Epson Apex+ User Manual

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Apex by Epson User’s Guide

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IMPORTANT NOTICE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you.

in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic,

mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of Epson America, Inc. No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication, Epson

America assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions. Nor is any liability

assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained

herein. Further, this publication and features described herein are subject to

change without notice.

TRADEMARKS

Apex is a trademark of Epson America, Inc.

Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation.

Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Computer Technology, Inc.

IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corp.

Kraft is a registered trademark of Kraft Systems, Inc.

MS-DOS, GW-BASIC, and Microsoft are registered trademarks of

Microsoft Corp.

XTREE is a registered trademark of Executive Systems, Inc.

Torrance, California

(250188021

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions, may cause interference to radio and television

reception. It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules, which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:

l Reorient the receiving antenna l Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver l Move the computer away from the receiver l Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and

receiver are on different branch circuits.

If necessary, consult your dealer or an experienced radio/television technician for additional suggestions. You may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful:

“Television interference Handbook” This booklet is available from the U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC 20402. Stock No. 004-000-00450-7

Note: If the interference stops, it was probably caused by the computer or

its peripheral devices. To further isolate the problem:

Disconnect the peripheral devices and their input/output cables one

at a time. If the interference stops, it is caused by either the peripheral device or its I/O cable. These devices usually require shielded l/O cables. For Epson peripheral devices, you can obtain the proper shielded cable from your dealer. For non-Epson peripheral devices contact the manufacturer or dealer for assistance.

WARNING: This equipment has been certified to comply with the limits for a Class B computer device, pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules. Only peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) certified to comply with the Class B limits may be attached to this computer. Operation with non-certified peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and TV reception.

The connection of a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels that exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment.

iii

Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Manual. Where to Get Help

Chapter 1

Setting Up your System

l Unpacking. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Removing the disk drive protector cards.

2 Choosing a Location

Arranging the components The front panel

The back panel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

3 Connecting the Monitor

4 Connecting the Keyboard 5 Connecting a Printer

Parallel interface

Serial interface 6 Connecting the Power Cord 7 Turning On the Computer and Loading MS-DOS

Safety rules

System startup

Initial screen display.

Loading MS-DOS on the Apex Plus

The command prompt

8 Copying System Diskettes

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 20 9 Setting the Real Time Clock.

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1-1

1-2 1-3 1-4 1-5

1-9 1-12 1-13 1 - 13 1-15 1-15 1-16 1-16 1-17 1-18

1-21

1-22 1-22 1-24

1-25

Contents v

Chapter 2

Using Your Apex.

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Special Keys on the Apex Keyboard Selecting Execution Speed Stopping a Command or Program Resetting the Computer Turning Off the Computer.

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Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives

How diskettes work

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Choosing diskettes for the Apex Caring for your diskettes and diskette drives. Inserting and removing diskettes. Write-protecting diskettes

Making backup copies

Using Your Hard Disk.

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Using a single diskette drive system

Preparing the hard disk for moving

Chapter 3

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Introducing MS-DOS

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Starting and Exiting MS-DOS Changing the Default Drive. Entering MS-DOS Commands. Creating Files Naming a File

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Creating and Using Directories

Creating directories Changing directories Using pathnames

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Other directory commands

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............................. 3-3

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Copying from one directory to another. Displaying a list of directories Removing a directory

Formatting Diskettes.

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Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 20

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............ 2-9

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............... 3-13

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2-1

2-1 2-4 2-5

2-5

2-6

2-7 2-7 2-8

2-10 2-12 2-12 2-13 2-14 2-15

3-1

3-1 3-2

3-3 3-4

3-5

3-6 3-8 3-8

3-9 3-10 3-11 3-12 3-13 3-13

3-14

vi Contents

Copying Data

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Using the DISKCOPY command Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 20 Using the COPY command

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Using the BACKUP command

The HELP Utility

Examples

Messares

The XTREE Utility.

What XTREE does Using XTREE Cautions Example

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Starting your Application Program Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file

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3-15 3-16 3-16 3-18 3-19 3-21

3-22 3-23

3-24

3-24 3-24 3-25 3-28

3-28 3-32 3-32 3-33

Chapter 4

Installing Option Cards. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

Removing the Cover

..................................

Inserting the Option Card Replacing the Cover Post-installation Setup

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Removing Option Cards

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4-2

4-3 4-7 4-8 4-8

Chapter 5

Troubleshooting

The Computer Fails to Start Up

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..........................

The Video Display Does Not Appear The Computer Locks Up

Diskette Problems. Hard Disk Problems

Software Problems.

Printer Problems

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Option Card Problems Expanding Your System

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Cnntents vii

5-1

5-2 5-2 5-3 5-4 5-5 5-6 5-7 5-7 5-8

Appendixes

Appendix A

Setting the DIP Switches.

Switch 1 (serial port) Switch 2 (parallel port) Switches 3 and 4 (monitor and adapter type).

Appendix B

Preparing a Hard Disk for Use

Using HDFMTALL

Formatting and checking options

Conditional format (normal)

Unconditional format Destructive surface analysis

Non-destructive surface analysis

Using FDISK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-11

Using SELECT Finishing Your Installation

.................................... B-2

....................................... B-13

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.................................. A-2

................................. A-3

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..................... B-2

........................ B-4

.............................. B-7

.......................... B-9

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............................. B-14

A-1

A-3

B-1

B-10

Appendix C

Specifications.

Main Unit

Interfaces ..........................................

Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . C-1

Mass Storage.

Power Requirements ................................... C-2

Environmental Requirements ............................ C-2

Physical Characteristics (CPU Only) ...................... C-2

Video and Display Options .............................. C-3

Other Apex Options ................................... C-3

Glossary. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . , . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glossary 1

Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index 1

viii Contents

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C-1

C-2

Introduction

Your ApexTMby Epson® personal computer comes in two versions: the Apex Plus with two 360 KB (kilobyte) diskette drives, and the Apex Plus 20 with one 360 KB diskette drive and one

20 MB (megabyte) hard disk drive.

Both versions have 512 KB of internal memory, called random access memory or RAM. RAM determines the size of software programs you can run and the data files you can create. With

512 KB of RAM, you can run most large programs and create large data files.

Most software programs expect a computer to have two diskette drives, one for the program diskette and one for a data diskette. The Apex Plus provides two diskette drives so you do not have to spend time switching diskettes. The Apex Plus 20 hard disk drive and diskette drive provide the same convenience and let you take advantage of the hard disk’s large storage capacity and faster performance.

Depending on your needs, you can use either a TTL monochrome monitor or an RGB (red-green-blue) color graphics monitor with your computer. The Apex monochrome monitor

is a good choice if you are using word processing and spreadsheet programs. The Apex color monitor is an excellent choice

if you use software designed for color graphics.

Your Apex comes with a multi-graphics adapter (MGA) card so you can display color or monochrome graphics on your monitor. The card is already installed in one of the five computer. The MGA card also includes a game port so you can easily connect a joystick to your computer. You can replace the

MGA card to use another type of monitor, such as an enhanced graphics adapter (EGA)monitor or a video graphics array

(VGA) monitor.

option slots

Introduction 1

in the

Your Apex includes built-in parallel and you connect almost any peripheral device to the computer. A peripheral device is one that you attach to your computer, such as a printer, mouse, or modem. You can use the parallel interface to connect an Epson printer or plotter or any other parallel printer. You can use the serial interface to connect a serial printer or a mouse.

Your computer comes with version 3.2 of the MS-DOS’ disk operating system and the GW-BASIC® programming language.

An operating system controls how programs run on the computer and supervises all input and output. MS-DOS is one of

the most commonly used operating systems. It supports most popular software programs available, including those designed

for the IBM” personal computer.

GW-BASIC is simple to learn and provides advanced features for the experienced programmer.

If you have used MS-DOS or GW-BASIC before, you’ll find these programs work the same way on the Apex. Check your Apex MS-DOS or GW-BASIC reference manuals for descriptions of special features added by Epson.

serial

interfaces that let

You can add more devices by installing an option curd in one of the computer’s five option slots. An option card is an installable circuit board containing a device, such as a modem, or provid-

ing an additional interface to connect other devices. You can use most of the option cards designed for the IBM PC on your Apex.

You can also install an optional 8087 math coprocessor to speed up the computer’s ability to perform calculations. You may want to add a coprocessor if you frequently use your computer for spreadsheet or other calculation-intensive applications.

2 Introduction

How to Use This Manual

This manual describes how to set up and care for your computer. It also introduces the basics of using MS-DOS and shows you how to install option cards so you can connect optional devices. You may not need to read everything in this manual; some sections may describe a particular option or accessory you don’t have.

The information in this manual applies to both the Apex Plus and the Apex Plus 20 computers unless indicated otherwise.

Chapter 1 provides instructions on setting up and using your Apex computer.

Chapter 2 describes general operating procedures for using the computer.

Chapter 3 explains how to use MS-DOS with your Apex.

It also introduces the XTREE® utility provided by Epson and describes how you can use XTREE to perform many

file operations.

Chapter 4 provides the steps for installing option cards.

Chapter 5 contains troubleshooting information and a question and answer section about expanding your system.

Appendix A shows how to change the DIP switch settings in your computer. You can use DIP switches to set or change the configuration of your system. You do not need to change the DIP switches unless you add or remove hardware from your system.

Introduction 3

Appendix B describes how to prepare an unformatted hard disk for use.

Appendix C lists the hardware specifications, operating requirements, and options of your computer.

The glossary defines the computer terms used in this manual.

