OSWAFXPR - RUNNING WINFAX PRO V3.0 - ALL OS/2 RELEASES 01/26/96 ======================================================================= Running WinFax Pro V3.0--All OS/2 Releases ======================================================================= Please Read Entire Document for Full Explanation of Procedures -------------------------------------------------------------- DESCRIPTION 1. WinFax Pro V3.0 is compatible with OS/2, but you must first call the vendor for the Service Release. 2. Because Windows exists in other than the Microsoft version, WinFax Pro might not run with OS/2 for Windows. OS/2 is a multitasking operating system that allows Windows or DOS applications to access the serial ports 1000 times each second. This is not frequent enough for reliable data transfer. A special universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART*) is available that has the buffering capability to allow reliable data transfer. The OS/2 serial-port driver uses the buffering capability of this UART to increase the reliability of data transfers at 9600 baud or higher. The type of UART is known as 16550A. To send or receive data at 9600 baud reliably under OS/2, the serial port that the fax modem is connected to must have a 16550A** UART. Internal modems have their UARTs built onto the modem card. Many of the high-speed internal modems have 16550A UARTs. External modems use an existing serial port in the computer. Most of these ports use 16450 UARTs. If either the internal modem or the computer's serial port does not allow upgrading the existing UART to a 16550A, SIO drivers might help. If the modem or serial port does not have a 16550A UART, the SIO drivers, which are shareware, are on OS/2 BBSs and on CompuServe in the OS/2 file section. Version 1.02 was used in testing WinFax. 3. When these drivers are installed, some of the WIN-OS/2 settings are removed and replaced with other settings. 4. SIO drivers are third-party drivers. For OS/2, they might require that changes be made to the CONFIG.SYS file to disable the use of the original COM.SYS and VCOM.SYS. 5. The SIO drivers enhance the performance of DOS and Windows applications running under OS/2 by: * Emulating a 16550 UART through software if one is not installed. * Allowing DOS and Windows applications to make better use of the 16550A UART, if one is installed. With a 16550A UART and WIN-OS/2 settings, the drivers do not need to be used for WinFax. If you still have problems after changing the settings, the SIO drivers might help. A UART is essentially the heart of a serial port. It controls the transmission and reception of data to and from the computer. The 16550A UART can hold up to 16 bytes of data between port scans, whereas a conventional UART cannot hold more than 1 byte. The original 16550 had a problem in the handling of its 16-byte buffer. The 16550A corrected this. The 16550AFN and 16550AF UARTs are revised versions of the 16550A UART. They work with the settings below. RESOLUTION Note: Make sure you have a backup of any file you intend to change. WinFax Pro should run in a full-screen session and be left running in the foreground. 1. For Class 1 or 2 modems, change WIN-OS/2 Settings as follows: COM_HOLD to ON HW_TIMER to ON INT_DURING_IO to ON IDLE_SENSITIVITY to 100 IDLE_SECONDS to 60 Note: IDLE_SENSITIVITY and IDLE_SECONDS might vary between systems, and in many cases can be left at default values. 2. For 14400 bps fax modems, edit the SYSTEM.INI file, [386Enh] section, as follows: COM?FIFO=0 (? is the COM number being used.) If running a Windows session in enhanced mode under OS/2, edit the [386Enh] section as follows: COM?BUFFER=4096 COMBOOSTTIME=30 (? is the COM number being used.) 3. With a Class 1 fax modem and a version of WinFax dated April 1993 or later, WinFax allows for speed restrictions on both transmissions and receptions. For sending or receiving faxes at 9600 baud or above, edit the [General] section of the WINFAX.INI file as follows: MaxTXspeed=xxxx MaxRXspeed=xxxx Valid entries for MaxTXspeed are 14400, 12000, 9600, 7200, and 4800 bps. Valid entries for MaxRXSpeed are 14400, 9600, and 4800 baud. Notes: 1. To find the version date of WinFax, select Help; then select About from the main WinFax screen. 2. If the WinFax version is January 1993 or earlier, an update is available. 4. For SIO drivers, edit the CONFIG.SYS file and remark-out (REM) any statements that refer to COM.SYS and VCOM.SYS. Note: Original serial-port drivers should be remarked-out, because the SIO drivers aren't an exact replacement for the serial-port drivers shipped with OS/2. 5. WinFax might not be installed correctly if the SIO drivers are running. If this case, remark-out the SIO drivers to enable the original serial-port drivers. Once installation is complete, remark-out COM.SYS and VCOM.SYS, and then remove REM from the SIO drivers. ______________________________________________________________________ IBM disclaims all warranties, whether express or implied, including without limitation, warranties of fitness and merchantability with respect to the information in this document. By furnishing this document, IBM grants no licenses to any related patents or copyrights. Copyright (c) 1994, 1996 IBM Corporation. Any trademarks and product or brand names referenced in this document are the property of their respective owners. Consult your product manuals for complete trademark information.