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Epson Equity III User Manual

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EPSON
TM
Equity
III
User's Guide
X - E Q I I I

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Summary of Contents for Epson Equity III

  • Page 1 ® EPSON Equity User’s Guide X - E Q I I I...
  • Page 2 ® EPSON Equity™ III User’s Guide Y14499100900-1...

  • Page 3: Important Notice

    DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Seiko Epson Corporation makes no representations or warranties, either express or implied, by or with respect to anything in this manual, and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect, special or consequential damages.

  • Page 4: Fcc Compliance Statement

    Disconnect the peripheral devices and their input/output cables one at a time. If the interference stops, it is caused by either the peripheral device or its I/O cable. These devices usually require shielded I/O cables. For Epson peripheral devices, you can obtain the proper shielded cable from your dealer.

  • Page 5: Table Of Contents

    ........Introduction How to Use this Manual ......Setting Up Your System .
  • Page 6 Replacing the Cover ......Using an Epson Mouse ......
  • Page 7 System arrangement ......1-2 Front panel ........Rear panel .

  • Page 8: Introduction

    An Epson printer or plotter You can also use most cards for the IBM® Personal Computer, PC XT™, and PC AT™ on the Equity III. Check with your Epson dealer from time to time to find out which peripherals and option cards are available.

  • Page 9: How To Use This Manual

    Equity III. Refer to your software program documentation for informa- tion on using the software. Additionally, the Equity III supports multi-user and multi-tasking with the appropriate operating system. Consult your Epson dealer for more information. How to Use this Manual This user’s guide explains how to set up and care for your Equity III.

  • Page 10: Setting Up Your System

    Epson dealer. You’ll also find a registration card with the main unit. Fill this card out now and mail it to Epson. With your registration card on file, Epson can send you update information. Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best pro- tection possible for your computer if you need to move or ship it later.

  • Page 11: Choosing A Location

    Choosing a Location Before you set up your new system, choose an appropriate place. Whether you use your computer at home or in the office, you need to find a comfortable, convenient location where it can run properly. Choose a location that provides the following: A large, sturdy desk or table.

  • Page 12: Arranging The Components

    Arranging the Components First decide how you want to arrange the different parts of your sys- tem. Figure 1-1 shows a typical setup. Figure 1-1. System arrangement Of course, if you have special computer furniture want to custom- ize your setup, can arrange your system components to suit your own particular needs.

  • Page 13: The Front Panel

    The Front Panel Figure 1-2 identifies the various components on the front panel. RESET Power Lock button lamp Figure 1-2. Front panel The front panel components work as follows: Disk lock/release latch. To lock a diskette in place, turn this latch clockwise until it is vertical.

  • Page 14: Removing The Disk Drive Protector Sheet

    Power LED lamp. A red light indicates the power is on. Use the power switch on the right side of the main unit to turn it on and off. Key Lock. Locks the main unit and keyboard. Turn the key clock- wise to lock the computer and counterclockwise to unlock it.

  • Page 15: Rear Panel

    Figure 1-3. Rear panel The rear panel components work as follows: AC Power inlet. Plug the power cord into the main unit here. Be sure the power switch is off when you plug the power cord into an outlet. Power consumption should not exceed 5 amps. AC Power outlet.

  • Page 16: Connecting The Power Cord

    Option card access slots. The Equity III has eight slots to hold up to eight option cards. Option cards allow your computer to control your peripherals or enhance your computer’s performance. One op- tion card slot holds the hard disk controller card and another must hold a monochrome or a color/graphics video card to control your monitor.

  • Page 17: Connecting A Video Monitor

    Connecting a Video Monitor To connect the video monitor, place your monitor on top of or near the Equity III main unit. It is easiest to connect the monitor cable if the backs of the monitor and the main unit face you. Note: Your dealer probably installed a video card in your main unit to control your monitor.

  • Page 18: Connecting The Monitor

    Figure 1-5. Connecting the monitor The monitor type must match the video card in the main unit. If you have a color card, you can use one of two connectors: a nine-pin, female D-connector for RGB monitors or an RCA connector for composite video monitors.

  • Page 19: Connecting The Keyboard

    Connecting the Keyboard After you connect your monitor to the main unit, you can connect the keyboard. The keyboard cable is attached to the keyboard at one end. Insert the other end into the socket marked KEYBOARD on the rear panel of the main unit, as shown in Figure 1-6.

