EPSON ® ® EQUITY 386/33 PLUS Setup Guide
IMPORTANT NOTICE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Epson America makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shah not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special, or consequential damages. Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages, so this exclusion may not apply to you. COPYRIGHT NOTICE All rights reserved.
Important Safety Instructions 1. Read all of these instructions and save them for later reference. 2. Follow all warnings and instructions marked on the product. 3. Unplug this product from the wall outlet before cleaning. Use a damp cloth for cleaning, not liquid cleaners or aerosol cleaners. 4. Do not use this product near water. 5. Do not place this product on an unstable cart, stand, or table. 6.
12. Except as specifically explained in the User’s Guide, do not attempt to service this product yourself. Refer all servicing to qualified service personnel. 13. Unplug this product from the wall outlet and refer servicing to qualified service personnel under the following conditions: A. When the power cord or plug is damaged. B. If liquid has entered the product. C. If the product does not operate normally when the operating instructions are followed.
Importantes Mesures de S&wit6 1. Lire attentivement les instructions qui suivent. Les conserver en lieu siIir. 2. Observer les avertissements et suivre rigoureusement les instructions marquees sur l’ordinateur. 3. Debrancher l’appareil avant de le nettoyer. Se servir d’un chiffon humide, sans detergents ni aerosols. 4. Ne pas se servir de l’ordinateur p&s de l’eau. 5. Ne pas placer l’appareil sur un meuble instable. 6. Les ouvertures et fentes a l’arri&re et au dessous du coffre en assurent la ventilation.
10. S’il est nkcessaire d’employer un cordon prolongateur pour brancher l’appareil, s’assurer que la consommation d’energie totale des machines branch&s sur le cordon prolongateur ne depasse pas la capacite en amperes dudit cordon. L’amperage total de toutes les pieces branch6es sur le socle ne doit pas d&passer 15 amperes. 11. Ne jamais rien introduire dans les prises d’air. Ne pas renverser de liquide sur l’appareil. 12.
hard disk access light TURBO speed power button diskette drive I I light Kt-tl RESET button diskette release latch hard disk or diskette drive bay option card slots power inlet port power light
Introduction Optional Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Installing Operating Systems and Other Software . . . . . VGA Utilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . How to Use This Manual . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Where to Get Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chapter 1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Up Your System 1 Choosing a Location . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Removing the Protective Card . . . . . . . . . .
Setting the Hard Disk Drive(s) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hard Disk Drive Types . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Primary Display Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Changing or Deleting a Password . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting Network Server Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Booting Sequence . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Setting the Extended Setup Options . . . . . . . . .
Introduction ® ® The Epson Equity 386/33 PLUS is a high-performance personal computer which offers exceptional speed and convenience in a compact design. Your 33 MHz, 80386DX system includes 4MB of internal memory, a built-in VGA (video graphics array) display ® adapter, built-in parallel and serial interfaces, and an IBM PS/2™ compatible mouse port. With these interfaces, you can connect most of your peripheral devices directly to the computer, without installing option cards.
Optional Equipment You can easily upgrade your computer by installing additional memory and adding just about any optional device that is ™ compatible with the IBM Personal Computer, PC XT , or PC AT™. By adding 4MB single inline memory modules (SIMMs) to the main system board, you can expand the computer’s memory up to 16MB. You may want to install an 80387DX, 33 MHz or 3167, 33 MHz math coprocessor in your computer to speed up mathematical calculations in certain application programs.
VGA Utilities Your Equity 386/33 PLUS comes with special VGA device drivers and utilities for use with the built-in VGA adapter. With these utilities, you can take advantage of extended VGA features such as 16-color graphics mode resolutions up to 1024 x 768 (non-interlaced), 256-color resolutions up to 640 x 480, and 132-column text mode. Instructions for installing the VGA device drivers and utilities are provided in the VGA Utilities Guide.
Where to Get Help If you purchased your computer in the United States, Epson America provides local customer support and service through a nationwide network of authorized Epson dealers and Service centers.
Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System To set up your Equity 386/33 PLUS, follow the eight steps in this chapter. You may want to open this manual’s back cover foldout so you can refer to the illustrations identifying the different parts. Note The illustrations in this manual show the computer with a 5%inch diskette drive. If your system has a 3lh-inch diskette drive instead, and you need instructions for using it, see Chapter 1 in the User’s Guide.
Before you set up your computer, choose a convenient location that provides the following: cl A sturdy desk or table strong enough to support the weight of your system and its components. P A flat, hard surface. Soft surfaces like beds and carpeted floors attract static electricity, which can erase data on your disks, damage the computer’s circuitry, and prevent proper ventilation. D Good air circulation. Leave several inches of space around the computer so air can move freely.
