Laser XT/3 Operation Manual

Warning

This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy.

If

it

is

not installed and used properly, that is, in strict accordance

with the manufacturer's instructions, it may cause interference to

radio and television reception.

It

has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the specifications in Subpart J, Part

15,

of FCC Rules. These rules 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:

* Reorient the receiving antenna

* Relocate the computer with respect to the receIver

* Move the computer

away

from the receiver

* Plug the computer into a different outlet so that computer

and receiver are on different branch circuits

If

necessary, you should consult the dealer or an experienced.

radio/television technician for additional suggestions. You

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 U.S. Government Printing

Office, Washington, DC20402, Stock No. 004-000-00345-4.

Warning: To ensure that the use of this product does not contribute to interference.

It

is

necessary to use shielded

I/O

cables.

1

Copyright

This manual

is

of

this document may

be

copied

or

reproduced by any means

without the prior consent in writing from Video Technology Computers, Inc.

While every precaution has been taken in the preparation

of

this book, Video Technology assumes

no.

responsibility for errors

or

omissions. Neither

is

any liability assumed for damages

resulting from the use of the information contained herein.

IBM is a registered trademark

of

International Business

Machines Corp.

Hercules is a registered trademark

of

Hercules Computer

Technology.

Intel is a registered trademark

of

Intel Corporation.

MS-DOS is a registered trademark

of

Microsoft Corporation.

Lotus 1-2-3 IS a registered trademark of Lotus Development Corporation.

DBase III is a registered trademark

of

Ashton-Tate.

WordPerfect is a registered trademark

of

WordPerfect

Corporation.

2

Table

of

Contents

Chapter

1:

Installation

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

5

Introduction.................................................................................... 5

Preparing for the Installation .................................................. 7

Checking the Contents of the Package .............................. 8

Hardware Features Overview .................................................. 9

Connecting Peripherals ..............................................................

11

Starting the computer ................................................................

13

Setting the System Clock ........................................................

15

Operation Speed ..........................................................................

16

Chapter

2:

Using the Keyboard

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

17

The Keyboard Security Lock ..................................................

17

Overview ........................................................................................

18

Typewriter

Keys

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

19

Nunleric Keypad ..........................................................................

22

Editing and Cursor Control

Keys

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

25

Function

Keys

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

27

Chapter

3:

Introduction

for

New

Users

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

29

Facts You Should Know ..........................................................

29

Introduction to MS-DOS ..........................................................

30

Storing Files on a Computer ................................................

31

Organizing Files into Directories ...........................

.....

.......... 32

The Menu of MS-DOS Activities ........................................

34

How to Care for Your Computer ......................................

38

Diskette Care .......... ....... ........................ .......... ..................... ......

39

3

Chapter

4:

Enhancements

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

43

Special Note ..................................................................................

43

Opening the System Unit ........................................................

44

Road Map of Internal Components ....................................

45

Expanding System Memory to

640KB

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

47

Installing Parity RAM ..............................................................

51

Installing Expansion Cards ......................................................

54

Installing an

8087

Math Co-Processor ................................

56

Installing Expanded Memory ..................................................

58

Using Expanded Memory ........................................................

60

Installing a Hard Disk Drive ................................................

62

Chapter

5:

Troubleshooting Checklist

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

63

Symptoms and Suggestions ......................................................

63

Beeps ..............................................................................................

65

Display Messages ........................................................................

66

Chapter

6:

directory

[B]Format

a

sys

disk

[I]Display

directory

[C]Format

hard

drive

[J]Run

a

program

[D)Copy

file(s)

[K)Change

date

&time

[E)

Copy

disk

[L)Check

config.

[F]Make

a

directory

[M]Display

help

file

[G]Remove

directory

[N]Exit

to

DOS

i

Current

directory:

C: \

~

Current

date/time:

05-01-88

09:35:51

II

Video

Technology

Computers,

Inc.

II

13

If

your computer has no hard

disk

drive installed, then follow

the following procedures:

Open the package of diskettes that came with the system. Locate the diskette labeled "Microsoft MS-DOS." Insert the

diskette into the floppy drive with the label side

up.

The oval

opening in the diskette should

go

in first.

When the diskette

is

all the

way

into the drive, close the latch

by

moving the lever into the down position.

Then performs step 1 to step 3 as described above. For

_ computer with hard disk installed, subdirectories are opened for

MSDOS, GW /BASIC and start up utility. These users can practice with DOS, BASIC and start up commands.

14

Setting the

System

Clock

Your computer has its own clock to keep track

of

the date

and time while you work. The clock

is

not set in the factory,

so you'll need to set it the first time you use it.

1.

The Computer Main Menu (As shown on page 9) should appear on the screen.

2.

Type in the letter "K" .

MS-DOS treats upper and lower case letters the same

way,

so it doesn't matter whether you're using capital

or

small

letters.

3.

The system will display the current date. Type m the correct

date in the form:

mm-dd-yy

<ENTER>

For example, to set the date for New Year's Day, 1988, you would type:

01-01-88

<ENTER>

4.

The current time now appears on the screen. Press

<EN-

TER>

if

no change

is

necessary , or type in the correct

time using the format:

hh:mm:ss <

ENTER>

The system's real-time clock

is

now set. Every time the

computer

is

started, it

will

retrieve the correct date and

time.

15

Operation Speed

The computer can operate at

two

different speeds. Some

software requires you to operate at

4.77

MHz to maintain full compatibility with the original IBM PC-XT. When possible though,

you

should try to operate your computer at the "turbo

speed" of

10

MHz. After warm or cold start, your computer

will

operate at 4.77MHz.

For 4.77MHz Operation:

Press

~

and I

~

Isimultaneously.

For

10

MHz Turbo Operation:

Press

~

and

~

simultaneously.

16

Chapter

2:

Using the Keyboard

The Keyboard Security Lock

The computer features a keyboard lock on the front panel. With the keyboard locked,

no

characters can be typed in to

the computer, protecting your system from unwanted intruders.

You receive

two

keys

with the unit. Make sure you store one

in a safe place.

Two LEDs are used to indicate whether the keyboard

is

locked

or unlocked. For example, when the keyboard

is

locked, the

LED labelled with 'keyboard lock'

will

be on.

Lock

ON

Lock

OFF

Indicator Indicator

17

Overview

The keyboard

is

your primary means of communicating with your computer. Its layout roughly resembles an ordinary typewriter. To describe the keyboard clearly, its helpful to divide it into four parts, each with its own function. In this chapter, we'll refer to these four areas:

• The Typewriter Keypad, with control

keys

• The Numeric Keypad

• The Editing and Cursor Control

keys

• The Function

Keys

The diagram below

shows

the four principal keypads:

Typewriter

keys

Editing & Cursor

Control

Numeric

ke~pali

18

The Typewriter

Keys

The typewriter area of the keyboard behaves a lot like a standard keyboard. Like a typewriter, the SHIFT key produces capital letters. To type the special characters shown above the numbers on the number

keys,

hold down the SHIFT key and

press the appropriate

key.

For example, the SHIFT key with

the number 1 produces an exclamation mark

(!).

The diagram below shows several general

keys

like BACK-

SPACE, SHIFT, TAB, and CAPS

LOCK

You'll also notice several special control keys specifically associated with computer operations, including the ESC,

CfRL,

ALT, and

ENTER

keys.

Here's a brief explanation of some important typewriter and control

keys:

B

CAPS

WCK.

..

This

is

similar to the Sbift-

Caps Lock Lock key on an ordinary typewriter. With this

key,

you

can type upper case letters without

holding down the SHIFT

key.

When CAPS

LOCK

is

engaged, the indicator light in the upper left hand corner of the keyboard lights up.

The CAPS LOCK

key

only affects the

26

letters

of the alphabet. To get special symbols, you'll still need to press the SHIFT

key.

19

10

Shift

EJ

ENTER... As a RETURN

key,

it ends the line

being typed and advances to the next line. As the ENTER

key,

it's used to execute commands

you have typed.

SHIFf

...

For upper case letters, punctuation, or

symbols, either one of the two SHIFT keys can be pressed. When the CAPS

WCK

key

is

engaged, the SHIFT

key

acts

as

an "Un-Shift"

key,

allowing

you

to type lower case letters.

BACKSPACE... Like the Backspace key on a

typewriter, it

will

erase one character to the left

of the cursor.

