RM Nimbus PC-1 86 Fitting and Using
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RESEARCHll.N MACHINES RM Nimbus PC-1 86 Parallel l/O Port (with User Port) Fitting and Using PN 2s640 Contents Chapter 1: Fitting Parallel l/O Card to a PC-186 with 102-key Keyboard 3 2: Fitting Parallel l/O Card to a PC-186 with 84-key Keyboard 7 3: lnstalling the Sottware on a Standalone PC-186 10 4: lnstalling the Software on a Networked PC-186 13 5: Using the Parallel l/O Porl for Printing 20 6: Configuring the Parallel l/O Port 23 7: Using the User Poil 2s 8: Port Pinouts 30 9: Technical lnformation 32 10:Troubleshooting 35 Contents of your upgrade kit Your upgrade kit consists of the following: o A Parallel l/O card. o The user pon (socket on ribbon cable for connection to the l/O card) with mounting bracket. o A 3.5" floppy disk containing the files PARALLEL.SYS and INSTALL.COM. o Two self-tapping screws and washers. o These upgrade instructions. r A booklet "Nimbus PC Printing Made Simple'. PC-l86 Parallel l/O Port About this Upgrade The Parallel l/O port and user port The Parallel l/O port is a socket for connecting a parallel printer. lt is attached to a card that you slot into your PC-186. We refer to the card as the Parallel l/O card. fhe user porf is an optional socket on the end of a ribbon cable that connects to the card. The user port is similar to the port on a BBC micro. You can use this port for sending data to a printer or receiving data (i.e. itis bi-directionafl. How to use this booklet This booklet shows you how to: 1. Fit a Parallel l/O card and user port to your PC-186, if not already fitted. 2. Use the Parallel llO port and user port for basic printing tasks. lf you are fitting the l/O card yourself, first read the appropriate chapter for your computer. Your PC has either an 84-key or a 1A2-key keyboard, and the internal layout of each type is different. lf you are unsure what you have, the 102-key keyboard has the function (F) keys along the top. When fitting is complete, install the software as shown. Read the appropriate chapter for standalone or networked computers. (This is where you start if the l/O card was supplied already fitted.) Chapter 5 then tells you how to use the parallel printer port. Finally, there are specialist chapters for experienced users and a troubleshooting chapter to help if problems occur. ll you have olher optional cards in your PC, particularly a data communications (DCC) card, GPIB card, or cartridge tape controller card, read the information given in chapler 6, "Conliguring the Parallel l/O Port'. PC-l86 Parallel l/O Port Chapter 1 Fitting the Parallel l/O Card to a PC-186 with a 102-key Keyboard Before you begin Read chapter 10 of your Owners Handbook for details of dismantling the computer and inserting cards. We reler to the handbook in the following instructions. Note: ll you have a diskless nelwork station (TN) or il there ale no spare connectors on the bus cable because of the expansion cards already filled lo your computer, you will need a new bus cable. To order a new bus cable contact lhe RM Sales Desk, Preparing your computer Use the HARDDISK command to secure (park)the heads of the winchester disk, if fitted. Remove the cover of the computer. Find the bus cable: this is the ribbon cable that connects the main board to the disk controller card. This bus cable attaches to the main board and connects to the edge of the disk controller card and any optional card(s). lf you are replacing the old bus cable, disconect the old one from the option board and main board and remove it. PC-l86 Parallel l/O Port lf you have a diskless network station (TN), this does not apply but you should connect the new bus cable to the mainboard before inserting your new option card. Fitting the card There are three horizontal slots for cards to slide into. The top slot may contain the disk controller card and you may have optional cards fitted in other slots. You need at least one free slot to fit the card and user port. You normally use the middle slot to fit the card, and this corresponds to the top opening on the rear panel. o lf you have two slots free, follow the instructions "Two slots available", below. r lf you have only a single slot free, follow the instructions "Single slot only". r lf you have no free slots, you must remove at least one of the optional cards and then read the appropriate set of instructions mentioned above o lf you want to use the user port of the l/O card as well as the parallel printer poft, connect the 20-way ribbon cable provided with this package to the socket on the l/O card as in the diagram below. Two slots available 1. Release the bus cable lrom the disk controller card. 2. Remove the blanking plates f rom the slots in the rear panel. 3. There is a wide notch on the top edge of the l/O card's mounting bracket. The ribbon cable comes out from the top of the card. Hold the card with the notch upwards and bend the cable down and underneath the card as shown. PC-l86 Parallel l/O Port 4. Slide the card into the middle slot and push it into place as indicated by the arrow. Slide the user porl mounting bracket into the bottom slot and push it inlo place. 5. Connecl the bus cable to the parallel printer card and the disk controller card, if litted. 6. Refit the cover as described in the handbook. Now you need to installthe software. lf you are installing on a standalone computer, skip to chapter 3. tf you are installing on a networked computer, skip to chapter 4. Single slot only You have two choices: if you no longer need the optional card fitted, remove it and lollow the instructions given above. Alternatively, follow the instruclions given here. 1. Release the bus cable f rom the optional card and lrom the disk controller card, if fitted. 2. lf the optional card is in the middle slot, move it to the bottom slot. 3. Remove the mounting bracket from the user por1. 4. There is a wide notch on the edge of the card's mounting bracket. Hold the card with the notch on top. The ribbon cable comes from the top of the card. Bend the cable so that it fits over the notch on the mounting bracket, as shown. 5. Feed the cable through the opening in the back panel, so that it hangs out ol the back of the computer. (You first need to remove the blanking panel if it is stillfitted.) The notch in the mounting bracket provides space lor the cable when you slide the card in. Slide the mounting bracket into the middle slol and push it into place. PC-l86 Parallel l/O Port 6. There are two lugs with screw holes above the top opening on the outside of the rear panel. Bend the ribbon cable so that the user port aligns with the holes. Place a washer over each of the self{apping screws supplied and screw the user port to the rear panel. The fitting of the user port socket is now complete. user port parallel printer port 7. Connect the bus cable to the disk controller card (if fitted), the l/O card and the optional card. Also connect any other cables you may have removed from the optional card. 8. Refit the cover of the computer as described in the handbook. Now you need to installthe software. lf you are installing on a standalone computer, skip to chapter 3. lf you are installing on a networked computer, skip to chapter 4. PC-|86 Parallel l/O Porl Chapter 2 Fitting the Parallel I/O Gard to a PC-186 with an 84-key Keyboard Before you begin This upgrade kit is designed for use in both models of PC-186. For your computer the two setf{apping screws and washers will not be needed and can be discarded Note: ll you have a diskless network station (TN) or il there aIe no spare connectors on the bus cable because of the expansion cards already fitled to your compuler, you will need a new bus cable. To order a bus cable conlad the RM Sales Desk. Preparing your computer To fit the Parallel llO card you must first remove the computer's @ver. This is described in the module in the Nimbus Owners Handbook entitled "How to take it apart'. Read the first two chapters of this module, up to the end of "To remove the case top". Please pay pailicular attention to the section on sa{ety. Remember to park the heads of any winchester disk. Fitting the card You are now ready to lit the card into the computer. lt slots vertically into any ol the four slots and is connected to the main board by means of the l/O bus cable. You need to connect the l/O bus cable to the main board. PC-186 Parallel l/O Part I/O but connector blanking platc parallel printer port uler I/O port +l2vDC +5vDC lf you have a tape streamer, a GPIB card, or any other add-on card that uses the l/o bus (except for the disk controller card), a -card l/o bus cable will already be fitted and you will not need a new one.