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Epson Apex+ User's Manual

1. Voltage selection switch W Wildcard characters 3 20 21 Working copies 1 22 Write protecting diskettes Index 7 X XTREE Intro 3 2 14 3 24 32 Index 8 APEX PLUS APEX PLUS 20 User s Guide User s Guide eee one fk eee a ae ee ee ee
2. Num Scroll Lock Lock Using Your Apex 2 3 Selecting Execution Speed The Apex can operate at two speeds 4 77MHz or 9 54M Hz At 9 54MHz the Apex performs all tasks faster Certain appli cations may have specific timing requirements and only operate at the slower speed See the application program manual to determine the best operating speed When you turn on the computer it runs at 4 77M Hz An orange power light indicates the system is set at the slower speed You can change the execution speed by typing a keystroke combination or by running the SPEED program that Epson supplies on the GW BASIC diskette To change the execution speed using the keystroke combina tion hold down the Ctrl and Alt keys and press the slash key The computer changes from one speed to the other each time you press Ctrl Alt You can also change the execution speed by running the SPEED program To change the execution speed to 4 77MHz type the following and press Enter SPEED 1 To change the execution speed to 9 54MHz type the following and press Enter SPEED 2 When you change the speed to 9 54MHz the power light is green and the computer sounds a high pitched beep When you change the CPU speed to 4 77 MHz the power light is orange and the computer sounds a low pitched beep You can also display the current execution speed by typing speen and pressing Enter 2 4 Using Your Apex NOTE If you want to set your c
3. It is easiest to connect the monitor cable if the backs of the monitor and the main unit are facing you Your Apex comes with an installed multi graphics adapter MGA card You can connect an RGB color graphics monitor or a TTL monochrome monitor to the port on this card The way you connect your monitor depends on the type you have so check your monitor manual for instructions or follow these guidelines 1 If necessary connect the monitor cable to your monitor Some monitors have permanently attached cables 2 Connect the monitor cable to the connector at the back of the main unit Setting Up Your System 1 9 3 Tighten the screws if any on the plug with a screwdriver 4 Plug the monitor s power cable into an electrical outlet 5 Set the color mono switch on the back pand for the type of monitor you are using 1 10 Setting Up Your System 6 Make sure the DIP switch settings are correct for the type of monitor you are using The Apex computer is set at the factory to 80x25 color for a color graphics monitor If you are connecting a monochrome monitor you need to change the DIP switch settings See Appendix A for more information DIP switches If you are using a monitor other than a color graphics or TTL monochrome unit you ll need to install another video card in your computer See Chapter 4 Installing Option Cards for instructions You ll also need to check the DIP
4. 28 HELP command 3 22 24 Hidden files 5 5 l IBMBIO COM IBMDOS COM Inserting an option card 4 3 6 Inserting diskettes 2 10 11 Installing option cards 1 1 1 4 1 Interface Intro 2 foi STATS K Keyboard cable socket connecting 1 11 function keys layout legs 1 12 13 special keys 2 1 3 C 1 L Labeling diskettes 2 10 Loading MS DOS 1 19 Lock release latch 1 6 M Math coprocessor Wie Intro 2 Intro 2 5 8 c 1 Memory test MKDIR Lae Modem intro 2 C 5 Monitor color rir Index 4 Mouse compatibility feod Mouse Intro Moving the computer 2 15 MS DOS exiting starting Multi graphics adapter card Intro 1 1 8 9 5 8 5 10 C 3 Multifunction boards 41 Naming files 3 15 Non destructive surface analysis test hard disk Numeric cursor pad C 1 0 Operating speed f 5 2 4 5 5 6 Option card roae e FHLJ43 5 7 8 slots ntro 1 P Parallel DIP switch settings A 3 interface Intro 2 port 1 8 Parameters 3 3 Partition hard disk B 1 PATH command 3 10 B 2 Pathnames 3 9 Peripheral device Intro 2 1 8 Physical characteristics Ports 1 8 1 15 Positioning hard disk read write heads Power AC input 1 7 connecting the power cord 1 15 light 1 5 Index 5 requirements sources 1 3 strip switch 1 5 5 9 voltage 59 Power on
5. Always end your sessions with MS DOS from the command prompt Then it is safe to remove your diskettes turn off the computer and all peripherals 3 2 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Changing the Default Drive When you seethe A gt prompt you know that MS DOS is operating from driveA If you want to run a program or find a file on a different drive however you must specify that drive You can do this by including the drive identifier with the filename or by logging on to that drive The drive identifier is the letter of the disk drive followed by a colon For example to log on to drive B the bottom diskette drive type B_ and press Enter Your screen now displays theB gt prompt This means that you are now operating from drive B as the default drive The system continues to read from drive B until you log on to another drive or turn off or reset your computer To access a program or file without changing the default drive use a drive identifier with the filename For example if you are logged on to driveA and want to access a file on drive B type the drive identifier and the filename together like this B README TXT Entering MS DOS Commands You can enter an MS DOS command whenever you see the MS DOS command prompt To enter a command type the command name and any necessary parameters and then press Enter to execute the command Parameters include items that identify the data you want to process and switches t
6. DECSALES FORECAST 88 OCTSALES NOVSALES NOTE To use the TREE command you must log onto the drive and directory where TREE COM is stored or specify the drive location in the command 3 12 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Removing a directory If you no longer need a directory you can remove it with the RMDIR remove directory command To remove a directory first delete any files it contains or move them to another direc tory You cannot remove a directory that is not empty To remove an empty directory such as the WEST directory under LEDGER type the following and press Enter RMDIR LEDGER WEST You must give the complete pathname when removing a directory Formatting Diskettes Before you can store data on a new diskette you must format it Formatting prepares the diskette to accept data written by MS DOS You can also format previously used diskettes This process erases all data on the diskette Always be sure you do not want to save any of the data on a diskette before you format it The formatting procedure you use depends on whether you are using an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20 Follow the appropriate procedure below for the computer you are using Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 1 Insert your working copy of the MS DOS diskette in drive A and press any key if necessary Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 13 2 When you see the A gt prompt
7. This means you can use diskettes on the Apex that were prepared and used on another BM compatible computer You need to format new diskettes before you can use them with MS DOS The process of formatting erases all data on a diskette and prepares it to receive new data so be sure to format only 2 8 Using Your Apex new blank diskettes or diskettes that contain data you want to erase See Chapter 3 or your MS DOS reference manual for instructions on how to format diskettes Caring for your diskettes and diskette drives Follow these basic precautions to protect your diskettes and help you avoid losing data m Keep your diskettes away from dust and dirt Small particles of dust or dirt can scratch the magnetic surface and destroy data Dust can also ruin the read write head in the disk drive Keep your diskettes away from magnetic fields Remem ber that diskettes store their information magnetically Be careful of the many sources of magnetism in and around your home or office such as electrical appliances telephones and loudspeakers Do not place diskettes on top of your monitor or near a hard disk drive Keep your diskettes in a moderate environment They work best at normal room temperature and in normal humidity Don t leave your diskettes sitting in the sun or in extreme cold or heat Extreme temperatures inside a car in the middle of summer or winter can damage a diskette Never touch your dis
8. hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Del on the numeric keypad at the right of the keyboard The screen is blank for a moment then MS DOS is loaded from the diskette in drive A or from drive C If this does not correct the problem remove any diskettes from the disk drives Turn off the computer Wait for five seconds then turn off the monitor and any peripherals Wait for another five seconds then turn the computer monitor and peripherals on again Turning Off the Computer Normally when you are through working with an application program you save your data exit the program and remove all diskettes from the disk drives If you are using an Apex Plus 20 run the HDSIT program to position the hard disk drive heads Running HDSIT moves the read write heads away from the recording area See Preparing the hard disk for moving in this chapter Turn off the computer first then turn off the monitor and any peripherals 2 6 Using your Apex Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives The disk drives in your computer let you store your work and programs for use at any time Apex Plus systems have two 360 KB diskette drives Apex Plus 20 systems have one 360 KB diskette drive and one 20 MB hard disk drive Read the following sections to learn how diskettes work and how to do the following Lhoose diskettes L Care for your diskettes and disk drives Insert and remove diskettes J Write protect diskettes J Make backup c
9. l g re fa i User s Guide Reader Comment Card Apex by Epson User s Guide for the Apex Plus and Apex Plus 20 Please use this card to evaluate this manual Your comments and suggestions will help us improve our publications Please rate the following Excellent Good Fair Poor Organization of this manual Ly a Ej WT echnical accuracy Cy m a a W Completeness of instructions q QO OM a W Clarity of concepts and wording m O O Quality of examples and pictures d m a Q Quantity of examples and pictures Ld m O a Comments Name Title Company Address City State Zip Please cut out and mail in Thank you EPSON PLACE STAMP HERE EPSON America Inc 2780 Lomita Blvd Torrance CA 90505 Fold Here a aa User s Guide for the Apex Plus and Apex Plus 20 IMPORTANT NOTICE DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY Epson America makes no representations or warranties either express or implied by or with respect to anything in this manual and shall not be liable for any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose or for any indirect special or consequential damages Some states do not allow the exclusion of incidental or consequential damages so this exclusion may not apply to you COPYRIGHT NOTICE All rights reserved No part of this publication may be reproduced stored in aretrieval system or transmitted in any form or by
10. 1 cece eee Serial interface ccs 6 Connecting the Power Cord c 0k cect dnesasevacewn ea ante 7 Turning On the Computer and Loading MS DOS Safety rul S 2 6 tee System Startup eee eee cette Initial screen display 1 6 cece eee e eee eens Loading MS DOS on the Apex PIUS eeeeee eee The command prompt esses e eee eee eens 8 Copying System Diskettes 16 cece eee ees Copying diskettes on the Apex PluS 0505 Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 20 9 Setting the Real Time Clock 22 media dindtha oars iehecues Contents v Chapter 2 Using Your Apex ssttttttttttsstt ter reseseseeeeeenees Special Keys on the Apex Keyboard steetrtreeeeeeee Selecti ng Execution Speed AE an ai Sah is xt ala aiao TOA 1 jaf cided TE Tear jx tey E fms ta ae Stopping a Command or Program s ttre Resetting the Computer ee ee ee Cee te enter ere a Turning Off the Computer Daerah e898 Sete Ue G8 toca tec Niger cre Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives sss terete teres How diskettes Work sect ttt ttt ete Choosing diskettes for the Apex terres Caring for your diskettes and diskette drives Inserting and removing diskettes e rere eres Write protecting diskettes s see ee eee eee eee eens M aking backup copies tap farses EE AE EEE EE jet E ery janes gee Using Your Hard Disk 2s tt ee ee ee ee Using a single diskette drive syste
11. Press any key to begin Your computer begins loading MS DOS into memory If you did not insert your system diskette or you inserted another diskette by mistake you see these messages Non System disk or disk error Insert system diskette in drive A and strike any key when ready 4 In this case insert your MS DOS diskette and press any key to continue After MS DOS is loaded the operating system title and version number display on the screen Then you see the date prompt which appears every time you boot the system Current date is DDD mm dd yy Enter new date 1 20 Setting Up Your System 5 You can enter the correct date or leave it unchanged by pressing Enter For now press Enter to leave the date unchanged 6 After accepting the date MS DOS displays the time prompt Current time is hh mm ss Enter new time You can enter the correct time or bypass the prompt by pressing Enter For now press Enter to bypass the prompt The system now displays the MS DOS command prompt A gt whichis your starting point for putting MS DOS to work The command prompt The command prompt tells you that MS DOS is loaded and your computer is ready to receive instructions The command prompt also identifies the current operating drive A B or C It displays on the screen when you load MS DOS complete an MS DOS command or return to MS DOS from an application program If your current operating drive is A it looks like
12. already loaded and ready to use You do not need to format this hard disk drive unless you havea serious problem with it If you encounter signs of a hard disk problem when booting MS DOS run the Non destructive surface analysis test option 4 on the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU to make sure that formatting is absolutely necessary If errors occur during this test back up your disk and run the Conditional format followed by Destructive surface analysis These tests are described below There are several steps to preparing an unformatted hard disk drive for use with MS DOS First you format the hard disk drive to accept data After the hard disk is formatted you partition and format it for a particular operating system Formatting destroys all data on the hard disk in all partitions so follow this procedure with extreme care After the disk is partitioned and formatted for MS DOS you can copy your programs onto it and then reorder the files into an efficient working arrangement This chapter shows you how to use the following MS DOS commands to prepare a hard disk 0 HDFMTALL lets you check your hard disk for the location of bad sectors and format it to accept data d FDISK reserves all or part of your hard disk for use by MS DOS 4 SELECT formats your hard disk to receive MS DOS files and installs MS DOS on your disk Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 1 2 MKDIR and COPY let you move the files on your hard disk into the recomme
13. directory to another L Displaying a list of all directories 4 Deleting a directory Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 7 Creating directories Use the MKDIR command to create a directory For example to create the LEDGER directory under the root directory type the following and press Enter z MKDIR LEDGER You can abbreviate the name of this command to MD For example to create the SALES directory under LEDGER type thefollowing and press Enter MD LEDGER SALES To check that the LEDGER directory is in the root directory type DIR and press Enter The screen displays a list of files in the root directory along with the new subdirectory LEDGER lt DIR gt The lt DIR gt after a name identifies it as a subdirectory of the current directory in this case the root directory y Storing files in separate directories is almost the same as storing them on separate disks You have to specify the pathname or change directories to access files in different directories just as you have to specify the drive or log onto a different drive to access files on different disks Changing directories To change directories type cHDIR or CD followed by a backslash and the name of the directory For example to change to the LEDGER directory type the following and press Enter CD LEDGER Z 3 8 Using MS DOS with Your Apex The backslash identifies the new directory LED
14. ina maraa es MICSSAPES oegeocpri setadir heed ae i a ee ae The XTREE Utility 0 ccc eee What XTREE does cece eee eee eee Using XT REE cyrri eras elo ig wai ennn Tad CUNS ii eiii i ioiei aaa aie ted clench tote hd ated 2 bed p 2 100 8 ae ee Starting your Application Program 00 cece cece aes Using an AUTOEXEC BAT File cece eee eee ee Creating an AUTOEXEC BAT file Chapter 4 Installing Option Cards 00 cece eee es Removing the Cover cc cece eee Inserting the Option Card ccc eee Replacing the Cover 0c cece eects Post installation Setup 6 ce ee Removing Option Cards cece cece eee Chapter 5 Troubleshooting cccceeeeeeeee eee e eee eens The Computer Fails to Start Up eee eee eee eee The Video Display Does Not Appear 0 eee The Computer Locks Up cece eee Diskette Problems 0 0 2 cece eee ees Hard Disk Problems 0 00 c eee eee teens Software Problems 2 20 c eee eee eee eee eee Printer Problems 000 cc eee ete tenets Option Card Problems 0 0 cece eee eee ees Expanding Your System 0 cece Cnntents vii Appendixes Appendix A Setting the DIP Switches ccececen ence eee eee Switch 1 serial port rieres aaa aa aa a AE eee Switch 2 parallel port 0 c eee eee eee Switches 3 and 4 monitor and adapter typ
15. matches the connector type on the board you are using An IBM compatible joystick such as the Kraft Premium III Joystick with a 15 pin IBM compatible connector must be used with the connector on the multi graphics adapter card 5 10 Troubleshooting Appendix A Setting the DIP Switches The DIP switch settings on the Apex provide your computer with information about its configuration Each time you turn on your Apex it checks the settings to determine the type of monitor and the type of interfaces in use The DIP switches are located on the back panel of your main unit These switches are preset for you by the manufacturer However read this appendix to become familiar with the DIP switch settings and to check that the settings match your system s setup If you add optional devices to your system you may need to alter the DIP switch settings NOTE Set the DIP switches only while your computer is off Software programs check the settings only when you turn on the Apex so changing the settings while a program is running has no effect The Apex has four DIP switches To turn a DIP switch on or off use a hard thin object such as a small screwdriver to flip the switch to the appropriate setting Setting the DIP Switches A 1 This table lists functions controlled by each DIP switch Function 1 2 3 4 Serial RS232 C port COM1 primary OFF COM2 secondary ON Parallel port LPT1 primary OFF LPT2 secondary ON V
