DOS Ethernet Drivers for the PXI-815xB and PXI-815x, VXI-850, VXI-860 and VXI-7xx Series Controllers (SMC 9000 Ethernet Adapter)

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Hardware: PXI/CompactPCI>>Controllers, VXI/VME/MXI>>VXI Controllers, VXI/VME/MXI>>VME Controllers

Problem: I need to install an Operating System in my PXI-815xB or PXI-815x different than the one it shipped with, or I do not have an IMAGES folder in my controller and I need to reinstall the Operating System. How can I make a boot floppy with the DOS ethernet driver for the ethernet adapter of the PXI-815xB or PXI-815x?

Solution: The DosEnetPXI815xB.zip file linked below contains the DOS ethernet drivers for the ethernet adapter in the PXI-815xB and PXI-815x embedded controllers. This controllers have a SMC9000 ethernet adapter, 10baseT node from Standard Microsystems Corporation.

In order to create a boot floppy with the ethernet drivers, follow the next steps:

Download DosEnetPXI815xB.zip linked below into a folder in your computer
Create a boot floppy in a Windows 9x computer with the minimum amount of files. To do this, perform one of the following procedures:
- Insert a blank floppy disk in a working Windows 9x machine. Go to the START button, then Programs>>MSDOS Prompt. From the prompt, go to C:>\Windows\Command\ and type "sys c: a:", without the quotes. This will transfer the minimum system files necessary to create a boot floppy.
- You can also make a boot floppy in Windows 9x by going to Start » Settings » Control Panel » Add/Remove Programs. From this screen, select Startup Disk then click on "Create Disk". From Windows, delete all files from the boot floppy EXCEPT "command.com", "io.sys", and "msdos.sys." (Some of these files may be hidden. To view hidden files, select View » Folder Options » View, and select "Show All Files").
All the files extracted from DosEnetPXI815xB.zip in step 1 must be saved in the boot floppy created in step 2. However, after you unzip, Windows may be set up to hide operating system files. This will prevent you from saving all the necessary files into the boot floppy disk. You have two options to avoid this problem:
- Without Replacing any files, Unzip directly onto the floppy (the zip file can still be on the hard drive)
- Enable viewing of the special files under Windows. This varies by Windows version. To view hidden files under Windows 98, from an open folder window, select View » Folder Options » View, and select "Show All Files". Under Windows 2000, from the open folder window, select View >> Options or Tools >> Folder Options and go to the main options page. Make sure that "Show hidden Files and Folders" is selected and that "Hide system and protected files" is unchecked. Other Windows version are similar.
Without replacing any file, copy the all the files extracted from the ZIP file into the boot floppy created in step 2.
In the a:\net folder, edit the SYSTEM.INI file and enter the COMPUTERNAME, LOGONDOMAIN, and WORKGROUP. For COMPUTERNAME, create a new name that is not in use on your network, (example : computername = pxirecover). The WORKGROUP setting must match the workgroup name on your network. To determine the workgroup of the existing network, right-click on "Network Neighborhood" from the desktop and select "Properties", then the "Identification" tab. The workgroup will be listed at this location. To determine the LOGONDOMAIN, right-click on "Network Neighborhood" from the desktop and select "Properties." From the "Configuration" tab, highlight "Client for Microsoft Networks" and click "Properties." The LOGONDOMAIN is the "Windows NT Domain" in this properties Window. Save and close the "system.ini" file.
Below is a completed example of the [network] section of the "system.ini" file for the network configuration.
```
[network]
filesharing=no
printsharing=no
autologon=yes
computername=COMPUTER_NAME
lanroot=A:\NET
username=USER_NAME
workgroup=WORKGROUP
reconnect=yes
dospophotkey=N
lmlogon=0
logondomain=LOGONDOMAIN
preferredredir=full
autostart=full
maxconnections=8
```
If you are not using DHCP but have fixed IP address for this machine, edit the PROTOCOL.INI file and edit the entries shown below according to the settings of your network.
```
[TCPIP] 
DEFAULTGATEWAY0= (you need to specify the default gateway) 
SUBNETMASK0= (specify subnet mask) 
IPADDRESS0= (specify IP address) 
DISABLEDHCP=0 (set this key to =1)
```
NOTE: When entering the Default Gateway, Subnet Mask and IP Address, use spaces instead of decimals between the numbers. For example, an IP Address should be formatted as "10 0 0 1" instead of "10.0.0.1".
Insert the boot floppy in the PXI-815xB or PXI-815x controller, connect the ethernet card to the network and boot the controller
As you boot from the network boot floppy, you will be asked the following questions:

The WORKSTATION service is not started.
Is it OK to start it? (Y/N) [Y]:_
Select "Y" for Yes.

Type your user name, or press enter if it is AT02:_
Enter your network account user name

Type your password:_
Type your network account password

There is no password-list for (user name).
Do you want to create one? (Y/N) [N]:_
Enter "N" for No.
To connect to any server in your network, at the "A:\" prompt, enter the command:
A:\> net use k: \\THESERVERNAME\folder
In this example the letter "k:" is being used, but any letter can be used as long as the PXI-815xB controller is not using it. For example letters like A: and C: are already in use.

This method of connecting to different workstations in your network is better than using the application a:\net\net.exe, because net.exe begins looking through all the network. The PXI-8156b controller usually does not have enough resources to save all this information and tends to lock up.

All the workgroups that you access each time you use the network boot floppy will be saved in a file called connect.dat in the folder a:>\NET. Next time that you use the network boot floppy, it will try to connect to this workgroups automatically.

If you want to use the network boot floppy in other PXI-815xB or PXI-815x controllers connected to different networks, simply erase the connect.dat file, and edit the SYSTEM.INI and PROTOCOL.INI based on the network settings.
All DOS applications to copy files can be used from the prompt as long as they are saved in the boot floppy. When copying large trees of files and folders over the network, it is advisable to use XCOPY with the suffixes /s /e, so it copies any subfolder and any empty subfolder. For help on how to use this function, please refer to the help in the Microsoft Web Page. The link below points to the current help file, but this link can be changed without any notice.

Report Date: 07/12/2002
Last Updated: 09/15/2004
Document ID: 2NB7C3WD

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