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PenOS2 and AceCat 3 tablet

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William L. Hartzell

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Apr 5, 2001, 10:26:52 PM4/5/01
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Sir:
I have for a few days more before I have to return an Acecat 3 tablet.
Sad to say I cannot get it to work. I placed a e-mail in to their tech
support, still awaiting reply. So I come here in hopes that someone has
experience with this tablet.
I installed the Pen for OS2 v4 and it seems to work without error using
the mouse as the pointer. But when I install this tablet, the PMShell
locks up upon first coming up, before the sound plays but after the
background color is drawn and the mouse pointer displays (PS2 mouse
moves the pointer, But not an USB mouse). REM the driver and everything
works again, except the tablet. The driver is dated 04-96. From my
Config.sys:
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\IRDD.SYS 2E8 3
rem DEVICE=C:\OS2\UPSMON.SYS 3F8
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\POINTDD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\PEN\EMI.SYS
DEVICE=C:\PEN\EIQO2.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=C:\APENOS2\APENOS2.SYS COM=1
REM DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\COM.SYS (1,3f8,4)(2,2e8,3)
SET PENPM=C:\PEN;
SET PEN_INKING_PRIORITY=HIGH
SET PENDEV=C:\APENOS2

I had unplugged my UPS comm cable to install this so I know that the
comm port works. There is a little LED on the tablet that is suppose to
light constantly when the pen in near and to blink when the pen is
away. It blinks like crazy all the time. I think it is broken, but
want another's opinion before I return it to Fry's.

Question 1. Is the table broken?
Question 2. Does this even work with OS/2?

Bill

William L. Hartzell

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Apr 6, 2001, 3:25:20 AM4/6/01
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Thanks guys!
I found a bent pin in where the stylus connect to the tablet. A little
repair and now it works!
Bill

Buddy Donnelly wrote:


>
> On Fri, 6 Apr 2001 02:26:52, "William L. Hartzell"
> <wlhar...@home.com> wrote:
> >
> > I had unplugged my UPS comm cable to install this so I know that the
> > comm port works. There is a little LED on the tablet that is suppose to
> > light constantly when the pen in near and to blink when the pen is
> > away. It blinks like crazy all the time. I think it is broken, but
> > want another's opinion before I return it to Fry's.
> >
> > Question 1. Is the table broken?
>

> The green LED blinks all the time and stays on solid when the pen is
> against the pad, correct. But if your driver isn't loading this may be
> an indicator.


>
> > Question 2. Does this even work with OS/2?
>

> Works very well. But you don't need PENOS2 for it. REM that stuff and
> maybe mess with it later.
>
> Best to use the Install (diskette) program but here's what it loads:
>
> DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\PMDD.SYS
> DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\POINTDD.SYS
> DEVICE=C:\OS2\ACECAD.SYS
> DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS STYPE=ACECAD$
>
> are the lines you need if you have the Acecat on a serial port and a
> regular PS/2 mouse on its own (PS/2) port. No, you can't use two
> serial devices together, one of them has to be a PS/2 type.
>
> The Acecat works in an absolute mode while the mouse works in
> relative. In other words, the regular mouse can go 'round the world
> (only NPSWPS allows you to set this) while the Acecat will stop at the
> screen boundaries.
>
> If you're loading the improved IBM "MOUSE2" driver then substitute
> this line in:
> DEVICE=C:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE2.SYS STYPE=ACECAD$
>
> That "S" in front of "TYPE" indicates you want to run it with another
> mouse device. Change STYPE to TYPE if you just have the one. (How it
> used to be, at least.)
>
> Also I used to have to be sure to load COM.SYS below these lines but
> don't know if that's still important.
>
> You really have to use the Install diskette to load it in Windows
> properly, however.
>
> The people at Acecat have always been very helpful with this product,
> and though none of them in California know anything about OS/2 (the
> drivers are written in Uttar Pradesh or Taipei or somewhere) they can
> get your hardware checked out with a DOS utility and replaced if
> needed. The first Model III I bought had a defective pointer and they
> took care of me fast and free.
>
> The tech support FAQ on their website is helpful a lot of the time.
> They used to have a BBS-type forum but I can't see it now.
>
> And I had PENOS2 working with my Model II a few years ago, don't ask
> me how, but didn't see anything really useful in it. The Model III has
> better resolution and there are some very slick features in the
> ACPANEL.EXE program.
>
> --
> Good luck,
> Buddy
> Buddy Donnelly donn...@tampabay.rr.com