16. operating speed by holding down the Ctrl and Alt keys and pressing the slash key See Selecting Execution Speed in Chapter 2 5 6 Troubleshooting Printer Problems Your printer manual describes methods to solve most of your printer problems However if your printer does not work correctly right after you install it check to make sure the printer has power and is properly connected to the computer If you need additional help the printer manual gives detailed instruc tions on how to connect your printer If you have printing problems check the printer manual for the printer s correct DIP switch settings The DIP switches on a printer help it communicate properly with the computer and you may need to make an adjustment for your configuration Be sure your software is set up for your printer Option Card Problems If you install an option card and get unexpected results check the following 1 Is the option card installed correctly Check the setup and operation procedures in the option card instructions 2 Did you set the necessary DIP switches or jumpers on the option card See your option card instructions for these settings 3 Did you set the necessary DIP switches on the main unit as required by your option card See Setting the DIP Switches in Appendix A 4 If you added an external device to your Apex did you use the proper cable to connect the peripheral to the port or option card connec
17. receiving this error message do the following 1 If the drive is not formatted run the Unconditional format option 2 and enter any tracks you know are bad in the Bad Track Table See Unconditional format below 2 Run the Destructive surface analysis option 3 to flag any remaining bad tracks See Destructive surface analysis below 3 Run the Conditional format again No errors should occur if one does contact the store where you purchased your computer or call the toll free Epson number for the location of your nearest Authorized Epson Customer Care Center B 6 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use Unconditional format You can also use this option to format your hard disk The dif ference between unconditional and conditional formatting is how bad tracks are identified The unconditional format re quires you to enter a list of bad tracks before formatting begins To start the Unconditional format press 2 and then Enter You are first given the option to change the interleave factor for formatting from the default value of three Only do this if the documentation with your hard disk recommends a different value The hard disk that comes with the Apex Plus 20 uses the default value of three You see this prompt Do you want default interleave of 3 Y N To accept the default press Y and Enter To change the value press N and Enter You see this prompt Enter interleave factor 1 16 Type the re
18. self test Printer 1 13 SOE 5 7 c 3 Problem d 5 1 8 PROMPT command Protector cards 1 2 R RAM random access wes ag sie Intro 1 Removing diskettes Removing option es os 9 Removing the computer s cover 4 2 3 Resetting the computer 2 5 6 RGB color graphics monitor Intro 1 1 8 9 5 8 C 3 RMDIR command Root directory RS232 C port S Safety rules 1 16 Screen display 1 18 SELECT command Serial DIP switch settings A 2 interface Intro 2 port 1 8 SETMODE command SETRTC program Setting the real time clock 1 25 26 B 15 Setting up your computer 1 1 26 Software problems Source diskette 1 23 24 Speaker interface C 1 Specifications C 1 5 SPEED program 2 4 5 Index 6 Starting the system normal startu p1 17 problem solving Stopping a command or program 2 5 Storage capacity C 2 Storing diskettes SUBST command Switches SYS command 5 5 T Target diskette 1 23 24 Television set Time prompt 1 21 1 26 Track ball 1 8 TREE command 3 12 Tree structured directories Troubleshooting 5 1 8 TTL monochrome monitor Intro 1 Turning off the computer Turning on the computer 1 17 U Unconditional format hard disk Unpacking your computer 1 1 Using the computer in other countries V Video card 1 11 J4 1 5 8 9 a 3 C 1 Video display 5 2 3 C 3 Video graphics array VGA monitor Intro 1
19. specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC rules which are designed to provide reasonable protection against such interference in a residential installation However there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation If this equipment does cause interference to radio and television reception which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on you are encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures e Reorient the receiving antenna e Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver e Move the computer away from the receiver e Plug the computer into a different outlet so that the computer and receiver are on different branch circuits If necessary consult your dealer or an experienced radio television technician for additional suggestions You may find the following booklet prepared by the Federal Communications Commission helpful Television interference Handbook This booklet is available from the U S Government Printing Office Washington DC 20402 Stock No 004 000 00450 7 Note If the interference stops it was probably caused by the computer or its peripheral devices To further isolate the problem Disconnect the peripheral devices and their input output cables one at a time If the interference stops it is caused by either the peripheral device or its I O cable These devices usually require shielded I O cables For Epson periphera
20. surfaces and the drive may be damaged or you may lose valuable data To run HDSIT at the command prompt type HDSIT and press Enter The screen displays a message reminding you that the heads will not be unlocked until you reset the computer or turn it off and on again The heads are locked and the keyboard is disabled You can now turn off the computer and move it to a new location Using Your Apex 2 15 2 16 Using Your Apex Chapter 3 Using MS DOS with Your Apex In this chapter you ll learn the basics of using MS DOS with your Apex The MS DOS operating system manages the routine work of your system such as keeping the computer s memory organized controlling the monitor display accepting keyboard input and directing external communication Introducing MS DOS Your application software cannot communicate with your Apex hardware without instructions from MS DOS The operating system controls the system input and output and the operation of all disk drives Before you can use an MS DOS application program MS DOS must be running in the computer s memory This means you must first load MS DOS so that the operating system can accept your instructions and make the right connections To communicate with the operating system you need to enter MS DOS commands How much you need to know about the MS DOS commands depends on how you plan to use your Apex If you plan to use it only for running application pro grams the few
21. the power back on Wait a few seconds to see if the screen displays any text 5 2 Troubleshooting 2 If the display doesn t appear on the screen use the controls on the monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast of the display 3 Check DIP switches 3 and 4 on the back panel of the main unit to make sure they are set correctly for your video card If you need to adjust a DIP switch turn off your computer make the adjustment and then turn on the power 4 Remove any diskettes you have in your disk drives then turn off the computer Check to see that the monitor s power cord is securely connected to its power outlet and that the monitor cable is properly connected to both the monitor and the correct option slot on the back pand Then turn both power switches back on 5 Finally you can check the electrical outlet for power Turn off your monitor Then plug a portable lamp into the monitor s outlet and turn it on to see if it supplies power The Computer Locks Up If the computer locks up and does not respond to the key board try the following 1 Wait a few seconds Remember that some operations take longer to perform than others and your computer may still be performing an internal function For example a spread sheet program takes quite a bit longer to recalculate an entire spreadsheet than to record one figure Also GW BASIC programs with many calculations to perform can take several minutes or even h
22. the DOS diskette is already in drive A Your computer begins rdoading MS DOS After the preliminary copyright information displays on the screen the date prompt displays 6 Press Enter twice to accept the current date and time Don t worry about entering the correct date and time you ll set the real time clock in a later step The A gt prompt redisplays B 12 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use Using SELECT SELECT formats your hard disk and copies the files on your MS DOS system diskette to it You ll teal SELECT that you want to copy the MS DOS files to a directory called DOS Follow these steps to use SELECT L If you have not already done so insert your MS DOS system diskete into the top drive Press Enter The MS DOS system prompt displays A gt Atthea gt prompt typethe following and press Enter SELECT A C DOS 001 US The screen displays this message SELECT is used to install DOS the first time SELECT erases everything on the specified target and then installs DOS Do you want to continue Y N Press Y Formatting does not begin immediately SELECT gives you one more chance to change your mind The screen displays this message WARNING ALL DATA ON NON REMOVABLE DISK DRIVE C WILL BE LOST Proceed with Format Y N Press Yto format the DOS partition MS DOS begins formatting your hard disk s DOS partition The screen continuo
23. the contact pins pointing down and the components facing toward the inside of the computer Installing Option Cards 4 5 5 Now insert the card straight down into the slot Slide the tab at the bottom of the retaining bracket between the back panel and the green main circuit board 6 Once you have the connector pins sitting in the connector slot push down firmly but carefully to fully insert the card If you feel that the connector isn t going in smoothly do not force it pull it all the way out and try again Be sure to keep it straight 7 When the card is properly inserted secure the retaining bracket to the frame of the computer with the small screw 4 6 Installing Option Cards C Replacing the Cover After you have installed the card all you need to do is replace the cover of the computer 1 With the back of the computer still facing you position the cover over the computer with the front edge pointing slightly downward 2 Lower the cover onto the computer making sure that the edges fit around the back panel 3 Secure the cover by replacing the screw on the back of the computer and the four screws on the sides of the top cover 4 You can return the computer to its original position and reconnect it to the monitor the keyboard and any other peripherals you have 5 Check to make sure the power switch is off before you reconnect the power cord to the back of the computer and then to an e
24. type FORMAT B and press Enter You see this prompt Insert diskette for drive B and strike ENTER when ready 3 Insert the diskette you want to format into drive B and press Enter MS DOS displays the head and cylinder numbers as it formats each cylinder of the diskette Head n Cylinder nn 4 When the diskette is formatted you see these messages Format complete 362496 bytes total disk space 362496 bytes available on disk Format another Y N You can press Y to format another diskette or press N to return to the MS DOS command prompt Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 20 1 Insert the diskette you want to format in drive A 2 If necessary type c to log onto drive C 3 14 Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 When you see the C gt prompt type FORMAT A and press Enter You seethis prompt Insert new diskette for drive A and strike ENTER when ready Insert the diskette you want to format into drive A and press Enter MS DOS displays the head and cylinder numbers as it formats each cylinder of the diskette Head n Cylinder nn When the diskette is formatted you see these messages Format 36249 36249 Format complete bytes total disk space bytes available on disk another Y N Tf oOo Oo CI You can press Y to format another diskette or press N to return to the MS DOS command prompt Copying Data It s important to create backup copies
25. typical setup The monitor is on top of the main unit and the keyboard is directly in front This leaves enough space for you to insert diskettes into the disk drives If you have special computer furniture you can arrange your Apex components to suit your own particular needs Before you begin to connect the cables take a look at the front and back panels of the main unit 1 4 Setting Up Your System The front panel On the front panel you see the power light the power switch and the keyboard cable socket If you are using an Apex Plus your computer has two diskette drives If you are using an Apex Plus 20 your computer has one diskette drive and one hard disk drive Disk lock Power light Diskette drives release latch Diskette drive light Keyboard cable socket Power switch Here s how the front panel components work Q Power switch Press this switch to turn the main unit on and off LY Power light This light is on when the power is on Your Apex computer can operate at two different speeds The light is orange when the system is running at 4 77MHz megahertz The light is green when the system is running at 9 54M Hz Do not change the operating speed while you are running a program See Chapter 2 for more information d Keyboard cable socket Use this socket to plug the keyboard into the computer Setting Up Your System 1 5 Diskette drives In the Apex Plus both the top and bottom di
26. 256 color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution Wildcard A character that reoresents an unknown character or group of characters The wildcard character asterisk represents a group of characters and the wildcard character question mark represents a single character Write To store data on a disk Write protect To prevent a diskette from being overwritten by placing a write protect tab over the notch on the side of a 5 I 4inch diskette When a diskette is write protected you cannot erase change or record over its contents 12 Glossary Index A AC input 1 7 Adjusting the keyboard angle 1 12 13 APPEND aE AUTOEXEC BAT 3 33 B 21 B 16 B Back panel 1 7 Backing up disketes 2 12 13 BACKUP command 3 15 3 21 22 Bad tracks hard disk B 3 B 7 Break signal 2 5 C Caring for diskettes 2 9 10 Changing operating speed 1 5 2 4 5 5 6 Changing the onna oni CHDIR command Choosing diskettes Clock rate C 1 Clock setting 1 25 26 B 15 Color graphics monitor Color mono switch Command prompt 1 21 COMMAND COM COMP command Composite monochrome monitor monce Intro 1 Intro 1 1 8 1 8 5 8 9 C 3 I port 1 8 c 3 a Conditional format hard disk Connecting the keyboard 1 12 COPY command 3 10 3 15 3 19 21 B 2 ae diskettes 1 22 25 2 12 13 CPU C 1 Index 1 D Date prompt 1 20 1 26 DB 25P connector D
27. ANDS line at the bottom of your screen The highlighted letter of the word D in Delete for example indicates the key you press to execute the command You can execute some commands on more than one file or directory by tagging all the desired files or directories with the Tag com mand and then holding down the Ctrl key as you press the character key Alt key commands execute additional XTREE commands The available XTREE commands appear on the DIR COMMANDS or FILE COMMANDS line when you press the Alt key To execute the command hold down the Alt key and press the highlighted letter of the command name Function keys control XTREE itself Press F1 to quit XTREE press F2 to display a screen of help information and press F3 to cancel a command XTREE displays the available commands and the key that executes the command on the lower right of your screen There are many ways you can put XTREE to work All disk setup and maintenance functions can benefit from this utility You can add XTREE to batch files like any other MS DOS command you could even put it in an AUTOEXEC BAT file to display a disk s file structure when you turn on the computer Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 27 Cautions With a utility as powerful and as fast as XTREE you must always be aware of the danger of accidentally erasing important files Follow these guidelines to protect your files LI You can cancel commands even commands in progress by pressing F3
28. ASCII text file you can use that program to create an AUTOEXEC BAT file The MS DOS COPY command provides an easy way to create an AUTOEXEC BAT file At the MS DOS command prompt type the following and press Enter COPY CON C AUTOEXEC BAT C is the drive which will contain the AUTOEXEC BAT file you are creating Type the commands you want to include in the file exactly as you want MS DOS to execute them Press Enter at the end of each line After you type the last command press Enter to move the cursor to a blank line Now press F6 and then Enter COPY copies everything you entered from CON a special name for the keyboard to the file AUTOEXEC BAT Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 33 3 34 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Chapter 4 Installing Option Cards You can use your Apex in many additional ways by adding option cards to its present configuration Option cards are accessories that provide extra capabilities to your Apex For example you may want to install an internal modem so you can communicate with another computer over the telephone or a video card that allows you to use an EGA monitor You can install up to five option cards in the Apex at one time but keep in mind that one position is always occupied by the video card that operates your monitor If you are using an Apex Plus 20 a second position is occupied by a hard disk controller card Option cards are available from Epson as well as other vendors
29. Appendix C lists the hardware specifications operating requirements and options of your computer 3 The glossary defines the computer terms used in this manual Where to Get Help For warranty repairs and technical assistance for your Apex computer call toll free 1 800 922 8911 24 hours a day seven days a week for the location of your nearest Epson Customer Care Center To purchase accessories such as printer ribbons and option cards check with the store where you purchased your computer or call toll free 1 800 922 891 1 for the location of your nearest Epson Customer Care Center 4 Introduction Chapter 1 Setting Up Your System Setting up your Apex personal computer is easy just follow the steps in this chapter and you ll be on your way You can also check the Read This First sheet included with your computer 1 Unpacking Inspect each component as you remove it from its carton If you discover any missing or damaged items contact the place of purchase to obtain the missing items or an exchange If you are unable to obtain an exchange please call 1 800 922 891 1 for the location of your nearest Authorized Epson Customer Care Center When you call please have the serial number of your computer available Be sure to keep your packing materials They provide the best possible protection for your computer if you need to move or ship it later When you unpack your Apex you ll find the following J The main
