ACKSYS Virtual Internet Port driver

Version 2.1.0 release notes Changes Log Known bugs

Version 2.1.0 release notes

Documentation

General installation requirements

VIP is supported on Windows Vista 32™, Windows XP™, Windows 2003 server™, Windows 2000.
Windows 7 beta version was successfully used with VIP.
If a previous version of VIP was installed, running the VIP setup will uninstall it, after which you will have to re-run the VIP setup to install the new version.
During uninstallation, if you are asked to remove Vip01.ocx, Vip02.ocx and so on, please answer YES.
After uninstallation, you will be prompted to reboot. Reboot your computer before starting or restarting the installation.
VIPConfig, VIPService and Firewalls.
→ The communication between VIPConfig and VIPService (for configuration and status display) uses a TCP/IP channel. Please configure your firewall so it will allow local (internal) TCP channels.
→ The communication between VIPService and port server products (for COM emulation) uses one or two TCP channels (usually TCP ports 23 and 2300). Please configure your firewall so it will allow outbound TCP connections using these TCP ports.
VIP cannot be installed on early Windows systems such as Windows 95™, Windows 98™, Windows ME™, Windows NT™ up to 3.51, and their derivatives.
Following Microsoft final retirement of Windows NT 4.0 support in 2005, VIP is not supported anymore on this operating system. VIP 2.1.0 provides an unsupported Windows NT™ 4.0 driver for completeness, but its use is discouraged.

Installation on Windows Vista

Warnings against not-digitally-signed software.
The VIP software is not digitally signed. Its installation will trigger authorization requests from Vista. Please accept all these requests. If Vista UAC feature is activated you will receive two authorization requests at the start of installation, to allow execution of the SETUP program itself.
The VIP setup also installs two device drivers. You will also receive two more authorization requests accordingly.
VIPConfig User Access Control warnings.
Each time you run the "VIPConfig" utility you will receive an authorization request from the Vista UAC.
This can be eliminated by either disabling UAC in the "Users accounts" section of the control panel, or by running VIPConfig through the Task Scheduler (search the Web for UAC task scheduler). Each method has its shortcomings. Disabling UAC will lower the security of your computer since it applies globally to all programs.

Installation on Windows NT 4.0 (unsupported)

COMCAT.DLL error message.
In some cases, near the end of the installation, an error message about the COMCAT.DLL registration may appear.
→ Please click the [Ignore] button if this appens.
Configuration changes after installation.
You should reboot the computer after any configuration change.

COM ports enumeration

Changes Log

Version / date	Changes
1.0.0 9-nov-04	Initial release
1.0.0 9-nov-04	Drivers for NT4, W2K, XP Configurator application Virtual port server
1.0.1 15-nov-04	Bugs cleanup release.
1.0.1 15-nov-04	Added a button to ping the target device in the configuration menu Changed the configuration file format to add various fields Open ports now appear in green in the listbox, closed ports appear in red Miscellaneaous bugs corrected
1.0.2 09-feb-05	Installation cleanup and minor features additions.
1.0.2 09-feb-05	Automatic reconnection if the TCP link is lost (the device must be set to accept such reconnection) You can set the state of the DSR/DCD/CTS/RING input signals that the application programs see in the short time when they are unknown at startup (after the port is opened but before the TCP link with the device is established). Better defaults values and checks when creation a virtual COM. Better texts in the dialog boxes. The configuration program "VIP client" was renamed "VIP config". The Event log listbox is displayed independantly of the active configuration tab. Miscellaneaous bugs corrected.
1.0.3 04-jul-05	Hyperthreading bug corrections and minor features additions.
1.0.3 04-jul-05	Option for setting the TCP-NODELAY socket flag. Note that this option is NOT required with current Acksys products (COMETH, COMETH-FIELD, WL-COMETH, WL-DONGLE with the latest firmware releases). The configurator displays the current mode (TELNET or RAW) along with the TCP port on the "virtual port" tab. The user's guide appears in the start menu. The VIP background service now runs with real-time priority, in order to service correctly applications which busy-loop waiting for COM port status changes. See known bugs list.
1.0.4 12-sep-05	Port servers scanner, minor bug corrections and features additions.
1.0.4 12-sep-05	Raw mode does not display control signal leds anymore. Help accessible from the start menu. The "minimize" menu option has been removed. English texts in the french version was translated. See known bugs list.
1.1.0 18-jan-06	Port servers scanner in all versions, installation and documentation updates. Minor features additions.
1.1.0 18-jan-06	Better performance on Windows 2000. Better performance in multiprocessor and hyperthreading context. Config menus rearranged. The check for existing IP address was previously done with PING. A second check was added to identify that the device is really a handled port server. See also known bugs list.
1.1.1 1-mar-06	Selectable "strict baud rate" option.
1.1.1 1-mar-06	The port option named "strict baud rate", enabled by default, may now be disabled to reduce the splitting of the frames sent by the application. Should be used only with protocols of the "request/answer" kind. A bug has been corrected in the port settings modification dialog. Sometimes the COM name would not display, making VIPconfig stop unexpectedly.
2.0.0 2-dec-08	Windows Vista 32 beta support.
2.0.0 2-dec-08	Combined Windows Vista and XP support. The communication between VIPService and the VIPConfig utility has been changed from a Windows messages scheme to a TCP/IP scheme. As a consequence, VipConfig does not show the creation of virtual ports anymore when it starts the service.
2.1.0 30-jan-09	Windows Vista 32 support.
2.1.0 30-jan-09	Combined Windows Vista and XP support. Windows 7 beta seems to work fine as well. The TCP port for VipConfig/VipService communication is configurable in the "ConfigIp.ini" file (in Program Files).

