KnowledgeBase Archive

An Archive of Early Microsoft KnowledgeBase Articles

View on GitHub

Q78412: System Hangs with DCA E78 (IRMA) and EMM386.EXE

Article: Q78412
Product(s): Microsoft Disk Operating System
Version(s): MS-DOS:5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): 
Last Modified: 17-DEC-2000

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft MS-DOS operating system versions 5.0, 5.0a, 6.0, 6.2, 6.21, 6.22 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SYMPTOMS
========

You are using Digital Communications Associates, Inc. (DCA) E78 terminal
emulation software, and your IRMA Workstation for Windows software is unable to
establish communications, causing the computer to stop responding (hang). You
may also be unable to load EMM386.EXE.

RESOLUTION
==========

DCA recommends that you use E78 versions 1.4.2 or later if you have EMM386.EXE
installed on your machine.

If you are unable to access the mainframe through IRMA when EMM386.EXE tries to
load or if EMM386.EXE refuses to install for reasons other than the inability to
set a page frame, increase the DMA buffer size. The current buffer size may not
be large enough to handle the amount of DMA transfers made by E78 versions
earlier than 1.4.2. In the CONFIG.SYS file, the EMM386.EXE device line should
include the d=nnn switch where nnn is the amount of memory in kilobytes to be
reserved for buffered DMA:

  device=[drive]:\[dir]\emm386.exe d=48

where [drive] and [dir] are the location of the EMM386.EXE device driver.

The DMA buffer size should be increased to at least 48 (the default is 16). If
the DMA switch does not solve the problem, you should upgrade E78.

MORE INFORMATION
================

DCA E78 is a 3270 terminal emulation that supports IRMA convertible
communications adapters. IRMA links an IBM PC or compatible system to an IBM
3270 mainframe network without losing the independent processing functions of
the PC or PC software.

For additional information, contact DCA.

The products included here are manufactured by vendors independent of Microsoft;
we make no warranty, implied or otherwise, regarding these products' performance
or reliability.

Additional query words: 6.22 5.00 3rdparty 6.00 6.20

======================================================================
Keywords          :  
Technology        : kbMSDOSSearch kbMSDOS621 kbMSDOS622 kbMSDOS620 kbMSDOS600 kbMSDOS500 kbMSDOS500a
Version           : MS-DOS:5.x,6.0,6.2,6.21,6.22

=============================================================================

THE INFORMATION PROVIDED IN THE MICROSOFT KNOWLEDGE BASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. MICROSOFT DISCLAIMS ALL WARRANTIES, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. IN NO EVENT SHALL MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS OR SPECIAL DAMAGES, EVEN IF MICROSOFT CORPORATION OR ITS SUPPLIERS HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES SO THE FOREGOING LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY.