Epson HX-20 User Manual

Download

EPSON

HX-20 OPERATIONS MANUAL

Kenneth Skier

President

SkiSoft, Inc.

Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Source”’ is a service mark of Source

CompuServe® is a

system, or

photocopying, recording or

America,

the

Inc. No

omissions. Neither is any

information contained

Readers Digest Association. Inc.

part of

this

publication

transmitted,

herein. While every

registered trademark of CompuServe. Inc.

in any

form or

otherwise, without the

patent liability is

the

publisher

and

liability

herein.

Telecomputing

may be

by any means,

assumed with respect to the

precaution

author

assumed

reproduced, stored in a

electronic,

prior written permission of

has been

assume no

for damages

Corporation. a subsidiary of the

resulting

mechan-

use of

taken

in the

responsibility for

from

the

Federal Communications Commission

Radio Frequency Interference

Statement

“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 or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is 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 com-

puter and receiver are on different branch circuits.

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

“How to identify and Resolve Radio-TV Interference Problems.” This booklet is available from the US Government Printing Office,

Washington, D.C., 20402, Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.

1 Congratulations! 2 Cautions

Case Dummy cartridge System bus cover Circuitry cover

Battery charger Batteries

Printer ............................................

Peripherals ........................................

Physicalshock .....................................

Humidity

Extreme temperatures

3 Preparing

Unpackingthe HX-20 Charging the batteries Preparing the printer for use

initializing memory and the calendar clock Selecting a different character set.

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

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

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

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

your

Removing the printer cover. Inserting the paper roll. Inserting the ribbon cartridge

Replacing the printer cover.

Adjusting the viewing angle

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

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

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

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

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

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

HX-20

for use

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5 5

7 7 8 9

9 10 10 11

13 13 14 15 16 17

21 22 23 25 27

4 Using the HX-20

Turning it on ......................................

Viewing the menu..

Choosing an item from the menu

The screen

The virtual screen Thecursor

Scrolling ..........................................

Homing the cursor Clearing the screen Typing on the virtual screen

Automatic scrolling.

editor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

31 31 31 33

35 35 36 40 40 41 41 41

Virtual screen width Logical lines vs. physical lines.

Retyping ..........................................

Deleting text Insert mode

Upper and lower case. Numeric mode Graphic characters

Printing the screen

Using the special function keys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

42 43 44 44 45 46 47 49

50 52

6 Connecting

-to a cassette recorder

-to an RS-232 device

-to a bar code reader

What if you have problems?

If you can’t turn off your HX-20

If the menu displays garbage

If you encounter other problems

8 Storing

for a few minutes to a few hours

- for a few hours to a few weeks

-for a few weeks to a few months ...................

Specifications.

Architecture..

Expansion

Help!

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

your

HX-20 to

your

HX-20

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

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

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

other devices

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

55 57 58

61 62 62

63 63 63

Chapter 1

Congratulations!

Congratulations! You have just purchased the first of a new generation of personal computers. The Epson HX-20 is unlike any product ever built, combining the power and usefulness of a desktop computer with the portability of a pocket calculator.

It’s a go-anywhere, do-

anything system designed from the start to be user-friendly-

which means you don’t have to

know anything about comput-

ers to use it. Powered by its own internal batteries, with no dangling cords or external paraphernalia, the HX-20 is a compact and uncluttered system, at home in the classroom or the conference room, on your desk or in your lap.

Unlike most other personal

computers, the HX-20 can store

up to seventeen programs in its memory. (Five of these may be BASIC programs.) When you

turn on the HX-20, a menu appears on the screen, listing the names of these programs. You can make the HX-20 run any program on the menu simply by pressing a single key.

Furthermore, the HX-20 has a memory like an elephant. Unlike most personal computers, which forget any program in memory as soon as they are “powered down,” the HX-20 remembers all programs in its

memory even when you turn it

off

Contained within the HX-20 is an extended version of Microsoft BASIC, a powerful programming language that is easy to learn and which takes full advantage of the many special

features of the HX-20. If you have no interest in programming,

you can purchase

programs and run them on your HX-20. But if you do wish to learn about programming, the accompanying Epson HX-20

BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual will teach you every-

thing you need to know. It will take you from a computer novice to an accomplished computer programmer, in only a few evenings.

When you use the HX-20, you’ll notice that its full-size, full-stroke keyboard has the feel of a fine piece of office equipment, and that its programmable special function keys make it a snap to develop pro-

grams that are extremely easy to use. You'll also appreciate its built-in screen and printer. They display graphics as well as numbers, punctuation marks, and upper and lower case letters.

You may tailor the HX-20 to certain applications, such as word processing or telecom-

munications, by purchasing a

tiny circuit called an option ROM An option ROM will fit inside the HX-20, enhancing it

permanently with the desired capabilities. Only one option ROM can fit inside the HX-20 at a time, but it’s a powerful means of customizing the HX-20 for a desired application-without diminishing in any way its ability to run BASIC programs or to accept option cartridges.

Option cartridges also tailor

the HX-20 for specific applications. You can install a cartridge in moments, simply by sliding it into a recessed compartment in the case of the HX-20. Insert a

program cartridge for one or

case

Never

disassemble

Leave

the dummy

In the upper right corner of your HX-20, you will notice a dummy cartridge.

the case

cartridge in place

cartridge

Leave the dummy

cartridge

in place

If you purchase an option cartridge containing a program or a

microcassette recorder, then you will need to remove the dummy

cartridge in order to insert the option cartridge. But until then,

please leave the dummy cartridge in place.

When no cartridge is in place, one of the HX-20’s connectors is

exposed. Static electricity or metal objects contacting this connector can damage the HX-20’s circuitry. By covering up this connector, the dummy cartridge prevents such mishaps.

not

remove

the

system

bus

cover

On the left side of your HX-20, you will notice a small strip of dark

plastic. This covers up a connector called the system bus.

system

bus cover

not remove the system

bus

cover

When the system bus is exposed, you will run the risk of damaging your HX-20 through exposure to static electricity, metal objects, and other hazards. The system bus cover protects your HX-20. Carefully remove it only to install the HX-20 expansion

unit.

Treat

the

circuit cover with care

If you turn your HX-20 upside down, you will notice something that looks like a trap door. This covers the HX-20’s internal circuitry.

circuit cover

Treat

the

circuit

cover with care

PLEASE NOTE: You should not remove this cover yourself! Removing it exposes the static-sensitive circuit to possible damage.

Your warranty will become void if you attempt to modify, adjust,

add, or insert any ROM or other part or device in this compartment.

This cover should only be removed by an authorized Epson

dealer or service center and for one of two reasons:

1 ) to install an option ROM.

2.) to select a different character set (see Page 27).

Also, do not operate the HX-20 with the circuit cover removed.

Doing so increases the chance of damage to the circuit, and may

cause the HX-20 to interfere with television or radio reception

nearby.

Use

only the HX-20 AC

adapter

charge

HX-20

batteries

Your HX-20 comes with a device labelled AC ADAPTER. This unit is designed to charge the batteries in your HX-20. It is not designed

to run your HX-20 directly

from

AC current.

In all cases, you should operate the HX-20 using only its internal

nickel-cadmium batteries.

You may own other electronic products whose accessories

include an AC adapter or a battery charger that looks much like the HX-20 battery charger. DO NOT USE any of these devices with your HX-20. Their electrical characteristics will almost certainly be

quite different from those of the HX-20 battery charger. (This is true even of chargers and adapters rated at 6 volts, and equipped with

plugs identical to the one on the HX-20 battery charger.)

Using any battery charger other than the one that came with your HX-20 may damage the HX-20 and/ or its batteries and could void your warranty.

