TBBS 2.x - Using the Boca Research BocaBoard 16 (Model BB2016)

Contact:   eSoft, Inc. (Makers of TBBS)
           15200 E. Girard Ave., Suite 3000
           Aurora, CO  80014
           (303) 699-6565      Voice
           (303) 699-6872      Fax
           (303) 699-8222      BBS
           support@esoft.com   E-Mail

USING THE BOCA RESEARCH BOCABOARD 16 (MODEL BB2016)
---------------------------------------------------

NOTE:  Our thanks to TBBS sysop Phil Buonomo for providing much of the 
information used in this tech note.

The BocaBoard can be used with TBBS to support up to 32 lines maximum.  eSoft 
has performed prolonged testing on the BocaBoard, and we have not discovered 
any operational problems or incompatibilities.  The BocaBoard is economical, 
and comes equipped with 16550 compatible UARTs.

PLEASE NOTE:  ONLY THE 16-PORT BOCABOARD CAN BE USED WITH TBBS.  THE 4-PORT 
AND 8-PORT BOCABOARDS CANNOT BE USED WITH TBBS BECAUSE THEY DO NOT SUPPORT 
CRITICAL SERIAL PORT SIGNALS!

Setup consists of the following steps:

1)  Set the board for the desired interrupt (IRQ).  This is done by moving 
jumper J1 on the BocaBoard itself.  Keep in mind that TBBS 2.x supports only 
IRQ3 or IRQ4, so you must select one of these two choices.  eSoft recommends 
that the first BocaBoard (lines 1 through 16) be set to IRQ3, and that the 
second BocaBoard (lines 17 through 32) be set to IRQ4.  

2)  Set the desired base address range.  This is done by moving jumper J2 on 
the BocaBoard itself.  eSoft recommends that the first BocaBoard (lines 1 
through 16) be set to 100, and that the second BocaBoard (lines 17 through 32) 
be set to 180.  IMPORTANT NOTE:  YOU CANNOT USE SETTING 000 OR SETTING 080 
WITH TBBS!

3)  After the board is installed, run CEDIT, the TBBS configuration editor.  
Select COM PORTS, then MULTI-PORT OPTIONS.  For the IRQ number you set on the 
board, change the interrupt handler method to "Efficient" (by pressing the 
space bar).  Under MultiPort Board Type, press the space bar until it shows 
"BitMap(+) LSB=1" then press the down arrow and make the same selection a 
second time.  The # of Lines on Board setting should be 8 for each of the two 
line groups.  Set the Status Port Address according to the chart later in this 
document. 

Here is how the screen looks like with one 16-port board installed, using 
IRQ3, with base address setting of 100:


                          MULTI-PORT HARDWARE OPTIONS
      ͻ
       Inter-    Interrupt       MultiPort      # of      Status  
        rupt      Handler          Board       Lines on    Port   
         No.      Method           Type         Board     Address 
      Ķ
        IRQ3     Efficient    BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         107   
                              BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         147   
                                                                  
                                                                  
      Ķ
        IRQ4     Polled           All          
                                                                  
                                                                  
                                                                  
      ͼ


Here is how the screen looks like with two 16-port boards installed, using 
IRQ3 and IRQ4, with base address setting of 100 for the first board and 
setting 180 for the second board:



                          MULTI-PORT HARDWARE OPTIONS
      ͻ
       Inter-    Interrupt       MultiPort      # of      Status  
        rupt      Handler          Board       Lines on    Port   
         No.      Method           Type         Board     Address 
      Ķ
        IRQ3     Efficient    BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         107   
                              BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         147   
                                                                  
                                                                  
      Ķ
        IRQ4     Efficient    BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         187   
                              BitMap(+) LSB=1     8         1C7   
                                                                  
                                                                  
      ͼ

Use the following chart to determine the proper settings for the status port 
addresses for each board:

                      J2 Setting    Status Port Addresses
                      ----------    ---------------------
                           100      107, 147
                           180      187, 1C7
                           200      207, 247
                           280      287, 2C7
                           300      307, 347
                           380      387, 3C7

Note how each 16-port BocaBoard is actually split into two groups of 8 ports 
for each IRQ, each with its own status port address.  Simply use the 
illustration as a guide to ensure that you have configured CEDIT properly.

