Trimble TFC1 User Manual

TFC1

Owner’s Manual

Part Number: 29345-00
Revision: A
Date: January 1996

Trimble Navigation Limited
Surveying & Mapping Division
645 North Mary Avenue
Post Office Box 3642
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642
U.S.A.

1-800-827-8000 in North America
1-408-481-8000 International
F AX: 1-408-481-8214

Husky Computers Limited
Eden Road
Walsgrave Triangle Business Park
Coventry CV2 2TB England
Coventry ([phone]
F AX: Coventry ([phone]

T rimble Navigation Europe Limited
Trimble House, Meridian Office Park
Osborn Way, Hook
Hampshire RG27 9HX
ENGLAND
[phone]
F AX: [phone]

Trimble Navigation Singapore PTE Limited
300 Beach Road
#34-05, The Concourse
Singapore 199555
SINGAPORE
[phone]
F AX: [phone]

T rimble Japan K.K.
Sumitomo Hamamatsu-cho, Building 10F
1-18-16 Hamamatsu-cho Minato-ku
Tokyo 105
JAPAN
[phone]
F AX: [phone]

T rimble Navigation New Zealand Limited
11 Birmingham Drive
P.O. Box 8729 Riccarton
Christchurch
NEW ZEALAND
[phone]
F AX: [phone]

Copyrights

© 1996 Trimble Navigation Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this manual may be
copied, photocopied, reproduced, trans l ated, or redu ced to any electro nic med i um or machine­readable form without prior written consent from Trimble Navigation Limited.

Printed in the United States of America. Printed on recycled paper.

© 1995 Husky Computers Limited. All Rights Reserved. The informati on contain e d in this
document is copyright and may not be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system in any form or
by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise without prior permission
from the copyright holder, Husky Computers Limited.

Revision Notice

This is the first release of the TFC1 Owner’s Manual, Part Number 29345-00, Revision A,
January 1996.

Trademarks

PFINDER, GEO-PC, Asset Surveyor, PATHLOG, GPS Pathfinder, GPS Pathfinder
Community Base Station, GPS Pathfinder Pro XL, Phase Processor, GPS Pathfinder
GeoExplorer, TDC1, TDC2, ESP, TRIMTALK 900, GIS Surveyor Rover, and GIS Surveyor
Base Station are trademarks of T rimble Navigation L imited. IBM and IBM PC are a registered
trademark of IBM Corporation. MS-DOS and Windows are trademarks of Microsoft
Corporation.HP Smart Wand, HP LaserJet, HP PaintJet, HP QuietJet, HP ThinkJet, and HP
DeskJet are trademarks of Hewlett-Packard Corporation. Intel is a trademark of Intel
Corporation. Epson LX and Epson EX are trademarks of Epson, Inc. Husky, FC-486, and FS/
2 are trademarks of Husky Computers Limited. All other brand names are trademarks of their
respective holders.

Disclaimer o f Warranty

Except as indicated in “Limited Warranty” herein, Trimble Hardware, Software, Firmware
and documentation is provided “as is” and without ex pres s or lim ited warran ty of any kind by
either Trimble or anyone who has been involved in its creation, production, or distribution
including but not limited to the implied warranties of merchantability and fitness f or a
particular purpose. The entire risk, as to the quality and performance of the Trimble Hardware,
Software, Firmware and documentation, is with you. Some states do not allow th e exclusion
of implied warranties, so the above exclusion may not apply to you.

Limitation of Liability

Because the Software is inherently complex and may not be completely free of errors, you are
advised to verify your work. In no event will Trimble or any person involved in the creation,
production, or distribution of the Trimble Software be liable to you on account of any claim
for any damages, including any lost profits, lost savings, or other special, incidental,
consequential, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to any damages assessed
against or paid by you to any third party, rising out of the use, liability to use, quality or

performance of such Trimble Software and documentation, even if T rimble or any such person
or entity has been advised of the possibility of damages, or for any claim by any other party.
Some states do not allow the limitation or exclusion of liability for incidental or consequential
damages so, the above limitations may not apply to you.

Software and Firmware Limited Warranty

Trimble warrants that Software and Firmware products will substantially conform to the
published specifications provided it is used with the Trimble products, computer products, and
operating system for which it was designed. For a period of ninety (90) days, commencing
thirty (30) days after shipment from Trimble, Trimble also warrants that the magnetic media
on which Software and Firmware are distributed and the documentation are free from defects
in materials and workmanship. During the ninety (90) day warranty period, Trimble will
replace defective media or documentation, or correct substantial program errors at no charge.
If Trimble is unable to replace defective media or documentation, or correct program errors,
Trimble will refund the price paid for The Software. These are your sole remedies for any
breach in warranty.