30. DISK A Available Bytes 49 152 DISK Statistics TOtal Files 42 Bytes 292 637 Matching Files 42 Bytes 292 637 Tagged Files 0 Bytes 0 Current Directory Bytes 292 637 Fl quit F2 help 2 Press M for Makedir to create a directory for your files Type test and press Enter to name your directory XTREE opens a new directory and updates the directory structure so it looks like this Path are ANSI ASSIGN ATTRIB CHRDSR COMMAND DEBUG DISKCOMP DISKCOPY DU EPSON FC FIND DIR COMMANDS Nscroll SYS FORMAT COM MSDOS COM GRAFTABL COM POWER EXE GRAPHICS EXE PRINT COM IO SYS RECOVER COM KEYBFR COM REVERSE COM KEYBGR COM SELECT COM KEYBIT COM SETMODE COM XEYBSP COM SETUP EXE KEYBUK COM SORT TXT LABEL EXE SPEED EXE MODE COM SYS EXE MORE COM Available Delete Fileapec Showall Tag Untaq Volume RETURN file commands SYS COM COM COM COM COM EXE EXE EXE COM EXE Log disk Makedir Print Rename execute ALT menu FILE DISK A Available Bytes 48 129 DISK Statistics Total Files 42 Bytes 292 637 Matching Files 42 Bytes 292 637 Tagged Files 0 Bytes 0 Current Directory au 292 637 Fl quit F2 help Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 29 3 Now you can copy files into this directory Press Enter to move the cursor from the root directory to the files window 4 PressT to tag a few files A diamond appears next to each file you tag Copying duplicate files
31. GER as a sub directory of the root directory Once you are in the directory you can directly access any files it contains To change to a subdirectory of the current directory you do not need to enter the backslash For example to change to the SALES subdirectory while you are in the LEDGER directory type the following and press Enter CD SALES To return to the root directory from any subdirectory type the following and press Enter CD This command takes you back to the root directory from any subdirectory Using pathnames You can access files in a different directory by specifying a pathname The path consists of a series of directory names separated by backslashes and the filename you want to access The filename is always last and is always preceded by a back slash A backslash at the beginning of a pathname signifies the root directory subsequent backslashes separate directory levels Normally MS DOS begins searching for a file in the current directory When you set a path MS DOS searches for the file in all the directories in the designated path Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 9 For example if you are in the LEDGER directory and want to access a file named MICHELLE under the PERSONAL direc tory you would type the following pathname and press Enter WORDPROC PERSONAL MICHELLE The pathname WORDPROC PERSONAL MICHELLE is the full pathname for the file MICHELLE You can use it no matter what dire
32. In addition multifunction boards available from various vendors allow you to add multiple features using only asingle slot Before you install an option card in your computer you need to remove the cover from your computer Remember that static electricity can damage the computer s circuitry Therefore be careful when you remove the cover and install the option card This chapter describes how to remove and replace the computer s cover and install and remove an option card Removing the Cover To remove the cover you ll need a cross head screwdriver Follow these steps WARNING Never open the cover of the Apex while it is plugged into an electrical outlet Turn off the power switch to the computer then turn off any other peripheral devices connected to it Wait for a few seconds then unplug the power cord before removing the cover 1 If your monitor is on top of the computer disconnect it and move it to one side Disconnect the keyboard and your printer and set them out of the way too 2 The top cover is secured by two screws on either side of the computer as shown below Remove the screws and place them to one side Turn the computer around so that the back panel faces you 3 You ll see that the cover is secured to the back panel with one screw Remove the screw and put it safely to one side 4 2 Installing Option Cards 4 Now tilt the cover up slightly from the back and push it away from you an
33. MS DOS commands you need are introduced in this chapter If you plan to use advanced features or create your own programs you ll want to know as much as possible about MS DOS See your MS DOS reference manual Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 1 Starting and Exiting MS DOS Before you can run an MS DOS application program MS DOS must be running in memory Follow these steps to load MS DOS 1 Turn on your monitor and any peripherals such as the printer 2 Turn on the computer 3 If you have an Apex Plus insert your MS DOS system diskette into the top drive and press any key NOTE If you are using an Apex Plus 20 your system is set to boot MS DOS automatically from the hard disk when you turn on or reset the computer To boot from the hard disk make sure that drive A does not contain a diskette You can load MS DOS from the diskette drive instead of the hard disk drive if you insert your MS DOS system diskette before you reset or turn on your computer Your computer however renembers that you y loaded MS DOS from drive A and prompts you to insert the system diskette whenever it needs to access a command 4 If you have an Apex Plus respond to the Date and Time prompts or press Enter twice to skip them Now you see the MS DOS command prompt which tells you that MS DOS is loaded and identifies the current drive You a can now enter commands to instruct MS DOS to perform tasks and run application programs
34. Make sure one end of the power cord is securely plugged into the power inlet AC input on the back pane of the main unit and the other end is plugged into a 3 prong 120 volt grounded electrical outlet 2 Turn on the monitor so you can see messages that appear as your computer starts up If you have a printer turn it on 3 You can turn on your computer with or without a system diskette in the top disk drive but for now leave the drive empty Press the power switch on The power indicator on the front panel lights up and the cooling fan inside the main unit starts After a few seconds the computer begins to perform a power on self test Setting Up Your Systen 1 17 Initial screen display Before the self test begins a message similar to this displays Phoenix 8088 ROM BIOS Ver 1 00 Copyright c 1984 1985 1987 Phoenix Technologies Ltd All Rights Reserved Then the computer immediately begins to test the memory The Apex computer checks each kilobyte of memory twice counting from 0 to 512 and then starting over again It displays this message as it performs the test RAM Testing XXXKB The test takes about 45 seconds to complete You can skip the memory test by pressing the space bar after you turn on the computer NOTE If you can t see the screen display clearly make sure the power light is on Then use the controls on your monitor to adjust the brightness and contrast until characters on the screen
35. RAM RAM determines the size of software programs you can run and the data files you can create With 512 KB of RAM you can run most large programs and create large data files Most software programs expect a computer to have two diskette drives one for the program diskette and one for a data diskette The Apex Plus provides two diskette drives so you do not have to spend time switching diskettes The Apex Plus 20 hard disk drive and diskette drive provide the same convenience and let you take advantage of the hard disk s large storage capacity and faster performance Depending on your needs you can use ether a TTL mono chrome monitor or an RGB red green blue color graphics monitor with your computer The Apex monochrome monitor is a good choice if you are using word processing and spread sheet programs The Apex color monitor is an excellent choice if you use software designed for color graphics Your Apex comes with a multi graphics adapter MGA card so you can display color or monochrome graphics on your monitor The card is already installed in one of the five option slots inthe computer The MGA card also includes a game port so you can easily connect a joystick to your computer You can replace the MGA card to use another type of monitor such as an enhanced graphics adapter EGA monitor or a video graphics array VGA monitor Introduction 1 Your Apex includes built in parallel and serial interfaces that let you connect a
36. This stops any function Ly Use Ctrl A the attributes command to give read only status to all the files in the directories Then in order to erase a file you must first remove its protection J XTREE is limited in the number of files and directories it can handle XTREE checks to see if a disk has more than 180 directories or 2800 files if the disk does XTREE auto matically aborts Example XTREE offers too many commands to demonstrate all the various combinations in this introduction just renember that everything you can do is shown on the screen display The best way to learn XTREE is to use it In this example you create a new directory on your system diskette or hard disk copy a few files into it and then remove them all 3 28 Using MS DOS with Your Apex 1 At the MS DOS command prompt type XTR Enter You see the XTREE menu Path ANSI ASSIGN ATTRIB CHKDSK COMMAND DEBUG DISKCOMP DISKCOPY DU EPSON FC FIND DIR COMMANDS Nscroll SYS FORMAT COM MSDOS COM GRAFTABL COM POWER EXE GRAPHICS EXE PRINT COM IO SYS RECOVER COM KEYBFR COM REVERSE COM KEYBGR COM SELECT COM KEYBIT COM SETMODE COM KEYBSP COM SETUP EXE KEYBUK COM SORT TXT LABEL EXE SPEED EXE MODE COM SYS EXE MORE COM Available Delete Filespec Showall Tag Untag Volume RETURN file commands SYS COM COM COM COM COM EXE EXE EXE COM EXE Log disk Makedir Print Rename execute ALT menu EE and press rrnE ile
37. XEC BAT MS DOS automatically looks for this file at startup If MS DOS finds an AUTOEXEC BAT file in the root directory it executes the commands in that file If you are using an Apex Plus 20 Epson has included an AUTOEXEC BAT file in the root directory of your hard disk It contains these commands ECHO OFF PATH C C DOS C BASIC PROMPT SPSG CLS The first line instructs MS DOS not to display the commands in the batch file before executing them The second line sets a command search path now MS DOS automatically looks for programs in the root directory CA the DOS directory and the BASIC directory as well as the current directory The third 3 32 Using MS DOS with Your Apex third line changes the command prompt to display the current directory as well as the current drive and the fourth line clears the screen Here are some other suggestions for commands you can include in an AUTOEXEC BAT file Modify the PATH command to include the directories containing other software programs you commonly use _ Add the XTREE command to the end of the list of commands so that you start each session within XTREE Add the SPEED command so your computer is running at fast speed at startup Creating an AUTOEXEC BAT file You can create an AUTOEXEC BAT file using any command or program that lets you create a text only file If you have a word processing program that can save a file as a text only file Some times called an
38. acks manually When you select an option from the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU the program determines the number of hard disk drives installed in your computer If you have more than one drive each time you select an option you see this prompt Enter drive letter C D Press C or D and then press Enter If you have only one hard disk drive the option you select starts immediately Conditional format normal Use this option to format the hard disk All flagged tracks are marked so that they are never used To start the Conditional format press 1 and then Enter The program starts to scan the disk to find all tracks flagged as bad starting from the innermost cylinder of the disk During the scan you see the number of the cylinder being checked For example if you have a 20MB hard disk the first messages you see are Format Hard Disk Scanning for flagged bad tracks Current cylinder is 614 B 4 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use When the scan is complete the program displays information about the condition of the disk For a 20MB hard disk with no bad tracks the display looks like this Scanning finished Count of tracks flagged bad z Count of tracks with other errors Count of good tracks SO xs The program then displays a warning about the consequences of proceeding with formatting WARNING ALL DATA WILL BE DESTROYED IN ALL PARTITIONS OF HARD DISK NOT JUST IN MS DOS PARTITION Do you want to start fo
39. ady 4 Insert the diskette you want to copy from in the diskette drive and press any key DISKCOPY copies the contents of the diskette to the computer s memory The screen displays a message similar to this while copying Copying 40 tracks 9 sectors track 2 side s When all the files have been copied the screen displays these messages Insert TARGET diskette in drive A Press any key when ready 3 18 Using MS DOS with your Apex 5 Remove the diskette from drive A and insert the blank diskette in the drive DISKCOPY checks to see if the new diskette is formatted If not it formats the diskette You see this message Formatting while copying The copy operation begins when the format is complete You see these messages Copying 40 tracks 9 sectors track 2 side s When the copy is complete you see this message Copy another diskette Y N Press Y to perform another copy or N to end the DISKCOPY command Using the COPY command You can use the COPY command to copy files in several ways m Copy individual files from one diskette to another or to the same diskette Copy a group of files using wildcard characters Copy one or more files and give them new names Combine or merge files into one file Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 19 A few simple rules apply when copying files 1 You must tel MS DOS where to find the source file and where to write the target file CJ You cannot create a new
40. aking backup copies Always make backup copies of all your data and system diskettes Copy all diskettes that contain programs such as the master system diskettes that come with your Apex and use only the copies Store your original system diskettes in a safe place away from your working diskettes 2 12 Using Your Apex Copy your data diskettes regularly preferably every day or every few hours if you re creating a lot of data to keep your backup data current then store the backup copies away from your originals Chapter 1 describes how to use DISKCOPY to copy your MS DOS system diskettes To make backups of other MS DOS diskettes use the DISCKCOPY command or the DU Disk Utility program See your MS DOS reference manual for instructions on using DISKCOPY and DU If you are using an Apex Plus 20 it s best to put most of the programs and data files you use regularly on the hard disk Keep backup copies of all your program files on diskettes and regularly copy important data files to diskettes as well For more information see Copying Data in Chapter 3 and refer to your MS DOS reference manual Using Your Hard Disk The Apex Plus 20 system includes an internal 20 MB hard disk Here are some precautions to take when using a hard disk system LJ Never attempt to open the hard disk drive The disk itself is enclosed in an airtight container to protect it from dust d If you are going to move your computer even to
41. als you MS DOS is loaded and ready to receive instructions The default command prompt in MS DOS also displays the current operating drive if it is drive A the command prompt looks like this A gt See also Prompt Configuration The particular setup of a group of components For example a typical system configuration consists of a main unit with two diskette drives and a monitor connected to a printer 2 Glossary Control code A command generated when you hold down Ctrl and press another key on the keyboard that instructs the computer to perform a specific function CPU Central Processing Unit The piece of hardware that interprets instructions performs the tasks you indicate keeps track of stored data and controls all input and output operations Current directory The directory you are working in Cursor The highlighted marker that shows your position on the screen and moves as you enter and delete data Cylinder See Track Data Information stored or processed by a computer Data diskette A formatted diskette used to store files Data length The number of bits per character in serial transmissions Default Values or settings that take effect when the computer is turned on or reset A default value stays in effect unless you override it temporarily by changing a setting or you reset the default value itself Delimiter A character or space used to separate different parts of an MS DOS command usually a spa
42. another part of the room run the program called HDSIT to prepare the hard disk for moving See Preparing the hard disk for moving in this chapter for more information Working with a hard disk is very similar to working with a diskette MS DOS treats files on a hard disk just like files on a diskette However the hard disk provides several advantages Using Your Apex 2 13 J The 20 MB hard disk can store as much data as 55 360 KB diskettes QJ Your computer can read from and write to a hard disk faster than when using a diskette LJ You can store all your frequently used programs and data files on the hard disk reducing the amount of time you spend swapping between diskettes with different information on them The added storage capacity makes it easy to move back and forth between different programs and data files However because it is so easy to add programs and files to your hard disk you may find yourself trying to organize hundreds of files MS DOS lets you keep related files together in directories and subdirectories Epson also includes the XTREE utility with your Apex system which gives you an easy to understand visual representation of your directory structure XTREE contains many powerful features that let you move create delete and rename files and directories and view and execute files See The XTREE Utility in Chapter 3 or your MS DOS reference manual for instructions Using a single diskette dr
43. any means electronic mechanical photocopying recording or otherwise without the prior written permission of Epson America Inc No patent liability is assumed with respect to the use of information contained herein While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this publication Epson America assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions Nor is any liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein Further this publication and features described herein are subject to change without notice TRADEMARKS Apex is a trademark of Epson America Inc Epson is a registered trademark of Seiko Epson Corporation Hercules is a registered trademark of Hercules Computer Technology Inc IBM is aregistered trademark of International Business Machines Corp Kraft is a registered trademark of Kraft Systems Inc MS DOS GW BASIC and Microsoft are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corp XTREE is a registered trademark of Executive Systems Inc Copyright 1988 by Epson America Inc Torrance California 250188021 FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENT FOR AMERICAN USERS This equipment generates and uses radio frequency energy and if not installed and used properly that is in strict accordance with the manufacturer s instructions may cause interference to radio and television reception It has been type tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B computing device in accordance with the
