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SixPakPlus User`s Manual 000490-001 A

1. 15 6 5 3 Serial I O Address Assignments and Pinouts 5 4 Serial Port Diagnostic Testing 6 PARALLEL PORT eere ene reereeennee tenen 1 6 1 Configuring the Parallel Port 6 1 1 Installing Multiple Parallel Ports in a PC 6 1 2 Monochrome Adapter Boards 6 1 3 Disabling the Parallel Port 6 2 Programming the Parallel Port 6 3 Parallel Port I O Addresses and CONTENTS 6 5 Interrupt Driven Parallel Printer SOfIWBIO ratu i ORE no Ee n 6 6 7 GAME PORT 7 1 Configuring the SixPakPlus Game Pott 74 7 2 Software Compatibility 7 3 Game Port Technical Information 7 3 1 Game Port I O Address Assingnment 7 3 2 Game Port Pinouts 7 4 Game Port Diagnostic Testing 7 5 7 5 Adding the Game Port to Your SIXPaKPIUS concise E ens n edd 7 5 PART Ill APPENDICES A TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR PROCEDURE A 1 Troubleshooting A 2 Product Repair Procedure B SERIAL INTERFACES asssssccvsicscavissinessersssaatsaernasinsenvnease B 1 B 1 RS 232C Interface Standard see B 2 B2 Interfacing DTE o B 3 B 3 Interfacing DTE to DTE Null MOGAN eiiis nisani B 6 B 4 Design Aids C SWITCHING BETWEEN PARALLEL PRINTER PORTS as CONTENTS C 1 Switching Between LPT1 and LPT
2. 2 SixPakPlus sends Data Terminal Ready DTR to signal a request for a communications link 3 SixPakPlus receives Data Carrier Detect DCD and Data Set Ready DSR these signals indicate that the DCE is ready 4 SixPakPlus sends Ready To Send RTS this signal tells the DCE that SixPakPlus is ready to send data 5 SixPakPlus receives Clear To Send CTS a signal from the DCE to go ahead and transmit data B 2 Serial Interfaces 6 SixPakPlus then starts transmitting data via the Transfer Data TxD signal SixPakPlus receives data via the Receive Data RxD signal To prevent damage to either device the chassis ground and signal ground signals must always be connected For the SixPakPlus serial port connecting to pin 1 or pin 7 or both makes the connection to chassis ground and signal ground You can think of certain pins on one side of the interface as functional pairs DTE DCE B 2 Interfacing DTE to DCE An example of a DTE to DCE interface that conforms to the RS 232C standard would be to connect the SixPakPlus serial port DTE to a telephone modem DCE A correctly configured DCE DTE interface is wired straight across DTE pin 20 wired to DCE pin 20 pin 2 to pin 2 and so forth Two serial devices interact in a certain sequence called handshaking to function properly 1 Some modems DCE have an automatic answer mode that uses the signal RI to alert the DTE that incoming data is due Si
3. 40000 20 means that the fourth chip the chip numbered 20 in Figure 4 1 from the top of the fourth memory bank in the PC is failing If you have a PC with 256 KB Banks 0 through 3 installed on its system board Bank 4 would be the first bank on the SixPakPlus board The 201 in the error message indicates that there is a problem in memory Once you determine which chip you believe is causing the problem replace it with a spare chip and see if the error is corrected you can tell that the error is corrected when you reboot your PC and it does not display an error message If no spare chip is available try exchanging the suspect chip with another one in the same bank which is not failing If the error then moves to the new socket you definitely have a bad chip If the 4 11 Advanced Configuration error persists at the original socket you may have a problem with the board contact your dealer for assistance If you get an error message such as 40000 S 201 it tells you that you have a memory problem in Bank 4 in your PC the S simply means that the failing chip is somewhere in the system unit that is somewhere in your computer The best way to isolate the problem chip is to swap each chip in the failing bank with a good chip and see if the error is corrected If you get a 22 201 error message it tells you only that you have a memory problem somewhere in your computer You can try to isolate the problem bank by sw
4. PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC System Board Switch Settings 2 15 Basic Installation 2 3 3 Setting SW1 for The Number of Floppy Drives Your SixPakPlus comes standard with the SuperDrive disk drive simulation program If you will be using SuperDrive you must set the system board switch SW1 positions SW1 1 SW1 7 and SW1 8 at this time for the number of floppy drives in your PC as shown in Figure 2 12 The position of switch SW1 on the PC system board is shown in Figure 2 8 The position of switch SW1 on the PC XT system board is shown in Figure 2 10 SuperDrives appear to the system as floppy drives so include them in your count if your system has a fixed hard disk do not include it in the count For further information on the SuperDrive program or any of the other SuperPak programs see your SuperPak User s Manual 2 16 Configuration and Installation Configuration and Installation Number of IBM floppy drives System Board Floppy SuperDrive Fixed Disk and SuperDrives Switch 1 Designations Designation 1 A A B C 3 A B C D E A B C D E Figure 2 12 System Board Switch Settings for Floppy Drives and SuperDrives 2 17 Basic Installation 2 4 Installing SixPakPlus into Your PC You can install the SixPakPlus card in any unused full length expansion slot on the system board CAUTION Be sure that the power is off and that the power cord is removed from the PC before installing or re
5. When you install multiple memory boards you must first determine where each board is to reside in the PC s memory area You can usually install your SixPakPlus either above or below the address space occupied by another board e Section 4 1 1 tells you how to install another memory board below the SixPakPlus e Section 4 1 2 tells you how to install another memory board above the SixPakPlus 4 1 Advanced Configuration 4 1 1 Installing a Board Below the SixPakPlus To address another memory board below the SixPakPlus follow this procedure STEP 1 Configure other board to reside immediately above the PC system board memory Follow the configuration instructions supplied with the other board STEP2 Disable any unused memory sockets on the other board If there are any unused rows of memory sockets on the other board disable them so they won t conflict with the SixPakPlus Refer to the other board s manual for information on how to disable unused sockets If you cannot disable unused memory sockets you should address the other board above the SixPakPlus as described in Section 4 1 2 If the other board has switch settings for the amount of memory on it then it will probably automatically disable any unused memory sockets STEP 3 Set the SixPakPlus starting address and memory size Add the amount of memory on the other board to the amount of memory on the PC s system board and set the SixPakPlus starting
6. products you need to construct an interface cable You must use the correct type of 25 pin connectors male or female to connect both ends properly The SixPakPlus serial port end plugs into a DB25S female socket type connector To wire your serial interface signals properly we suggest you use the form shown in Figure B 5 as a design aid B 11 Appendices AST Serial Port Serial Peripheral IBM PC Side Device Signal Pin Pin Signal Ground 1 1 Ground Ground 7 7 Ground Output DTR 20 Input DCD 8 Input DSR 6 Output RTS 4 Input CTS 5 Data Out TxD 2 Data RxD 3 Figure B 5 Serial Interface Form If you plan to use several different serial devices on your serial port you can make a separate interface assembly for each device That way you can use the same long cable to connect your PC to any of these devices B 12 SWITCHING BETWEEN PARALLEL PRINTER PORTS This appendix gives you programs you can use in a batch file to direct printer output normally designated for the device attached to port LPT1 to instead be routed to the device attached to port LPT2 or LPT3 The program also directs output normally designated for the device attached to port LPT2 or LPT3 to instead be routed to the device attached to port LPT1 For more information on creating a batch file see your IBM DOS Manual The programs in this appendix are particularly useful if your applications program a word processing program for example
7. see Figure 2 5 Number of banks installed on SixPakPlus Total Bank0 Bank Bank2 1 4 SW1 5 SW1 6 SixPakPlus RAM OFF OFF OFF 0KB 64KB OFF OFF ON 64 KB 64KB 64KB OFF ON OFF 128 KB 256 KB OFF ON ON 256 KB 64KB 256KB ON X OFF OFF 320KB 64KB 64KB 256KB ON OFF 384 256 KB 256 KB ON ON OFF 512 KB 64 256 KB 256 KB ON ON ON 576 KB Factory configuration SixPakPlus Switch SW1 Figure 2 5 SixPakPlus Memory Size Settings When the starting address is 320 KB or higher the SixPakPlus automatically limits the amount of usable memory on the card This prevents conflicts with areas of memory reserved for the 2 7 Basic Installation monochrome or color display cards This occurs even if SW1 positions 4 through 6 are configured for more memory than the maximum indicated in Figure 2 5 NOTE Position 7 on SixPakPlus switch SW1 is not used and it can be ON or OFF 2 2 4 Parity Check Enable SW position 8 on your SixPakPlus see Figure 2 6 enables or disables full parity error checking To ensure the highest possible data integrity you should always enable the parity check function by leaving SW1 8 ON However if you want to disable parity checking set position 8 OFF swi SW1 8 ON Parity enabled SW1 8 OFF Parity disabled Figure 2 6 Parity Check Enable Setting 2 8 Configuration and Installation 2 3 Getting Your PC Ready Before you can install the SixPakPlus
8. you must turn off your PC remove its cover and verify the switch settings on the system board CAUTION Be sure that the power switch is off and the power cord is removed from the system unit Turn off any other equipment connected to the computer Installing any component while the power is on can permanently damage your computer and its components You will need a flathead screwdriver or nut driver to perform the following procedure STEP 1 Remove cover Remove the cover retaining screws on the rear panel of the PC and pull the PC cover off see Figure 2 7 2 9 Basic Installation Figure 2 7 Removing the PC Cover STEP 2 Set the PC DIP switch PC See Section 2 3 1 PC XT Portable PC and 3270 PC See Section 2 3 2 If you are installing SuperDrive at this time See Section 2 3 3 2 10 Configuration and Installation You can also refer to the IBM Guide to Operations manual for your PC model NOTE If you have an IBM Expansion Unit you must set the Extender Card DIP switch to reflect the total amount of memory installed system memory plus SixPakPlus memory 2 3 1 PC System Board Switch Settings You must tell the PC how much total memory including any expansion memory such as the SixPakPlus is installed in the computer Do this by setting the PC system board switch SW2 as described below Figure 2 8 shows the position of SW2 on the PC system board Basic Installation Figure 2 8
9. 13 B LPT1 address to LPT3 50 SYSTEM return to DOS Omit statement 50 if you will be LPRINTing from BASIC C 4 Restoring LPT1 to LPT1 and LPT3 to LPT3 Use the same program LPTSWAP to restore your parallel printer ports to their original arrangement Be sure to restore the proper parameters using a new batch file and MODE statements LPTRSTR BAT is as follows MODE LPT1 parameters for printer 1 if needed MODE LPT3 parameters for printer 3 if needed BASIC LPTSWAP Appendices NOTES INSTALLING SIXPAKPLUS IN THE OLDER 64 KB IBM PC D This appendix provides instructions for configuring and installing SixPakPlus if you have an original 64 kilobyte KB system board IBM PC Definition The original PC has 64 KB of memory on its system board The system board switches on the 64 KB PC can be set for a maximum of 544 KB However it is possible to install up to 640 KB in the 64 KB PC you must install the IBM BIOS ROM Upgrade Kit IBM P N 1501005 to enable a full 640 KB to be recognized Configuration and installation Follow this procedure to configure and install SixPakPlus in the older PC STEP 1 Configure SixPakPlus for the starting address 64 KB the amount of SixPakPlus memory and parity check enable disable Section 2 tells you how to configure the SixPakPlus The only special instruction for the 64 KB PC is that the SixPakPlus starting address is always 64 KB unless another memory expansion board is in
10. Batteries Manufacturer Part Number AST 108 BR2325 Duracell DL2032 General Electric BR2325 Panasonic BR2325 Ray O Vac BR2325 Sanyo CR2032 Varta CR2032 Radio Shack CR2320H Compared to the other batteries listed in this table the Radio Shack battery is 5 mm thinner and rated at 50 mAh less than the other batteries listed Its life expectancy is approximately 9 months compared to a year for the other batteries Because the battery is used only when your PC is not operating the actual life of your battery will be determined by how much the PC is used The clock chip on your SixPakPlus is powered by the PC system when your PC is on The battery is used as backup power only while your PC is off To replace the battery slightly lift the retaining clip with your finger or a small screwdriver and use your thumb or another small screwdriver to slide the silver battery sideways out of the battery socket Figure 3 2 Do not remove the battery socket from the board 3 8 Clock Calendar Lift retaining clip slightly xf Push battery out sideways Push through slots on bi socket for st removal Figure 3 2 Removing the SixPakPlus Clock Calendar Battery Take care not to damage or bend the retaining clip by lifting it too far The clip completes an electrical circuit and must make solid contact with the positive side of the battery Whenever the battery is removed it is a good idea to check the clip in