Hardware Limited Warranty

Trimble Navigation Limited products are warranted against defects in material and
workmanship for a period of one year. The warranty period shall commence thirty (30) days
after shipment from Trimble’s factory. Warranty service will be provided at a designated
Trimble Service Center. Trimble will at its option either repair or replace products that prove
to be defective. The Customer shall pay all shipping charges for products returned to Trimble
for warranty service. Trimble shall pay all shipping charges for the return of products to the
Customer.

The above warranty shall not apply to defects resulting from:

1. Improper or inadequate maintenance by the buyer

2. Buyer-supplied software or interfacing

3. Unauthorized modification or misuse

4. Operation outside of the environmental specifications of the product

5. Improper installation, where applicable

6. Lightning or other electrical discharge

7. Fresh or salt water immersion or spray

8. Normal wear and tear on consumable parts (for example, batteries)
No other warranty is expressed or implied. Trimble Navigation Limited specifically disclaims

the implied warranties of fitness for a particular purpose and merchantability.

Table of Contents

Preface

Scope and Audience . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiii

Organization . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Related Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv

Update Notes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Trimble Bulletin Board Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

Technical Assistance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xv

FaxBack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

Other Manuals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvi

Document Conventions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

Notes, Tips, Cautions, and Warnings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xvii

1 Getting Started

1.1 Charging the TFC1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-1

1.2 TFC1 Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

1.3 Keyboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

1.3.1 Control Keys. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

1.3.2 Numeric Keypad. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

1.3.3 Typing Extended Characters. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-9

1.3.4 Control and Switch Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

1.4 Using the Pen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-11

TFC1 Owner’s Manual v

Table of Contents

1.5 Turning the TFC1 On . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-12

1.6 Turning the TFC1 Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

1.6.1 Automatic Turn-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-13

1.6.2 Rebooting the TFC1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

1.7 Storing the TFC1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-14

2 Batteries and Power

2.1 Main Battery Pack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-2

2.1.1 Checking and Replacing the Main Battery Pack . . . . 2-3

2.1.2 Charging the Main Battery Pack. . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-6

2.2 AC Adaptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-8

2.2.1 AC Adaptor Cautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-9

2.3 Internal Backup Battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

2.4 Pen Batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-11

3Options

3.1 PCMCIA Cards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-1

3.1.1 Inserting a PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

3.1.2 Using a PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

3.1.3 Removing a PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

3.2 Vehicle Adaptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

3.3 Using Parallel Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

3.4 Using Serial Devices. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-7

4 Maintenance and Troubleshooting

4.1 Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-1

4.1.1 Replacing the Screen Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

4.1.2 Replacing the Pen Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

4.2 Cleaning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

vi TFC1 Owner’s Manual

Table of Contents

4.3 Repairs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-5

4.4 Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

4.5 General Problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

A Installing Application Programs

A.1 Memory and Disk Configuration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-1

A.2 Using INTERLINK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-2

A.3 Configuring a PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . A-4

B System Precautions

B.1 Canadian Department of Communication Compliance Statement. B-1

B.1.1 English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

B.1.2 Francais . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-1

B.2 European EMC Regulations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

B.3 FCC Statement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

B.3.1 Radio Interference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-2

B.4 Notices . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . B-3

Index

TFC1 Owner’s Manual vii

Table of Contents

viii TFC1 Owner’s Manual

List of Figures

Figure 1-1. TFC1 Layout, Front View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Figure 1-2. TFC1 Layout - Back View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-2

Figure 1-3. TFC1 Layout - Bottom Vi ew . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-3

Figure 1-4. Keyboard Layout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-5

Figure 1-5. Control Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-6

Figure 1-6. Embedded Numeric Keypad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-8

Figure 1-7. Control and Switch Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-10

Figure 2-1. Unlatching the Battery Door Catch. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Figure 2-2. Opening the Battery Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 2-3. Removing the Battery. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-4

Figure 2-4. Using the AC Adaptor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-7

Figure 3-1. Unlatching PCMCIA Door Catch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-2

Figure 3-2. Opening the PCMCIA Door . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Figure 3-3. Opening the Inner Waterproof Cover. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-3

Figure 3-4. Inserting the PCMCIA Card . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-4

Figure 3-5. Closing the PCMCIA Door. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-5

Figure 3-6. Pressing the Ejector Button. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-6

Figure 4-1. Lifting the Screen Overlay . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-3

Figure 4-2. Removing the Pen Tip . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-4

TFC1 Owner’s Manual ix

List of Figures

x TFC1 Owner’s Manual

List of Tables

Table 1-1. TFC1 Components . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-4

Table 1-2. Control Keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1-7

Ta ble 4-1. Warning Messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-6

Ta ble 4-2. General Problems. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4-7

TFC1 Owner’s Manual xi

List of Tables

xii TFC1 Owner’s Manual

Preface

Welcome to the TFC1 Owner’s Manual. This manual describes
Trimble Navigation Limited’s TFC1 is a portable, rugged,
IBM-compatible computer whic h uses the Microsoft MS-DOS
operating system and the Microsoft Windows Graphical User
Interface (GUI). It l ets you run a vast rang e of of f-the- shelf or c ustom
applications while on the move.

