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SDMS™ SYMCD.SYS Device Driver

SYMCD.SYS provides CD-ROM support using the ASPI Manager. This document provides installation instructions for this device driver and includes these topics:

Features

The SYMCD.SYS device driver supports these features:

  • Compatible with Microsoft's CD-ROM Extension 2.21 and above
  • Multisession Photo CD support
  • Allows up to eight host adapters

Description

The SYMCD.SYS device driver is needed whenever a CD-ROM device is connected to the SCSI bus. You must load it in conjunction with Microsoft's CD-ROM Extension 2.21 or above (MSCDEX.EXE). SYMCD.SYS communicates through ASPI8XX.SYS, so you must load ASPI8XX.SYS to use SYMCD.SYS.

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Installing the SYMCD.SYS Driver

To install the SYMCD.SYS driver, either:

  1. Make an SDMS DOS driver diskette using the Build Driver Diskettes page. (Select DOS.)
  1. Run the Installation Utility from the diskette you built in step 1 by typing:

A:\INSTALL.EXE

or

  1. Copy the appropriate driver(s) from the DOS directory on the SDMS Software Device Drivers and Utilities CD-ROM to your boot disk:

    {CD-ROM Drive Letter}:\DRIVERS\8XX-1010\DOS

  2. Add SYMCD.SYS to the CONFIG.SYS file. It follows ASPI8XX.SYS and SYMDISK.SYS (if present), in this order:

    DEVICE=C:[PATH]ASPI8XX.SYS
    DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMDISK.SYS
    DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:NAME

    3. Note: The /D: is not a drive letter designation; it indicates the name you wish assigned to your CD-ROM. You must include the NAME, which can be any combination of up to 8 characters.

  3. Add the MS-DOS LASTDRIVE command to the CONFIG.SYS file to ensure that sufficient drive letters are available to identify all devices connected to the SCSI bus:

    LASTDRIVE=<drive letter>

    where <drive letter> specifies a drive letter in the range C through Z. The letter assigned to LASTDRIVE represents the last valid drive MS-DOS is able to recognize and also represents the maximum number of drives available.

    For example, LASTDRIVE=K allows access to eleven (11) logical drives. For further details about LASTDRIVE, consult your MS-DOS manual.

    Unless your CD-ROM access software specifies otherwise, the Microsoft CD-ROM Extension program (MSCDEX.EXE) should execute from the AUTOEXEC.BAT file in order to access your drive.

  4. Add the following line to your AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

    [PATH]MSCDEX /D:NAME

    For example, if:

    DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:MY_CD

    is in the CONFIG.SYS file, then:

    [PATH]MSCDEX /D:MY_CD

    should exist in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file. The /D: switches must match.

  5. Check installation instructions for the CD-ROM drive itself for other parameters necessary to include with MSCDEX.

    When the system loads MSCDEX during the AUTOEXEC.BAT file execution, a message appears and displays the assignment of a drive letter to the CD-ROM drive. For example:

    DRIVE E = DRIVER MY_CD UNIT 0

    This message informs you that the CD-ROM drive is recognized and ready for use.

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Command Line Options

The SYMCD.SYS device driver has the following embedded functions accessible by using command line switches.

Option Command Line
Load Driver /ASK
Scan LUNs up to number specified /UPTOLUN
Prevent BCD conversion for track numbers /NOBCD

IMPORTANT: No spaces are allowed in a single command line option, but spaces are required between different command line options.

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Using the /ASK Option

This option prompts you during initialization time whether to load SYMCD.SYS or not. For example, the line in the CONFIG.SYS file that loads SYMCD.SYS would look like this:

DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /D:MY_CD /ASK

Using the /UPTOLUN= Option

This option changes the default for multiple Logical Unit Numbers (LUNs) per Target ID on the SCSI bus. The current default is to scan all LUNs. CD-ROM changers that use multiple LUNs work by default. To turn off scanning all LUNs on a SCSI bus, choose /UPTOLUN=0. This saves some time during boot. For example, the line in the CONFIG.SYS file that loads SYMCD.SYS would look like this:

DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /UPTOLUN=0

Using the /NOBCD Option

This option supports the Trantor Music Box CD audio application. Using this option prevents the track numbers from being converted to Binary Coded Decimal (BCD). When using this option with CD audio applications such as Adaptec's cdplayer, Corel's cd-audio, or Future Domain's cdaudio, track numbers greater than 16 are not reported correctly because these applications require binary track numbers. For example, the line in the CONFIG.SYS file that loads SYMCD.SYS would look like this:

DEVICE=C:[PATH]SYMCD.SYS /NOBCD

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Troubleshooting

A potential problem and its suggested solution is:

Problem: The CD-ROM drive is not seen at boot time, or the system locks up.

Solution:

  1. Make sure the required drivers are installed and in the correct sequence.
  1. Make sure the drivers' entries in the CONFIG.SYS file have the correct path to the drivers.
  1. Make sure MSCDEX, in the AUTOEXEC.BAT, has the same drive name as the CD-ROM driver in the CONFIG.SYS file.
  1. Make sure there is no ID or drive letter designation conflict.
  1. Power down all units in the system.
  1. Check the cable and power connections.
  1. Make sure the SCSI bus is properly terminated.
  1. Make sure sufficient drive letters are specified (through the MS-DOS LASTDRIVE= command) to include your CD-ROM. A CD-ROM that uses multiple disks requires a letter for each disk.

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