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
copyrighted with all rights reserved. No portion
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.
© Copyright 1988 by Video Technology Computers, Ltd.
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:
Further Reading (Getting More Help) 67
Appendices:
..........................................................................................
69
Appendix
1:
Dip Switches and Settings ..............................
69
Appendix
2:
The Multi
I/O
Card ........................................
73
Appendix
3:
The Monochrome Graphics/
Color Graphics Card ........................................
79
Appendix
4:
Glossary of Computer Terms ........................
83
4
Chapter
1:
Installation
Introduction
The computer is a high performance, expandable personal computer system which
is
designed specifically to
be
compatible
. with software and peripherals conforming to the popular
MS-
DOS and
mM
PC-XT standard.
In some versions of the computer there may be differences in
memory size and expansion cards installed, you may need to
refer to a separate user's manual for
any
other expansion card
installed.
• IBM PC/XT compatible processor running at
4.77
or
10
MHz.
• 512K memory, expandable
to
1664K.
•
150
watt power supply.
• Two
5.25"
360K floppy drives, (some versions come with
one
5.25"
360K and one
3.5"
720K
floppy drive), additional
space for one half-height hard disk drive.
• Some versions of computer have hard disk installed.
•
102
key enhanced keyboard.
• Multi
I/O
Card supporting Centronics parallel printer
interface, RS232 serial interface, and game port for a
joystick.
• Monochrome Graphics/Color Graphics Card, supporting
RGB, Hercules
,and
composite monitors. Some versions
of computer
will
have
EGA card installed, which supports
EGA, RGB, Hercules and composite monitors.
5
• Socket for an Intel
8087
math co-processor
• Eight expansion slots
In this
fIrst
chapter,
we
will
guide
you
through the installation
of the computer, and introduce
you
to the basic structure of
the computer.
If
you
are unfamiliar
with
the meaning of a cer-
tain term,
you
can consult the glossary
in
Appendix 4 for a
definition.
6
Preparing
for
the Installation
Before you install the computer, you should have a large clear
area on which to work. Clear a tabletop large enough to hold
the system unit and keyboard. The monitor can sit on top of
the system unit if space
is
at a premium. You
will
need the
following:
• A grounded, three-prong power outlet
• A small flathead screwdriver
These tools are sufficient for a normal installation.
If
you need
to open up the system unit to install additional memory, disk
drives, or expansion cards, you'll also need the following:
• A small Philips screwdriver
• A cup or an ashtray to hold loose screws
7
Checking
the
Contents of the Package
Carefully unpack the computer from its carton. Make sure the
carton contains the
following:
• The computer system unit
• A keyboard
• A power cord
• A video cable for composite monitors
• A package with manuals for MS-DOS®and GW /BASIC ® (optional)
• A package containing four diskettes
• A warranty card
It
is
important to save the carton and packing materials in
case
you
need to ship your unit in the future. Be sure to
return the warranty card as soon
as
possible.
8
Hardware Features Overview
With the computer
on
a level surface, examine the following
features on the front panel:
Keyboard lock/unlock LED indicators
"B"
Space reserved for hard
When the security lock
is
switched
at
left position, keyboard
is
unlocked and reset button is enabled; with the lock switched at
right position, keyboard
is locked and reset button
is
disabled.
The speed indicator
is
used to indicate the operation speed of
the computer, a "5"
will be displayed when computer operates
at normal speed (4.77MHz) and a "10"
will
be displayed when
the computer operates at high speed
(10
MHz).
Notice the latch on each of the
disk
drives. With the latch in
the horizontal position (pointing to the right), the drive
is open,
and ready to receive a diskette. After inserting a diskette, close
the drive
by
turning the latch
clockwise
so it's pointing
down-
wards.
9
Diskette
are
On
the right side panel, you'll find the ON-OFF switch. The
"1" setting means "ON", and "0" means "OFF".
On
the back side, there are several important connectors. You
should notice:
Monochrome monitor
EGA card
DIP switch
eGA,
monochrome
or
EGA
monitor
Toggle switch
For composite monochrome monitor
Monochrome graphics/Color
graphiCS
card
In
normal installations, there
is
no need to open the
system cabinet.
If
you will
be
adding enhancements, see
Chapter 4 for instructions on opening the system unit.
10
Connecting Peripherals
1.
Before connecting anything to your computer, make
sure the
power
is
off.
The switch on the right panel should
be
in
the down, or "0" position.
2.
If
you haven't done so already,
remove the keyboard from its
protective plastic bag. The keyboard
cable attaches into the rounded
five-pin socket on the back of the
main unit:
-r-
~/
0
Make sure the plug
is
lined up with the socket. The small
indentation should
be
pointing upwards.
3. Connect the monitor's cable into the appropriate place on
the Monochrome Graphics / Color Graphics Card.
• For monochrome composite monitors,
use the top round socket.
•
For
color, composite monitors, use the
round socket in the middle, right above
the slide switch
•
For
Hercules or RGB monitors, use the
9-pin
"D"
socket on the bottom of
the adapter.
4.
Connect the power cord from your monitor into a
grounded, 3-prong wall outlet.
5.
If
you are using a Hercules or RGB monitor, set the
slide switch to the up ("MDA") position for a TTL
monochrome monitors, or
to
the down ("CGA") position
for RGB color monitors.
RGB Color Monitors
TTL Monochrome Monitors
MDArnl
MDAril
CGAl!J
CGAl1!J
11
6.
Insert the main power cable that comes with the computer
into the socket on the back of the system unit.
,
Plug the other end into a grounded, three-prong wall outlet.
7.
Flip up the levers on the two
floppy disk drives, and remove
the sheets of cardboard that
protect the drives during
shipping. Remember to save
these cards with the rest of
the packaging.
12
Starting the Computer
For system installed with hard disk, please follow the proce-
dure:-
1.
Turn on the power to your monitor. The
ON/OFF
switch IS
normally found on the front of the video. screen.
-
2.
Turn on the power to the system unit
by
flipping the red
power switch on the right side into the up position, labeled
"1"
.
3.
During the start-up procedure, the system performs a memory test, then loads the MS-DOS operating system. After
several seconds, the following display
will
appear:
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
i
Current
directory:
C: \
~
Current
date/time:
05-01-88
09:35:51
II
©1988
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
EJ
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
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