486XE OPERATIONS GUIDE
GERMAN RFI DECLARATION FOR CLASS B SELF CERTIFICATION Hiermit wird bescheinigt, dass der TriGem 486XE in ijbereinstimmung mit den Bestimmungen der Vfg 104611984 funk-entstort ist . Der Deutschen Bundespost wurde das Inverkehrbringen dieses Gerates angezeigt und die Berechtigung zur ijberprtifung der Serie auf Einhaltung der Bestimmungen eingeraumt. TriGem Inc.
IMPORTANT NOTICE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY TriGem Computer, Inc. makes no representations or warranties with respect to this manual, and shall not be held liable for technical or editorial omissions made herein; nor incidental or consequential damages resulting from the furnishing, performance, or use of this manual. Further, TriGem Computer, Inc.
TRADEMARKS TriGem is a registered trademark of TriGem Computer, Inc. AM1 BIOS is a trademark of American Megatrends Inc. IBM, PC, PC/XT, PC/AT, MDA, Monochrome Display Adaptor, EGA, Enhanced Graphics Adaptor, VGA, and Video Graphics Array are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corp. Intel 486 is a trademark of Intel Corp. AMD is a registered trademark of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. EGA Wonder is a trademark of AT1 Technologies, Inc.
FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions may cause harmful interference to radio communications.
IMPORTANT SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS The following instructions pertain to the risk of fire, electric shock or bodily injury. Please read all of these instructions carefully. Save these instructions for later use. Follow all of the instructions and warnings marked on this product or included in this manual. Do not use this computer on an unstable cart, stand or table. The product may fall, causing serious damage to the product. Slots and openings in the cabinet and the back have been provided for ventilation.
If you have to use an extension cord with this computer, make sure that the total amperage rating of all equipment plugged into it does not exceed the amperage rating of the extension cord. Also, make sure that the total of all products plugged into the main AC power outlet does not exceed 15 amps. Unplug your computer from the main electrical power outlet before cleaning. Do not use liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. Use a damp cloth for cleaning. Do not use this computer near water.
If the power cord or plug is damaged or frayed If liquid has been spilled into the product If the product has been exposed to rain or water If the product has been dropped or the cabinet has been damaged If the product exhibits a distinct change in performance, indicating a need for service S t o p ! If you ever have to remove the main system unit cover, observe the following precautions: The power supply cord must be unplugged before the main system unit cover is removed.
Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System 1. Unpacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2. Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3. Connecting a Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4. Connecting a Printer, Mouse, or Modem .
Stopping a Command or Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Using Disks and Disk Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Disks Store Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Types of Diskette Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Caring for Diskettes and Diskette Drives . . . . . . . . . . . . . Inserting and Removing Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Write-protecting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Chapter 5 Using Floppy Disks Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How Floppy Disks Work . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Formatting Diskettes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . The FORMAT Command . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Option Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Copying Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Installing Circuit Boards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-9 Disk Drive Compartments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-13 Internal Hard Disk Drive . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7-15 Appendix A Specifications Computer System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . System MotherBoard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . CPULogic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Appendix E Advanced ROM Diagnostics Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . When to Run Advanced Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Starting Advanced ROM Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Advanced ROM Diagnostics Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hard Disk Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Floppy Diagnostics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Introduction Your personal computer is powerful, versatile, and high performance system designed as a workstation level. It contains 32.bit EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) bus architecture and has the capability to transfer data at max. 33MHz/sec. This system has 0486™ microprocessor which contains internal 8KB Cache and also has the external socket to use cache memory upto 256KB.
And you can run UNIX (above V4.0), XENIX, MS LAN manager, OS/2, Presentation manager, and X window, etc. with this computer. If you use software that executes complex mathematical calculations, you may want to install a 4167 math coprocessor to speed up processing.
How to Use This Manual This manual explains how to set up and care for your computer. It also describes how to use your computer and run the Diagnostics program. The instructions in this manual apply to your system, except where otherwise indicated. You probably don’t need to read everything in this book; see the following chapter summaries. Chapter 1 provides simple step-by-step instructions for setting up your computer.
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System Setting up your personal computer is easy. Just follow the nine steps in this chapter. When you finish setting up your computer, go on to Chapter 2 and follow the instructions there to run the Setup program. The Setup program updates the list of equipment installed in the computer and any time options are added or changed. 1 Unpacking As you unpack the different parts of your computer system, be sure to inspect each piece.
Besides this manual, you should have the following: The computer and power cord The Keyboard with attached cable MS-DOSdiskettes GW-BASIC diskette MS-DOS User’s Guide GW-BASIC User’s Guide In addition to these items, you need a compatible monitor to use with the computer. Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best protection for your computer if you need to transport it later. 2 Choosing a location Before you set up your computer, it is important to choose the right location.
Appropriate power sources: To prevent static charges, connect all your equipment to three-prong, grounded outlets. You need one outlet for the computer, one for the monitor, and additional outlets for a printer and any other peripherals. If it has the appropriate power cord, you can plug your monitor into the auxiliary power outlet on the back panel of the computer, reducing the number of wall outlets you need. (The current required by the peripheral must not exceed 1 amp.
3 Connecting a Monitor The video display monitor is the device used by the computer to communicate with you. Your software will use the screen to display information, such as prompts, text, graphics (charts and pictures), etc. Several types of monitors are available as options. A typical video display system provides a high resolution monochrome (green or amber screen) screen display. Your computer can be used with either monochrome, color video monitors, EGA or VGA monitors.
c 1. Place your monitor on top of or near the computer. It is easiest to connect the monitor cable if you are facing the back panels of both the monitor and the computer. 2. If necessary, connect the monitor cable to the monitor. (Some monitors come with permanently attached cables.) 3. Connect the monitor cable to the video connector on the back of the computer, as shown below. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them securely. Figure l-3. Connecting the Monitor 4.
4 Connecting a Printer, Mouse, or Modem The computer has a parallel interface and two serial interfaces on the back panel, so you can easily connect a printer or other type of device with either type of interface. For example, you can use the parallel port to connect a parallel printer (most printers have a parallel interface). You can use the serial port to connect a serial printer, a serial mouse, or an external modem.
—Parallel Printer — —Serial Printer — Figure l-4. Connecting the Printer 3. Connect the other end of the cable to the printer, as shown below. If the printer has retaining clips on each side of the printer port, squeeze the clips together to secure the cable.
4. Plug the printer’s power cord into an electrical outlet. Using the serial Interface If you have a serial printer, modem, mouse, or any other peripheral with a serial interface, you can connect it to one of two serial (RS-232C) ports on the back of the computer. Your computer uses and IBM-compatible, 9-pin, male connector, so be sure you have the proper cable. If you are not sure which one you need, or whether you have the right one, check with the store where you bought the cable.
Setting up the serial port for a printer If you are using a serial printer but your software does not support a serial printer, you must do two things before you can print: Set up the data transmission parameters for the serial port. Tell the computer to redirect printer data from the parallel port to the serial port. See MODE command in MS-DOS manual. 5 Connecting the Power Cord Follow these steps to connect the power cord: 1.
2. Plug the other end of the power cord into a three-prong, grounded electrical outlet. 6 l-10 Connecting the Keyboard Your keyboard has only one cable to connect. This simply plugs into the keyboard connector located at the bottom of the main system unit’s rear panel. This connector is designed to prevent insertion if the pins don’t line up, so it may be necessary to rotate the cable connector until it plugs in easily.
Figure 1-7. Connecting the Keyboard Adjusting the Keyboard Angle You can change the angle of the keyboard by adjusting the legs on the bottom. Turn the keyboard over and lift each leg upward until it locks into place, as shown below. You lock the legs into a low or high position, or leave them flat. Figure 1-8.
7 Turning On the Computer Before you turn on your computer, read the following safety rules to avoid accidentally damaging the computer or injuring yourself: Do not unplug cables from the computer when the power switch is on. Never turn off or reset your computer while a disk drive light is on. This can destroy data stored on disk or make an entire disk unusable. Similary, never remove a diskette from a diskette drive while the drive light is on.
Follow these steps to turn on your system: 1. Turn on the monitor, printer, and any other peripheral devices connected to the computer. 2. To turn on the computer, press the power switch. Figure 1-9.
The power indicator on the front panel lights up. After a few seconds, the computer starts to perform an internal self test. This is a series of checks the computer completes each time you turn it on to make sure everything is working correctly. If anything is wrong, an error message appears on the screen. After the self test is complete, you see a message on the screen smiliar to this: The computer continually updates this display as it tests its memory. This test takes about 15 seconds to complete.
This means that the computer is not yet set up for the equipment you have installed and you must run the Setup program, described in Chapter 2. For now, press the Fl key on the upper left comer of the keyboard to acknowledge the message and continue. If you have a SCSI hard disk drive installed with your system, the SCSI BIOS message may be appeared before the above message.
8 Copying System Diskettes Now that you have started your system and loaded MS-DOS, it is important that you make copies of your MS-DOS diskettes right away. Use the copies (called working copies) as they are needed and store the originals in a safe place. Each of the system diskettes is formatted for 36OKB. (Formatting prepares a diskette to store data and is described in Chapter 3 and Chapter 5.) To copy them, you need seven 36OKB doubledensity, 5 1/4-inch diskettes.