Virtual Internet Port driver known bugs

Please note that several problems reported to our technical support were found as customer problems or non-bugs, thus the holes in the numbered list below.
Also, the bugs corrected in previous versions are left off this list.

Bug #	found in versions	version corrected	Description / Workarounds
14	1.0.1	-	Long lines in the trace log cannot be seen fully in the trace log window → Use logging into a text file feature, then use a text editor such as Wordpad
15	1.0.1	not a bug	Cannot enumerate system COM ports by looking in the "standard COM&LPT ports" list → This is normal since VIP ports are in no way "standard". → VIP ports appears elsewhere in the device manager. → To reliably enumerate COM ports, see the release notes.
26	1.0.2	-	Application-generated BREAKs are not transmitted to the remote serial port → No workaround known Please let us know if you need this feature
28	1.0.0	-	The dialog box menu needs rearrangment → No workaround needed; This is a minor default
33	1.0.0	-	Some parameters in the "Virtual port settings" dialog need to stop and restart the service in order to take effect (options and initial state) → This is a minor default
35	1.0.3	-	The data frames output by the port server have embedded delays between groups of characters. This causes some devices to fail to receive the whole frame. → Uncheck the "strict baud rate" ("vitesse limitee") in the configuration options for the port. → Other workaround: use RAW mode, and set the application to use a much greater baud rate than the one used. Set the real baud rate, flow control and data format directly in the port server. Warning: these workarounds will work only if the application program pauses eventually, letting enough time for data to go out of the port.
39	1.0.2	-	In the VIP config configuration tab, clicking on the start and stop buttons in rapid succession makes the port initialization fail sometime. → Don't do that. If it happens, click on STOP, wait a full minute, then click on START.
41	1.0.3	2.1.0	Several instances of VIPconfig can be started simultaneously, each one in its own XP session, leading to malfunctioning user interface. → This is a minor default. Don't do that.
42	1.0.3	-	Changing RTS state will set CTS accordingly, it should not. Changing DTR state will set DSR accordingly, it should not. Subsequent changes on CTS/DSR from the real port will still be correctly reported. → No workaround known. Please let us know if this must work for you.
43	1.1.0	-	Following a click on the "check" button, the status message should be different when the server is not found and when the server is not supported. → This is a minor default.
45	1.0.2	-	The currently selected port in the VIPconfig port list changes when the trace list is updated. → No workaround known.
47	1.1.0	-	In the special case where a port is used only for reception, and the port server reboots unexpectedly, the VIP service won't notice and won't try to reconnect. This is true even if the reconnect option is ON both in VIPconfig and in the port server. → No workaround known. If possible, act periodically on the port (i.e. send a byte, or change a control signal state, or close and reopen it). This will trigger the reconnection if necessary.
50	2.0.0	-	If activated, the "UI0Detect" service displays an empty window each time the VIPService is started (at boot time or with VIPConfig). → Disable the "UI0Detect" service (or check the appropriate checkbox during VIP installation, which has the same effect)
51	2.0.0	-	The Device Scanner (in the VIPConfig Ť Configuration ť tab) often misses devices when the range of IP addresses is large. → Use small IP addresses ranges.
52	2.0.0	2.1.0	On-line documentation does not tell about Vista. → Read these release notes.