  • Page 20: Connecting A Printer

    The Equity III has built-in parallel and serial interfaces. You can eas- ily connect a printer or plotter that has either type of interface-just follow the instructions below. Epson offers a full range of printer prod- ucts. Consult your dealer for more information.

  • Page 21: Placing The Printer

    To connect a printer to the main unit, you need an IBM PC AT- compatible printer cable. If you are not sure which one you need, consult your Epson dealer. Once you have a printer cable, follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the main unit: Place the printer next to your system, as shown in Figure 1-8.

  • Page 22: Serial Interface

    ASCII codes. In most cases, if you try to print these characters on a standard printer, you get italic charac- ters instead. Some Epson printers support the IBM character set (the character set the Equity III uses) as a standard feature, and others can be adapted.

  • Page 23: Checking The Dip Switches

    Checking the DIP Switches Inside the Equity III main unit, there are ten DIP (dual-line pack- age) switches which give your computer information about memory size, monitor type, floppy disk drive interface, and which built-in inter- faces are in use. Each switch has two positions: on and off. You may need to change these settings if you add options (such as extra memory or disk drives) to your system.

  • Page 24: Using The Equity Iii

    If there is a hardware problem you cannot solve after read- ing Chapter 5 on troubleshooting, or if you want to install an optional 80287 math coprocessor, consult your Epson dealer. Always turn off the power, disconnect the computer’s power cord, and wait a few minutes before you remove the computer’s cover.

  • Page 25: Key Lock

    Key Lock The key lock allows you to disable the keyboard and lock the top cover of the main unit for security. This provides a safeguard against someone accessing confidential information or altering your computer’s internal hardware. The key lock also lets you run an application pro- gram, such as a screen demonstration, while disabling the keyboard so no one can alter the display.

  • Page 26: Powering Up

    Powering Up Now you are ready to turn on your system. It is a good idea to turn on the monitor and any peripheral devices before you turn on the main unit. First, make sure the power cord is plugged into the power inlet on the rear panel of the main unit.

  • Page 27: Inserting And Removing Diskettes

    This tells you the computer can now load an operating system from a diskette in the top drive. The Equity III needs a disk operating system (DOS) to function. It comes with MS-DOS version 3.1. If you want to use another operating system, consult your dealer. To load an operating system, insert the system diskette you want to use (see ‘Inserting and Removing Diskettes”...

  • Page 28: Inserting A Diskette

    Figure 2-2. Inserting a diskette To remove the diskette, turn the latch counterclockwise until it is horizontal and the diskette pops out. Carefully pull out the diskette, place it in its protective envelope, and store it properly, such as in a special diskette container.

  • Page 29: Special Keys On The Equity Iii Keyboard

    Special Keys on the Equity III Keyboard The dark gray keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running application programs. Figure of the more important keys and Table 2-1 describes them. Figure Table 2-1. Special key functions Purpose Moves the cursor to the right in normal mode and to the left in shift mode.

  • Page 30: Resetting The Computer

    The keys that contain LED lights work as toggles when you press them. When the light is on, the Lock) function is enabled; when the light is off, the function is disabled. Resetting the Computer You can reset the computer to load a different operating system or to reload the current operating system.

  • Page 31: Turning Off The Computer

    Turning Off the Computer Before you turn off your computer, exit the program you are using and then remove all diskettes from the disk drives. If you have a hard disk, it is a good idea to run the MS-DOS program HDSIT to move the disk drive’s read/write heads away from the recording area before you turn off your computer.

  • Page 32: Using Disks And Disk Drives

    Using Disks and Disk Drives The disk drives in your computer allow you to store data on disk, and retrieve and use stored data when you like. All Equity III systems have at least one floppy disk drive; you may also have a hard disk drive and/or a second floppy disk drive in your system.

  • Page 33: Choosing Diskettes For The Equity Iii

    Choosing Diskettes for the Equity III When you buy diskettes, be sure to choose high-quality diskettes with reinforced hub rings. The added reliability is well worth the extra cost. You also need to make sure you buy the proper format type for the drive(s) in your system.

  • Page 34: Drive/Diskette Compatibility

    either type of drive, but write to that diskette only when it is in a 1.2MB drive. If you write to it in a 360KB drive, it may become unusable in both drives. You can use a 1.2MB drive to read data from a double-density disk- ette that was formatted in a 360KB drive (for example, if you want to copy files from it).

