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Testing COMM port on XT-FDC Card...

Al Hartman

Veteran Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2013
Messages
912
Location
Keansburg, New Jersey, United States
I finally got the UART chips yesterday, and plugged them in.

I can't get to the disk boxes that have my old DOS diagnostic software like Norton Diagnostics, or Check-It. We put them up on the highest shelves that I can't get to on my own due to my injuries.

Can anyone point me to a downloadable DOS based diagnostic program that will run on a 5150 motherboard?

I think I can find my loopback plugs in my tool bag. But, my old 5.25 disk wallet with diags is nowhere to be found. If I can find a serial Laplink cable, I guess I could try that as a last ditch solution.
 
I DON'T WANT PROCOMM....

I want a diagnostic program that will test a comm port to make sure it is working. I'm NOT an idiot. I'm a Professional Computer Tech with 30+ years of experience.

I asked for exactly what I wanted...

I have it up on a shelf I can't get to due to two bad knees and three blown vertebrae.

I want some kind of comm port diagnostic tool that runs in DOS. If you can't help me with getting one, nothing else is helpful.

Everytime I ask for help, I get everything but what I asked for. Geez!!!
 
I DON'T WANT PROCOMM....

I want a diagnostic program that will test a comm port to make sure it is working. I'm NOT an idiot. I'm a Professional Computer Tech with 30+ years of experience.

I asked for exactly what I wanted...

I have it up on a shelf I can't get to due to two bad knees and three blown vertebrae.

I want some kind of comm port diagnostic tool that runs in DOS. If you can't help me with getting one, nothing else is helpful.

Everytime I ask for help, I get everything but what I asked for. Geez!!!

Al,

Chuck is just trying to help get you going. He is a great guy as anybody around these parts will tell you.

Along the same lines no one is calling you an "idiot". Of course behaving badly can change that - as you know as a tech with 30+ years of experience there is more then one way to skin a cat. If the one Chuck offered you doesn't work for you how about using MSD that comes with DOS and can be found online or this program: PORTS20. Hope that helps.
 
That link doesn't work.

I built two cards. One for me, and one to sell. But, I really can't sell the card unless I feel confident that all the functions are working 100%. A loopback with a terminal program might work fine, but under more intense use, the port might fail.

I want something to stress test the port.

I have the software somewhere, but I can't get to it. My office is a wreck, and the people who helped me move didn't give a darn whether I could find anything after the move. They just tossed stuff randomly on shelves or in boxes and called the job done.

I tried to organize and know where things were while packing and unloading, but all I got were nasty looks. There's so much stuff in my office, I can't go in there without knocking piles of things to the floor. I really need someone able-bodied to spend a day or two to help me re-organize the room and figure out where everything is.
 
Sorry if I came off as if I were calling you an idiot. But here's my logic.

You don't have the diagnostics available; you do have access to the loopback connectors. Procomm is interrput-driven and pretty much exploits the capabilities of the 8250/16450/16550. With a loopback conector, that should pretty much tell you that a serial port is functional.

You said you didn't have Procomm; I gave you a place online to find a (legal) copy.

Sorry for trying to help. It's in my nature.
 
Ok, found my serial loopback plug. Copied software to a 3.5" floppy and brought it to my 5150.

Both boards pass the Comm tests. 5150 passes motherboard test (was worried about power supply dying damaging the board), running 10x loop RAM test now.
 
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