranges, the third is 0274-0277.

To my inexperienced/uneducated mind, I think XP is using one of the other two assigned I/O ranges. I do not know why there are three ranges in XP and only one in 98. If any of you think I am barking up the right tree, is there a way to 'eliminate' the other two ranges? Trying to manually configure the ranges in XP forces me to identify 6-7 more than the original 3, so that does not work.

If you read all of that and are still interested you may be wondering why I am trying to use an old ISA I/O card with XP? Well it controls a relatively expensive (and old) piece of equipment. The software is DOS based. A network upgrade is forcing an OS upgrade (no more 95/98 machines). So I'm hoping to make the old (but good) equipment work with XP instead of shelling out $20k or more for new stuff.

Thanks for reading, I hope you can help.

Is it a PnP ISA card? For some reason I'd thought non-PnP ISA cards were dropped from the XP support model.

 

[imported_RockSteady]

I am assuming that it is not PnP and also that PnP should not matter. According to both OS's there are no drivers loaded (or needed) for this device.

 

[CrispyFried]

It may be that xp will not allow direct access to the hardware (xp doesnt like that) and thus the dos program cant see the real ports.

how is it listed under the device manager?

 

[imported_RockSteady]

I may have to take back my PnP comment. IIRC it is listed as ISA PnP Read Data Port under the System Devices list.