44. are clear and bright If you have an Apex Plus the following messages display Non system disk or disk error Insert system diskette in drive A and strike any key when ready These messages tell you that the computer is ready to load an operating system from a diskette in the top drive The Apex Plus comes with MS DOS version 3 2 Continue with the section called Loading MS DOS on the Apex Plus 1 18 Setting Up Your System If you have an Apex Plus 20 your computer automatically loads MS DOS version 3 2 from the hard disk drive The MS DOS command prompt c gt displays Continue with the section called The command prompt Loading MS DOS on the Apex Plus Before you can use a software program designed to run on the MS DOS operating system MS DOS must be running in the computer s memory this is also called booting the system Once MS DOS is loaded you can give instructions to the computer and begin to use various software programs Follow these steps to load MS DOS on the Apex Plus 1 Make sure the disk latch is in the horizontal position Hold the diskette with the label up and the notch to the left as shown Insert your MS DOS system diskette completely into the top drive Setting Up Your System 1 19 2 Turn the latch down until it locks in the vertical position For a complete description of inserting diskettes see Chapter 2 Using Diskettes and Diskette Drives TT Hl sa 3
45. as shown below then plug the other end into the wall socket Setting Up Your System 1 15 Turning On the Computer and Loading MS DOS Before you turn on the computer be sure to read the safety rules Safety rules Follow these rules to avoid accidentally damaging your computer or injuring yourself QO Q Never turn the computer on with a disk drive protector card in the disk drive Do not attempt to dismantle any part of the computer If there is a hardware problem you cannot solve after reading Chapter 5 on troubleshooting contact your Authorized Epson Customer Care Center Do not unplug cables from the computer while the power switch is on Never turn off or reset the computer when any disk drive light is on This can destroy data stored on a disk or make an entire diskette unusable Always wait at least five seconds after you switch the power off before switching it on again Turning the power off and on rapidly can damage the computer s circuitry Never leave a beverage on top of or next to your Apex or any of its components Spilled liquid damages the circuitry of your components To install or remove an option card always turn off the power disconnect the main power cord and wait for a minute before removing the cover from the computer Installing option cards is described in Chapter 4 1 16 Setting Up Your System System startup Now you re ready to turn on your Apex Follow these steps 1
46. ating range 4 to 140 F 20 to 60 C Humidity Operating range 20 to 80 non condensing Non operating range 10 to 90 non condensing Physical Characteristics CPU Only Width 13 8 356 mm Depth 15 4 395 mm Height 5 8 148 mm Weight Dual diskette system 20 9 Ibs 9 5 kg C 2 Specifications Video and Display Options Standard Other Apex Options Multi graphics video card switch selectable installed in option slot game port included Supports Epson and BM compatible monochrome monitor monochrome text 80 character x 25 line display 9 x 14 character block Supports Epson and BM compatible color monitor color graphics 40 character x 25 line display low resolution text 80 character x 25 line display high resolution text 640 x 200 high resolution graphics 320 x 200 four colors 160 x 200 eight colors and Hercules monochrome 720 x 348 text graphics Check with the store where you purchased your Apex computer for the following options Monitors RGB 13 color monitor with tilt swivel stand High contrast screen 16 colors etched surface to reduce glare 18MHz video bandwidth AP1020B TTL 12 monochrome monitor with tilt swivel stand High persistence P 39 phosphor screen etched surface to reduce glare 22 MHz video bandwidth 35w Specification C 3 Printers and ActionPrinters by Epson printer accessories A pex80 9 pin 80 column dot matrix pr
47. ce or a semicolon Glossary 3 Device A piece of equipment that is part of a computer system and performs a specific task such as a disk drive amonitor or a printer DIP switches Small switches on a piece of hardware such as the computer an option card or a printer DIP switch settings control various functions and provide a system with information about itself DIP stands for Dual In line Package Directory A list of the files stored on a disk or a part of a disk Disk The collective term for diskettes and hard disks Disk drive The physical device that allows the computer to read from and write to a disk A diskette drive has a disk slot into which you insert a diskette A hard disk is permanently fixed inside the main unit Diskette A flat piece of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and used to store data permanently Also called floppy disk DOS The Disk Operating System that controls the computer s input and output functions See Operating system Double density A type of diskette format that allows you to store twice as much data as the standard density format A double density diskette for the Apex has a storage capacity of 360KB 4 Glossary EGA Enhanced Graphics Adapter A type of high resolution color monitor It can display up to 25 lines of text with 80 characters on each line It can also display monochrome or 16 color graphics at 640 x 350 resolution Execution speed See Operating spee
48. ce the printer next to your system 2 Before you connect the printer make sure the power switches on the main unit monitor and printer are off Setting Up Your System 1 13 3 Connect the printer cable connector to the parallel port on the back panel of the main unit If the connector has retaining screws tighten them with a small screwdriver 4 Connect the other cable connector to the printer Secure the cable by pressing together the squeeze locks from the printer port and pushing them into each side of the connector WAN Squeeze locks IN 5 Plug the printer s power cord into an eectrical outlet 1 14 Setting Up Your System Serial interface If you have a printer or another peripheral such as a modem with a serial interface connect it to the serial RS 232C port on the back pane The Apex uses a DB 25P connector so be sure you have an XT compatible cable To connect a serial device follow the same steps as for connecting a parallel printer You need to ensure the serial port is set up so it functions properly If you are using the port for a serial printer you must also redirect printer output to the serial instead of the parallel port Use the MS DOS SETMODE program or the MODE command to make these changes See your MS DOS reference manual for instructions 6 Connecting the Power Cord To avoid an electric shock first insert the power cord into the AC input connector on the back panel
49. commended value and press Enter Next enter the list of bad tracks The empty bad track table looks like this Bad Track Table Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Heed Move highlighted area to desired track with cursor keys A Add track F Finish editing Enter command letter Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 7 To add a bad track follow these steps 1 Press A You seethis prompt Enter cylinder number 1 xxxx 2 Type the number of the cylinder containing the missing bad track and press Enter You see this prompt Enter head number 0 yy 3 Type the head number for the bad track and press Enter The maximum valid cylinder and head numbers xxxx and yy vary according to the type of hard disk To cancel this operation press Enter without entering a value You see this message Table unchanged If you enter an invalid cylinder or head number a reminder of the range of values is displayed and the program asks you to enter the value again When you complete a valid entry it appears in the table and you can select another command If you make a mistake move the cursor block to the incorrect track and press C to change the track data Or press D to delete the track from the table If you need to correct the track data you just entered follow the procedure for adding a track When you have finished editing check the entries in the table once more When you are s
50. ctory you are in as long as it is on the same disk The first backslash for root directory signifies that the path to the file starts in the root directory WORDPROC is the name of the subdirectory under the root directory and PERSONAL is the subdirectory under WORDPROC If you want to access a file on a different drive include the drive letter in the pathname as in this example B WORDPROC PERSONAL MICHELLE Other Directory Commands SUBST command lets you substitute a drive letter for a direc tory path This is helpful when you use a long path The APPEND command lets you set a search path to directories containing data files The PATH command lets you specify a search path for external commands or program files those having an extension of COM EXE or BAT See the descriptions of SUBST APPEND and PATH in your MS DOS reference manual 3 10 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Copying from one directory to another You use the COPY command to copy files from one directory to another Specify the pathname of the file you want to copy then specify the directory where you want to place the copy For example if you are in the WORDPROC directory and want to copy MICHELLE from the PERSONAL subdirectory to the BUSINESS subdirectory type the following and press Enter COPY PERSONAL MICHELLE BUSINESS Be sure to type a space between the filename and the new pathname You do not type a backs
51. d Extension A suffix of up to three characters that can be added to a file name to better identify it File A group of related pieces of information called records or entries stored together on a disk Text files consist of words and sentences Program files consist of code and are used by comput ers to interpret and carry out instructions File name A name of up to eight characters that MS DOS uses to identify a file Floppy disk See Diskette Format To prepare a new disk or erase an old one so that it can store information Formatting a disk divides it into tracks and sectors and creates addressable locations on it Graphics Lines angles curves and other nonalphanumeric data GW BASIC Microsoft s extended version of the Beginner s All purpose Symbolic Instruction Code A programming language designed to be easy to use and understand Glossary 5 Hard disk The enclosed unit used to store data permanently Unlike a diskette it is fixed in place It can process data more rapidly and store many more files than a diskette Hardware Any physical component of a computer system such as a monitor printer keyboard or CPU H exadecimal A base 16 numbering system frequently used by programmers Any decimal number between 0 and 255 can be represented by a two digit hexadecimal number High density A type of diskette format that allows you to store more data than normal A 5 4 inch high density diskette can
52. d the computer 5 Set the cover aside for now Inserting the Option Card Now that the cover is off you can place the option card in any of the open option slots Even though option cards are designed to fit only one way it is a good idea to examine the card first and follow the instructions closely Installing Option Cards 4 3 1 Touch the power supply cover inside the computer to discharge any static electricity that may be on your clothes or body 2 Decide which option slot you want to use then remove the retaining screw from the metal cover plate at the back of the slot Lift out the metal cover and keep it in a safe place to use later if you remove the option card Keep the screw close by you ll need it to secure the option card to the computer 4 4 Installing Option Cards 3 Next unpack the option card and read all instructions that come with it Adjust any switches or jumper connections on the option card if necessary NOTE Pay special attention to the warnings in your option card instructions Some devices have delicate CMOS chips that you should not touch When you handle the card be careful not to touch any of the contacts on the circuit board especially along the gold edge connections If you need to put the card down before installing it place it with the component side the chips and transistors facing down on top of the original packing 4 Grip the card firmly by the top corners Keep
53. dded card LJ If you install an option card that has only a parallel port you must set the DIP switches to designate this as the secondary port and leave the built in port as the primary port U MS DOS needs to know the number of parallel ports you have If MS DOS searches the system for a parallel port and finds only one it names it LPTI If it finds two parallel ports it names the primary port LPTI and the secondary port LPT2 Switches 3 and 4 monitor and adapter type These switches define the type of video card and monitor you are using and help the system address the adapter memory correctly The factory setting is 80x25 color for a CGA color graphics monitor If you are using a monochrome monitor set the DIP switch for 80x25 mono If you are using an EGA or VGA monitor set the DIP switches for special settings If you install a different video card follow the instructions included with your card Setting the DIP Switches A 3 NOTE The Apex computer can automatically detect the correct video mode for the connected monitor and make the appropriate adjustments regardless of the current DIP switch settings However to ensure complete compatibility between your computer video card and monitor you should set the computer s DIP switches for the correct monitor A 4 Setting the DIP Switches Appendix B Preparing a Hard Disk For Use The Apex Plus 20 comes with a preformatted hard disk that has MS DOS and GW BASIC
54. ding on whether you have an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20 Follow the procedure below that applies to your system In either case you will need two blank 5 1 4 inch 360 KB double sided double density diskettes M ake sure the system diskettes are write protected to prevent accidental erasure see Write protecting diskettes in Chapter 2 Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 1 TheA gt prompt should be displayed on the screen If it is not follow the steps in the previous section Loading MS DOS on the Apex Plus 1 22 Setting Up Your System 2 Type DISKCOPY A B and press Enter The screen displays these prompts Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A Insert TARGET diskette in drive B Press any key when ready 3 Insert the MS DOS system diskette you want to copy the source into drive A 4 Insert a blank 5 4inch 360 KB diskette the target in drive B the bottom disk drive and close the diskette drive latch 5 Press any key to begin the copy process If the diskette in drive B is not formatted the DISKCOPY program formats it Then the program copies the data from drive A to the formatted diskette in drive B When the copy is complete the screen displays the following prompt Copy another diskette Y N 6 Press Y so you can make a copy of the diskette containing GW BASIC Remove the diskettes from drives A and B turn the latch on each drive to renove the diskette Then insert
55. e Appendix B Preparing a Hard Disk for Use cccueuenenenee ene USING HDFMTALL sisss asd ais eg ate die Saved tires Gaede ards A laud a Formatting and checking options Conditional format normal 2 0 0e eee eee Unconditional format 000 cece eee Destructive surface analysis 0 cece eee eee ee Non destructive surface analysis USING FDISK wicca etd ee eee aaa kbd dea lees SING SELECT stig iaia a oon FAOI EN ies EA et ves EO tees Finishing Your Installation 00 eee eee ee eee Appendix C Specifications wc cece eee e cece e eee eee eee eee Main AIDI sgis aapa iat a es att dain landline late LECT ACS iiir peia aaae maiaa aaan aai a sidan fale nannies han oe Ky boal d a musi ais a a aii e kiaia iraa i a faasa aa ai eae bay Tiati da a aes Mass Storage se a a steal a a a a a a Ar E Power Requirements 000 cece eet Environmental Requirements 00 c cece eee eee Physical Characteristics CPU Only 2 00 000 Video and Display Options 00 c eee eee eee Other Apex Options 0 00 cece ee viii Contents Introduction Your Apex by Epson personal computer comes in two ver sions the Apex Plus with two 360 KB kilobyte diskette drives and the Apex Plus 20 with one 360 KB diskette drive and one 20 MB megabyte hard disk drive Both versions have 512 KB of internal memory called random access memory or
56. e files they contain and the file statistics LJ Display copy and delete files individually or in groups to any directory on adisk J Make new directories rename directories remove empty directories and change from one directory to another LJ Create display or change volume labels 3 24 Using MS DOS with Your Apex CO oO oO OQ Using Move a file or files from one directory to another on the current disk Display and change the attributes of any file attributes are special switches which you use to designate files as read only hidden system or archived Display data in both ASCII and hexadecimal format Execute programs Display how much space is available on your disks Modify screen parameters XTREE To run XTREE move to the directory where XTREE is located Type xrrez at the command prompt and press Enter A title screen appears while XTREE reads your disk s directory then a menu similar to this displays FILE DISK A Available Bytes DISK Statistics ANSI FORMAT MSDOS Total ASSIGN GRAFTABL POWER Files 42 ATTRIB GRAPHICS PRINT Bytes 292 637 CHKDSK Io RECOVER Matching COMMAND KEYBFR REVERSE Files 42 DEBUG KEYBGR SELECT Bytes 292 637 DISKCOMP KEYBIT SETMODE Tagged DISKCOPY KEYBSP SETUP Files 0 KEYBUK SORT Bytes 0 LABEL SPEED Current Directory MODE sys X MORE Bytes 292 637 Available Delete Filespec Log disk Makedir Print Rename Showall Tag Untag Volume exXecute TL scr
57. e from computer dealers The multi graphics adapter card supplied with the Apex does not support composite monitors A standard television set cannot be used with the Apex although there are some new TV sets being manufac tured that can also be used as computer monitors with the proper interface card Check with your dealer Q Will my Apex work in foreign countries A The Apex computer can be used in both the United States and internationally simply by selecting the appropriate input voltage with the voltage selection switch located on the rear of the unit The Apex will operate on either 115VAC or 230VAC at 50 60 Hz power Usea hard thin object such as a small screw driver to slide the switch to the appropriate setting Check the specifications of your other system compo nents such as the monitor and printer before using then in foreign countries Q What kind of mouse works with the Apex A There are many IBM PC compatible mice that work with the Apex Some come with their own interface boards which must be installed in an option slot such as the Microsoft bus mouse A serial mouse like the Microsoft serial mouse can be connected to the serial port See your local computer dealer for more information Troubleshooting 5 9 Q What kind of joystick can use with the Apex Where do connect it A There are many IBM compatible joysticks and some have different types of connectors Make sure the joystick connector
58. ed or reformatted part or all of the disk Use the FDISK program to see if your hard disk has a bootable active DOS partition on it If it doesn t use FDISK to create one If it does have a bootable DOS partition then try reformatting your hard disk using FORMAT or SELECT Reformatting destroys all the data currently on your hard disk so do this only after careful consideration Troubleshooting 5 5 4 If reformatting the hard disk using FORMAT or SELECT doesn t work you can try to prepare the hard disk as if it were a new unformatted hard disk using the HDFMTALL program See Appendix B Preparing a Hard Disk For Use for instructions As a last resort have an Authorized Epson Customer Care Center check your hard disk Never open the airtight container that encloses the recording disk Software Problems If you are having trouble with a software program check the following possible problems and solutions L The software program does not start Check to be sure you are following the correct procedure for an MS DOS appli cation Make sure you inserted the application diskette in the top drive An application routine does not work Check the applica tion software manual and try the routine again according to the instructions If this does not work reset the computer reload the program and try the routine again Remember some programs require the computer to run at 4 77 MHz or 9 54MHz Try changing the CPU
