Epson Apex User Manual Download

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Summary of Contents for Apex

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Page 2: ...will help us improve our publications Please rate the following Excellent Good Fair Poor Organization of this manual Technical accuracy Completeness of instructions Clarity of concepts and wording Quality of examples and pictures Quantity of examples and pictures Comments Name Title Company Address City State Z i p Please cut out and mail in Thank you EPSON ...

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Page 5: ...tent 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 ...

Page 6: ...l 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 periphe...

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Page 8: ...tor 1 9 4 Connecting the Keyboard 1 12 5 Connecting a Printer 1 13 Parallel interface 1 13 Serial interface 1 15 6 Connecting the Power Cord 1 15 7 Turning On the Computer and Loading MS DOS 1 16 Safety rules 1 16 System startup 1 17 Initial screen display 1 18 Loading MS DOS on the Apex Plus 1 19 The command prompt 1 21 8 Copying System Diskettes 1 22 Copying diskettes on the Apex Plus 1 22 Copyi...

Page 9: ...k 2 13 Using a single diskette drive system 2 14 Preparing the hard disk for moving 2 15 Chapter 3 Using MS DOS with Your Apex 3 1 Introducing MS DOS 3 1 Starting and Exiting MS DOS 3 2 Changing the Default Drive 3 3 Entering MS DOS Commands 3 3 Creating Files 3 4 Naming a File 3 5 Creating and Using Directories 3 6 Creating directories 3 8 Changing directories 3 8 Using pathnames 3 9 Other direct...

Page 10: ...ur Application Program 3 32 Using an AUTOEXEC BAT File 3 32 Creating an AUTOEXEC BAT file 3 33 Chapter 4 Installing Option Cards 4 1 Removing the Cover 4 2 Inserting the Option Card 4 3 Replacing the Cover 4 7 Post installation Setup 4 8 Removing Option Cards 4 8 Chapter 5 Troubleshooting 5 1 The Computer Fails to Start Up 5 2 The Video Display Does Not Appear 5 2 The Computer Locks Up 5 3 Diskett...

Page 11: ...format normal B 4 Unconditional format B 7 Destructive surface analysis B 9 Non destructive surface analysis B 10 Using FDISK B 11 Using SELECT B 13 Finishing Your Installation B 14 Appendix C Specifications C 1 Main Unit C 1 Interfaces C 1 Keyboard C 1 Mass Storage C 2 Power Requirements C 2 Environmental Requirements C 2 Physical Characteristics CPU Only C 2 Video and Display Options C 3 Other A...

Page 12: ...e 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 either 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 mon...

Page 13: ...uding 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 ...

Page 14: ...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 an...

Page 15: ... 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 Cu...

Page 16: ...0 922 891 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 The main unit and power cord The keyboard with an attached...

Page 17: ...e protector cards A protector card occupies each diskette 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 ...

Page 18: ...on 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 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 ...

Page 19: ... illustration below shows a 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 ...

Page 20: ...s work Power switch Press this switch to turn the main unit on and off 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 54MHz Do not change the operating speed while you are running a program See Chapter 2 for more informatio...

Page 21: ... is vertical To remove a diskette turn it up until it is horizontal 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 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 panel is on whenever the computer is...

Page 22: ... see that the power switch is off before you connect or disconnect the printer The back panel components are AC input This inlet supplies electrical power to your computer when you plug in the power cord Always turn the power switch off before you plug the power cord from this inlet into an electrical outlet DIP switches These switches give the computer informa tion about its video card type and p...

Page 23: ...trol 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 Monitor port Lets you connect an RGB color graphics monitor or...

Page 24: ...B 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 U...

Page 25: ...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 panel for the type of monitor you are using 1 10 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 26: ... the DIP switch settings See Appendix A for more information 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 switch settings defined in Appendix A to be sure they are set correctly for the type of video card you are instal...

Page 27: ... connector into the keyboard socket on the front panel of your Apex 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 1 12 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 28: ...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 ...

Page 29: ...etaining 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 5 Plug the printer s power cord into an electrical outlet 1 14 Setting Up Your System ...

Page 30: ... 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...

Page 31: ...uter 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 o...

Page 32: ...cal outlet Turn on the monitor so you can see messages that appear as your computer starts up If you have a printer turn it on 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 comput...

Page 33: ...he 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 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...

Page 34: ...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 Ins...

Page 35: ...ette 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 sys...

Page 36: ... 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 this A 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...

