Connectivity Pack Notes from HP Tech Support

Get the most common solutions to problems with the HP Palmtop Connectivity Pack from HP's Mobile Computing Customer Support.

By HP Tech Support

HP 100LX Connectivity Pack: Common Reasons for Not Connecting

Listed below are some of the most common reasons why the Connectivity Pack isn't working, and their solutions.

  1. 1. The cable is in upside down.
The part of the cable that plugs into the 100/200LX has a bump on it and also an HP logo (as long as it is an HP cable). This bump and logo should face UP when plugging into the Palmtop. It can be placed in upside down (don't try this!) but no connection can be made. This happens quite often.

The 95LX cable end and serial port are shaped like a rectangle with rounded corners on the bottom. It is difficult, but possible to put the cable in upside down.

  1. 2. The Baud rates on PC and HP Palmtop are different.
These must match. Use the highest one that connects so that transfers will go as quickly as possible.
  1. 3. The Baud rate is too high for PC.
Sometimes certain PC's have trouble with the higher baud rates. Lower the baud rate on both machines. Usually this is only encountered while in Windows.
  1. 4. The wrong serial port is selected on PC or Palmtop.
On the Palmtop, COM1 is the port to select for cable connections. Infrared communications can only be used with other Palmtops and certain PC's that have a built-in infrared port. COM2 and Alternate on the Palmtop cannot be used with CPACK.

On the PC, set the port to the port to which the cable is physically connected.

  1. 5. You are using the wrong cable adapter on the PC.
The adapter must switch pins 2 and 3. The adapters in the Connectivity Pack that will accomplish this are numbered 5181-6641 (has icon of a computer on it) and 5181-6640 (has an icon of a printer on it).
  1. 6. The Palmtop's serial port is locked-up.
Rebooting the Palmtop is not enough to unlock the palmtop serial port. Instead, follow these steps:
  1. A. Disconnect the serial cable.
  2. B. Close all applications on the Palmtop by pressing (MENU) Quit in each one. On the 100LX you can press (&...) (MENU) Application, Close All. When Topcard is showing the owner's name and title, all applications are closed.
  3. C. Turn the Palmtop off.
  4. D. Hold down (ESC) while pressing and releasing (ON), then release (ESC). This places the unit in TEST mode.
  5. E. Highlight Wire serial port and press (ENTER). In about 2 seconds the words no loop should appear to the left of the highlight bar. This action resets the serial port. If any other words show to the left of "wire serial port" then the unit may require service.
  6. F. Press (ESC) to both exit and reboot the Palmtop.
  7. 7. The wrong "interrupt" is set on the desktop PC.
An interrupt allows the Palmtop to read the status of the serial port and interrupt it, if necessary. Don't change the Palmtop's interrupts. On the PC, sometimes COM 3 and 4 are using non-standard interrupts and the Connectivity Pack software on the PC must be told which ones to use. For example, the HP Vectra series of PC uses interrupts of 10 and 11 rather than the standard 4 and 3. This is changed in the Connectivity Pack software's SETUP application by pressing (ALT) Options, Communications Port, tabbing down to the Interrupt box and select the desired number.

Also, there is sometimes an Interrupt conflict with a built-in modem or CD-ROM. If COM3 uses Interrupt (IRQ) 4 and COM1 is active (mouse or modem) CPACK100 can fail to connect. The same is true for Com4 /Com2 which often share IRQ 3. Change the Interrupt on the COM port you wish to communicate through in the SETUP application of the Connectivity Pack.

  1. 8. The 100LX Connectivity Pack Redirector is conflicting with Network or Doublespace drives on your desktop PC.
Change the drive letters of the Local drives to letters that are not being used already, and are within the LASTDRIVE setting in your CONFIG.SYS file. This is done in the Connectivity Pack SETUP application by pressing (ALT) Redirector Client Settings Advanced. Sometimes network software will cause COM 3 and 4 to not function.
  1. 9. The "Not enough memory to open application" message appears when the 100LX Connectivity Pack version of FILER is started on your desktop PC.
This may mean that the PC has very little memory to work with, but much more likely it indicates a misplaced Connectivity Pack file on the PC. When the Connectivity Pack is first started it will display icons for the various applications available.

There should be only 11 icons displayed on the HP 100LX Connectivity Pack's AppManager screen (the opening screen). If more icons are showing, such as LOTUS or WORLD-TIME, press (ESC) to clear the error message and then press the letter D to go into DOS. This should place you in the CPACK100 directory. Type del appmgr.lst and press (ENTER). This will delete the file that is causing the problem. (This file controls the icons that you have set up on the Palmtop and resides in the C:\_DAT directory. It should not be transferred to the CPACK100 directory on the PC).