Upgrading the Courier V.32 to 56k 
Upgrading HST modems

This modem will do an honest 21.1K as is. 

U1 TI PD17278PJ (?) 
U2 PLCC 
U5 TS80C188EB20 
U6 CY7C199-25VC 
U7 CY7C199-25VC 
U9 TLC32044CFN 
U12 HY62256ALJ-10 
U13 TI F156789PBM (marked 1.016.684) 
X1 Actually, a 40.32 MHz half-can oscillator 
J2 Header to mate daughtercard to board. 
 

NOTE: If your daughtercard has a 32MHz oscillator, that is non-flash capable. The base card may take the upgrade daughtercard, which has either a 40.32 or 50MHz oscillator. 

The following information was extracted from the 3Com site HERE

Courier Modems that Require a Daughterboard  Upgrade
   Certain older Courier modems are not designed to accept a flash upgrade, but can have a daughterboard added to them that will allow the modem to accept a flash upgrade. This process is referred to as a Daughterboard Upgrade. 

How do I find my model number?
or 
If you have an internal modem: Your serial number or  product code is printed on a label attached to the modem board itself, just behind the bracket. (or by the end of the main board by the daughtercard) 

 This includes the following model numbers: 

  Orders can be placed by calling 1-800-231-8770  (Monday through Friday, 7:00 AM to 8:00 PM CST  USA).  Orders can be billed to a credit card (Visa, Mastercard, or American Express). After placing an order, you will receive a daughterboard upgrade kit in the mail. 

Jim Shorney 
   The 14.4/16.8 daughtercard is not firmware upgradable.  The modem itself, however, is field upgradable with the daughtercard swap.  The new daughtercard is firmware upgradable to 33.6/56K.  It *should* be the same daughtercard as used in Courier v.everything external models, although I haven't verified this yet. 

Courier Upgrades
Carlyle Smith 
   USR had are three kinds of upgradability for the Courier 
(a) complete modem swapout for the "large" size v.32 

(b) daughtercard = hardware upgrade for the "small" size  from 16MHz v.32 (128K EPROM, 32K RAM) to 20.16 MHz (256K EPROM, 32K RAM) and Terbo + V.FC options 

(c) BIOS flash = firmware upgrade via software using flash loader, applies to daughter-card-upgraded as in (b) above or for the models listed in my previous post, taking them    to options HST, V.32bis, Terbo, V.FC, and V.34+. This  _software_-executed upgrade also increases the EPROM to 512K and the RAM to 64K. The unit then also has X2 capabilities as well, but one needs to pay USR $60 for a key code to exercise after dialing in to their X2 upgrade bulletin board, which then activates the X2 capability. A further firmware flash upgrade to V.90 from X2 is free. 

There is, of course, a similar upgrade path for many of the Sportster 28.8/33.6 internal and external modems to X2 and V.90, which also cost $60. But they won't have all the communication protocol options that the Courier has when it has been transformed. 

That is, the V.EVERYTHING means exactly that -- the unit will communicate using any USR-certified protocol. 

Possible "Good" Modem ID
From Carlyle Smith 
   I have no _internal_ MCA modems, but suspect that any US/Canada Courier-IDed internal PS/2 modem  would be upgradable to V.90 if it has, or has been upgraded to, the options V.32bis, Terbo, VFC, V.34, and has a 20.16MHz or 25 MHz clock frequency. This information is ascertained by asserting the ATI7 command to the modem using a terminal emulator. 

A list of the modems that I have which I know are software-upgradable, as follows (legend on the front bezel): 

_______Model Name________________________|_Model Number__

V.EVERYTHING with V.34 - - - - - - - -- - - 00122400 
V.34 fax with V.32bis - - - - - - - - - - - 00095400
Dual Standard V.34 fax with V.32bis - - - - 00095500
V.34 Ready Fax with V.FC and v.32bis - - -  00078100
33.6/28.8 V.EVERYTHING - - - - - - - - -  - 80-001224-02
33.6/28.8 V.EVERYTHING MACINTOSH - -- -- -- 80-1371-00

The single common factor between these is that they all have a barrel plug connector for the power adapter, and the power adapter is 20VAC (so polarity of the connector doesn't matter). 
   The 56KBPS Technology Courier V.EVERYTHING also uses this power adapter spec (have one here). It already had V.90. That is the ATI7 Options string was: 
   Options      HST,V32bis,Terbo,VFC,V34+,x2,V90 

   No Courier modem with a 4-pin keyed round connector is directly upgradable, because these models only have 16 MHz or less clock frequency. To be upgraded (if it is still possible) they require a daughter-card replacement -- about $35 IIRC. I haven't seen one of  these that operates above 14.4 (19.6?) Kbps natively. The 4-pin keyed connector is similar in size and appearance to a mini-DIN PS/2 mouse/keyboard connector, but with a different pin arrangement. 
   These models typically say "Courier HST Dual Standard with ASL" or "Courier v.32bis with ASL" on the front, and started life out as 14.4 KBPS modems with or without FAX and v.terbo (depending on age).  The only way to tell for sure that they have the 28.8-56k daughtercard upgrade installed it to do an ATI7 and see if V34+,x2,or V90 shows up on the "Options" line. 

I suppose an internal modem connected directly to the bus _might_ give quantitatively faster file and netgraphics transfer speed, but otherwise, I'm not sure why anyone would really want one. 

Is there a PCMCIA adapter for the PS/2 16-bit MCA slot? If so, that might be a profitable avenue to explore. 56K PCMCIA modems seem to be getting cheaper. (Ed. The PCMCIA Adapter /A is not supported under anything but OS/2 and Win3.1x) 

Obtaining a 56kbps/x2 Enable Key 
    Courier Analog - You can obtain an x2  upgrade enable key by calling 800-231-8770. The key will cost $60.00, and can be billed to a  credit card (Visa or Mastercard). 

Upgrading an HST modem
Results of HST interrogation!
   It's a 16MHz board. Baudrate to the port tops out at 56K, not the 112K needed for 21k+. It can act as a Class 1 modem. Is NOT  flashable! There appears to be no ROM to flash. 3Com's site has NO mention of a flash for 16MHz modems. 

YES! I tried the original daughtercard from my Courier V.32bis and it worked! It runs at the 21.1K rate the courier did before the upgrade daughtercard. 

Important info- if the number on the front end of the main modem board is 0185, then the 3com Product # 80-000953-00, Courier V.34 DS FX DB UPG should work. 
  As I suspected, the oscillator is on the daughtercard (luckily). Looked at the Courier V.32bis original daughtercard and the OSC was 42.32 (clock speed halved is 21.6MHz) 

What does this mean?
1. The HST does NOT appear to be flashable. 16K max. 
2. The base board (0185) supports the upgrade daughter card ($100 a pop) 
3. To get to the 56K requires a $60 "key" to toggle the v.90 bit. 

   If you have the Microchannel Addiction Disorder, this is a way to get that v.90 MCA modem and show off to your friends. But it will cost $160 for the upgrade card plus the "key". You decide.