59. efault drive 3 3 Delimiters Destructive surface analysis test hard disk B 1 B 3 B 9 DIP switches niro Intro 3 ks 1 11 jes 5 7 A 1 4 Directories 2 14 3 6 13 DISKCOPY Sate 2 23 B 13 3 15 19 Diskettes caring for 2 9 10 choosing 2 8 compatibility 2 8 copying 2 12 13 formatting 2 8 9 3 13 15 inserting 2 10 11 labeling 2 10 problem que 5 4 removing storing write protecting Display options C 3 DOS partition Drives compatibility default diskette 1 6 hard 1 6 2 7 2 13 14 identifiers lights 1 6 lock release latch protector cards read write head 2 8 storage capacity C 2 using a single diskette drive DU Disk Utility program 2 13 ndex 2 Enhanced graphics adapter EGA monitor Intro 1 4 1 5 8 Entering commands 3 3 Environmental requirements Execution speed f1 5 2 4 a Expanding the system 5 8 10 Expansion slots C 1 F FDISK command Files creating naming FORMAT command 5 5 Formatting diskettes z 9 hard disk Front panel 1 Function keys lal G Game port Intro 1 1 8 GM BASIC H Hard disk controller card 1 8 1 8 4 1 c 1 directories FORMAT MENU B 3 formatting B 1 HDSIT program 2 13 2 15 problem solving 5 5 6 storage capacity C 1 Index 3 HDFMTALL program 5 6 B 1 2 HDSIT program 2 6 2 13 14 Head read write
60. er displays the name of each file it copies and then tells you how many files it copied The A gt prompt redisplays To create a directory on your hard disk named BASIC type the following and press Enter MKDIR C BASIC Now type the following command to create a copy of the GW BASIC program within that directory and press Enter COPY C DOS GWBASIC EXE C BASIC Type the following command to delete the GW BASIC program from the DOS directory and press Enter J EL C DOS GWBASIC EXE Now you ll set the real time clock This is a battery powered clock in your computer that maintains the correct date and time even if the computer is turned off To set the real time clock type the following and press Enter SETRTC I Follow the prompts to set the date and time Press Enter when you are done Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 15 6 Next you ll create a file called AUTOEXEC BAT Type the following and press Enter at the end of each line COPY CON C AUTOEXEC BAT ECHO OFF PATH C DOS BASIC PROMPT PSG CLS 7 Press F6 and then Enter The computer displays this message 1 File s copied and the A gt prompt redisplays 8 Remove the GW BASIC diskette from drive A To reset the computer hold down Ctrl and Alt and press Del You have completed formatting your hard disk and installing MS DOS and GW BASIC B 16 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use Appendix C Speci
61. fications Main Unit amp bit CPU Main memory Math coprocessor Interfaces Parallel interface Serial interface Speaker interface Option slots K eyboard Layout Function keys 8088 1 microprocessor 4 77MHz or 9 54M Hz clock rate keyboard selectable 512 KB expandable to 640 KB 8087 1 microprocessor optional for use at 4 77M 9 54Hz 8087 2 microprocessor optional for use at 4 77M Hz only Standard 8 bit parallel 25 pin D shal female 25 pin D shell male Internal non adjustable Five IBM PC compatible amp bit input output expansion slots one used by video card one used by hard disk con troller card if a hard disk is installed Detachable two positions 84 sculpted keys 56 key QWERTY main keyboard 18 key numeric cursor pad 10 function keys user definable LEDs for lock keys Three levels normal shift alternate user definable Specifications C 1 Mass Storage Two internal drives maximum Standard Two 5 I 4inch half height diskette drives doublesided doubledensity 360 KB storage capacity Optional One 5 4inch half height diskette drive double sided double density 360 KB storage capacity one 20 MB internal hard disk drive Power Requirements 88W switching mode power supply 115 230 VAC switch selectable 5 VDC 12 VDC 5 VDC 12VDC 50 60 Hz Environmental Requirements Temperature Operating range 59 to 95 F 15 to 35 C Non oper
62. file with the same name as an existing file 1 If afile on the target diskette has the same name as a file on the source diskette the copy automatically replaces the file on the target diskette There is no warning that the file on the target diskette is being replaced so be careful that you do not accidentally erase a file you want to keep 0 The target diskette must be a formatted diskette To copy a file simply type the COPY command and the file names at the command prompt and then press Enter To copy a file from the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B using the same name type COPY A REPORT EXT B If you want to copy a file from the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B using a new name type COPY A REPORT EXT B FACTS EXT To copy a file onto the same diskette with a new name type COPY REPORT FACTS In this case you can omit the drive identifier because the source and target files are on the current drive An easy way to copy a group of files is by using wildcard charac ters in the filenames You can use two wildcard characters and The asterisk represents any group of characters and the question mark represents any single character 3 20 Using MS DOS with Your Apex To copy all the files on the diskette in drive A to the diskette in drive B type COPY A B To copy all the files on drive A whose names begin with the four letters MEMO and e
63. h other keys to enter alternate character codes not otherwise available Moves the cursor back one space deleting the character to the left Ends a line of keyboard input or executes a command may be called the Return key in some manuals Changes the letter keys from lower to uppercase changes back to lower case when pressed again Cancels the current command line or operation 2 Using Your Apex Key Name Purpose g Num Lock i um lock tie Set Scroll Lock roll hock ni Break 4 PrtSc iPriSe i BENA Home End Home End PgUp PgDn Tloe Rr E Ins Sf Del Changes the function of the keys on the keypad from numeric entry to cursor movement changes when pressed again Controls scrolling in some applications When you hold down the Ctrl key and press this key it sends a break signal to the computer to terminate the current operation Prints the screen display on a dot matrix printer Within application programs these keys control cursor movement Turns the insert function on and off Deletes characters to the right of the cursor position TheCaps Lock Num Lock and Scroll Lock keys work as toggles that is they alternately turn functions on and off when you press them When the function is enabled the correspond ing light on the top right corner of the keyboard is on to show the feature is on When the function is disabled the light is off Caps Lock
64. hat alter the effects of a command Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 3 You can enter command names and parameters in either upper case or lowercase letters However you must separate command names and parameters with delimiters most commands require spaces or commas as delimiters If you make a mistake when typing acommand and you notice it before pressing Enter you can do one of two things 4 Use the backspace key to back up and correct the error LJ Press Esc to cancel the command line If you press Enter and a command line has an error in it you see this message Bad command or file name Then MS DOS displays the command prompt so you can try again Just type the correct command line and press Enter Creating Files All your data and programs are stored in files A data file stores information such as words numbers or pictures A program file stores instructions that the computer can understand and execute The kind of file you can create depends on the MS DOS command or application program you use to create it In general a data file that you create using an application program is stored in aspecial format If you use a different application program to read that file you may encounter problems Once you create a file you need to give it a name You must name your files in a certain format MS DOS requires 3 4 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Naming a File Each file requires a unique filename The filename consis
65. he diskette See Chapter 2 for information about write protecting diskettes 5 4 Troubleshooting Hard Disk Problems If you have problems with your hard disk when you first start to use it make sure it has been set up properly First check to see if you can boot from the hard disk 1 Can you boot from your hard disk You may be missing one of the MS DOS system files needed to boot from the hard disk Turn off your computer Insert a working copy of the MS DOS system diskette into drive A and turn your computer on to boot from the diskette Then log on to your hard disk drive and make sure you have the file COMMAND COM in the root directory of your hard disk If not use the COPY command to copy COMMAND COM from the diskette to the hard disk and then restart your system If you do use the COMP command to compare the COMMAND COM file on your diskette with the COMMAND COM file on your hard disk 2 If COMMAND COM is okay you may be missing IBMBIO COM or IBMDOS COM from the root directory of your hard disk these two files are hidden files that do not display when you list the files in the root directory using the DIR command To copy these system files from your MS DOS system diskette to the root directory of the hard disk log on to the diskette drive type the following command and press Enter SYS Ci 3 If you can boot from a diskette but cannot access data stored on your hard disk you may have accidentally re partition
66. he Apex on a soft surface like a bed or a carpeted floor Soft surfaces attract static electricity which may erase data on your diskettes and damage the computer s circuitry Soft surfaces can also prevent proper ventilation 0 Good air circulation Your Apex needs air to circulate freely under it as well as behind it Leave several inches of space around the computer for proper ventilation Q Moderate environmental conditions Avoid extremes in temperature and humidity also avoid direct sunlight or other heat sources High humidity also hinders operation so it s best to select a cool dry area for operation Dust and smoke which can cause damage to diskettes and disk drives could cause you to lose valuable data 1 Appropriate power sources Static charges can be damaging Connect all equipment to three prong 120 volt grounded outlets You need at least three outlets one for the main unit one for the monitor and one for your printer If you need more outlets you may want to buy a power strip Available at any electronics store a power strip provides four to eight additional outlets A power strip with surge suppression is recommended Setting Up Your System 1 3 _ No electromagnetic interference Choose a spot for your computer away from any device that generates an electro magnetic field like a taephone Arranging the components Decide how you want to arrange your system components The illustration below shows a
67. he power cord Always turn the power switch off before you plug the power cord from this inlet into an electrical outlet d DIP switches These switches give the computer informa tion about its video card type and parallel and serial interfaces The switches are preset to match your systen Setting Up Your System 1 7 configuration Do not change them unless you are adding option cards that require different settings Appendix A describes how to set these switches if you change your system configuration Parallel port Lets you connect any printer or plotter with a parallel interface 4 Serial port Lets you connect any serial device such as a serial printer or a mouse Q Option card access slots The Apex has space for five option cards to control any peripheral devices you add The multi graphics adapter MGA card which allows you to use either a monochrome or color monitor occupies one of these slots If you have an Apex Plus 20 the hard disk controller card occupies another slot You can use the other slots to add special devices such as an internal modem to your Apex system J Monitor port Lets you connect an RGB color graphics monitor or a TTL monochrome monitor Color mono switch Set this switch to color or mono depending on the type of monitor you are using 4 Game port Lets you connect a joystick track ball or other pointing device 1 8 Setting Up Your System 3 Connecting the M onitor
68. he write protect notch to the left so that the read write slot is away from you Then gently slide the diskette into the disk drive 2 10 Using Your Apex When the diskette is all the way in turn the latch down until it locks into the vertical position This keeps the diskette in place and lets the read write heads in the disk drive access the diskette To remove the diskette turn the latch up until it is horizontal Carefully pull out the diskette place it in its protective enve lope and store it properly Keep your diskettes in a special diskette container WARNING Never remove a diskette or turn off the computer while the drive indicator light is on You could lose data Also be sure to remove all diskettes before you turn off the computer Using Your Apex 2 11 Write protecting diskettes You can write protect a diskette to prevent its data from being altered When a diskette is write protected you can read data from it but you cannot store new data on the diskette or delete any files it contains If you try to change data stored on a write protected diskette the computer displays an error message To write protect a diskette cover the small rectangular notch with an adhesive write protect tab These write protect tabs usually come in the box with new diskettes when you buy them Write protect notch If you need to change data on a write protected diskette remove the write protect tab M
69. ideo type 40x25 color ON OFF 80x25 color OFF ON 80x25 mono OFF OFF Special settings ON ON Factory setting Switch 1 serial port Switch 1 tells the computer how to access the built in serial port as follows The built in serial port functions as either the primary or secondary serial port You may decide to install an option card that has its own serial port Make sure you set the DIP switch or jumper on the option card as well as the DIP switch on the Apex so there is no conflict between the built in serial port and the added card f you install an option card that has only a serial port you must set the DIP switches to designate this as the secon dary port and leave the built in port as the primary port MS DOS needs to know the number of serial ports you have If MS DOS searches the system for a serial port and finds only one it names it COM 1 If it finds two serial ports it names the primary port COM 1 and the secondary port COM2 A 2 Setting the DIP Switches Switch 2 parallel port Switch 2 tals the computer how to access the built in parallel port as follows Y The built in parallel port functions as either the primary or secondary parallel port You may decide to install an option card that has its own parallel port Make sure you set the DIP switch or jumper on the option card as well as the DIP switch on the Apex so that there is no conflict between the built in parallel port and the a
70. ight up 4 8 Installing Option Cards and out of the connector to avoid damaging it When the card is removed rewrap it using the original packing materials and place it inside the packing box for safe storage Next replace the metal access slot cover and finally replace the computer s cover When you have reassembled the computer remember that you may need to reset the computer s DIP switches to properly con figure your system Installing Option Cards 4 9 4 10 Installing Option Cards Chapter 5 Trobleshooting You should not encounter any serious difficulties as you set up and use your Apex But if anything out of the ordinary happens check this chapter for a solution You can usually correct most problems by adjusting a cable connection repeating a software procedure or resetting the computer Use the suggestions in this chapter to help you solve most of the problems that you may encounter If the problem still exists call toll free 1 800 922 891 1 for the location of your nearest Epson Customer Care Center 24 hours a day seven days a week You can also send any questions you have about the Apex to Epson at the following address Epson America Inc Product Support Department 23610 Telo Avenue Torrance CA 90505 When you contact Epson please provide the serial number of your computer the configuration Apex Plus or Apex Plus 20 number of drives type of monitor option cards and the software you are u
71. ing a copy or backup operation Stop bit A signal sent in serial communications to mark the end of a character Subdirectory A directory or group of files that branches down from another subdirectory or from the root directory Switch An option added to an MS DOS command that redirects the way thecommand works Switches must be preceded by a forward slash For example if you add the S switch toa FORMAT command MS DOS installs the operating system on a diskette as it formats it System diskette A diskette that contains the operating system Target diskette The diskette that you are writing or copying data to during a copy or backup operation Glossary 11 Track ball A pointing device that consists of a ball in a socket mounted over motion sensors When you roll the ball in a certain direc tion the cursor moves in that direction on the screen Tracks Addressable concentric circles on a diskette resembling the grooves on a record which heap to divide the diskette into separate accessible areas There are 40 tracks on each side of a double sided 360KB diskette TTL Transistor to Transistor Logic A type of integrated circuit logic that accepts digital input The Apex monochrome monitor uses a TTL circuit to produce its screen display VGA Video Graphics Array A type of high resolution color monitor that can display monochrome text and graphics at 720 x 400 resolution 16 color graphics at 640 x 480 resolution or
72. inter 180 cps draft 30 cps near letter quality U110 Black ribbon 8750 Single bin cut sheet feeder 7341A T 750 pin 136 column dot matrix printer 240 cps draft 48 cps near letter quality Black ribbon 8755 L 1000 24 pin 80 column dot matrix printer 180 cps draft 60 cps near letter quality Black ribbon 7753 Single bin cut sheet feeder 7341A Optional letter quality font modules Courier 7400A Prestige 7401A Script 7402A Universal printer stand CPD 552 A Printer cable C1 9E A C 4 Specifications Computer Internal 300 1200 baud modem accessories card C203A A External 300 1200 baud modem C202A A Specifications C 5 C 6 Specifications Glossary Application program A software program designed to perform a specific task such as a word processing or spreadsheet program ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange A standardized coding system for representing characters such as numbers letters and graphic symbols An ASCII character occupies one byte of storage Files transmitted in ASCII code can be used by many different computers printers and programs Asynchronous A method of data transmission in which one machine sends data one character at a time to another without either machine preparing for the transmission Backup An extra copy of a program data file or disk kept in case your working copy is damaged or lost Batch file A t