11. COMI enabled x Pin 7 IRQ7 LPT1 enabled SW1 4 OFF SW1 5 OFF Jumper installed SW1 6 ON Figure 2 2 SixPakPlus Board Layout Configuration and Installation 2 2 SixPakPlus Configuration Switch SW1 the memory configuration switch Figure 2 3 on the SixPakPlus controls three different memory functions e The starting address of the SixPakPlus Section 2 2 1 e The amount of memory installed on the SixPakPlus Section 2 2 2 e Parity checking enabled or disabled Section 2 2 3 Section 4 of this manual tells you how to configure your board if you are installing multiple memory expansion boards in your PC how to install additional memory onto your SixPakPlus and how to troubleshoot memory problems 2 2 1 Quick Configuration for Switch SW1 This section outlines the switch settings for SW1 that are appropriate for most users You can use these settings if factory configuration described in Section 2 1 is satisfactory Your PC currently has 256 kilobytes KB of memory If these conditions apply skip Sections 2 2 2 through 2 2 4 and set SW1 as shown in Figure 2 3 If these conditions do not apply follow the instructions in Sections 2 2 2 through 2 2 4 2 5 Basic Installation Standard settings for switch SW1 SWi1 SWi 2 SWi 3 SWi 4 SWI 5 SW1 6 SW1 7 SWi8 OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON ON rr 1219 swi 07 2939 49 7 5 d lalal nian Figure 2 3 Standard Settings for Swit
12. Technical Information on the Serial Interface Appendix B gives general serial port wiring information For Information on Switching Between Parallel Printer Ports Appendix C provides a program that routes printer output from one parallel port to another For Information on Installing SixPakPlus in the Older 64 KB System Board PC Appendix D tells you how to configure the SixPakPlus and PC system board when installing the SixPakPlus in the original 64 KB system board IBM PC Format Notation This manual uses the following format notation Uppercase characters indicate items that you enter exactly as shown However you can enter those items in any combination of upper or lowercase letters e Boldface indicates the information that you enter as contrasted with system prompts or messages which are shown in regular typeface A boidface entry can be a parameter such as a file name or a key to press e Angle brackets lt gt tell you to press a key For example lt Esc gt tells you to press the Esc key You do not have to press the lt Enter gt key unless you are specifically told to do so Lowercase letters identify variable information such as filenames that you must supply e Square brackets indicate an optional term you can include or omit at your discretion The brackets are not entered System prompts and messages are shown in color xiv About this Manual e Hexadecimal numbers are ind
13. Transmit Data RX Receive Data RTS Request to Send CTS Clear to Send DSR Dataset Ready SG Signal Ground DCD Carrier Detect DTR Data Terminal Ready RI Ring Indicator 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 0 2 NN Ring Indicator connection is not required 5 4 Serial Port Diagnostic Testing Whenever there is any question about the operation of the SixPakPlus serial port we recommend that you run the IBM diagnostics preferably the advanced diagnostics supplied with the IBM Hardware Maintenance Manual For proper diagnostics operation disconnect any device connected to the SixPakPlus serial port such as a modem or serial printer Also make sure that the CTS DSR and DCD jumpers Figure 5 2 are in the normal not forced true setting You can use a wrap plug on the J1 connector to perform a very thorough test of the serial port with the advanced diagnostics To build this wrap plug you need a female DB25S connector such as a Winchester Electronics P N 49 1125S Jumper the connector pins as follows Serial Port Pin 2 to Pin 3 TX to RX Pin 4 to Pin 5 amp 22 RTS to CTS amp RI Pin 20 to Pins 6 amp 8 DTR to DSR amp DCD These jumpers are shown in Figure 5 3 Figure 5 3 Serial Port Loopback Plug Configuration When you ready to run the diagnostic program attach this plug to the SixPakPlus J1 connector Run the diagnostic program and answer the Advanced Diagnostics loopback plug ques
14. as LPT3 6 2 Parallel Port 6 1 3 Disabling the Parallel Port You can disable the SixPakPlus parallel port by removing the shorting plug shown in Figure 6 1 You can disable the parallel port to avoid conflicts when you have several parallel adapters installed in your PC Save the shorting plug for possible future use 6 2 Programming the Parallel Port The IBM PC always sends printer output to parallel port LPT1 unless specifically told otherwise Unfortunately PC DOS 1 0 and 1 1 do not allow you to redirect output from one parallel port to another Appendix C of this manual tells you how you can cause the PC to redirect printer output from LPT1 to LPT2 or LPT3 Although it is not required you can use the DOS MODE command to set the line width and the number of lines per page Refer to your IBM DOS Manual for more information 6 3 Parallel Port I O Addresses and Pinouts The SixPakPlus parallel port uses the PC I O addresses shown in Table 6 1 Table 6 1 Parallel Port I O Addresses Port Configuration Addresses 0378 037Fh 0278 027Fh When you use a display adapter with a built in parallel port the PC sees a SixPakPlus parallel port configured for LPT1 as LPT2 and a SixPakPlus parallel port configured for LPT2 as LPT3 6 3 Advanced Configuration You can use the standard IBM Parallel Printer Cable to connect the SixPakPlus to an IBM or IBM compatible printer You can also use the information in T
15. for this total If necessary also configure the other board for the amount of memory installed on it STEP 3 PC Set the PC system board switches for the total amount of memory in your PC The total amount of memory includes the system board the SixPakPlus and the other memory expansion board PC XT Portable PC and 3270 PC Check that the PC system board switches are set for the memory installed on the system board only do not include the memory on the SixPakPlus or any other expansion memory board Unless you have changed the amount of system memory these settings should not change 43 Advanced Configuration NOTE If you have an IBM Expansion Unit you must set the Extender Card switch to reflect the total amount of memory installed system memory plus expansion board memory 4 2 Installing Additional Memory on the SixPakPlus It is easy to add memory to your SixPakPlus any time you can upgrade the SixPakPlus to a maximum 576 kilobytes KB of random access memory RAM You may add 64 or 256 KB RAM chip sets or a combination of both to configure the SixPakPlus board to the amount of memory you need Figure 4 1 shows which RAM chip sets and switch settings are required to configure your SixPakPlus board to the amount of memory you want 4 4 Memory Configuration Number of banks installed on SixPakPlus Total Bank0 Bank i Bank2 SW1 4 SWi 5 SW1 6 SixPakPlus RAM OFF OFF OFF 0 KB 64 KB OFF
16. in the IBM PC and PC XT systems Real time clock calendar with battery backup RS 232C asynchronous serial communications port Parallel printer port Optional game port New compact size Your SixPakPlus comes with these valuable SuperPak utility programs SuperDrive a disk emulation program that allows you to use part of your memory as a superfast electronic disk drive SuperSpool an intelligent print spooler that allows you to output files to a printer while freeing your PC for other tasks RAMCLEAR a memory initialization program that clears your PC s random access memory RAM of any false parity errors ASTCLOCK the real time clock calendar program that frees you from having to reenter the time and date every time you turn on your PC Introducing SixPakPlus fASTdisk a program that simulates fixed disks in RAM Like SuperDrive fASTdisk allows you to store and retrieve data and programs at RAM speeds Your SuperPak diskette may also include other software any programs that apply to SixPakPlus are documented separately For up to date information on SuperPak programs list the README file on your SuperPak diskette see your SuperPak User s Manual Standard Features Standard SixPakPlus features include An RS 232C serial port You can use the serial port to interface to a modem serial printer remote display terminal or other serial device You can also use the serial port as an asynchronou
17. the bottom of the battery holder Be sure that it is sticking up high enough to make good contact with the bottom surface of the battery When installing a new battery make sure it is clean and dry NOTE If you replace the battery be sure to use the procedure described in Section 3 3 to restore the proper time and date 3 5 Technical Information The SixPakPlus Clock Calendar chip is the RICOH RP5C15 and uses I O locations 02COh through 02C7h For more information consult the programming information in the RICOH RP5C01 RP5C15 Application Manual AST Research cannot provide any information other than what is presented here 3 9 Advanced Configuration NOTES 3 10 MEMORY CONFIGURATION 4 This section tells you how to e Install other memory expansion boards in your PC along with the SixPakPlus Section 4 1 e Install additional memory on your SixPakPlus board Section 4 2 e Troubleshoot memory problems Section 4 3 Section 2 of this manual tells you how to configure your SixPakPlus board for starting address memory size and parity error checking enable disable before you install it into your PC 4 1 Installing Multiple Memory Boards into Your PC The advanced design of the AST Research SixPakPlus makes it compatible with most other expansion boards available for the IBM PC However when more than one memory expansion board is installed you must configure the boards to prevent conflicts between them
18. the above limi tations or exclusion may not apply to vou THIS WARRANTY GIVES YOU SPECIFIC LEGAL RIGHTS AND YOU MAY ALSO HAVE OTHER RIGHTS WHICH MAY VARY FROM STATE TO STATE The limited warranty applies to hardware products only AST RESEARCH INC Product Comment Form SixPakPlus User s Manual 000490 001 A We appreciate your comments regarding any problems or suggestions related to AST Research products Please use this form to communicate any observations that you have concerning the improvement of either the product itself or the product documentation provided in this manual Submitter Information Submitter s name Address Product Manual Comments and Suggestions Please mail this form to AST Research Inc Attn Product Marketing 2121 Alton Ave Irvine CA 92714 4992
19. the instructions in STEP 1 and STEP 2 of Section 2 3 STEP2 Remove devices attached to the SixPakPlus board If you have installed the parallel port remove the the ribbon cable attached to the SixPakPlus board Disconnect any serial device connected to the serial port STEP 3 Remove the SixPakPlus board Remove the bracket retaining screw from the bracket securing the SixPakPlus board to the PC chassis With a steady evenly distributed upward tension remove the SixPakPlus board from its slot STEP 4 Install the game port ICs Your game port upgrade kit comes with two ICs a 16 pin and a 20 pin IC Each IC is labelled with a notch or a small dot to identify the bottom left Insert the ICs as follows It is very important that you do not bend any pins when you insert your ICs With the notch or dot on the bottom left insert the 16 pin IC in socket U37 as shown in Figure 7 2 With the notch or dot on the bottom left insert the 20 pin IC in Socket U38 as shown in Figure 7 2 7 6 Game Port U37 Install 16 pin IC U38 Install 20 pin IC No 558CP here No 74LS244 here EC B iw Notch points Pin 1 indicator if present away from bracket in lower left corner Figure 7 2 Installing the Game Adapter Port ICs 7 7 Advanced Configuration STEP 5 NOTE If the IC seems too wide to allow the