Use

only the HX-20 AC

Don’t

overcharge

adapter to

the

batteries

charge HX-20

batteries

If you operate the HX-20 with the battery charger connected, even-

tually you will overcharge the batteries.

not

operate

the HX-20 with the

battery charger

connected

When its batteries need to be recharged, the HX-20 will flash

“CHARGE BATTERY” on the screen sixty times, and then shut

off. When you see the “CHARGE BATTERY” warning, turn off

the power switch and charge the HX-20 for eight hours. If you

recharge the HX-20 before you see that message, you will only

shorten the useful life of the batteries.

Charging the batteries for more than eight hours at a time will shorten their life. Charging them continuously for more than seven days can destroy them.

Don’t

overcharge the

batteries

If your batteries fail to hold a charge, take your HX-20 to an

Epson Service Center. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO REMOVE THE BATTERIES YOURSELF, or you could damage your HX-20.

Don’t

pull on

the

paper when

the

printer is active

You may damage the HX-20’s built-in microprinter if you pull on

the paper while the printer is working.

Don’t

pull on the

paper

when the

printer

is active

You may, however, pull on the paper when the printer is inactive;

this will cause no damage to the printer.

Connect the HX-20 only to

appropriate peripherals

The sockets on the back of the HX-20 enable you to connect it to an

Epson disk drive or an RS-232 serial device such as a modem or a printer. Sockets on the side of the HX-20 enable you to plug in a bar-code reader or a cassette recorder.

Do not plug any device into these sockets unless it conforms to

the interface specifications listed at the back of this manual.

Plugging in a device that does not conform to these specifications may damage the HX-20 and/or the device you plug in, and may

void your warranty.

Connect the HX-20 only to

Protect the HX-20

appropriate peripherals

from physical

shock

Don’t drop your HX-20, or let it shake about. Like any other electronic product, the HX-20 can be damaged by such treatment. Pack it in its original box, using the original packing materials, whenever you ship it.

Protect

the HX-20

Protect the HX-20

from

physical shock

from

extreme humidity

The HX-20 is designed for use in conditions where the humidity does not exceed 80%. Exposure to humidity exceeding this level can impair the performance of the HX-20, or damage it. Exposure to water can create a potential shock hazard.

Protect

the HX-20

from extreme humidity

Protect the HX-20

from

extreme

heat and cold

The HX-20 is designed for use in conditions where the temperature is below 95° F (35° C), and above 41°F (5° C).

The HX-20 will not work reliably outside of this temperature

range.

Protect

the HX-20

from

extreme heat and

cold

Storing the HX-20 in conditions that are too hot or too cold may

damage it permanently.

1 I

Chapter 3

Preparing your HX-20 for use

Before you use your HX-20 for the first time, you must take several steps:

I) Unpack it.

2) Charge the batteries.

3) Put paper and a ribbon in the printer.

4) Adjust the LCD display.

5) Initialize memory and the calendar clock. If you need to work with special symbols, you might also wish to

select a different character set. See page 27.

Unpacking the HX-20

Remove the HX-20, the battery charger, and all packing materials from the box. Check the packing materials for small parts and papers.

DO NOT DISCARD THE PACKING MATERIALS!

You will need them if you ever ship the HX-20, to protect it during

shipment.

You should have the following:

1) The Epson HX-20 computer and carrying case.

2) The battery charger.

3) A roll of paper for the printer.

4) A ribbon cartridge for the printer.

5) This manual.

6) The Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual.

7) The registration card.

8) A warning sheet concerning the battery charger.

Fill out the registration card at the time of purchase and mail it

to Epson.

With your registration card on file, Epson can provide continuing

software and hardware support to help you in using your HX-20.

Charging

the

batteries

The nickel-cadmium batteries in your HX-20 hold very little charge when they are new. So charge them now, before using the HX-20.

A full charge is necessary to maintain maximum battery efficiency. For optimum battery life, only recharge the batteries when the HX-20 tells you to do so.

Plug the battery charger into an AC outlet:

Uncoil the battery charger cable. At the free end of this cable is a

small, cylindrical plug:

Insert this plug into the socket labelled “ADAPTER” on the back

of the HX-20:

DO NOT TURN ON THE HX-20! If you leave your HX-20

power on, your batteries will not be fully charged at the end of eight hours.

The batteries in the HX-20 are now charging. Allow them to

obtain a full charge for eight (8) hours. Then disconnect the battery

charger from the AC outlet, and unplug it from the HX-20.

Preparing

the

printer

for

use

The HX-20 features a built-in microprinter which can print text and graphics. The printer mechanism and controls are located in the upper left corner of the HX-20.

paper

printer

When the HX-20 is shipped from the factory, the ribbon and

paper are not installed in the printer. To prepare the printer for use,

you must perform the following steps:

1) Remove the printer cover.

2) Insert the paper roll.

3) Insert the ribbon cartridge.

4) Replace the printer cover.

The only tools you will need are your fingers.

Removing the

printer cover

Four small grooves and the word “PUSH” are embossed on the printer cover. With the index finger of your left hand, push gently on these grooves:

The printer cover will tilt:

Using the thumb of your left hand, pull up on the printer cover:

When you have tilted the printer cover up to a near-vertical

position, you may lift it completely from the HX-20:

Now you can look directly into the printer compartment.

Inserting

the

paper roll

Note the ON-OFF switch on the right side of the HX-20. Turn the HX-20 on, by sliding this switch away from you, towards the back of the HX-20:

(Pay no attention to the screen at this point.) Turn the printer on, by sliding the PRINTER ON-OFF switch to

the right:

The printer will remain inactive.

Now, with your thumb on the front of the paper cover, and your other fingers on the back, pull the paper cover up, rotating it towards the back of the HX-20:

(Unlike the printer cover, which is removable, the paper cover may not be removed from the HX-20.)

You may now look into the paper compartment, which is empty except for a strip of fabric.

Now you need the roll of printer paper that came with your

HX-20. When you use it up, replace it with the same kind of paper

(available at your Epson dealer). Do not use any other paper, as it

may jam or otherwise damage the printer.

Unroll several inches of this paper:

Slide the paper through the slot connecting the paper compartment and the printer compartment. You can slide it in about onequarter inch before it stops:

While holding the paper in place, press the PAPER FEED button. The printer will activate, and a rubber roller will pull the paper into the printer compartment. Hold the PAPER FEED button down until the paper emerges from the top of the printer mechanism. When an inch of paper has emerged from the top of the printer, release the PAPER FEED button:

Now pull the paper through the printer, until several inches are

exposed:

Put the roll of paper into the paper compartment on top of the strip of fabric. If you ever wish to remove the paper roll, lift the fabric strip.

Close the paper compartment by pulling the paper cover all the

way forward. Be sure that you don’t close the paper cover on the

free end of the paper roll.

Inserting

the

ribbon cartridge

Packaged with your HX-20 is an L-shaped ink ribbon cartridge:

Holding it as shown, you may slide it over the paper and into the

printer compartment. Be sure the paper goes between the ribbon

cartridge and the ink ribbon.

Push the ribbon cartridge down into the printer compartment, until the top surface of the ribbon cartridge is level with the metal plate.

(Do not be concerned if the ribbon has some slack and rests on

top of the metal plate.)

The ribbon cartridge is now installed.

(Eventually, the microprinter will produce very faint copy, and

you will need to replace the ribbon. To remove a ribbon from your HX-20, press on the word “PUSH” embossed on the right side of the ribbon. The left side of the ribbon will pop up, and you can remove it. Then install a new one, which you may purchase at your Epson dealer.)

Note: If you get ribbon ink on the case of the HX-20, wipe it off

immediately. Once it dries, it’s hard to remove.