73. ive system An operating system expects the computer to have at least two physical disk drives and it displays prompts and messages accordingly Although the Apex Plus 20 system has a single diskette drive MS DOS recognizes this one drive as two logical diskette drives This helps you perform operations that normally require two diskette drives For example if you give a command to copy from one drive to another MS DOS copies from the first diskette you place in the drive to the computer s memory Then MS DOS prompts you to 2 14 Using Your Apex insert another diskette and copies from memory to the new diskette When copying is complete you see a prompt to insert the original diskette Because you may often swap diskettes this way it is important to renember which diskette is which One way to avoid acci dentally losing data is to hold the diskette for one drivein your left hand and the diskette for the other drive in your right You can also write protect your source diskette Preparing the hard disk for moving If you need to move your Apex Plus 20 even across the room you should prepare the hard disk for moving to avoid damaging it To do this run the HDSIT program just before turning off the computer The HDSIT program moves the read write heads away from the disk surfaces and securely locks them into position If the heads are not secured and the computer is subjected to shock or vibra tion the heads may bump the disk
74. kette s magnetic surface Even the oils on your fingertips can damage it Always hold a diskette by its protective jacket Store your diskettes properly Do not store diskettes flat or stack them on top of each other When you are not using them keep your diskettes in their protective envelopes and store them in a diskette container Using Your Apex 2 9 Do not place anything on top of your diskettes and do not bend them A diskette does not rotate properly in the drive if it has been damaged Never wipe brush or try to clean diskettes in any way Carefully label diskettes Attach the label firmly but gently and only along the top of the diskette next to the manufacturer s label Do not stick several labels on top of one another too many labels can prevent the diskette from spinning freely in the disk drive QJ It is best to write on the label before you attach it to a diskette If you must write on a label that is already ona diskette use only a soft tip pen not a ballpoint pen or a pencil J Do not remove a diskette from the disk drive or turn off the computer while the drive light is on The light you see indicates that the computer is copying data to or from a diskette If you interrupt this process you can destroy data J Remove all diskettes from the disk drives before you turn off the computer Inserting and removing diskettes When you insert a diskette into a disk drive hold it with the label up and t
75. l devices you can obtain the proper shielded cable from your dealer For non Epson periph eral devices contact the manufacturer or dealer for assistance WARNING This equipment has been certified to comply with the limits for a Class B computer device pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules Only peripherals computer input output devices terminals printers etc certified to comply with the Class B limits may be attached to this computer Operation with non certified peripherals is likely to result in interference to radio and TV reception The connection of a non shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels that exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment Contents Introduction atid sender Pere dade terete ele rhe eee ke How to Use This Manual s sete tte t eee ete e eee tees 3 Where to Get HID e eee ee ee eee eee eee eee 4 Chapter 1 Setting Up your System Unpacking E eee Removing the disk drive protector cards 2 Choosing a Location eee eee eect eee Arranging the components sessee erence eee The front pand cece eee c eee ee c eee eee The back pand 02 e cece eee eee 3 Connecting the Monitor 6 see eee e eee eee 4 Connecting the Keyboard 2 1s eee eee eee eee 5 Connecting a Printer eee e eee ee Parallel interface
76. lash before PERSONAL or BUSINESS because they are subdirectories of the current directory If you do enter the backslashes MS DOS looks in the root directory for the directory and does not find them MS DOS provides two special notations to identify the current directory and the next directory These two notations are the first entries in each directory other than the root directory This represents the current directory Typing DIR isthe same as typing p r without the period This represents the next directory above the current one called the parent directory If WEST is your current directory typing DIR displays the contents of the SALES subdirectory Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 11 Displaying a list of directories The TREE command lets you display a list of all the directories on the specified drive For example to see the names of all the directories on the default drive type the following and press Enter TREE The screen displays a report for every directory on the drive for example Path C LEDGER Sub directories RECEIV PAYABL SALES If you want to see a list of all the files in the directories add the F switch to the command see your MS DOS reference manual TREE E The screen displays the directory information shown above plus the names of all files in each subdirectory for example Path C LEDGER SALES Sub directories None Files
77. lectrical outlet Installing Option Cards 4 7 Post installation Setup With the option card in place your Apex may need a few adjustments to accommodate its new configuration If you have already replaced the computer s cover and reconnected the power cord you may now need to change your DIP switch settings to reflect the new configuration For example if you add an extra parallel interface you need to change switch 2 so the computer recognizes the additional interface See Appendix A for more information on DIP switch settings NOTE When you change DIP switch settings you must turn the computer off then turn it on for the setting to be in effect You may also need to add some commands to the configura tion files on your system diskette as well Your MS DOS reference manual provides you with instructions When you finish installing option cards and reconfiguring the system you should test the option if possible Some option cards come with their own diagnostic test programs Removing Option Cards If you find that you need to remove an option card first turn off the computer and unplug the power cord then detach any cables connected to the option card Disconnect the monitor and keyboard and remove the computer cover Then check the option card installation instructions and follow them in reverse Be sure to follow all the same safety instructions you did while installing the card and make sure you pull the card stra
78. ll although it is rare that you would store this many files on a hard disk In any case you don t want to run out of formatted diskettes during the backup process See your MS DOS reference manual for complete instructions on using BACKUP The HELP Utility The HELP command provides information on all MS DOS commands and utility programs This help function provides useful information but is not intended to be a substitute for the MS DOS reference manual The format of this command is HELP command Type HELP only to see a menu of all commands Type HELP followed by the name of one or more MS DOS commands each separated by a space to bypass the menu and display the mes sages for each command When the menu is displayed you see this prompt at the bottom of the screen Tle Select command name Enter to display command Esc to Exit 3 22 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Use the cursor keys to highlight a command name and press Enter to display the help screens for this one command If there is more than one page of text you see the prompt PgUp on the top of the screen Press PgUp to display the rest of the text After reading the help information press ESC to return to the menu If you type xeLP and one or more command names on the command line the help information for the first command is displayed Press ESC to see the help information for the next command When you press ESC after viewing the i
79. lmost any peripheral device to the computer A peripheral device is one that you attach to your computer such as a printer mouse or modem You can use the parallel interface to connect an Epson printer or plotter or any other parallel printer You can use the serial interface to connect a serial printer or a mouse Your computer comes with version 3 2 of the MS DOS disk operating system and the GW BASIC programming language An operating system controls how programs run on the com puter and supervises all input and output MS DOS is one of the most commonly used operating systems It supports most popular software programs available including those designed for the IBM personal computer GW BASIC is simple to learn and provides advanced features for the experienced programmer If you have used MS DOS or GW BASIC before you ll find these programs work the same way on the Apex Check your Apex MS DOS or GW BASIC reference manuals for descriptions of special features added by Epson You can add more devices by installing an option curd in one of the computer s five option slots An option card is an installable circuit board containing a device such as a modem or provid ing an additional interface to connect other devices You can use most of the option cards designed for the IBM PC on your Apex You can also install an optional 8087 math coprocessor to speed up the computer s ability to perform calculations You may wan
80. m errr eee eee Preparing the hard disk for moving srreeees Chapter 3 Using MS DOS with Your Apex t tttttteeeeeeneeenaae Introducing MS DOS ham tA RC TAG Sc Ta RST oy TAY oy fo ab Amc ih ds Sao QT cm aa SR Sa o Starting and Exiting MS DOS ft font euda ie a aa i a aoia wc Changing the Default Drive setter teeter terete Entering MS DOS Commands stttttt ttre Creating Files DAR AR ARTEA int TE S iain TA R eae ah pe Naming a File serrsresrrresrnnrnnnnnnnrnnnnrnnrnnrnnno Creating and Using Directories ae i a a TE tee Creating GirectoriGS ect a ea inia eean a Changing GirectOrieS eee eee eee ee eee Using pathnames 5 Ge tis Se ir hi cts a aes on RE a a WI vie E E Other directory COMMandsS s tee eee eee teen teens Copying from one directory to another Displaying alist of directories s e ete eee eee Removing a directory E E E ee aa Mesa ee mL a A Ren waar ser fae Formatti ng BY Con ae WEAN e E Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 555 555552 Formatting diskettes with an Apex Plus 20 vi Contents Copying Data ects Using the DISKCOPY command 000 Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 5 Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 20 Using the COPY command cece eee eee Using the BACKUP command eeee eens The HELP Wility icc itaviseroe tae ans geitin SE inde neds Examples ca iios idaron
81. m the disk and displays it on the screen Read write head The physical device inside a disk drive that reads and records data on the magnetic surface of a disk Real time clock A battery powered clock in the computer that keeps track of the current time and date even when the computer s power is turned off Reset To reload a computer s operating system so you can retry a task or begin using a different operating system Resetting clears RAM RGB Red Green Blue An RGB monitor displays in high resolution color ROM Read Only Memory A portion of memory that can only be read and cannot be used for temporary storage ROM retains its contents even when you turn off the power Root directory The top level directory in MS DOS designated by a back slash All other directories are subdirectories of the root directory RS 232C A widely used standard type of serial interface You can easily connect an RS232C compatible device to the Apex computer Sector A contiguous section of a disk track that provides an address at which the computer can access data 10 Glossary Self test The initial diagnostics procedures a system performs to check its hardware Serial The type of interface that transmits data one bit at a time See Interface Parallel Software The programs that enable the computer to perform the tasks and functions you indicate Source diskette The diskette that you are reading or copying data from dur
82. n ditional format requires you to enter the list of bad tracks The other two options test a hard disk for problems Use option 3 Destructive surface analysis to test the entire disk and update the bad track table Because this option writes data to the disk as well as reads it it destroys all data on tracks that produce errors To check for unflagged bad tracks without destroying data use option 4 Non destructive surface analysis Many hard disk drives are supplied with alist of bad tracks These drives may also have the bad track list printed on a sticker attached to the disk but do not have the bad tracks flagged on the disk Other hard disks are supplied with the bad tracks already flagged The hard disk that comes with the Apex Plus 20 has all its bad tracks flagged at the factory In all cases run Non destructive surface analysis before formatting the hard disk drive this routine finds all bad tracks that are not flagged If the analysis shows that all tracks listed as bad are already flagged you can then use the Conditional format Normal option to format the disk If the analysis matches the list of bad tracks but they are not flagged run the Destructive surface analysis to flag the tracks before formatting the disk If the list Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 3 provided by the drive manufacturer contains bad tracks that the analysis does not detect you can use the Unconditional format option to flag all the bad tr
83. nd with any single character to drive B type COPY A MEMO B Another task you can perform with the COPY command is combine a number of files into one file Use this format COPY REPORT FACTS MEMO DATA When you use the COPY command this way it copies the file REPORT then FACTS and then MEMO into the new file DATA In this example the files are located on the current drive Using the BACKUP command You typically use the BACKUP command to back up hard disk files It lets you store files in a compressed format for archive purposes You can use BACKUP to copy files from any disk to another hard disk to diskette diskette to hard disk diskette to diskette even hard disk to hard disk Unlike DISKCOPY and COPY which make exact duplicates of files BACKUP creates files that you cannot use until you restore them using the RESTORE command You can use switches with BACKUP to back up files created after a certain date or to specify files stored in a certain directory Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 21 You can also completely back up all your files and then tal BACKUP to add only those files that have been modified since the last time you ran BACKUP This process called an incre mental backup makes regular backups faster to perform Be sure you have enough formatted diskettes to back up the data on your hard disk drive It can take about 50 360KB diskettes to copy a 20MB hard disk drive that is completely fu
84. nded arrangement Q COPY lets you create an AUTOEXEC BAT file to automatically execute the PATH command so you can keep the MS DOS commands and the GW BASIC program in a separate directory from the rest of your program and data files Using HDFMTALL To format or check the integrity of the hard disk run the MS DOS HDFMTALL command After you install a new hard disk drive run HDFMTALL and choose option 1 Conditional format Normal After format ting you need to partition and format the hard disk for your operating system s Follow the procedures described in this chapter to partition and format your hard disk for MS DOS or see your MS DOS reference manual for complete details Formatting and checking options Use the HDFMTALL command to check or format the hard disk drive Insert your MS DOS system diskette into driveA and at the command prompt type the following and press Enter HDFMTALL B 2 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use You see a menu of formatting and checking options HARD DISK FORMAT MENU 1 Conditional format Normal 2 Unconditional format 3 Destructive surface analysis 4 Non destructive surface analysis 0 Exit Enter selection number The first two options format a hard disk Normally you use option 1 Conditional format Normal This option automati cally locates any bad tracks that are flagged by the manufacturer and marks them so that they cannot be used Option 2 Unco
85. nformation for the last command MS DOS returns to the command prompt NOTE The help information is stored in the HELP TXT file which is located on your GW BASIC and Supplemental Utilities diskette If you copy HELP COM to another diskette or to your hard disk you must also copy HELP TXT to the same disk If they are not in the same path you can use the APPEND command to locate HELP TXT Examples To see help information for the COPY command type the following command and press Enter HELP COPY To see help information for the DISKCOPY and FORMAT commands type the following and press Enter HELP DISKCOPY FORMAT To see the help menu type HELP and press Enter Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 23 M essages command not found You may have misspelled the command name Press Enter to return to the command prompt and try again Failed to open HELP TXT HELP could not find the HELP TXT file HELP COM and HELP TXT must be in the same directory or use APPEND to locate the directory that contains HELP TXT The XTREE Utility Epson has included the XTREE program with MS DOS to make it easier for you to manage files and run other MS DOS pro grams It is located on the GW BASIC diskette Using XTREE you can do the work of nine MS DOS internal commands using a convenient menu format What XTREE does XTREE offers a wide variety of special functions that allow you to Q Display all the directories in a disk th
86. o as the disk is checked When the analysis is complete the program displays a summary of the status of the disk This summary lists these counts LI Flagged bad tracks LJ Tracks with read verify errors L Good tracks If no errors occur you see this message No read verify error was detected If errors are found the program displays a table of the tracks that produced errors After the status reports you see this message Press ENTER to return to the menu Check the information displayed then press Enter Using FDISK FDISK partitions a hard disk so it can run the operating system you want to use Follow these steps to partition your hard disk for MS DOS 1 If you have not already done so insert your MS DOS system diskette into drive A and press Enter The MS DOS command prompt displays A gt 2 At the MS DOS command prompt type ro1sx and press Enter The screen displays the FDISK Options menu Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 11 3 Press 1 and then Enter to select the Create DOS Partition option The screen displays Create DOS Partition Do you wish to use th ntire fixed drisk for DOS Y N foe ew eS Y 4 Press Y and Enter The system creates the MS DOS partition The screen displays the following message System will now restart Insert DOS diskette in drive A Press any key when ready 5 Press any key to restart the system You do not have to insert any diskettes because