  • Page 35: Caring For Your Disks And Disk Drives

    Caring for your Disks and Disk Drives To avoid damaging floppy and hard disks, you need to care for them properly. Take these precautions to avoid losing data: Keep disks away from dust and dirt. Small particles of dust or dirt scratch the magnetic surface and can destroy data.

  • Page 36: Protecting Your Data

    If you have a hard disk drive, take these additional precautions: Never turn off the power to the computer when the hard disk drive light is on. This light indicates that the computer is currently copying data to or from the hard disk. If you interrupt this process, you can lose data.

  • Page 37: Using A Single Floppy Disk Drive

    delete any files it contains. If you try to change data stored on a write- protected diskette, an error message tells you the diskette is write-pro- tected. Write-protect tabs usually come with new diskettes when you buy them. Figure 3-1. Write-protect notch Using a Single Floppy Disk Drive Usually operating systems expect the computer to have at least two physical disk drives and display prompts and messages accordingly.

  • Page 38: Using A Hard Disk Drive

    Store your other files on floppy disks. Before you can use the Epson internal hard disk, you must do the following things to prepare it: Use the MS-DOS SETUP program to tell your system it has a hard disk.
  • Page 39 The Epson hard disk is formatted at the factory. Therefore, you need not format it before you partition it to run your operating system. If you have serious read/write problems when you use it, you can format the entire disk as a last resort.

  • Page 40: Installing Option Cards

    A hard disk controller card occupies one slot (whether or not your system has a hard disk) and a card for your monitor occupies another. You can buy option cards from Epson as well as other vendors. Multifunction cards that allow you to add features without using multi- ple option card slots are also available.

  • Page 41: Top Cover Screws

    Figure 4-1. Top cover screws 4. Turn the main unit around so the rear panel faces you. Hold on to the two sides of the cover and carefully slide it straight back toward you, away from the front of the computer, as shown in Figure 4-2. Then lift the cover off and set it aside.

  • Page 42: Installing An Option Card

    Installing an Option Card Figure shows the eight option slots in the Equity III. Figure 4-3. Option slots Slots 2 and 7 are designed for 8-bit option cards and the other six-slots through and 8-are designed for 16-bit option cards. Figure 4-4 1, 3 shows both types of cards.
  • Page 43 16=bit option card 8-bit option card Figure 4-4. 16-bit and 8-bit option cards As long as the card fits in the slot, it does not matter which slot an option card occupies. (For example, you can place some 8-bit cards in a 16-bit slot.) However, some cards work only in a specific slot.
  • Page 44 Option cards fit in the slots only one way but be sure to examine the card first and follow the instructions closely. Decide which option slot you want to use and then remove the retaining screw from the top of the metal slot cover on the rear panel. Keep the screw to secure the option card to the computer.

  • Page 45: Inserting An Option Card

    Figure 4-5. Inserting an option card 5. Once the connector pins are sitting in the connector slot, push the card downward firmly (but carefully) to fully insert it. If the card does not go in smoothly, do not force it-pull it all the way out and try again, being sure to keep it straight.

  • Page 46: Post-Installation Setup

    Post-installation Setup After you install an option card (and replace the main unit’s cover and reconnect the power cord and peripherals), you need to run the SETUP program on the diagnostics diskette to update the configuration information. For example, if you add a hard disk, you need to run SETUP to tell the computer that it has the additional drive.

  • Page 47: Location Of Dip Switches

    Figure 4-6. Location of DIP switches Table 4-1. DIP switch functions...

  • Page 48: Prom Size Settings

    Switch l-l (memory size) tells your computer how much memory (RAM space) is available. The system always checks the amount of memory available when you reset your computer. The Equity III comes with 640KB of RAM, so be sure this switch is on. Switch 1-2 (monitor type) tells your system what type of monitor you are using, color or monochrome.

  • Page 49: Replacing The Cover

    Using an Epson Mouse You can use the Epson mouse with special software to enter data and direct a pointer on the screen. For example, you can point to an instruc- tion on the screen and press a button on the mouse to perform the com- mand.
  • Page 50 When you use the mouse frequently, clean the roller about every two weeks. First remove the roller cover. If you have an Epson mouse, turn it over, push the roller cover to the side, and lift the cover out. (If you have another type of mouse, turn the cover counterclockwise to remove it.)

  • Page 51: Troubleshooting

    You can use the suggestions here to solve most problems you may encounter. If the recommended solution does not work, consult an Epson dealer about servicing the computer. WARNING: If you need to turn off the computer for any reason, always wait at least 5 seconds before you turn it back on.