Where to Get Help

For warranty repairs and technical assistance for your Apex computer, call toll-free 1-800-922-8911 (24 hours a day, seven days a week) for the location of your nearest Epson Customer Care Center.

To purchase accessories such as printer ribbons and option cards, check with the store where you purchased your computer or call toll-free 1-800-922-891 1 for the location of your nearest Epson Customer Care Center.

4 Introduction

Chapter 1

Setting Up Your System

Setting up your Apex personal computer is easy - just follow the steps in this chapter and you’ll be on your way. You can also check the “Read This First” sheet included with your computer.

Unpacking

Inspect each component as you remove it from its carton. If you discover any missing or damaged items, contact the place of purchase to obtain the missing items or an exchange. If you are

unable to obtain an exchange, please call 1-800-922-891 1 for the location of your nearest Authorized Epson Customer Care

Center. When you call, please have the serial number of your

computer available.

Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best possible protection for your computer if you need to move or ship it later. When you unpack your Apex, you’ll find the following:

The main unit and power cord

The keyboard with an attached cable

An MS-DOS operating system diskette (version 3.2)

A diskette containing supplemental MS-DOS utilities, the GW-BASIC programming language (version 3.2), and the XTREE utility

An MS-DOS reference manual and a GW-BASIC reference manual.

Setting Up Your System

1-1

You’ll also find a registration card with your Apex; fill out this card now and mail it to Epson. With this registration card on file, Epson can send you update information.

Removing the disk drive protector cards

A protector card occupies each diskette drive in your computer. This card is inserted at the factory to protect the disk drive heads that read from and write to diskettes,

Be sure to remove the card from each diskette drive before you turn on the computer. Turn the latch that covers the disk slot until it is horizontal and carefully pull out the card.

1-2 Setting Up Your System

Save these cards to use whenever you move the computer. Also,

if you don’t intend to use your computer for a week or more, insert the cards to help prevent dust from entering the drives.

Choosing a Location

Before you set up your Apex, it’s important to choose the right

location. Make sure it provides the following:

A large, sturdy area and surface, such as a desk or table, that can easily support the weight of your Apex and all its components.

A flat, hard surface. Don’t set the Apex on a soft surface like a bed or a carpeted floor. Soft surfaces attract static electricity, which may erase data on your diskettes and damage the computer’s circuitry. Soft surfaces can also prevent proper ventilation.

Good air circulation. Your Apex needs air to circulate freely under it as well as behind it. Leave several inches of space around the computer for proper ventilation.

Moderate environmental conditions. Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity; also avoid direct sunlight or other heat sources. High humidity also hinders operation, so it’s best to select a cool, dry area for operation. Dust and smoke, which can cause damage to diskettes and disk drives, could cause you to lose valuable data.

Appropriate power sources. Static charges can be damaging. Connect all equipment to three-prong, 120-volt, grounded

outlets. You need at least three outlets, one for the main

unit, one for the monitor, and one for your printer. If you need more outlets, you may want to buy a power strip. Available at any electronics store, a power strip provides four to eight additional outlets. A power strip with surge suppression is recommended.

Setting Up Your System

1-3

No electromagnetic interference. Choose a spot for your computer away from any device that generates an electromagnetic field (like a telephone).

Arranging the components

Decide how you want to arrange your system components. The illustration below shows a typical setup. The monitor is on top of the main unit and the keyboard is directly in front. This leaves enough space for you to insert diskettes into the disk drives.

If you have special computer furniture, you can arrange your Apex components to suit your own particular needs.

Before you begin to connect the cables, take a look at the front and back panels of the main unit.

1-4 Setting Up Your System

The front panel

On the front panel you see the power light, the power switch,

and the keyboard cable socket. If you are using an Apex Plus, your computer has two diskette drives. If you are using an Apex Plus 20, your computer has one diskette drive and one hard disk drive.

Here’s how the front panel components work:

Power switch. Press this switch to turn the main unit on

and off.

Power light. This light is on when the power is on. Your Apex computer can operate at two different speeds. The

light is orange when the system is running at 4.77MHz

(megahertz). The light is green when the system is running at 9.54MHz. Do not change the operating speed while you are running a program. See Chapter 2 for more information.

Keyboard cable socket. Use this socket to plug the keyboard into the computer.

Setting Up Your System 1-5

Diskette drives. In the Apex Plus, both the top and bottom

1-6 Setting U

Your System

diskette drives use 5 l/4-inch, 360 KB diskettes. In the Apex Plus 20, the diskette drive also uses 5 l/4-inch,

360 KB diskettes.

Disk lock/release latch. After you insert a diskette, turn this latch down until it is vertical. To remove a diskette, turn it up until it is horizontal.

Diskette drive light. This green light is on when the drive is

in use. To avoid losing data, never remove a diskette or turn

off the computer’s power when this light is on.

Hard disk drive. In the Apex Plus 20 (shown below), the hard disk drive is the bottom drive. The green light on the hard disk drive panel is on whenever the computer is

writing to or reading from the drive.

The back panel

Take a look at the back panel and note the power inlet, the universal power supply, the DIP switches, the built-in

input/output ports, and the option card access slots.

WARNING

Do not connect the power cord until you have connected the printer and any other optional devices. Always check to see that the power switch is off before you connect or disconnect the printer.

The back panel components are:

AC input. This inlet supplies electrical power to your computer when you plug in the power cord. Always turn the power switch off before you plug the power cord from this inlet into an electrical outlet.

DIP switches. These switches give the computer information about its video card type, and parallel and serial

interfaces. The switches are preset to match your system

Setting Up Your System

1-7

configuration. Do not change them unless you are adding option cards that require different settings. Appendix A describes how to set these switches if you change your system configuration.

Parallel port. Lets you connect any printer or plotter with a parallel interface.

Serial port. Lets you connect any serial device, such as a serial printer or a mouse.

Option card access slots. The Apex has space for five option cards to control any peripheral devices you add. The

multi-graphics adapter (MGA) card, which allows you to use either a monochrome or color monitor, occupies one of these slots. If you have an Apex Plus 20, the hard disk

controller card occupies another slot. You can use the other

slots to add special devices, such as an internal modem, to your Apex system.

Monitor port. Lets you connect an RGB color graphics monitor or a TTL monochrome monitor.

Color/mono switch. Set this switch to color or mono, depending on the type of monitor you are using.

Game port. Lets you connect a joystick, track ball, or other pointing device.

1-8 Setting Up Your System

Connecting the Monitor

It is easiest to connect the monitor cable if the backs of the monitor and the main unit are facing you.

Your Apex comes with an installed multi-graphics adapter

(MGA) card. You can connect an RGB color graphics monitor

or a TTL monochrome monitor to the port on this card.

The way you connect your monitor depends on the type you have, so check your monitor manual for instructions, or follow these guidelines:

If necessary, connect the monitor cable to your monitor. Some monitors have permanently attached cables.

Connect the monitor cable to the connector at the back of the main unit.

Setting Up Your System

1-9

Tighten the screws (if any) on the plug with a screwdriver.

4. Plug the monitor’s power cable into an electrical outlet.

Set the color/mono switch on the back panel for the type of monitor you are using.

1-10 Setting Up Your System

Make sure the DIP switch settings are correct for the type

6. of monitor you are using. The Apex computer is set at the factory to 80x25 color, for a color graphics monitor. If you are connecting a monochrome monitor, you need to change the DIP switch settings. See Appendix A for more

information.

If you are using a monitor other than a color graphics or TTL monochrome unit, you’ll need to install another video card in your computer. See Chapter 4, “Installing Option Cards,” for instructions. You’ll also need to check the DIP switch settings (defined in Appendix A) to be sure they are set correctly for the type of video card you are installing.

Setting Up Your System

1-11

Connecting the Keyboard

Follow these steps to connect the keyboard:

Insert the keyboard connector into the keyboard socket on the front panel of your Apex.

Do not force the connector, but make sure you completely insert it.

If you would like to adjust the angle of the keyboard, turn the keyboard over and lift each leg upward until it locks

into place.

1-12 Setting Up Your System

You can lock each leg in a 15 degree position or an 11 degree position. To lock a leg into the 11 degree position,

lift up the entire leg and then push the portion marked

15” back until it snaps into the keyboard.

Connecting a Printer

Follow the steps in this section to connect your printer to either

the parallel or serial interface.

Parallel interface

Your Apex computer has a parallel interface to which you can connect a printer. Of course, Epson offers a full range of printer products for you to choose from. Check with the store where you purchased your computer or call 1-800-922-891 1 for the lo-

cation of your nearest Authorized Epson Dealer.

To connect a printer to your Apex, make sure you have an IBM PC-compatible printer cable. Then follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the main unit:

Place the printer next to your system.

Before you connect the printer, make sure the power

switches on the main unit, monitor, and printer

are off.

Setting Up Your System

1-13

Connect the printer cable connector to the parallel port on the back panel of the main unit. If the connector has retaining screws, tighten them with a small screwdriver.

Connect the other cable connector to the printer. Secure

the cable by pressing together the squeeze locks from the printer port and pushing them into each side of the connector.

Plug the printer’s power cord into an electrical outlet.

1-14 Setting Up Your System

Serial interface

If you have a printer (or another peripheral such as a modem) with a serial interface, connect it to the serial (RS-232C) port on the back panel. The Apex uses a DB-25P connector, so be sure you have an XT-compatible cable. To connect a serial

device, follow the same steps as for connecting a parallel

printer.

You need to ensure the serial port is set up so it functions properly. If you are using the port for a serial printer, you must also redirect printer output to the serial instead of the parallel port. Use the MS-DOS SETMODE program (or the MODE command) to make these changes. See your MS-DOS reference manual for instructions.