2 Removing the Protective Card If you have a 5V&nch diskette drive, there is a protective card in the diskette slot. To remove it, flip the latch up to pop the card out part way, as shown below; then pull it out. (If you have a second 5Winch diskette drive, be sure to remove the card from it.) Caution Never turn on your computer with a protective card in the diskette slot. You could damage the diskette drive. Save the protective card.
3 Connecting a Monitor The way you connect your monitor to the computer depends on the type of monitor you have. If you have a VGA monitor (or a multifrequency monitor with an analog connector), you can connect it to the computer’s built-in VGA port as described below. If you have any other type of monitor, see “Using a Display Adapter Card” on page 1-7. Using the VGA Interface Follow these steps to connect your VGA monitor to the VGA port on the computer: 1.
4. Examine the connector end of the monitor cable, and position the plug to line up with the monitor port on the computer (marked with a monitor icon). Then insert the plug into the port, as shown below. Caution To avoid damaging the connector, be careful not to bend the pins when inserting the plug. 5. If the connector has retaining screws, be sure to tighten them.
6. Plug the monitor power cord into the monitor’s power inlet, as shown below. 7. Plug the other end of the power cord into a three-hole, 120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.
Using a Display Adapter Card If you are using a non-VGA monitor, you’ll need to install a display adapter (video) card in one of the computer’s option slots before you can connect the monitor. (Your dealer may have already installed the video card for you.) If the video card has not yet been installed, follow the instructions in Chapter 4 of the User’s Guide to install an option card. But first, check the following table to make sure your display adapter card and monitor are properly matched.
Note If you install a display adapter card, you must set jumper J1 on the main system board to disable the built-in VGA interface so that your card can operate as the primary display adapter. You may also need to set jumper J4 to indicate whether a color or monochrome monitor is installed. See Chapter 4 of the User’s Guide for instructions on changing jumper settings. Once you have installed your video card, return to this section to connect your monitor to the computer.
Once you have the right printer cable, follow these steps: 1. Make sure the printer and computer are turned off. 2. Place the printer next to the computer with their backs facing you. 3. One end of the printer cable has a 25-pin, D-shell connector. Position the plug to line up with the parallel interface (marked with the icon shown below). Then plug the connector into the port, as shown. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them by hand or with a screwdriver.
4. Connect the other end of the cable to the printer as shown below. To secure the cable, squeeze the clips at each side of the printer port and push them into place. clips 5. Plug the printer’s power cord into a three-hole, 120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.
Using the Serial Interface If you have a printer, a modem, or other peripheral device with a serial interface, you can connect it to the serial (BS-232C) port on the back of the computer. The serial port uses a DB-9P connector, so be sure you have a compatible cable. To connect a serial device, follow the same steps as above for connecting a parallel device, but insert the connector into the serial port, marked with the icon shown below.
5 Connecting the Keyboard Follow these steps to connect the keyboard: 1. Make sure the computer is turned off. 2. Hold the keyboard cable connector so the arrow on the connector faces up. Insert it into the port marked with a keyboard icon, as shown below. Caution Although the connectors and ports for the keyboard and mouse are physically identical, they cannot be used interchangeably. Be sure to plug the keyboard into the keyboard port.
3. You can change the angle of the keyboard by adjusting the legs on the bottom. Turn it over and flip each leg upward until it locks into place, as shown below. 6 Connecting the Mouse Your computer has an auxiliary port for an IBM PS/2 compatible mouse that uses a round, miniature DIN (6-pin) connector. If your mouse has this type of connector, you can connect it to the built-in port on your computer.
mouse connector Caution Although the connectors and ports for the mouse and keyboard are physically identical, they cannot be used interchangeably. Be sure to plug the mouse connector into the mouse port. Once you have connected a mouse, you may need to add commands to your MS-DOS CONFIG.SYS file (or equivalent) to enable your computer to use a mouse. See your operating system and mouse manuals for instructions.
7 Connecting the Power Cord Follow these steps to connect the power cord: 1. Plug the power cord into the AC power inlet on the back panel, as shown below. WARNING To avoid generating an electric shock, be sure to plug the cord into the computer before plugging it into the wall socket. 2. Plug the other end of the power cord into a three-hole, 120-volt, grounded electrical outlet.
8 Turning On the Computer After you set up your system, you’re ready to turn on the power. But first, read the following safety rules to avoid accidentally damaging your computer or injuring yourself: Cl Do not connect or disconnect any peripheral devices (including the mouse or keyboard) or power cables when the computer’s power is on. Q Never turn on the computer with a protective card in the diskette drive. CI Never turn off or reset your computer while a disk drive light is on.
power button The power indicator next to the button lights up. After a few seconds, the computer counts the amount of memory, and then performs a diagnostic 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 necessary, use the controls on your monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast until characters on the screen are clear and at a comfortable level of intensity.