  • Page 52: The Video Display Does Not Appear

    The Video Display Does Not Appear If the computer starts up but no image appears on the screen, follow these steps to solve the problem: Check to see that the power indicator on the video monitor is lit. If it is not, turn off the monitor’s power, wait 5 seconds, then turn the power back on.
  • Page 53 Floppy Disk Problems If you have trouble with a diskette, check the following questions: Is the diskette damaged? Copy the diskette and repeat the operation that caused the problem using the copy. (If you have trouble copying the entire diskette, some of the sectors may be bad. Try to copy single files with the Copy command.) If the operation works using the copy, the original diskette is probably damaged.

  • Page 54: Floppy Disk Problems

    If you have not done so and your hard disk does not function properly, have an authorized Epson service center check your hard disk. Never open the air-tight container that encloses the recording disk.

  • Page 55: Option Card Problems

    Option Card Problems If you install an option card and get unexpected results, check the following questions: Is the option card installed correctly? Did you follow the setup and operation procedures in the option card instructions? Did you set any necessary DIP switches or jumpers on the option card? See your option card instructions.

  • Page 56: Equity Iii Specifications

    Equity III Specifications CPU and Memory 16-bit CPU Main memory Math coprocessor Controllers Floppy disk Hard disk Interfaces serial Printer Option slots Appendix A 80286 microprocessor, 6 MHz clockrate Real address @O&compatible) and pro- tected virtual address (multi-tasking or multi-user) modes 24-bit address and 16-bit data bus 640KB RAM on main system board;...

  • Page 57: Interfaces

    Interfaces (continued) Speaker Clock/calendar/ Power Supply Mass Storage Standard Optional Optional Optional Optional Keyboard Layout Function keys Internal Real-time clock, calendar, and 50 byte CMOS RAM for configuration; battery backup Switching type, fan-cooled, 115 VAC, 200 w; +5 VDC, +l2 VDC, -5 VDC, - l 2 V D C Four drives maximum W&inch, half-height floppy disk drive;...

  • Page 58: Environmental Requirements

    Single floppy disk drive and 36.96 (16.8) one 20MB hard disk Hz, 5 amps ± 20%, 60 Supports Epson- or IBM PC-compatible monochrome monitor; 80-character x 25- line display; 9 x 14 character block; installs in option slot High-persistence, green, P-39 phosphor screen;...
  • Page 59 Options (continued) RGB color monitor (13-inch diagonal) Epson mouse/ interface card High-contrast screen; 16 colors; etched surface to reduce glare; 18 diagonal) bandwidth Two-button mouse with option card; installs in option slot video...