3. Insert the MS-DOS diskette in drive A, as shown below. Hold the diskette with the label facing up and the read/write slot into the drive. Figure 1-10. Inserting a Floppy Disk 4. Press any key. The DISKCOPY program copies the contents of the MS-DOS diskette to the computer’s memory, and then you see the following: 5. Remove the MS-DOS diskette and insert a blank diskette (which is to be the target diskette) in drive A. Then press any key.
6. Press Y so you can make a copy of another MS-DOS diskette. Again, you see the prompt to insert the source diskette. 7. Remove the copy of the MS-DOS diskette which you just made and insert the another MS-DOS diskette into drive A. Then press any key. Follow the prompts on the screen to make a copy off this diskette as you did for the first MS-DOS diskette. 8. When you finish copying the last diskette and the prompt appears, press N to return to the MS-DOS command prompt C >.
CONTROL-ALT-DEL (Keyboard Reset) Press the CONTROL key and the ALT key at the same time. While holding these keys down, press the DELETE key, then release all three keys. This will reset your computer without running the full self-test diagnostics. RESET Switch Press the RESET button on the front panel. This method works even when the keyboard does not respond to your commands. If this does not correct the problem, try the third method.
Chapter 2 The CMOS Setup Program Introduction The Setup program keeps a record of the host computer’s system parameters (such as memory amounts, disk drives, video displays, and peripheral devices). Setup resides in the Read Only Memory Basic Input/Output System (ROM BIOS) so that it is available each time the host is turned on. Setup stores the information in the complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) memory.
Using Setup Immediately after the memory test, you will get the following prompt on the screen depending upon the type of BIOS you have : Hit key to get into the Setup Mode Note key will get you into the setup mode only when the above message is displayed on the screen.
This means that the SETUP program options have been set at the factory. Since there were no errors detected, the computer tried to load MS-DOS from the floppy disk drive, before you have inserted the MS-DOS main system diskette. For now ignore this message. If you want to run the “DIAGNOSTICS” program, see Appendix E for the detailed description of it. Entering SETUP To enter the setup program, hit < DEL > key at the time the following prompt is displayed on the screen immediately after the memory test.
If you hit key, you will see a menu like the following. This screen is the SETUP MENU. This lists the parameters you can change with the SETUP program. A solid cursor bar . *.. highlights the parameter currently available to be changed. You can use the following key conventions.
Parameters Date and Time Setup The first entry in the Setup screen is current date. A calendar has been provided for the user to facilitate him in this procedure. Again, simply press the < PgUp> or < PgDn > keys to select the appropriate value for the month, date and year. The procedure for setting the time is similar to that of setting the date. The time here is 24-hour time so don’t be alarmed when hour 13 shows up on the screen.
Hard Disk Drive Setup DrivesC: and D: are the hard disk drives in the system. 46 drive types have been defined by TriGem. If for some reason or other your particular drive is not one of the 46 predefined types, simply scroll down to type 47 and enter the following drive specifications: cylinders, heads, WPcom, LZone, and sectors. Please consult the documentation received with the drive for the specific values that will give you optimum performance. The following is the table of HDD the system BIOS supports.
Table 2-1.
Display Type Setup The next option is primary display selection. The options are as follows: Type of Display Allowed Monochrome Color 40 X 25 Color 80 X 25 VGA or EGA Not Installed Keyboard Setup The Keyboard Setup is the next option for the user. You may either choose to enable or disable the Keyboard test during Power On Self Test by setting keyboard as “Installed” or “Not Installed”.
Emulation Speed You can select the system speed, for example, according to an application software you want to run with your system using this parameter. The options are: 8, 10, 12, 16, 24, 32, 40 Peripheral Setup When you scroll down to this parameter, the following message will be displayed on the right side of the Setup message. l l l Serial 1 If you’d like to use the on board serial port 1 for COM 1, set this option “COMl”.
l FDD Your system provides an on board FDC and it supports two floppy disk drive to your system. If you use another FDC in your system using an expansion Card, you should disable this option. Leaving the Setup Program When you have completed the changes, press the < ESC > key. The SETUP program will display the message: If you have made any mistakes, press N for No, then move the cursor back up to the beginning and verify each parameter, making any corrections necessary.
Chapter 3 Using Your Computer This chapter covers the following basic procedure for using your computer: Using special keys on the keyboard Stopping a command or program Using disks and disk drives. Special Keys on your Keyboard Certain keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running programs. The illustration below shows the TriGem keyboard, and the table that follows describes the special keys. Figure 3-1. Keyboard (101 key).
3-2 Using Your Computer
The Num Lock, Scroll Lock, and Caps Lock keys work as toggles; press the key once to turn on a function and again to turn it off. When the function is enabled, the corresponding light on the top right comer of the keyboard is on. When the function is disabled, the light is off.
Stopping a Command or Program You may sometimes need to stop a command or program while it is running. Many application programs provide a command you can use to stop or even cancel (undo) an operation. If you have entered an MS-DOS command that you want to stop, try one of the following commands: Hold down the Ctrl key and press C Hold down the Ctrl key and press Break These methods may also work in your application program.
Care for your diskettes and diskette drives Insert and remove diskettes Write-protect diskettes Make backup copies of your diskettes Use a single diskette drive Use a hard disk drive How Disks Store Data The diskette you insert in your computer’s diskette drive is made of flexible plastic, coated with magnetic material. It is enclosed in a square jacket. Your computer stores data on the diskette by recording on the magnetic surface. Unlike a diskette, a hard disk is rigid and fixed in place.
A disk is further divided by sectors. To understand what a sector is, picture the spokes on a bicycle wheel radiating from the center of the wheel to the tire. The space between one spoke and the next is like a sector on a diskette. (See the figure below.) Each track on a 1.2MB diskette has 15 sectors, and each sector holds 5 12 bytes. Figure 3-3. Sectors and Tracks Your computer uses the read/write heads in a disk drive to store and retrieve data on a disk.
Types of Diskette Drives Your computer has at least one 1.2MB diskette drive. With this drive, use 5V+inch, double-sided, highdensity, 96 TPI, 1.2MB diskettes. These diskettes contain 80 tracks per side, 15 sectors per track, and hold up to 1.2MB of information, which is approximately 500 pages of text. You can also format these diskettes for 36OKB — see your MS-DOS Reference Manual for more information. In addition, you may have a diskette drive of a different type.
Note You must format new diskettes before you can use them with an operating system. Formatting erases all the data on a diskette and prepares it to receive new data, so be sure to format only new blank diskettes or diskettes that contain data you want to erase. See Chapter 5 for instructions on formatting diskettes. Drive and diskette incompatibilities Because of the size difference, you cannot use 3%inch diskettes in a 51/4-inch drive or vice versa.
Because of these incompatibilities, you should indicate the density and diskette type when you label your diskettes. (Usually this information appears on the manufacturer’s label.) If you have any combination of the above drives (36OKI3, 1.2MB, 72OKB, or 1.44MB), you can copy files from one drive to another — using the copy or XCOPY command — as long as the correct diskette type is in each drive. You can use these commands to copy files between the hard disk and any type of diskette.
sources of magnetism in your home or office, such as electrical appliances, telephones, and loudspeakers. Do not diskettes on top of your monitor or near an external disk drive. Never touch a diskette’s magnetic surface. The oils on your fingertips can damage it. Always hold a diskette by its protective jacket. If you are using a 3’/2-inch diskette, do not slide the metal shutter; this exposes the diskette’s surface. Do not place anything on top of your diskettes and be sure they do not get bent.
Never attempt to open the hard disk drive. The disk itself is enclosed in a sealed container to protect it from dust. Inserting and Removing Diskettes To insert a diskette into the drive, hold it with the label facing up and the read/write slot leading into the drive, as shown below. Figure 3-4. Inserting a diskette (5’/4”) Slide the diskette into the slot until it is all the way in. Then turn the drive latch down to lock it in a vertical position.
Close the latch and press R. To remove the diskette, turn the drive latch up until it is horizontal and the edge of the diskette pops out. Carefully pull out the diskette, place it in its protective envelope, and store it in a proper location, such as a diskette container. If you have an optional 3 1/2-inch diskette drive, insert the diskette with the label facing up and the metal shutter leading into the drive, as shown below. Slide the diskette into the drive until it clicks into place. Figure 3-5.
warning Never remove a diskette or turn off the computer while the drive indicator light is on. You could lose data. Also, be sure to remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer. Write-protecting Diskettes You can write-protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered. When a diskette is write-protected, you can read it and copy data from it, but you cannot store new data on the diskette or delete any files it contains.
Note Some program diskettes, such as your MS-DOS diskettes, have no notch so they are permanently write-protected. This protects them from being accidentally erased or altered. On a 3 1/2-inch diskette, the write-protect device is a small switch on the lower-right comer on the back, shown below. To write-protect a 3 1/2-inch diskette, slide the switch toward the edge of the diskette until it clicks into position, exposing a hole in the comer. Figure 3-7.
Making Back up Copies It is important to make copies of all your data and system diskettes. Copy all diskettes that contain programs, such as the original MS-DOS diskettes that come with your computer, and use only the copies. Store your original MS-DOS diskettes in a safe place away from your working copies. Backup your data diskettes regularly, whenever you revise them, to keep them up-todate, and store them away from your originals. Chapter 1 describes how to use DISKCOPY to copy your MS-DOS diskette.
drive (A) to the computer’s memory. Then MS-DOS automatically prompts you to insert another diskette in the same drive, which it now identifies as drive B. It copies the data from memory to the new diskette. When the copying is complete, MSDOS identifies the drive as drive A again, and you see a prompt to insert the original diskette into drive A.
