• What to Check First
• Background — Serial Connections
  • Serial Ports, Devices, and Interrupt Signals (IRQs)
• How is my PC Configured?
  • Are the Serial Ports Enabled?
  • Are External Devices Installed?
  • Which IRQ Numbers are Assigned?
  • Are Internal Devices Installed?
• Troubleshooting
• If you Need to Contact Support for Help
  • Your Computer and Camera Information
  • When You Are Ready

Updated October 2005

NOTE: This document applies to all Kodak digital cameras, EXCEPT: DVC 300, DVC323, DVC325, EZ200, mc 3, DC4800, and all DX and newer camera models.

If you have a Kodak DC model digital camera that can use both USB and Serial connections (such as the DC280 digital camera, the DC3400 digital camera, or older models), we recommend that you use a USB connection, if possible. The USB connection will provide faster transfer of your pictures.

If you are having trouble downloading your pictures via serial port to your PC running the Windows operating system, check the following items first:

• Is the Mode dial on the camera set to Connect?

• Is the camera on? It may have timed out and turned itself off.

• Is the serial cable (included with your camera) securely plugged into the serial port on the camera?

• Is the serial cable securely plugged into one of the serial ports on the back of the PC? (There are usually two serial ports, labeled COM1 and COM2 or Serial A and Serial B.)

• Did you try both serial ports?

If you still can't connect after checking the above items, there may be a conflict with the PC serial port into which you plugged the serial cable.

PCs normally have four serial ports: COM1, COM2, COM3, and COM4.

COM1 and COM2 are external ports, with 9- or 25-pin connectors. They are usually labeled on the back of the PC as COM1 and COM2, or Serial A and Serial B. Serial devices, such as a serial mouse or your Kodak digital camera, physically plug into these ports.

However, it is possible to connect an internal serial device, such as an internal modem, to COM1 or COM2.

COM3 and COM4 are virtual ports that are controlled through software and have no physical connectors. Virtual ports are used to connect internal serial devices, such as an internal modem. (You can convert COM3 and COM4 to external connector ports by installing a serial expansion board.)

In addition, an IRQ (Interrupt Request) number must be assigned to each serial port. An IRQ is an interrupt signal that alerts the computer that the serial port may be requesting processing time. A device that is connected to a serial port may not share its assigned IRQ with any other connected device if the devices will be operating at the same time.

However, the traditional default IRQ setup assigns: IRQ4 to both COM1 and COM3, and IRQ3 to both COM2 and COM4.

IMPORTANT: Serial ports can be disabled in the PC BIOS setup. If the port you try to use for downloading your pictures is disabled, you will not be able to connect to the PC.

You must have this information before you try to fix the problem yourself or contact Support for help. Follow the directions in this section to answer the following questions:

• Are the serial ports enabled?

• Are external devices installed?

• Which IRQ numbers are assigned?

• Are internal devices installed?

IMPORTANT: The setup of your PC may not match some of the examples given here. Complete as many of the procedures as you can.

Print this page, and record your configuration information on the Serial Port Configurations form later in this document.

To determine if the serial ports are enabled or disabled, you must access the setup screen on your PC (normally called the BIOS).

CAUTION: Changing parameters in the BIOS may affect your computer performance. You may be unable to reboot the computer. For more information, consult your computer manufacturer's documentation.

1. Shut down your computer.

   IMPORTANT: You will now restart your computer. During startup, you must press an access key (for example: F2 or Delete) to access the BIOS setup screen. If you computer does not display a prompt for the correct access key, refer to your computer documentation for assistance. You may have only 2 seconds to access the BIOS setup screen.

2. Restart your computer.

3. As the computer begins to count up its memory (a number followed by KB) or when you are prompted to do so, press the BIOS access key.

   The BIOS setup screen appears.

4. Follow the on-screen directions to scroll down through the screens until you find the serial ports listed.

   If the serial port is followed by an address and an IRQ (for example, Serial port A 3F8h IRQ4), it is enabled.

   If the serial port is followed by the word Disabled, the port has been turned off in the computer operating system and is not available for use.

5. Record your findings in the Serial Port Configurations form.

   IMPORTANT: When you close the BIOS setup screen, do not save your changes.

6. Close the BIOS setup screen.

   Your computer completes its startup procedure.

To check for external serial devices that are installed on your PC, follow these steps:

1. Look at the back of your computer to see if there is a device plugged into either serial port.

   The serial (COM) ports are normally labeled (for example, COM1 and COM2, or Serial A and Serial B).

   Typical devices that use serial ports are: a modem, a serial mouse, or some older printers.

2. On the Serial Port Configurations form, record the type of external devices you find, if any, and the ports to which they are connected.

To find out which IRQ numbers are assigned to the serial ports, follow these steps:

1. On the taskbar, select Start > Settings > Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.

   The System Properties window appears.

3. Select the Device Manager tab.

4. Double-click the Computer icon at the top of the list.

   The Computer Properties window appears.

5. Select the Interrupt Request (IRQ) radio button.

   The Computer Properties window opens, and the IRQs for your system are listed.

6. Find the IRQs assigned to the external ports, COM1 and COM2. IRQ4 is normally assigned to COM1, and IRQ3 is normally assigned to COM2.

7. Record the IRQ numbers for serial ports COM1 and COM2 in the Serial Port Configurations form.

NOTE: To find the IRQ assignment of internal devices, refer to the following section.

To check for internal serial devices that are installed on your PC, follow these steps:

1. On the taskbar, select Start > Settings > Control Panel.

2. Double-click the System icon.

   The System Properties window appears.

3. Select the Device Manager tab.

   Any device installed on your system (for example: an internal modem) is listed.

4. Click the plus sign (+) to the left of the Modem icon.

   The internal modem you have installed is listed.

5. Select the modem.

6. Click the Properties button.

   The Properties window for that device appears.

7. Select the Modem tab.

8. Note the COM port on which the modem is installed, for example: COM3.

9. Select the Resources tab.

10. Note the IRQ setting, for example: 05.

11. Note the internal modem, its assigned port, and IRQ number. Record your findings in the Serial Port Configurations form.

Compare your completed Serial Port Configurations form with the most likely connectivity issues listed in the table below.

You may be able to solve the problem yourself by following one of the proposed solutions, or you may choose to contact Support for help.

Before you contact Support for help, gather as much of the following information as you can about your computer and your camera.

• How are your serial ports configured? (Refer to your completed Serial Port Configurations form.)

• What make and model of computer do you have? Is it a laptop?

• If your computer is not a laptop, does it have a desktop processor or a tower?

• If your computer is a laptop, does it have an infrared port?

• Do you have a hand-held computing device connected to your PC?

• How much total disk space do you have? How much free space?

  (To find out, double-click My Computer, right-click the C drive icon, and then click Properties.)

• What software application are you using to download your pictures? Which version?

• What is the exact error message you received when you tried to download your pictures?

• What are your camera model and serial number?

• Have your Kodak digital camera connected to your computer.

• Be at your computer.

• Visit the Contact Us Web page to find the appropriate contact information.

Kodak is a trademark of Eastman Kodak Company.