TAB

•••

Like the Tab

key

on the typewriter, it

moves the cursor to the next tab top. Tab stops occur every eight characters, unless otherwise specified. Using SHIFT with TAB moves the cursor backwards to the previous tab stop.

ESC... The ESCAPE

key

has different meanings

depending on the application you are using. In the BASIC language, for example, ESC erases a line from the screen.

CTRL ... The CONTROL key does nothing on

its

own.

Like the SHIFT

key,

CTRL

is

used

only in conjunction with other

keys.

CTRL performs many different functions depending on the application you are using.

Here are some examples of how

CTRL

IS used

in the MS-DOS operating system:

CTRL-SCROLL

LOCK

...

BREAK

This function

stops your program

while it

is

running.

20

CTRL-PRINT SCREEN

...

ECHO

The computer prints each line as it

is

typed. To cancel the function, press CTRL-Print SCREEN again.

CTRL-NUM

WCK....PAUSE

This temporarily halts printing

or

a screen

display. Press any

key

to continue.

CTRL-ALT-DEL.. . .sySTEM RESET

When these three

keys

are pressed together, the

system resets and reloads the operating system.

ALT

...

Like the CTRL

key,

ALT performs no

function on its own.

It

is

used in conjunction

with other

keys

to perform special functions. The meaning of ALT varies, depending on the application you're using.

While using the BASIC language, the ALT key allows you to quickly and easily enter BASIC keywords with a single keystroke. For example,

ALT-I generates the word "INPUT". Here's a

table of ALT key combinations in BASIC:

A.

........

AUTO M ......... MOTOR

B..........BSAVE N ......... NEXT

c.

.........

COLOR 0 ......... OPEN

D .........

DELETE

P .......... PRINT

E .......... ELSE

Q ......... Undefined

F ..........

FOR

R. ........

RUN

G ......... GOTO S .......... SCREEN

H ......... HEX$

T ..........

THEN

1...

........ INPUT U ......... USING

J ........... Undefined V .........

VAL

K.

........

KEy

W ........ WIDTH

L.. ........ LOCATE X .........

XOR

21

The Numeric Keypad

The numeric keypad, shown below, performs a dual function. With the NUM LOCK

key

engaged (indicated

by

the status

light in the upper right and corner of the keyboard), the

keypad

is

useful for the rapid data entry of numbers. Without

NUM LOCK, the keypad can be used to move the cursor or

do special editing features.

The

102

key enhanced keyboard provides a separate keypad for

cursor control and editing (located immediately to the left of

the numeric keypad). For this reason, most users will find it

convenient to leave the NUM LOCK

key

on. This allows the

numeric keypad to be used for rapid entry of numbers.

These

keys

operate the same regardless of the status of the

NUM LOCK

key:

ENTER...

Works the same as the

ENTER

key

on the Typewriter Keypad.

Enter

22

+

...

Displays the PLUS

symbol.

+

D

-

...

Displays the MINUS

symbol.

•

...

Displays the ASTERISK, used for multiplica-

tion.

j

...

Displays the SLASH, used for division.

These

keys

behave differently depending on the status of the

NUM LOCK

key:

NUM LOCK ON

NUM

LOCK

OFF

The number 1 END... Moves the cursor to

the end of the line.

[]

The number 2

Moves

the cursor

down.

The number 3

PG DN... Moves the cur-

sor

down

one page, or

25

lines.

The number 4

Moves

the cursor left.

The number 5

No

function

23

[g

The number 6

The number 7

I~omel

[]

The number 8

The number 9

I~upi

The number 0

I

~ns

I

The DECIMAL

POINT

I

~el

I

Moves the cursor right.

HOME... Moves the

cursor to the screen's upper left hand corner.

Moves the cursor up.

PG UP... Moves the

cursor up to the beginning of a page.

INS... (Insert)

Turns on

"insert mode." Characters typed are inserted before text that already exists.

DEL

•••

(Delete) Erases

one character at the position of the cursor.

24

Editing

and

Cursor Control

Keys

This keypad sits between the Typewriter and Numeric keypads.

It

performs

keypad with

6

[!J

[]

EJ

the same functions

as

the

keys

on the Numeric

the NUM LOCK

key

off:

H 0 ME... Moves the cursor to the first charac-

ter

in the upper left hand corner of the screen.

CURSOR UP

...

Moves the cursor up one

line.

CURSOR DOWN

...

Moves the cursor down

one line.

CURSOR RIGHT

...

Moves the cursor one

character to the right.

CURSOR

LEFr

...

Moves the cursor left one

character.

END

...

Moves the cursor to the right of the

last character on the line.

25

I

Page

I

Up

I

Page

I

On

DELETE.

..

Deletes one character at the

position of the cursor. All characters move

left

one position to

fill

in the deleted character.

INSERT... Turns on the "insert mode." Char-

acters

you

type

will

be inserted before text that already exists, pushing the existing text to the right. With insert mode

off,

characters to the

right are overwritten.

PAGE UP/PAGE DOWN

...

Its functions arc

defined by the application you are using. In

general, these

keys

move the cursor up or down

one page

(25

lines).

26

Function

Keys

Located along the top half of the keyboard, these twelve function keys

allow you to perform complex commands with a single keystroke.

Most applications use function

keys

for different purposes. When

running the MS-DOS operating system, the function keys perform the following activities:

FI... Copies one character from a temporary

storage area to the display. Each time

you

enter

a command, MS-DOS store the command

in

a

temporary storage area.

EJ

Fl... Displays all characters preceding a specified

character from the temporary storage area.

EJ

F3... Copies all remaining characters

storage area to the display.

from the

EJ

F4 ... Deletes

fied character

the characters preceding the speci-

from the temporary storage area.

EJ

F5 ... Enters the currently typed

temporary storage area.

line into the

27

28

Chapter

3:

Introduction for New Users

Facts

You

Should

Know

This chapter

is

intended for people with no computing experi-

ence.

If

you fall into this category,

we

hope you'll find some of the concepts introduced here to be helpful. Let's start with a

few

general facts:

• A computer

is

not like a television set that you can

simply take out of the box and plug in.

It

will

require

both time and patience to learn.

If

you try to learn things

too quickly under pressure,

you

may

get frustrated. We

recommend leaving plenty of time for learning.

• There

is

a fan on the back of the computer system unit.

This fan

is

absolutely essential for cooling the internal

components. Do not block this

fan!

Make sure you leave

plenty of space for air to circulate behind the computer.

• Static electricity can damage your system. Your body picks up static electricity without you even knowing

it,

and even a mild static shock can harm delicate computer components. To protect against static shock,

always

touch the metal chassis of your system unit before touching other electronics.

• Electrical interference and power surges can destroy computer components. Do not plug your computer into an outlet that powers heavy equipment, like copiers or refrigerators.

If

you

live

in a rural area with unreliable power, you may want to purchase a surge suppressor to protect your components from overload.

29

Introduction to MS-DOS

MS-DOS stands for MicroSoft Disk Operating System.

An

operating system

is

a group of programs that acts as:

• A manager for your computer, monitor, and peripherals

• An interpreter, conveying your instructions to the computer

If

you plan on running application programs only (software

written to perform specific tasks, e.g. Lotus 1-2-3®or WordPer-

fect), you actually need to know very little about the MS-DOS operating system.

On

the other hand, if you plan on wntmg your own programs, you may have to learn quite a bit about it.

We

recommend learning enough about MS-DOS so you can

take advantages of all the features of your computer.

We

will

provide a basic introduction to MS-DOS

in

this booklet. To

find out more, you should consult the MS-DOS User's Guide

included with your system.

There are several excellent instruction manuals and tutorials written about MS-DOS. Refer to Chapter 6 for a listing of

relevant books.

30

Storing Files on a Computer

To learn more about how your computer works, you have to learn how MS-DOS organizes and stores data.

All

information on disks is stored in

fi1es.

A

fIle

is

simply a

collection of information. Computer

fIles

can be broken down

into three categories:

• System Files ... contain MS-DOS information that man-

ages the computer operations.

• Program Files... contain information that lets your

computer perform a series of specific tasks.

• Data Files... contain information which you enter, such

as

documents created in a word processing package, or

worksheets created with a spreadsheet package (like Lotus

1-2-3).