The TFC1 has an IBM-compatible keyboard and a pen interface for
easy operation of pen-aware applications.

The TFC1 can be enhanced by connecting peripherals or add-ons to
its wide range of ports. Th e standa rd ports includ e seria l, para llel and
PCMCIA card sockets.

Scope and Audience

Even if you have us ed other handheld computers we recommend that
you spend some time reading this manual. The following section
provides you with a guide to this manual, as well as to other
documentation included with this product.

TFC1 Owner’s Manual xiii

Preface

Organization

The manual is divided into the following chapters:

At the end of this manual you will find a reader comment form. We
appreciate any feedback you have about this manual. If this form is
not available, comments and suggestions can be sent to Trimble
Navigation Limited, 645 Nort h Mary Avenue, Post Office Box 3642,
Sunnyvale, CA 94088-3642. All comments and suggestions become
the property of Trimble Navigation Limited.

• Chapter 1, Getting Started - provides an introduction to TFC1

operations.

• Chapter 2, Batteries and Power - contains information on

checking, recharging, and replacing batteries.

• Chapter 3, Options - discuss es how to use the main optio ns and

accessories available for the TFC1.

• Chapter 4, Mainten ance and T roubles hooting - te lls you how to

handle routine maintenance and problems.

• Appendix A, Program Installation - provides directions for

installing application programs

• Appendix B, System Precautions - contains information on

system complience to electronic standards.

Related Information

This manual contains system-wide, general information about the
TFC1. The following sections discuss other sources of information.

xiv TFC1 Owner’s Manual

Update Notes

You will find a Warranty Activation Sheet with your TFC1. By
sending in your Warranty Activation Sheet, you are automatically
sent update notes as they become available. When you receive these
packages, read them. They contain important information about
software and hardware changes. Contact your local Trimble Dealer
for more information about the support agreement contracts for
software and firmware, and an extended warranty programs for
hardware.

Trimble Bulletin Board Service

If you have a modem, check the Trimble Surveying and Mapping
Bulletin Board Servic e (BBS) on a r egular basi s for applic ation notes,
new software release notices, and other information. The phone
numbers are:

[phone]
[phone] high-speed modem

Preface

Technical Assistance

If you have problems and cannot find the information you need in
this document, call the Trimble Technical Assistance Center (TAC).
The phone numbers are:

+1-800-SOS-4TAC (in North America)
[phone] (Inte rna tional)
[phone] (fax)

You can call the Technical Assistance Center phones between 6 AM
to 6 PM Pacific Standard Time. A support technician will take your
call, help you dete rmine t he sour ce of y our pro ble m, and prov ide you
with any technical assistance you might need.

TFC1 Owner’s Manual xv

Preface

FaxBack

FaxBack is a completely automated fax respon se system fo r select ing
documents and catalogs (lists of available documents) to be faxed
back to a fax machine. Call from a tone-diali ng phone and FaxBack
guides you through the call by playing a pre-recorded voice message.

The FaxBack system is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
You can order a variety of documents, including; data sheets,
application notes, technical documentation, configuration guides,
assembly drawings, and general information.

To call the FaxBack service, dial [phone] and follow the
instructions received.

Other Manuals

You may find the following Microsoft Press material of use:

• The MS-DOS User’s Guide and Reference - for information on

the TFC1’s operating system and its commands.

• The MS-DOS T echnical Reference - for detailed information on

programming for the MS-DOS Operat ing System.

• The Microsoft Windows User’s Guide - for information on

setting up and using Microsoft Windows.

• The Microsoft Windows Guide to Pen Computing - for

information on setting up and using the pen in Windows.

xvi TFC1 Owner’s Manual

Document Conventions

Italics identify software menus, menu commands, dialog boxes, and
the dialog box fields.

SMALL CAPITALS identify DOS comman ds, directories, filenames,

and filename extensions.
Courier is used to represent what you see printed on the screen by

the DOS system or program.
Courier Bold represents information that you must type in a

software screen or window.
>5HWXUQ@ or >&WUO@ + >&@ identifies a hardware function key or key

combination that you must press on a PC.