20. to the original purchaser of this AST Research Inc product that it is to be in good working order for a period of 2 years from the date of purchase from AST Research Inc or an authorized AST Research Inc dealer Should this product in AST Research Inc s opinion malfunction during the warranty period AST will at its option repair or replace it at no charge provided that the product has not been subjected to misuse abuse or non AST authorized alterations modifications and or repairs Products requiring Limited Warranty service during the warranty period should be delivered to AST with proof of purchase If the delivery is by mail vou agree to insure the product or assume risk of loss or damage in transit You also agree to prepay shipping charges to AST ALL EXPRESS AND IMPLIED WARRANTIES FOR THIS PRODUCT INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE LIMITED IN DURATION TO THE ABOVE 2 YEAR PERIOD Some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts so the above limitations may not apply to vou UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL AST RESEARCH INC BE LIABLE IN ANY WAY TO THE USER FOR DAMAGES INCLUDING ANY LOST PROFITS LOST SAVINGS OR OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE SUCH PRODUCT Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages for consumer products so
21. 0 2 00 PM 14 00 and so on Do not enter hundredths of a second If you do not want to change the time press lt Enter gt only Hint For maximum accuracy type in a time that is 10 to 15 seconds ahead of the actual time then observe a digital watch and press Enter when the seconds reading on the watch catches up to the value that you typed in STEP 5 Reboot your computer by pressing the lt Ctrl Alt Del key sequence Clock Calendar NOTE Selecting the ASTCLOCK R parameter selects the resident option which allows you to update the date and time in both PC memory and the SixPakPlus clock chip you cannot update the clock chip unless a certain portion of the ASTCLOCK COM program is resident If you use the ASTCLOCK command without the R parameter it simply initializes the PC s date and time by reading that information from the SixPakPlus clock chip and then goes away no portion of ASTCLOCK remains resident so you cannot update the date and time information in the clock chip 3 4 The Clock Calendar Battery The lithium Clock Calendar battery should last for about a year and is easily replaceable You can purchase replacement batteries from your AST product dealer part 108 BR2325 Compatible substitution batteries can also be purchased from local camera or department stores Table 3 1 lists compatible lithium batteries 3 7 Advanced Configuration Table 3 1 Compatible Clock Calendar
22. 14 2 19 Basic Installation STEP2 Ribbon Cable Stripe Triangle Silkscreened 1 Figure 2 14 Installing the Ribbon Cable onto SixPakPlus Select an open expansion slot The SixPakPlus board requires one full length slot You will need an additional slot not necessarily full size if you use the parallel port bracket or the game port bracket STEP 3 Remove brackets Locate the metal bracket that covers the cutout in the back panel of the PC chassis for the slot that you 2 20 Configuration and Installation have selected Remove and save the bracket retaining screw using a small flathead screwdriver Remove the bracket STEP 4 Install the SixPakPlus board Lower the card until its edge connector is resting on the expansion slot receptacle Using an evenly distributed pressure press the SixPakPlus straight down until it seats in the expansion slot Figure 2 15 SixPakPlus Board Card Guide Figure 2 15 Installing Your SixPakPlus Board 2 21 Basic Installation STEP 5 Install parallel port and or game port Install the bracket s with the D shell connector s into the cutout s you have chosen Figure 2 16 illustrates an example instailation including one ribbon cable NOTE To avoid wear on the ribbon cable when you remove and replace the PC cover route the parallel port and game port cables under other boards in the PC whenever possible Connector d Secure Brackets With Scr
23. 2 C2 C 2 Restoring LPT1 to LPT1 and LPT2 to LPT2 Switching Between LPT1 and LPT3 C 4 Restoring LPT1 to LPT1 and LPT3 to LPT3 D INSTALLING SIXPAKPLUS IN THE OLDER 64 KB IBM PC FIGURES Figure 1 1 Installation Overview 1 2 Figure 2 1 SixPakPlus Installation Overview Figure 2 2 SixPakPlus Board Layout Figure 2 3 Standard Settings for Switch SW1 Figure 2 4 Starting Address Settings Figure 2 5 SixPakPlus Memory Size Settings Figure 2 6 Parity Check Enable Setting Figure 2 7 Removing the PC Cover Figure 2 8 PC System Board Layout Figure 2 9 PC System Board Switch Settings Figure 2 10 PC XT System Board Layout Figure 2 11 PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC System Board Switch Settings Figure 2 12 System Board Switch Settings for Floppy Drives and SuperDrive Figure 2 13 SixPakPlus Ribbon Cables Figure 2 14 Installing the Ribbon Cable onto SixPakPlu Figure 2 15 Installing Your SixPakPlus Board Figure 2 16 Example Installation One Ribbon Cable Figure 2 17 Installing Cables Figure 2 18 Quick Reference Configuration Figure 3 1 Clock Calendar Factory Configuration Figure 3 2 Removing the SixPakPlus Clock Calendar Battery 3 9 vii CONTENTS Figure 4 1 Memory Configuration Figure 4 2 SixPakPlus Memory Banks Figure 5 1 Serial Port Factory Configur
24. 4 AST Research may use or distribute any of the information you supply in any it deems appropriate without incurring any obligations whatsover Copyright c 1987 AST Research Inc All rights are reserved including those to reproduce this book or parts thereof in any form without permission in writing from AST Research Inc WARNING This manual is protected by United States Copyright lav Title 17 United States Code Unauthorized reproduction and or sales may result in imprisonment of up to one year and fines of up to 10 000 17 USC 506 Copyright infringers may be subject to civil liability CONTENTS INTRODUCING SIXPAKPLUS ss sssccossceresceseeseee ix Standard Features Available Options ABOUT THIS MANUAL carne How to Find What You re Looking xii Format aei ra xiii Related DOCUMEN iaa xiv PART I BASIC INSTALLATION T DEFORE VOU c c maioria 19 1 1 Checking the COnN iisi a 1 2 1 2 Compatibility and System Requirements 1 2 1 3 What You Need to Know Before You Start 1 3 1 Configuration Checklist 2 CONFIGURATION AND INSTALLATION 2 4 Factory COnfIguration as pizza 2 3 2 2 SixPakPlus Configuration 2 2 1 Quick Configuration for Switcl 2 2 2 SixPakPlus Starting Memory Address 2 2 3 Amount of SixPakPlus Memory CONTENTS 2 2 4 Rarity Check Enable ii 2 8 2 3 Gettin
25. Display Printer Adapter If you run the matrix printer test your printer must be 100 compatible with an Epson MX 80 or errors can be generated 6 5 Interrupt Driven Parallel Printer Software Interrupt driven parallel printer software uses IRQ7 To ensure that your interrupt driven parallel printer software operates correctly you must enable IRQ7 on the SixPakPlus as shown in Figure 6 3 It will not harm anything to enable IRQ7 even if you do not run interrupt driven software for your parallel printer IRQ Jumper Block 347 Figure 6 3 IRQ7 Enabled 6 6 GAME PORT The SixPakPlus game port provides an interface for connecting one or two joysticks to your PC With appropriate software the joystick can be used for cursor control as well as graphics development and interactive games This section includes the following e Section 7 1 tells you how to enable or disable the game port e Section 7 2 discusses software compatibility e Section 7 3 gives the I O address assignment and pinouts for the game port e Section 7 4 discusses game port diagnostic testing Section 7 5 gives you the information you need to upgrade the SixPakPlus to add the game port 7 1 Configuring the SixPakPlus Game Port To enable the game hardware The game port ribbon cable must be installed on your SixPakPlus board as described in Section 2 of this manual and the proper shorting plug must be installed on the Port Enable Jumpe
26. K R lt Enter gt Your PC will then display a message like this the actual date and time will be different ASTclock Version x xx c Copyright AST Research Inc 1982 1984 1985 resident clock calendar DATE amp TIME processors loaded Current date is 05 21 87 Current time is 08 07 56 65 NOTE If you want ASTCLOCK to display the date in European format dd mm yy when you enter this command type ASTCLOCK R E instead of ASTCLOCK R Specifying the E parameter only changes how ASTCLOCK shows the date when you enter this command it does not affect how DOS or other software displays the date STEP 3 Enter this DOS command DATE lt Enter Your PC will display the current date the actual date displayed may be different Current date is Thurs 5 21 1987 Enter new date Enter the new month day and year as follows 3 5 Advanced Contiguration mm dd yy lt Enter gt where mm is the one or two digit month designation dd is the day and yy is the year If you do not want to change the date press lt Enter gt only STEP 4 Enter this DOS command TIME Enter Your PC will then display the current time the actual time displayed may be different Current time is 8 14 15 82 Enter new time Enter the new hour minute and second as follows hh mm ss Enter where hh is the hour mm is the minute and ss is the second Be sure to use 24 hour format for the hour that is 1 00 PM 13 0
27. N Check the following Check settings on SixPakPlus switch SW1 Section 2 2 Check settings on PC system boards Section 2 3 e Perform procedures outlined in Section 4 3 PROBLEM DOS or ASTCLOCK displays incorrect time or date ACTION Do the following Set the correct time and date as described in Section 3 3 e Replace the clock calendar battery Section 3 4 then reset the clock Section 3 3 A 3 Appendices A 2 Product Repair Procedure If your AST Research product ever requires repair contact your dealer first The dealer from whom you originally purchased the product can usually service the product If you must return a hardware product to the factory for service follow these guidelines to ensure rapid accurate turnaround 3 4 Call AST Research Technical Support for a Return Authorization Number RAN A technician will discuss the problem with you if factory service is required the technician will give you a Return Authorization Number RAN Always refer to the RAN when you return anything for service AST Research will return anything without a RAN to the sender If the product is covered under an AST Research warranty There is no charge for parts or labor involved in the repair Please include a copy of your original purchase receipt as the proof of date of purchase for all warranty repairs If the product is not covered under an AST Research warranty Contact your dealer or AST Resea
28. OFF ON 64 KB 64KB 64KB OFF ON OFF 128 KB 256 KB OFF ON ON 256 KB 64KB 256KB ON OFF OFF 320 KB 64KB 64KB 256KB ON OFF ON 384 KB 256 KB 256KB ON ON OFF 512 KB 64 KB 256KB 256KB ON ON ON 576 KB SixPakPlus switch SW1 Factory configuration Figure 4 1 Memory Configuration RAM upgrade kits are available from AST in either 64 KB Model No MP 0009 or 256 KB Model No MP 150 sets If you want to upgrade the SixPakPlus with your own chips see the specifications in Section 4 2 1 for 64 KB RAM chips or Section 4 2 2 for 256 KB 4 5 Advanced Configuration NOTE You must use chips that meet the specifications listed in Sections 4 2 1 and 4 2 2 If you install chips that do not meet these specifications your computer may malfunction If you wish to use the AST memory upgrade kits you may skip to Section 4 2 3 for installation instructions 4 2 1 64 KB RAM Upgrade Chips If you want to upgrade the SixPakPlus yourself with 64 KB chips use dynamic random access memory DRAM chips with these characteristics 150 or 200 nanosecond ns access time Pin 1 not used 5 Volt only The memory chips listed in Table 4 1 are compatible with the SixPakPlus and the PC or PC XT system board 4 6 Memory Configuration Table 4 1 Compatible 64 KB Memory Chips Manufacturer Part Number AMD AM9064 15PC AM9064 20PC Fujitsu MB8264 15P MB8264 20P Hitachi HM4864P 2 Inmos IMS2600P 15 Int
29. PC System Board Layout Add the amount of memory on the system board and the amount of memory on the SixPakPlus Set PC system board switch SW2 to the total as shown in Figure 2 9 2 12 Configuration and Installation Total Memory Installed Total Memory SW2 1 SW2 2 SW2 3 2 4 SW2 5 64 KB ON ON ON ON ON 128 KB ON OFF ON ON ON 192 KB ON ON OFF ON ON 256 KB ON OFF OFF ON ON 320 KB ON ON ON OFF ON 384 KB ON OFF ON OFF ON 448 KB ON ON OFF OFF ON 512 KB ON OFF OFF OFF ON 576 KB ON ON ON ON OFF 640 KB PC System Board Switch 2 Figure 2 9 PC System Board Switch Settings Basic Installation 2 3 2 PC XT Portable PC and 3270 PC System Board Switch Settings Switch SW1 positions SW1 3 and SW1 4 in the PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC tells the computer only how much memory is installed on the system board itself Expansion memory on the SixPakPlus will automatically be recognized The system board used in these computers does not have to be fully populated to use expansion memory Figure 2 10 shows the position of SW1 on the PC XT Verify that the system board switch is properly set as shown in Figure 2 11 swi Disk Drives Figure 2 10 PC XT System Board Layout 2 14 Configuration and Installation Memory On PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC System Board System Board Memory 3 128 KB OFF ON 192 KB ON OFF 256 KB OFF OFF Vl PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC System Board Switch Figure 2 11