Replacing the

Slide the paper through the slot in the printer cover:

printer cover

Push the back of the printer cover down and into place:

Press the front of the printer cover down:

The printer cover is now in place.

Adjusting

the

viewing angle

The HX-20 uses an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) screen. Unlike a television or movie screen, an LCD screen can only be viewed from within a narrow range of angles. You can prove this to yourself by looking at the HX-20 screen and moving your head forward and backward, to view the screen from various angles:

At one angle you might not see any text at all on the screen. At

another angle the entire screen may look black. But you will discover an optimal viewing angle: an angle from which you will find it very easy to read the screen.

Nevertheless, you won’t have to sit in any particular position

while using the HX-20. To adjust the LCD screen to your position, place your finger on the VIEW ANGLE adjustment knob, located on the right side of the HX-20:

Turn the VIEW ANGLE adjustment knob until the screen shows

you crisp black characters against a light gray background.

(If you view the LCD screen from a different angle, you may need to adjust the viewing angle again. You might also have to adjust the VIEW ANGLE if the temperature changes, because the LCD display is temperature-sensitive.)

Initializing

Before you use the HX-20 for the first time, you must initialize its memory and its calendar clock. (If your HX-20 is not on now, turn it on.) The screen will look like this:

(Note: there may be various letters and symbols under “1 MON-

ITOR”. Ignore them.)

If you can’t read the text on your screen, adjust the VIEW

ANGLE knob on the right side of the HX-20.

According to this menu, you must type system. To do so, hold down the m key (located at the left edge of the keyboard) with one finger. While you are holding it down, press the

You may now release both keys. The screen will display:

memory and

key.

the

calendar

CTRL/@Initialize

1 MONITOR 2 BASIC

Enter DATE and TIME

MMDDYYHHMMSSG

Press BREAK to abort

clock

ICTRL]/I@

to initialize the

You have two choices now. You may initialize memory and the

calendar clock, or you may decide that you don’t wish to do so.

Your choice will depend on how long you’ve been using the HX-20.

If your HX-20 is new, then of course you will want to initialize the system. But if you’ve been using the HX-20 for a while, and only pressed will not want to initialize the system. To do so would cause the HX-20 to lose all programs and data you have already entered into its memory.

menu. All programs and data previously entered into the HX-20 will still be in its memory.

the date and time. This will set the HX-20’s built-in calendar clock, enabling it to keep track of the date and time from this moment on,

whether the HX-20 is turned on or not.

date and time:

m/m

If you do not want to initialize the system now, press the red

key, or the

If you do want to initialize the system, then you must now enter

Figure 3-1 shows the particular form you must use to specify the

by mistake while looking at the menu, then you

key, and the HX-20 will again display its

Figure

3-1

Format for Specifying Date

MM DD YY HH

+ay

You must enter IWO digits for each of these units of time. For example, let’s say that you are reading this in the month of January. Even though it’s the first month of the year, you may not specify the month with a “1”. The HX-20 expects two digits, so you must enter “01” for the month.

The hour (HH) is based on a 24-hour clock. Thus, midnight is 00,

noon is 12, and 9 PM is 21.

Let’s say that it is now nine minutes and thirty-five seconds after two o’clock on the afternoon of January third, 1983. What numbers will you enter to specify the date and time?

The date is 1/3/83 The time is 2:09:35 PM

So you should type:

and press the

Press H or m at any time before pressing abort the initialization process.

Note that no spaces, slashes, or colons separate the numbers representing month, day, year, hour, minute, and second. The numbers just run together. So you must be very careful entering them. If you make a mistake entering the date or time, press the

INS

key or

I-J

over.

When you have typed in the date and time and pressed the

it will clear all programs and data from its memory. When it has done so, it will display the menu again. Now the menu will look like this:

m/m

key, the HX-20 will set its calendar clock appropriately. Then

!.,.

= 010383

q 140935

010383140935

key.

. The screen will clear and you may start

and

MM SS

?,.k=

Time

and you will

CTRL/@Initialize

1 MONITOR 2 BASIC

Your HX-20 is now ready for use.

Selecting a different

character set

Please note: The following information is for dealer reference only!

The circuit cover should be removed only by an authorized Epson dealer or service center. Removing it yourself will void your war-

ranty. You may select special character sets by using HX-20 software; see The HX-20 BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual.

The HX-20 can display and print special characters required by

users in a number of different countries. (See Table 3-1.)

TABLE

International

3-1

Character

Sets

To use any non-USA character set, touch a grounded surface such as a cold water pipe and then remove the circuitry cover on the bottom of the HX-20.

You will see a shiny, flexible flap. Carefully lift this up and out of

the way.

One component, called a DIP switch, looks like this (enlarged to show detail):

The DIP switch is actually a set of four switches. To specify the character set of a given country, look up the appropriate switch settings in Table 3-2, and set the individual switches with a ball point pen or similar object.

TABLE

DIP

Switch Settings for

International

3-2

Character

Sets

Desired Country

Denmark On England

France Off Germany Italy On Spain

Sweden Off

USA On

(Switch 4 has no effect on the HX-20’s character set. Leave it in

the

off

position.)

When you have adjusted the DIP switch for the desired character set, let the shiny flap fall back into place, and put the circuitry cover back into position.

Switch

Off

Switch

On Off On Off Off Off On On

Switch

Off On On On Off Off Off On

Chapter 4

Using the HX-20

Once you have prepared the HX-20 for use, you may use it anywhere, at any time. Just turn it on, view the menu, and choose an item from the menu.

Turning it

To turn on the HX-20, find the ON-OFF switch on the right side of

the HX-20, and push it towards the back of the HX-20:

A menu will appear on the screen. (If you can’t see the menu clearly, don’t be concerned; this only

means that you must adjust the screen angle. See page 23.)

Viewing the menu

Each time you turn on the HX-20, a menu appears on the screen.

This menu lists a number of jobs the HX-20 may perform for you. The menu may be very short, like this one:

Or it might be much longer. However, if it is longer, its first few

lines will look exactly like the above menu.

The above menu is three lines long, so you can see all of it on the

screen at one time. But a menu might list as many as seventeen

jobs-far too many to fit in one screen. How can you view such a

long menu?long menu?

Just press the

menu, the screen will move up. If you continue to press menu will scroll up until it reaches the end of the list; then it willmenu will scroll up until it reaches the end of the list; then it will show you item “1” again.

To scroll text down down the screen, press the

near the upper right corner of the keyboard).

To understand what’s going on here, imagine that the menu is a

long list written on a scroll of paper. This scroll is mounted on

rollers in a box. A window in this box allows you to view a portion of the scroll. To view another part of the scroll, turn one of the wooden rollers.

key. If additional items are stored in theJust press the

key. If additional items are stored in the

key (located

, themenu, the screen will move up. If you continue to press

, the

In a similar fashion, your HX-20 allows you to scroll the menu up and down through the screen. It won’t display a long menu all at once, but it will display any four-line portion of the menu. So the screen is a window onto the menu, just as the cutout in that cardboard box is a window onto the scroll. This allows you to read any menu, no matter how long it may be.

Table 4-1 lists the keys you may use to view the menu. (Note: these keys work as shown only when the menu is displayed. When the HX-20 is “in BASIC” or “in the MONITOR,” some of these keys have different functions.)

TABLE

Keys You May

Key Effect

Text on the screen will scroll up by four

tom of the menu, pressing cause the menu to “roll around” to item “1”. Thus, if you keep pressing

The built-in printer will print a copy of

Use To

The entire menu will scroll up through the screen. When the scrolling stops, you will see item screen.

Same as the

lines. Once you have scrolled to the bot-

you can read through the menu again and again.

Text on the screen will scroll down by four lines. (If the

means you are looking at the top of the menu.)