Notes, Tips, Cautions, and Warnings

Notes, tips, cautions, and warnings are used to emphasize important
information.

Preface



)

,

TFC1 Owner’s Manual xvii

Note – Notes give additional significant information about the subject
to increase your knowledge, or guide your actions. A note can
precede or follow the text it references.

Tip – Indicates a shortcut or other time or labor-saving hint that can
help you make better use of the TFC1.

Caution – Cautions aler t you to s itu ation s th at coul d ca use hard wa re
damage or software error. A caution precedes the text it references.

Preface

0

Warning – Warnings alert you to situations that could cause personal
injury or unrecoverable data loss. A warning precedes the text it
references.

xviii TFC1 Owner’s Manual

1 Getting Started

This chapter provides an introduction to the use of the TFC1. The
TFC1 is a rugged, light-wei ght portabl e computer , desi gned for use in
the field an d in the office:

• The comfortably sized keyboard and screen and compact AC

Adaptor mean you can use the TFC1 like a desktop system.

• At under five pounds, the TFC1 is light and compact, and runs

for 3 to 4 hours on a single battery charge.

• The sealed case protects the TFC1 even in the rain.

• The backlighted screen lets you work under very low light

conditions in the field or at night.

1.1 Charging the TFC1

When you unpack the TF C1 you shoul d ful ly cha r ge th e main batte ry
pack by connecting the AC Adaptor for at least 10 hours with the
TFC1 turned off. This makes sure that the batteries are at their fully
capacity before using t he uni t. Refer to sectio n 2.1.2 of Chapter 2 for
instructions.

TFC1 Owner’s Manual 1-1

Getting Started

1.2 TFC1 Components

The components of t he TFC1 are illust rated i n Figure 1 -1, Figure 1-2,
and Figure 1-3. Table 1-1 describes the components.

1

screen

keyboard

power

socket

battery

compartment

PWR key

Figure 1-1. TFC1 Layout, Front View

COM1

LPT1

pen, stored

in handle

carrying handle
and pen storage

PCMCIA
compartment

COM2

Figure 1-2. TFC1 Layout - Back View

1-2 TFC1 Owner’s Manual

1 Getting Started

PCMCIA
compartment

battery compartment

Figure 1-3. TFC1 Layout - Bottom View

TFC1 Owner’s Manual 1-3

Getting Started

Table 1-1. TFC1 Components

Component Description

keyboard The keyboard has 81 keys in a QWERTY layout.
screen The screen is a monochrome VGA screen, with

16 grey scales and 640x480 pixels, and backlight.

carrying
handle

PCMCIA
compartment

battery
compartment

power socket The power socket provides a connection for the

COM1 The main serial port connects external serial

LPT1 The parallel printer port connects devices with a

COM2 The secondary serial port connects external serial

The carrying handle allows you to carry the TFC!
and provides storage for the pen.

The PCMCIA compartment contains the two
external PCMCIA sockets. The sockets accept
PCMCIA cards such as modems, ATA hard disk
drives and memory cards. The compartment is
watertight when closed correctly.

The battery compartment stores the main battery.
The compartment is watertight when closed
correctly.

TFC1 AC Adaptor, to charge the main battery
pack.

devices, such as external modems, or is used to
exchange information with other computers
through Microsoft’s INTERLINK.

parallel interface, such as a parallel printer, or is
used to exchange information with other
computers.

devices, such as external modems, or is used to
exchange information with other computers.

1

1-4 TFC1 Owner’s Manual

1 Getting Started

1.3 Keyboard

The keyboard works like a normal PC keyboard, with a few special
features. The key board is sho wn in Fi gure 1-4. The funct ion that each
key performs is indicated by symbols located on its keycap, and on
the keyboard overlay behind it.

Figure 1-4. Keyboard Layout

The letter keys (>$@, >%@, >&@) normally type small lette rs (a, b, c). To
type a CAPITAL letter, hold down either of the >⇑^6KLIW@keys and type
the letter required. If you want to type a series of capitals, press the
>&DSV^/RFN@key to select caps lock mode. The letter keys type cap ital s.
When in caps lock mode, you can type lower case letters by pressing
the >⇑^6KLIW@ key. Press >&DSV^/RFN@again to return to normal typing.

The >⇑^6KLIW@ key produces a capit al le tter or th e c haract er sh own in t he
upper part of the keycap.

The >&WUO@ key produces control codes that can control your
application.

TFC1 Owner’s Manual 1-5