All

fIles

are referred to by their filename. MS-DOS fIlenames may not be more than eight characters long. Filenames can contain letters, numbers, and the symbols

$ & # % ' ( ) -

@ A { } or

!.

To further identify a

file,

a fIlename can contain an extension

of up to three characters. The extension

always

appears at the

end of the of a filename, preceded

by

a period. Extensions are

a good

way

to categorize

fIles

into efficient groupings. For

example,

fIles

containing Lotus spreadsheets end in the extension

.WKS

- an abbreviation for worksheet, while word processing

documents could end in .DOC - an abbreviation for document.

The following are all valid MS-DOS filenames:

SALESLTR.DOC Checking.bal File#1.TXT QTR1.WKS

MyFile

WlN.INI

Menu.BAS Work.TST

XXX.xxx

31

Organizing Files into Directories

Files on a disk are grouped into

directories.

A directory is simply a "Table of Contents" for the disk. For each file residing on a disk, an entry is made in a directory recording the name of the file, its size, and its location on the disk, data of creation, attributes.

Every disk contains one main directory called the root

directory.

The root directory serves as a "master index" for the disk.

When you format a new diskette for use on your computer,

the root directory

is

automatically created. When you start up

the computer, you are operating from the root directory.

The root directory can be subdivided into more directories for the sake of organization. For example, all word processing documents could be stored in a directory named "Letters". Checkbook balances and your home budget could be grouped into a directory named "Finance".

For

many purposes, especially if you are using floppy disks only, you may not need any additional directories. The root directory alone should suffice. However, when you add a hard disk, organizing your files into directories becomes essential because the hard disk

is

capable of storing thousands of files.

To summarize, the root directory can contain several subdirecto-

ries, and each subdirectory in turn can contain other subdirectories.

In

the illustration below, directory names appear

in boldface text, while

file

names appear in normal text:

32

ROOT

I

FINANCE

LETTERS

Filel File2

I

Budget

OFFICE

PERSONAL

Checkbk

Bills

SlsDept AuntMary

Acctg

Janice

Thank You

The rules for naming directories are the same

as

those for

naming

fIles.

Names can be up to eight characters long, and

contain letters, numbers, and the symbols $

& # % ' ( ) -

@ A { } or

1.

33

The Menu

of

MS-DOS Activities

The computer features a helpful menu of the most common MS-DOS commands. The menu appears whenever

you

start up

the machine:

LASER

TURBO

XT

Start

Up

Utility

Main

Menu

[A]

Format

a

disk

[H]Change

directory

[B]

Format

a

sys

disk

[I]Display

directory

[C]Format

hard

drive

[J]Run

a

program

[D]

Copy

file

(s)

[K)Change

date

&time

[E]

Copy

disk

[L]Check

config.

[F]

Make a directory

[M]Display

help

file

[G]Remove

directory

[N]

Exit

to

DOS

Current

directory:

c:\

Current

date/time:

05-01-88

09:35:51

Il

Video

Technology

Corr,puters,

Inc

.11

This menu

gives

you an easy-to-use tool for working with MS-

DOS. With one keystroke,

you

can perform several common

functions. To use the menu:

1.

Touch the letter corresponding to the activity

you

wish

to

perform. For example,

you

would press the letter D to copy

a

file.

2.

The computer

will

ask you questions pertaining to the

command. After typing in your answer, press the

ENTER

key.

The following

is

an overview of the menu options. For more

information about these commands, consult the

MS-DOS User's

Guide included with the computer.

34

Command

[A]

Format a disk

[B]

Format a

sys

disk

[C] Format hard drive

[D] Copy file(s)

Function

Prepare a new, blank

diskette for use on your system. You must have the

file FORMAT.EXE in the

current directory.

Creates a diskette capable

of

being used as a system

start-up disk.

Prepares a hard disk for

use on the system. This command should only be done once, the first time the hard disk is used.

Copies a file from one disk to another

or

one directory

to

another. Can also copy a

file within a directory.

·Doyou

have

FORMAT.EXE in the current directory

(Y

or

N)?

'Enter

the drive letter for

format (A: - D:)

*Doyou

have FORMAT.EXE in the current directory

(Y

or

N)?

'Enter

the drive letter for

system format (A: - D:)

*Doyou

have HARDFORMAT.BAT in the current directory

(Y

orN)?

'This

command will

completely

ERASE

the

hard disk.

Are

you sure

you want to proceed? (Y orN)

'Enter

the source drive

(A: - D:). This

is the drive

where the file is located currently.

'Enter

the destination

drive (A: - D:). This

is where you want the new file

to

go.

*Enter the file name

to copy. Ifyou leave this entry blank, the computer will

assume you want

to copy all files in the current directory.

35

Command

[E]

Copy disk

[F] Make a directory

[G] Remove directory

[H) Change directory

[I]

Display directory

[J) Run a program

[K]

Change date & time

Function

Copies the contents

of

a

diskette in disk drive

"A"

to

a diskette

in

drive

"B".

You

must have the file

DISKCOPY.EXE in the

current directory.

Creates a new directory

or

subdirectory.

Deletes a directory from the disk.

The

directory

must be empty

of

files

before it can be removed.

Changes the ·current directory" to something else.

Lists information about the files

in

a certain directory.

Used to start-up an application program, like a spreadsheet

or

word

processing package.

Used to set

or

change the

real-time clock in the system.

·Doyou

have

DISKCOPY.EXE

in

the

current directory

('l

or

N)?

·Enter

the name for the

new directory.

*The directory must have

ofiles for this to work.

Does it?

('l

or

N)

*Enter the name

of

the

directory

to

remove.

·Enter

the drive letter.

(A:

-D:)

·Enter

new directory

name.

·Enter

qualifier (Default

= * .• ).

If

you leave this entry blank, all files will be listed.

·Enter

the name

of

the

program.

If

the program

is not located in the current directory, you'll need

to specify the drive letter and directory name.

*Doyou

have

GErCLOCKEXE

and

SErCLOCK.EXE

in the

current directory

('l

or

N)?

·What

is the current date? (Use MM-DD-YY format)

·What

is the current time? (Use HH:MM:SS format)

36

Command

[L]

Check config.

[M]

Display help me

[N] Exit to DOS

Displays details about your system configuration (i.e. how many drives, how much memory).

Prints a copy

of

the help

file

pertaining to these

menu selections.

Ends this Menu Program and returns you to the standard DOS prompt.

To restart the menu program, enter MENU at the DOS prompt.

*Doyou have WHATAMI.EXE in the current directory

(Y

or

N)?

"Do

you have HELPTXT

in the current directory

(Y

orN)?

·No

options

The MENU program allows

you

to perform several activities

without having to learn MS-DOS

in

great detail. However,

we recommend becoming familiar with the most common and most useful MS-DOS commands.

for

further information consult the

MS-DOS

User's

Guide or one of the books suggested in

Chapter

6.

37

How to Care for Your Computer

1.

Until you gain a great deal of experience, do not attempt to probe the inside of your computer, particularly the power supply. Dangerous levels of high voltage exist. Contact your dealer for service if necessary.

2.

Turn off the computer and unplug it from the wall before you

install anything inside the system unit, such

as

an

ex-

pansion card or memory chips. Failure to

do

so

will

result in serious, irreparable damage to both the computer and the add-on device.

3.

Keep the computer

away

from excessive heat, humidity, dust,

or moisture.

4.

Do not cover the fan or ventilation holes on the back panel of the computer.

5.

Do not use thinner,

oil,

or petroleum-based cleaners on the cabinet or keyboard. Use only a damp cloth (with a mild detergent, if necessary) for cleaning. Make sure the power

is

off.

6.

If

you need to move your computer system, use the original

packaging to shield it from shock.

If

the system includes a

hard disk drive,

you

must run a special protection program

before moving. Refer to your hard disk manual for details.

7.

Do not drop the main unit. Handle it with care.

8.

Do not attempt to use your computer underwater.

38

Diskette

Care

The 5-1/4" Floppy Disk Drive of the computer uses 5-1/4", double sided, double density

(40

tracks per inch), soft sectored floppy diskettes. These diskettes are capable of holding 360K (368,640

bytes).

Each floppy diskette has a write-protect notch on its side, as shown in this diagram:

If

this notch

is

covered, the computer

will

not let you write to

the diskette. This is a good

way

to make sure no one erases

diskettes that are absolutely crucial.