William L. Hartzell

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Apr 6, 2001, 9:12:40 PM4/6/01
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Sir:
A Follow up report for those who want to know. The Acecad 3 tablet is
an excellent drawing and cad related tool. However, you should know
that I only got the CAD-OS2 program to work If I used a PS2 mouse and
the tablet. If you have a USB mouse, the tablet would not install and
its install routine 'Rem' the base mouse driver. I do not have a
trackball or other pointing device to test if it was limited in being
the only secondary pointing device allowed, as my experiences with it
and the USB mouse indicate might be possible. Buddy says that the
device will not work with a serial mouse installed.
I never got the Acecad 3's PenOS2 device driver code to load. It would
display a splash screen in config.sys that shows it was attempting to
init, but nothing was there by the time Penos2 was ready. I did use the
v4penos2.zip code that is on Hobbes for my attempt, as I know of no
other PenOS2 code that will work on Warp 4.0.
As it was the Pen functions that I wanted, not the cad functions, I will
be returning it to Fry's. :-((

I am looking for recommendations for a writing tool that will work with
PenOS2 in the under $200 category.
Bill

<snip>

ljne...@capu.net

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Apr 6, 2001, 10:19:20 PM4/6/01
to
If you intend to use the tablet as a mouse
adjunct/replacement, you don't want to install Pen for
OS/2. One of my setups looked like:

DEVICE=E:\OS2\ACECAD.SYS COM=2
DEVICE=E:\OS2\MDOS\VMOUSE.SYS
DEVICE=E:\OS2\BOOT\POINTDD.SYS
DEVICE=E:\OS2\BOOT\MOUSE.SYS STYPE=ACECAD$


Note that the tablet will only work on COM 1 or 2 (DOS
version will take COM 1-4, but not OS/2 :( You can use
a PS/2 mouse at the same time, but not another serial
mouse. Run OS2SETUP.CMD on the root of the
installation floppy that came with the tablet. Drivers
are available from http://www.acecad.com.tw/

I had mine running through a Y-Mouse connection
with a Honeywell mouse, and an IBM PS/2 stick mouse all
at the same time. Still haven't been able to get my
USB trackball to work under OS/2, however.

In <3ACD296C...@home.com>, on 04/06/2001
at 02:26 AM, "William L. Hartzell"
<wlhar...@home.com> said:

>Bill
--
-----------------------------------------------------------
ljne...@capu.net
-----------------------------------------------------------

William L. Hartzell

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Apr 7, 2001, 1:20:38 AM4/7/01
to
Sir:
I was able to find that the PenOS2 drivers MUST be after the mouse
driver or the shell will lock up. That was the only thing I was able to
gain from this experience.
Bill

Alessandro Cantatore

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Apr 8, 2001, 1:10:31 AM4/8/01
to
In article <3ACE6988...@home.com>,

"William L. Hartzell" <wlhar...@home.com> wrote:

>A Follow up report for those who want to know. The Acecad 3 tablet is
>an excellent drawing and cad related tool. However, you should know

What about Wacom Graphire? Does it work at least as USB mouse?

--
bye
Alessandro Cantatore
email reply to: alexcant at: tin.it
http://acsoft.yi.org

William L. Hartzell

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Apr 8, 2001, 4:13:57 AM4/8/01
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Sir:
I have not tried this tablet. Are you saying that the USB version of it
works in PenOS2? I've had problems with the USB mouse crashing my
Hauppauge WinTV. But on the promise that the USB drivers are better in
MCP and eCS, I'll consider one. Which model are you identifying as
able.
Bill

Alessandro Cantatore

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Apr 10, 2001, 3:01:01 AM4/10/01
to
In article <3AD01DC6...@home.com>,

"William L. Hartzell" <wlhar...@home.com> wrote:

Hi William,

>I have not tried this tablet. Are you saying that the USB version of it
>works in PenOS2? I've had problems with the USB mouse crashing my
>Hauppauge WinTV. But on the promise that the USB drivers are better in
>MCP and eCS, I'll consider one. Which model are you identifying as
>able.

well I'm not saying anything :-)
I was just *asking* if there is chance that it would work...
I don't have one and so have no idea about that

Jeremy Harbinson

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Apr 10, 2001, 1:30:56 PM4/10/01
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One can dream (optimistically, of course) of ECS at some stage having some
'improved' tablet support.Using the Windows (3.1 naturellement) drivers I
have got (should be 'gotten', I suppose, but then the language is still
evolving) a small Wacom tablet working for Painter in a full-screen Win/OS2
session with pressure sensitive support. So far as I know there is no
pressure sensitive support in Win/OS2 using the native OS/2 Pen drivers, and
no OS/2 equivalent of Painter. So maybe things aren't that bad..
all the best,
jeremy

Bob McLellan

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Apr 11, 2001, 11:40:49 AM4/11/01
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Colorworks has pressure support for a tablet attached throuhg IBM Pen.
See if you can find an old copy somewhere.