Connecting the Power Cord

To avoid an electric shock, first insert the power cord into the

AC input connector on the back panel as shown below, then

plug the other end into the wall socket.

Setting Up Your System

1-15

Turning On the Computer and

Loading MS-DOS

Before you turn on the computer, be sure to read the safety rules.

Safety rules

Follow these rules to avoid accidentally damaging your computer or injuring yourself:

Never turn the computer on with a disk drive protector card in the disk drive.

Do not attempt to dismantle any part of the computer. If there is a hardware problem you cannot solve after reading Chapter 5 on troubleshooting, contact your

Authorized Epson Customer Care Center.

Do not unplug cables from the computer while the power

switch is on.

Never turn off or reset the computer when any disk drive

light is on. This can destroy data stored on a disk or make an entire diskette unusable.

Always wait at least five seconds after you switch the power off before switching it on again. Turning the power

off and on rapidly can damage the computer’s circuitry.

Never leave a beverage on top of or next to your Apex or

any of its components. Spilled liquid damages the circuitry

of your components.

To install or remove an option card, always turn off the power, disconnect the main power cord, and wait for a minute before removing the cover from the computer.

(Installing option cards is described in Chapter 4.)

1-16 Setting Up Your System

System startup

Now you’re ready to turn on your Apex. Follow these steps:

Make sure one end of the power cord is securely plugged into the power inlet (AC input) on the back panel of the main unit and the other end is plugged into a 3-prong,

120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.

Turn on the monitor so you can see messages that appear as your computer starts up. If you have a printer, turn it on.

You can turn on your computer with or without a system diskette in the top disk drive, but for now, leave the drive empty. Press the power switch

on.

The power indicator on the front panel lights up and the

cooling fan inside the main unit starts. After a few seconds, the

computer begins to perform a power-on self test.

Setting Up Your System

1-17

Initial screen display

Before the self test begins, a message similar to this displays:

Then the computer immediately begins to test the memory. The Apex computer checks each kilobyte of memory twice, counting from 0 to 512 and then starting over again. It displays this

message as it performs the test:

RAM Testing . . . XXXKB

The test takes about 45 seconds to complete. You can skip the memory test by pressing the space bar after you turn on the computer.

NOTE

If you can’t see the screen display clearly, make sure the power light is on. Then use the controls on your monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast until characters on the screen are clear and bright.

If you have an Apex Plus, the following messages display:

Non.-system disk or disk error

Insert system diskette in drive A

and strike any key when ready

These messages tell you that the computer is ready to load an

operating system from a diskette in the top drive. The Apex Plus comes with MS-DOS version 3.2. Continue with the section called “Loading MS-DOS on the Apex Plus.”

1-18 Setting Up Your System

If you have an Apex Plus 20, your computer automatically loads MS-DOS version 3.2 from the hard disk drive. The MS-DOS

command prompt C> displays. Continue with the section called

“The command prompt.”

Loading MS-DOS on the Apex Plus

Before you can use a software program designed to run on the MS-DOS operating system, MS-DOS must be running in the computer’s memory (this is also called booting the system). Once MS-DOS is loaded, you can give instructions to the computer and begin to use various software programs.

Follow these steps to load MS-DOS on the Apex Plus:

Make sure the disk latch is in the horizontal position. Hold the diskette with the label up and the notch to the left as shown. Insert your MS-DOS system diskette completely into the top drive.

Setting Up Your System

1-19

Turn the latch down until it locks in the vertical position. For a complete description of inserting diskettes, see Chapter 2, “Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives.”

3. Press any key to begin. Your computer begins loading MS-DOS into memory.

If you did not insert your system diskette, or you inserted

another diskette by mistake, you see these messages:

Non-System disk or disk error

Insert system diskette in drive A:

and strike any key when ready

4. In this case, insert your MS-DOS diskette, and press any key to continue.

After MS-DOS is loaded, the operating system title and version number display on the screen. Then you see the date prompt, which appears every time you boot the system:

Current date is

DDD mm-dd-yy

Enter new date:

1-20 Setting Up Your System

You can enter the correct date or leave it unchanged by pressing Enter. For now, press Enter to leave the date unchanged.

6. After accepting the date, MS-DOS displays the time prompt:

Current time is hh:mm:ss Enter new time:

You can enter the correct time or bypass the prompt by pressing Enter. For now, press Enter to bypass the prompt.

The system now displays the MS-DOS command prompt,

A>, which is your starting point for putting MS-DOS to

work.

The command prompt

The command prompt tells you that MS-DOS is loaded and

your computer is ready to receive instructions. The command

prompt also identifies the current operating drive: A, B, or C.

It displays on the screen when you load MS-DOS, complete an MS-DOS command, or return to MS-DOS from an application program. If your current operating drive is A, it looks like this:

On the Apex Plus system, the top drive is drive A and the bottom drive is drive B. On the Apex Plus 20 system, the diskette drive is drive A and the hard disk drive is drive C. MS-DOS reserves the label B for a second diskette drive, whether or not it is installed.

If you are using an Apex Plus 20 and you booted from the hard disk; you’ll notice that your prompt is not the MS-DOS default command prompt

c>.

Instead, your prompt looks like this:

c:\ >

Setting Up Your System 1-21

That’s because Epson changed the prompt by adding a command

in a file named AUTOEXEC.BAT. This file contains a series of commands that your computer automatically runs when you turn it on. One of these commands is PROMPT $P $G, which modifies the prompt to display your directory location on the disk. For simplicity, all of the examples in this manual show the default command prompt,

For more information about the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, see “Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT file” in Chapter 3, or see your MS-DOS reference manual.

Before you continue, make a working copy of the diskette containing the MS-DOS operating system and the diskette containing GW-BASIC; then store the originals safely away.

C>.

Copying System Diskettes

Follow the steps below to make copies of your two system diskettes. Use these working copies for daily use and store the originals in a safe place.

The procedure for copying a diskette differs slightly depending on whether you have an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20. Follow

the procedure below that applies to your system. In either case,

you will need two blank 5 1/4-inch, 360 KB double-sided,

double-density diskettes. Make sure the system diskettes are write-protected to prevent accidental erasure (see “Writeprotecting diskettes” in Chapter 2).

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus

The A> prompt should be displayed on the screen. If it

is not, follow the steps in the previous section, “Loading MS-DOS on the Apex Plus.”

1-22 Setting Up Your System

2. Type:

DISKCOPY A: B:

and press Enter. The screen displays these prompts:

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Insert TARGET diskette in drive B:

Press any key when ready...

3. Insert the MS-DOS system diskette you want to copy (the source) into drive A.

4. Insert a blank 5 l/4-inch, 360 KB diskette (the target) in drive B, the bottom disk drive, and close the diskette drive

latch.

5. Press any key to begin the copy process. If the diskette in drive B is not formatted, the DISKCOPY program formats

it. Then the program copies the data from drive A to the

formatted diskette in drive B.

When the copy is complete, the screen displays the following prompt:

Copy another diskette? (Y/N)

6. Press Y so you can make a copy of the diskette containing GW-BASIC. Remove the diskettes from drives A and B

(turn the latch on each drive to remove the diskette).

Then insert the GW-BASIC diskette in drive A and

another blank diskette in drive B. Follow the prompts to

copy this system diskette.

When the copy is complete, this prompt displays again:

Copy another diskette? (Y/N)

Setting Up Your System

1-23

Press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.

8. Store the original system diskettes in a safe place.

9. Properly label the working copies you just created.

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 20

The C> prompt should be displayed on the screen. If it is not, type C :

2. Type:

and press

Enter.

DISKCOPY

and press Enter. The screen displays the following prompts:

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready...

Insert the MS-DOS system diskette (the source) into drive A and turn the diskette drive latch to lock the diskette in place. Then press any key.

The DISKCOPY program copies the contents of the diskette to the computer’s memory and then displays these prompts:

Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready...

Release the disk latch and remove the MS-DOS system diskette from drive A.

Insert the blank diskette (the target) in the drive and turn

the diskette drive latch to lock the diskette in place. Then

press any key.

1-24 Setting Up Your System

If the diskette in drive A is not formatted, the DISKCOPY

Setting Up Your System 1-25

program formats it. Then the program copies the data from the computer’s memory to the formatted diskette. When the copy is complete, you see this prompt:

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

6. Press Y so you can make a copy of the GW-BASIC diskette. Follow the instructions above and the prompts on the screen to make the copy.

When the copy is complete, this prompt displays again:

Copy another diskette? (Y/N)

Press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.

8. Store the original system diskettes in a safe place.

9. Properly label the working copies you just created.

Setting the Real Time Clock

Your Apex computer includes a real time clock. This battery powered clock stores the current time and date even if you turn off the computer.

To set the real time clock, use the SETRTC program supplied by Epson on your GW-BASIC diskette.

NOTE

You cannot set the real time clock using the MS-DOS TIME and DATE commands; when you reset or turn off the computer, any time or date settings you make are erased from memory.

To set the real time clock, follow these steps:

System

If you are using the Apex Plus, insert the GW-BASIC diskette into drive A. At the command prompt, type the following and press

Enter:

SETRTC /I

The screen displays a prompt similar to this:

Set Real Time Clock Ver. 1.00

Current Time is

12:05:31

Enter New Time:

Using a 24 hour format, type the new time and press

Enter. Use colons to separate the hours, minutes, and

seconds. It’s not necessary to type the seconds.

The screen then displays a prompt similar to this:

Current Date is Enter New Date (mm-dd-yy) :

3. Type the new date and press Enter. Use dashes to separate

the month, day, and year.

