Author Topic: pscom.sys proper way to pass args  (Read 220 times)

Dan Eicher

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 739
  • Karma: +14/-0
    • View Profile
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

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 13
  • Karma: +1/-0
    • View Profile
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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 739
  • Karma: +14/-0
    • View Profile
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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1612
  • Karma: +4/-2
    • View Profile
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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 5464
  • Karma: +131/-1
    • View Profile
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

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1134
  • Karma: +30/-0
    • View Profile
    • Blonde Guy
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