Epson Equity III+ User manual

EPSON

®

Equity™ III+

User’s Guide

Y12699112300

IMPORTANT NOTICE

DISCLAIMER OF WARRANTY

Seiko

Epson

Corporation

makes

no

representations

or

warranties,

either

express

or

implied,

by

or

with

respect

to

anything

in

this

manual,

and

shall

not

be

liable

for

any

implied

warranties

of

merchantability

and

fitness

for

a

particular

purpose

or

for

any

indirect,

special

or

consequential

damages.

Some

states

do

not

allow

the

exclusion

of

incidental

or

consequential

damages,

so

this

exclusion

may

not

apply

to

you.

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reserved.

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recording

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other-

wise,

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prior

written

permission

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Epson

Corporation.

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patent

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is

assumed

with

respect

to

the

use

of

information

contained

herein.

While

every

precaution

has

been

taken

the

preparation

of

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publication,

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Epson

Corporation

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for

errors

or

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sions.

Nor

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liability

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damages

resulting

from

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information

contained

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Further,

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and

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are

subject

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change

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TRADEMARKS

Centronics

is

a

registered

trademark

of

Centronics

Data

Computer

Corp

Epson

is

a

registered

trademark

of

Seiko

Epson

Corporation.

Equity

is

a

trademark

of

Epson

America,

Inc

IBM

is

a

registered

trademark

and

AT

and

XT

are

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International

Business

Machines

Corp.

MS

and

GW

are

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Microsoft

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Copyright

0

1986 by Seiko Epson Corporation

Nagano, Japan

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

specifications in Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC

ru es,

1

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 or television reception, which can be deter-

mined by turning the equipment off and on, the user is encouraged to try to correct

the interference by one or more of the following measures:

l Reorient the receiving antenna

l Relocate the computer with respect to the receiver

l Move the computer away from the receiver

l Plug the computer into a different outlet so that computer and receiver are on

different branch circuits.

If necessary, the user should consult- the dealer or an experienced radio/television tech-

nician for additional suggestions. The user 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 periph-

eral 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 peripheral

devices, you can obtain the proper shielded cable from your dealer. For non-

Epson peripheral devices contact the manufacturer or dealer for assistance.

WARNING

This equipment has been certified to comply with the limits for a Class B

computing device, pursuant to Subpart J of Part 15 of FCC Rules. Only

peripherals (computer input/output devices, terminals, printers, etc.) certi-

fied 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 nonshielded equipment interface cable to this equip-

ment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause

interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this

equipment.

Contents

Introduction

..................................

How to Use this Manual

.........................

1

Setting Up Your System

........................

Unpacking

.....................................

Removing the disk drive protector sheet

...........

Choosing a Location

.............................

Arranging the Components

.......................

The front panel

................................

The back panel

...............................

Connecting the Power Cord

......................

Connecting a Video Monitor

......................

Connecting the Keyboard

........................

Connecting a Printer

............................

Parallel interface

...............................

Serial interface

................................

The Equity III+ character set

....................

Turning On the Computer

........................

Safety rules

...................................

Turning on the power switch

....................

Initial setup procedure

..........................

Initial screen display

............................

2

Using the Equity III+

.........................

Locking the Computer

...........................

Inserting and Removing Diskettes

..................

Special Keys on the Equity III+ Keyboard

...........

Controlling the Volume

..........................

Selecting Execution Speed

........................

Resetting the Computer

..........................

Turning Off the Computer

........................

3

Using Disks and Disk Drives

...................

How Disks Work

................................

Choosing Diskettes for the Equity III+

..............

Drive and diskette incompatibilities

...............

Caring for your Disks and Disk Drives

..............

Protecting your Data

.............................

Making backup copies

..........................

Write-protecting diskettes

.......................

Intro-1

Intro-2

1-1

1-2

1-3

1-4

1-5

1-6

1-7

1-9

1-11

1-12

1-13

1-14

1-15

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-5

2-6

2-7

3-1

3-2

3-4

3-5

V

4

5

A

B

C

vi

Using a Single Floppy Disk Drive

..................

Using a Hard Disk Drive

.........................

Installing Option Cards

........................

Removing the Cover

.............................

Installing an Option Card

........................

Removing an Option Card

.......................

Replacing the Cover

.............................

Post-installation Setup

............................

Troubleshooting

..............................

The Computer Fails to Start Up

...................