Text on the screen will scroll up by four

lines.

(If

m/m

means you are looking at the bottom of

the menu.)

what’s on the screen (if the printer is switched ON).

4-1

View

The Menu

“1” in the top of the

key has no effect, that

key.

will

no effect, that

If you press , then the menu will disappear. You may then control the microcassette manually. (See chapter 6.) To restore the menu, press

H,orm.

Incidentally, the arrow keys have no effect when you are viewing

the menu.

Choosing an

The menu lists jobs the HX-20 may perform. But how can you make

the HX-20 perform one of those jobs?

item from

and a microcassette cartridge is in place,

the menu

To answer that question, let’s take a look at a particular menu:

(Press

ifying a key and the job associated with that key. To choose an item from the menu, press the key listed next to that item. Thus, press

Monitor, or press

INITIALIZE Initialize memory and the calendar clock. See page 25. MONITOR The monitor lets you enter and modify machine

BASIC

jobs will be listed in your menu if you have installed option ROM

for word processing, telecommunications, or some other application. The menu may also list BASIC and machine language programs that you have stored in memory.

and the HX-20 will begin to perform the job you requested. Thus, the menu will no longer be active. Instead, the program you selected

will be active. The HX-20 will not be “in the menu” any more, but will rather be “in BASIC,” or “in the MONITOR,“ or in some other application. Instead of responding to the menu-viewing keys listed in Table 4-1, the HX-20 will respond only to keystrokes and commands recognized by the application you choose.

the screen editor.

to see the top line of this menu on your screen.)

Each line in the menu lists a job the HX-20 may perform, by spec-

m/I@

Some jobs are always available:

Your menu may list other jobs as well. For example, one or more

When you press the key for a given item, the menu will disappear

To use almost any application, however, you must learn to use

initialize the system, press

to select BASIC. What could be simpler?

language programs. For more information, see the

Epson HX-20 Technical Reference Manual.

BASIC lets you enter, change, and run BASIC pro-

grams. See the Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial

and Reference Manual.

to select the

Chapter 5

The screen editor

When you use BASIC or almost any application program, you will interact with the HX-20 by typing on the keyboard, and it will respond by displaying text and graphics on the screen. This is made possible by the screen editor. Because the screen editor is central to almost all HX-20 applications, you can do little with the HX-20 until you learn how to use it.

Since the screen editor is so important, this chapter will show you

how to use it in a “hands-on” fashion.

The virtual screen

The LCD screen can display four lines of text, with twenty characters per line. That won’t let you display a lot of information.

That’s where the screen editor comes in. By using the screen

editor, the HX-20 can display information on a very large virtual screen. The virtual screen doesn’t have a physical existence, like the

LCD screen, but is rather an imaginary screen. You can think of it as lying just behind the LCD screen.

The dimensions of the virtual screen can vary according to the program you run, but in most cases the virtual screen will be eight lines high and forty characters wide-twice as high and twice as wide as the LCD screen itself. The LCD screen is merely a window onto this virtual screen. By pressing appropriate keys, you may

move this window up, down, left, and right, thus bringing into view

any desired portion of the virtual screen.

This means that you won’t be limited by the size of the LCD

screen, but can interact with the HX-20 as if it had a much bigger

display.

How can a small window allow you to view the text on a large virtual screen? To understand how this works, tear page 37 out of this book, and use scissors to cut out the white box on that page.

If you place that piece of paper on any page in this book, it will cover up all but a small portion of the page. Yet by moving that window horizontally and vertically, you can bring any desired portion of the page into view:

Moving the window does not change what’s on the page. It just changes what’s in the window. The text on the page is still there, whether you can see it or not.

In addition to letting you view any desired portion of the virtual screen, the screen editor will let you place words, numbers and character graphics on the virtual screen, and make it easy for you to insert and delete text at any point.

Turn on your HX-20 now and select BASIC from the menu. You won’t actually learn any BASIC programming in the following pages, but you must enter BASIC in order to learn how to use the screen editor.

The cursor

When you select BASIC from the menu, a message will appear on the screen. For now, ignore that message.

At the bottom of the screen, you will see a symbol that looks like

this:

That symbol consists of a “greater-than” sign with a little line

underneath it. That little line is called a cursor.

On your keyboard, just above the

keys with arrows on them. These are the cursor keys. To see how they work, press this cursor key:

The cursor moves to the right, but the “greater-than” sign does not move. If you hold this key down, the cursor will move to the right repeatedly, stopping only when you release your finger from the key.

Virtually all keys on the keyboard have this automatic repeating action: the cursor keys, the letter, number, and punctuation keys, the space bar, and the convenience-but it also means that you must not rest your hands

on the keys, for doing so will have the same effect as striking those keys repeatedly.

Now press this cursor key:

IRETURI((

key. This repeating action is a great

key, you will notice two

The cursor moves one space to the left. Use it to move the cursor back to its original position underneath the greater-than sign.

As you can see, it’s easy to move the cursor right and left. But how do you move the cursor up and down?

To move the cursor vertically, you must use example, to move the cursor up, hold down this key:

To move the cursor down, hold down a

key:

alkey.

key and press

key and press this

For

Thus,

themkeys

any of four different directions: left, right, up, and down. To select

horizontal movement, do not use movement, you must use

Scrolling

Something special happens when you try to move the cursor beyond the edge of the LCD screen. The cursor doesn’t move off the screen; instead, the cursor stays in place and the text on the screen moves in the opposite direction.

To see how this works, move the cursor down to the bottom row

of the screen. When you try to move the cursor down one more time, the cursor doesn’t move-instead, all the text on the screen scrolls up. In a similar manner, trying to move the cursor off the top or

right edge of the screen will cause the text to scroll appropriately.

This scrolling demonstrates that the LCD screen is acting as a

window onto the virtual screen. You can move the cursor anywhere

you like within the virtual screen, and the text will scroll automat-

ically, whenever necessary, to keep the cursor in view.

You can also scroll text with the

text moves down the screen. Hold down and text scrolls up the screen. Whether you use you will note that the cursor remains in its position on the LCD

screen. (However,

vertically, they each move the cursor to a new line in the virtual screen.)

If you keep pressing the q key, you will discover at some point

that it has no effect. This occurs when the LCD screen is displaying the top of the virtual screen.

Similarly, if you press

LCD screen will display the bottom of the virtual screen. Pressing

Homing the

At any point you can move the cursor to the upper left corner of the virtual screen, by homing the cursor. To home the cursor, hold down

m/I/(SCRNI

cursor

alkey

enable two cursor keys to move the cursor in

alkey.

because

will then have no effect.

and press this key:

m/I/(

and

SCM

enough times, at some point the

alkey.

key. Press the

To select vertical

key and press

m/I/ISCRWJ

scroll the text

m/m,

key and

The LCD window will display the upper left portion of the

virtual screen, and in the upper left corner of the window you will

see the cursor. Bear in mind that homing the cursor does not change

any of the text in the virtual screen, although it may cause a different

portion of the virtual screen to appear in the window.

Clearing

You can erase the entire virtual screen, just by pressing a single key:

Typing on the

Typing on the virtual screen is as easy as...well, as easy as typing.

For example, let’s say you want to type the expression, “NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF

THEIR PARTY.” (Don’t type anything yet.) You’ve just pressed

the upper left corner.

will happen: first, an “N” will appear on the screen at the cursor location, and the cursor will move one space to the right. So the screen will change from this:

to this:

the

screen

This clears the virtual screen, and homes the cursor.

virtual screen

key, so you’re looking at a blank screen, with a cursor in the

To begin typing the expression, press the I”] key. Two things

The cursor shows you where the next character will appear. Each time you press a letter, number, or punctuation key, the corresponding character appears on the screen at the cursor location, and the cursor moves one space to the right.