30. SixPakPlus Memory Expansion and I O Card for the IBM Personal Computer PC XT and Other IBM Compatible Computers User s Manual 000490 001 A April 1987 AST RESEARCH INC Irvine California 714 863 1333 First Edition April 1987 AST and SixPakPlus are registered trademarks of AST Research Inc SuperPak SuperSpool ASTdisk MonoGraphPlus Preview and SuperDrive are trademarks of AST Research Inc IBM is a registered trademark of International Business Machines Corporation Compaq is a registered trademark of Compaq Computer Corporation Epson is a registered trademark of Epson Corporation Crosstalk is a registered trademark of Microstuf Inc In view of demonstrated product reliability and comprehensive warranty policies AST Research Inc does not normally provide schematics or material lists AST recognizes that some customers with a large installed base of AST products want supportive documentation for their own service organizations In such cases customers should contact AST Research corporate offices to consider an appropriate nondisclosure agreement to obtain this documentation Changes are periodically made to the information contained in this manual these changes will be incorporated into new editions A Product Comment Form is provided at the back of this publication If this form has been removed please address your comments to AST Research Inc Attn Product Marketing 2121 Alton Ave Irvine CA 9271
31. Z KEY OFF CLS STRIG ON SCREEN 2 20 PRINT X1 Yt X2 Y2 S1 82 S3 30 X1 STICK 0 Y1 STICK 1 X2 STICK 2 Y2 STICK 3 40 A STRIG 1 C STRIG 5 C STRIG 3 D STRIG 7 50 LOCATE 3 PRINT X1 Y1 X2 Y2 A B C D 60 GOTO 30 When you run the above program moving the joystick in the X plane left right causes a change in the X1 readout while moving the joystick in the Y plane up down causes a change in the Y1 readout Pressing the switch either one or two depending on your joystick causes a change in the S1 or S3 readouts from 0 to 1 Note that depending on the quality of your joystick you may not be able to get a zero reading in the X and Y planes when running the program This is normal and no cause for alarm 7 5 Adding the Game Port to Your SixPakPlus AST Research offers an upgrade kit for field installation of the SixPakPlus game port To order the game port upgrade kit order model number SPK 000G through your AST dealer The upgrade kit consists of a 16 pin IC No 558CP and a 20 pin IC No 74LS244 To install the game port follow the procedure described below 7 5 Advanced Configuration CAUTION Be sure the power switch is off and the power cord is removed from the system unit Turn off any other equipment connected to the computer Installing any component while the power is on can permanently damage your computer and its components STEP 1 Remove the PC s system unit cover Follow
32. able 6 2 to help build a cable for your parallel printer Table 6 2 Parallel Port Pinouts AST Adapter Cable Line Output IBM Matrix Printer Name J2 Pin DB25S Centronics Interface STROBE 1 1 1 3 2 2 DI 5 3 3 D2 7 4 4 D3 9 5 5 D4 11 6 6 05 13 7 7 06 15 8 8 07 17 9 9 19 10 10 BUSY 1 11 PE 23 12 12 SLCT 25 13 13 AUTOFD 2 14 14 ERROR 4 15 32 INIT 6 16 31 SLCT IN 8 17 36 GROUND 10 12 14 16 18 25 1619 30 33 18 20 22 24 A dash in front of the line name denotes lines which are functionally active when low Parallel Port 6 4 Parallel Port Diagnostic Testing The parallel port on your SixPakPlus is compatible with the IBM diagnostics However you must configure the parallel port as LPT1 so that the port can be recognized by the diagnostics To run the diagnostics you must provide incoming signals to the port by installing a wrap plug in the parallel port connector To construct a wrap plug connect the following pins on a DB25P male connector Use 30AWG minimum wire to make the connections Pin 1 to Pin 13 Pin 2 to Pin 15 Pin 10 to Pin 16 Pin 11 to Pin 17 Pin 12 to Pin 14 These jumpers are illustrated in Figure 6 2 e 14 15 16 17 18 19 ee 20 2 Figure 6 2 Parallel Port Loopback Plug Configuration 6 5 Advanced Configuration NOTE You cannot perform the IBM diagnostics on the parallel port if you have installed the IBM Monochrome
33. address at this value as shown in Figure 2 2 Section 2 of this manual Set the SixPakPlus memory size as shown in Figure 2 3 STEP 4 PC Set the PC system board switches for the total amount of memory in your PC The total amount of memory includes the system board the SixPakPlus and the other memory expansion board PC XT Portable and 3270 PC Check that the PC system board switches are set for the memory installed on the system board only do not include the memory on the SixPakPlus or any other expansion memory board Unless you have changed the amount of system board memory these switch settings should not change 42 Memory Configuration NOTE If you have an IBM Expansion Unit you must set the Extender Card switch to reflect the total amount of memory installed system memory plus expansion board memory 4 1 2 Installing a Board Above the SixPakPlus To address another memory board above the SixPakPlus follow these steps STEP 1 Set the SixPakPlus starting address and memory size The SixPakPlus starting address corresponds to the amount of memory on the PC system board Set the memory size for the amount of memory on the SixPakPlus itself see Figures 2 2 and 2 3 STEP 2 Set the other board s starting address and memory size Add the total memory installed on your PC system board to the amount of SixPakPlus memory Follow the instructions supplied with the other memory board to set its starting address
34. akPlus clock and other devices installed in your PC The SixPakPlus Clock Calendar uses I O addresses 02COh through 02C7h Section 3 5 provides further technical information on the SixPakPlus Clock Calendar 3 2 Preparing Your PC Boot Disk Once you ve installed your SixPakPlus card you can prepare your PC boot disk to automatically initialize the time and date each time that you boot the system This subsection tells you how to prepare your DOS disk to automatically invoke the Clock Calendar Clock Calendar STEP 1 If you have not already done so copy the ASTCLOCK COM program from a SuperPak diskette version 5 1 or later to your PC boot disk If you are unsure how to COPY a file consult your DOS Manual STEP2 If your working DOS diskette already has an AUTOEXEC BAT file you must alter that file to include the ASTCLOCK command To see the current contents of your AUTOEXEC file enter this command with AUTOEXEC BAT in the default drive TYPE AUTOEXEC BAT lt Enter gt Your screen will display the contents of your AUTOEXEC file Now you must create a new AUTOEXEC file in which the command ASTCLOCK precedes these other command s Enter this command sequence COPY CON AUTOEXEC BAT lt Enter gt ASTCLOCK lt Enter gt other commands lt Function key F6 gt lt Enter gt or lt Ctrl Z lt Enter gt If your working DOS disk has no AUTOEXEC file use the sequence above to create one the only command in th
35. an address a full 640 KB and you should use the switch settings for the latter 256 KB PC see Section 2 Set SW 1 Figure D 2 on the system board for the number of disk drives including floppy and SuperDrives Installing SixPakPlus in a 64 KB IBM PC Number System Board Floppy SuperDrive pem of Drives Switch SW1 Designations Designation 1 A C 2 3 A B C D 4 A B C D Figure 0 2 Switch Setting SW1 for Number Disk Drives If Installing SuperDrive STEP 4 Install the SixPakPlus board in your PC The procedure for installing SixPakPlus in the older 64 KB PC is the same as for the later 256 KB system board PC Troubleshooting Memory Problems The troubleshooting procedure for memory problems described in Section 4 3 is the same for the 64 KB PC as for other PCs D 3 Appendices The only special point to remember is that the first 64 KB memory bank Bank 0 in your PC will always be system memory All other memory banks will then refer to expansion memory For example if you have a 64 KB PC that includes a SixPakPlus with 384 KB of memory Bank 0 is on the system board Banks 1 through 6 are on the SixPakPlus An error message like 3020 201 would point to the fourth bank in an 64 KB PC Bank 0 is on the system board Banks 1 and above are on the SixPakPlus The fourth bank in the PC is the third bank on the SixPakPlus D 4 LIMITED WARRANTY AST Research Inc warrants
36. apping each memory bank with good memory chips Once you have determined which memory bank is failing you can replace each of the original chips and reboot your computer each time you replace a chip An error message at boot up then indicates a faulty chip If the bit number of the error code does not match any of the values shown in Figure 4 1 you might have more than one failing memory chip This could be due to a malfunctioning board incorrect switch settings multiple bad memory chips or even something as simple as a dirty gold edge connector If the failing bank number is higher than the amount of memory installed in the PC recheck your system board switch settings If you cannot correct the problem contact your dealer for assistance 4 12 SERIAL PORT 5 Your SixPakPlus comes standard with one serial port for asynchronous communications You can use the serial port to connect your PC to a serial printer modem or other device which uses an RS 232C interface The SixPakPlus interface is a DTE type Data Terminal Equipment with a male DB25P connector This section includes the following information Section 5 1 tells you how to reconfigure the serial port changing COMI to forcing RS 232C inputs true and disabling the SixPakPlus serial port Section 5 2 discusses serial port programming e Section 5 3 gives serial port address assignments and pinouts Section 5 4 discusses serial port diagnosti
37. art number 000490 001 e SuperPak User s Manual AST part number 000300 001 e Game port ribbon cable and bracket if the game port option is included on your SixPakPlus board 1 2 Compatibility and System Requirements To install SixPakPlus you need an IBM PC PC XT or fully IBM PC compatible computer with at least one unused full length expansion slot All references to operating system commands in this manual assume operation under Disk Operating System DOS version 2 0 or later SixPakPlus hardware is completely IBM compatible and will function properly under other IBM approved operating system software Of course configuring the I O ports under another operating system requires the use of commands specific to that operating system See your operating system manual for the appropriate command syntax Before You Begin 1 3 What You Need to Know Before You Start This section tells you what information you need before you begin installing SixPakPlus You may have to make some modifications to the SixPakPlus board configuration depending on how your system is currently configured A checklist appears at the end of this section Fill out the checklist as you answer each question A How much memory is on the system board The system board on the PC PC XT and most compatibles can have a maximum of 256 KB If your system board has less than 256 KB you will need the AST Research Memory Upgrade kit to increase the memory on you
38. at all inputs to an AST serial port with the exception of Ring Indicator pin 22 must be connected to a signal even if the connected device does not use one or more of the interface lines at connector J1 NOTE SixPakPlus does not support the current loop teletype interface In the default configuration SixPakPlus expects the connected device to drive all input signals to its serial ports You do not need to change the SixPakPlus default configuration as long as the connected devices drives these serial inputs Clear to Send CTS Data Set Ready DSR and Data Carrier Detect DCD The device s instructions will tell you if it does not drive these inputs If your serial device does not drive these serial port inputs you can configure the SixPakPlus RS 232C jumper block to force true these inputs to the serial port The SixPakPlus RS 232C jumper block is divided into three pairs of jumpers The first two are labelled DSR for Data Set Ready the second two DCD for Data Carrier Detect and the last two CTS for Clear to Send The top jumper of the pair is labelled 1 and it forces the input true The bottom jumper of the pair is labelled 2 5 3 Advanced Configuration and sets the input to normal To force all of the inputs true you would install the shorting plugs on these pins DSR Pin 1 DCD Pin 1 CTS Pin 1 Figure 5 2 illustrates how to force one or more of the above signals to always be in the true state Move the corre
39. ation Figure 5 2 Creating a Forced True State Figure 5 3 Serial Port Loopback Plug Configuration Figure 6 1 Parallel Port Factory Configuration Figure 6 2 Parallel Port Loopback Plug Configuration Figure 6 3 IRQ7 Enabled Figure 7 1 Game Port Enable Disable Figure 7 2 Installing the Game Adapter Poi Figure B 1 DTE to DCE Interface ie Figure B 2 Example 1 Null Modem DTE to DTE Interfaci Figure B 3 Example 2 Null Modem Interface Figure B 4 Example 3 Null Modem Interface Figure B 5 Serial Interface Form Figure D 1 Switch Setting SW2 for Total Memory in the PC D 2 Figure D 2 Switch Setting SW1 for Number of Disk Drives If Installing SuperDrive TABLES Table 3 1 Compatible Clock Calendar Batteries 3 8 Table 4 1 Compatible 64 KB Memory Chips Table 4 2 Compatible 256 KB Memory Chips Table 5 1 O Addresses and IRQ Interrupt Requests Table 5 2 J1 Pinouts Table 6 1 Parallel Port I O Addresses Table 6 2 Parallel Port Pinouts Table 7 1 SixPakPlus Game Port 7 4 viii INTRODUCING SIXPAKPLUS The AST SixPakPlusiis a flexible and powerful multifunction enhancement product for members of the IBM Personal Computer PC family The SixPakPlus includes these features Memory expansion from 64 kilobytes KB to the maximum addressable user memory