Page 37: ...ette containing GW BASIC then store the originals safely away 8 Copying System Diskettes Follow the steps below to make copies of your two system diskettes Use these working copies for daily use and store the originals in a safe place The procedure for copying a diskette differs slightly depending on whether you have an Apex Plus or an Apex Plus 20 Follow the procedure below that applies to your s...

Page 38: ...ve 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 remove the diskette Then ins...

Page 39: ...ve A Press any key when ready 3 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 4 Release the disk latch and remove the MS DOS system ...

Page 40: ...iskette 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 ...

Page 41: ...2 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 prompt 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 an...

Page 42: ...e keyboard Changing your computer s operating speed Interrupting a command or program Resetting and turning off your computer 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 ...

Page 43: ... Produces uppercase characters or symbols when used with the main character keys Produces lowercase characters when Caps Lock is on Works with 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...

Page 44: ...n 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 The Caps 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...

Page 45: ...tte 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 ...

Page 46: ...nown 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 t...

Page 47: ...rom 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 2...

Page 48: ...sk drives Cl Insert and remove diskettes Write protect diskettes Cl Make backup copies of your diskettes If you have an Apex Plus 20 also read these sections to learn how to do the following Use a hard disk Use a single diskette drive system 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 enclo...

Page 49: ...d 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 reliability is well worth the extra cost These diskettes are compatible with those used with the IBM PC This means...

Page 50: ... 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 ...

Page 51: ...tach it to a diskette If you must write on a label that is already on a diskette use only a soft tip pen not a ballpoint pen or a pencil 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 Remove all diskettes from the ...

Page 52: ...ove 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 Ape...

Page 53: ...kette 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 If you need to change data on a write protected diskette remove the write protect tab Making backup copies Always make backup copies of all your data and system diskettes Copy all diskettes that contain programs such as the master system d...

Page 54: ...egularly 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 Never attempt to open the hard disk drive The disk itself is enclosed in an airtight container to protect...

Page 55: ...h 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 drive system An operating system expects the computer t...

Page 56: ...repare 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 surfaces and the drive may be damaged or you may lose va...

Page 57: ...2 16 Using Your Apex ...

Page 58: ...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...

Page 59: ...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 remembers that you 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...

Page 60: ...he 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 drive A and want to access a file on drive B type the drive identifier and the filename together like this B README TXT Entering MS ...

Page 61: ...ays 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 cr...

Page 62: ...hese 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...

Page 63: ... 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 The root directory does not have a name but is always i...

Page 64: ...lays 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 Creating directories Changing directories Using pathnames Copying from one directory to another Displaying a list of all directories Deleting a d...

Page 65: ... along with the new subdirectory LEDGER DIR The DIR after a name identifies it as a subdirectory of the current directory in this case the root directory 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 differe...

Page 66: ... 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 signi...

Page 67: ...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...

Page 68: ...ackslash 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 represen...

Page 69: ...es 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 F 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 DECSALES FORECAST 88 OCTSALES NOVSALES NOTE To use the TREE command you must ...

Page 70: ...iskettes 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...

Page 71: ...s 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 neces...

Page 72: ... 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 Copying Data It s important to create backup copies of the files you store on your diskettes or hard disk You can copy data and program files several ways You can use the DISKCOPY command to copy the contents of an entire disk...

Page 73: ... 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 ...

Page 74: ...nt 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 9 sectors track 2 side s When the copy is complete you see these messages Copy complete Copy another...

Page 75: ...kette in drive A Press any key when ready 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 driv...

Page 76: ... 40 tracks 9 sectors track 2 side s When the copy is complete you see this message Copy another diskette Y N 6 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 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 fi...

Page 77: ...e 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 F...

Page 78: ...A 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 ...

Page 79: ...ted 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 m...

Page 80: ...SC after viewing the information 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 H...

Page 81: ...ge 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 Display all the directories in a disk the files they contain and the file statistics Display copy and delete files individually or in groups t...

Page 82: ...em or archived Display data in both ASCII and hexadecimal format Execute programs Display how much space is available on your disks Modify screen parameters Using XTREE To run XTREE move to the directory where XTREE is located Type XTREE 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 Using MS DOS with Your A...

Page 83: ...ke 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 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...

Page 84: ...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 ...

Page 85: ...must first remove its protection 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 remember that everything you can do is shown on the screen display Th...