The Video Display Does Not Appear

...............

The Computer Locks Up or Freezes

................

Floppy Disk Problems

............................

Hard Disk Problems

.............................

Software Problems

...............................

Printer Problems

................................

Option Card Problems

...........................

Appendixes

Jumper Settings

...............................

Changing a Jumper Setting

.......................

Memory Card Jumpers

...........................

Main Circuit Board Jumpers

......................

Multi-function Card Jumpers

......................

Equity III+ Specifications

......................

CPU and Memory

..............................

Controllers

.....................................

Interfaces

......................................

Power Supply

...................................

Mass Storage

...................................

Keyboard

......................................

Environmental Requirements

......................

Physical Characteristics (CPU Only)

................

Power Requirements

.............................

Options

.......................................

Glossary..

....................................

Index

........................................

3-7

4-1

4-3

4-6

4-7

4-8

5-1

5-2

5-3

5-4

5-5

A-1

A-2

A-4

A-9

B-1

B-2

B-3

B-4

C-l

Index-1

Figures

1-1

System arrangement

.................

...........

1-2

Front panel

........................

...........

1-3

Backpanel

.........................

...........

1-4

Connecting the power cord

...........

1-5

Connecting the monitor

..............

...........

1-6

Connecting the cable to the keyboard

...

...........

1-7

Opening the keyboard connector cover .

...........

1-8

1-9

1-10

1-11

1-12

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-4

3-1

3-2

4-1

4-2

4-3

4-4

4-5

4-6

4-7

4-8

A-1

A-2

A-3

Plugging the keyboard cable into the main unit

.......

Adjusting the keyboard legs

.......................

Connecting the printer cable to the parallel port

......

Connecting the printer

...........................

Turning on the power

............................

Locking the computer

............................

Inserting a diskette

..............................

Standard keyboard

..............................

Volume control knob and CPU speed switch

.........

Write-protect notch

..............................

Write-protect switch

.............................

Back panel screws

...............................

Sliding back the cover

............................

Removing the cover

.............................

Option slots

....................................

16-bit and 8-bit option cards

......................

Removing an option slot cover

....................

Inserting an option card

..........................

Replacing the cover

..............................

Location of cards

................................

Jumper positions

................................

Removing memory card retaining screw

.............

A-4 Memory card jumpers

............................

A-5

Removing circuit board screws

.....................

A-6 Unplugging connector CN6 from hard disk controller

card

..........................................

A-7 Removing circuit board

..........................

A-8 Unplugging connectors CN6 and CN3 from the circuit

board . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1-3

1-4

1-5

1-7

1-8

1-9

1-10

1-11

1-12

1-14

2-1

2-2

2-3

2-5

3-6

4-2

4-3

4-4

4-5

4-6

4-7

A-1

A-2

A-3

A-4

A-6

A-7

vii

A-9 Main circuit board jumpers .......................

A-8

A-10 Disconnecting disk drive cable from multi-function card .

A-10

A-11 Removing multi-function card retaining screw

........

A-11

A-12 Multi-function card jumpers

.......................

A-11

Tables

1-1

Monitor/video card compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1-8

2-1

Special keys . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

2-4

3-1

Drive/diskette compatibility . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3-3

A-1 Memory card jumper settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A-2 Main circuit board jumper settings

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A-3 Multi-function card jumper settings for parallel port . . .

A-4 Multi-function card jumper settings for serial port . . . . .

A-3

A-5

A-9

A-10

Introduction

Your Epson Equity

III+ personal computer is a versatile, high-

performance system which offers you a wide variety of choices. First you

choose between two models of the Equity III+ main unit, then select the

monitor and peripherals you want to use with it to assemble the configura-

tion that does the most for you.

The Equity III+ main unit is available in these models:

l

One 1.2MB (megabyte) high-density floppy disk drive

l One 1.2MB floppy disk drive and one 40MB internal hard disk drive.

Both models include 640KB (kilobytes) of memory. You can install additional

drives in your Equity III+ to increase its storage capacity: another floppy disk

drive (360KB, 720KB, or 1.2MB)

an

d

one or more hard disks (10MB, 20MB,

40MB, etc.).

Optional cards and external devices further expand the capabilities of

your Equity III+. Its serial and parallel interfaces let you connect almost any

peripheral device you choose. Here are some options you can use with your

system:

.