This cursor behavior will continue for a while. When the cursor

nears the right edge of the screen, however, something called

automatic scrolling will occur.

Automatic scrolling

When you have typed the first 17 letters of the expression, your screen will look like this:

NOW IS THE TIME F

Because the cursor is near the right edge of the screen, something unusual will happen when you type the next character. Press them key. An “O” appears on the screen at the cursor location, but the cursor doesn’t move to the right. Instead, all the text

on the screen slides to the left. So the screen will look like this:

Type the letter “R” and it happens again! This hardly seems fair: each time you add a character on the right, you lose a character on the left. Or do you? In fact, the characters that have “disappeared” are still in the virtual screen, but you can’t see them because they’ve

scrolled to the left of the LCD window.

You can bring those characters back into view with the cursor

keys. Move the cursor far enough to the left, and the LCD window will move to the left, too, because the LCD window scrolls auto- matically, to keep the cursor in view. Thus, as the cursor moves to the left through the virtual screen, the LCD window will follow it, so that once again you will see the “missing” characters.

Virtual screen width

Using the cursor keys, place the cursor just to the right of the last character you’ve typed. Now continue typing your expression, Eventually the screen will look like this:

The next letter in the expression is “O”, and when you press

the

key you might expect to see your text scroll horizontally yet

again. But what happens? After an “O” appears at the cursor location, the text doesn’t scroll to the left. Instead, the cursor moves one

space to the right. So the screen will look like this:

f-ALL

GOOD MEN TO CO

Your text didn’t scroll to the left, because the LCD screen was

already displaying the rightmost portion of the virtual screen.

Now, press the

key and the screen will look like this:

ALL GOOD MEN TO COM

The cursor is now in the rightmost location of the virtual screen.

Now, press the

What happened? An “E” appeared in the virtual screen at the cursor location, and then the cursor advanced to the next location in the virtual screen. Since the cursor was already at the end of one line in the virtual screen, it advanced to the beginning of the next line.

The LCD window then moved automatically, to keep the cursor in view. This changed all the visible text, because the LCD screen

was suddenly displaying a completely different portion of the

virtual screen.

Logical lines vs. physical

When you finish typing “NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD

MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR PARTY.” the screen will look like this:

key. The screen display changes dramatically:

lines

TIME FOR ALL GOOD M D OF THEIR PARTY.

The text you typed occupies all of the first line and most of the

second line of the virtual screen. Your cursor moved automatically to the second line of the virtual screen while you were typing, even though you never pressed the

The HX-20 moves the cursor to a new line whenever necessary.

You may type one sentence that ends up occupying several lines of the virtual screen-without ever pressing happens, we say that you have typed onelogical line, which happens to occupy several physical lines.

To end one logical line and begin a new one, just press

the

key.

the(lmrawlkey.

When this

(You will see an error message on the screen if you press now, after typing “NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR PARTY.” Here’s why: Pressing

tells the HX-20 that you have just completed a logical line. The HX-20 is in “BASIC,“ so it examines your line to see if it is a legitimate BASIC command. Since it can’t figure out what you’re asking it to do, it displays an error message. You’ll learn more about such error messages in the BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual.

But for now, ignore any BASIC error messages you encounter,

because you’re still trying to learn how to use the screen editor.)

When you work with BASIC or with an application program, the HX-20 only pays attention to logical lines; it doesn’t care about physical lines. Therefore, the screen editor makes it easy for you to

insert and delete characters within a logical line, but has no such

features for inserting and deleting within a physical line.

Retyping

To change something you’ve typed, just move the cursor to the place where you want to make a change, and type the text you desire. When you type over existing text in this way, you replace the old text with the new text.

For example, let’s say you want to change the expression you had

typed, from “NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR PARTY” to “NOW IS THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR FRIENDS.‘*

To make this change, use the cursor keys to locate the cursor on

the “P” in “PARTY.” Then type “FRIENDS.” With those few

keystrokes, you have changed the logical line.

Deleting text

To delete some characters altogether, place the cursor to the right of

the character you wish to delete. Then press this key:

piiiJJ

The character to the left of the cursor disappears, and the rest of

the logical line moves one space to the left, to close up the gap.

To delete a group of characters, place the cursor to the right of the

last character in the group, and press the

hold it down, thus making it repeat automatically). This will delete

the characters in the group, one at a time, from right to left. When

you’ve deleted the leftmost character, release the

What could be easier? The characters you wished to delete will be

gone, and there won’t be any gap in the logical line.

key repeatedly (or

Ikey.

(Note: if the cursor is at the beginning of a logical line, then

pressing a will not delete the preceding character, but will instead delete the character at the cursor.)

You will find the new text. With it, you can correct typographical errors as soon as

you make them. Whenever you strike the wrong key, press the

II/

key immediately afterwards. That will move the cursor to the left, deleting the incorrect character. Then you can type the character you had intended to type, and continue from there.

Insert

mode

Let’s say you want to insert the word “NOT” into your expression,

to make it read: “NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR ALL GOOD

MEN TO COME TO THE AID OF THEIR FRIENDS.”

The screen editor makes it very easy for you to insert such text

into a logical line.

Using the cursor keys, move the cursor to the point in your text where you want to insert new characters. When you’ve done so, the screen will look like this:

111

key extremely helpful when you are typing

Now you must enter insert mode. To do so, hold down a

key and tap the

than a moment, you may find that you’ve exited from the insert

mode before you’ve had a chance to use it.)

You won’t notice any changes on the screen, but the HX-20 is now

in insert mode. This means that any characters you type now will be inserted into the text at the cursor location. The rest of the logical line will move to the right, thus making room for the new character.

To see how this works, type the letter

like this:

To finish inserting your text, press

bar. The screen will look like this:

key. (Just tap it-if you hold it down for more

“N.”

Your screen will look

r;;?, [,

and then the space-

Eventually, you’ll want to stop inserting text. To exit from insert

mode, hold down a cursor key. Either action will take the HX-20 out of insert mode. Upper

So far, you’ve only typed UPPER CASE LETTERS on the virtual

screen. But with the screen editor, you can type lower case letters,

too.

clearing the screen. This will give you a clean slate, making it easy

for you to pay close attention to the letters you will type.

and lower case

To explore the use of upper and lower case letters, begin by

When you first enter the screen editor, it is in upper case mode.

When you press a letter key, you will see the corresponding UPPER CASE letter on the screen. For example, press the UPPER CASE “A” will appear on the screen:

When the screen editor is in upper case mode, you can use the SHIFT key to produce lower case letters. To see how this works, press the place a lower case “a” on the screen:

key while you are holding down

key and tap

magain.

Or press any

key. An

amkey.

You’ll

If you are accustomed to using a typewriter, this behavior may strike you as “backwards.” get lower case letters as a matter of course, and upper case letters only when you use a

To make the screen editor handle the writer, put the screen editor into lower case mode, by pressing this key:

The screen editor is now in lower case mode, as you can demonstrate by pressing the

the

keys when you press “H.“) A lower case “h” will appear on

the screen:

After all, when you use a typewriter, you

key.

key just like a type-

key. (Leave your fingers off

When the screen editor is in lower case mode, the work the same way they do on a typewriter. Use no you get a lower case letter; use either upper case letter.

To put the screen editor back into upper case mode, simply press the

key again.

Numeric mode

When you use BASIC or run an application program, you may wish to type only numbers, instead of conventional text. You can, of course, type numbers by pressing the numeric keys in the top row of the keyboard.