Page 86: ...1 quit F2 help 2 Press M for Makedir to create a directory for your files Type TEST1 and press Enter to name your directory XTREE opens a new directory and updates the directory structure so it looks like this Path T E S T 1 FILE DISK A Available Bytes 48 129 DISK Statistics ANSI S Y S F O R M A T COM MSDOS SYS Total ASSIGN COM GRAFTABL COM POWER COM Files 42 ATTRIB EXE GRAPHICS EXE PRINT COM Byte...

Page 87: ...ress 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...

Page 88: ...tory 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 don...

Page 89: ...ally upon startup you can type the commands into a batch file called AUTOEXEC 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...

Page 90: ... 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 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 t...

Page 91: ...3 34 Using MS DOS with Your Apex ...

Page 92: ...e 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 In addition multifunction boards available from various vendors allow you to add multiple features using only a single slot Before you install an option card in your computer you need to remove the cover...

Page 93: ...wer 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 th...

Page 94: ... 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 ...

Page 95: ...ecide 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 ...

Page 96: ... 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 the contact pins pointing down and the compone...

Page 97: ...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 ...

Page 98: ...omputer making sure that the edges fit around the back panel Secure the cover by replacing the screw on the back of the computer and the four screws on the sides of the top cover You can return the computer to its original position and reconnect it to the monitor the keyboard and any other peripherals you have Check to make sure the power switch is off before you reconnect the power cord to the ba...

Page 99: ... 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 ...

Page 100: ...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 ...

Page 101: ...4 10 Installing Option Cards ...

Page 102: ...91 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 driv...

Page 103: ...outlet Then turn the power switch on again 3 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 Does Not 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 ...

Page 104: ... slot on the back panel Then turn both power switches back on 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 t...

Page 105: ...ginal 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 l 4 inch 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...

Page 106: ...e 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 typ...

Page 107: ...possible problems and solutions 1 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 2 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...

Page 108: ...ay 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 2 3 4 Is the option card installed correctly Check the setup and operation procedures in the option card instructions Did you set the necessary DIP switches or jumpers on the option card See your op...

Page 109: ...ctions 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 10MHz 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 wit...

Page 110: ...propriate 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 Use a 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 them in foreign countries Q What kind of ...

Page 111: ...ome have different types of connectors Make sure the joystick connector 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 ...

Page 112: ...d 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 effec...

Page 113: ...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 If 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 a...

Page 114: ...ave the built in port as the primary port 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 LPTl If it finds two parallel ports it names the primary port LPTl 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 t...

Page 115: ...onnected 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 ...

Page 116: ...ing 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 a...

Page 117: ...and 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 ...

Page 118: ... 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 a list 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 ...

Page 119: ...en 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 th...

Page 120: ...ou want to start formatting 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...

Page 121: ...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 receiving this error message do the following 1 2 3 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 Run the Destructive surface analysis option 3 to fla...

Page 122: ...ion 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 recommended value and press Enter Next enter the list of bad tracks The ...

Page 123: ... 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 proced...

Page 124: ...ept 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 o...

Page 125: ...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 Non destructive surface analysis The Non destructive surface analysis is not as complex as the Destructive surface analysis It does not destroy any data and you can safely use it to check the cond...

Page 126: ...gram 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 disk...

Page 127: ...te 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 the DOS diskette is already in drive A Your computer begins reloading 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 ti...

Page 128: ...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 w...

Page 129: ... 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 Copy the files from your G...

Page 130: ...pe the following and press Enter MKDIR C BASIC 3 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 4 Type the following command to delete the GW BASIC program from the DOS directory and press Enter DEL C DOS GWBASIC EXE Now you ll set the real time clock This is a battery powered clock in your computer that ...

Page 131: ... DOS BASIC PROMPT P G CLS 7 Press F6 and then Enter The computer displays this message 1 File s copied and the A 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 ...

Page 132: ...t 4 77M 9 54Hz 8087 2 microprocessor optional for use at 4 77MHz only Standard 8 bit parallel 25 pin D shell female 25 pin D shell male Internal non adjustable Five IBM PC compatible 8 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 ...

Page 133: ...ive 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 operating 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...

Page 134: ...5 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 Other Apex Options 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 band...

Page 135: ...41A T 750 9 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 ...

Page 136: ...Computer accessories Internal 300 1200 baud modem card C203A A External 300 l200 baud modem C202A A Specifications C 5 ...

Page 137: ...C 6 Specifications ...

Page 138: ...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 type 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 y...

Page 139: ...c 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 tells you MS DOS is loaded and ready to receive instructions The defa...

Page 140: ...rker 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 ...

Page 141: ...skettes 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 co...

Page 142: ...k 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 addressa...

Page 143: ...han normal A 5 l 4 inch high density diskette can 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 cu...

