checking for PCMCIA fails

[silmarba]

Hi everyone,

I have a laptop (Toshiba SP6100) and a DAQCard PCMCIA (NI DAQCard-700) that work fine at normal conditions, I mean, I can acquire usually.

Sometimes, when I try to put the PCMCIA at a free slot, the laptop ignores it.

I have checked that if I put the board connected to nothing or connected to something 'off' the laptop detects it inmediately.
But, if the board is connected to something 'on' (p.ej. a signal function generator) is possible that the laptop will not detect the board.

Knows somebody why it happens?
Thanks.

[RIO-Todd]

It sounds like the problem stems from the operating system of the laptop not recognizing the device. I assume you are using a Windows operating system. Do you know whether the PCMCIA socket driver the laptop is using is the native Windows socket driver? If not, you could try to uninstall the 3rd party PCMCIA socket driver and install the native Windows driver from the Windows CD.

Other than that, it sounds like the laptop itself is having problems when the DAQCard is connected to anything powered on. I think it is probably a good idea to install the DAQCard in the laptop prior to sending any signals to the DAQCard. It seems that this would be a safer way to handle the DAQCard.

Regards,

Todd D.
National Instruments
Applications Engineer

[silmarba]

Hi Todd D.,

First, thanks for your comment.

Yes, I am using a Windows o.s, the 98 SE one.
Well, I am sure that I am using the native Windows socket driver because I installed and configured the o.s. I've never put another CD with another driver or downloaded the driver from internet to install this item.

And yes, it seems that installing the DAQCard in the laptop prior to sending any signals to the DAQCard would be a safer way to handle the DAQCard.

But, knows somebody why it happens?

Thanks a lot.