The added storage capacity makes it easy to move back and forth between different programs and data files. However, because it is so easy to add programs and files to your hard disk, you may find yourself trying to organize hundreds of files. MS-DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories so they are easier to find and use.
3. Type the following and press Enter: You see a message on the screen that tells you the disk drive’s read/write heads will remain locked until you reset the computer or turn the power off and on again. The computer locks the heads and disables the keyboard. You can now turn off the computer and prepare to move it to the new location. The TGSHIP command should be run whenever you are going to move the main system unit.
Chapter 4 Using MS-DOS With Your Computer Once you have your computer system “up-and-running,” you may begin to work with MS-DOS. Virtually all application software available for IBM PC/XT and PC/AT-compatible computer systems runs “under” MS-DOS. Therefore, in order to use these programs, you need to learn how to use MS-DOS. This chapter will give you a basic understanding of MS-DOS and provide you with the basic tools you need run application software on your computer system.
Inserting Diskettes Your MS-DOS software package contains of the following items: (The following diskettes are 5.25” .) One MS-DOS Install Diskettes One MS-DOS Select Diskette Three MS-DOS Operating Diskettes One MS-DOS Shell Diskette The MS-DOS User’s Guide & User’s Reference The MS-DOS Shell User’s Guide Begin the installation procedure by placing the MS-DOS Install diskette in the A drive and turning your computer on. Disk Drive Letters The various disk drives on your computer are assigned letters.
To insert a diskette into the drive: Open the drive door If you haven’t already done so, remove the protective cardboard insert from the drive. Gently insert the diskette into the drive entry slot with its label facing up, and the write protect notch to the left. When the diskette is all the way in, close the drive door by turning the door latch handle down. Caution! If any resistance is felt when closing the drive door, stop and reinsert the diskette.
Starting MS-DOS To start MS-DOS 4.01 on a floppy disk-based system (that is, one without a hard disk drive), follow these steps given below. For a detailed description of how to start MS-DOS 4.01, consult the Getting Started section in your MS-DOS 4.01 User’s Guide. Remove the MS-DOS Install diskette from its protective envelope and insert it into the A drive. Close the disk door and turn your computer on. Remove the Install disk and insert the Select disk. Press ENTER.
If your computer has a hard disk drive, and MS-DOS has been installed, simply turn your system on. Your computer will perform its self-test diagnostics and display the DOS Shell menu screen. Notice that the words “Command Prompt” are highlighted by) a solid.. This is a DOS Shell option that allows vou to work directly with MS-DOS. Your computer system is now “running under DOS.” For now, press ENTER to run the Command Prompt option.
This is the system prompt. When it is displayed, it means that MS-DOS is waiting for you to tell it what to do. This is done by typing a DOS command, then pressing the ENTER key. Cursor Following the system prompt, you will see a blinking underline ( _ ) character. This is the “cursor.” The cursor shows you where the next character you type will appear on the screen. As you can see here, any command you type will appear immediately to the right of the system prompt and on the same line.
formatting a diskette, comparing files on different disks, backing up a hard disk, etc. These commands require one or more of the MS-DOS diskettes. Hard disk system user’s can run any DOS command without diskettes because the programs are stored on the hard disk drive. Case Sensitivity MS-DOS does not differentiate between upper and lower case letters in commands and filenames. This manual will show commands in upper case for clarity, but you may enter them either way.
— Fl key Copies one character at a time from the buffer to the command line — F2 key Copies the entire buffer up to the next character you type — F3 key Copies the entire buffer to the command line — F4 key The opposite of F2, deletes all characters from the buffer up to, but not including, the next character you type — F5 key Moves the current line you are typing into the buffer without ENTERing it — F6 key ‘Places an “end-of-file” marker when you copy from the monitor to a disk file — ESC key Cancels the
BACKSPACE Key From time to time, you may make a typing error. This is not usually a problem if you correct the error before you ENTER the command. You can use the BACKSPACE key for this purpose. The BACKSPACE key on your keyboard works just like a backspace key on a regular typewriter: it moves the cursor back one position. In addition, however, it erases the last character. typed. Press the BACKSPACE key as many times as necessary to erase the typing mistake, then type out the command correctly.
Then press the ENTER key. Your computer will respond: Default Drive MS-DOS will only look at one disk drive at a time. Normally, this is the “default” drive. You can tell which disk drive is the current default drive by looking at the system prompt. For example: indicates that the “A” drive is currently the default drive. Unless you specify otherwise, MS-DOS will direct any disk activity to the “A” floppy disk drive. You can easily change the default drive with an internal DOS command.
From the A> prompt, try the command: The computer will respond: Press ENTER after you insert the diskette into the drive, then the system prompt will be: If you have a dual floppy disk drive system, the second, or “B” drive is now the system default drive, as indicated by the new system prompt. If performed on a single drive computer system, this command will still change the system prompt to B >, even though there is only one physical drive present. The BIOS “pretends” there are two disk drives present.
This feature is intended to allow owners of single drive systems to use application software designed for dual drive systems. Copying Your MS-DOS Diskettes The first important task you must complete with your new system is to make a “backup” copy of your MS-DOS diskettes. To do this, you will need seven blank diskettes. If is a good idea to prepare seven diskette labels at this time.
To copy your master diskettes, first turn your computer on and boot up MS-DOS. Choose the Command Prompt option from the DOS shell menu. The system prompt will appear. Enter the following command: The following message will be displayed: The ‘SOURCE” diskette is the disk that you will be copying from. Insert the MS-DOS master diskette into the A drive. Press any key, such as the SPACEBAR.
When the drive indicator light goes out, remove the MS-DOS master diskette from the floppy disk drive. Insert a new, blank diskette into the drive. This is the “TARGET” diskette. Caution Make sure that the target diskette is bland. If there is any previous data on the diskette, it will be erased by the DISKCOPY routine. Press the SPACEBAR key. The drive will turn on, indicating that the computer is formatting the new diskette, then writing the copied information onto it.
Remove the backup diskette from the drive, and put it in its protective jacket. Set it aside for a moment, making sure that you don’t mix it up with the second blank diskette. Put the original “master” MS-DOS main system diskette back into the floppy disk drive, then press the SPACEBAR key.
If there is a problem with the backup diskette, or if you put the wrong diskette into the drive by mistake, the computer will respond: If the computer shows compare errors, start the copying procedure over again at the beginning. The backup copy of the MS-DOS diskette must be identical to the original. After you have confirmed that the backup diskette is a good copy of the master MS-DOS diskette, you may put your master diskette away in a safe place.
The “SOURCE” diskette is the disk that you will be copying from. The “TARGET” diskette is the one you will be copying to. Put your master MS-DOS diskette in the A drive, and a new, blank diskette in the B drive. Close both drive doors. Press any key, such as the SPACEBAR.
For now, type N. The system prompt will reappear. To compare the backup diskette with the original, you will use the DISKCOMP command.
If there is a problem with the backup diskette or if you put the wrong diskette into the drive by mistake, the computer will respond: Compare error on side x, track x After you have confirmed that the backup diskette is a good copy of the master MS-DOS diskette, you may put your master diskette away in a safe place and put the label on the backup diskette. From now on, only use the master MS-DOS diskette to make copies. For all other purposes, use the backup copy of the MS-DOS diskette.
Program files are files that perform a task. They manipulate the computer and data files in order to achieve a result. MS-DOS is a collection of program files, as are the control programs found in application software. Data files are files that contain the information (data) used by program files. A file containing a list of names and addresses would be a data file. The two types of files are closely related. Program files usually create data files.
Most of the characters and symbols on your keyboard are available for use in filenames. These are: The letters A through Z The numbers 0 through 9 The following symbols: The following are examples of allowable filenames: JANUARY CHAPTER.001 MEMO.APR MAYSALES.%&$ $$SALES.
These filenames are valid because none of them are too long, and only legal characters have been used. The following are examples of illegal filenames, along with an explanation: 3RDQUARTER.SALES This is too long. MS-DOS will accept this filename, but it will be shortened to fit the size limits. The altered filename would read 3RDQUART.SAL. As you can see, both the filename and its extension have been shortened to the legal length. CHAPTER/4 The slash ( / ) is an illegal filename character.
CHAPTER.001 CHAPTER.002 CHAPTER.003 and so on. Like MS-DOS commands, filenames and extensions can be entered in either upper or lower case, but are always displayed on the screen in upper case. However, since MS-DOS converts lower case filenames into upper case, it is possible to inadvertently erase an existing file by saving a new file with a lower case name. To be safe, always make sure that you have given a unique name to each file on a disk.
Some of the names and symbols may be different, but the screen should show these five columns, and a similar last line.
File Searches You can also use the DIR command to search for specific files on a disk. To do this, enter the DIR command in the following format: For instance, if you want to find the directory entry for a file named “MAYSALE!S.RPT” on the diskette in drive A, enter the command: The computer will search the entire directory of the diskette for a file named MAYSALESRFT. If a file is found, it will appear as the only entry in the diskette’s directory.
Multiple Disk Drive Systems The DIR command can be used to read the directories of other drives in your system, if any are installed. For instance, to read the directory of the B drive, when you are logged onto drive A, enter the command: The computer will display the directory of the diskette inserted in the B drive. A similar command: will cause the computer to display the directory of your hard disk. Note that in both examples, the A drive remains the default drive.