Always

handle your floppy diskettes carefully. A small scratch, stain, or even a speck of dust can destroy the information stored on the diskette. The following guidelines

will help pro-

long the useful life of your diskettes and may help prevent the loss of important data:

•

Always

keep diskettes m their protective envelope when not

in use.

• Never touch the diskette's shiny exposed surface.

• Don't bend diskettes.

• Keep diskettes

away

from magnetic fields (transformers,

motors, magnets, TVs, radios).

39

• Never

lay

a diskette on top of or next to the computer

system unit.

• Write only on a diskette label, and only with a soft felttip pen. Never use a ball point pen to write on diskettes.

• Keep diskettes out of direct sunlight and away from excessive heat. They melt easily.

• Some versions of the computer has a 720K 3 1/2" Floppy disk drive installed. These drives use

3 1/2" Floppy

diskettes: which are capable of holding

720K

bytes maxi-

mally.

40

Hints on using 3-1/2" drive

Before you are going to use the 3-1/2" drive, there are some basic concept and terminology you need to know.

A physical drive is a drive that

is

physically connected to the

computer.

A logical drive

is

a drive that can

be

accessed through the

"drive letter" assigned, e.g.

A:,

B:.

Thus there may be more logical drives than physical drives, since two or more logical drives may refer to the same physical drive.

An

external drive

is

the drive that

is

created by

the"

file

CONFIG.SYS. The drive letter for that external drive

is

specified by assigning parameters on the CONFIG.SYS file. The installation procedure of external drive

is

shown below.

Normally, after you have connected a

3.5"

micro floppy disk

drive to your computer, you can access the drive as usual.

However, you

will not be able to format a

3.5"

diskette with

720KB storage capacity. This

is

expected because DOS presumes

your drive

is

a 360KB, 5.25" drive. To use your 3.5 inch floppy

disk drive

as a 720KB drive, you should follow the procedures

below:

(A)

If

you are using

DOS

3.2

1.

Insert a DOS disk into drive

A.

2.

If

your

3.5"

disk drive

is

the second drive, create the

CONFIG.SYS file and include the following line:

drivparm

= /

d:1

Otherwise, change the parameter

"d:1"

to

"d:O."

41

3.

Warm boot the system.

3.5"

disks can now be formatted on

nOKB.

(B)

If

you

are

using DOS 3.3

1.

Insert a DOS disk which contains the DRIVER.SYS into drive

A.

2.

If

your

3.5"

disk drive

is

the second drive, create the

CONFIG.SYS file and include the follow line:

device

= driver.sys/d:l

This line tells the system to install an external drive C:. The parameter

/d:l

specifies that the external drive

C:

is

logically linked to the second physical drive

B:.

That

is

to

say,

you can access physical drive

B:

via

logical drive

C:

in

addition to drive B:.

If

your

3.5"

disk drive IS the first drive, change the pa-

rameter "d:l" to

"d:O."

3.

Warm boot the system.

The message "Loaded External Disk Driver for Drive

Coo

will

be displayed which indicates the external drive

is

suc-

cessfully installed.

3.5"

disks can now be formatted in

nOKB

via drive

C:

in the

3.5"

disk drive. While drive

C:

is

specifically created to allow

formatting in

nOKB,

normal disk access through drive

B:

(drive

A:

for first drive)

is

still permitted, except that the disk can

only be formatted in 360KB, not

nOKB.

New diskettes must be formatted before they can be used on your computer. Refer to the "How to Format Your Disks" section in the MS-DOS

User's

Guide.

42

Chapter

4:

Enhancements

Special Note

The enhancements described in

this

chapter let

you

improve the

power and performance of your computer

system.

The parts

required

for

each enhancement are available from your

dealer.

All these enhancements require

you

to

open the

system

unit and install add-on accessories inside. Furthermore, some of the instructions

may

seem complicated, especially for first time

computer users.

If

you

are a

new

computer user,

you

ntay

want to

have

your dealer install the enhancements.

Before opening your

system

unit, make sure the power

to

your

computer

is

OFF, and the unit

is

unplugged from the

wall socket. Attempting to install expansion cards, memory, or other internal components

with

the computer plugged

in

will

cause

serious and irreparable damage to both the computer and the add-on accessory.

43

Opening the System Unit

To open the computer system unit, you'll need a Philips

screwdriver. Begin

by

placing the computer system unit on a

flat surface. Unplug the power cord from the wall outlet!

Looking at the back of the system unit, there are

five

screws

you

need to

remove:

Remove the screws and put them in a safe place. Grasp the cover of the chassis with both hands, and slide it forward and off,

as

shown

below.

There are several ribbon cables present in the system.

If

you

encounter

any

resistance while

you

are removing the system

cover, reach in and gently press

down

on

these cables. Do not

attempt to yank off the cover

if

it's stuck on a cable.

44

Road Map

of

Internal Components

With the system unit open, this

is

a good time to get a

general overview of the internal parts of the system unit:

Notice the following areas of the system unit:

• System Board

• Expansion Slots

• Hard Disk Controller

• Multiple Input-Output (I-O) Card

•

EGA

card

• Floppy Drives

"A"

and 5

1/4",

360K

• Floppy Drive "B" 3 1/2",

nOK

• Socket for an 8087 Math Co-Processor

•

Hard

disk "c"

• Power Supply

• Sockets for Memory Expansion to

640K.

• Ribbon Cables

• 4 Empty Rows for Installing Expanded Memory

• 2

DIP Switches

45

I lard disk controller card

Power supply

Sockets for memory

expansion to

640K

4 empty rows for installing

"'lIiiiijg~~U2~lli]

e:.\panded

memory

~~:::;~~~~9~~~~~~~~~

5-1/4" floppy drive

"A"

or

5-1/4" floppy drive

"B"

3-1/2" floppy disk

"B"

liard disk

"c"

46

Expanding System Memory to 640K

MS-DOS itself recognizes up to 640K of memory. Because the

computer comes with 512K

of

memory, one

of

the fIrst en-

hancements

we

recommend

is

expanding the system memory to

its

full

640K.

There are four simple tricks to successfully installing memory on the system board:

1.

Purchase the correct memory chips.

2.

Install the chips in the right place on the system board.

3.

Make sure the chips are pointing the right

way

when you

install them

in their sockets.

4.

Make sure none of the pins on the chip bend when you

are pushing the chip into the socket.

5 Set the proper switch on the system board so the computer recognizes

all

640K.

Let's take each step in detail. As

always,

before you install

anything, Make sure the computer

is

unplugged from the wall

outlet!

1.

Purchase the correct memory chips.

Ask your dealer for four (4)

4464

RAM chips (64K RAM

x

4)

The chips must be

150

nanoseconds (150ns)

or

faster.

47

2.

Install the chips in the right sockets on the system board.

=

===

As shown

in

this

c::J======

diagram, the sockets

c::J

c::=::J

~

~~6

I

===

====

for the four

4464

I

====

RAM chips are

====

highlighted. The chips

6

CJc],

will

be installed in

12:3=g§3

=-CJ=

sockets U36, U37,

-==

u=

_==

U38 and U39.

,=

c::::J

-B§l

= c::::J

===.,

3. Make sure the chips are pointing the right

way.

Take a careful look at the top

of

the memory chips. You'll see a small indentation, notch, or marking at one end of the chip.

Examine the

two

rows

of

memory chips currently installed in

the computer. Notice the indentation on the chips

is

pointing

towards the center

of

the system board (toward the back of

the unit).

48

You must install the new memory chips with the indentation

facing the back of the system unit, in the exact same direction

as the other memory chips.

4.

Make sure none of the pins on the chip bend when you insert them into their sockets.

Now that you know what kind of chips to use, where they go, and which direction they point, you are ready to actually install the RAM chips.

With the chip facing the right direction, carefully place the prongs from the RAM chip into the holes on the socket. Press downward. No force

is

required to install RAM chips.

If

you have to press hard, you are probably bending a pin.

The pins that connect each chip to its socket' are easily bent out of shape. After installing the RAM chip, make sure no pins are bent or protruding from the socket.

Keeping all these things in mind, install the four

4464

RAM

chips in sockets U36, U37, U38, and U39.

49

5.

Set the switch

on

the system board so the computer recog-

nizes all

640K.