But if you are accustomed to using a calculator or adding machine, you may find it awkward to use these keys. You might prefer the pattern of keys that you find on your calculator:

8 9

4 5 6

1 2 3

If so, do not despair. You won’t have to teach your fingers a whole new pattern of numeric keys. Instead, just press the Nothing will change on the screen, but the HX-20 is now innumeric mode, which changes the behavior of many keys.

For example, press the

screen, you’ll see a “4” appear. Why?

If you look carefully at your HX-20 keyboard, you’ll notice that small numbers appear in the upper right corner of several keys. These keys will generate those numbers when the HX-20 is in numeric mode. Thus, when the HX-20 is in numeric mode, this group of keys:

key. Instead of placing a “U” on the

8 9

K L

J M

[

key and you get an

keys

key and

key.

will generate these numbers:

8 9 4 5 6 1 2 3

That’s the same pattern of numbers you’ll find on the keyboard of

any calculator or adding machine.

When the HX-20 is in numeric mode, you cannot type any let-

ters. (Go ahead. Press the

mode, all letter keys are disabled.)

The number keys in the top row of the keyboard will also workalthough presumably you put the HX-20 into numeric mode because you’d rather not use those keys. However, the numeric keys will not function if pressed in conjunction with

The following keys work normally when the HX-20 is in numeric mode:

key. See? Nothing happens. In this

alkey.

If you don’t press a

indicated characters when the HX-20 is in numeric mode:

Press

This

KEY

key, the following keys will generate the

TABLE

Non-Numeric

Available in Numeric Mode

To Create

This

CHARACTER

5-1

Characters

Description

Minus sign

Plus sign Asterisk Comma Period Slash Question Mark

The above keys will not function if used in conjunction with a

SHIFT key.

When you want to take the HX-20 out of numeric mode, just

press the put the HX-20 into upper case mode. But if you end numeric mode by pressing 5-1 summarizes the ways in which you may change screen editor modes.

key or the

191

key. If you press the

, you’ll put the HX-20 into

lower case

key, you will

mode. Figure

Figure

Screen Editor

Graphic characters

So far you’ve typed letters, numbers, and punctuation marks, but with the screen editor you may type many graphic characters as well. To generate these graphic characters, the screen editor must be in upper case mode, and you must use the lower right corner of the HX-20 keyboard).

For example, hold down the

down) press the q key. Instead of seeing a screen, you’ll see a little musical note. Now hold down press the letter “V”. small person on the screen.

Figure 5-2 shows the graphic characters available from the key-

board. There are 32 graphic characters in all.

A tiny telephone appears.

5-1

Modes

key (located in the

key, and (while holding it

“K”

or a “k” on the

/i puts a

/m yields a subcompact car.

and

Graphic Characters

I I I I I I

Figure

HX-20

5-2

Available From

Keyboard

JI A

-01

I I

I I I

_ 4

-4

Printing the

Now you’ve learned enough to make the LCD screen display text and graphics. At some point, you may decide that you’d like to save a copy of what you see on the screen.

You can make a hard copy of the LCD screen whenever you’d

like. To do so, you’ll use one of the specialfunction keys. which are located just above the row of numeric keys on your HX-20 keyboard.

To print a copy of the LCD screen, just hold down the

(located at the left edge of the keyboard) and press function key q . The HX-20’s built-in printer will activate and print a hard copy of the LCD display. (If printer, make sure that the printer has paper in it, and that the PRINTER ON-OFF switch, located just above the the ON position.)

Once you’ve printed the screen, you may pull on the paper to bring your printout into view. (Or you may hold down the

[PAPER

power. Pulling on the paper will harm nothing as long as the printer is inactive.)

Note that

LCD screen, not the entire virtual screen. If you want hard copy of

the entire virtual screen, you must scroll the LCD window through

each portion of the virtual screen, and use

portion of the virtual screen that you display in this manner.

screen

key

m/1/1

key for this purpose-but that’s slow, and uses battery

m/m

causes the printer to print a copy of the

does not activate the

key, is in

(cnnl/m

to print each

Key

TABLE

Screen Editor Key Functions

Move cursor left by one column. Termi-

nates insert mode.

Move cursor right by one column. Terminates insert mode.

Move cursor up by one line. Terminates insert mode.

Move cursor down by one line. Terminates insert mode.

Move cursor left to a multiple of n columns.

(Originally, n = with the BASIC scroll command.)

5-2

Function

10, but n must be changed

Move cursor right to a multiple of n col-

umns. (Originally n = 10, but n may be changed with the BASIC scroll command.)

Clear virtual screen and home the cursor.

Home the cursor.

Move cursor right by 8 columns.

Scroll text up the screen by four lines (or by the amount set with the BASIC SCROLL command.)

Scroll text down the screen by four lines (or by the amount set with the BASIC command.)

Change modes: upper case to lower case, lower case to upper case, or numeric mode to lower case.

SCROLL

If cursor is at beginning of a logical line, delete character at cursor. Otherwise, delete character to left of cursor.

Enter insert mode. or exit from insert mode.

Enter numeric mode, or exit from numeric mode to upper case mode.

In conjunction with any key but a letter key,

Iyields

on the given key. In conjunction with a letter key,

HX-20 is in upper case mode, or an upper

case letter if HX-20 is in lower case mode.

If HX-20 is in upper case mode, pressing

character. In lower case or numeric mode,

GRPH

has no effect.

the upper character or function

yields a lower case character if

and another key yields a graphics

Display leftmost portion of virtual screen.

Scroll right.

Delete from cursor to end of logical line.

Move cursor to rightmost portion of virtual screen.

Same as

Horizontal tab (8 columns).

Move cursor down by one line. (Has no effect in BASIC immediate mode.)

Clear virtual screen and home the cursor.

Carriage return.

Scroll text down by four lines, or by amount set with BASIC SCROLL command.

Scroll text up by four lines, or by amount

set with BASIC SCROLL command.

Enter insert mode, or exit from insert mode.

Scroll left.

Home the cursor.

Make cursor visible.

Make cursor invisible.

Delete from cursor to end of virtual screen.

Using

the special

Your HX-20 contains eight special function keys, labelled as follows:

function

keys

lets you change the rate at which the HX-20 LISTS a

BASIC program on the screen. To change this rate, press w when

a program is LISTing on the screen, and then press a key from 0 to 9.

0 sets the slowest LIST rate; 9 sets the fastest LIST rate. Other keys set intermediate LIST rates.

lets you see the HX-20 menu. Even if the HX-20 is in

BASIC, or is running some program, it will return to the menu if you press the

gram or a cassette SAVE or LOAD.

The keys ( through

keys. This means that you can change the functions associated with

these keys. See the Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial and Reference

Manual.

mjlcauses

screen display.

q /m

works only when a microcassette is installed.

When you press

of the microcassette’s digital tape counter. This indicates that the HX-20 is in manual microcassette mode. While in this mode, the programmable function keys have the following effect:

key.

interrupts an operation in progress, such as a BASIC pro-

are programmable special function

the microprinter to print a hard copy of the LCD

enables you to control a microcassette manually. This

, the LCD screen displays the value

: Fast forward. : Slow forward,

: stop.

: Rewind. : Exit from manual microcassette mode.

Reset microcassette’s digital tape

counter to zero.

Chapter 6

Connecting your HX-20 to other devices

You can connect your HX-20 to a number of other devices-for example, to a cassette recorder, a printer, and a bar code reader, to name but a few. In this chapter you’ll learn how to connect the

HX-20 to such peripherals.

Connecting

You can connect your HX-20 to any portable cassette recorder. However, it’s best to avoid the cheapest cassette recorders, because

on these units the tape speed can fluctuate dramatically. Such fluctuations in tape speed can make it impossible for you to recover programs and data you have stored on your cassettes. To ensure a consistent tape speed, you should use fresh batteries if your cassette

recorder is powered only by batteries, as the tape speed on these

units will change as the batteries drain down. Even better, use an

AC-powered cassette recorder, or get an AC adapter for your battery-powered unit.