Monochrome monitor (green or amber)

l

Monochrome video card

l

RGB (red, green, blue) color monitor or RGB enhanced color monitor

l

Composite color monitor

l Color/graphics video card

l

Graphics or enhanced graphics video card

l Memory expansion card

l 80287 Math coprocessor

l

An Epson printer or plotter.

You can also use most cards for the IBM® Personal Computer,

PC XT™, and PC AT™ on the Equity III+. Check with your Epson dealer

from time to time to find out which peripherals and option cards are

available.

Intro-1

The Equity III+ comes with the MS™-DOS operating system and the

GW™-BASIC programming language. If you have used MS-DOS before on

another computer, you will find that it works the same on the Equity III+. Be

sure to refer to your Equity MS-DOS manual, however, for descriptions of

the special utility programs added by Epson.

You may have purchased other software; you can use most software

products designed for the IBM PC, PC XT, and PC AT on your Equity III+.

Refer to your software program documentation for information on using the

software.

Additionally, the Equity III+ supports multiple users and multiple task-

ing with the appropriate operating system. Consult your Epson dealer for

more information.

How to Use this Manual

This user’s guide explains how to set up and care for your Equity III+. It

also describes how to start using your system and install optional devices.

You may not need to read everything in this book; some sections may

describe a particular option or accessory you do not have.

Follow the instructions in Chapter 1 to set up and turn on your system.

Chapter 2 describes some general operational procedures. Chapter 3

explains how disks and disk drives work and shows how to use them. Chap-

ter 4 describes how to install and remove option cards. If you encounter a

problem, refer to Chapter 5 for troubleshooting guidelines.

Appendix A describes how to change jumper settings inside the main

unit when you install certain optional devices, Appendix B presents the

Equity III+ hardware specifications, and Appendix C is a glossary of com-

puter terms used in this manual. Refer to the glossary whenever you come

across an unfamiliar word.

Intro-2

Chapter

1

Setting Up Your System

Setting up your Epson Equity III+ personal computer is easy. Just follow

the steps in this chapter.

Unpacking

As you remove your system components from their cartons, be sure

to inspect each piece. If anything is missing, looks damaged, or seems wrong,

consult your Epson dealer.

Once you have unpacked your Equity III+ computer components and

documentation, you should have the following:

The main unit and power cord

The keyboard with detachable cable

Keys for locking the computer

An MS-DOS operating system diskette (version 3.2) and a GW-BASIC

programming language diskette with supplemental MS-DOS utilities

An MS-DOS manual and a GW-BASIC manual

A diagnostics and system-dependent utilities diskette and a Diagnostics

manual

This Equity III+ User’s Guide.

In addition to these items, you probably bought a compatible video monitor

and video card.

You’ll also find a registration card with the main unit. Fill this card out

now and mail it to Epson. With your registration card on file, Epson can

send you update information.

Be sure to keep your packing materials. They provide the best protection

possible for your computer if you need to move or ship it later.

1-1

Removing the disk drive protector sheet

A cardboard sheet occupies the diskette slot in the floppy disk drive.

This sheet is inserted at the factory to protect the read/write heads. Be sure

to remove it before you connect any cables. Turn the latch that covers the

disk slot counterclockwise until it is horizontal. Carefully pull out the sheet.

If you have an optional 360KB or 720KB d

rive

as well, press the disk drive

button to release the protector sheet.

Save the protector sheet and reinsert it whenever you move the com-

puter, even if you just move it to another part of the room. If you don’t plan

to use your computer for a week or more, such as when you go on vacation,

reinsert the protector sheet to help prevent dust from entering the disk drive.

2

Choosing a Location

Before you set up your new system, choose an appropriate place.

Whether you use your computer at home or in the office, you need to find a

comfortable, convenient location where it can run properly.

Choose a location that provides the following:

A large, sturdy desk or table. Make sure it can easily support the weight

of your system, including all its components.

A flat, hard surface. Soft surfaces like beds and carpeted floors attract

static electricity, which erases data on your disks and can damage the

computer’s circuitry. Soft surfaces also prevent proper ventilation.

Good air circulation. Air must be able to move freely under the system

as well as behind it. Leave several inches of space around the computer

to allow ventilation.

Moderate environmental conditions. You need to protect your com-

puter from extremes in temperature, humidity, dust, and smoke. Avoid

direct sunlight or any other source of heat. High humidity also hinders

operation, so select a cool, dry area. Because you can’t risk losing data

stored on disk, do not expose your computer to dust and smoke which

can damage disks and disk drives.

