Author Topic: pscom.sys proper way to pass args  (Read 309 times)

Dan Eicher

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pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« on: July 12, 2025, 01:18:25 pm »
T43, I need to be able to use the built in RS232.

If I enable the port in the bios and pass:
pscom.sys (1,3fa,4) on the command line, the system locks up or panics when sound starts to play on boot up.

How can I resolve?


Roderick Klein

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #1 on: July 12, 2025, 04:45:29 pm »
Why pass along the argument in the first place ? PSCOM should autodetect the serial. Does that not work ?
Also is the serial port only active when connected to a docking station ?

Roderick

Dan Eicher

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #2 on: July 12, 2025, 06:27:57 pm »
Without the parameters, the system locks up first time, sound play is attempted on boot up. (If enabled in BIOS)
Passing parameters like (1,3fa,4) also cause lockup.

RS232 (COM1) is built into the T43, (Enable / Disable) is a BIOS option.

I don't have a docking station.

Roderick Klein

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #3 on: July 12, 2025, 06:36:25 pm »
Its very hard to analyze at a distance this but it sounds at first glance something is wrong with the system. Plenty of people have installed ArcaOS on a T43 without an issue.
I am not saying the system is broken but the behavior is strange.

I checked on google I can not find picture of serial port on the system. However is there a serial port with 9 pins present on your T43 ?


Doug Bissett

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #4 on: July 12, 2025, 07:03:50 pm »
Quote
pscom.sys (1,3fa,4) on the command line

This is not correct. The parameters are 1,3F8,4 (DEFAULT, so nothing is needed.  Looking in my BIOS, I found that I had turned off the COM port. I turned it back on, added the PSCOM line:
Code: [Select]
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\PSCOM.SYSand it boots fine. No point though, because there is no serial connector, until I attach to a docking station.

Dave Yeo

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #5 on: July 12, 2025, 11:56:01 pm »
If it is crashing when a sound plays, sounds like an IRQ conflict, strange.
Are you using ACPI or APM? I found on my T42 APM worked much better with everything except hibernation supported out of the box.

Neil Waldhauer

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #6 on: July 13, 2025, 03:18:12 pm »
Remember that there are two flavors of IBM Thinkpad T43. The -1xxx never had OS/2 support, and ACPI is pretty much required for a good install. The -2xxx has OS/2 support, and the original IBM drivers with APM work very well.

Either way, you get the SATA disk controller with only a PATA/SATA converter that greatly restricts your choices of a hard drive.

Expert consulting for ArcaOS, OS/2 and eComStation
http://www.blondeguy.com

Dan Eicher

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Re: pscom.sys proper way to pass args
« Reply #7 on: July 14, 2025, 11:24:47 pm »
I think it was Neil that asked if this T43 had a physical COM1.

I thought it did, but I went and double checked. The BIO's has enable / disable but I guess that's for some sort of external device.

The T43 in question has:
VGA Out
PS2
Modem
Ethernet
Audio in/out
2 USB
2 PC Card Slots.
and a Parallel port - but no Serial - it's there in the BIO presumably for a dock station.

I have two other (older model thinkpads) - that DO have physical COM ports. Also oddly the older thinkpads have blue colored VGA out ports, the T43's VGA out is black.

I will have to try my FTDI USB > RS232 adapter.