One very desirable feature is a digital tape counter, which makes

it easy to advance or rewind a cassette to the exact location of any

previously-saved program or data file. Without a digital tape

counter, you may only be able to save one program or data file on a cassette.

Tone and volume controls are also useful. A REM jack is essen-

tial for all but the simplest applications. A good quality microcassette recorder will serve as well as a unit that uses full-size

cassettes.

Once you have a cassette recorder, you will need a cable to connect it to the HX-20. This cable, available from your Epson dealer as part #702, looks like this:

your

HX-20 to a

cassette recorder

At each end of the cable you'll find three plugs, colored red, white, and black. Take the three plugs at one end of the cassette cable and plug them into the following sockets on the right side of the HX-20:

Plug

WHITE

RED

BLACK

HX-20 Socket

EAR

MIC

REM

Now take the three plugs at the other end of the cassette cable

and plug them into the corresponding sockets on your cassette

recorder:

Cassette

Plug

WHITE

RED

BLACK

Recorder Socket

EAR

MIC

REM

If you wish, you may use separate patch cords to connect your cassette recorder to your HX-20: just connect REM to REM, MIC to MIC, and EAR to EAR.

Your cassette recorder is now connected to your HX-20. You may use it to save and load BASIC programs, as described in the Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual. Or you may use it with various applications programs, as described in the documentation for those programs.

One word of caution: all cassette recorders vary, in tape speed and in the position of their record/ playback heads. These variations can be very frustrating, because a program recorded on one cassette

recorder might not load back when you use another cassette recorder. You’ll find that your cassettes work most reliably if you use only one cassette recorder with your HX-20.

Connecting

The RS-232 socket on the back of your HX-20 enables it to communicate with an external printer, modem, or other RS-232 compatible device. (Note that you cannot connect the HX-20 to a printer or other device that features only a parallel interface.) You can only connect the HX-20 to one RS-232 device at a time.

To connect such a device, purchase the appropriate HX-20 ,RS232 cable from your Epson dealer. Then consult the documentation that came with your RS-232 device, and correlate it with the information in Table 6-1.

your

HX-20 to an RS-232

device

TABLE

RS-232 Signals

Signal

GND (Signal Ground)

TXD (Signal Out*)

RXD (Signal In*) RTS CTS DSR DTR CD Case Ground

* From HX-20’s point of view.

(In Table 6-1, “DIN Pin” refers to pins in the 8-pin DIN socket labelled “RS-232” at the back of the HX-20, and “DB-25 Pin” refers

to pins in the large trapezoidal plug you’ll find at one end of the

HX-20 RS-232 cable. This large plug is called a DB-25 connector.)

6-1

DIN Pin

1 2 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8

DIN Case

DB-25 Pin

3 4 5

Plug the small, rounded end of the RS-232 cable into the DIN socket labelled “RS-232” in the back of your HX-20. Then plug the other end of the cable into the corresponding socket on your RS-232 device.

Now the HX-20 and the RS-232 device are connected. In order for them to communicate, however, they must share a common

protocol. Two devices may be connected electrically, but never

communicate properly, if they don’t share a common communications protocol. Try to configure your RS-232 device so that it will be compatible with the initial or default protocol of the HX-20, as defined in Table 6-2.

TABLE

HX-20 Default Protocol

for RS-232 Port

Data rate: Word length: Parity: Stop bits: CD (Carrier Detect):

RTS (Request to Send):

DSR (Data Set Ready):

CTS (Clear to Send):

If you configure the RS-232 device according to this protocol, you will find it very easy to transmit text and data to the device. However, by using appropriate parameters with the OPEN statement, you can command the HX-20 to use any desired proto-

col. (See the Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial and Reference Manual.)

Connecting

On the right side of your HX-20, you will notice a socket marked

“BAR CODE.”

your

HX-20 to a

6-2

4800 Baud 8 bits none

ignored held “high” by HX-20 controlled by external device; “high” means

HX-20 may transmit data; “low” causes HX-20 to wait ignored

bar

code

reader

A bar code reader can “read” bar codes-those patterns of black

and white stripes you find on groceries, magazines, and so many

other products today.

As of this printing, Epson has provided only the hardware interface for a bar code reader. But when you read this, a bar code reader might be available. Contact your Epson dealer. If you purchase a bar code reader, be sure to see what software is available for use with it.

Chapter 7

What if you have problems?

Your HX-20 is a highly sophisticated computer, controlled by very advanced software. Epson built reliability into this software, so it’s quite likely that your HX-20 will give you trouble-free service for years. Nevertheless, even the most intelligent systems can become confused.

This chapter will show you what to do if your HX-20 fails to work

properly.

you can’t turn off your

Symptom:

Text and/ or graphics remain on the screen, even when the ON-OFF switch is in the OFF position.

HX-20...

Cause:

Recommended

Action:

The “ON-OFF” switch does not shut off power, but merely suggests to the HX-20 that it stop processing. (If the ON-OFF switch did shut off power, turning it off would make the HX-20 forget every program in its memory!) For some reason, the HX-20 is so busy processing that it has failed to notice the position of the ON-OFF switch.

With the power switch off, use your finger or a

blunt object to press the RESET switch on the

right side of the HX-20.

The RESET switch will interrupt the HX-20, no matter how busy it may be. Once interrupted, the HX-20 will notice that the ON-OFF switch is in the “OFF” position, and it will stop processing. This will make the screen go blank.

If the menu

Symptom:

displays garbage...

The menu displays garbage-a hodgepodge of

letters, numbers, and/ or graphics characters.

Cause:

Recommended

Action:

The Operating System of the HX-20-the software that controls its menu-has become very

confused. This may have been caused by a pro-

gram that interfered with reserved portions of memory.

Did you store any programs in memory? If so,

select each program from the menu and LIST it.

If any program is intact, take this opportunity to

save it on a cassette. (See the Epson HX-20 BASIC

Tutorial and Reference Manual.) Unfortunately,

whatever garbled your menu may have garbled your programs, too. If the listings of your programs look like garbage, there’s no point in saving them.

Now, to clean up your menu you must re-initialize memory and the calendar clock, as described on page 25. This will make the HX-20 start with a

clean slate, forgetting any programs that were in

its memory. But at least the menu will no longer have garbage in it.

Having re-initialized memory, you can once

again enter your programs into the HX-20, by

hand or by loading them from cassette.

you

encounter

If you encounter problems not discussed in this chapter, or if the recommended action fails to correct the problem, contact your Epson dealer.

other

problems...

Chapter 8

Storing your HX-20

Because of its sensitive components, the HX-20 requires some care

even when you’re not using it. This chapter tells you how to store

your HX-20, for a few minutes, a few days, or even a few months.

Storing

If you won’t be using your HX-20 for a few minutes, you don’t need to take any special precautions. You don’t even need to turn it off. Just put it down, and pick it up again when you’re ready to continue working with it.

Storing your HX-20...for a

If you know that you won’t be using your HX-20 for at least a few hours and perhaps for as long as a few weeks, turn if OFF before you put it away. When you come back to it and turn it on, you’ll find that the program you were using is still in memory, ready for you to use again!

temperature and humidity. (Remember-your car in the summer is likely to be much too hot for the HX-20. If you must store an HX-20 in your car during hot weather, put it in the trunk, which is likely to be cooler than the interior of the car itself.)