Wildcards Quite often, when dealing with disk files, you may find yourself looking through directories for a particular file or group of files. MS-DOS has a way to help you sort out those files’ you want without having to read through the entire directory listing. This is through the use of “wildcard” characters. Wildcard characters are used to make a single command cover a number of similarly named files.
Application Software Now that you know how to make backup copies of your diskettes and how to work with MS-DOS, you can proceed to use application software. Most software packages come with detailed instructions for their set-up and use. These instructions will often ask you to use the information in this chapter to find specific files in the disk directories, or back up the master diskettes provided with each package.
Chapter 5 Using Floppy Disks Description Your computer works with a large electronic memory array called RAM. This stands for Random Access Memory. Your system’s RAM is actually an array of electronic circuits. As long as the computer is powered up, this circuit array will “remember” whatever is placed in it. When you turn the power off, however, these circuits will “forget.” Therefore, you need some way of retaining your programs and data after you turn the system off.
How Floppy Disks Work Floppy disks, or diskettes, are made from a flexible plastic that is coated with a magnetic oxide. The floppy disk drive encodes this oxide with the data generated by the computer. After you turn your system off, unlike electronic RAM, the encoded oxide retains this data. Your data can then be read by the floppy disk drive at a later time. The magnetic oxide coating on the floppy disk will hold its encoded data almost indefinitely unless you deliberately erase it.
Formatting Diskettes When you get a new carton of diskettes, they are not yet ready to be used. First, they must be prepared to accept data. This is called “formatting” the diskette. MS-DOS uses the same formatting method regardless of the computer used. This is one of the keys to intermachine compatibility. Since all PC-compatible computers use MS-DOS, they can read all disks created by any other PC-compatible machine.
When you type F (for fail), the computer will automatically cancel the attempt and will display the following message. < Current drive is no longer valid > Remove the unformatted disk from the drive. The FORMAT Command MS-DOS provides an external command program called FORMAT.COM, that will format your blank diskettes. When running this program, there are options available that allow you to format several different types of diskette. The following routines will show you how to use the FORMAT command.
The computer will display: The formatting process takes a minute or two. The computer will wait until the formatting process is complete, then display: Press ENTER if you don’t want to have a label of your disk. Then the screen will display the following message. Don’t be concerned if the message displayed is slightly different from this example. Enter N to return to the system prompt. The new disk is now formatted and is ready for use.
Option Switches To format 180K-byte single-sided, single-density diskettes in the computer’s high capacity disk drive, enter the FORMAT command using the /1 and /4 option switch: The computer will proceed to format the diskette. Upon completion, you will see this message: And the following screen will appear if you press ENTER. (If you want to have a volume label, type the characters and enter.) Enter N to return to the system prompt.
The /4 option switch is used to format 36OK-byte double-sided, doubledensity diskettes in the computer’s high capacity disk drive. To do this enter the command: The computer will proceed to format the diskette. Upon completion, you will see this message: Press ENTER not to have a label of your disk. Then the screen will display; Enter N to return to the system prompt. Remove the diskette from the drive and place it in its protective envelope.
Formatting a diskette allows you to use it by providing predetermined locations for certain files used by MS-DOS. Once formatted, the disk directory space is created, as well as additional areas reserved for use by MS-DOS. One of these areas is the File Allocation Table, or FAT. This part of the diskette contains a list of all of the files on the disk, and where they are physically stored on the diskette. The other area is the system area.
If your system does not have a hard disk drive you would normally boot the system up from the MS-DOS system files. The DISKCOPY command copied these files when you created the backup copy of the master diskette. Sometimes, though, you may want to create a “boot disk” that doesn’t have all of the external DOS commands on it. For instance, you may want to make an “autoboot” copy of an application software diskette.
Enter N to return to the system prompt. Then enter: The directory listing should appear similar to the following: Copying Files If you have a dual drive system, it is easy to copy program and data files from one diskette to another. This involves the internal MS-DOS command, COPY.
Put the “source” diskette in drive A, and the “target” diskette in drive B. At this time, you may want to check the directories of both diskettes in order to make sure you will not overwrite a file on the target diskette with the same name as the one you want to copy. Once you’re sure it’s safe to copy, enter the COPY command with the following format: For example, to copy the file “MAYSALESRPT” from drive A to drive B, enter the command.
Note that this time, you were required to enter the source drive letter before the filename. This is because, in this example, drive B is not the default drive, However, since no drive letter was specified for the target drive, MS-DOS copied the file onto the default, or in this case, A drive. It is also possible to copy a file between two disks when neither one is the deaf& drive. For instance: will copy the MAYSALESBPT file from the hard disk onto a diskette in the B drive.
will copy all files about MAYSALES to the B drive. A final example: will copy all of the files on a diskette in the A drive to the hard disk drive. This command is useful when backing up diskettes containing data files.
Chapter 6 Using Your Hard Disk Depending on the model, your computer system can be expanded to include an optional hard disk drive. This chapter will give you a basic understanding of its operation and show you how to configure it. Information is also provided on how MS-DOS works with your hard disk drive. What is a Hard Disk Drive? As mentioned in Chapter 5, “Using Floppy Disks,” your computer uses an electronic memory array called RAM.
permanently mounted inside the drive housing. Several hard disk platters are stacked vertically in the drive housing and sealed in a dustproof casing. Second, a hard disk holds much more information than a diskette. The “high-capacity” diskettes used in your computer can only hold a little over one million bytes. The hard disk can hold much more data than a floppy disk. Finally, as mentioned above, a hard disk is much faster than a floppy disk drive.
Preparing Your Hard Disk This section assumes that you have a hard disk drive system physically installed in your main system unit. If you haven’t installed your hard disk drive yet, see Chapter 7, “Expanding Your System,” for information how to do this. To begin, boot up your system using your MS-DOS as explained in Chapter 4, “Using MS-DOS.
it means that MS-DOS can’t “find” the hard disk drive. This is either because the drive controller board has been incorrectly set up, or more likely, the hard disk drive has not yet been partitioned. If the computer correctly executed the C: command, but failed to display a directory, it probably means that the hard disk has been partitioned, but not yet formatted. The next sections describe how to partition and format your hard disk system.
Move the screen cursor bar down to the Hard Disk C parameter. Using the PgUp and PgDn keys, scroll through the options to the disk type number matched with the hard disk you have. If you have a SCSI hard disk drive with your system, you should select “Not Installed” in this parameter. Because the system BIOS do not control the SCSI type of HDD. And you can select any type number except “Not Installed” when you use ESDI hard disk drive.
This should match the information provided with your hard disk drive. Other hard disk drives may require a different disk type number. See the instructions provided with your hard disk drive or call your dealer for assistance. After verifying the hard disk drive type number, press the ESC key. The computer responds with: Press Y. The computer will update the information in its configuration RAM, and will go through the start-up routine again.
After loading the FDISK program, the computer will display information on the hard disk drive installed in the system, as follows: Using Your Hard Disk 6-7
To create a single MS-DOS partition for your entire hard disk drive, select the default option (#l) by pressing ENTER. The Create Primary DOS partition menu appears next: To reserve the entire hard disk for MS-DOS, press ENTER.
It is common to use FDISK to create an MS-DOS partition that takes up the entire hard disk drive and then make that partition bootable. Now that you have completed these tasks, you can restart your system using your MS-DOS Install diskette. Make sure the MS-DOS install diskette is in the A drive, then press the ENTER, key. -Your system will now reboot. It does this to update the new partition information in its configuration RAM. You may now format your hard disk, and load the MSDOS system files onto it.
The floppy disk drive indicator will come on for a few seconds, while the FORMAT command is loaded into memory. When the light goes out, the computer will display: You should already have made sure that there is no information stored on the hard disk that you want to save. Press Y to begin formatting. The formatting process takes several minutes. When it is completed, the system will display: Here, your computer is asking you to name your hard disk drive.
The /S switch in the FORMAT command caused the active portions of MS-DOS to be loaded onto the system area of the hard disk. At this point you can boot the system from the hard disk. Organizing Your Hard Disk This section provides you with a sample directory structure for use with your hard disk. It will provide step-by-step instructions that will create several files and subdirectories.
First, you will create several subdirectories. These will be used shortly to contain useful files. Begin by entering the command: The MD command is a short form of MKDIR. This internal DOS command creates a subdirectory under the directory you are currently in. Since your computer boots up in the hard disk root directory, the command you just entered created a subdirectory named DOS4 under the root directory. When the computer displays the C> prompt again, enter: to see what you have done.
Just as MS-DOS commands usually look at the “current” disk drive, they also look at the current directory. Since you can change the current, “logged” disk drive, you would expect to be able to change the current, loggeddirectory. You can, using the CD (CHDIR) command. Enter the command series: The directory listing displayed should look like this: You have just moved to the DOS4 subdirectory. The two < DIR > entries indicate that you are currently logged onto a disk subdirectory. The period (.
Now return to the DOS4 subdirectory by entering the command: Another way of moving through the directory tree quickly involves the use of a similar command: This command will take you directly to the root directory of the current disk drive. This can be useful if you get “lost” in a large directory tree. The next step in organizing your hard disk involves copying the external command files from the MS-DOS install diskette into the DOS4 subdirectory on the hard disk.