--
------------------------------------------------------
Bob McLellan
The Little Blue Kiwi
OS/2 Solutions for New Zealand

Alessandro Cantatore

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Apr 12, 2001, 12:51:57 AM4/12/01
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In article <3AD34350...@users.tbpt.wau.nl>,
Jeremy Harbinson <"Jeremy Harbinson"@users.tbpt.wau.nl> wrote:

Hi Jeremy,

thanks for your reply...
It is not so clear anyway... I suppose the "small Wacom tablet" wasn't
an USB Wacom Graphire, is that right?

>One can dream (optimistically, of course) of ECS at some stage having some
>'improved' tablet support.Using the Windows (3.1 naturellement) drivers I
>have got (should be 'gotten', I suppose, but then the language is still
>evolving) a small Wacom tablet working for Painter in a full-screen Win/OS2
>session with pressure sensitive support. So far as I know there is no
>pressure sensitive support in Win/OS2 using the native OS/2 Pen drivers, and
>no OS/2 equivalent of Painter. So maybe things aren't that bad..
>all the best,

[...]


>> What about Wacom Graphire? Does it work at least as USB mouse?

--
bye
Alessandro Cantatore
@tin.it

Jeremy Harbinson

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Apr 12, 2001, 11:53:42 AM4/12/01
to
Sorry for the vague definition (my tablet is at home and I'm at work using the
high speed services provided for free by my generous University, and I had
forgotten the name) - my Wacom tablet is not a Graphire but a Pen Pal - an older
design.
al the best,
Jeremy

Jeremy Harbinson

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Apr 12, 2001, 12:00:59 PM4/12/01
to
Thanks for the info; I did not realise they supported this. Painter is, however,
an app designed to be used with a tablet and provides all sorts of 'media' - oil
paint, pastel, crayon etc so it is a very interesting graphics tool. Shame that I
can't draw and only have the artistic creativity of a rotweiler, but it is useful
for retouching photographs etc in a quite traditional way. I am not a normal
drawing package would offer that kind of flexibility.
all the best,
Jeremy

Jack Troughton

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Apr 12, 2001, 1:24:23 PM4/12/01
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Jeremy Harbinson wrote:
>
> Thanks for the info; I did not realise they supported this. Painter is, however,
> an app designed to be used with a tablet and provides all sorts of 'media' - oil
> paint, pastel, crayon etc so it is a very interesting graphics tool. Shame that I
> can't draw and only have the artistic creativity of a rotweiler, but it is useful
> for retouching photographs etc in a quite traditional way. I am not a normal
> drawing package would offer that kind of flexibility.

Embellish has many tools available, like pencil, airbrush, chalk and
so on. It also supports pressure senstive tablets.



> Bob McLellan wrote:
>
> > Colorworks has pressure support for a tablet attached throuhg IBM Pen.
> > See if you can find an old copy somewhere.
> >
> > Jeremy Harbinson wrote:
> > >
> > > One can dream (optimistically, of course) of ECS at some stage having some
> > > 'improved' tablet support.Using the Windows (3.1 naturellement) drivers I
> > > have got (should be 'gotten', I suppose, but then the language is still
> > > evolving) a small Wacom tablet working for Painter in a full-screen Win/OS2
> > > session with pressure sensitive support. So far as I know there is no
> > > pressure sensitive support in Win/OS2 using the native OS/2 Pen drivers, and
> > > no OS/2 equivalent of Painter. So maybe things aren't that bad..
> > > all the best,
> > > jeremy
> > >
> > > Alessandro Cantatore wrote:
> > >
> > > > In article <3ACE6988...@home.com>,
> > > > "William L. Hartzell" <wlhar...@home.com> wrote:
> > > >
> > > > >A Follow up report for those who want to know. The Acecad 3 tablet is
> > > > >an excellent drawing and cad related tool. However, you should know
> > > >
> > > > What about Wacom Graphire? Does it work at least as USB mouse?

<.sigs snipped>

--
----------------------------------------------------------
* Jack Troughton jake at jakesplace.dhs.org *
* http://jakesplace.dhs.org ftp://jakesplace.dhs.org *
* Montréal PQ Canada news://jakesplace.dhs.org *
----------------------------------------------------------


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