4. The screen displays the current time and date you set and returns you to the command prompt.

1-26 Setting Up Your

Wed 05-25-88

Chapter 2

Using your Apex 2-1

Using Your Apex

This chapter covers these basic procedures for using your Apex

computer and keyboard:

Using the special keys on the keyboard

Changing your computer’s operating speed

Interrupting a command or program

Resetting and turning off your computer

Using diskettes, diskette drives, and hard disk drives.

Special Keys on the Apex Keyboard

Some of the keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running application programs.

Take a look at the special keys and their functions:

2-2 Using Your Apex

Key Name

Purpose

Perform special functions within application programs.

Moves the cursor to the right in normal mode (and to the left in shift mode in some application programs).

Works with other keys to perform special control functions, such as editing operations in MS-DOS and GW-BASIC.

Produces uppercase characters or symbols when used with the main character keys. Produces lowercase

characters when Caps Lock is on.

Works with other keys to enter

alternate character codes not

otherwise available.

Moves the cursor back one space,

deleting the character to the left.

Ends a line of keyboard input or

executes a command (may be called

the Return key in some manuals).

Changes the letter keys from lower-

to uppercase; changes back to lowercase when pressed again.

Cancels the current command line or operation.

Key Name

Using Your Apex 2-3

Purpose

Changes the function of the keys on the keypad from numeric entry to cursor movement; changes when pressed again.

Controls scrolling in some applications.

When you hold down the Ctrl key and press this key, it sends a break signal to the computer to terminate the current operation.

Prints the screen display on a dotmatrix printer.

Within application programs, these keys control cursor movement.

Turns the insert function on and off.

Deletes characters to the right of the cursor position.

The Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock keys work as

toggles, that is, they alternately turn functions on and off when

you press them. When the function is enabled, the correspond-

ing light on the top right corner of the keyboard is on to show the feature is on. When the function is disabled, the light is off.

Selecting Execution Speed

2-4 Using Your Apex

The Apex can operate at two speeds: 4.77MHz or 9.54MHz. At 9.54MHz, the Apex performs all tasks faster. Certain applications may have specific timing requirements and only operate at the slower speed. See the application program manual to determine the best operating speed.

When you turn on the computer, it runs at 4.77MHz. An orange power light indicates the system is set at the slower speed.

You can change the execution speed by typing a keystroke combination, or by running the SPEED program that Epson supplies on the GW-BASIC diskette.

To change the execution speed using the keystroke combination, hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and press the slash (/) key. The computer changes from one speed to the other each time

you

press

Ctrl Alt /.

You can also change the execution speed by running the SPEED program. To change the execution speed to 4.77MHz, type the following and press

Enter:

SPEED /1

To change the execution speed to 9.54MHz, type the following

and press

Enter:

SPEED /2

When you change the speed to 9.54MHz, the power light is

green and the computer sounds a high-pitched beep. When you

change the CPU speed to 4.77 MHz, the power light is orange and the computer sounds a low-pitched beep. You can also display the current execution speed by typing SPEED and pressing

Enter.

NOTE

Using Your Apex 2-5

If you want to set your computer to run at 9.54MHz every time you turn on or reset the computer, insert a SPEED command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. See “Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File” in Chapter 3 or your MS-DOS reference manual for more information.

Stopping a Command or Program

You may need to stop a command or program while it is running. To stop the operation of an MS-DOS command, hold down Ctrl and press C or hold down Ctrl and press Break. Both combinations send the ASCII code 03, which is known as the Break signal, to the computer.

You can try the same approach to stop the operation of an application program. If it the program does not stop, you may need to reset the computer, as described in the next section.

Resetting the Computer

Occasionally, you may want to clear the computer’s current settings or memory without turning it off. This is called resetting the computer.

You may want to do this if an error occurs and the computer does not respond to your commands. In this case, you can reset the computer and try the same operation again. However, since resetting erases all data in the computer’s internal memory (RAM), you should reset your computer only as a last resort.

WARNING

2-6 Using your Apex

Do not reset the computer simply to exit a program. Some

application programs classify and store new data when you exit

the program. If you reset the computer without properly exiting the program, you may lose data.

To reset the computer, hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Del

(on the numeric keypad at the right of the keyboard). The screen is blank for a moment, then MS-DOS is loaded from the diskette in drive A or from drive C.

If this does not correct the problem, remove any diskettes from the disk drives. Turn off the computer. Wait for five seconds, then turn off the monitor and any peripherals. Wait for another five seconds, then turn the computer, monitor, and peripherals on again.

Turning Off the Computer

Normally, when you are through working with an application program, you save your data, exit the program, and remove all diskettes from the disk drives.

If you are using an Apex Plus 20, run the HDSIT program to position the hard disk drive heads. Running HDSIT moves the read/write heads away from the recording area. See “Preparing the hard disk for moving” in this chapter.

Turn off the computer first, then turn off the monitor and any peripherals.

Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives

The disk drives in your computer let you store your work and programs for use at any time. Apex Plus systems have two 360 KB diskette drives. Apex Plus 20 systems have one 360 KB diskette drive and one 20 MB hard disk drive.

Read the following sections to learn how diskettes work and how to do the following:

Choose diskettes

Care for your diskettes and disk drives

Insert and remove diskettes

Write-protect diskettes

Make backup copies of your diskettes.

If you have an Apex Plus 20, also read these sections to learn

how to do the following:

Use a hard disk

Use a single diskette drive system

Prepare the hard disk before moving the computer.

How diskettes work

The diskettes you use are made of flexible plastic, coated with magnetic material, and enclosed in protective jackets. Like a record, a diskette has circular tracks on both sides. Your computer stores the data you enter as magnetic patterns on these circular tracks.

Using Your Apex 2-7

A small read/write head in the computer’s disk drive interprets the magnetic patterns. When you put a diskette in a drive, the read/write head is directly over the large oval hole. The hole allows read/write head access to the diskette so you can store, retrieve, and delete data. The data is stored magnetically so you can retrieve it, record over it, and erase it - just as you play, record, and erase music on cassette tapes.

Choosing diskettes for the Apex

The Apex uses diskettes that are 5 l/4-inch, double-sided, double-density, 48 TPI (tracks per inch). The diskette boxes are usually marked DS-DD

or 2S-2D, soft sector, 48 TPI. Each diskette can hold 360 KB of data, which is the equivalent of about 150 pages of text. For best results, use only high-quality diskettes with reinforced hub rings - the added reliability is

well worth the extra cost.

These diskettes are compatible with those used with the IBM

PC. This means you can use diskettes on the Apex that were prepared and used on another IBM-compatible computer.

You need to format new diskettes before you can use them with MS-DOS. The process of formatting erases all data on a diskette and prepares it to receive new data, so be sure to format only

2-8 Using Your Apex

new blank diskettes or diskettes that contain data you want to erase. See Chapter 3 (or your MS-DOS reference manual) for instructions on how to format diskettes.

Caring for your diskettes and diskette drives

Follow these basic precautions to protect your diskettes and help you avoid losing data:

Keep your diskettes away from dust and dirt. Small particles of dust or dirt can scratch the magnetic surface and destroy data. Dust can also ruin the read/write head

in the disk drive.

Keep your diskettes away from magnetic fields. (Remember that diskettes store their information magnetically.)

Be careful of the many sources of magnetism in and around your home or office, such as electrical appliances, telephones, and loudspeakers.

Do not place diskettes on top of your monitor or near a hard disk drive.

Keep your diskettes in a moderate environment. They work best at normal room temperature and in normal humidity. Don’t leave your diskettes sitting in the sun, or

in extreme cold or heat. Extreme temperatures inside a car in the middle of summer or winter can damage a diskette.

Never touch your diskette’s magnetic surface. Even the oils on your fingertips can damage it. Always hold a

diskette by its protective jacket.

Store your diskettes properly. Do not store diskettes flat or stack them on top of each other. When you are not

using them, keep your diskettes in their protective envelopes and store them in a diskette container.

Using Your Apex 2-9

Do not place anything on top of your diskettes, and do not bend them. A diskette does not rotate properly in the drive if it has been damaged.

Never wipe, brush, or try to clean diskettes in any way.

Carefully label diskettes. Attach the label firmly but gently, and only along the top of the diskette (next to

the manufacturer’s label). Do not stick several labels on

top of one another; too many labels can prevent the diskette from spinning freely in the disk drive.

It is best to write on the label before you attach it to a

diskette. If you must write on a label that is already on a

diskette, use only a soft-tip pen, not a ballpoint pen or a

pencil.

Do not remove a diskette from the disk drive or turn off

the computer while the drive light is on. The light you

see indicates that the computer is copying data to or from

a diskette. If you interrupt this process, you can destroy

data.

Remove all diskettes from the disk drives before you turn

off the computer.

Inserting and removing diskettes

When you insert a diskette into a disk drive, hold it with the

label up and the write-protect notch to the left (so that the read/write slot is away from you). Then gently slide the diskette into the disk drive.

2-10 Using Your Apex

When the diskette is all the way in, turn the latch down until

Using Your Apex 2-11

it locks into the vertical position. This keeps the diskette in place and lets the read/write heads in the disk drive access the diskette.

To remove the diskette, turn the latch up until it is horizontal.

Carefully pull out the diskette, place it in its protective envelope, and store it properly. Keep your diskettes in a special

diskette container.

WARNING

Never remove a diskette or turn off the computer while the

drive indicator light is on. You could lose data. Also, be sure to

remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer.

Write-protecting diskettes

You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered. When a diskette is write-protected, you can read data from it, but you cannot store new data on the diskette or delete any files it contains. If you try to change data stored on a writeprotected diskette, the computer displays an error message.