The computer has banks of switches labeled

SW1

and

SW2.

SWI

is

a bank switch having

8,

small switches and

SW2

is a bank switch having four small switches. Locate Switch Bank

#1

(SW1)

as

shown in the diagram:

E~~~O

c:::::::J

~

c=::::J c=::::J

Right

now,

switch 3 IS ON. To set your system to 640K of

memory, turn switch 3 OFF.

You can use the

~ip

of a pencil or the head of a small

screwdriver to move the switch.

50

Installing Parity

RAM

RAM parity is a method the computer can use to continually monitor and test the performance and reliability

of

the memory

chips.

The advantage

of

parity RAM is the error-checking it performs. Parity RAM spots potential failure in the RAM chips, and informs the user. Without parity RAM, your system may "lock up"

if

a failure occurs, providing no indication of the cause

of

the failure.

The disadvantage of parity RAM

is

its cost. We feel the price of parity RAM far outweighs the benefits it produces, so we recommend you don't make the extra investment for parity RAM.

In case you really want to install it, here are the steps.

As

always, before you install anything, MAKE

SURE

THE

COM-

PUTER

IS

UNPLUGGED FROM

THE

WALL OUTLET!

1. Purchase the proper chips .

• Ask your dealer for two (2)

4164

RAM chips (64K RAM

x 1), and two (2)

41256

RAM chips (256K RAM

xl)

.

• The chips must

be

150

nanoseconds (150ns) or faster.

2.

Install the chips in the right sockets on the system board.

.

As

shown

in the

= ===

0

Irci~~

=======

diagram , the two

c=:J=

=c:::J~~§l~

===

I

====

4164

chips go in

I

====

I ====

sockets U35 and U50,

•

====

I

II

=-==

I

urn

while

chips go

the

in

two

sockets

41256

~-~E:i

-

=

c::J0

0

I

i

==c::J=

U25 and U41.

===

I

~

C=::J

=c::J=

c::::::::J

Y c::::J

I

===

==

.

=

CJ

_0="

51

3. Make sure the chips

are

pointing the right

way.

As before, notice the indentation on the chips

is

pointing towards the center of the system board (toward the back of the unit). Make sure

you

install the parity RAM with the

chips pointing in the same direction.

4.

Press the chips into place in their proper sockets.

Once again, make sure no pins are bent or protruding from the socket.

S.

You'll need to adjust a

jumper

to tell the computer

that

parity

RAM

is

now

enabled.

In the diagram on the

almost right next to

SW1:

Notice that the jumper

is

currently set for RAM Parity

dis-

abled.

RAM Parity Disabled

I·~I

Jumper

JPS

52

To enable RAM parity, gently lift the jumper of the

two

pins

it's on

now,

and place it on the

two

pins shown below.

RAM Parity Enabled

Jumper JP5

Jumper JP7

IS

now

set to recognize that parity memory

is

installed.

53

Installing Expansion Cards

Installing expansion cards into slots

is

a very simple process.

With

six

expansion slots free, you· have a lot of room to

enhance the capabilities of your computer.

1.

Before you begin:

• Unplug the computer from the wall outlet.

• Remember that circuit boards are sensitive to static electricity. Rid your hands of static electricity

by

touching the

system chassis every time before touching a circuit board.

2.

Choose an empty slot and remove the screw holding the slot cover to the back of the chassis.

54

3.

Slide the card into place, with its tab meeting the grooves

in the expansion slot.

4.

Replace the slot cover screw, which

will

secure the endplate

bracket of the card to the back of the system unit.

55

Installing

an

8087

Math Co-Processor

The computer has a socket available

for

an

8087

math co-

processor chip. This chip

is

specialized to do floating point

arithmetic very fast.

If

you are working intensively with enormous spreadsheets or mathematics, it could speed "number crunching" significantly. It's manufactured

by

Intel, and should

be purchased from an authorized Intel dealer.

1.

Purchase the correct chip. Ask the dealer for an

8087-1

math co-processor. The

8087-1

is

necessary to take full

advantage of your

10

MHz turbo speed.

2.

Identify the correct socket. The

8087-1

is

installed in the

long empty socket located immediately next to the CPU:

3.

Make sure the chip

is

pointing in the right direction. The

notch on the

8087-1

should be pointing to the rear of the

unit (towards the back panel).

56

3.

Make sure the chip

is

pointing in the right direction. The

notch on the

8087-1

should be pointing to the rear of the

unit (towards the back panel).

4.

Press the co-processor chip into place in its socket. Once

again, make sure none of the pins are bent or protruding from the socket.

5.

Set the switch on the system board

so

the computer recog-

nizes the

8087

math co-processor. Locate Switch Bank

#1

(SW1) as shown in the diagram:

