February 25, 2002

Computer Aided Engineering & Measurement Systems

Troubleshooting Hardware Key Problems
Background Information
The LinearX Multi Mode Key (MMK) was developed in 1996 after many years of first hand experience using other brands of
hardware locks. The MMK was designed from the ground up to support modern LPT port requirements including IEEE-1284
bidirectional modes, all Windows® 32-bit operating systems, and any speed or configuration of computer system.

The MMK has the unique ability to use different port lines (multiple modes) for communication making it very adaptable for
any incompatibilities with future new devices or protocols. The MMK is fully transparent to any other LPT device and passes
all port lines through unchanged. Multiple MMK's can be used on a single port for different products, and will not interfere with
other brands of hardware locks or other LPT devices (printers, scanners, drives, etc.).

The MMK does not contain a battery, but rather derives it's power parasitically from the port's TTL lines themselves. The
internal microprocessor operates over a wide range 2-5V and with a very small current demand of merely 100uA. Data is
retained using nonvolatile flash memory with a minimum retention of 40 years. The MMK utilizes multiple levels of sophisti-
cated encryption techniques along with randomized data encoding algorithms.

Problem Identification
While the robust MMK design has provided exceedingly good compatibility proven over many years of use, problems with key
access on an LPT port can never be completely eliminated. This can be caused by a wide range of circumstances beyond our
control. However in almost all cases these issues can be resolved easily once the cause of the problem is identified.

The modern personal computer environment is very diverse with unlimited options and configurations, dependent on the
operating system, computer, drivers, external devices, and the user's own configuration and setup. It is especially important to
be aware of any devices or drivers which may also be attempting to and/or do utilize the LPT port.

The most common problem associated with a hardware lock is the display of an application message: Key Not Found. The
obvious problem is of course that the key is attached to the computer. The possible reasons behind the application's lack of
ability to reach and properly communicate with the key is the subject of the following sections. Unfortunately there is no single
quick and easy answer that will fit all situations. Many different possible causes must be explored individually.

The following sections provide a catalog of causes which have occurred in the past. Some of the items may not apply to your
operating system, configuration, or product. If specific notes are made regarding operating systems or products, then that
section only applies to the restrictions cited. If no restrictions are given, then the section potentially applies in all circumstances.
Please read or ignore the sections which do or do not apply to your individual situation.

Message: ***QUOTIENT OVERFLOW ON DIVIDE*** [LEAP-4] [WinNT4, Win2K, WinXP]

This means that the MMK was not found. A common cause is that you are using an old DallasSemi key (DS-1207 or DS-
1405) and not an MMK. (See LINX_KEY.PDF document for identification.) If so you will need to contact the factory to
obtain a key upgrade. The MMK is required under NT. If you already have an MMK, then this message means that the
program could not find the MMK and reverted to looking for an old style DallasSemi key. The older key access routines
are not runnable under NT.

Note: In LEAP-5 the older DallasSemi keys are no longer supported, and that code does not exist in the product. This
message does not apply to LEAP-5.

WinSetup must be run if NT OS [LEAP-4] [WinNT4, Win2K, WinXP]

If you are using an NT OS, you must run the WinSetup program after running Install. This is necessary to install the NT kernel
driver required for MMK operation under NT. Note: You must have administrator rights to install kernel drivers.

LinearX Systems Inc. 9500 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd. Tualatin, OR 97062 USA

Tel: (503) 612-9565 Fax:(503) 612-9344 Internet: www.linearx.com support@linearx.com

Page-2, Troubleshooting Hardware Key Problems

ERROR-6021..Key Found but has invalid PIN Check [LEAP4] [Win9X]

If you receive this error every time you access the key, you should try the key on another computer. If the same error is
reported there, then the internal data of the key has been corrupted. Contact the factory for repair procedures. This
corruption can be caused by launching the program while printing a document to the LPT port. Launching the program
opens the key, and then the simultaneous printer traffic causes corruption. Under Win9X exclusive LPT access cannot be
secured, and thus this can be the result. Please avoid launching the program while other LPT port traffic is present.

Verifying the 16-Bit NT Driver is loaded properly [LEAP-4] [WinNT4, Win2K, WinXP]
To verify that the 16-bit virtual device driver is loaded, go to the Start Menu, select Run, and type in RegEdt32. Locate the
following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\VirtualDeviceDrivers. The VDD value is a
multi string value with one or more paths to driver files. DoubleClick on the VDD string and you will see each driver name
listed per row. There should be no blank rows in between drivers. The MMK driver will appear as MMK_VDM.DLL.

Verifying the 32-Bit NT Driver is loaded and running [WinNT4, Win2K, WinXP]
To verify that the 32-bit kernel driver is loaded and running, go to the Start Menu, select Run, and type in RegEdt32. Locate the
following key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\MMK_NTD. If you do not find the MMK_NTD
registry key, then reinstall the software. The key will have a PortCount value, and is the number of LPT ports found indicating
the driver is loaded and running. For each port there will be a pair of values such as PortBase0/PortSpan0, PortBase1/PortSpan1,
etc. depending on the number of ports. If your entries are similar than the driver is operating normally.

LPT port may not have sufficient TTL Pull-Up current

The MMK derives it's power from the parallel port lines when they transition to +5V. However some computers, often laptops,
they have greatly reduced pull-up current and fail to provide enough voltage to operate the key reliably. Power saving modes can
also cause this behavior. In these cases it may be necessary to connect a printer through the key to the LPT port. Printers or
other port devices provide additional pull-up current from their LPT inputs.

Another driver has taken over the port.

Not all LPT devices are designed to share the port as a bus, but rather treat it as their own dedicated connection. Some scanner
drivers have been known to poll their device continuously once every second, even when not in active use. This causes corrupted
data traffic for key access. If you have such a device operating on the LPT port, try a test and disable that driver. If the other
driver is demanding full time use of the port, then you may have no choice but to add another port to your computer.

LPT port set for ECP mode in CMOS

The MMK will operate in any of the Standard, EPP, or ECP parallel port modes. However many other drivers do not handle ECP
mode correctly. This can leave the port in a state unusable by the MMK. If you are using ECP mode, you may wish to try setting
the port to EPP or Standard. These modes are typically changed in the CMOS configuration of the computer.

Key Fails first try, then works on later trys

Typically there are two possible causes for this: (1) the MMK is not receiving enough pull-up current on the LPT lines, (2) some
other device is leaving junk data in the LPT buffer. Try connecting a printer to the port. That will provide extra pull-up current.
Also, keep in mind that when you have failed port activity from some other device, there is the potential for junk bytes to be left
in the LPT buffer. That may cause the next access to fail, but should be clear after that.

Printer Drivers and operating modes

Some printer drivers may support multiple modes of operation such as bidirectional, IEEE-1284, Polling, etc. It is possible that
certain modes may cause a problem. You may wish to visit the Printers/Properties dialog in the Control Panel and try changing
the configuration. Another method is to temporarily reassign the printer to the port FILE which will remove it's activity from the
LPT port.

Printer Ports not Numbered in Sequence

Make sure that the LPT ports are given symbolic names in sequence without gaps. For example, if you have two LPT ports they
should be LPT1 and LPT2. Port names such as LPT1, LPT3 will cause problems. You can change the names in some OS's in the
Control Panel / Device Manager.
LinearX Systems Inc. 9500 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd. Tualatin, OR 97062 USA

Tel: (503) 612-9565 Fax:(503) 612-9344 Internet: www.linearx.com support@linearx.com