To write-protect a diskette, cover the small, rectangular notch with an adhesive write-protect tab. These write-protect tabs

usually come in the box with new diskettes when you buy them.

If you need to change data on a write-protected diskette, remove the write-protect tab.

Making backup copies

Always make backup copies of all your data and system diskettes. Copy all diskettes that contain programs, such as the master system diskettes that come with your Apex, and use only the copies. Store your original system diskettes in a safe place away from your working diskettes.

2-12 Using Your Apex

Copy your data diskettes regularly (preferably every day, or

every few hours if you’re creating a lot of data) to keep your backup data current, then store the backup copies away from your originals.

Chapter 1 describes how to use DISKCOPY to copy your MS-DOS system diskettes. To make backups of other MS-DOS diskettes, use the DISKCOPY command or the DU (Disk Utility) program. See your MS-DOS reference manual for instructions on using DISKCOPY and DU.

If you are using an Apex Plus 20, it’s best to put most of the programs and data files you use regularly on the hard disk. Keep backup copies of all your program files on diskettes and regularly copy important data files to diskettes as well. For more information, see “Copying Data” in Chapter 3 and refer to your MS-DOS reference manual.

Using Your Hard Disk

The Apex Plus 20 system includes an internal 20 MB hard disk. Here are some precautions to take when using a hard disk system:

Never attempt to open the hard disk drive. The disk

itself is enclosed in an airtight container to protect it

from dust.

If you are going to move your computer (even to

another part of the room), run the program called

HDSIT to prepare the hard disk for moving. See “Preparing the hard disk for moving” in this chapter for more information.

Working with a hard disk is very similar to working with a diskette. MS-DOS treats files on a hard disk just like files on a diskette. However, the hard disk provides several advantages:

Using Your Apex 2-13

The 20 MB hard disk can store as much data as 55

2-14 Using Your Apex

360 KB diskettes.

Your computer can read from and write to a hard disk

faster than when using a diskette.

You can store all your frequently used programs and data files on the hard disk, reducing the amount of time

you spend swapping between diskettes with different information on them.

The added storage capacity makes it easy to move back and forth between different programs and data files. However, because it is so easy to add programs and files to your hard disk, you may find yourself trying to organize hundreds of files.

MS-DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories. Epson also includes the XTREE utility with your Apex system, which gives you an easy-to-understand visual representation of your directory structure. XTREE contains many powerful features that let you move, create, delete, and rename files and directories, and view and execute files. See

“The XTREE Utility” in Chapter 3 or your MS-DOS reference manual for instructions.

Using a single diskette drive system

An operating system expects the computer to have at least two physical disk drives, and it displays prompts and messages accordingly. Although the Apex Plus 20 system has a single diskette drive, MS-DOS recognizes this one drive as two logical diskette drives. This helps you perform operations that normally require two diskette drives.

For example, if you give a command to copy from one drive to another, MS-DOS copies from the first diskette you place in the drive to the computer’s memory. Then MS-DOS prompts you to

insert another diskette and copies from memory to the new

diskette. When copying is complete, you see a prompt to insert

the original diskette.

Because you may often swap diskettes this way, it is important to remember which diskette is which. One way to avoid accidentally losing data is to hold the diskette for one drive in your left hand and the diskette for the other drive in your right. You

can also write-protect your source diskette.

Preparing the hard disk for moving

If you need to move your Apex Plus 20, even across the room, you should prepare the hard disk for moving to avoid damaging it. To do this, run the HDSIT program just before turning off the computer.

The HDSIT program moves the read/write heads away from the disk surfaces and securely locks them into position. If the heads are not secured and the computer is subjected to shock or vibration, the heads may bump the disk surfaces and the drive may be damaged or you may lose valuable data.

To run HDSIT, at the command prompt type:

HDSIT

and press Enter. The screen displays a message reminding you that the heads will not be unlocked until you reset the computer or turn it off and on again. The heads are locked and the keyboard is disabled. You can now turn off the computer and move it to a new location.

Using Your Apex 2-15

2-16 Using Your Apex

Chapter 3

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

In this chapter, you’ll learn the basics of using MS-DOS with your Apex. The MS-DOS operating system manages the routine work of your system, such as keeping the computer’s memory organized, controlling the monitor display, accepting keyboard input, and directing external communication.

Introducing MS-DOS

Your application software cannot communicate with your Apex hardware without instructions from MS-DOS. The operating system controls the system input and output, and the operation of all disk drives.

Before you can use an MS-DOS application program, MS-DOS must be running in the computer’s memory. This means you must first load MS-DOS so that the operating system can accept your instructions and make the right connections.

To communicate with the operating system, you need to enter MS-DOS commands. How much you need to know about the MS-DOS commands depends on how you plan to use your Apex. If you plan to use it only for running application programs, the few MS-DOS commands you need are introduced in this chapter. If you plan to use advanced features or create your own programs, you’ll want to know as much as possible about MS-DOS. See your MS-DOS reference manual.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-1

Starting and Exiting MS-DOS

Before you can run an MS-DOS application program, MS-DOS must be running in memory. Follow these steps to load MS-DOS:

Turn on your monitor and any peripherals, such as the

printer.

2. Turn on the computer.

If you have an Apex Plus, insert your MS-DOS system diskette into the top drive and press any key.

NOTE

If you are using an Apex Plus 20, your system is set to boot MS-DOS automatically from the hard disk when you turn on or

reset the computer. To boot from the hard disk, make sure that drive A does not contain a diskette. You can load MS-DOS from the diskette drive instead of the hard disk drive if you

insert your MS-DOS system diskette before you reset or turn on

your computer. Your computer, however, remembers that you

loaded MS-DOS from drive A and prompts you to insert the system diskette whenever it needs to access a command.

If you have an Apex Plus, respond to the Date and Time

prompts, or press Enter twice to skip them.

Now you see the MS-DOS command prompt, which tells you that MS-DOS is loaded and identifies the current drive. You can now enter commands to instruct MS-DOS to perform tasks and run application programs.

Always end your sessions with MS-DOS from the command prompt. Then it is safe to remove your diskettes, turn off the computer, and all peripherals.

3-2 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Changing the Default Drive

When you see the A> prompt, you know that MS-DOS is operating from drive A.

If you want to run a program or find a file on a different drive,

however, you must specify that drive. You can do this by

including the drive identifier with the filename or by logging on to that drive. The drive identifier is the letter of the disk drive followed by a colon.

For example, to log on to drive B (the bottom diskette drive),

type B : and press

Your screen now displays the B> prompt. This means that you

are now operating from drive B as the default drive. The system

continues to read from drive B until you log on to another

drive, or turn off or reset your computer.

To access a program or file without changing the default drive,

use a drive identifier with the filename. For example, if you are

logged on to drive A and want to access a file on drive B, type

the drive identifier and the filename together like this:

Enter.

B:README.TXT

Entering MS-DOS Commands

You can enter an MS-DOS command whenever you see the

MS-DOS command prompt. To enter a command, type the

command name and any necessary parameters, and then press

Enter to execute the command. Parameters include items that

identify the data you want to process and switches that alter the

effects of a command.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-3

You can enter command names and parameters in either uppercase or lowercase letters. However, you must separate command names and parameters with delimiters; most commands require spaces or commas as delimiters.

If you make a mistake when typing a command and you notice it before pressing Enter, you can do one of two things:

Use the backspace key to back up and correct the error

Press ESC to cancel the command line.

If you press Enter and a command line has an error in it, you see this message:

Bad command or file name

Then MS-DOS displays the command prompt so you can try

again. Just type the correct command line and press Enter.

Creating Files

All your data and programs are stored in files. A data file stores

information, such as words, numbers, or pictures. A program file stores instructions that the computer can understand and execute.

The kind of file you can create depends on the MS-DOS

command or application program you use to create it. In general,

a data file that you create using an application program is stored

in a special format. If you use a different application program to

read that file, you may encounter problems.

Once you create a file, you need to give it a name. You must

name your files in a certain format MS-DOS requires.

3-4 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Naming a File

Each file requires a unique filename. The filename consists of two parts: the file’s name and the file’s extension.

You can use up to eight characters in a filename. Create a name that identifies the information the file contains. The name can contain any characters or numbers except for blank spaces and the following symbols:

*\/{}:I<>+=;.?

The file extension is optional and can be up to three characters

long. You can use these characters to describe what type of file it is, such as a text file or program file. Some application pro-

grams add extensions to the files you create. The application

program uses the extension to determine whether it is a compatible data file. Avoid using the same extensions your application programs use. When you use an extension, separate it from the file’s name with a period. For example, an MS-DOS filename might look like this:

DATA.TXT

Do not use uppercase and lowercase letters to distinguish between files. MS-DOS does not recognize the difference and displays filenames in uppercase.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-5

Creating and Using Directories

MS-DOS stores the names of the files in directories. This makes

it easy for you to organize and find your files. A directory contains specific information about each file such as its name, size, and the date and time you last updated the file.

As you create more and more files within a directory, you may find it difficult to quickly locate files. You may want to create subdirectories within your main directory so you can group files

more efficiently. This kind of organization is called a treestructured directory.

At the top of the tree-structured directory is the main directory, also called the root directory. The root directory can contain many subdirectories, and each subdirectory can contain other subdirectories. The structure of a directory may look like this:

The root directory does not have a name, but is always identified by a backslash (\). Each subdirectory has a name, and you can access any file in any subdirectory by using a pathname. The

name of a subdirectory can be up to eight characters long, consisting of letters and numbers.