40. ation is for technical reference only you do not need to know the I O address to use the game port 7 3 2 Game Port Pinouts The SixPakPlus game port uses a DB15S socket or female interface connector to enable the connection of up to two joysticks Table 7 1 summarizes the game port pinouts 7 3 Advanced Configuration Table 7 1 SixPakPlus Game Port Pinouts SixPakPlus DB15S Pin Signal J3 Pin No Number Name Joystick A 1 1 5VDC 3 2 Button 1 5 3 X Axis T 4 Ground 9 5 Ground 1 6 13 7 Button 2 15 8 5VDC Joystick B 2 9 5VDC 4 10 Button 1 6 11 8 12 Ground 10 13 Y Axis 12 14 Button 2 14 15 5VDC You can connect one joystick directly to the DB15S connector To connect two joysticks you will need a Y connector adapter cable The adapter cable should have one DB15S connector to the SixPakPlus and two DB15P connectors to the joysticks Pins 1 through 8 on the DB15S should connect to one DB15P and pins 9 through 15 to the other as shown in Table 7 1 Consult your dealer for further information 7 4 Game Port 7 4 Game Port Diagnostic Testing You can use the IBM diagnostics to test the SixPakPlus game adapter port Because of a problem in the diagnostic program however the port may not always show up on the listing of installed devices You might prefer to use the program below to test out the port This program requires the use of BASICA not BASIC 10 DEFINT A
41. board and the SixPakPlus If everything appears to be correctly installed and configured and you still get an error then proceed to Section 4 3 for help in troubleshooting the problem Advanced Configuration 64 KB or 256 KB DRAM chip Pin 1 Indicator ZIZ lSixPokPlus o5 Figure 4 2 SixPakPlus Memory Banks 4 3 Troubleshooting Memory Problems The most common indication of a memory problem in the PC is a PARITY CHECK 2 message on powerup These examples illustrate the format of error messages you might see If you have a PC an error message might look like this 4020 201 4 10 Memory Configuration If you have a PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC an error message might look like any of these 40000 20 201 40000 S 40000 S 201 7777 S 201 Sometimes you can use the error code to isolate the problem to a specific memory chip The first digit of the error message indicates in which 64 KB bank the error is occurring The message 4020 or 40000 tells us that the error is occurring in Bank 4 of the PC Because the computer numbers its memory banks beginning with Bank 0 Bank 4 is actually the fifth bank in the system The 20 in the first two examples tell you which chip in the bank that is which bit in the 8 bit data byte is failing Look at Figure 4 1 the fourth chip from the top of each memory bank is numbered 20 An error code of 4020 or
42. c testing 5 1 Configuring the SixPakPlus Serial Port You can install up to two serial ports called COM1 and COM2 into your PC The SixPakPlus serial port has been factory configured to respond as COMI which uses IRQ4 You can confirm this by checking that shorting plugs are installed at these positions e Position 1 CM1 on the Port Enable Jumper Block e Position 4 on the IRQ Enable Jumper Block Figure 5 1 illustrates how to configure the SixPakPlus serial port as COMI or COM2 5 1 Advanced Configuration Port enable jumper block zS9zpEX IRQ jumper block 55 li 4200 347 Pin CM1 COM1 default position Pin CM2 COM2 IRQ4 COMI default position Figure 5 1 Serial Port Factory Configuration 5 1 1 Installing Multiple Serial Ports in a PC If your PC already has another card with a serial port on it configured to respond as COMI such as the PC XT with its standard serial board you must change the port on the SixPakPlus to respond as COM as shown in Figure 5 1 e Movethe Port Enable Jumper Block shorting plug from CM1 to CM2 e Move the IRQ Enable Jumper Block shorting plug from 4 to3 The SixPakPlus serial port will now respond as COM2 5 2 Serial Port 5 1 2 Configuring the RS 232C Interface Lines SixPakPlus conforms to the Electronic Industries Association EIA RS 232C communication standard which describes the interface between DTE and Data Communication Equipment DCE That means th
43. ch SW1 2 2 2 SixPakPlus Starting Memory Address The SixPakPlus card must be configured to indicate how much memory is installed below it that is what its starting address should be Positions 1 through 3 of SW1 set the SixPakPlus starting address as shown in Figure 2 4 SixPakPlus Starting Memory Address Maximum RAM Starting address SWt 1 SWi 2 SW1 3 SixPakPlus 64 110000 OFF OFF OFF 576 KB 128 KB 20000 OFF OFF ON 512 KB 192 30000 OFF ON OFF 448 256 KB 40000 OFF ON 384KB 320 KB 50000 ON OFF OFF 320KB 384 KB 60000 ON OFF 256KB 448 KB 70000 ON OFF 192KB 512 KB 80000 ON ON ON 128 KB Factory configuration v Swi Switch Figure 2 4 Starting Address Settings 2 6 Configuration and Installation Set the SixPakPlus starting address to the setting in Figure 2 4 that corresponds to the amount of memory installed on the system board For example if your PC has 192 KB installed on its system board set the SixPakPlus starting address to 192 KB SW1 1 OFF SW1 2 ON and SW1 3 OFF NOTE The SixPakPlus starting address should be above 256 KB only if another memory expansion card is installed below the SixPakPlus board Section 4 tells you how to install other memory boards into your PC along with the SixPakPlus 2 2 3 Amount of SixPakPlus Memory You must set SW1 positions 4 through 6 to tell the SixPakPlus how much memory is installed on it
44. cluded for clarification and need not be included in the actual program 10 DEF SEG amp H40 finds port address table 20 A PEEK 8 B PEEK 9 save LPT1 address 30 POKE 8 PEEK 10 POKE 9 PEEK 11 LPT2 address to LPT1 40 POKE 10 A POKE 11 8 LPTI address to LPT2 50 SYSTEM return to DOS Omit statement 50 if you will be LPRINTing from BASIC C 2 Restoring LPT1 to LPT1 and LPT2 to LPT2 Use the same program LPTSWAP to restore your parallel printer ports to their original arrangement Be sure to restore the proper parameters using a new batch file and MODE statements LPTRSTR BAT is as follows MODE LPT1 parameters for printer 1 if needed MODE LPT2 parameters for printer 2 if needed BASIC LPTSWAP Switching Between Parallel Ports C 3 Switching Between LPT1 and LPT3 The following DOS batch file and BASIC program redirects printer output from LPT1 to LPT3 or vice versa depending on which port is being used at the time LPTSWAP BAT or a name of your choosing with the following MODE LPT1 parameters for printer 3 if needed MODE LPT3 parameters for printer 1 if needed BASIC LPTSWAP LPTSWAP is a BASIC program as shown below The comments are included for clarification and need not be included in the actual program 10 DEF SEG amp H40 finds port address table 20 A PEEK 8 B PEEK 9 save LPT1 address 30 POKE 8 PEEK 12 POKE 9 PEEK 13 LPT3 address to LPT1 40 POKE 12 A POKE
45. e Port Enable Jumper Block see Figure 6 1 6 1 Advanced Configuration Port Enable Jumper Block Pin LP1 LPT1 Default pt Pin LP2 LPT2 NOTE When IBM or AST Monochrome Card is installed SixPakPlus LPT1 automatically responds as LPT2 and SixPakPlus LPT2 automatically responds as LPT3 Figure 6 1 Parallel Port Factory Configuration 6 1 1 Installing Multiple Parallel Ports in a PC If your PC already has another card with a parallel port on it configured to respond as LPT1 you must change one of the boards to respond as LPT2 this avoids conflicts between the two ports Display adapters with a built in parallel port always respond as LPT1 and cannot be changed To reconfigure the SixPakPlus move the shorting plug from position LP1 to position LP2 see Figure 6 1 The parallel port on the SixPakPlus will now respond as LPT2 6 1 2 Monochrome Adapter Boards The built in parallel port on certain display adapter boards such as the IBM monochrome display printer adapter or the AST Research MonoGraphPlus or Preview always respond as LPT1 and cannot be changed If you have such a board in your PC the SixPakPlus parallel port will automatically respond as LPT2 in its factory default configuration Do not reconfigure the SixPakPlus to respond as LPT2 If you do reconfigure the SixPakPlus for LPT2 when a parallel port that always responds as LPT1 is installed in your PC the SixPakPlus parallel port will respond
46. e file will be ASTCLOCK For more information about AUTOEXEC files or the DOS COPY command see your DOS Manual 3 3 Advanced Configuration NOTE If you want ASTCLOCK to display the date in European format dd mm yy when you boot the system substitute the command ASTCLOCK E for ASTCLOCK in your AUTOEXEC file Specifying the E parameter in the AUTOEXEC file only changes how ASTCLOCK shows the date when you boot the system it does not affect how DOS or other software displays the date STEP 3 Reboot your PC press the lt Ctrl Alt Del key sequence The ASTCLOCK command will display the time and date on the screen If necessary use the ASTCLOCK R parameter to set the TIME and DATE on the SixPakPlus as detailed in Section 3 3 3 3 Setting the Time and Date This section tells you how to set the time and date in the SixPakPlus clock chip NOTE You must use a version 5 1 or later SuperPak diskette to set the SixPakPlus clock chip Once you have copied ASTCLOCK to your PC boot disk you can update the Clock Calendar on the SixPakPlus internal microprocessor chip DOS TIME and DATE commands only update the system s time and date parameters in memory they don t permanently update the values stored in the SixPakPlus clock chip until you execute this procedure STEP 1 Boot the system with a disk that contains the ASTCLOCK COM program 3 4 Clock Calendar STEP2 Enter this command ASTCLOC
47. een En ec pa CORIO itii tai i i Figure B 1 DTE to DCE Interface Figure B 1 shows the interface signals in order of occurrence top to bottom From the DTE s standpoint it must send DTR see DCD see DSR send RTS and see CTS before transmitting or receiving data The DTE inputs must have voltage applied to them for the interface to become operational the DTE outputs are necessary only because they are inputs to the DCE side of the interface The DTE hardware does not release data to the communications link until it has received the proper set and sequence of signals B 5 Appendices B 3 Interfacing DTE to DTE Null Modem Many devices such as serial printers are set up as DTE To output data from the SixPakPlus serial port also DTE to another DTE serial device you must wire a DTE to DTE or null modem interface A DTE to DTE interface is also called a null modem connection because it does not include a DCE device such as a modem Other examples of null modem connections include connecting two PCs or connecting a PC to a mainframe A null modem interface must provide response inputs to either side of the interface just as if a DCE device were present The input voltages to each DTE device must occur in the correct sequence the correct sequence varies from device to device Each side of a null modem interface acts like the DTE side of a DTE to DCE interface Both sides of the null modem interface must s
48. el P2164A 15 P2164A 20 Micron Technology MT4264N 2 MT4264N 15 MT4264N 3 MT4264N 20 Mitsubishi M5K4164ANP 15 M5K4164ANP 20 Mostek MK4564N 15 MK4564N 20 Motorola MCM4164BP15 MCM6665AP15 MCM6665BP15 MCM6665AP20 MCM6665BP20 NEC UPD4164C 2 UPD4164C 3 OKI MSM3764 15RS MSM3764 20RS Texas Instruments TMS4164 15NL TMS4164 20NL Toshiba TMM4164P 3 TMM4164P 4 TMM4164AP 15 TMM4164AP 20 4 2 2 256 KB RAM Upgrade Chips If you want to upgrade the SixPakPlus yourself with 256 KB chips use dynamic random access memory DRAM chips with these characteristics 100 120 or 150 nanosecond ns access time Pin 1 not used 5 Volt only The memory chips listed in Table 4 2 are compatible with the SixPakPlus 4 7 Advanced Configuration Table 4 2 Compatible 256 KB Memory Chips Manufacturer Part Number AT amp T WCM41256FX 15 Fujitsu MB81256 15 Hitachi HM50256P 15 Mitsubishi M5M4256P Motorola MCM6256L NEC D41256C 15 Texas Instruments TMS4256 15NL Toshiba TMM41256P 15 4 2 3 Installing RAM Chips Follow this procedure when you add memory to the SixPakPlus STEP 1 Shut off the power to the PC and remove the SixPakPlus board from the PC STEP2 Install each additional set of nine 64 or 256 KB memory chips in the next empty bank on the board For example refer to Figure 4 1 if your SixPakPlus has 64 KB on it now it has memory in Bank 0 only If you want add 320 KB to SixPakPlus to bring the memor
