Determine system resources in use
Set jumpers and/or dip switches on the cards
Install the cards following proper anti-static protocols
Install the driver
Configure the driver
Restart the computer
Caution: Always observe the anti-static procedures. Failure to do so can result in damage to the voice card. Review the manufacturer's instructions before installing the card in your computer. Be certain that your computer is powered off before opening it. If possible, place the computer on a grounded workstation and ground yourself by wearing a wrist strap.
All voice cards use computer hardware resources in order to perform voice processing. Cards by different manufacturers have different requirements, such as I/O port addresses, IRQ's (or hardware interrupts), and dualport (shared) memory. Fortunately, the modern configuration tools from the card manufacturers automatically resolve a lot of hardware configuration issues.
An I/O port is an address on the Input/Output bus of the PC. This address can only be used by one particular piece of hardware in the system. PCI cards do not require physical configuration of I/O ports.
IRQ (Hardware Interrupt) is used by the card to signal that it requires attention from the system processor. The other components of the computer may also use an IRQ for signalling, which may conflict with the requirements of the voice card. On PCI cards, no manual IRQ configuration is necessary, however ISA boards will need to have their IRQs set by jumpers.
Dualport memory is a section of the PC's memory that is shared between the processor and the card. No other device may use this section of memory. Dialogic cards use dualport memory, but the configuration is resolved automatically by software. Again, no manual configuration is required.
Setting up voice cards in some models of name brand PC's can be difficult. Some manufacturers require that special utilities be run in order to make resources available. Models by Compaq, Dell, Micron, and others may have this requirement. You may need to contact the computer dealer or manufacturer for assistance.
PC clones using off-the-shelf motherboards, industrial grade computers, and rack-mount computers generally do not have this problem.
VBVoice supports voicecards from Intel Dialogic. To read card-specific installation notes, see the Tech Notes section at the Pronexus Tech Support website.
Pronexus also offers a Voice Card Simulator which mimics the actions of a real voice card in software for testing and demonstration purposes.