3-6 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

The directory you are working in is called the cm-rent directory. Usually, when you first load the operating system, the root directory is the current directory. To list the files in the root directory, type DIR and press Enter. The screen displays the following above the file names:

Directory of A:\

If you are working in a directory named LEDGER, the screen displays the following above the list of files:

Directory of A:\LEDGER

There are six basic operations you need to know about to use

directories:

Creating directories

Changing directories

Using pathnames

Copying from one directory to another

Displaying a list of all directories

Deleting a directory.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-7

Creating directories

Use the MKDIR command to create a directory. For example, to create the LEDGER directory under the root directory, type the following and press Enter:

MKDIR \LEDGER

You can abbreviate the name of this command to MD. For example, to create the SALES directory under LEDGER, type the following and press Enter:

MD \LEDGER\SALES

To check that the LEDGER directory is in the root directory, type

DIR

and press

the root directory, along with the new subdirectory:

Enter.

The screen displays a list of files in

LEDGER

The <DIR> after a name identifies it as a subdirectory of the current directory (in this case, the root directory).

Storing files in separate directories is almost the same as storing them on separate disks. You have to specify the pathname or change directories to access files in different directories just as you have to specify the drive or log onto a different drive to access files on different disks.

Changing directories

To change directories, type CHDIR (or CD) followed by a backslash and the name of the directory. For example, to change to the LEDGER directory, type the following and press

<DIR>

Enter:

CD \LEDGER

3-8 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

`The backslash identifies the new directory LEDGER as a subdirectory of the root directory.

Once you are in the directory, you can directly access any files it contains.

To change to a subdirectory of the current directory, you do not need to enter the backslash. For example, to change to the SALES subdirectory while you are in the LEDGER directory, type the following and press Enter:

CD SALES

To return to the root directory from any subdirectory, type the

following and press

Enter:

CD \

This command takes you back to the root directory from any subdirectory.

Using pathnames

You can access files in a different directory by specifying a pathname. The path consists of a series of directory names separated by backslashes and the filename you want to access. The filename is always last and is always preceded by a backslash. A backslash at the beginning of a pathname signifies the root directory; subsequent backslashes separate directory levels.

Normally, MS-DOS directory. When you set a path, MS-DOS searches for the file in all the directories in the designated path.

begins searching for a file in the current

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-9

For example, if you are in the LEDGER directory and want to access a file named MICHELLE under the PERSONAL directory, you would type the following pathname and press

\WORDPROC/PERSONAL/MICHELLE

The pathname \ WORDPROC\PERSONAL\MICHELLE is the full pathname for the file MICHELLE. You can use it no matter what directory you are in (as long as it is on the same

disk). The first backslash path to the file starts in the root directory. WORDPROC is the name of the subdirectory under the root directory, and PERSONAL is the subdirectory under WORDPROC.

If you want to access a file on a different drive, include the drive letter in the pathname as in this example:

B:\WORDPROC\PERSONAL\MICHELLE

Other Directory Commands

SUBST command lets you substitute a drive letter for a directory path. This is helpful when you use a long path.

or root directory) signifies that the

Enter:

The APPEND command lets you set a search path to directories containing data files.

The PATH command lets you specify a search path for external commands or program files (those having an extension of .COM, .EXE, or .BAT).

See the descriptions of SUBST, APPEND, and PATH in your MS-DOS reference manual.

3-10 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Copying from one directory to another

You use the COPY command to copy files from one directory to another. Specify the pathname of the file you want to copy, then specify the directory where you want to place the copy. For example, if you are in the WORDPROC directory and want to copy MICHELLE f

the PERSONAL subdirectory to the

rom

BUSINESS subdirectory, type the following and press Enter:

COPY PERSONAL\MICHELLE BUSINESS

Be sure to type a space between the filename and the new

pathname. You do not type a backslash before PERSONAL or

BUSINESS because they are subdirectories of the current directory. If you do enter the backslashes, MS-DOS looks in the root directory for the directory and does not find them.

MS-DOS provides two special notations to identify the current directory and the next directory. These two notations are the first entries in each directory other than the root directory:

This represents the current directory. Typing DIR. is the same as typing DIR without the period.

This represents the next directory above the current one, called the parent directory. If WEST is your current

directory, typing DIR..

displays the contents of the SALES

subdirectory.

Using MS-DOS

with Your Apex 3-11

Displaying a list of directories

The TREE command lets you display a list of all the directories on the specified drive. For example, to see the names of all the directories on the default drive, type the following and press

Enter:

TREE

The screen displays a report for every directory on the drive, for example:

Path:

C:\LEDGER

Sub-directories:RECEIV

PAYABL

SALES

If you want to see a list of all the files in the directories, add the /F switch to the command (see your MS-DOS reference manual):

TREE /F

The screen displays the directory information shown above plus

the names of all files in each subdirectory, for example:

Path:

C:LEDGER\SALES

Sub-directories:None

Files:

DECSALES FORECAST.88 OCTSALES NOVSALES

NOTE

To use the TREE command, you must log onto the drive (and directory) where TREE.COM is stored or specify the drive location in the command.

3-12 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Removing a directory

If you no longer need a directory, you can remove it with the RMDIR (remove directory) command. To remove a directory, first delete any files it contains or move them to another direc-

tory. You cannot remove a directory that is not empty.

To remove an empty directory, such as the WEST directory

under LEDGER, type the following and press Enter:

RMDIR \LEDGER\WEST

You must give the complete pathname when removing a

directory.

Formatting Diskettes

Before you can store data on a new diskette, you must format it. Formatting prepares the diskette to accept data written by MS-DOS.

You can also format previously used diskettes. This process erases all data on the diskette. Always be sure you do not want to save any of the data on a diskette before you format it.

The formatting procedure you use depends on whether you are

using an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20. Follow the appropriate procedure below for the computer you are using.

Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus

Insert your working copy of the MS-DOS diskette in drive A (and press any key, if necessary).

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-13

2. When you see the A> prompt, type:

FORMAT B:

and press Enter. You see this prompt:

Insert diskette for drive B:

and strike ENTER when ready

3. Insert the diskette you want to format into drive B and

press Enter. MS-DOS displays the head and cylinder numbers as it formats each cylinder of the diskette:

Head:

4. When the diskette is formatted, you see these messages:

n Cylinder: nn

Format complete 362496 bytes total disk space 362496 bytes available on disk

Format another (Y/N)?

You can press Y to format another diskette or press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.

Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 20

Insert the diskette you want to format in drive A.

2. If necessary, type

to log onto drive C.

3-14 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

3. When you see the C> prompt, type:

FORMAT A:

and press Enter. You see this prompt:

Insert new diskette for drive A:

and strike ENTER when ready

4. Insert the diskette you want to format into drive A and

press Enter. MS-DOS displays the head and cylinder numbers as it formats each cylinder of the diskette:

Head:

When the diskette is formatted, you see these messages:

n Cylinder: nn

Format complete

362496 bytes total disk space 362496 bytes available on disk

Format another (Y/N)?

You can press Y to format another diskette or press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt.

Copying Data

It’s important to create backup copies of the files you store on your diskettes or hard disk. You can copy data and program files several ways:

You can use the DISKCOPY command to copy the contents of an entire diskette.

You can use the COPY command to copy select files.

You can use the BACKUP command to back up the files on a hard disk or diskette in a compressed format.

Using MS-DOS with your Apex 3-15

Using the DISKCOPY command

3-16 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

The DISKCOPY command lets you copy all the files on a diskette to another diskette. Epson also provides a disk utility

called DU to copy diskettes; this utility is described in your MS-DOS reference manual.

The procedure for copying diskettes depends on whether you

are using an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20. Follow the appropriate procedure for the computer you are using.

NOTE

If you are using an Apex Plus 20, be aware that you cannot use DISKCOPY to copy files from a hard disk to a diskette. DISKCOPY only copies files between diskettes. To copy a file

from a hard disk to a diskette, use either the COPY command

or the BACKUP command. See the appropriate section in this chanter or your MS-DOS reference manual for instructions.

Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus

When you use the DISKCOPY command, you need to specify the disk drive (A: and B:). If you do not, MS-DOS copies the diskette in drive A to a second diskette that you insert in drive A. This means you must swap diskettes during the copy process.

MS-DOS displays prompts to tell you when you need to change

diskettes.

Make sure your original diskette is write-protected. (See

Chapter 2 for instructions.)

Insert your working copy of the MS-DOS system diskette in the top drive (drive A).

3. At the A> prompt, type:

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-17

DISKCOPY A: B:

and press

4. MS-DOS prompts you to insert your diskettes. You see these messages:

Enter.

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Insert TARGET diskette in drive B:

Press any key when ready ...

Insert the diskette you want to copy from (the source) in drive A and the diskette you want to copy to (the target)

in drive B. Then press any key.

DISKCOPY checks to see if the destination diskette is formatted. If it is not, DISKCOPY formats the diskette. You see the message:

Formatting while copying

The copy operation begins when the format is complete. You see this message:

Copying 40 tracks

9 sectors/track, 2 side(s)

When the copy is complete, you see these messages:

Copy complete Copy another (Y/N)?

6. Press Y to perform another copy or N to end the

DISKCOPY command.

Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 20

Make sure your original diskette is write protected (see

Chapter 2 for instructions).

If necessary, type C : to log onto drive C.

3. At the

prompt, type:

DISKCOPY

and press

MS-DOS displays these messages:

Enter.

Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A: Press any key when ready ...

4. Insert the diskette you want to copy from in the diskette drive and press any key.

DISKCOPY copies the contents of the diskette to the computer’s memory. The screen displays a message similar to this while copying:

Copying 40 tracks

9 sectors/track, 2 side(s)

When all the files have been copied, the screen displays these messages:

Insert TARGET diskette in drive A:

Press any key when ready ...