49. end and receive these signals in this sequence before sending or receiving data Send DTR Receive DCD and DSR Send RTS Receive CTS Figure B 2 shows a standard null modem configuration including signal directions and sequence Serial Interfaces SixPakPlus Other Serial Port Serial Port Signal Pin Pin Signal DTE DCE Ground 1 Ground Ground 7 Ground DTR 20 DTR DCD 8 DCD DSR 6 DSR RTS RTS CTS 5 CTS TD 2 kD RxD 3 RxD Figure B 2 Example 1 Null Modem DTE to DTE Interface B 7 Appendices Figure B 3 illustrates another null modem interface including the direction and sequence of the signals SixPakPlus Example Serial Port Printer Signal Pin Pin Signal DTE DCE Ground Ground Ground Ground DTR DTR DCD DCD DSR DSR RTS RTS CTS CTS 1 0 RxD RxD Figure B 3 Example 2 Null Modem Interface Notice that the necessary input signals are supplied to both sides DCD DSR and CTS have voltage applied to them on either side The example shown in Figure B 3 changes the ideal sequence by having the printer DTR signal drive PC signal CTS The chip that B 8 Serial Interfaces controls the SixPakPlus serial port an 8250 UART chip is fairly flexible in reading the sequence of inputs The input sequence in Figure B 3 is changed because the printer in the example drops its DTR signal when its receive buffer is about to fill up To avoid losing data when the printer s receive buffer overf
50. es further game port information You can purchase these options onboard or install them at a later date Upgrade kits are available from your dealer xi Introducing SixPakPlus NOTES xii ABOUT THIS MANUAL This manual is designed as a user s manual Part I Basic Installation will show you how to install SixPakPlus in your PC For most systems this is all the information you ll need to get SixPakPlus up and running For information on changing SixPakPlus configuration or using its special features refer to Part II Advanced Configuration Part IIl Appendices provides background technical information How to Find What You re Looking For For Information on Compatibility and System Requirements Section 1 provides important considerations for installing SixPakPlus To Install the SixPakPlus Board Section 2 describes the default configuration of the SixPakPlus board and gives you instructions on installing it To Change a Configuration or Use SixPakPlus Features SixPakPlus features are described in detail in the following chapters Clock calendar Section 3 Memory Section 4 Serial port Section 5 Parallel port Section 6 Game port Section 7 For Information on Troubleshooting and Product Repair Procedures Appendix A describes how to troubleshoot common problems with the SixPakPlus and outlines the procedure for returning the SixPakPlus to the factory for repairs xiii About this Manual For
51. ews On SixPakPlus Board Parallel Port Connector 0 TAA NOTE This is an example only you can install the SixPakPlus and its parallel port into any open slots in the PC SixPakPlus board requires full size slot Figure 2 16 Example Installation One Ribbon Cable 2 22 Configuration and Installation STEP 6 Reinstall the bracket retaining screw s Secure the bracket s to the rear of the PC chassis STEP 7 Replace PC cover You can replace the system unit cover now or you can wait until you ve checked the new installation Section 2 5 STEP 8 Install cables Replace the power cord to the system unit and be sure that the keyboard and the monitor connectors are plugged in Figure 2 17 Monitor Cable SixPakPlus Serial Monochrome Monitor Power Power Cable ixPakPlus Cable Parallel Keyboard Cable Device Cable Figure 2 17 Installing Cables 2 5 Testing the New Installation Test your new installation with the following procedure STEP 1 With the power off insert an IBM Disk Operating System DOS diskette in drive A and turn on the power If the installation was done correctly the system will boot normally Because there is now more memory installed in your PC the PC will take longer to boot up than before 2 23 Basic Installation STEP2 Run the IBM diagnostic routines to check out the features you have just installed See your IBM Guide t
52. g Your PC Ready 2 3 1 PC System Board Switch Settings 2 3 2 PC XT Portable PC and 3270 PC System Board Switch Settings 2 14 2 3 3 Setting SW1 for the Number of Floppy Drives 2 4 Installing SixPakPlus into Your PC 2 5 Testing the New Installation 2 6 Quick Reference Configuration PART Il ADVANCED CONFIGURATION BECLOCKICALENDAR 3 1 3 1 Configuring the Clock Calendar 3 1 1 Disabling the Clock Calendar 3 2 3 2 Preparing Your PC Boot Disk 3 3 Setting the Time and Date 3 4 The Clock Calendar Battery 3 5 Technical Information 4 MEMORY CONFIGURATION erret 4 1 4 1 Installing Multiple Memory Boards into Your PC 4 1 1 Installing a Boar SixPakPlus 4 1 2 Installing a Board Above the SINPARPIUS occorre Below the CONTENTS 4 2 Installing Additional Memory on the SixPakPlus 4 2 1 64KB RAM Upgrade Chips 4 2 2 256 KB RAM Upgrade Chips 4 2 3 Installing RAM Chips 4 3 Troubleshooting Memory Problems 5 SERIAL PORT ccsescsovssesonscccnsnesessevescnsonesonensecesnyenoncsensocoenves 5 1 5 1 Configuring the SixPakPlus Serial Port 5 1 1 Installing Multiple Serial Ports ina PC 5 1 2 Configuring the RS 232C Interface Lines 5 1 3 Disabling the Serial Port 5 2 Programming the Serial Port
53. gning cables 5 1 3 Disabling the Serial Port You can completely disable the serial port on the SixPakPlus by removing both of the shorting plugs shown in Figure 5 1 e Remove the shorting plugs from positions CM1 or CM2 on the Port Enable Jumper Block e Remove the shorting plugs from positions 3 or 4 on the IRQ Enable Jumper Block You must disable one serial port if your PC already has two serial ports installed this prevents conflicts between multiple ports Be sure to save the shorting plugs for possible future use 5 2 Programming the Serial Port The serial port on the SixPakPlus is completely under software control and must be initialized for correct baud rate parity number of databits and number of stopbits before it can be used You or your software must initialize the serial port each time you turn on the computer Typically the DOS MODE command initializes the serial port refer to your DOS Manual for a detailed explanation of this command A typical MODE command might look like this MODE COM 1 1200 N 8 1 P lt Enter gt The above command initializes serial port COMI for 1200 Baud no parity 8 databits and 1 stopbit The P is optional and tells DOS that you will be using the port with a serial printer You can also use a similar command to establish communication parameters for serial port COM2 5 6 Serial Port Many applications programs such as word processors automatically handle port initiali
54. he peripheral device see Appendix B Check that the software you are using is sending output to the correct device The SixPakPlus is usually configured so that the serial port appears as COMI The port expects the connected device to drive all serial inputs Go over the procedures in Section 5 1 to make certain the port is configured as you expect Check your software to see to which device it is sending output If you are using a serial printer you may need to direct printer output from LPT1 to COM1 or COM see Section 5 2 Check the jumper positions on the Port Enable Jumper Block and the IRQ Jumper Block Section 5 1 Make certain the serial port is correctly initialized Section 5 2 Check that the Baud rate parity number of data bits and number of stop bits for the peripheral device match what you specified in your DOS MODE command or what your software specified for you Troubleshooting PROBLEM Game port doesn t work ACTION Check the following e Check that the device connected to the game port is powered on and working Check cabling check cabling between the game port and the peripheral device check that the ribbon cable to the game port connector is securely attached to the SixPakPlus board e Make certain the game port is installed and enabled Section 7 1 describes the jumper plug that should be installed ICs should be installed in sockets U37 and U38 Section 7 5 PROBLEM Memory errors ACTIO
55. icated with a leading zero 0 and a trailing h for example 0207h Related Documentation Your SixPakPlus comes with a SuperPak diskette version 5 1 or later You can find detailed information on the SuperPak utilities in the SuperPak User s Manual This manual assumes you are familiar with DOS and the IBM PC and PC XT You can find this information in these manuals for your IBM PC Guide to Operations Technical Reference Disk Operating System BASIC xv About this Manual NOTES xvi PART I BASIC INSTALLATION 1 Before You Begin 2 Configuration and Installation NOTES BEFORE YOU BEGIN 1 This section presents information you ll need before you install the SixPakPlus Figure 1 1 shows an overview of the steps you ll take as you follow the instructions in Part Basic Installation Check package contents and system requirements Section 1 Verify the factory configuration of the board Sections 2 1 and 2 2 Prepare your PC for installation Section 2 3 Install SixPakPlus in your PC Section 2 4 Test your installation Section 2 5 Figure 1 1 Installation Overview 1 1 Basic Installation 1 1 Checking the Contents Before you get started check that your SixPakPlus package includes the following e SixPakPlus circuit board e SixPakPlus parallel interface cable and bracket e SuperPak diskette version 5 1 or later e SixPakPlus User s Manual AST p
56. is capable of sending print output to only one parallel port You might also use this program when your LPT1 printer call it printer 1 is down for service or when you want to take advantage of the type style or speed of the printer attached to LPT2 or LPT3 call it printer 2 or 3 This program allows you to quickly Switch between outputs without having to alter your hardware interface or change each line in programs where LPT1 LPT2 or LPT3 appear as your output port designation If your printers are not configured to the same parameters as defined in the DOS MODE command you must add two MODE statements when switching devices Notice that the swap program below is written in BASIC Since the printer port swap is best handled in DOS BASIC is invoked within the BAT file No RUN command is required when the BASIC call and the program file name occur on the same line BASIC LPTSWAP Consult your IBM BASIC Manual if you have any questions about entering and saving the LPTSWAP BAS program Appendices C 1 Switching Between LPT1 and LPT2 The following DOS batch file and BASIC program redirects printer output from LPT1 to LPT2 or vice versa depending on which port is being used at the time LPTSWAP BAT or a name of your choosing with the following MODE LPT1 parameters for printer 2 if needed MODE LPT2 parameters for printer 1 if needed BASIC LPTSWAP LPTSWAP is a BASIC program as shown below The comments are in
57. l port as LPT1 LPT2 LPT3 or disabled Do you want to use the Clock Calendar YesLJNo Do you want to use the game port O YesONo 1 5 Basic Installation NOTES CONFIGURATION AND INSTALLATION 2 This section tells you how to configure your SixPakPlus and install it in your PC Figure 2 1 summarizes the SixPakPlus installation procedure 2 1 Basic Installation Verify standard configuration of the clock calendar serial port parallel port and game port Section 2 1 want to change the standard Change configuration Clock calendar Section 3 1 Serial port Section 5 1 Parallel port Section 6 1 Game port Section 7 1 Configure the SixPakPlus board for starting address memory size and parity checking enabled or disabled Section 2 2 Get your IBM PC ready to install the SixPakPlus Section 2 3 Install the SixPakPlus into your PC Section 2 4 Test the new installation Section 2 5 Figure 2 1 SixPakPlus Installation Overview Configuration and Installation Section 2 6 provides a quick reference for the switch settings on the SixPakPlus and the system board for the most common configuration 2 1 Factory Configuration The SixPakPlus is shipped from the factory in this configuration SixPakPlus has 64 KB installed If you purchased a SixPakPlus with 384 KB installed you may have to change the switch settings See Section 2 2 3 Clock calendar e
58. lows the interface halts PC data output immediately by dropping the CTS input to the PC side immediately The remainder of the interface then idles until the printer raises DTR again Remember that this is a specific case for this particular printer Figure B 4 shows another example of how to interface a serial printer to a SixPakPlus serial port Appendices SixPakPlus Other Serial Port Serial Port Signal Pin Pin Signal DTE DCE Ground Ground Ground Ground DTR DTR DCD DCD DSR DSR RTS SRTS CTS CTS TD TxD RxD RxD Figure B 4 Example 3 Null Modem Interface In this case the printer uses SRTS Secondary Request to Send pin 19 instead of pin 4 RTS apart from that exception Figure B 3 follows the ideal DTE input and sequence rules The advantage of the interface shown in Figure B 4 is that every pin is driven by its functional counterpart on the other side of the interface the functionally related signal pairs include DTR DSR RTS CTS and TxD RxD This should also hold true for the interface you design B 10 Serial Interfaces B 4 Design Aids Your serial device manual tells you how the device uses the RS 232C line signals and which pin numbers supply which signals You can also contact the device manufacturer for further information on interfacing to an IBM PC asynchronous serial port Serial ports on all AST Research boards are IBM compatible Your dealer can direct you to a parts store that carries the