Using the DIR command, run a directory to verify that you have copied the MS-DOS install diskette. Remove the MS-DOS install diskette from drive A and replace it with the MS-DOS Select diskette into the DOS4 subdirectory on the hard disk by entering the command: When the copying process is done, carefully enter the following command : This command will remove the COMMAND.COM file from the DOS4 subdirectory.
You have now completed organizing your hard disk and installing the MS-DOS f’lies into subdirectories. As you can see, the files have been placed in subdirectories according to the type of activity you will doing when using them. As you add application programs to the hard disk, it is a good idea to create subdirectories to store them in, so as to keep different program groups separated. For more information on directory and subdirectory organization with MS-DOS, see your MS-DOS User’s Guide.
formatting these diskettes. Disk space taken up by the inclusion of the active MS-DOS routines would be wasted with the BACKUP command. When you back up your hard disk using BACKUP, the first thing to do is to format enough blank disks to hold the backed up files. Once you start the BACKUP routine, you won’t want to stop the program to format more diskettes. BACKUP ‘takes time, even on a high speed computer.
As you format these disks, prepare labels for them that identifies these diskettes as a hard disk backup archive. Also put the date on each label and number each diskette. This is very important, since the RESTORE command requires that you use the diskettes in the same order that was used during the BACKUP procedure. This file contains the BACKUP command program. As mentioned above, this file is provided on your MS-DOS install diskette.
In the first example, the A:BACKUP command tells MS-DOS to search the A drive for the BACKUP.COM file. In the second, the C:/DOS4 statement will automatically direct MSDOS to look in the C:\DOS4 subdirectory for the file. In both examples, the A: portion of the command tells MSDOS that you want to start the backup routine with the root directory of the hard disk, and store the backup files on diskettes in drive A.
If the computer responds with: enter: If a directory listing is displayed, even if there are no entries, it means that your hard disk system is ready to receive files. If the active routines of MS-DOS have been loaded on to the hard disk, you will see the COMMAND.COM file at the beginning of the directory listing. If the computer responded to the A > C: command with: it means that MS-DOS can’t “find” the hard disk drive.
First, set the C drive directory to the root directory by entering the command: Now set the system default drive letter back to drive A by entering: The computer will respond by displaying: Make sure your MS-DOS install diskette is inserted into the A drive. Enter the following command: The RESTORE command file will be read from the MS-DOS install diskette. The A: C:\ in the command tells MS-DOS that you will be restoring files from diskettes in the A drive to the hard disk root directory.
Chapter 7 Expanding Your System As you get more familiar with your computer system, you will probably want to add hardware to it. This can include additional disk drives, printers, modems, etc. This chapter addresses the installation of some of the most common devices.
Your computer is designed to communicate with peripherals by way of the connectors on the rear panel of the main system unit. The connectors are called “ports,” and allow information to be sent back and forth between the system CPU and a peripheral device. Your keyboard and video monitor connect to the main system unit by way of two specialized ports. The keyboard is connected to the “Keyboard port” on the rear panel of the main system unit.
Serial Ports There are two basic kinds of general purpose I/O (Input/Output) port. One kind is a ‘ serial” port, where data bits are sent one at a time along a single wire, in series. Additional wires are used to send control signals between the transmitting and receiving devices. These control signals allow the two communicating devices to determine which of them will send or receive the data, and when the first bit of a particular byte is being sent, among other things.
standard “Centronics-compatible” parallel printer port interface. MS-DOS uses the label “LPTl” (Line Printer #1) for the first parallel port. Additional parallel ports can be added to your computer through the use of multi-function boards. These ports would be labeled LPT2, LPT3, etc. Connecting Printers Most, but not all, printers use the Centronics-compatible parallel port.
modems can communicate directly with the system, CPU through your computer’s internal circuitry. The telephone line is plugged into a socket located on the rear panel of the modem. External modems connect to your computer’s RS-232C serial port. Connectors are provided on the modem itself for attachment to the phone system. Connecting External Disk Drives At some point, you may decide to add an external disk drive.
System Expansion And Upgrades This section deals with the addition of expansion boards and products to your computer’s main system unit. Although most expansion products are provided with detailed instructions for their installation and use, it is recommended that you read through this section in order to familiarize yourself with some of the basic principles of expanding your computer.
Opening and Closing the Cabinet The procedure for opening the main system unit cabinet is as follows: Unplug the video monitor AC power and signal cables from their rear panel sockets. Set the monitor safely aside. Unplug the keyboard and set it aside. Unscrew the screws on the rear panel of the unit and set them aside. Carefully, slide the main system unit’s cover towards the front of the unit. Continue sliding the cover forward until it can be removed completely. Set the cover aside.
Later, to close the unit, follow these steps in order: Make sure all the system and expansion boards are properly seated in their connectors, and have had their mounting screws tightened down. Make sure all the internal cables have been properly connected and arranged neatly. Wires should not be pinched or caught between chassis parts or circuit boards. Carefully slide the cover back onto the main system unit, being careful not to damage the cables.
Reconnect the keyboard to its connector on the rear panel of the main system unit. Place the video monitor on top of the main system unit and connect the AC power and signal cables to their correct sockets on the rear panel. Reconnect any peripheral device to their rear panel I/O port connectors. Plug the AC power cable into the socket on the rear panel of the main system unit and the main AC power outlet.
Warning! Most computer circuit boards have “static sensitive” components on them. These parts can be damaged by static electricity, which can be generated by rubbing your hand across the exposed metal parts on the board. To avoid this damage, always handle circuit boards by their edges, being careful to avoid contact with the exposed edge connectors and parts. Following the instructions provided with the expansion board, set any configuration switches and jumpers on the expansion board.
Figure 7-2.
Disconnect any internal cables that may be in the way. As you do, make a note of their correct locations and orientations for later reattachment. Unscrew the retaining screw for the slot guard, and set it aside. Mount the expansion board into the slot by gently sliding the board into the slot. If the board is long enough to reach the card guide mounted on the front panel support flange, slide the board down the center groove of the guide.
INCORRECT ELECTRICAL RESTRICTIONS Figure 7-3. Installing the Option card in an Expansion slot Check the board’s alignment to make sure it is straight and level. If necessary, move the board slightly to align the hole in the top of the mounting bracket over the screw hole in the main system unit’s rear panel flange. Install the holddown screw that you removed earlier. Reconnect any internal cables that were disconnected earlier.
documentation provided. Then, remove the main system unit cover as described previously. Select the drive compartment where you will install the expansion device. Remove the blank front panel from the selected compartment by removing the mounting screws. Slide the expansion device into the compartment along the side rails of the drive cage until it is all the way in. Replace the hold down clamps and their mounting screws.
Internal Hard Disk Drive If you are to mount the internal hard disk drive inside the main system unit case, follow the steps below: Remove the cover from the main system unit, as described previously. Remove mounting plate by unscrewing the hold down screws. Attach the guide rails to the hard disk drive like the following figure before installing it to the mounting plate. Figure 7-4.
Slide the hard disk drive which is installed with the guide rails into one of two openings provided in the mounting frame. Figure 7-5. Mounting the internal hard disk drive Replace the hold down screws. Connect the hard disk drive controller cables to the drive.
Figure 7-6. Connecting the cables Replace the main system unit cover. If you want to install the HDD to the other drive compartment exists in the center of the front side, follow the steps below. Remove the cover from the main system unit, as described above.
Figure 7-7. Remove the drive compartment case Slide the Hard disk drive into the drive case and screw the hold down screws like the following.
Figure 7-8. Slide the HDD to the drive case Replace the drive case with the hard disk drive to the system front side and screw the hold down screws. Connect the hard disk drive controller cables to the drive. Replace the main system unit cover.
Figure 7-9. Mounting the hard disk drive To remove a hard disk drive, perform the installation procedures in reverse. After adding or removing disk drives, run setup and configure for the new disk drive.
Appendix A Specifications Computer System l Operating Temperature : 41° to 95°F (5” to 35°C) l Storage Temperature : -5° to 140°F (-15° to 60°C) l Operating Humidity : 20% to 80% (no condensation) l Storage Humidity : 10% to 90% (no condensation) l Compatibility : IBM PC/AT l l Power Supply : 238W 110 Range: 100 - 125 VAC, 7.OA, 50/60Hz 220 Range: 200 - 240 VAC, 4.
l l l Expansion Slots : 2ea B-bit (62 pin ISA only connector) 6ea 32-bit (198 pin EISA connector) Dynamic RAM (with parity) : BM-bytes, expandable 64M-bytes on the Motherboard 8Ons (Burst Mode) Floppy Disk Drive : 2ea-360K, 720K, 1.
System Memory l l Data Interface : 64-bit memory access (Burst mode) Cache Module Subsystem (option) : 64KB, 128KB or 256KB Note There are two sockets on the system mother board. You should use the cache memory chip of the equal size on them when you are to use 12SKB or 256X3 of cache memory.
System I/O l DMA Channels: 7 8, 16, 32-bit operations available Address space - 4GB l Programmable Timers: 5 l Vectored Interrupt Levels: 16 l Max DMA Transfer Rate: 33MB/sec System Timing System Clock Speed: 33MHz (CPU speed) Clock Cycle Time: 30ns (33MHz) I/O Address Map A-4 Specifications
Specijkations A - 5
A-6 Specifications
Appendix B System MotherBoard Figure B-l. System Motherboard This appendix provides configuration and interface information for this board. You may skip this appendix if you are not installing expansion products that require changing the motherboard’s configuration settings.
