Digital Tigers SideCar MMS Series manual Troubleshooting, ƒ Hardware not plugged in and powered on

Chapter 13 - Troubleshooting

Most major installation and “dead hardware” problems are traceable to one of the following causes:

ƒHardware not plugged in and powered on.

Resolution: ensure that all cables are securely attached per directions in Chapter 3. Ensure that all monitors and SideCar are powered on.

ƒ“Bad” PC Card slot.

Many notebook computers have two PC Card slots (aka PCMCIA or CardBus slots). Sometimes the SideCar PC Card interface works only in one slot, but not the other. Try using the second slot. (IBM ThinkPad computers seem to prefer the bottom slot.)

ƒWrong operating system.

This SideCar supports only Windows XP and Windows 2000. (Macintosh is supported with different hardware.) Other Windows operating systems are not supported.

ƒFailure to follow installation directions.

The SideCar chassis and display controller drivers must be installed according to our precise instructions.

Notebook compatibility

ƒIncompatible notebook. Notebook compatibility is usually determined by the

Not all notebook computers are	notebook’s CardBus controller. Most notebooks
compatible with the SideCar. See	use controllers made by Texas Instruments, which
the support section of the Digital	are fully compatible with our SideCar products.
Tigers Web site	Toshiba controllers are also compatible.
(http://digitaltigers.com) for	CardBus controllers made by Ricoh and O2Micro
approved notebooks, or call Digital
	have consistently caused compatibility problems in
Tigers for clarification. (See note at
	our tests. Sony VAIO notebooks as well as
right for more information.)
	selected IBM ThinkPad notebooks use Ricoh
	controllers.
ƒ Bent cable pins. During the	To determine the CardBus controller used by
course of our testing we have	your notebook:
observed the unfortunate fragility	ƒ Go to Device Manager (right-click on My
inherent in high-density LFH
	Computer, select Hardware tab, then Device
connectors. LFH connectors are the
	Manager)
industry-standard connector for
multi-monitor breakout cables. The	ƒ Expand the “PCMCIA adapters” entry
SideCar MMS series uses LFH
connectors to attach the two Y-cable	ƒ Note the brand (and model) of the CardBus
(dual monitor) display breakout	Controller(s) listed

73- TROUBLESHOOTING