Storing your HX-20...for a

If you know that you won’t be using your HX-20 for more than a few weeks, you must take certain precautions to ensure that the

batteries won’t drain down. You see, even when you turn the HX-20 OFF, it continues to draw a small amount of current from the batteries. This current keeps the memory circuits and calendar clock active.

miniscule amount of power, they will discharge the batteries completely if given enough time. When that happens, the HX-20 will

forget all the programs in its memory, and the batteries, once fully

discharged, may no longer be able to accept a full charge.

before storing the HX-20 for an extended period of time. It would

your

HX-20...for a few minutes to a

few hours

Just be sure to store your HX-20 in a place with acceptable

few

weeks to a few months

Although the clock and the memory circuits require only a

Therefore, you should charge the batteries for several hours

to a

few hours

few

weeks

also be prudent to save on a cassette any programs you have stored in memory. Then store the HX-20 in its original box and packaging

materials, in a place with acceptable temperature and humidity.

Chapter 9

Specifications

This chapter provides information of interest to technicallysophisticated users. If you are just learning about computers, ignore this chapter. Turn instead to the Epson HX-20 BASIC Tutorial

and Reference Manual, and learn how to program your HX-20. For

detailed specifications, see the Epson HX-20 Technical Reference Manual. All specifications are subject to change without notice.

Architecture

The HX-20 has two microprocessors for distributed and concurrent I/O processing. The microprocessors (both 630l’s) communicate with each other through their serial communications ports.

As shown in Figure 9-1, the main microprocessor accesses readonly and read-write memory, and controls the keyboard, LCD display, and clock. The slave microprocessor controls the microprinter, speaker, and external cassette. The cartridge interface has ports for both the main and slave microprocessors.

6301

MAIN CPU

6301

SLAVE CPU

Figure

9-1

HX-20 Architecture

ROM

SOCKET

8KB

BARCODE READER

INTERFACE

CARTRIDGE INTERFACE

-El

CASSETTE TAPE

INTERFACE

POWER

SUPPLY

Expansion

Several options may be easily installed to expand the HX-20’s

capability, as shown in Figure 9-2. An expansion unit provides an

additional 32K of memory, which includes 16K of RAM. In addition, an 8K application ROM may be installed internally. An option ROM or microcassette cartridge may be installed in place of the dummy cartridge.

Connectors located at the back of the HX-20 enable it to be connected to a printer with a serial interface, a computer, or a modem; and to a floppy disk unit and display controller via a serial bus. A bar code reader and external cassette recorder may be plugged into connectors located on the right side of the HX-20.

Figure

HX-20

9-2

Expansion

Specifications CPU and Memory

Main CPU

Slave CPU

RAM ROM

Internal

ROM

External Expansion

RAM ROM

Expansion

Built-in Features

Display

Printer

Clock

Speaker

Interfaces

Interface Power Capacity

(each pin and total) VB (direct from battery) +5V (switched) VC (Power for RAM)

Communications

RS-232C

(Full and half duplex) Connector

Input/ Output Level Baud Rates

Pin Assignment

CMOS 614 KHz clock rate

16K standard

32K standard

8 K in option ROM for a total of 40 K

16K (See “Options”)

32K (See “Options”)

Liquid Crystal Display; 120 x 32

dot-addressable matrix; 5 x 7 font;

virtual width to 255 characters by BASIC WIDTH command

24-column dot matrix impact microprinter; graphic print rate: 42 lines per minute; bit addressable graphics; full ASCII upper and lower case character set; cartridge

ribbon; plain paper, 55mm wide

Time and calendar, alarm, interval timer, battery backup

Piezoelectric; programmable pulse

drive; four octaves with half-tones

1.0 A 50 mA 40 mA

8-Pin DIN EIA RS-232C standard

110, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400,

4800

1: GND, 2: TXD, 3: RXD, 4:

RTS, 5: CTS, 6: DSR, 7: DTR,

8: CD; CG= Case Ground

bit 6301 microprocessor

bit 6301 microprocessor,

Serial

(Full and half duplex)

Connector Input/ Output Level

Baud Rates Pin Assignment

Peripheral

Cartridge

Connector Input/ Output Level Pin Assignment

Cartridge Type

ROM Cartridge Not assigned No cartridge Not assigned

Microcassette

External Cassette

Microphone Earphone Remote

Bar Code Reader

Connector

Input Level

System Bus

Connector Address Bus Data Bus

Power Supply

Batteries Type

Capacity

Operation

Data Integrity Low Voltage Recharge

5-Pin DIN EIA RS-232C standard

150, 600, I: GND,

4800, 38400

2: TXD, 3: RXD,

OUT. 5: IN CG= Ground

Special-Epson

TTL

4: SI/02,

SII, 2: SI/01l, 3:

S01,

5: SI/03,6: SI/04,7: VB(Battery),

M01, II:

MII, 9: M02,

10:

GND, 12: +5V (Switched)

MI1

0 0

(* Doesn’t matter)

SI1

0 0

1 1 1

* *

S/01

Miniature phone jack Miniature phone jack Subminiature phone jack

HSJ0861-01-440 (Seidenki)

TTL

40-Pin

16 bit

8 bit and control lines

Four NiCad batteries, internal, Sub C type

1100 mA/ H (Approximately 50 hours running BASIC; less depending on use of RS-232C port, printer or optional microcassette)

4.5-6.0 V

4.0-6.0 V

4.5 v

Full charge within eight hours at

typical room temperature

AC Adapter (Battery Charger)

Input Voltage Frequency

Consumption

Isolation

Switches

Internal

External

Keyboard and Character Set

Type

Function

Total Number of Keys

Function Keys Special Keys

Ten Key Numeric Pad

Graphic Shift International Character Set

Environmental

Temperatures

Operating Charge Data Integrity Data Storage

Humidity

Operating/ Non-operating

Vibration without

Microcassette

Shock

Physical Characteristics

Size

Weight

Options

Cartridge

Microcassette Cartridge ROM Cartridge

Expansion Unit

RAM Capacity

ROM Capacity

115V

AC-+lO%

49.5-60.5 Hz 8 Watts 8 Megaohms, case to AC; 1 KV,

1 min., case to AC

4 Bit DIP; 3 bits for international character set selection, 1 bit for selecting Disk or ROM BASIC

Main Power; Printer On/Off; Reset

ASCII Interruptible 68 5

13 Function locked in by (N U M) key

32 special graphic characters

Selectable by DIP switch or

software

5-35° C (4 I -95° F) 5-35°C (41-95° F)

-5-40° C (22-104° F)

-20-60° C (-5- 140° F)

10-80% non-condensing

0.25 G, 55 Hz max. 1 G for 1 ms max.

28.9

x 21.6 x 4.44 cm

(11.375” x 8.5” x 1.75”)

1.73

kg (3 lbs. 13 oz.)

H20MC H20RC H20EU

16K 16K (Bank-switched with BASIC

ROM’s)

CX-20 Acoustic Coupler

Communications Operation Mode Signaling Speed

Interface Power Supply

Display Controller Switch Box RS-232C Cables Serial Cables (High Speed) External Cassette Cable

support

AC Adapter (Battery Charger) Roll Paper Ribbon Cartridge

Full/ half duplex, selectable

ORIG/ ANS mode, selectable

Up to 300 BPS Standard RS-232C

4 NiCad batteries; AC adapter/ charger (1 15V + 10%, 60 Hz);

Floating charge with AC

adapter H00DC-IA H00SB-JA

** **

H-702

H00AAA

H00RP

H00CR-BA

(** See your Epson Dealer)

Epson HX-20 User Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual

CONTENTS

case

batteries

printer

physical shock

extreme humidity

Unpacking the HX-20

Viewing the menu

The virtual screen

The cursor

Scrolling

automatic scrolling will occur.

Virtual screen width

Retyping

Deleting text

Numeric mode

Graphic characters

Architecture

Expansion