ON

~~~~~~~~

12345678

Right now, switch 2

is

ON. To set your system for the

8087-1,

turn switch 2 OFF.

57

Installing Expanded

Memory

As mentioned before, MS-DOS only recognizes up to

640K

of

memory. Any memory above and beyond

640K

is

referred to

as

expanded memory.

Some applications like Lotus

1-2-3

and Dbase III make use of

up to 8 megaqytes (8

MB,

or 8,192K)

of

expanded memory. On your computer system board, there is room for you to add one megabyte (1 MB) of expanded memory.

You must add expanded memory in increments

of

512K,

so

you

can add

512K

or 1 ME.

As

always,

before you install anything, MAKE SURE .

THE

COMPUTER

IS

UNPLUGGED FROM

THE

WALL OUTLET!

1.

Purchase the correct memory chips. For every

512K

of

expanded memory you install:

Ask your dealer for sixteen

(16)

41256

RAM chips (256K

RAM x

1).

If

you

plan on using RAM parity, you'll need

eighteen instead of sixteen.

Th~

chips must be

150

nanoseconds (150ns) or faster.

2.

Install the chips in the right sockets on the system board.

In the diagram below, notice there are

two

banks of

em.pty

sockets for installing expanded memory. The banks are labeled, Bank

0,

Bank

1.

=

'~nnniW

DOD

8

DOD

DO

D~

.

OmJ

0000000000000000

111111111

OOOOOOO~~

BankO

.~~~~~~Ba~

nnl~lh.

Bankl

58

The first

5i2K

of expanded memory goes in Bank

O.

The

first sixteen chips get installed in sockets U50 through U57, and U60 through U67.

If

you are using parity RAM, install

another chip at U58 and U59.

If

you are installing 1

MB

of expanded memory, fill up Bank

1.

Remember, the socket at U76 and U77 need to

be

filled

only

if

you are using RAM parity-checking.

3. Make sure the chips are pointing the right

way.

Make sure you install the RAM chips with the indentations pointing towards the center of the system board (toward the back of the unit).

4.

Press the chips into place in their proper sockets.

Once again, make sure no pins are bent or protruding from the socket.

5. Set the switch on the system

board

so the computer

recognizes the correct amount of expanded memory.

Locate Switch

BankO

Bank

#2

(SW2)

I

as shown in the diagram:

I

===

I

ON

T

W~~~-~:~:=

1 2 3 4

1=

0=

=

Right

now,

all the switches are on. To set your system to recognize the

correct amount

of

expanded memory, set the switches as above:

59

Using Expanded Memory

As mentioned previously, MS-DOS does not recognize any memory past 640K. All memory over 640K is called expanded

memory.

Some software packages are written to automatically recognize

expanded memory. For example, Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft

Windows

2.0

take full advantage of expanded memory. Other

programs

will not recognize expanded memory at

all.

It

depends

specifically on the application you are using.

We have supplied two software programs which are used with your expanded memory. The fIrst program

is

EMM.SYS.

It

must

be

installed

before

the

expanded memory

can

be used. The

second program

is

ERAMDISK.SYS, a helpful program for

implementing a RAM disk in expanded memory.

EMM.SYS

• The MS-DOS driver for managing expanded memory.

• The following line must appear in the

me

CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICE

= EMM.SYS

M3

10

60

ERAMDISK.SYS

This

is

a driver to turn your expanded memory into a RAM disk. A RAM disk program sets aside a portion of memory and treats it

as

if

it were a physical disk drive. In other

words, with

two

floppy disk drives on your system (Drive "A"

and "B"), the RAM disk becomes Drive "C".

If

you also have

a hard disk installed, the

RAM disk becomes Drive

"D".

• To use S12K of expanded memory as a RAM disk, the following line must appear in CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICE = ERAMDISK.SYS 512

• To use 1MB of expanded memory as a RAM disk, the following line must appear in CONFIG.SYS:

DEVICE = ERAMDISK.SYS 1024

61

Installing a Hard Disk

Drive

If

your computer

is

equipped with a hard disk drive, you

will

need to prepare the disk for use

by

"formatting" it. Follow

these simple instructions:

1.

The Start-Up Utility Main Menu (As shown on page 9) should appear on the screen.

2.

Type in the letter "C". This option formats your hard disk drive. This should only

be

done once when the disk

is

first

used. This option completely erases all information

on

the

hard disk, so

be

careful when running this option.

3.

The system displays the question: "Drive C

is

a fixed disk drive. Do you want to completely erase it?" Type in "Y" to format the hard disk drive.

If

the hard disk did not come built-in

to

the unit from the factory, you can add one yourself. Any hard drive compatible with the IBM PC-XT can be used. You must also purchase a hard disk controller that works with the drive you select.

Hard disk and disk controller installation varies depending on the model you select. You

will

need to do a low-level format on the disk before using the Start-Up Utility to do the high-level format. Consult the manual that comes with the hard disk for specific instructions

62

Chapter

5:

Trouble Shooting Checklist

Symptoms

and

Suggestions

Symptom

No response from the main unit.

No screen display.

Poor screen display quality

Suggestions

• The

ON/OFF

switch

should

be

in the

ON

or

"I"

position.

• Make sure the outlet itself works.

• The power plug may be improperly connected to the back of the system unit.

• Monitor cable is not properly connected to the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card

• Monitor power cable

is

not

plugged

in properly

• The monitor's power switch

18

not

turned on.

• The brightness or contrast knobs on the monitor are not properly adjusted.

• The small slide switch on the

Monochrome Graphics/Color

Graphics Card

is

not set correctly. Set to "MDA" for monochrome TTL monitors, or "CGA" for RGB color monitors.

• Brightness or contrast knobs on the monitor

are

not properly

adjusted.

63

Symptom

Suggestions

No response from the keyboard.

Disk drive error.

If

none of these measures

computer dealer.

• Keyboard cable not properly connected. Check to make sure it's plugged in properly on the back of the system unit.

• System crash. Restart your system using the reset button on the

back of the system unit.

If

neces-

sary, turn your unit

off,

then on

again.

• Keyboard lock

is

not

off.

• Latch on the disk drive

is

not

closed properly.

• The diskette

was

not placed in the drive correctly. Make sure the label points up, with the writeprotect notch pointing to the left.

• You are using the wrong disk for start-up. Make sure

you

are using

an MS-DOS System Disk.

• The diskette is damaged .

• The diskette

is

unformatted.

work, contact your

64

Beeps

1 Long + 1 Short

Base

64K

RAM isn't usable. Check the RAM chips.

1 Long + 2 Short

The video selector switch on the Monochrome Graphics/

Color Graphics Card isn't properly set.

1 Long + 5 Short

BIOS ROM checksum IS incorrect. Replace the BIOS chip.

65

Display Messages

Message

Cause

& Suggested Solution

Video error.

• BIOS couldn't find the type of display adapter requested

by

the

switch settings.

• Check the DIP switches and

switch on the Monochrome Graph-

ics/Color Graphics Card

Keyboard Error

0100.

• Keyboard did not respond.

• Check the connector on the board.

key-

Keyboard Error 02XX.

• Keyboard returned the wrong test code

xx.

• Replace the keyboard.

Keyboard Error

04XX.

• Keyboard interrupt would not clear.

• Check Gate Array on the motherboard, or

replace the keyboard.

Memory Address

• Problem with memory

Error

addressing. Possibly unconnected

RAM

legs or shorted address

lines.

• Check the RAM chips

by

replac-

ing one at a time.

For errors generated by the MS-DOS operating system, consult the

MS-DOS

User's

Guide.

66

CHAPTER

6:

Further Reading

There are many popular books

on

the market written about IBM PC-XT Compatible computers and the MS-DOS Operating System.

Whether searching for a good tutorial for beginners or an

advanced reference manual for experts,

you

can certainly

fmd

a

book geared toward your specific needs.

Here

is

a partial list of books available in retail stores

or public libraries. There are hundreds of other relevant books m print. Consult your local library for a more complete listing.

These books are available from Howard

W.

Sams & Co. Call

1-800-428-SAMS for a dealer near

you:

Kate o 'Day, Discovering MS-DOS (4th

Printing,

1987)

Steven Simrin, MS-DOS Bible (4th Printing, 1986)

Angermeyer, Fahringer, Jaeger, and Shafer,

Tricks

of

the

MS-DOS Masters

(1st Printing,

1987)

O'Day and Angermeyer, Understanding MS-DOS (3rd

Printing,

1987)

67

Other books available from computer retailers and book stores

include:

Quick

and Easy

PC-DOSjMS-DOS,

Alfred Publishing

Company, Inc.

Your IBM-PC Made Easy, Osborne/McGraw-Hill

Your

IBM:

A Guide to the IBM-PC, OsbornejMcGraw-Hill

Learning DOS, Microsoft Corporation

How to Use Your IBM-PC, American Training Interna-

tional

Teach Yourself PC-DOS, American Training International.

68

Appendix

1:

Dip Switches

and

Settings

Switch Box

#1

(SW1)

Position

1:

Diagnostics

~ooooooo

12345678

Normal operation

Factory testing only

Position

2:

8087-1

Math Co-Processor

TI~oooooo

D~oooooo

12345678

Without

8087

co-processor With

8087

co-processor

Position 3 Conventional Memory Amount

~o~ooooo

TIo~ooooo

12345678

512K conventional 640K conventional Memory

Memory Installed

Position 4 Not Used

69

Position 5 &

6:

Type of Display

ON

Enhanced Graphics Adaptor or Video Graphics array (VGA)

~~~~~~~~

12345678

ON

Color graphics adaptor 40

x25 mode

DD~~~~~~

12345678

Color graphics adaptor 80x25

mode

Monochrome display adaptor or

Hercules graphics card

Position 7

&

8:

Floppy Disk Drives

ON

oooo~o~~

n~~m~~~

12345678

One (1) floppy drive

Two (2) floppy drives

~~~m~~~

12345678

Three (3) floppy drives

Four (4) floppy drives

70

Switch

Box

#2

(SW2)

Switch

SW2

is used for setting the

I/O

Port address for the

expanded memory installed

in

the computer.

If

you

have up to

one megabyte of expanded memory, the settings are easy.

The position of switches

1,

2 and 3 on

SW2

determine the

1/

o port address of the expanded memory.

I/O

Port Address

ON

ON ON