Hardware Settings This system provides the programs to set the system configuration. The program “EISA Configuration Utility” can be used whenever you change the system hardware settings. If you want to do the followings, run the “EISA Configuration Utility” program and change the configuration settings.
82485 Cache Controller 486™ microprocessor on this motherboard contains 8K byte cache memory. And this system also provides the optional sockets of cache memory chips for more efficient use. There are two sockets which can be installed the cache memory chip on the system motherboard. You should install the cache memory chips of equal size on them when use two cache memory chips.
Use SIMMs that operate at 80ns (nanosecond) or slower access speed. Be sure all the SIMMs operate at the same speed. Use the correct SIMM configuration to add the amount of memory you want. See the table B-2. Once you have the SIMMs you need, you or your dealer can install them in your computer. There are sixteen SIMM sockets on the main system board organized in two banks consisting of two rows each. Each socket can contain one memory module.
CPU speed select of EISA bus controller You can operate this system at both 25MHz and 33MHz by EISA bus controller. If you’d like to change this system speed, run the “EISA Configuration Utility” program provided with this system. Connectors The system motherboard is provided with a number of connectors for communication with other parts of the computer system. These connectors are discussed below. For pinout information on these connectors, see Appendix D, “Connector Pinouts.
I/O Expansion slot - CN20 - CN27 The system board contains eight expansion slots comprised of two basic types as follows: l l Two 8-bit ISA slots for PC/XT boards Six 32-bit EISA slots for EISA boards, PC/AT and PC/XT boards You should install only the ISA board on two 8-bit ISA slots. But it is possible to install both the EISA and ISA board on six 32 bit EISA slots.
Parallel Port — CNB Connector CN9 on the system board provides a standard Centronics 25pin parallel interface Power Connector — CN2 The system board requires four DC voltage: + 12V, — 12V, +5V, and -5V. The power connector respectively supply power to the system board and to the six expansion slots. Speaker — CN1 Connector CN1 provides a speaker connection for audible tone generation. The connector is a two pin header.
Appendix C Video Monitor Systems There are many video display systems available for use with your computer system. This appendix will provide a brief description of the most common video system types, and discuss their applications. Monitor System Resolution The main difference between video monitor system types is their screen resolution.
The personal computer industry has established several video controller resolution and color standards. Some of these are described below. Hercules Graphics Compatible (HGC): HGC boards have become the video controller-of-choice for basic personal computer video display monitor systems. Providing dot resolutions up to 720X350, HGC boards display good quality text and graphics, while using shading to accommodate color software.
The maximum screen resolutions of the different video standards is summarized below, along with their color and graphics features: HGC: maximum dot resolution: 720x350 maximum text display: 80 columns x 25 lines colors: monochrome green or amber CGA: dot resolution: 640x200 maximum text display: 80 columnsx25 lines colors: 2 of 16 colors (640x 200) 4 of 16 colors (320x 200) EGA: dot resolution: 640x 350 maximum text display: 80 columnsx43 lines colors: 16 of 64 colors VGA: dot resolution: 720~400 (text only
Monitor Types There are many different types of video monitor available. Some of the major ones are described below. Composite Video: With a 300~200 resolution, this type of monitor is usually used with home computers. They are not recommended for use with your system. TTL Monochrome: These monitors provide up to 1000~350 resolution, with either a green or amber colored screen.
useful in applications that need good-looking graphics, or higher resolution text, though they are limited in the number of colors that can be displayed at a given time. If you are going to be using software that requires color, but not high resolution graphics, you should use an RGB video display monitor, connected to a CGA video controller board. If your software requires high resolution graphics, use an EGA controller board instead.
Appendix D Connector Pinouts I/O Ports RS-232C Serial port (9-pin subminiature “D” connector): Connector Pinouts D-1
Centronics-compatible parallel printer port (25-pin subminiature “D” connector): D-2 Connector Pinouts
Keyboard port (6-pin mini “DIN” connector) Power Supply Connector (12-pin post header) Expansion Slot Connectors Your computer comes with industry standard 62 pin IBM compatible expansion slots and 198 pin EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) slots. There are six EISA (198-pin) and two 62 pin IBM XT expansion slot connectors mounted on the mother board. The charts below show the pin numbering on the expansion slot connectors.
For six EISA slot connectors, you also can use ISA board as well as EISA board. But you can use only ISA board on two ISA slot connectors.
Expansion Slot Connector Pinouts l 198 PIN ASSIGNMENT (EISA slot connector) Note EISA bus connectors construct of 2 layers and the pins marked “ < HIGH > ” are the first layer and “ < LOW > ” are the second. When you use ISA bus board on the 198 pin EISA slots, it will connect with the first layer only. But if you use EISA bus board on these slots, it will connect with both the first and second layer. Figure D-l.
D-6 Connector Pinouts
Connector Pinouts D-7
D-8 Connector Pinouts
Connector Pinouts D-9
Appendix E Advanced ROM Diagnostics Introduction In addition to the POST diagnostics which are performed during power-up, the ROM BIOS also has an advanced diagnostics program which can perform specialized tests on each of the following when instructed: Hard disk drive(s) Floppy diskette drive(s) Keyboard Video adapter board and monitor Printer and communication ports This section contains descriptions of operation for all the tests available through this program located in the ROM BIOS.
Starting Advanced ROM Diagnostics To access the Advanced ROM BIOS Diagnostics, perform the following: E-2 Advanced ROM Diagnostics
The following screen should appear: Figure E-l. Starting Advanced ROM Diagnostics The screen is divided into six (6) sections. From top to bottom, these are: The Signature Line. This line includes the title of the program, the copyright, the name of the company which designed the program, the date, and the time in military format. The Diagnostics Options Line. This is where the user chooses the device/adapter to be tested.
l The Diagnostics Options Window. Below the Diagnostics Options Line is the Diagnostics Options Window for that option. The test options available in each Diagnostics Options Window are addressed in the following pages under the appropriate diagnostics heading (Hard Disk, Floppy Disk, Keyboard, Video, and Miscellaneous). l The configuration of the system in the Devices Present section of the screen. This section identifies the types of devices present in the system.
Hard Disk Diagnostics The following tests can be performed on your hard disk(s): 1) Hard Disk Format, 2) Auto Interleave, 3) Media Analysis, 4) Performance Test, 5) Seek Test, 6) Read/Verify Test, 7) Check Test Cylinder Test, 8) Force Bad Tracks. Error Messages There are two types of error messages that can be generated as a result of performing the Hard Disk tests. These are diagnostics-generated error messages, and controller-generated error messages.
Diagnostics Generated Error Messages This error message is generated by the Performance Test procedure which requires at least 128KB of RAM space. So, if your system board has less than 128KB of available RAM space, you cannot use this function.
The Hard Disk Format Test Warning! The Hard Disk Format Test is a destructive operation. Back up the hard disk(s) on which this routine will be performed before actually performing the operation. Note This test is not valid for a SCSI drive. Use the Hard Disk Format Test to 1) integrate a new hard disk to the system, or 2) reformat a used hard disk which has developed some bad patches as a result of aging or poor handling.
The box on the left contains a series of questions (fields) which must be answered before performing the Hard Disk Format Test. The answers are entered to the right of the question mark. The first question will already be answered for you as long as a value has been previously entered at the CMOS Setup screen. This value is 0 for a ‘C’ drive and 1 for a ‘D’ drive.
Disk Drive Type After entering the appropriate response (if it hasn’t already been entered) the default value (1, if the drive was not entered during the CMOS Setup) for “Disk Drive Type” will appear to the right of the “?" following the “Disk Drive Type” field. The cursor blinks to the right of the “?," prompting for either a new value, or acceptance of the default value, by pressing < ENTER > . The information box to the right contains a listing of 47 possible drive types.
E-10 These 47 different drive types are identified by the following characteristics: This is the number designation for a drive with certain identification parameters. This is the number of cylinders found in the specified drive type. This is the number of heads found in the specified drive type. W-pcomp is the read delay circuitry, which takes into account the timing differences between the inner and outer edges of the surface of the disk platter. The number designates the starting cylinder of the signal.
Interleave Factor After pressing at the “Disk Drive type” field, the cursor will blink below either the default value or the previous value entered for the “Interleave (l-16)” field. The default value is the previous value determined by Auto Interleave. Type the desired value and press < ENTER > . The cursor will m&e to the next field, “Mark Bad Tracks (Y/N).
Mark Bad Tracks E-12 Advanced ROM Diagnostics
The Bad Track Edit Menu With the block cursor highlighting “Add an entry,” press < ENTER >. This will cause another box to appear below the Bad Track Edit Menu. This box asks you to enter the track number for the entry you wish to add. When the box first appears, either the default (0) value or the previous value entered will appear. The cursor will blink below the value, prompting you to either accept the value by pressing < ENTER >, or enter a new value.
The Enter New Track # and Head # box will appear with the current track # (Cyl.) value entered in the field to the right of “Enter New Track #.” Type in a new value (if desired) at the blinking cursor, and press < ENTER >. Enter a new value at “Enter New Head #.” The program will not accept dual entries. All values must not exceed the corresponding cylinder and head values for the disk drive type entered at that field.