Do not press any key yet. (If MS-DOS is already installed on your system, you will see a prompt to enter the date.) Turn off the computer as described below. If there is no operating system on your computer, you see an error message. Ignore the message for now. Follow the instructions below to turn off the computer.
Chapter 2 Running the SETUP Program The first time you use your computer, you need to run the SETUP program to define how your system is set up. You may need to run it again later if you change some part of your configuration. The SETUP program is stored in the computer’s read only memory (ROM), so you can run the program any time you turn on or reset your computer.
The configuration you define through SETUP is stored in a special area of memory called CMOS RAM. This memory is backed up by a battery, so it is not erased when you turn off or reset the computer. Whenever you reboot the computer, it checks the settings, and if it discovers a difference between the information in the CMOS RAM and its actual hardware configuration, it prompts you to run SETUP.
The first option is highlighted. Press m to highlight Run SETUP, and then press m. The SETUP menu appears on the screen. The menu automatically displays the base memory size, the extended memory size, and whether a math coprocessor (numeric processor) is installed. Additionally, the SETUP menu lists the parameters you can change. Selecting Options A solid cursor bar highlights the parameter currently selected. You can scroll through the parameters using the four arrow [11). When you reach a keys Cm, m.
The current month is highlighted and a calendar on the right side of the screen shows all the days for the month, with the current day flashing. Press m or &@ to select the correct month, day, and year. To change the time. move the cursor to the next line and press Issue] 0; [$ to enter the correct hour and minutes according to a 24-hour clock. For example, 5 p.m. would be hour 17. You cannot set the number of seconds.
Setting the Hard Disk Drive(s) The SETUP program lets you select the type of hard disk drive(s) installed in your computer. If you have two hard disk drives, the first one is C and the second one is D. Be sure to choose the correct setting for both drives. Follow these guidelines: 0 If your system does not have a hard disk, select Not installed for drives C and D. If you have only one hard disk drive, select Not installed for drive D.
Hard disk drive types 2-6 32 1023 5 17 33 901 5 53 Running the SETUP Program none none 1023 42 900 117 L!JS12OAT
Hard disk drive types (continued) Defining your own drive type If the parameters for your hard disk (listed in its documentation) do not match any of the types listed in the table above, you can define your own type. Follow these steps: 1. With the cursor at the Hard disk type option, press @& or (PgDn] to scroll through the types until you come to 47 = USER TYPE.
2. Use the numeric keys to enter the appropriate values for these parameters: Cyln = the number of cylinders on the disk. Head = the number of read/write heads in the drive. WPCO~ = the precompensation cylinder. LZone = the landing zone (the area on which the computer parks the heads when you run the HDSIT program). Set = the number of sectors on the disk. Size = the total amount of storage capacity for the disk (selectedautomatically). Press m after typing each number.
If you have connected your monitor to the computer’s built-in VGA port, select VGA or EGA. If you installed an optional video card, follow these guidelines to select the correct adapter type: D If you have a VGA adapter card or an enhanced graphics adapter (EGA) card, select VGA or EGA. P If you have a color graphics adapter (CGA) or a multi-mode graphics adapter (MGA) attached to an RGB (color) monitor, select Color 80x25. (Also be sure to set the color/mono switch on the MGA card to color.
Setting the Password The SETUP program lets you set an optional password to control who can use your system. If you do not want to set a password for your computer, skip this section. Once you set a password through SETUP, you must enter it every time you turn on your computer or reset it by pressing the RESET button. If you do not enter it correctly, you cannot access your system. To set a password, move the cursor to the Password option. Next to it, you see Not installed.
Changing or Deleting a Password If you want to change the current password, highlight the Password option and press Ed U or (&@ to display New Install. Then enter a new password, as described above. To delete the password, press m or [p9Dnl to display Not installed. Be sure to save your settings (as described at the end of this chapter) when you exit the SETUP program. Setting Network Server Mode If you will be using your computer as a network server, select Installed.
Setting the Booting Sequence The booting sequence determines the order in which the computer reads the drives when it looks for the operating system. If you select A: then c : , each time you turn on or reset the computer, it checks drive A for an operating system diskette and loads the operating system from that diskette. If drive A does not contain an operating system diskette, the computer loads the operating system from drive C. This is the default setting.
Setting the Memory and Speed Options SETUP offers the following options for customizing your system’s memory and speed settings: 0 BIOS shadow D Video shadow Q Video cache D Cache D speed. Each of these options is described below. Setting the BIOS and video shadow options Your computer can access RAM (random access memory) faster than ROM (read only memory).
Setting the video cache When the Video cache option is enabled, the computer speeds up video access so it can display text and graphics on the screen faster. Leave this option set to Disabled if you are using a memory manager that can use the video cache RAM as expanded memory. (See your memory manager documentation for more information). Setting the system memory caching The Equity 386/33 PLUS provides a 64KB cache area of memory where it can access data faster than standard memory.