Page 144: ...z 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 video card that comes with the Apex operates a TTL mono chrome monitor or a color graphics monitor Microprocessor A small version of a CPU contai...

Page 145: ...he 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 ad...

Page 146: ...ch 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 tells you what action you need to perform next RAM Random A...

Page 147: ...etry 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 directo...

Page 148: ...n 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 the command works Switches must be preceded by a forward slash For example if you add the S switch to a FORMAT command MS DOS installs the operating system on a di...

Page 149: ...ircuit 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 256 color graphics at 320 x 200 resolution Wildcard A character that represents an unknown character or group of characters The wildcard character asterisk represents a group of chara...

Page 150: ... 5 2 4 5 5 6 Changing the configuration 4 8 CHDIR command 3 8 Choosing diskettes 2 8 Clock rate C 1 Clock setting 1 25 26 B 15 Color graphics monitor 1 8 1 11 C 3 Color mono switch 1 8 1 10 Command prompt 1 21 COMMAND COM 5 5 COMP command 5 5 Composite monochrome monitor 5 9 monochrome Intro 1 1 8 5 8 9 C 3 port 1 8 C 3 specifications C 3 Conditional format hard disk B 1 B 3 Connecting the keyboar...

Page 151: ...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 solving 5 4 removing 2 10 storing 2 9 write protecting 2 12 5 4 Display options C 3 DOS partition 5 5 Drives compatibility 5 8 default 3 3 diskette 1 6 2 7 hard 1 6 2 7 2 13 14 identifiers 3 3 lights 1 6 lock release latch 1 6 protector cards 1 2 read write head 2 8 storage capacity C 2 ...

Page 152: ...5 B 1 B 11 Files creating 3 4 naming 3 5 FORMAT command 5 5 Formatting diskettes 2 8 9 hard disk B 2 Front panel 1 5 6 Function keys 2 2 C 1 G Game port Intro 1 1 8 GM BASIC Intro 2 H Hard disk controller card 1 8 4 1 C 1 directories 2 14 FORMAT MENU B 3 formatting B 1 HDSIT program 2 13 2 15 moving 2 15 partitions B 1 precautions 2 13 preparing B 1 problem solving 5 5 6 storage capacity C 1 I n d...

Page 153: ...lling option cards 1 1 1 4 1 Interface Intro 2 1 8 1 13 1 15 4 8 J Joystick Intro 1 1 8 5 10 K Keyboard cable socket 1 5 connecting 1 11 function keys 2 2 C 1 layout 2 1 C 1 legs 1 12 13 special keys 2 1 3 L Labeling diskettes 2 10 Loading MS DOS 1 19 Lock release latch 1 6 M Math coprocessor Intro 2 5 8 C 1 Memory test 1 18 MKDIR command 3 8 Modem Intro 2 C 5 Monitor color Intro 1 1 8 5 8 C 3 I n...

Page 154: ... 3 B 10 Numeric cursor pad C 1 O Operating speed 1 5 2 4 5 5 6 Option card Intro 2 1 8 1 11 4 1 4 3 5 7 8 slots Intro 1 1 8 C 1 P Parallel DIP switch settings A 3 interface Intro 2 1 8 1 13 C 1 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 C 2 Ports 1 8 1 15 Positioning hard disk read write heads 2 6 Power...

Page 155: ... 2 3 Resetting the computer 2 5 6 RGB color graphics monitor Intro 1 1 8 9 5 8 C 3 RMDIR command 3 13 Root directory 3 6 RS232 C port 1 15 S Safety rules 1 16 Screen display 1 18 SELECT command 5 5 B 1 B 13 Serial DIP switch settings A 2 interface Intro 2 1 15 C 1 port 1 8 SETMODE command 1 15 SETRTC program 1 25 Setting the real time clock 1 25 26 B 15 Setting up your computer 1 1 26 Software pro...

Page 156: ...structured directories 3 6 Troubleshooting 5 1 8 TTL monochrome monitor Intro 1 1 8 9 1 11 5 8 C 3 Turning off the computer 2 6 Turning on the computer 1 17 U Unconditional format hard disk B 3 B 7 Unpacking your computer 1 1 Using the computer in other countries 5 9 V Video card 1 11 4 1 5 8 9 A 3 C 1 Video display 5 2 3 C 3 Video graphics array VGA monitor Intro 1 Voltage selection switch 5 9 W ...

Page 157: ...X XTREE Intro 3 2 14 3 24 32 Index 8 ...

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