59. lus PROBLEM Power up Self Test fails ACTION A parity error or interrupt conflict can prevent the self test from successfully completing To determine the area of difficulty disable all features on the SixPakPlus by removing the appropriate jumpers plugs on the port enable jumper block refer to Figure 2 2 Then enable each feature one by one rerunning the self test each time until you isolate the problem area PROBLEM Parallel port doesn t work ACTION Check the following Check that the device connected to the port works and is powered on e Check cabling Check cables between the parallel port and peripheral device check that the ribbon cable to the parallel port connector is securely attached to the SixPakPlus board Check that the software you are using is sending output to the correct device SixPakPlus is usually configured so that the parallel port appears as LPT1 Go over the Appendices procedures in Section 6 to make certain the port is configured as you indented Check your software to see to which device it is sending output Make sure the parallel port is enabled Check that the shorting plug shown in Figure 6 1 is installed Section 6 1 3 Check that IRQ7 is enabled Section 6 5 PROBLEM Serial Port doesn t work ACTION Check the following A 2 Check that the device connected to the serial port is powered on and working Check cabling check cabling between the serial port and t
60. me Port NOTES CLOCK CALENDAR 3 The SixPakPlus Clock Calendar can answer the TIME and DATE prompts that the Disk Operating System DOS issues each time you boot the system The PC is not aware of the existence of any expansion card clock unless you use the clock software supplied on your SuperPak diskette NOTE You must use a version 5 1 or later SuperPak diskette with your SixPakPlus The standard SixPakPlus Clock Calendar features include e 24 hour clock maintained in an advanced microprocessor chip on the SixPakPlus board e Battery backup power supply with a battery life of approximately one year e Replaceable lithium battery e Full PC DOS compatibility e Automatic accounting for leap year 3 1 Configuring the Clock Calendar SixPakPlus is shipped from the factory with the clock calendar enabled To confirm the default configuration check that a shorting plug is installed at position CLK of the Port Enable Jumper Block as shown in Figure 3 1 3 1 Advanced Configuration Pin CLK clock calendar enable Install shorting plug to enable clock calendar Remove shorting plug to disable clock calendar Figure 3 1 Clock Calendar Factory Configuration 3 1 1 Disabling the Clock Calendar You can disable the Clock Calendar by removing the shorting plug from position CLK as shown in Figure 3 1 You might want to disable the Clock Calendar to avoid a conflict between the I O addresses used by the SixP
61. moving any equipment STEP 1 This step is required only if you plan to use the game or parallel printer ports mounted on the supplied brackets If not go directly to STEP 2 Install the ribbon cable s Find the ribbon cable s for the parallel port and or the game port shown in Figure 2 13 The parallel port ribbon cable is about 1 1 4 inches wide with a rectangular connector at one end and a DB25S connector at the other end The game port ribbon cable is about 3 4 inches wide with a rectangular connector at one end and DB15S connector at the other end Each ribbon cable comes with a bracket Use the hardware supplied with each D shell connector to mount the connector on its bracket Parallel port Plug the rectangular connector onto connector J2 Game port Plug the rectangular connector onto connector J3 Figure 2 2 shows the locations of connectors J2 and J3 2 18 Configuration and Installation Bracket Rectangular Connector to 42 on SixPakPlus lt 08255 Connector board Parallel Port Ribbon Cable Bracket Rectangular Connector to J3 on DB15S Connector SixPakPlus board Game Port Ribbon Cable Figure 2 13 SixPakPlus Ribbon Cables Plug the connector onto the board so that pin 1 on the rectangular connector indicated by a triangle and the stripe on the ribbon cable is closest to pin 1 on the J2 or J3 connector indicated by the 1 silkscreened in white on the board as shown in Figure 2
62. n Drive Irvine CA 92715 where xxxx is your assigned Return Authorization Number Once your product is repaired we will return it to you by UPS or UPS Blue Label service whichever is appropriate for your geographical location We will return items covered by warranty at our expense Shipping costs and repair expenses for items not covered by warranty will be billed COD If you prefer overnight service UPS Red Label the shipping charges will be billed COD If you want us to ship Federal Express please give us your Federal Express account number for billing purposes A 5 Appendices NOTES 6 SERIAL INTERFACES B This appendix provides general information on wiring the SixPakPlus serial port to other serial devices such as printers plotters or modems including The RS 232C serial interface standard Section B 1 e Interfacing DTE to DCE Section B 2 Interfacing DTE to DTE null modem Section B 3 e Designing your own serial interface Section B 4 The SixPakPlus serial port is completely IBM compatible In most cases you can connect your remote device to the SixPakPlus serial port with a cable provided with the device itself Simply refer to the instructions provided with the device or with the software for driving it In some cases your instructions will specify how your remote device uses RS 232C line signals and which pin numbers supply which signals With this information plus the informa
63. nabled Section 3 tells you how to change the clock calendar configuration Serial port configured as COMI using interrupt line IRQ4 Section 5 tells you how to change the serial port configuration or disable it if you already have a serial port installed All serial port input lines driven by the connected device Section 5 tells you how to change the serial port configuration or disable it if you already have a serial port installed Parallel port configured as LPT1 Section 6 tells you how to change the parallel port configuration Game port enabled if the optional game port ICs are installed Section 7 tells you how to change the game port configuration To verify standard factory configuration check that your SixPakPlus board is configured as shown in Figure 2 2 2 3 Basic Installation Port enable jumper block RS 232C jumper block Factory configuration 1 Forced true disabled 2 Normal enabled 1 Forced true disabled 2 Normal enabled 1 Forced true disabled 2 Normal enabled Factory configuration 1 COMI enabled CM2 COM disabled 1 1 LPTI enabled LP2 LPT2 disabled GME Game port enabled CLK Clock calendar enabled Jumper installed Jumper installed Switch SW1 IRQ jumper block 9 2345 67 8 Standard settings Factory configuration Starting Pin 3 IRQ3 COM disabled installed SW1 8 ON Pin 4 IRQ4
64. o Operations manual for instructions The diagnostic routines do not test the clock calendar feature STEP 3 Use the clock calendar software included on your SuperPak diskette to set the correct time and date on your SixPakPlus Section 3 tells you how to set your SixPakPlus clock calendar 2 6 Quick Reference Configuration Figure 2 18 summarizes the switch settings for the most common configuration The settings in this section are appropriate if The factory configuration described in Section 2 1 is installed ThePC has 256 KB of memory and the SixPakPlus has 64 KB e The SixPakPlus is installed in a PC not a PC XT which has 256 KB on the system board The PC has two floppy drives and one SuperDrive the presence or number of hard drives is irrelevant 2 24 Configuration and Installation SixPakPlus Board swi 2 9 4 5 06 T K OFF ON ON OFF OFF ON ON Starting SixPakPlus Parity memory RAM enabled address installed 256 KB 64 KB Power Supply Expansion Slots PC System Board Disk Drives Switch SW1 03 7 34 99 T 9 dE ON OFF 3 Floppy Drives Switch SW2 91 23 499 7T 8 ON OFF ON ON OFF 256 KB on System Board Figure 2 18 Quick Reference Configuration 2 25 Basic Installation NOTES 2 26 PART Il ADVANCED CONFIGURATION e Clock Calendar gt Memory Configuration n Serial Port o Parallel Port x Ga
65. pins to properly line up with their socket receptacles place the IC on its side on a flat surface and gently angle it under both thumbs to slightly bend the pins inward You may find this same technique useful when actually inserting the IC into the socket on the board Angle the IC and slightly insert one row of pins then bring the other row down into position and slightly start its pins in the socket Once you have both sides started you can evenly depress the entire IC until it is firmly seated Enable the game port Make sure the shorting plug is installed across Pin GME of the port enable jumper block as shown in Figure 7 1 STEP 6 Replace the SixPakPlus Board Follow the instructions in Section 2 4 Make sure to plug the game port connector onto connector J3 as described in STEP 1 of Section 2 4 STEP 7 Configure the game port Follow the instructions in Section 7 1 7 8 PART Ill APPENDICES A Troubleshooting and Repair Procedure B Serial Interface C Switching Between Parallel Ports D Installing SixPakPlus in the Older 64 KB IBM PC NOTES TROUBLESHOOTING AND REPAIR PROCEDURE A This section outlines some simple procedures for troubleshooting when you have a problem with your SixPakPlus It also describes the procedure for returning your SixPakPlus to the factory should it require repairs A 1 Troubleshooting The following outlines some suggestions for solving common difficulties with the SixPakP
66. r Block Pin GME as shown in Figure 7 1 The game port hardware must be installed on the board Section 7 5 provides information on adding the port to your SixPakPlus 7 1 Advanced Configuration Port enable jumper block Pin GME Game port enable Install shorting plug to enable game port Remove shorting plug to disable game port TETTE m E 0 18 E Fim i ne A LIT LI T H e vis ver n 05 Li pe ad p LM A no rr e Eum 8 Be SixPokPlus FAST SOHO OS Figure 7 1 Game Port Enable Disable To completely disable the SixPakPlus game port Remove the jumper shown in Figure 7 1 7 2 Software Compatibility The game port is totally software compatible with the IBM game adapter Because joysticks are analog devices the function of some software can vary with the joystick used even though the game port is functioning properly To compensate for differences 7 2 Game Port between joysticks use software that includes a joystick centering function You can use the program listing in Section 7 4 to test the correct operation of the SixPakPlus game port 7 3 Game Port Technical Information This section provides technical information about the SixPakPlus game port 7 3 1 Game Port I O Address Assignment The game port uses I O address 0201h This inform
67. r SixPakPlus board If you have the older 64 KB PC system board you will have to expand the SixPakPlus memory to the full 576 KB See Appendix D for more information B Do you have another memory board in your PC SixPakPlus will work with other memory boards in your PC as long as they do not conflict and their total configured memory does not exceed the 640 KB maximum See Section 4 for more details C How do you plan to use the serial port SixPakPlus contains a serial port that allows your PC to communicate with serial devices such as modems mice or serial printers most printers are parallel DOS assigns each serial port in the PC a name the first serial port is called COMI and the second if present is called come If your PC does not already have a serial port SixPakPlus serial port should be assigned to COM1 Because this is the default setting the setting as configured at the factory you do not have to do anything special to make this assignment If your PC already has a serial port as is the case with the PC XT Basic Installation you may want to assign the SixPakPlus serial port to 4 2 or disable completely See Section 5 for more e information D How do you plan to use the parallel port SixPakPlus contains a parallel port that allows your PC to communicate with parallel printers and other devices DOS assigns each parallel port in the PC a name The first parallel port is called LPT1 the
68. rch Technical Support for further information Parts not covered under the warranty Dealer or user installed parts such as RAM chips are not covered under the terms of the warranty Dealer installed parts are warranted by the dealer parts that you install are covered only by the parts suppliers warranties If we find that your dealer or user installed parts are defective we can identify which parts are defective but we will not replace parts unless you specifically authorize us to do so in writing when you send the board to us The parts charges and any applicable labor charges will be billed COD Describe the problem and return any related accessories Please include a brief but explicit written description of the problem when you return your AST Troubleshooting product to the factory for repair Also return any accessories that might relate to the problem For example if the the parallel port does not function correctly be sure to return the parallel port adapter cable with the board Be sure to provide a return shipping address that UPS can deliver to and include your RAN UPS cannot normally deliver to post office boxes Reference the RAN issued to you by AST Technical Support on all correspondence Securely package all materials to prevent shipping damage Shipping charges must be prepaid CODs will not be accepted Ship the materials to the following address AST Research Inc Customer Service RAN xxxx 2722 Michelso