You can also set the processor to change speed automatically. This enables the computer to switch to slow speed whenever it needs to access a diskette but run at fast speed for all other operations. When it runs at fast speed, the TURBO light on the front panel is illuminated. You may not want to use the Automatic setting for certain copy-protected programs. See “Changing the Processor Speed” in Chapter 2 of the User’s Guide for more information.
Setting the Built-in Interfaces This option lets you define how the following built-in interfaces operate: 0 Parallel port (LPT1, LPT2, LPT3) D Serial port (COM1 or COM2) 0 Built-in mouse controller 0 Floppy disk drive controller (FDC) Q Hard disk drive controller (HDC). Setting the parallel interface The built-in parallel port is set to act as the primary port (LPT1). If you install an option card that provides an additional parallel interface, you may need to select LPT2 or LPT3 for the built-in port.
Note be sure to set any jumpers on the card(s) to indicate how you want the port to be recognized (LPT1, LPT2, or LPT3). Setting the serial interface The built-in serial port in your computer is set to act as the primary port (COM1). If you install an option card that provides an additional serial port, that port automatically becomes secondary (COM2). However, if you want the port on the card to be COM1, select COM2 for the built-in port.
Saving Your Settings After you have made your selections for SETUP, press m to exit. You see the following prompt: Save SETUP configuration (Y/N)? Press m to return to the menu to make corrections. Press [vl and m to save the settings in the CMOS RAM. To exit SETUP without saving your changes press [Nl and [Ena). If you saved your changes, the SETUP program resets your system and the computer runs through its power-on diagnostic tests.
I n d e x A D AC power inlet, 1-15 Alternate VGA feature connector, Intro-l, 1-7 Analog connector, 1-4 Application program, Intro-2 Automatic speed, 2-14-15 Date, setting, 2-4 Deleting password, 2-11 Device drivers, Intro-3 Diagnostics, power-on, l-17, 2-18 Diskette drive, configuring, 2-4 controller, 2-16-17 light, 1-16, 1-18 type, 2-4 Display adapter, 1-7-8, 2-8-9 Display type, 1-7-8, 2-8-9 Drives, see Diskette drive or Hard disk B Base memory, 2-3 Battery, 2-2 BIOS shadow, 2-13 Booting sequence, 2-1,
Interfaces, Intro-l, 2-12, 2-16-17 Internal memory, Intro-l J Jumper settings, l-7-8, 1-14, 2-9 K Keyboard, adjusting angle, 1-13 cable, 1-12 connecting, 1-12 key delay, 2-15 key rate, 2-15 options, 2-1, 2-12, 2-15 port, 1-12, 1-14 Key delay, 2-15 Key rate, 2-15 L Location, choosing, 1-1-2 LPTn, 2-16-17 M Math coprocessor, Intro-2, 2-3 MDA card, 1-7 Memory, base, 2-3 cache, Intro-l, 2-13-14 extended, 2-3 modules, Intro-2 RAM, Intro-l, 2-2, 2-13-14 shadow, Intro-l, 2-13 MGA display adapter, l-7, 2-9 MODE
Port, keyboard, l-12, 1-14 monitor, 1-4-5 mouse, Intro-1, 1-12, 2-17 parallel, 1-8-10, 2-16-17 serial, 1-11, 1-13, 2-16-17 VGA, 1-4-6, 2-8-9 Power, button, 1-17-18 cables, 1-16 cord, 1-15 source, 1-2 Power-on diagnostics, 1-17, 2-18 Power-on password, 2-10-11 Precautions, 1-2, 1-16 Primary display adapter, 1-8 Primary port, 2-16-17 Printer, connecting, 1-8-11 parallel interface, 1-8-10, 2-16-17 power cord, 1-15 redirecting, 1-11 serial interface, 1-11, 2-16-17 Processor speed, 2-1, 2-13-15 Protective card,
SETUP program, processor speed, 2-1, 2-13-15 real-time clock, 2-3 saving settings, 2-18 serial interface, 2-16-17 shadow RAM, 2-1, 2-13-15 speed, 2-1, 2-13-15 starting the program, 1-18, 2-2-3 system memory cache, 2-1, 2-13-14 time, 2-1, 2-3-4 video display adapter, 2-1, 2-8-9 video memory cache, 2-1, 2-13-14 video shadow, 2-13 Shadow RAM, Intro-1, 2-1, 2-13 SIMMs, Intro-2 Slow speed, 2-14-15 Software, Intro-2 Speed, 2-1, 2-13-15 Super VGA adapter, 1-7 System, BIOS, 2-13 memory cache, 2-1, 2-13-14 setting u