  • Page 60: B Glossary

    ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange. A standard- ized coding system for representing characters, such as numbers, let- ters, and graphic symbols. An ASCII character occupies one byte of storage. Files transmitted in ASCII code can be used by many different computers, printers, and programs.
  • Page 61 Command An instruction you enter on the keyboard to direct your computer to perform a specific function. Configuration The particular setup of a group of components. For example, a CPU with two floppy disk drives, connected to a monochrome monitor and a printer is a typical system configuration.
  • Page 62 Diskette A flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently. Also called floppy disk. The Disk Operating System that controls the computer’s input and output functions. See Operating system. Double-density A type of diskette format that allows you to store twice as much data as the standarddensity format.
  • Page 63 Input/output port see Port. Interface A physical or software connection used to transmit data between equipment or programs. Kilobyte (KB) A unit used to measure storage space (in a computer’s memory or on a disk). One kilobyte equals 1024 bytes. Light Emitting Diode.
  • Page 64 MS-DOS An operating system from Microsoft. See DOS, Operating system. Operating system A collection of programs that allow a computer to control its opera- tions. The operating system determines how programs run on the computer and supervises all input and output-for example, MS-DOS.
  • Page 65 Read To copy data from one area to another. For example, when you open a text file stored on disk, the computer reads the data from the disk and displays it on the screen. Read/write head The physical device inside a disk drive that reads and records data on the magnetic surface of a disk.
  • Page 66 Tracks Addressable concentric circles on a diskette, resembling the grooves on a record, which help to divide the diskette into separate access- able areas. There are 40 tracks on each side of a double-sided, double-density diskette and 80 tracks on each side of a double-sided, high-density diskette.
  • Page 67 Access slots, option card 9 AC inlet 8-9, 45 AC outlet 8, 11 Adjusting keyboard legs 12-13 22-23 Application program 15, 18 ARCHIVE 31 Arranging components 5 ASCII codes 15, E1 Asynchronous A-1, B-1 AT, IBM 1, 14 Auto-boot MS-DOS 20 Auxiliary power outlet 4, 8, 11 Backup 20, 29, 47, B-1 Backup copies 20, 29, 31...
  • Page 68 Choosing diskettes 25 Choosing location 4 Clock/calendar/RAM interface A-2 Clockrate A-1 CMOS A-2, E1 Code B-1 Color/graphics video card 1, 3 Color monitor 1, 3, A-3, A-4 Command B-1 Compatibility, diskette 26-27, 47 Components arranging front panel rear panel Computer moving 3, 7, 29 resetting...
  • Page 69 Ctrl Alt Del C 23 Ctrl Cursor B-1 Data B-1 Data diskette B-1 Data diskette, copying 29, 47 Data, protecting 29-30 DB-9P 15, A-1 DB-25S 13 D connector 11, 14 Diagnostics diskette 3, 19, 39 DIP switches definition B-1 floppy disk drives 40-41 functions 39-41 location of 39-40 memory size 40-41...
  • Page 70 copying 29-30, 47 definition B-3 diagnostics 3, 19, 39 doubledensity 26-27, 47 double-sided 26-27, 47 format 26-27 high-density 26-27, 47 incompatibilities 26-27, 47 inserting 20-21 labeling 27-28 problems 47 reading 26-27, 47 removing 21 single-sided 27 storing 28 system 7, 19-20, 29, 31, 48 types 26-27, 47 write-protecting 47 writingto 27, 47...
  • Page 71 Graphic characters, printing 15 Graphics video card 3 Grounded outlet 4 GW-BASIC 2, B-3 Hard disk backing up 47 care of 29 controller A-1 controller card 9, 33, 36 definition B-3 drivel, 6, 25, A-2 formatting 32, 48 LED lamp 6, 29 partitioning 31, 48 preparing for use 20, 31-32 problems 48...
  • Page 72 Keyboard angle, adjusting 12-13 cable 3, 8, 12 connecting 12-13 disabling 18 disconnecting 13 function keys 22, A-2 layout 22 legs 12-13 locking 7 socket 8, 12 special keys 22 specifications A-2 Key Lock 7, 18, 33, 46 Keys 18 Kilobyte (KB) B-4 Labeling diskettes 27-28 Latch, disk drive 6...
  • Page 73 19, 46 controller card 33 controls 19 definition B-4 DIP switch 40-41 display 19, 46 Epson 3 monochrome 1, 3 power 4-6 type 40-41 Monochrome monitor 1, 3, B-4 video card 1, 3, A-3 Mouse 1, 42, B-4...
  • Page 74 Option card access slots 9, 33, 35 adapter plate 37 connector(s) 35 connector slot 38 definition B-5 installing 33-42, 49 post-installation setup 39, 49 problems 49 retaining screw 37 removing 39 slot 9, 35-36 slot cover 37 Options, Equity III 1, A-3 Option slot interface A-1 Outlet AC 8, 11...
  • Page 75 switch 19 turning off 24-25 turning on 17, 19-20 Power cord, connecting 9 Powering up 19-20 Preparing hard disk 20, 31-32 Printer 1 cable 14-15 Connecting 13-15 connector 13-15, A-1 interface 8, 13-15, A-1 parallel 8, 13-15 placement 14 port 8 problems 48 serial 8, 13, 15, 48 socket 14...
  • Page 76 Scroll Lock Sectors 47, B-6 Self-test, internal 19, B-6 Serial cable 15 definition B-6 device 15 interface 1, 8, 13, 15, 40-41, A-1 printer 8, 13, 15, 48 RS-232C port 8, 15 SETMODE 15 Setting DIP switches 16, 39-41, 48-49 Setting up system 3 SETUP 31, 39 Setup, post-installation 39, 49...
  • Page 77 Turning off Equity III 24, 45 Turning on Equity III 17, 19-20 Turning on monitor 19 Turning on peripherals 19 Unlocking computer 33, 46 Unpacking Equity III 3 Using disks and disk drives 25 Using Equity III 17 Using hard disk drive 31 Using single disk drive 30-31 Ventilation 4 Video card, installing 10...

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