File - NI5210DG.HLP
Revision - AA
Created - 6/2/87 by Larry Ching
Description - Help file for the NI5210 Diagnostic.  The file is formatted
with help screens for each menu, marked by %n, where n is the menu number.
The diagnostic opens the file at the user request, then skips down to the
help screen associated with the menu currently displayed.

%1
About the Main Menu

The Main Menu allows you to control the diagnostic.  From it, you can instruct
the  diagnostic  to perform a quick test of the NI5210 card(s) in your system,
or you can select other test menus (when you want to run specific tests).   In
addition,  you can change various NI5210 and diagnostic parameters, display an
error log, review diagnostic procedures, or exit the diagnostic and return  to
DOS.

To  make  a selection, enter the appropriate letter (A-F, or X) at the cursor.
Each selection is described below.

Note: MICOM-Interlan recommends that you choose A--the Run All Test option for
a  quick  and  easy  verification  of  the  card(s).  Before you run any test,
however, make sure that the settings displayed in the PARAMETERS area  of  the
Main  Menu  match  those  used  by the NI5210 card(s) in your system.  If not,
choose D--the Change Parameters menu--and specify the correct settings.

    A.  Run All Tests--Runs a series of tests on each card installed to verify
    the  configuration  parameters and the connection to the network.  If this
    test fails, the diagnostic identifies the card that failed and  stops  the
    process  so  you  can test that card.  To identify the failure, you should
    then run the tests listed under the Internal Tests and the  Network  Tests
    menus.

    B.   Internal Tests--Displays the Internal Tests menu.  The four  Internal
    Tests exercise the selected card without causing traffic on your  network.
    They verify that the card is installed and functioning properly.

    C.   Network  Tests--Displays  the  Network Tests menu.  The Network Tests
    verify that the station is correctly attached to the network and indicates
    the general health of the network.  These tests should be run  only  after
    the card has passed all of the Internal Tests.

    D.   Change Parameters--Displays the Change Parameters menu.  From it, you
    can change all (or just some) of the settings shown in the PARAMETERS area
    of your screen.  You should, for example, check that  the  interrupt  line
    and memory size  settings match those used by your board.  You should also
    notify the diagnostic when you have more than  one  board  installed,  and
    when  you  want  to  test only board #1 or board #2.  After you change the
    parameters, you can save the new settings to disk (or restore the previous
    parameters) with the Save/Recall All Parameters option.

    E.   Display  Error Log--Displays the current contents of the error log on
    your screen.  If error  logging  is  disabled,  (the  error  log  file  is
    initially  set to "NUL"), the diagnostic sends you an appropriate message.
    To enable or disable error logging, go to the Change Parameters menu.

    F.  Help--Gives you this Help screen.

    X. Exit Diagnostic--Exits the diagnostic and returns control to DOS.

%2
About the Internal Tests

As  indicated by the Internal Tests menu, you can run four Internal Tests: the
Network Address PROM Test, the Buffer RAM test, the 82586 Internal  Test,  and
the  Internal  Loopback  Test.   The Internal Tests exercise the selected card
without causing traffic on your network.  They verify the correct installation
and function of the NI5210 card before allowing it onto the network, where  it
might interfere with other stations.  Each test is described below.

If you want to change the card under test, go to the Change Parameters menu.

    A.   Network  Address  PROM  Test--Reads the card's unique network address
    from the PROM and checks 2 test bytes stored with the address.  If these 2
    bytes are correct, the address is assumed to be  correct.   If  this  test
    fails, check that the card's jumpers are positioned to enable the correct
    address,  and  that  the correct address appears in the PARAMETERS area of
    your screen.

    B.   Buffer  RAM Test--Performs a pattern and data-equals-address check on
    buffer memory.  If this test fails, check  that  the  card's  jumpers  are
    positioned  for  the correct memory base address and memory configuration.
    After that, make sure that the correct memory  address  and  configuration
    settings appear in the PARAMETERS area of the screen.
    
    C.   82586  Internal Test--Initializes the NI5210 82586 network controller
    for Ethernet operation and causes the controller to  execute  a  self-test
    command.   If  this  test  fails but the Network Address PROM test passes,
    check that the card's jumpers are positioned  for  the  correct  interrupt
    line and memory configuration settings.  After that, make sure the correct
    interrupt  line and memory configuration settings appear in the PARAMETERS
    area of your screen.

    D.    Internal   Loopback   Test--Initializes  the  NI5210  82586  network
    controller for Ethernet operation with  internal  loopback  enabled.   The
    82586  can then transmit and receive, but the transmit output is connected
    to the receive input of the 82586 (i.e., no  data  is  passed  on  to  the
    network).   The  test then transmits short frames and checks that they are
    received correctly.