~~~

208h 218h

258h

268h

ON

~~~

2A8h

2B8h 2E8h Expanded Memory

disabled

71

72

Appendix

2:

The

Multi

I/O

Card

The multifunction input/output (Multi

I/O)

card installed

ill

the computer gives you several powerful features packed into a single expansion card. You get:

• Centronics Parallel Printer Port

• RS232C Serial Port

• Joystick Port

• A Real-Time Clock

• Floppy disk interface

On the Multi

I/O

Card, you'll [rod two jumper blocks. Jumper

JPl

is

used for setting the interrupt request levels for the real time clock. In reality, you should never have to change the setting of

JPl.

Jumper JP2, shown below,

is

responsible forconftgoring the

ports on the Multi

I/O

card:

Bracket

----

_____________

----,

RS232 Serial Interface Port Connectors

----, Configuration Jumper Block Floppy Disk Interface

Connector

-----,

J5

JP2

Real-Time Clock Interrupt Level Select Jumper

Parallel Printer Port Connector

____________

--'

Game Port Connector

------------------'

73

Notice how the jumpers are set when the unit leaves the factory:

25

•••••••••

1

27~~~~~~~~~

3

IHGFEDCBA

The letters under each row are for illustration only. They do

not actually appear on the jumper block.

Row

A: Printer

Port

Enable

Top of the card Top of the card

•

~

•

A A

Parallel Printer

Enabled

Disabled

Row

B:

Printer Port Address

Top

of

the card Top of the card

•

~

•

B B

LPTl

LPT2

Row

C:

Real Time Clock Address

Top of the

card

Top of the card

•

~

•

A

340H

2COH

74

Row

D:

Serial Port

COM2

The Multi

I/O

card normally has only one serial port named

COMl.

If

you

wish

to purchase

add a second serial port named

for

details.

Top of the card

•

~

D

COM2 Enabled

Row

E:

Floppy Disk Enable

Top of the card

•

~

E

Floppy Disk Enabled

Row

F,

G,

H:

Not Used

Row

I:

Serial Port

COM1

Top of the card

•

~

I

COMl Enabled

additional hardware, you can COM2. Contact your dealer

Top of the card

~

•

D

COM2 Disabled

Top of the card

,

•

E

Floppy Disk Disabled

Top of the card

~

•

I

COMl

Disabled

75

Parallel Printer

Port

Used for connecting a parallel printer with input.

It

is

fully

compatible with the IBM

printer port.

Pin #

Description Pin #

1 -STROBE

10

2 DATA 0

11

3 DATA 1

12

4 DATA 2

13

5

DATA 3

14

6 DATA 4

15

7 DATA 5

16

8

DATA 6

17

9

DATA 7

18-25

25-pin "D" Style Connector

Centronics standard

PC-XT parallel

Description

-ACK +BUSY +PE

+S~LECT

-AUTO

FD

-ERROR

-INIT

-SELECT INPUT

GROUND

76

RS232 Serial Port

Used for connecting a serial printer or modem with RS232

standard input.

It

is

fully

compatible with the IBM PC-XT

serial port.

Pin # Description

1 CHASSIS GROUND

2 TRANSMIT DATA

3 RECEIVE DATA

4 REQUEST

TO

SEND

5 CLEAR TO SEND

6 DATA SET READY 7 SIGNAL GROUND 8 CARRIER DETECT 20

DATA TERMINAL READY

22

RING INDICATOR

OTHERS NOT USED

25-pin "D" Style Connector

77

Joystick Port

Used for connecting a joystick mechanism to the Laser Turbo

XT using a is-pin

"D"

style connector.

~-1

"

I~Vr--------l

r -x

c~;din-;t;-

-,

+5V

r'

I 9

, I

I

Switch 4 I X I 2

10

I

1

r

1

3

'1

4

I

1

12

r

Gnd

I r

lye

d'

I oor

onate

r

y r 5

13

I Y IIy

Coord.nate

I

r

l

_____

jl

rt~~:11IL~-----J

Switch 3

...

Switch 2

2J

-..,

78

Appendix

3:

Monochrome Graphics /Color Graphics

Card

Overview

As

a color graphics adapter, this card provides a flexible

interface to RGB monitors,

as

well

as

color and monochrome

composite monitors. Graphic resolutions of

320 x 200

or

640

x

200

are available.

When selected for monochrome operation, the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card

is

fully

compatible with the

Hercules graphics card, providing

720 x 348

resolution.

When the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics

Card

is

installed in a Laser Computer, the slide

MDAIol

switch

on the card faceplate

is

used to select

eGA

l!J

color graphics or monochrome operation.

Once

you

have

set pole 5 and 6 or the DIP

switch

SWl to

ON,

there are

no

other switches to set, and no need to open

the

system

unit. The Laser

BIOS

on the graphics adapter

assures perfect operation when inside a Laser Computer.

79

Using

the

Adapter in Non-Laser Computers

If

you install the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card in a non-Laser computer, or the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card coexists with another graphics card (e.g. EGA, CGA or MDA). You may have to disable the Laser BIOS built in to the graphics card.

When you disable the built-in BIOS, you

will

need to set the DIP switches inside the non-Laser computer to match the MDA/CGA slide switch on the card's faceplate.

To disable the built-in BIOS:

1.

Locate the Jumper JP2 on the Graphics Adapter.

2.

Move the jumper

so

it covers pins 2 and 3 on JP2.

@

•

JP2

80

With the jumper set in this manner, the BIOS on the Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card

is

disabled.

If

your Laser computer

is

installed with EGA card, please refer

to user manual provided for the EGA card:

If

your Laser computer

is

installed with hard disk controller card please refer to the user manual provided for the hard disk controller.

81

82

Appendix

4:

Glossary of Computer Terms

As with any industry, the computer world seems to have a language all its own. Listed below are some of the most common words and phrases you will see

in

relation to personal

computers.

8087 Coprocessor

The 8087 is a computer chip designed to work with the

computer's main microprocessor. The 8087 chip

is

designed

specifically to speed up mathematical calculations for large spreadsheets, etc.

8086

The 8086

is a main microprocessor chip. This chip could

be

considered the "brain" of an IBM

or

compatible com-

puter because the 8086 chip processes all of your

computer's commands. When you program your computer to do something, the 8086 chip receives your commands, and executes them.

8086-1

The 8086-1 chip

is an improved version

of

the 8086 chip.

The 8086-1 replaces the 8086 and performs

the

same

functions that the 8086 chip does. However, the 8086-1

is

a "turbo" computer chip. The 8086-1 can run at a speed of either 4.77 MHz or the turbo/faster speed of

10

MHz.

Some IBM software programs are designed to run only at

4.77 MHz.

To

run these programs, your computer would need a microprocessor that runs at 4.77 MHz. However, many software titles written today are more flexible. You can run them at either

4.77

MHz,

or

you can run them

at "turbo speed". The advantage to owning a computer

with a turbo chip like the 8086-1 is that your computer

can execute commands and work for you faster when

software allows it to. Happily, almost all IBM software these days lets you take advantage of this turbo speed

feature.

83

AT

Style Keyboard

IBM has manufactured a

few

different models of personal

computers (PC, PC

JR., PC/XT, PC/AT). The

PC/AT

style keyboard

is

generally considered to be superior. The

AT

style keyboard

is

designed to feel like an IBM Selec-

tric typewriter and has large

SHIFf

and

RETURN

keys.

It

is

often said that the AT style keyboard feels more com-

fortable and

is

easier to work on because of its features.

BIOS

BIOS stands for Basic Input/Output System. The BIOS

is

the central computer program which organizes your entire

computer. The BIOS acts much like a computer "road

map". The BIOS contains a list of computer locations for everything inside of your computer from computer chips to floppy disk drives. When the microprocessor needs to send

a signal, it asks the BIOS how to get there.

As an example - you

iI1struct

your computer to read infor-

mation from disk drive "B". The microprocessor receives your command.

It

then asks the BIOS where disk drive

"B"

is

located.

At

this point, the BIOS

will

give

the microprocessor specific directions from the location of the microprocessor chip to the location of the disk drive. The microprocessor

will

then send an electrical impulse along

the route the BIOS has described, and this signal

will

in-

struct the disk drive to begin reading information. Without

the BIOS, your'microprocessor would be "all dressed up,

with no place to go" .

Boot Up

This

is

a slang term used to describe the computer's start-

up procedure. You boot up your computer when you turn

power to your computer "on".

84

Bracket

Brackets are the narrow metal pieces which cover the eight holes on the back of your computer. The eight holes correspond to the eight expansion slots in your computer. Brackets are used for

two

main purposes: one, they help

anchor expansion cards securely; and

two,

they cover the openings for empty expansion slots so that dust and dirt can not enter your computer and damage it.

CGA

CGA stands for Color Graphics Adaptor.

Clock

A clock keeps time, and computers can have the option of

a clock installed. This option can be used many

ways,

but

the main idea

is

always

the same.

If

you

have a clock in

your computer, it

will

keep time for

you.

Cold

Start

When all power to your computer

is

turned

off,

and you

then

tum

power to your computer "on", you

"have

"cold

started" your computer.

COM

is

the computer abbreviation for a serial computer

port. Computers can be configured for more than one

serial port. Because of this, COM ports are

always

desig-

nated

as

COM!, COM2, COM3, etc.

Configure

To configure means to specifically set something up a cer-

tain

way.

When a computer dealer

says

that

his

computer

is

"factory pre-set", he means that the computer has been

configured or set-up a certain

way.