3-18 Using MS-DOS with your Apex

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-19

Remove the diskette from drive A and insert the blank

diskette in the drive. DISKCOPY checks to see if the new diskette is formatted. If not, it formats the diskette. You see this message:

Formatting while copying

The copy operation begins when the format is complete. You see these messages:

Copying 40 tracks

9 sectors/track, 2 side(s)

When the copy is complete, you see this message:

Copy another diskette (Y/N)?

6. Press Y to perform another copy or N to end the

DISKCOPY command.

Using the COPY command

You can use the COPY command to copy files in several ways:

Copy individual files from one diskette to another or to the same diskette

Copy a group of files using wildcard characters

Copy one or more files and give them new names

Combine or merge files into one file.

A few simple rules apply when copying files:

3-20 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

You must tell MS-DOS where to find the source file and where to write the target file.

You cannot create a new file with the same name as an existing file.

If a file on the target diskette has the same name as a file on the source diskette, the copy automatically replaces the file on the target diskette. There is no warning that the file on the target diskette is being replaced, so be careful that you do not accidentally erase a file you want to keep.

The target diskette must be a formatted diskette.

To copy a file, simply type the COPY command and the filenames at the command prompt, and then press Enter.

To copy a file from the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B using the same name, type:

COPY A:REPORT.EXT B:

If you want to copy a file from the diskette in drive A to the

diskette in drive B using a new name, type:

COPY A:REPORT.EXT B:FACTS.EXT

To copy a file onto the same diskette with a new name, type:

COPY REPORT FACTS

In this case, you can omit the drive identifier because the source and target files are on the current drive.

An easy way to copy a group of files is by using wildcard characters in the filenames. You can use two wildcard characters: * and ?. The asterisk represents any group of characters and the question mark represents any single character.

To copy all the files on the diskette in drive A to the diskette in

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-21

drive B, type:

COPY A:*.* B:

To copy all the files on drive A whose names begin with the

four letters “MEMO” and end with any single character to drive B, type:

COPY A:MEMO? B:

Another task you can perform with the COPY command is combine a number of files into one file. Use this format:

COPY REPORT + FACTS + MEMO DATA

When you use the COPY command this way it copies the file REPORT, then FACTS, and then MEMO into the new file, DATA. In this example, the files are located on the current drive.

Using the BACKUP command

You typically use the BACKUP command to back up hard disk files. It lets you store files in a compressed format for archive purposes. You can use BACKUP to copy files from any disk to

another (hard disk to diskette, diskette to hard disk, diskette to

diskette, even hard disk to hard disk).

Unlike DISKCOPY and COPY which make exact duplicates of files, BACKUP creates files that you cannot use until you restore them using the RESTORE command.

You can use switches with BACKUP to back up files created after a certain date, or to specify files stored in a certain directory.

You can also completely back up all your files and then tell

3-22 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

BACKUP to add only those files that have been modified since the last time you ran BACKUP. This process, called an incremental backup, makes regular backups faster to perform.

Be sure you have enough formatted diskettes to back up the data on your hard disk drive. It can take about 50 360KB diskettes to copy a 20MB hard disk drive that is completely full (although it is rare that you would store this many files on a hard disk). In any case, you don’t want to run out of formatted diskettes during the backup process.

See your MS-DOS reference manual for complete instructions on using BACKUP.

The HELP Utility

The HELP command provides information on all MS-DOS commands and utility programs. This help function provides useful information but is not intended to be a substitute for the MS-DOS reference manual.

The format of this command is:

HELP [command...]

Type HELP only to see a menu of all commands. Type followed by the name of one or more MS-DOS commands, each separated by a space, to bypass the menu and display the messages for each command.

When the menu is displayed, you see this prompt at the bottom of the screen:

Select command name, Enter to display command,

Esc to Exit

HELP

Use the cursor keys to highlight a command name and press

Enter to display the help screens for this one command.

If there is more than one page of text, you see the prompt PgUp

on the top of the screen. Press PgUp to display the rest of the text. After reading the help information, press ESC to return to the menu.

If you type HELP and one or more command names on the command line, the help information for the first command is displayed. Press ESC to see the help information for the next command. When you press ESC after viewing the information for the last command, MS-DOS returns to the command

prompt.

NOTE

The help information is stored in the HELP.TXT file, which is

located on your GW-BASIC and Supplemental Utilities diskette. If you copy HELP.COM to another diskette or to your hard disk, you must also copy HELP.TXT to the same disk. If they are not in the same path, you can use the APPEND command to locate HELP.TXT.

Examples

To see help information for the COPY command, type the

following command and press Enter:

HELP COPY

To see help information for the DISKCOPY and FORMAT

commands, type the following and press Enter:

HELP DISKCOPY FORMAT

To see the help menu, type HELP and press Enter.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-23

Messages

command not found

You may have misspelled the command name. Press Enter to return to the command prompt and try again.

Failed to open HELP.TXT

HELP could not find the HELP.TXT file. HELP.COM and HELP.TXT must be in the same directory, or use APPEND to

locate the directory that contains HELP.TXT.

The XTREE Utility

Epson has included the XTREE program with MS-DOS to make it easier for you to manage files and run other MS-DOS pro-

grams. It is located on the GW-BASIC diskette.

Using XTREE, you can do the work of nine MS-DOS internal commands using a convenient menu format.

What XTREE does

XTREE offers a wide variety of special functions that allow you to:

Display all the directories in a disk, the files they contain,

and the file statistics

Display, copy, and delete files individually or in groups, to

any directory on a disk

Make new directories, rename directories, remove empty

directories, and change from one directory to another

Create, display, or change volume labels

3-24 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Move a file, or files, from one directory to another on the current disk

Display and change the attributes of any file; attributes are special switches, which you use to designate files as readonly, hidden, system, or archived

Display data in both ASCII and hexadecimal format

Execute programs

Display how much space is available on your disks

Modify screen parameters.

Using XTREE

To run XTREE, move to the directory where XTREE is located. Type XTREE at the command prompt, and press Enter. A title screen appears while XTREE reads your disk’s directory, then a menu similar to this displays:

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-25

The XTREE display shows you:

PATH

FILE

DISK

DISK Statistics

Provides the current location as an MS-DOS style pathname.

Provides a tree diagram of the directory structure of the disk. This window currently shows the disk only has a root directory (\).

Shows you the files XTREE is set to display. This window shows that XTREE is set to display all files matching the DOS specification *.*, in other words, all files.

Shows the name of the disk being displayed and the number of free bytes.

Summarizes information about

the files on the disk.

FILES Lists all filenames on the disk.

DIR COMMANDS

Shows you a menu of keystroke

commands you can give

XTREE. Regardless of which

XTREE function you are using,

this line identifies the keys that

control the screen display and

the commands you need to

complete the function.

You use the cursor keys, character keys, function keys, the Ctrl key, and the Alt key to perform various functions in XTREE.

3-26 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Cursor keys move the pointer. To select a file, use the arrow keys to highlight the file and directory names within the Directory and File windows. Press Enter to move the cursor from the Directory window to the File window and back again.

Character keys execute an XTREE command. The available XTREE commands appear on the DIR/COMMANDS or FILE/COMMANDS line at the bottom of your screen. The highlighted letter of the word (D in Delete, for example)

indicates the key you press to execute the command. You can

execute some commands on more than one file or directory by

tagging all the desired files or directories with the Tag command, and then holding down the Ctrl key as you press the character key.

Alt key commands execute additional XTREE commands. The available XTREE commands appear on the DIR/COMMANDS or FILE/COMMANDS line when you press the Alt key. To

execute the command, hold down the Alt key and press the

highlighted letter of the command name.

Function keys control XTREE itself. Press F1 to quit XTREE, press F2 to display a screen of help information, and press F3 to

cancel a command. XTREE displays the available commands

and the key that executes the command on the lower right of

your screen.

There are many ways you can put XTREE to work. All disk setup and maintenance functions can benefit from this utility. You can add XTREE to batch files like any other MS-DOS command-you could even put it in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file to display a disk’s file structure when you turn on the computer.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-27

Cautions

With a utility as powerful and as fast as XTREE, you must always be aware of the danger of accidentally erasing important files. Follow these guidelines to protect your files:

You can cancel commands, even commands in progress, by

pressing F3. This stops any function.

Use Ctrl A (the attributes command) to give read-only

status to all the files in the directories. Then, in order to

erase a file, you must first remove its protection.

XTREE is limited in the number of files and directories it

can handle. XTREE checks to see if a disk has more than

180 directories or 2800 files; if the disk does, XTREE auto-

matically aborts.

Example

XTREE offers too many commands to demonstrate all the various combinations in this introduction; just remember that everything you can do is shown on the screen display.

The best way to learn XTREE is to use it. In this example, you create a new directory on your system diskette or hard disk, copy a few files into it, and then remove them all.

3-28 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

At the MS-DOS command prompt, type XTREE and press

Enter. You see the XTREE menu:

Path:\

ANSI ASSIGN ATTRIB CHKDSK COMMAND DEBUG

DISKCOMP DISKCOPY

DU EPSON FC FIND

DIR Available Delete

COMMANDS ^Showall

scroll RETURN file commands ALT menu F1 quit

Press M (for Makedir) to create a directory for your files.