    D. Help--Displays this Help screen.

    X. Exit to Main Menu--Returns you to the Main Menu.

%3

About the Network Tests

The Network Tests verify that the card under test is correctly attached to the
network  and  indicates the general health of the network.  These tests should
be run ONLY after the card has passed all of the Internal  Tests.   The  tests
are described below.

If you want to change the card under test, go to the Change Parameters menu.

    A.   Transmit Test--Transmits frames to a target station.  After you enter
    the network address of the target, (this can  be  any  address,  including
    Broadcast),  and  the  number of bytes in a packet, the test transmits the
    test packet until you stop it.  If this test fails but all Internal  Tests
    pass,  check that the network type jumpers are set correctly, and that all
    network connections are secure.

    B.   Receive  Test--Configures  the  NI5210  82586  network  controller to
    receive packets from  the  network.   Packets  are  counted,  checked  for
    errors, and displayed on the screen.

    Note:  If  you use the Receive Test in conjunction with the Transmit Test,
    be aware that the relevant counts will not match because the Transmit Test
    can send faster than the Receive Test can receive.

    C.  Echo Test--Performs a network echo test.  The NI5210 transmits XNS/ITP
    echo  request packets and waits for a reply from an echo server.  The net-
    work address of the echo server and the number of echoed packets  is  dis-
    played  on  the  screen.  This test provides a data integrity check on the
    network interface.

    D.   Echo  Server--Enables  the  NI5210  to  be an XNS/ITP echo server for
    another NI5210 card running Echo Test.  The number of  packets  echoed  by
    the server is displayed on the screen.

    E. Help--Displays this Help screen.

    X. Exit to Main Menu--Returns you to the Main Menu.

%4
About the Change Parameters Menu

The  Change  Parameters  menu allows you to change and/or verify the parameter
settings shown in the  PARAMETERS  area  of  your  screen.   You  should,  for
example,  make sure that the settings displayed match those used by the NI5210
cards(s) in your system.  You  should  also  make  sure  that  the  diagnostic
parameters  are  correct  (e.g.,  that  you  specify 2 when you have two cards
installed).

To  change  all  parameters,  enter  E at the cursor.  If you want to change a
particular parameter, enter the appropriate letter at the  cursor  and  a  new
screen gives you information about changing that parameter.  Each parameter is
described below.

Note:  Unless you use the Save/Recall Parameters option to save the parameters
to disk, any parameters you change remain in effect only until  you  exit  the
program.

    A.   Change  Test Repetitions--Lets you specify the number of times a test
    is to be executed.  If this parameter is set to zero, the tests  will  run
    until you stop them.  You can specify up to 99 test repetitions.

    B.   Change  Max Error Count--Allows you to set the number of errors (O to
    99) to be logged to the error logging device.  When the number  of  errors
    reported  by  a test exceeds this number, the errors are no longer logged,
    although the test continues to run.  (This prevents a test from filling  a
    disk with error messages during an overnight test.)

    C.   Change  Error Logging Device--Allows you to select a device that will
    receive error messages from running tests.  Enter any valid DOS device  or
    filename at the prompt.  For example, NUL (the default) specifies no error
    logging,  PRN specifies the printer, and LOG.ERR specifies a DOS file.  If
    the logging device is the disk, you can display the error log using option
    E on the Main Menu.

    D.   Change Network Address--Allows you to set the network address for the
    cards in your system.  Although the diagnostic normally uses  the  default
    network address in the PROM on the card, this option lets you override the
    default and set your own network addresses.

    E.   Change  All  Parameters--Prompts  you  for all the required parameter
    settings in sequence.

    F. Help--Displays this Help screen.

    G.   Change  Number  of  Cards--Allows you to tell the diagnostic how many
    NI5210 cards are installed in your system.  The default is 1.

    H.  Change Card Under Test-Allows you to select which NI5210 card you want
    to  test.   The  PARAMETERS  area of the screen always shows the parameter
    settings for the card under test.

    I.  Change I/O Address--Allows you to set the I/O address for the cards in
    your system.  Use a range of 200 to 3FC (hex).

    J.  Change  Interrupt  Channel--Allows  you  to specify the interrupt line
    used by the NI5210 cards in your system.  If you have two cards installed,
    be sure they use different interrupt lines.

    K.  Change Memory Configuration--Allows you to set the memory base address
    and memory size for the cards in your system.  The memory base address can
    be in the range of C0000 to EC000 (hex).  The memory size can be either 8K
    or 16K.

    L.   Save/Recall  All Parameters--Allows you to save the current parameter
    settings to disk, or load the previous parameter settings.  The parameters
    will be saved in a file called NI5210DG.FMT.

    X. Exit to Main Menu--Returns you to the Main Menu.