4)  Select PORT DEFINITIONS in CEDIT.  Configure individual lines.  Set the
proper IRQ according to how you set the board using the J1 jumper.  Set the
base address according to the following chart:

   J2 Setting      Port Addresses          J2 Setting      Port Addresses
   ----------      --------------          ----------      --------------
   100             Port  1 - 100           180             Port  1 - 180
                   Port  2 - 108                           Port  2 - 188
                   Port  3 - 110                           Port  3 - 190
                   Port  4 - 118                           Port  4 - 198
                   Port  5 - 120                           Port  5 - 1A0
                   Port  6 - 128                           Port  6 - 1A8
                   Port  7 - 130                           Port  7 - 1B0
                   Port  8 - 138                           Port  8 - 1B8
                   Port  9 - 140                           Port  9 - 1C0
                   Port 10 - 148                           Port 10 - 1C8
                   Port 11 - 150                           Port 11 - 1D0
                   Port 12 - 158                           Port 12 - 1D8
                   Port 13 - 160                           Port 13 - 1E0
                   Port 14 - 168                           Port 14 - 1E8
                   Port 15 - 170                           Port 15 - 1F0
                   Port 16 - 178                           Port 16 - 1F8


   J2 Setting      Port Addresses          J2 Setting      Port Addresses
   ----------      --------------          ----------      --------------
   200             Port  1 - 200           280             Port  1 - 280
                   Port  2 - 208                           Port  2 - 288
                   Port  3 - 210                           Port  3 - 290
                   Port  4 - 218                           Port  4 - 298
                   Port  5 - 220                           Port  5 - 2A0
                   Port  6 - 228                           Port  6 - 2A8
                   Port  7 - 230                           Port  7 - 2B0
                   Port  8 - 238                           Port  8 - 2B8
                   Port  9 - 240                           Port  9 - 2C0
                   Port 10 - 248                           Port 10 - 2C8
                   Port 11 - 250                           Port 11 - 2D0
                   Port 12 - 258                           Port 12 - 2D8
                   Port 13 - 260                           Port 13 - 2E0
                   Port 14 - 268                           Port 14 - 2E8
                   Port 15 - 270                           Port 15 - 2F0
                   Port 16 - 278                           Port 16 - 2F8


   J2 Setting      Port Addresses          J2 Setting      Port Addresses
   ----------      --------------          ----------      --------------
   300             Port  1 - 300           380             Port  1 - 380
                   Port  2 - 308                           Port  2 - 388
                   Port  3 - 310                           Port  3 - 390
                   Port  4 - 318                           Port  4 - 398
                   Port  5 - 320                           Port  5 - 3A0
                   Port  6 - 328                           Port  6 - 3A8
                   Port  7 - 330                           Port  7 - 3B0
                   Port  8 - 338                           Port  8 - 3B8
                   Port  9 - 340                           Port  9 - 3C0
                   Port 10 - 348                           Port 10 - 3C8
                   Port 11 - 350                           Port 11 - 3D0
                   Port 12 - 358                           Port 12 - 3D8
                   Port 13 - 360                           Port 13 - 3E0
                   Port 14 - 368                           Port 14 - 3E8
                   Port 15 - 370                           Port 15 - 3F0
                   Port 16 - 378                           Port 16 - 3F8

Keep in mind that the PORT numbers above correspond directly to LINE numbers 
for the FIRST BocaBoard.  For the SECOND BocaBoard, add 16 to the port number 
to get the line number.  For example, port 12 on the SECOND BocaBoard will be 
line 28 in TBBS (12 + 16 = 28).  

Also, remember you do not have to define all of the ports on the BocaBoard at 
once; define them as needed.

- END -
TBBS0007
Rev. 10/93

Copyright (C) 1994 eSoft, Inc., All Rights Reserved.  Permission granted
to distribute this file in its entirety, without modification, to any
interested party.  Any other use requires the written permission of
eSoft, Inc.

IMPORTANT:  The information herein is subject to change without notice.
Please call or write to confirm factual information of importance to you
or your organization.