Conventional Memory

MS

DOS regularly addresses (or accesses) a maximum

of

640K

RAM. Therefore,

OK

to

640K

RAM

is

considered

conventional memory.

85

DIP

Switch

The DIP in DIP switch stands for Dual In-line Package. DIP switches on your computer must be turned either "on" or

"off'

in order to tell your computer some very

basic information. The main DIP switches inform the computer how much memory

is

installed, how many floppy disk drives there are, etc. The computer uses this critical information to test and orient itself every time the power is

turned on.

If

a DIP switch

is

set incorrectly, your

computer may not function properly.

DIN Connector

A DIN connector is a round plug connection. The most

common type of DIN connector

is

a

five

pin DIN connec-

tor, which

is

a round plug with

five

pins (male connector)

or

five

holes (female connector).

DSDD

DSDD stands for Double Sided Double Density, and refers to floppy diskettes. DSDD disks are the most common type of floppy disks used on IBM and compatible computers. You can store more information on DSDD disks than on SSDD (Single Sided Double Density) disks, because DSDD diskettes can hold information on both sides of the diskette.

EGA

stands for Enhanced Graphics Adaptor, providing a

much higher quality picture on your computer's monitor.

EMS

EMS stands for Expanded Memory Specification. Some software such as Lotus

1-2-3

uses EMS. The conventional

computer memory maximum

is

640K.

EMS

is

a set of standards where programs can use up to eight megabytes of memory, above beyond the

640K

barrier.

86

Expansion Card

An

expansion card

is

a device you plug into a computer

which

allows

you

to add new features. Expansion cards are delicate electronic instruments, and should be handled with care. Expansion cards come in a variety of

sizes(7",

10",

and even full length

14"

sizes ).

Expansion cards are inserted

in

your computer's expansion

slots. At the bottom of each expansion card

you

will

find

a

62 "gold fingered" band (31 gold stripes on each side).

The gold fIngers connect the card to your computer's main

circuitry. The expansion cards are secured in their slots

by

brackets which are

fIrmly

screwed into the main unit

casing. Real gold

is

used on the gold fingers

so

that the expansion cards are not susceptible to tarnishing. Tarnishing can interfere with an expansion card's connection to the motherboard.

Expansion Slot

Your Computer computer has eight expansion slots. They

are located on the left hand side of the computer at the rear. These expansion slots can be used to add features to your computer

via

expansion cards.

Female

A female connector on a computer

will

have holes (in

comparison to a male connector

which

will

have pins).

Floppy Diskette

A

floppy

diskette

is

a

disk

which

contains magnetic media.

A floppy disk

is

used to store information. The information

is

stored on a floppy disk

via

the read/write head of your

floppy disk drive.

Floppy Disk Drive

Floppy disk drives read (retrieve) or write (save) information on floppy diskettes.

87

Formatted

Formatted diskettes are "mapped out". When you format a disk, the disk drive creates divisions ("sectors") on the diskette, and numbers them. With this, data that is saved on

a formatted disk can

be

located in,

say,

sector

1,

etc.

Formatting gives your computer the ability to locate data with precise coordinates

on

each floppy diskette.

Hard

Disk Drive

A hard disk drive (or fixed disk) can store much more

information than a floppy disk drive. A hard drive is made of many layers of special magnetic media, specifIcally designed to hold high quantities

of

data. As a rough

ex-

ample, installing a

20

MB hard drive in your computer is

like adding

125

floppy disk drives to that same computer.

A hard disk allows you to access information more rapidly,

because you do not have to repeatedly load floppy diskettes.

One note

of

caution - because a hard drive

is

made up

of so many layers

of

specialized magnetic media, it

is

much more delicate. Use care when handling

or

moving a

computer with

an

installed hard drive, and carefully read

all precautions before handling

or

moving any hard disk

drive.

Hardware

is

considered to be any part

of

your computer that you can actually touch (in contrast to software which is considered to be information stored on magnetic medial floppy diskettes). Items of hardware include printers, monitors, floppy disk drives, etc.

Hercules/Hercules-Compatible

Hercules

or

Hercules-compatible

is

a monitor display

standard

of

720H x 350V resolution.

720

refers to the

number

of

tiny dots . (called "pixels") appearing across the

screen.

88

I.C. Socket

I.e.

socket stands for Integrated Circuit socket.

An

I.C.

socket

is

a location on the computer motherboard where

you can insert a computer chip without soldering.

Initializing Diskettes

When you initialize a floppy diskette, you are "formatting" the floppy diskette. See fonnatted.

LPT

is

an abbreviation for computer parallel ports. Since computers can have more than one parallel port, parallel ports are always designated LPT1, LPTI, LPT3, etc.

Male

Male computer connectors have pins (as compared to female connectors, which have holes).

MHz

IS the abbreviation for Megahertz. Megahertz IS a

unit of measurement for computer's microprocessor speed.

Microprocessor

See

8086

or

8086-1.

Monochrome

Monochrome means "single color" displays. Typical monochrome monitors are either green

or

amber with black

backgrounds.

Motherboard

The motherboard

is

the main circuitry board of your computer which houses all computer microcircuitry and offers room for expansion via I.C. sockets and expansion slots.

Nanoseconds

Nanoseconds are very small increments

of

time (one

billionth of a second). Nanoseconds are used as a rating

method for RAM chips; the lower the number of nanoseconds, the faster the RAM chip.

120

nanosecond (or

"ns") chips are faster

/better

quality than 150ns chips.

89

Parallel

Port

Parallel ports are computer ports typically used for parallel Centronics printer hook-up.

RAM

RAM stands for Random Access Memory. You can read or write to RAM memory (versus

ROM

memory, which

you can only read from). RAM memory

is dynamic, you

can change RAM memory contents by adding to

or

delet-

ing from RAM at your discretion.

Re-Boot

"Re-booting" your computer means to restart the computer from scratch.

Read

When you read information from a floppy disk, you are retrieving information that has been stored on the diskette.

Real Time Clock

A real time clock keeps

time

for your computer even

when it

is

turned off (real time clocks traditionally have a

battery back-up). A real time clock

is an optional accessory

for IBM XT's which frees you from having to repeatedly enter the date and

time'

every time you boot

MS

DOS.

Resolution

Every monitor display picture you see

is

made up

of

tiny

dots (called pixels). Resolution

is

typically given in terms of horizontal dots by vertical dots. The more dots (pixels) in the resolution, the clearer your picture

will be.

As an example - 640H x 200V (a typical CGA color

resolution)

is not as good,

or

as clear, as 640H x 350V

(typical

EGA

color resolution).

RGB

RGB stands for Red-Green-Blue. RGB

is

a term used

to

describe one type

of

monitor display for your computer. RGB monitors are color monitors which divide, and then recombine the picture signal so as to make the picture clearer.

90

ROM

ROM stands for Read Only Memory. ROM memory

is

information your computer can readily access, necessary

information. ROM memory differs from

RAM

memory in

that

you

can not

"write"

or save information to the ROM

memory locations. The

only

thing

you

can do to ROM

memory is retrieve, or read, from it.

Serial Port

A computer serial port

is

typically labelled as a communi-

cations port.

A serial port can be used to hook up either

a serial printer or a modem, both of which "communicate"

between the computer and the outside world.

Software

is

best described

as

any information

you

load (or

+read

+)

into your computer. Software

is

contained on

floppy diskettes. Typically, software

allows

you

to do some-

thing with your computer (i.e. play a game, write a

letter,or design a spreadsheet

for

mathematical calculations).

Turbo

lS

a term used to mean "faster speed". A turbo

computer (like your computer) runs at a faster speed than

other computers. Turbo computers work faster,

giving

you

the advantage of being done faster with whatever it

is

you

want to do.

TTL

stands for Transistor-to-Transistor-Logic.

TTL

is a

term used to describe one type of display monitor.

TTL

monitors are typically monochrome monitors that

will

always

give

you a crisper picture, due to their advanced + transis-

tor

logic.

Write

When you save information

you

are +writing+ information

to your floppy diskette or hard disk drive. + Write +

is

the

technical term for saving information to your computer.

91

Write Protect

Every floppy diskette has a notch (or cut-out portion) on it. This notch allows the computer disk drive heads to write information onto the floppy disk. When you cover

this notch, you can not write information onto the floppy

disk. Write protect

"tabs"

are typically included with floppy diskettes when purchased so that you can use this safeguard measure for important data.

Warm Boot

Restarting your computer using the Reset Button on the back of the system unit or the CTRL-ALT-DEL key sequence.

92

Laser XT/3 Operation Manual

Specifications and Main Features

Frequently Asked Questions

User Manual