87. o card that comes with the Apex operates a TTL mono chrome monitor or a color graphics monitor M icroprocessor A small version of a CPU contained on one semiconductor chip Modem A device that allows a computer to transmit signals over tade phone lines so it can send and receive data Modem stands for Modulator DEM odulator M onitor The piece of hardware that contains the screen and displays information Glossary 7 Monochrome monitor A monitor that displays in only one color such as green or amber as opposed to a color monitor which can display in several colors M ouse A hand held pointing device usually with buttons When you slide the mouse over a flat surface in a certain direction the cursor moves in the same direction on the screen MS DOS An operating system from Microsoft See DOS Operating system Numeric keypad The number keys grouped on the right side of the keyboard Operating speed The speed at which the central processing unit can execute commands Also called execution speed Operating system A collection of programs that allow a computer to control its operations The operating system determines how programs run on the computer and supervises all input and output for example MS DOS Option card A circuit board with connectors you install inside the Apex main unit to provide additional capabilities such as more memory a hard disk drive or an internal modem Parallel The type of inte
88. o tell you when you need to change diskettes 1 Make sure your original diskette is write protected See Chapter 2 for instructions 2 Insert your working copy of the MS DOS system diskette in the top drive drive A 3 16 Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 Atthe A gt prompt type DISKCOPY A B and press Enter 4 MS DOS prompts you to insert your diskettes You see these messages Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A Insert TARGET diskette in drive B Press any key when ready 5 Insert the diskette you want to copy from the source in drive A and the diskette you want to copy to the target in drive B Then press any key DISKCOPY checks to see if the destination diskette is formatted If it is not DISKCOPY formats the diskette You see the message Formatting while copying The copy operation begins when the format is complete You see this message Copying 40 tracks O9sectors track 2side s When the copy is complete you see these messages Copy complete Copy another Y N 6 Press Y to perform another copy or N to end the DISKCOPY command Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 17 Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus 20 1 Make sure your original diskette is write protected see Chapter 2 for instructions 2 If necessary type c to log onto driveC 3 Atthec gt prompt type DISKCOPY and press Enter MS DOS displays these messages Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A Press any key when re
89. o write read error was detected No data was destroyed Press ENTER to return to the menu Prenarino a Hard Nick Far Tica RA If the program finds one bad track that is not flagged the sum mary above shows one track with a write read error and only 2458 good tracks The report is then followed by a table like this Write Road Error Trackn Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head Cylinder Head 237 2 Confirm to register the tracks in the Write Read Error Track Table as bad tracks Do you want to register the error tracks as bad tracks Y N To flag the error tracks as bad press Y and Enter You then see a list of the tracks as they are flagged You see these messages Flagging bad tracks Cylinder is 237 head is 2 Press ENTER to return to the menu Press Enter to return to the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU F Non destructive surface analysis The Non destructive surface analysis is not as complex as the 3 Destructive surface analysis It does not destroy any data and you can safely use it to check the condition of your hard disk drives H owever this test will not flag any bad tracks that are detected To start the test press 4 and then Enter You see these messages Analyze Hard Disk Read Verify check for all tracks Current cylinder is xxxx B 10 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use As each track is checked the current cylinder is displayed The cylinder number counts down to zer
90. of the files you store on your diskettes or hard disk You can copy data and program files several ways m You can use the DISKCOPY command to copy the contents of an entire diskette You can use the COPY command to copy select files You can use the BACKUP command to back up the files on a hard disk or diskette in a compressed format Using MS DOS with your Apex 3 15 Using the DISKCOPY command The DISKCOPY command lets you copy all the files on a diskette to another diskette Epson also provides a disk utility called DU to copy diskettes this utility is described in your MS DOS reference manual The procedure for copying diskettes depends on whether you are using an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20 Follow the appro priate procedure for the computer you are using NOTE If you are using an Apex Plus 20 be aware that you cannot use DISKCOPY to copy files from a hard disk to a diskette DISKCOPY only copies files between diskettes To copy a file from a hard disk to a diskette use either the COPY command or the BACKUP command See the appropriate section in this chanter or your MS DOS reference manual for instructions Using DISKCOPY with an Apex Plus When you use the DISKCOPY command you need to specify the disk drive A and B If you do not MS DOS copies the diskette in drive A to a second diskette that you insert in drive A This means you must swap diskettes during the copy process MS DOS displays prompts t
91. oll RETURN file commands ALT menu Fl quit F2 help Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 25 The XTREE display shows you PATH FILE DISK DISK Statistics FILES DIR COMMANDS Provides the current location as an MS DOS style pathname Provides a tree diagram of the directory structure of the disk 5 This window currently shows the disk only has a root directory Shows you the files XTREE is set to display This window shows that XTREE is set to display all files matching the DOS specification in other words all files Shows the name of the disk being displayed and the number 7 of free bytes Summarizes information about the files on the disk 7 Lists all filenames on the disk Shows you a menu of keystroke commands you can give XTREE Regardless of which XTREE function you are using this line identifies the keys that control the screen display and the commands you need to complete the function You use the cursor keys character keys function keys the Ctrl key and the Alt key to perform various functions in XTREE 3 26 Using MS DOS with Your Apex Cursor keys move the pointer To select a file use the arrow keys to highlight the file and directory names within the Direc tory and File windows Press Enter to move the cursor from the Directory window to the File window and back again Character keys execute an XTREE command The available XTREE commands appear on the DIR COMMANDS or FILE COMM
92. ompt similar to this Current Date is Wed 05 25 88 Enter New Date mm dd yy 3 Type the new date and press Enter Use dashes to separate the month day and year 4 The screen displays the current time and date you set and returns you to the command prompt 1 26 Setting Up Your System Chapter 2 Using Your Apex This chapter covers these basic procedures for using your Apex computer and keyboard LI Using the special keys on the keyboard Changing your computer s operating speed Interrupting a command or program Resetting and turning off your computer Oo oc vo Using diskettes diskette drives and hard disk drives Special Keys on the Apex Keyboard Some of the keys on your keyboard serve special functions when your computer is running application programs Using your Apex 2 1 Take a look at the special keys and their functions Key Name Purpose j g FL F10 I Tab cn Ctrl Paw les Backspace Enter Caps Lock ae i Ese Esc Perform special functions within application programs Moves the cursor to the right in normal mode and to the left in shift mode in some application programs Works with other keys to perform special control functions such as editing operations in MS DOS and GW BASIC Produces uppercase characters or symbols when used with the main character keys Produces lowercase characters when Caps Lock is on Works wit
93. omputer to run at 9 54M Hz every time you turn on or reset the computer insert a SPEED command in your AUTOEXEC BAT file See Using an AUTOEXEC BAT File in Chapter 3 or your MS DOS reference manual for more information Stopping a Command or Program You may need to stop a command or program while it is run ning To stop the operation of an MS DOS command hold down Ctrl and press C or hold down Ctrl and press Break Both combinations send the ASCII code 03 which is known as the Break signal to the computer You can try the same approach to stop the operation of an application program If it the program does not stop you may need to reset the computer as described in the next section Resetting the Computer Occasionally you may want to clear the computer s current settings or memory without turning it off This is called resetting the computer You may want to do this if an error occurs and the computer does not respond to your commands In this case you can reset the computer and try the same operation again However since resetting erases all data in the computer s internal memory RAM you should reset your computer only as a last resort Using Your Apex 2 5 WARNING Do not reset the computer simply to exit a program Some application programs classify and store new data when you exit the program If you reset the computer without properly exiting the program you may lose data To reset the computer
94. opies of your diskettes If you have an Apex Plus 20 also read these sections to learn how to do the following lJ Use a hard disk J Usea single diskette drive system J Prepare the hard disk before moving the computer How diskettes work The diskettes you use are made of flexible plastic coated with magnetic material and enclosed in protective jackets Likea record a diskette has circular tracks on both sides Your com puter stores the data you enter as magnetic patterns on these circular tracks Using Your Apex 2 7 A small read write head in the computer s disk drive interprets the magnetic patterns When you put a diskette in a drive the read write head is directly over the large oval hole The hole allows read write head access to the diskette so you can store retrieve and delete data The data is stored magnetically so you can retrieve it record over it and erase it just as you play record and erase music on cassette tapes Choosing diskettes for the Apex The Apex uses diskettes that are 5 I 4inch double sided double density 48 TPI tracks per inch The diskette boxes are usually marked DS DD or 2S 2D soft sector 48 TPI Each diskette can hold 360 KB of data which is the equivalent of about 150 pages of text For best results use only high quality diskettes with reinforced hub rings the added reiability is well worth the extra cost These diskettes are compatible with those used with the IBM PC
95. ory on your diskette or hard disk The first step in deleting your new directory is to delete its files Make sure the cursor is on the TEST1 directory then press Enter to place it in the files window 9 Press Ctrl T to tag all the files in this directory Press Ctrl D to delete the files Press Y to delete them without confirmation after first making sure you have the right directory When this is done XTREE reports that there are no more files in the directory and the cursor returns to the directory name If any of the files you tagged are marked read only you have to use the A command with its R switch to remove their protection before you can delete them 10 Press D to delete the directory Confirm the deletion by pressing Y The cursor returns to the root directory Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 31 Starting Your Application Program Once you have loaded MS DOS you can start using your application program Remove your MS DOS diskette from drive A and insert your application program diskette Once you start using your application program you see the prompts and screen displays that are unique to the application program See your application manuals for more information Using an AUTOEXEC BAT File You may find that there are some commands you want to run every time you turn on your computer To run acommand or a series of commands automatically upon startup you can type the commands into a batch file called AUTOE
96. ours to complete Be aware of the task the computer is performing and judge the time accordingly Troubleshooting 5 3 2 If the computer remains locked up after you ve allowed a reasonable amount of time follow the steps in Chapter 2 under Resetting the Computer Diskette Problems If you have trouble with one of your diskettes read the follow ing questions to see if they apply to the problem 1 Is the diskette damaged To find out copy the diskette and repeat the operation that caused the problem using the copy you just made If you have trouble copying the entire diskette some of the sectors may be bad Try to copy one file at a time with the COPY command If the operation works using the copy diskette the original diskette is probably damaged Make another copy to use as a backup 2 Have you inserted the right type of diskette Your Apex uses 5 4inch double sided double density 48 TPI soft sectored diskettes 3 Is the diskette write protected There may be a write protect tab over the notch on the side of the diskette which means that you can t write data to this diskette Before you remove the tab check the diskette directory to determine what files it contains If it contains informa tion you do not want to change or lose leave it write protected Although you should normally write protect all program diskettes some programs store temporary files on the diskette and do not work if you write protect t
97. py is complete you see this prompt Copy another diskette Y N 6 Press Y so you can make a copy of the GW BASIC diskette Follow the instructions above and the prompts on the screen to make the copy When the copy is complete this prompt displays again Copy another diskette Y N 7 Press N to return to the MS DOS command prompt 8 Store the original system diskettes in a safe place 9 Properly label the working copies you just created 9 Setting the Real Time Clock Your Apex computer includes a real time clock This battery powered clock stores the current time and date even if you turn off the computer To set the real time clock use the SETRTC program supplied by Epson on your GW BASIC diskette NOTE You cannot set the real time clock using the MS DOS TIME and DATE commands when you reset or turn off the computer any time or date settings you make are erased from memory Setting Up Your System 1 25 To set the real time clock follow these steps 1 If you are using the Apex Plus insert the GW BASIC diskette into drive A At the command prompt type the following and press Enter SETRTC I The screen displays a prompt similar to this Set Real Time Clock Ver 1 00 Current Time is 12 05 31 Enter New Time 2 Using a 24 hour format type the new time and press Enter Use colons to separate the hours minutes and seconds It s not necessary to type the seconds The screen then displays a pr
98. rface that transmits data in groups of bits See Interface Serial Parameter A qualifier added to a command that tells the computer what particular conditions to look for 8 Glossary Parity Data signals sent during communications to detect errors in transmitting or receiving data Partition To divide a hard disk drive into separate sections for use by different operating systems Pathname The list of directories and subdirectories you need to travel through to locate a file For example the pathname for the file sales which is located in the subdirectory business of the root directory is business sales Peripheral A device such as a printer or a modem connected to a com puter that depends on the computer for its operation Port A physical input output socket on a computer where you can connect a peripheral Program A disk file that contains coded instructions and tells a computer what to do and how to do it Prompt A message displayed on the computer screen that tals you what action you need to perform next RAM Random Access Memory The portion of the computer s memory used to run programs and store data while you work All data stored in RAM is erased when you turn off the com puter so you must store any data you want to save on a diskette or hard disk Glossary 9 Read To copy data from one area to another For example when you open a text file stored on disk the computer reads the data fro
99. rmatting Y N If there are no other tracks with other errors and you are absolutely sure that you want to format the hard disk press Y then Enter The program then asks you once more if you want to continue You see this message and prompt DOUBLE CHECK THAT YOU HAVE BACKUP DISKETTE COPIES OF ALL YOUR FILES Do you want to exit and check your file copies Y N When you are certain that you won t lose any valuable data press N and Enter If you cancel formatting at either stage you see these messages Format cancelled Press ENTER to return to the menu If you continue with formatting you see Now formatting Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 5 When formatting is complete any bad tracks are flagged and you see a series of messages like these Format finished Flagging bad tracks Cylinder is xxxx head is yy Format completed Press ENTER to return to the menu Flagged tracks are identified by xxxx and yy At this point press Enter to return to the HARD DISK FORMAT MENU If there are any tracks with other errors scanning stops and you see these messages Scanning cancelled Warning This drive has an unflagged error s or is unformatted Press ENTER to return to the menu Press Enter This may mean that the drive has never been formatted or that an error was not flagged If you want to format the disk after
100. ry so you can group files more efficiently This kind of organization is called a tree structured directory At the top of the tree structured directory is the main directory also called the root directory The root directory can contain many subdirectories and each subdirectory can contain other subdirectories The structure of a directory may look like this Root Directory LEDGER WORDPROC DSA 7 WEST RECEIV PAYABL SALES PERSONAL BUSINESS MICHELLE a l DECSALES FORECAST 88 OCTSALES NOVSALES The root directory does not have a name but is always identi fied by a backslash Each subdirectory has a name and you can access any file in any subdirectory by using a pathname The name of a subdirectory can be up to eight characters long consisting of letters and numbers 3 6 Using MS DOS with Your Apex The directory you are working in is called the cm rent directory Usually when you first load the operating system the root directory is the current directory To list the files in the root directory type ptr and press Enter The screen displays the following above the file names Directory of A If you are working in a directory named LEDGER the screen displays the following above the list of files Directory of A LEDGER There are six basic operations you need to Know about to use directories 1 Creating directories J Changing directories Using pathnames d Copying from one