Start Cylinder Number See Figure E-2. Enter the cylinder number where you want the formatting to begin. The default value is ‘0’. End Cylinder Number See Figure E-2. Enter the cylinder number where you want the formatting to end. The default value is the last cylinder in the drive. Start Head Number See Figure E-2. Enter the head number where you want the formatting to begin in the cylinders specified in the previous two fields. The default value is ‘0’. End Head Number See Figure E-2.
After you enter ‘Y’, the Activity box appears on the right side of the screen. “Format” IS highlighted in the Activity box. In the Status portion of the Activity box, the specified cylinders, heads, and sectors are displayed sequentially as they are formatted.
Auto Interleave Routine Note This test is not valid for a SCSI drive, Run the Auto Interleave Routine to optimize hard disk performance. This routine actually occurs in two separate steps. First, the BIOS will calculate the optimum interleave value through trial and error by measuring the transfer rate for four different interleave values. During this process, a portion of the hard disk is formatted to determine the best interleave value.
If you want to change a response to one or both of these fields before running the test, enter “N” at the “Proceed” field. This will return the cursor to the Disk Drive Type field unless the Disk Drive ID (CD) has not been previously entered at the CMOS Setup screen. If this has not been done, the cursor will prompt you for an appropriate response at this field first. E-18 After you have entered the appropriate information at the first two fields, enter Y at the “Proceed” field.
Entering “N” returns you to the Auto Interleave Routine Information Box. Entering “Y” causes the following information boxes to appear: 1) Auto Interleave Detection, 2) Bad Track List, and 3) Activity. In the Auto Interleave Detection box, the transfer rate is calculated for up to four (4) different interleave factors. These interleave factors are 14. The Bad Track List box displays the status of the routine.
Media Analysis Test The Media Analysis Test performs a series of tests to locate bad patches. Even though you may have a list of bad patches from the manufacturer, this will not list any new bad patches which may have developed as a result of aging or poor handling. This test locates all bad tracks on the hard disk and lists them in the Bad Track List box. Since this test writes from all cylinders and heads on the hard disk to verify any bad tracks, this test may require several minutes to complete.
To run the Media Analysis Test: At the Hard Disk Menu, highlight “Media Analysis.” Press < ENTER >.
Each of these fields are described earlier in this section under the heading “Hard Disk Format Test.” When you have filled the first seven fields with an appropriate response, enter “Y” in the Proceed field. The following WARNING message will appear: The Bad Track List with all current entries, and the Activity box will also appear at this time. Entering N will return the cursor to the Disk Drive Type field in the Hard Disk Surface Analysis information box. Entering Y will initiate the test.
Hard Disk Performance Test Note Before performing the Hard Disk Performance Test, optimize the Interleave factor. See Auto Interleave Routine earlier in this section for instructions. The Performance Test determines the Data Transfer Rate and the Track to Track Seek time based on transfer size, seek count and data transferred. Data Transfer Rate is measured in kilobytes per second. Track to Track Seek Time is measured in milliseconds. To determine the transfer rate, the CPU reads 64KB blocks 15 times.
E-24 Advanced ROM Diagnostics
Seek Test The Seek Test determines the seek capability of the hard disk on the specified cylinder and head range. First, a sequential seek is performed, followed by a random seek. Any errors occurring during this test are displayed. To perform a Seek Test: At the Hard Disk Menu, highlight “Seek Test.” Press < ENTER >.
Hard Disk Read/Verify lest This test performs sequential and random read and verify operations on the cylinder and head range specified in the Hard Disk Read/Verify Test Information box. To perform the Hard Disk Read/Verify Test: At the Hard Disk Menu, highlight “Hard Disk Read/Verify Test.” Press < ENTER >.
Each of these fields are described earlier in this section under the heading “Hard Disk Format Test.” When you have filled the first six fields with an appropriate response, enter “Y” in the Proceed field. This will cause the Activity box to appear on the right side of the screen. As the test is performed, the cylinder numbers, head numbers, and sector numbers are first displayed sequentially to the specified range, then randomly displayed.
Check Test Cylinder Test The last cylinder on the hard disk is the test cylinder. This cylinder should be tested if a C:Drive or D:Drive error occurs during the POST. A Read/Verify test is performed on all sectors in the test cylinder. This test should pass in at least one sector. If the test fails in all sectors, then one of two possible problems has occurred. Either the test cylinder itself is faulty, or too many cylinders were specified for the hard drive in the CMOS Setup program.
At the Hard Disk menu, highlight “Check Test Cyl.” using the bar cursor. Then, press < ENTER > . That causes the Hard Disk Test Cylinder Test box to appear on the left side of the screen. The box contains the following questions (fields) that must be answered with appropriate responses. These responses are addressed earlier in this tab under the heading “Hard Disk Format Test.” If you want to change a response to one or both of these fields before running the test, enter N at the “Proceed” field.
E-31 Advanced ROM Diagnostics
Force Bad Tracks Routine Figure E-12 The force Bad Tracks Routine Note This routine is not valid for SCSI drives. This operation allows you to define a set of tracks as faulty before performing a low level format. This routine accomplishes the same objective as the Hard Disk Format Test, serving as a short cut routine for marking bad tracks before formatting the disk. This routine should be run if you neglected to enter had tracks in the Hard Disk Format Test.
Hard Disk Test Cylinder Test box to appear on the left side of the screen. The box contains the following questions (fields) that must be answered with appropriate responses. These responses are addressed earlier in this section under the heading “Hard Disk Format Test.” After you have entered the appropriate information at the first four fields, enter “Y” at the “Proceed” field. This causes the Activity box to appear on the right side of the screen. “Format” is highlighted in the upper half of the box.
Advanced ROM Diagnostics E-33
Error Messages Error messages can either be ROM Diagnostics generated, or controller generated. The error messages encountered while performing any of the diskette functions are displayed in a window with 2 lines: ROM Diagnostics Generated Error Messages This error message is generated while running the “Disk change line test” if the program detects that the disk change is not working. This can also happen if you have not removed and reinserted the diskette as requested during the test.
l l l l l Diskette WRITE PROTECTED (Write protect error) MEDIA CHANGE error (Media type not found) BAD DMA error (DMA overrun on operation) Record Not Found (Requested sector not found) BAD Address Mark (Address mark not found) Floppy Diskette Format Test Advanced ROM Diagnostics E-35
To perform a Diskette Format Test: Highlight “Floppy” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists all possible tests available for the Floppy drive. At this Floppy Disk Menu, “Diskette format” should be highlighted with the bar cursor. Press < ENTER > . That causes the Diskette format box to appear on the left side of the screen. The box contains the following questions (fields) that must be answered with appropriate responses.
Entering: “Y” at the "Proceed” field causes the Activity box to appear on the right side of the screen. “Fomat” is highlighted in the upper half of the box. This flashes while the test is in progress to indicate that this function is being performed. In the lower half of this box, the status line displays the number of the cylinders, the number of the heads, and the number of the sectors in sequence as they are formatted. When this test is finished, press < ENTER> to return to the main menu.
To perform a Drive Speed Test: Highlight “Floppy” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists all possible tests available for the Floppy drive. At this Floppy Disk Menu. “Diskette format” should be highlighted with the bar cursor. Use the down arrow key to highlight “Drive Speed Test.” Press < ENTER >. That causes the Diskette format box to appear on the left side of the screen.
After inserting a formatted diskette in the drive, and pressing < ENTER>, the message box will contain the following message: At the bottom of the Activity box, the message “Wait for 2 minutes” will appear briefly as the test begins. The test will record a LOWER limit, and an UPPER limit during this time period. The Current Speed will flash. When the test has been aborted or completed, press < ENTER > to return to the main menu.
Warning! operation. This means that the data on the diskette required to perform these tests will be destroyed. ‘When performing these operations, be certain that the formatted diskettes required for these tests does not contain valuable information which cannot be recovered from the hard disk or from another diskette. This test is a destructive To perform the Random Read/Write Test: Highlight “Floppy” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys.
Disk Menu, “Diskette format” should be highlighted with the bar cursor. Use the down arrow key to highlight “Random Read/Write Test.” Press < ENTER>. That causes the Diskette format box to appear on the left side of the screen. The box contains the following questions (fields) that must be answered with appropriate responses. These are: The response for the first field depends upon the response given in the CMOS Setup screen.
After inserting a formatted diskette in the drive, and pressing < ENTER >, the message box will contain the following message: In the upper portion of the activity box, “Read,” “Write,” and “Verify” will flash in sequence as these operations are performed. In the Status portion of the Activity box, the cylinder numbers, head numbers, and sector numbers will be read, written, and verified. When the test has been aborted or .completed, press < ENTER> to return to the main menu.
To perform the Sequential Read/Write Test: Highlight “Floppy” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists all possible tests available for the Floppy drive. At this Floppy Disk Menu, “Diskette format” should be highlighted with the bar cursor. Use the down arrow key to highlight “Sequential Read/Write Test,” Press < ENTER >. That causes the Diskette format box to appear on the left side of the screen.
Figure E-17. The Sequential Read/Write Test Entering “Y” causes two information boxes to appear: 1) a message box on the left side of the screen, and 2) the Activity box on the right side of the screen.
After inserting a formatted diskette in the drive, and pressing < ENTER >, the message box will contain the following message: In the upper portion of the Activity box, “Write,” and “Verify” will flash in sequence as these operations are performed. In the Status portion of the Activity box, the cylinder numbers, head numbers, and sector numbers will be read, written, and verified sequentially by sector number.