69. s communications port to another computer or peripheral operating under separate asynchronous communications software control NOTE The SixPakPlus does not support a current loop teletype interface A parallel printer port You can use the parallel port to connect a parallel printer or plotter to the PC A real time clock calendar with battery backup Battery backup frees you from having to re enter the time and date every time you start your system The battery power is only used when your system is turned off The SuperPak utility diskette including SuperDrive SuperSpool fASTdisk RAMCLEAR and ASTCLOCK Introducing SixPakPlus NOTE You must use a version 5 1 or later SuperPak diskette with SixPakPlus For information on the SuperPak utilities see your SuperPak User s Manual Available Options These options are available for your SixPakPlus e Memory expansion is available in 64 or 256 KB increments up to 576 KB This allows you to increase your PC s memory to the 640 KB maximum no matter how much memory is on the system board For example the 576 KB on the SixPakPlus board added to the 64 KB on the system board gives you 640 KB Each 64 KB upgrade consists of one 64 KB Memory Upgrade kit AST Model No MP 0009 Each 256 KB upgrade consists of one 256 KB Memory Upgrade kit AST Model No MP 150 e Agame port AST Model No SPK 000G that can be used with one or two IBM compatible joysticks Section 7 provid
70. second is LPT2 and the third is LPT3 If your PC does not already have a parallel port you Should assign the SixPakPlus parallel port to LPT1 Because this is the default setting the setting as configured at the factory you do not have to do anything special to make this assignment If you already have a parallel port in your PC you should configure the SixPakPlus parallel port as LPT2 for the second port LPTS for the third port or disable it See Section 6 for more information E Do you want to use the Clock Calendar The Clock Calendar is a battery run device that updates the date and time while the PC is off so you don t have to set it each time you boot the system By default the Clock Calendar is enabled and ready to use with the ASTCLOCK software on the SuperPak diskette If you already have a Clock Calendar in your PC you may disable the Clock Calendar on the SixPakPlus See Section 3 for more information F Do you want to use the game port The game port is an optional accessory that lets you connect IBM compatible joysticks to your PC Game ports are available from your dealer For more information see Section 7 a Before You Begin 1 3 1 Configuration Checklist A How much memory is already on the system board Do you have another memory board in your PC If yes how much memory is on the board Use the serial port as COM1 COM or disabled Use the paralle
71. sponding shorting plug on the RS 232C jumper block the jumper block near the top of the SixPakPlus board from the pair of pins labelled 2 normal to the pair of pins labelled 1 forced true For example to force the DSR input true move the shorting plug from position DSR2 to position DSR1 When you force a signal true its connection to connector J1 will not affect the function of the serial port Serial Port DSR fiera V V peu forced true Normal default All input normal y DO TE DED riven by connected device jumpers 2 DCD normal cTs le 1 CTS forced true jumpers 1 223 2 CTS normal t vi si E t EX oo ur wr 1 11 E o E 8 DI e SixPakPlus e Om HCHO Figure 5 2 Creating a Forced True State Whether you use the RS 232C jumper block to force certain inputs true depends on what device you connect to the serial port You might want to leave the shorting plugs in their normal configuration and instead build a special cable for the serial device This would be especially convenient if you will be using different serial devices on the port at different times 5 5 Advanced Configuration Appendix B gives general information on building cables Also refer to the manual supplied with your serial device for help in desi
72. stalled starting at 64 KB If another memory board is installed starting at 64 KB set the SixPakPlus starting address at the end of installed memory STEP2 Open the PC Section 2 as well as the IBM PC Guide to Operations tells you how to open the PC The procedure for opening the original PC is the same as for the latter 256 KB system board PC STEP 3 Set the PC system board switches for the total amount of memory and the number of disk drives if you are adding SuperDrive Set switch SW2 shown in Figure D 1 on the system Appendices board for the total amount of memory in the PC including system memory and all expansion memory Total Memory SW2 1 Sw2 2 Sw2 3 SW2 4 64 KB ON ON ON ON 128 KB ON OFF ON ON 192 KB ON ON OFF ON 256 KB ON OFF OFF ON 320 KB ON ON ON OFF 384 KB ON OFF ON OFF 448 KB ON ON OFF OFF 512 KB ON OFF OFF OFF 544 KB OFF OFF OFF OFF sw2 5 6 7 8 1111000000 Figure 0 1 Switch Setting SW2 for Total Memory in the PC Some applications programs available for the PC do not work correctly when the switches are set for 544 KB You should therefore use the 512 KB setting even if you have more than 512 KB installed in your 64 KB PC SuperDrive and SuperSpool as well as certain other programs can still use the excess beyond the 512 KB setting If your original PC is equipped with the IBM Expansion Unit and has the new read only memory basic input output system ROM BIOS installed you c
73. tion in this appendix you can construct an interface cable yourself NOTE Serial devices use RS 232C signals in different ways AST Research cannot tell you how to connect a particular device to your serial port You must refer to the manufacturer s instructions that came with that device The SixPakPlus serial port does not support the current loop teletype interface B 1 Appendices B 1 RS 232C Interface Standard SixPakPlus connects to other serial devices according to the Electronic Industry Association EIA RS 232C interface standard The RS 232C standard describes the sequence of signals that travel between two serial devices The signals control the exchange of data between serial devices RS 232C defines 20 signals although few applications use all 20 and each signal travels separately on a predefined wire The RS 232C standard classifies communications devices as e Data terminal equipment DTE Equipment associated with the user such as a PC or a mainframe computer The SixPakPlus serial port is a DTE device e Data communications equipment DCE Equipment associated with transmission facilities such as a modem The RS 232C standard describes the ideal case where a DTE device connects to a DCE device Before sending data the SixPakPlus serial port must send and receive RS 232C signals in this order 1 Some DCE devices use the Ring Indicator RI signal to alert SixPakPlus that incoming data is due
74. tion with Y Certain versions of the IBM diagnostics may fail on the first pass You should therefore ignore the results of the first pass if an error occurs 5 9 Advanced Configuration NOTES 5 10 PARALLEL PORT 6 The SixPakPlus comes standard with a parallel port for interfacing the PC to a parallel printer such as the Epson FX 85 This port is completely IBM compatible with the IBM PC and uses the same female DB25S connector as an IBM port e Section 6 1 tells you how to configure the parallel port e Section 6 2 discusses parallel port programming e Section 6 3 gives parallel port I O address assignments and pinouts e Section 6 4 discusses parallel port diagnostic testing Section 6 5 tells you how to configure your SixPakPlus to allow interrupt driven parallel printer software to operate correctly Section 3 of this manual tells you how to install the parallel port ribbon cable onto your SixPakPlus board and how to install the board and the parallel port into your PC 6 1 Configuring the Parallel Port You can install a maximum of three parallel ports in the IBM PC called LPT1 LPT2 and LPT3 The parallel port on the SixPakPlus has been configured at the factory to respond as LPT1 LPT2 when a display adapter with a built in parallel port is present see Section 6 1 2 You can confirm that the parallel port is configured as LPT1 by checking that a shorting plug is installed at position LP1 of th
75. xPakPlus the DTE would then use DTR to respond to RI 2 When the SixPakPlus serial port DTE wants to send or receive data it raises the voltage on pin 20 pin 20 carries the DTR signal This voltage travels to DCE pin 20 where the modem interprets it to mean that a communications link is being requested by the DTE device B 3 Appendices 3 open phone line exists the DCE brings up two lines on its side of the interface DSR and DCD 4 When the DTE sees high voltage at its pins 6 and 8 it can then bring up pin 4 RTS RTS tells the DCE that the DTE has data to transmit to it 5 The DCE checks that it is ready to receive data if so it brings up pin 5 CTS 6 Oncethe DTE sees voltage on its pin 5 it can transmit data on the wire connected to pin 2 TxD or it can receive data via RxD CAUTION To help protect your equipment from damage be sure to connect the ground wires pins 1 and or 7 Figure B 1 shows an ideal DTE to DCE interface including signals signal directions and sequence top to bottom The interface must handle these signals before the DTE can transmit or receive data DCD DSR CTS and RxD are input signals to the SixPakPlus e DTR and RTS are output signals from the SixPakPlus Serial Interfaces DTE DCE Signal Pin Pin Signal Chassis 1 1 Chassis m er Signal 7 7 Signal Ground Ground RI 22 22 RI Elec cl p DCD 8 8 DCD DSR 6 6 DSR ud majeur ECT EE Eu cale
76. y up to 384 KB you will install one set of 64 KB chips in Bank 1 and one set of 256 KB chips in Bank 2 Install the new chips carefully and take care not to bend the legs Install the new chips so that the notched ends face the same direction as the other memory chips installed on the board see Figure 4 2 If the memory chip is not notched install it so that the pin 1 indicator a dot in one corner of the chip faces toward the lower left corner of the board 4 8 Memory Configuration NOTE Each bank of nine chips must be populated entirely Do not intermix 64 KB and 256 KB chips in the same bank STEP 3 Set SixPakPlus DIP switch SW1 for the new total amount of memory on the board Figure 4 1 shows you how to set SWI for the SixPakPlus memory size STEP 4 PC only Set DIP switch SW2 on the PC system board to the new total amount of memory installed in the PC see Figure 2 8 This Step is unnecessary for the PC XT Portable PC or 3270 PC STEP 5 Reinstall the SixPakPlus into the PC and power it up Now that there is more memory in the PC the powerup d agnostics will take longer to run If all goes well the system should operate normally and show the correct new total amount of memory when you enter the DOS CHKDSK command You can also run the IBM diagnostic routines see your IBM PC Guide to Operations manual If you get an error recheck the installation of the new chips and the switch settings on both the system
77. zation making it unnecessary to use the MODE command Refer to your software manual if it does not mention the MODE command it is probably safe to assume that you can omit that step If you are unsure it will not harm anything to go ahead and use the MODE command anyway If you are using the serial port to operate a serial printer you may also need to redirect printer output from LPT1 to COM1 or COM2 This is because DOS always assumes that printer output goes to parallel port LPT1 unless told otherwise You can use the MODE command to redirect printer output from a parallel port to a serial port For example For printer output to COM1 MODE LPT1 COM1 lt Enter For printer output to COM2 MODE 1 2 lt Enter A redirection command should follow the first MODE command that sets up the Baud rate parity and so forth Again it is possible that your applications program is handling this redirection automatically If so you can eliminate this step as well 5 3 Serial I O Address Assignments and Pinouts The serial port on the SixPakPlus uses the system I O addresses and IRQ interrupt request lines shown in Table 5 1 Table 5 1 I O Addresses and IRQ Interrupt Requests Port Configuration Addresses IRQ Line COMI 03F8 03FFh IRQ4 COM2 02F8 02FFh IRQ3 5 7 Advanced Configuration Table 5 2 gives the pinouts for the SixPakPlus serial port connector J1 Table 5 2 J1 Pinouts Chassis Ground TX

SixPakPlus User`s Manual 000490-001 A

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