94 API Calls
MX3 Reference Guide E-EQ-MX3RG-J-ARC
API Calls
See Also: LXE DOS API Programming Guide
The LXE DOS Computer Application Programmer’s Interface (API) is designed to enable
application programmers to access the functionality of the computer hardware without requiring
them to understand the details of the hardware design.
The LXE MX3 Mobile Computer is architecturally an AT Clone with power management features
required for mobile use. Like all AT computers, it uses a BIOS software layer to provide a
hardware programming interface to both DOS and the Application Programs. It is functionally a
486 mobile AT customized for data collection applications. Both BIOS and DOS are available for
programming ease, but applications must be customized to make use of the enhanced features as
well as to operate with the reduced function LCD and keypad. The MX3 is not designed to be a
general-purpose computer.
API services are accessed through software interrupts 10h and 15h. The 486 API is the
application-level and driver-level software interface for all of the unique MX1 hardware.
A simple register-based procedure parameter passing architecture has been implemented with a
similar structure used by IBM BIOS. All procedural calls to the 486 API microcode is to be done
via a software interrupt.
Sample Code for API Calls
The following is a brief code segment that enables the scanner on the combination Scanner/RS-
232 endcap, demonstrating the proper use of API calls:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <dos.h>
#define PROT_INT 0x15
#define PROT_EXT 0xba
#define SCAN_CONTROL 0x56
#define COM1_MODE 0x41
#define SCANNER 0x00
#define RS_232 0x01
union REGS inRegs, retRegs
main(){
inRegs.h.ah=PROT_EXT;
inRegs.h.al=SCAN_CONTROL;
inRegs.h.bh=COM1_MODE;
inRegs.h.bl=SCANNER;
int86(PROT_INT, &inRegs, &retRegs);
}