101. sing WARNING If you need to turn off the computer for any reason always wait at least five seconds before turning it back on You can damage your computer if you turn it off and on rapidly Troubleshooting 5 1 The Computer Fails to Start Up If your computer does not start up when you turn on the power switch follow these steps to find a solution L First check to see if the power light on the front panel of the main unit is on If it is not remove any diskettes you have in the drives and turn off the power Wait five seconds then turn the power back on If the light still does not come on turn off the power switch again This time check to see that the power cord is securely connected to both the AC input inlet on the back pane and the electrical outlet Then turn the power switch on again If the computer still does not start up check the electrical outlet To do this plug a portable lamp into the outlet you are using for your computer and turn it on to see if the outlet supplies power The Video Display D oes N ot Appear If your computer starts up the power light on the main unit is on but you don t see any images on the screen follow these steps to find a solution L First check to see that the monitor s power switch is on and the power indicator on the monitor is lit If the power is on but you don t see the indicator light turn off the monitor s power switch wait five seconds then turn
102. skette drives use 5 I 4 inch 360 KB diskettes In the Apex Plus 20 the diskette drive also uses 5 I 4inch 360 KB diskettes Q Disk lock release latch After you insert a diskette turn this latch down until it is vertical To remove a diskette turn it up until it is horizontal LI Diskette drive light This green light is on when the drive is in use To avoid losing data never remove a diskette or turn off the computer s power when this light is on J Hard disk drive In the Apex Plus 20 shown below the hard disk drive is the bottom drive The green light on the hard disk drive pand is on whenever the computer is writing to or reading from the drive ee S S E k PrITITITIItiiiitiitittriet ieee PUL Hard disk drive light Hard disk drive 1 6 Setting Up Your System The back panel Take a look at the back panel and note the power inlet the universal power supply the DIP switches the built in input output ports and the option card access slots WARNING Do not connect the power cord until you have connected the printer and any other optional devices Always check to see that the power switch is off before you connect or disconnect the printer AC input Monitor port Color mono switch DIP switches Parallel port Option card Game port Serial port access slots The back panel components are J AC input This inlet supplies electrical power to your computer when you plug in t
103. store 1 2MB of data High density diskette drives are not supported by the Apex disk controller Input output I O port See Port Interface A physical or software connection used to transmit data be tween equipment or programs Joystick A pointing device that uses a moveable stick mounted in a socket When you push the stick in a certain direction the cursor moves in the same direction on the screen Keyboard A device to enter letters and numbers to the computer that consists of a number of typewriter like keys mounted on a board Kilobyte KB A unit used to measure storage space in a computer s memory or on a disk One kilobyte equals 1024 bytes 6 Glossary LED Light Emitting Diode A substance that illuminates when electricity passes through it like the indicator lights above the Apex s keyboard Main unit The Apex computer Megabyte MB A unit used to measure storage space in a computer s memory or on a disk One megabyte equals 1 048 576 bytes M egahertz MHz A unit used to measure oscillation frequency of a computer s internal timing clock A megahertz is one million cycles per second The Apex computer operates at 4 77 MHz and 9 54 MHz Memory The area where the computer stores data Memory contents can be permanent and inalterable ROM or temporary RAM MGA Multi graphics adapter A type of video card that can be oper ated with more than one kind of monitor The multi graphic vide
104. switch settings defined in Appendix A to be sure they are set correctly for the type of video card you are installing Setting Up Your System 1 11 4 Connecting the Keyboard Follow these steps to connect the keyboard 1 Insert the keyboard connector into the keyboard socket on the front pane of your A pex Do not force the connector but make sure you completely insert it 2 If you would like to adjust the angle of the keyboard turn the keyboard over and lift each leg upward until it locks into place R A A 7 LD 1 12 Setting Up Your System You can lock each leg in a 15 degree position or an 11 degree position To lock a leg into the 11 degree position lift up the entire leg and then push the portion marked 15 back until it snaps into the keyboard ENA SD x eb j 7 gt 5 Connecting a Printer Follow the steps in this section to connect your printer to either the parallel or serial interface Parallel interface Your Apex computer has a parallel interface to which you can connect a printer Of course Epson offers a full range of printer products for you to choose from Check with the store where you purchased your computer or call 1 800 922 891 1 for the lo cation of your nearest Authorized Epson Dealer To connect a printer to your Apex make sure you have an IBM PC compatible printer cable Then follow these steps to connect your printer to the parallel interface on the main unit 1 Pla
105. t to add a coprocessor if you frequently use your computer for spreadsheet or other calculation intensive applications 2 Introduction How to Use This M anual This manual describes how to set up and care for your computer It also introduces the basics of using MS DOS and shows you how to install option cards so you can connect optional devices You may not need to read everything in this manual some sections may describe a particular option or accessory you don t have The information in this manual applies to both the Apex Plus and the Apex Plus 20 computers unless indicated otherwise m Chapter 1 provides instructions on setting up and using your Apex computer Chapter 2 describes general operating procedures for using the computer Chapter 3 explains how to use MS DOS with your Apex It also introduces the XTREE utility provided by Epson and describes how you can use XTREE to perform many file operations Chapter 4 provides the steps for installing option cards Chapter 5 contains troubleshooting information and a question and answer section about expanding your system Appendix A shows how to change the DIP switch settings in your computer You can use DIP switches to set or change the configuration of your system You do not need to change the DIP switches unless you add or remove hardware from your system Introduction 3 1 Appendix B describes how to prepare an unformatted hard disk for use 3
106. the GW BASIC diskette in drive A and another blank diskette in drive B Follow the prompts to copy this system diskette When the copy is complete this prompt displays again Copy another diskette Y N Setting Up Your System 1 23 7 8 9 Press N to return to the MS DOS command prompt Store the original system diskettes in a safe place Properly label the working copies you just created Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 20 L Thec gt prompt should be displayed on the screen If itis not type c and press Enter 2 Type 5 DISKCOPY and press Enter The screen displays the following prompts Insert SOURCE diskette in drive A Press any key when ready Insert the MS DOS system diskette the source into drive A and turn the diskette drive latch to lock the diskette in place Then press any key The DISKCOPY program copies the contents of the diskette to the computer s memory and then displays these prompts Insert TARGET diskette in drive A Press any key when ready Release the disk latch and remove the MS DOS system diskette from drive A Insert the blank diskette the target in the drive and turn the diskette drive latch to lock the diskette in place Then press any key 1 24 Setting Up Your System If the diskette in drive A is not formatted the DISKCOPY program formats it Then the program copies the data from the computer s memory to the formatted diskette When the co
107. this A gt On the Apex Plus system the top drive is drive A and the bottom drive is drive B On the Apex Plus 20 system the diskette drive is drive A and the hard disk drive is drive C MS DOS reserves the label B for a second diskette drive whether or not it is installed If you are using an Apex Plus 20 and you booted from the hard disk you ll notice that your prompt is not the MS DOS default command prompt c gt Instead your prompt looks like this c gt Setting Up Your System 1 21 That s because Epson changed the prompt by adding a command in a file named AUTOEXEC BAT This file contains a series of commands that your computer automatically runs when you turn it on One of these commands is PROMPT P G which modifies the prompt to display your directory location on the disk For simplicity all of the examples in this manual show the default command prompt A gt orc gt For more information about the AUTOEXEC BAT file see Using an AUTOEXEC BAT file in Chapter 3 or see your MS DOS reference manual Before you continue make a working copy of the diskette containing the MS DOS operating system and the diskette containing GW BASIC then store the originals safely away 8 Copying System Diskettes Follow the steps below to make copies of your two systen diskettes Use these working copies for daily use and store the originals in a safe place The procedure for copying a diskette differs slightly depen
108. tor on the back pane Troubleshooting 5 7 5 Did you perform any necessary post installation setup procedures for the operating system If you did check your MS DOS reference manual to see that you properly followed the instructions in your option card manual Expanding Your System Q Can I use other types of diskette drives with the Apex A Half height 720KB 3 I 2 inch diskette drives and 12MB 5 4inch high density diskette drives are not supported Q Can I install a math coprocessor chip What type do need A A math coprocessor chip is an option that speeds up the math functions used in many spreadsheet and math intensive software applications You can buy the chip at electronic parts retailers and computer stores Epson America Inc does not supply them An 8087 1 math coprocessor chip which runs at 10M Hz is recommended for use with the Apex computer The math coprocessor is installed in the socket provided on the Apex CPU board Q What other monitors are compatible with the Apex Is it possible to use a television set A IBM PC compatible RGB color or TTL monochrome monitors work with the multi graphics adapter card provided with the Apex computer IBM compatible Enhanced Graphics Adapter EGA monitors can also be used if an EGA video board is installed available from computer dealers 5 8 Troub esnootng Composite monochrome monitors can be used if a composite video board is installed availabl
109. ts of two parts the file s name and the file s extension You can use up to eight characters in a filename Create a name that identifies the information the file contains The name can contain any characters or numbers except for blank spaces and the following symbols ARPE eB ee ee Be 8 The file extension is optional and can be up to three characters long You can use these characters to describe what type of file it is such as a text file or program file Some application pro grams add extensions to the files you create The application program uses the extension to determine whether it is a compat ible data file Avoid using the same extensions your application programs use When you use an extension separate it from the file s name with a period For example an MS DOS filename might look like this DATA TXT Do not use uppercase and lowercase letters to distinguish between files MS DOS does not recognize the difference and displays filenames in uppercase Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 5 Creating and Using Directories MS DOS stores the names of the files in directories This makes it easy for you to organize and find your files A directory contains specific information about each file such as its name size and the date and time you last updated the file As you create more and more files within a directory you may find it difficult to quickly locate files You may want to create subdirectories within your main directo
110. unit and power cord J The keyboard with an attached cable J An MS DOS operating system diskette version 3 2 Q1 A diskette containing supplemental MS DOS utilities the GW BASIC programming language version 3 2 and the XTREE utility 13 An MS DOS reference manual and a GW BASIC reference manual Setting Up Your System 1 1 EAA ATAA OS EA You ll also find a registration card with your A pex fill out this card now and mail it to Epson With this registration card on file Epson can send you update information Removing the disk drive protector cards A protector card occupies each diskete drive in your computer This card is inserted at the factory to protect the disk drive heads that read from and write to diskettes Be sure to remove the card from each diskette drive before you turn on the computer Turn the latch that covers the disk slot until it is horizontal and carefully pull out the card 1 2 Setting Up Your System Save these cards to use whenever you move the computer Also if you don t intend to use your computer for a week or more insert the cards to help prevent dust from entering the drives Choosing a Location Before you set up your Apex it s important to choose the right location Make sure it provides the following J A large sturdy area and surface such as a desk or table that can easily support the weight of your Apex and all its components 1 A flat hard surface Don t set t
111. ure the table is correct press F The program displays a warning about the consequences of proceeding with formatting The remaining steps are exactly the same as for a normal conditional format B 8 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use Destructive surface analysis Use this option to accurately locate any bad tracks on a hard disk and to flag any bad tracks that are not flagged WARNING If any errors occur during this check all data on the track that produces the error is destroyed For this reason if you think that an unflagged bad track is causing trouble first run option 4 N on destructive surface analysis to check the disk surface This test operates by a complex process of writing reading and verifying information on every track of the hard disk except for tracks that are already flagged as bad tracks To start the test press 3 and then Enter You see these messages Analyze Hard Disk Read Save Write Read Restore Read check for all tracks Current cylinder is xxxx As each track is checked the cylinder number xxxx counts down to zero When the analysis is complete the program displays a complete report on the status of the disk including a table of unflagged tracks that produced write read errors For a 20M B hard disk with one unflagged bad track you see this display Analysis finished Count of tracks flagged bad zi Count of tracks with write read errors 0 Count of good tracks 2459 N
112. uses up space quickly It is a good idea to always check the total of Tagged Bytes in the DIRECTORY Statistics box to make sure you don t tag more bytes than the Available Bytes shown in the DISK box 5 Press Ctrl C to copy all tagged files in the directory Press Enter to use the file specification If a destination already appears on the prompt line press the backspace key or ESC to remove it 6 Now type TEST1 and press Enter you don t need to include a drive letter and a colon Press either Y or N at the file replacement prompt it doesn t matter because there are no files in the new directory XTREE displays the name of each file as it copies it When the process is complete the commands display and the cursor appears at the beginning of the list of files in the originating directory 3 30 Using MS DOS with Your Apex 7 Press Enter twice to return the cursor to the root directory then move the cursor to the new directory Your display should look like this FILE DISK A Available Bytes DISK Statistics ANSI Total ASSIGN Files ATTRIB Bytes 1246 CHKDSK Matching DISRCOMP Files 40 DISRCOPY Bytes 7246 Tagged Files 1 Bytes 45 921 Current Directory TEST1 Bytes 38 609 DIR Available Delete Fileepec Log disk Makedir Print Rename COMMANDS Showall Tag Untag Volume execute Nscroll RETURN file commands ALT menu Fl quit F2 help 8 You probably don t want to keep this direct
113. usly displays the changing head and cylinder numbers Preparing a Hard Disk For Use B 13 Besides formatting the hard disk partition SELECT also creates a directory named DOS and copies the operating system files to the hard disk When the procedure is complete the screen displays Format complete System transferred Volume label 11 characters ENTER for none 5 To name the hard disk or as the prompt says give it a volume label type in an 11 character string If you do not want to name the hard disk do not enter any characters just press Enter Now you have formatted your hard disk and installed MS DOS on it Finishing Your Installation When you ran SELECT you copied all the MS DOS files on your system diskette into a directory called DOS on the hard disk You should perform a few additional operations to organize MS DOS into an efficient working arrangement 4 Copy the files from your GW BASIC diskette onto the hard disk m Set the real time clock J Create an AUTOEXEC BAT file so that you can easily access the MS DOS and GW BASIC programs while you work B 14 Preparing a Hard Disk For Use Follow these steps to complete your installation L Insert the working copy of the GW BASIC diskette into driveA AttheA gt prompt type the following and press Enter COPY C DOS This copies all the files from the diskette into the directory called DOS on the hard disk drive The comput
114. ype of file that lets you execute a series of MS DOS com mands by typing one command Batch files are text files with the filename extension BAT In a batch file each command is entered on a separate line When you type the filename all the commands in that file are executed sequentially Baud rate A measure of the speed of data transmission Usually equivalent to bits per second Bit A binary digit 0 or The smallest unit of computer storage The value of a bit represents the presence 1 or absence 0 of an electric charge Glossary 1 Boot To load a program or an operating system Byte A sequence or group of eight bits that represents one character CGA Color graphics adapter A type of color monitor that can display up to 25 lines of text with 80 characters on each line or monochrome graphics with a 640 x 200 resolution The moni tor can display four color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution and eight color graphics at 160 x 200 resolution Character Anything that can print in a single space on the page or the screen Includes numbers letters punctuation marks and graphic symbols CMOS Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor A method of making silicon chips Code A system of symbols for representing data or instructions Also any software program or part of a program Command An instruction you enter on a keyboard to direct the computer to perform a specific function Command prompt The message that t

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