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PCMCIA DIAGNOSTIC CARD SIMPLIFIES DESIGN(Design News - December 1995) San Jose, CA - Developing or troubleshooting PCMCIA card (PC Card) hardware or software used to require expensive test equipment, such as a logic analyzer, and detailed knowledge of the electrical interface signals. Now there's a "quick and dirty" way. Using the new PC ReportCard™ in conjunction with the PC ExtenderCard™, both from Accurite Technologies Inc., engineers can see PC Card I/O and memory access cycles displayed on a series of LEDs. And they don't have to figure out what constitutes a memory cycle and set the logic analyzer to capture those cycles. PC ReportCard is a passive device that monitors PCMCIA bus activity without using special software. You can connect the card's external trigger signal to an oscilloscope or logic analyzer to capture detailed information about the timing cycles. Consultant Tom Newman of Mission Peak Designs uses the two products to debug PCMCIA hardware and software. "The ReportCard decodes memory and I/O cycles, and shows you on the LEDs what's happening in a general sense. You can get more specific information from a logic analyzer." "If you know what you're looking for," continues Newman, "the logic analyzer is the way to go. But if you want to tell at a glance if a card is being accessed and configures properly, try the PC ReportCard." The companion product, the PC ExtenderCard, is a 4-layer pc board with extensive grounding to minimize noise and maximize signal integrity. One feature Newman especially likes is the push buttons that simulate the removal and reinsertion of a PC Card without wear and tear on the card's sockets and pins. A second socket provides direct access to all bus signals of the computer's PC Card slot, accepting adapter cards for logic analyzers or the PC ReportCard. © Copyright 1995 Design News. Reprinted by permission. |