Figure E-18. The Disk Change Line Test To perform the Disk Change Line Test: Highlight “Floppy” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists all possible tests available for the Floppy drive. At this Floppy Disk Menu, “Diskette format” should be highlighted with the bar cursor. Use the down arrow key to highlight “Disk Change Line Test.” Press . That causes the Disk Change Line Test box to appear on the left side of the screen.
The response for the first field depends upon the response given in the CMOS Setup screen. If the response entered by the user at the CMOS Setup screen was “A,” this field will automatically display “A.” If the response entered by the user at the CMOS Setup screen was “B,” this field will automatically display “B.” To change the response, enter the appropriate value at the CMOS Setup screen. When you are satisfied with the information entered for the first field, enter “Y” at the “Proceed” field.
In the upper portion of the Activity box, “Verify” will be highlighted. In the Status portion of the Activity box, the cylinder number will display “0,” the head number will display “0,” and the sector number will display “1.” When the test has been completed, press to return to the main menu. Keyboard Diagnostic: There is only one Keyboard Diagnostics Test: the Scan/ASCII Code Test. This will help you determine whether the keys depressed match their Scan and ASCII codes.
Video Diagnostics Figure E-19. Video Tests The range of video tests available depends upon the type of display adapter card installed in the system. The following tests are available for both monochrome color display adapters and monitors: This checks the sync capability This performs a test on the display memory. This checks the attributes of the display. This checks the 80 X 25 character set of the display adapter.
These tests are available for systems with a color display card and color monitor: Test results for all diagnostics functions except the Sync Test are displayed on the screen. To perform any of these visual tests: Highlight “Video” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists the various tests. “Run All Tests” is highlighted with a block cursor. To highlight and of the visual tests below the Sync Test, use the up and down arrow keys.
Miscellaneous Diagnostics These include the following tests: 1) Printer Port Test, and 2) Serial Communication Port Test. Printer Adapter Test This test writes a pattern on the printer. The results are observed here. If the printer does not write, then the test has failed.
Figure E-20. The Printer Adapter Test Serial Communication Adapter Test This test requires a special RS-232 Turn-Around Connector plugged into the port. It must be jumpered as follows: TXD & RXD (2 & 3) shorted RTS &. CTS (4 & 5) shorted DSR DTR (6 & 20) shorted This test is programmed to read the following data: 9600 baud rate, odd parity, 2 stop-hits, and 8-bit data. This test first performs a reset function to check for all possible errors.
Error Messages Error—Time out! Error-Break Detected Error Framing error Error Parity error Error—Overrun error If a time out error occurs during the send and receive portions, this indicates a problem with the communication adapter controller. To perform the Serial Communication Port Test: Highlight “Miscellaneous” in the main menu by using the left and right arrow keys. Below this menu is another menu which lists the two tests. “Printer Adapter Test” is highlighted with a block cursor. To highlight “Comm.
The message box in the middle of the Screen displays: This test will run for about 2 minutes. Press to return to the main menu when the test is completed. Figure E-21.
Appendix F EISA Configuration Utility The EISA Configuration Utility is used to configure EISA (Extended Industry Standard Architecture) computer systems. EISA systems and adaptor cards are much more complex and flexible than the older ISA designs. Using DIP switches and jumpers to configure EISA cards would be much too complex. The EISA Configuration Utility was created to automate this configuration process.
You can use the available key conventions listed on the bottom line of the main menu or mouse to select each parameter. Main Menu The main menu has five choices. To select a choice, use the cursor keys to move the menu bar to the choice, and then press < Enter >. You may also select a choice by pressing the key corresponding to the choice’s highlighted letter. If you have a mouse, you may select a choice by moving the mouse cursor to a choice and clicking the left mouse button.
or manually, check syntax of CFG files, or write configuration information into CMOS memory. For more information see Configuration Menu. Display/Print Display or print any information related to a configuration that has been saved. For more information, see Display/Print. Help Context sensitive help, for more information see Using Help. Quit Exit AMI EISA Configuration Utility. File Menu If you select the “File” on the main menu then the following message will appear.
Two options are available from the file menu: Copy Copies CFG files from diskettes into the working directory. The default source and destination path can be overridden, as well as the *.CFG filespec. Backup Makes a backup copy of CMS and INF files (which contain a saved configuration). This backup can be used for safekeeping or can be copied to another EISA system and loaded into that systems CMOS memory.
File Copy allows CFG Files to be copied from diskettes into the current directory. You may override the source and destination to copy files between any two drives/directories. Configuration will be easier if all CFG files are in the default directory. When prompted, insert the diskette in the specified drive. Make sure that the drive door is closed. The utility will display the names of all CFG files on the diskette.
If the source and destination are the same diskette drive, you may choose to pause for diskette changing. Backup Configuration To run the “Back Up”, select the item on the main menu then you can see the following message.
Select “Yes”. Backup allow you to make a backup copy of your configuration. This is done by copying the configuration storage files to a diskette. These two files are the CMS File and the INF File. If more than one pair of CMS/INF files are in the current directory, you will be asked to choose which one to backup. Making a backup of your configuration will allow you to quickly restore a configuration if your computer’s battery fails.
Configuration Menu To run the “Configure”, select the item on the main menu then you can see the following message. Three options are available from the configure menu: Check CFG File Runs a syntax check on one or more CFG files and reports any errors. Configure Displays the Main Config Menu which is used to control configuration options and to begin a configuration session.
Write Ext CMOS This option will copy the contents of a CMS File into this system’s Extended CMOS Memory which is maintained by the battery when the system is turned off. Doing this will erase any previous configuration information stored in Extended CMOS Memory. If there is more than one CMS File in the current directory, you will be asked with one to use. Main Config Menu The main configuration menu has four groups of choices. Within each group only one choice may be selected.
Automatic vs. Manual: Selecting “Automatic” will cause the configuration utility to ask you only a few essential questions. In automatic mode a default configuration will be produced. Selecting “Manual” allows access to advanced features such as function choice selection and resource allocation editing. The “Add Board” and “Remove Board” options are available only through Manual Mode. Local vs. Remote: Select “Local” if the configuration that you are working on is for this computer.
Which CMS File to modify: If “Modify Old Con figuration” is selected, you must tell the utility which CMS file contains the saved configuration data. There are three options here. 1. Use default CMS name The utility searches for a CMS file matching the name of the system board. This option is available in local mode only. 2. Select CMS file from directory listing You will be asked to select the CMS file from a list of all CMS files in the current directory. 3.
Modify Configuration Menu There are four options available from this menu: Edit Functions/Resources Choosing this option allows advanced configuration editing. You may change function choice settings and resource allocation settings. Add a Board Allows one or more boards to be added to the current configuration. You will be asked to select the CFG files for each board that you want to add. Remove a Board Removes a board from the current configuration.
Done with Configuration Select this option when you are done editing, adding, and removing boards. The CMS File and INF File will be saved at this time. If you are configuring in “Local Mode” the system’s Extended CMOS Memory will be updated also. Configuration Editing Select the “Edit Functions/Resources” on the menu of the top left comer to enter the Configuration editing. Then choose the slot you want to edit the configuration of it.
This menu contains a list of all functions for TriGem EISA 486/33 System board. Each function has a choice setting and may have one or more resource blocks. To change a function’s choice setting, select one of the long horizontal bars on the screen. To change resource allocation settings, select one of the shorter bars along the right edge of the screen. Press < End > when you are finished editing this board.
Function Selection 1. Video Board, option If you select “Video Board Option”, the function select screen will display like the following. This menu shows the choice settings available for a function. The current setting is indicated by a mark beside that setting. You may change the current setting by selecting a different choice. If you install the Monochrome video board on the system, select “Monochrome”.
2. Cache Memory Option You can use 64KB or 128KB Cache memory with the system. If you’d like to change the default setting of Cache memory size, select “Cache memory Option” on the Board Function menu. Select the Cache memory size according to the one installed on the system.
3. RAM Size Option If you select “RAM Size Option”, the function select screen will display like the following. In case you expand the RAM by installing SIMM on the main board, select the proper item according it’s size.
Display/Print The Display/Print menu has three groups of options. First select which information you want to display (several types of information can be selected at one time). Next select the information source (“All Boards:’ or “Selected Boards”). If you choose “Selected Boards,” you will be presented with a menu of boards. Finally select where the information is to be sent, to the screen, to the printer (LPTl), or to a file. If you choose “File,” you will be prompted for a filename.
The help window includes a menu with five choices. To select a choice, use the cursor keys to move the menu bar to the desired choice and then press < Enter >. If you are using a mouse; you may select a menu choice by moving the mouse to the desired choice and pressing any button on the mouse. The five choices in the help menu are: >> Scrolls the help window back towards the top. << Scrolls the help window forward. Index Displays the Help Index, an index of all topics in the help system.
Duplicate Files ‘When copying a CFG file into a directory, TriGem EISA Configuration Utility checks to see if the file already exists. If the file is already present, you are given the opportunity to copy the file, but store it under a different name. The new name will be determined by the industry standard procedure for duplicate CFG files. Using this procedure if the file !AMI25Bl.
INF File The INF file contains detailed information about a configuration such as switch and jumper settings, software statements, connection statements, and resource allocation. The INF file is used by the “Display/Print” command to recall information on a saved configuration. Each INF file should have a corresponding CMS file. Extended CMOS Memory Extended CMOS memory is a small amount of very lower power memory on the system board.
