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PC Cards: Dell™Latitude™L400User'sGuide
About PC Cards
On the right side of the computer is a PC Card slot in which you can install PC Cards that comply with Release 2.01 of the Personal Computer
Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) standard and Release 4.2 of the Japanese Electronic Industry Development Association
(JEIDA) standard.
ThecomputersupportsTypeIandTypeIIPCCards,suchasmodems,localareanetwork(LAN)cards,wirelessLANcards,andsmallcomputer
system interface (SCSI) cards. Also supported are such memory devices as static random-access memory (SRAM) cards that emulate
diskettes,random-access memory (RAM) cards, and one-time programmable (OTP) ROM cards, and advanced technology attachment (ATA)
cards that emulate integrated drive electronics (IDE) hard-disk drives.
If you are using the Microsoft®Windows®98, Windows 2000, or Windows Me operating system, you can use a zoomed video (ZV) PC Card,
such as a hardware Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG) decoder. (The Microsoft Windows NT®4.0 operating system does not support ZV.)
NOTICE: Take extra precautions if you use extended PC Cards in your computer. Extended cards are longer versions of standard
PC Cards. They fit into, and operate correctly with, your computer. However, they extend beyond the edge of the computer when
installed. If something strikes the exposed end of an installed card, your system board can be damaged. Always remove an extended
PC Card before you pack the computer in its carrying case.
Using a PC Card NIC
If you are running Windows 98, Windows NT, Windows 2000, or Windows Me and you intend to install a PC Card network interface controller
(NIC), to avoid problems you should disable the system's integrated NIC as follows:
1. Press <F2> during the system boot routine to enter the system setup program.
2. At the Main screen, click the Advanced tab.
3. At the Advanced screen, highlight I/O Device Configuration and press <Enter> .
4. At the I/O Device Configuration screen, highlight the LAN option, press <Enter>, and select the Disabled setting.
5. Press <F10> to save the new setting and exit the program.
Installing PC Cards
PC Cards are generally marked with a symbol, such as a triangle or an arrow, to indicate which end should be inserted into the slot. The cards are
keyed to prevent incorrect insertion. If card orientation is not clear, see the documentation that came with the card.
You do not need to turn off your computer or exit suspend or standby mode before you install a PC Card. To install a PC Card (see Figure 1),
perform the following steps.
Figure 1. Installing a PC Card
About PC Cards
Removing PC Cards
Using a PC Card NIC
Configuring PC Cards
Installing PC Cards
NOTES: A PC Card is not a boot device.
The "type" of a card refers to its thickness, not its functionality.
Your computer recognizes most input/output (I/O) cards and automatically loads the device driver associated with that card.