SYS FORMAT COM GRAFTABL

EXE GRAPHICS COM IO COM KEYBFR COM KEYBGR COM KEYBIT COM KEYBSP EXE KEYBUK TXT LABEL EXE MODE EXE MORE

^Tag

COM MSDOS

COM POWER EXE PRINT SYS RECOVER COM REVERSE COM SELECT COM SETMODE COM SETUP COM SORT EXE SPEED COM SYS COM

Filespec Log disk Makedir Print Rename

^Untag Volume

Type TEST1 and press Enter to name your directory. XTREE opens a new directory and updates the directory structure so it looks like this:

FILE:'.*

DISK: A:

Available

Bytes

DISK Statistics

SYS

TOtal

COM

Files: Bytes:

COM

Matching

COM COM

Files: Bytes:

COM

Tagged

EXE

Files:

EXE

Bytes :

EXE

Current

COM

EXE

Bytes :

execute

Starting Your Application Program

Once you have loaded MS-DOS, you can start using your application program. Remove your MS-DOS diskette from drive A and insert your application program diskette.

Once you start using your application program, you see the prompts and screen displays that are unique to the application program. See your application manuals for more information.

Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File

You may find that there are some commands you want to run every time you turn on your computer.

To run a command or a series of commands automatically upon

startup, you can type the commands into a batch file called AUTOEXEC.BAT. MS-DOS automatically looks for this file at startup. If MS-DOS finds an AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory, it executes the commands in that file.

If you are using an Apex Plus 20, Epson has included an

AUTOEXEC.BAT file in the root directory of your hard disk. It

contains these commands:

ECHO OFF PATH C:\;C:\DOS;C:\BASIC

PROMPT SPSG CLS

The first line instructs MS-DOS not to display the commands in the batch file before executing them. The second line sets a command search path; now MS-DOS automatically looks for programs in the root directory (C:\), the DOS directory, and the BASIC directory as well as the current directory. The third

3-32 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

third line changes the command prompt to display the current directory as well as the current drive, and the fourth line clears the screen.

Here are some other suggestions for commands you can include in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file:

Modify the PATH command to include the directories containing other software programs you commonly use.

Add the XTREE command to the end of the list of commands so that you start each session within XTREE.

Add the SPEED command so your computer is running at fast speed at startup.

Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file

You can create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file using any command or program that lets you create a text-only file. If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text-only file (sometimes called an ASCII text file), you can use that program to create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

The MS-DOS COPY command provides an easy way to create an AUTOEXEC.BAT file. At the MS-DOS command prompt, type the following and press Enter:

COPY CON: C:\AUTOEXEC.BAT

C : is the drive which will contain the AUTOEXEC.BAT file

you are creating. Type the commands you want to include in

the file exactly as you want MS-DOS to execute them. Press

Enter at the end of each line. After you type the last command,

press Enter to move the cursor to a blank line. Now press F6 and then Enter. COPY copies everything you entered (from CON:, a special name for the keyboard) to the file AUTOEXEC.BAT.

Using MS-DOS with Your Apex 3-33

3-34 Using MS-DOS with Your Apex

Chapter 4

Installing Option Cards

You can use your Apex in many additional ways by adding option cards to its present configuration. Option cards are accessories that provide extra capabilities to your Apex. For example, you may want to install an internal modem so you can communicate with another computer over the telephone, or a video card that allows you to use an EGA monitor.

You can install up to five option cards in the Apex at one time, but keep in mind that one position is always occupied by the

video card that operates your monitor. If you are using an Apex Plus 20, a second position is occupied by a hard disk controller card.

Option cards are available from Epson as well as other vendors.

In addition, multifunction boards (available from various vendors) allow you to add multiple features using only a single slot.

Before you install an option card in your computer, you need to remove the cover from your computer. Remember that static electricity can damage the computer’s circuitry. Therefore, be careful when you remove the cover and install the option card.

This chapter describes how to remove and replace the

computer’s cover and install and remove an option card.

Installing Option Cards 4-1

Removing the Cover

To remove the cover, you’ll need a cross-head screwdriver. Follow these steps:

WARNING

Never open the cover of the Apex while it is plugged into an electrical outlet. Turn off the power switch to the computer,

then turn off any other peripheral devices connected to it. Wait

for a few seconds, then unplug the power cord before removing

the cover.

If your monitor is on top of the computer, disconnect it and move it to one side. Disconnect the keyboard and your printer and set them out of the way, too.

The top cover is secured by two screws on either side of the computer, as shown below. Remove the screws and place them to one side. Turn the computer around so that the back panel faces you.

3. You’ll see that the cover is secured to the back panel with one screw. Remove the screw and put it safely to one side.

4-2 Installing Option Cards

4. Now tilt the cover up slightly from the back and push it away from you and the computer.

5. Set the cover aside for now.

Inserting the Option Card

Now that the cover is off, you can place the option card in any of the open option slots. Even though option cards are designed to fit only one way, it is a good idea to examine the card first and follow the instructions closely.

Installing Option Cards 4-3

Touch the power supply cover inside the computer to discharge any static electricity that may be on your clothes or body.

Decide which option slot you want to use, then remove the retaining screw from the metal cover plate at the back of the slot. Lift out the metal cover and keep it in a safe place to use later if you remove the option card. Keep the screw close by; you’ll need it to secure the option card to the computer.

4-4 Installing Option Cards

Next, unpack the option card and read all instructions that

come with it. Adjust any switches or jumper connections on the option card if necessary.

NOTE

Pay special attention to the warnings in your option card instructions. Some devices have delicate CMOS chips that you should not touch.

When you handle the card, be careful not to touch any

of the contacts on the circuit board, especially along the gold edge connections. If you need to put the card down before installing it, place it with the component side (the chips and transistors) facing down on top of the

original packing.

4. Grip the card firmly by the top corners. Keep the contact pins pointing down and the components facing toward the inside of the computer.

Installing Option Cards 4-5

Now, insert the card straight down into the slot. Slide the

tab at the bottom of the retaining bracket between the back panel and the green main circuit board.

6. Once you have the connector pins sitting in the connector slot, push down firmly (but carefully) to fully insert the card. If you feel that the connector isn’t going in smoothly, do not force it; pull it all the way out and try again. Be sure

to keep it straight.

When the card is properly inserted, secure the retaining bracket to the frame of the computer with the small screw.

4-6 Installing Option Cards

Replacing the Cover

After you have installed the card, all you need to do is replace the cover of the computer:

With the back of the computer still facing you, position the cover over the computer with the front edge pointing slightly downward.

Lower the cover onto the computer making sure that the edges fit around the back panel.

Secure the cover by replacing the screw on the back of the computer and the four screws on the sides of the top cover.

You can return the computer to its original position and

4. reconnect it to the monitor, the keyboard, and any other peripherals you have.

Check to make sure the power switch is off before you reconnect the power cord to the back of the computer and then to an electrical outlet.

Installing Option Cards 4-7

Post-installation Setup

With the option card in place, your Apex may need a few adjustments to accommodate its new configuration. If you have already replaced the computer’s cover and reconnected the power cord, you may now need to change your DIP switch settings to reflect the new configuration. For example, if you add an extra parallel interface, you need to change switch 2 so the computer recognizes the additional interface. See Appendix A for more information on DIP switch settings.

NOTE

When you change DIP switch settings, you must turn the computer off, then turn it on for the setting to be in effect.

You may also need to add some commands to the configuration files on your system diskette as well. Your MS-DOS reference manual provides you with instructions.

When you finish installing option cards and reconfiguring the system, you should test the option if possible. Some option cards come with their own diagnostic test programs.

Removing Option Cards

If you find that you need to remove an option card, first turn off the computer and unplug the power cord, then detach any cables connected to the option card. Disconnect the monitor and keyboard, and remove the computer cover. Then check the option card installation instructions and follow them in reverse.

Be sure to follow all the same safety instructions you did while installing the card, and make sure you pull the card straight up

4-8 Installing Option Cards

and out of the connector to avoid damaging it. When the card is removed, rewrap it (using the original packing materials) and

place it inside the packing box for safe storage. Next, replace the

metal access slot cover, and finally replace the computer’s cover.

When you have reassembled the computer, remember that you may need to reset the computer’s DIP switches to properly con-

figure your system.

Installing Option Cards 4-9

Epson Apex+ User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

Introduction

How to Use This Manual

Where to Get Help

Unpacking

Removing the disk drive protector cards

Choosing a Location

Arranging the components

The front panel

The back panel

Connecting the Monitor

Connecting the Keyboard

Connecting a Printer

Parallel interface

Serial interface

Connecting the Power Cord

Safety rules

System startup

Initial screen display

Loading MS-DOS on the Apex Plus

The command prompt

Copying System Diskettes

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus

Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 20

Setting the Real Time Clock

Special Keys on the Apex Keyboard

Selecting Execution Speed

Stopping a Command or Program

Resetting the Computer

Turning Off the Computer

Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives

How diskettes work

Choosing diskettes for the Apex

Caring for your diskettes and diskette drives

Inserting and removing diskettes

Write-protecting diskettes

Making backup copies

Using Your Hard Disk

Using a single diskette drive system

Preparing the hard disk for moving

Introducing MS-DOS

Starting and Exiting MS-DOS

Changing the Default Drive

Entering MS-DOS Commands

Creating Files

Naming a File

Creating and Using Directories

Creating directories

Changing directories

Using pathnames

Other Directory Commands

Copying from one directory to another

Displaying a list of directories

Removing a directory

Formatting Diskettes

Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus

Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 20

Copying Data

Using the DISKCOPY command

Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 20

Using the COPY command

Using the BACKUP command

The HELP Utility

Examples

Messages

The XTREE Utility

What XTREE does

Using XTREE

Cautions

Example

Starting Your Application Program

Using an AUTOEXEC.BAT File

Creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file

Removing the Cover

Inserting the Option Card

Replacing the Cover

Post-installation Setup