Checking the Serial Port Settings

The COM 1 port is capable of sending and receiving data at a variety of speeds and with many different protocols. This means you need to configure the port to match the signals of the serial device. As a general rule, choose the highest speed (baud rate) and the protocol that provides the best error detection.

Check the documentation that came with your serial device to see if you need to adjust any of its settings.

Note

If your application program cannot send printer output directly to the serial port, you can use the MS-DOS MODE command to redirect the output. You can even tell the computer to redirect printer and serial port settings automatically if you place the appropriate MODE commands in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. See your MS-DOS manual for instructions.

Using the EXT KB Port

You can use the EXT KB port to connect a variety of PS/2-compatible pointing devices, including an external keyboard or keypad. You can also connect the mouse adapter to this port and then connect a PS/2 mouse or other pointing device. The adapter has two ports, which allow you to connect both a pointing device and an external keyboard at the same time. Connect each device as described in the following sections.

Connecting Optional Devices

5-7