Appropriate power sources. To prevent static charges, connect all your

equipment to 3-prong, 120-volt grounded outlets. You need one outlet for

the main unit, one for the monitor, and additional outlets for a printer

and any other peripherals. The auxiliary power outlet on the rear panel

of the Equity III+ reduces the number of wall outlets you need.

1-2

l

No electromagnetic interference. Locate your system away from any

electrical device that generates an electromagnetic field. Even a tele-

phone can cause trouble, especially if you keep diskettes right next to it.

3

Arranging the Components

First decide how you want to arrange the different parts of your

system. Figure 1-1 shows a typical setup.

Figure 1-1.

System

arrangement

If you have special computer furniture or want to customize your setup,

you can arrange your system components to suit your own needs.

Before you connect the cables, take a look at the front and back panels

of the main unit.

1-3

The front panel

Figure 1-2 identifies the various components on the front panel.

P;;;r

Ha;;v$sk

Floppy disk

drive

Disk lock/

lamp LED lamp LED lamp

release latch

~/-!~j

~~

\:j<g

Keyboard VOLUME MONITOR

RESET button

cable

Optional

control

SELECT SPEED

disk drive

socket

knob

switch switch

slots

Figure

1-2. Front panel

Floppy disk drive. The top drive is a floppy disk drive that uses high-

density (1.2MB) diskettes.

Disk lock/release latch. To lock a diskette in place, turn this latch clock-

wise until it is vertical. To release a diskette, turn it counterclockwise

until it is horizontal.

Floppy disk drive LED lamp. A red light indicates that the drive is being

accessed. To avoid losing data, never remove a diskette or turn off the

computer’s power when this light is on.

Slots for optional disk drives. You can add another floppy disk drive

(1.2MB, 720KB, or 360KB) and/or hard disk drive in these slots. All

Equity III+ units come with at least one 1.2MB floppy disk drive.

Hard disk drive LED lamp. A red light indicates that the drive is being

accessed. To avoid losing data, do not turn off the computer’s power

when this light is on.

Power LED lamp. When the light is on, the power is on. The light is red

if the CPU (central processing unit) speed is 6 MHz, orange for 8 MHz,

and green for 10 MHz.

1-4

Key Lock. Use the key to lock the main unit and keyboard. Turn the key

clockwise to lock the computer and counterclockwise to unlock it. You

can remove the key in either position. (Locking the computer disables

the

RESET button.)

RESET

button. Press this button to reset the computer. When an operat-

ing system is running and the computer is unlocked, you can press the

RESET button to reboot the system.

CPU SPEED

switch. Use this switch to select the CPU’s execution speed:

6 MHz, 8 MHz, or 12 MHz, from left to right. Do nor change the speed

while you are running a program.

MONITOR SELECT

switch. Slide this switch to the left if you are using a

monochrome monitor or to the right if you are using a color monitor.

VOLUME control. Turn the knob clockwise to make the computer’s

speaker louder, or counterclockwise to make it quieter.

Keyboard cable socket. Plug in the keyboard cable here.

The back panel

Now look at the back panel to identify the input/output ports. Figure

1-3 shows where you connect your peripherals.

Voltage

switch

Option card

access slots

AC power

inlet

/

\

/

\

/

AC power AC power Printer

inlet

outlet

parallel

serial

port

outlet

parallel

port

RS-232C

serial

port

Figure 1-3. Back

panel

1-3

WARNING: Connect all your peripherals before you plug in the power

cable. After you plug in the power cable, always turn off

the power switch before you connect or disconnect any

peripheral.

Voltage switch. Leave this switch at 115V for USA and Canadian use.

Slide the switch to the right to select 230V for use in other countries (as

necessary).

AC Power outlet. Auxiliary power outlet. Some monitors (and other

types of peripherals) can be plugged into the main unit here, instead of a

wall outlet. The main unit’s power switch controls the monitor or

peripheral connected to this outlet.

AC Power inlet. Plug the power cord into the main unit here. Be sure

the power switch is off when you plug the power cord into an outlet.

Printer parallel port. Allows you to connect a peripheral with a paral-

lel interface, such as a printer or a plotter.

RS-232C serial port. Allows you to connect a peripheral with a serial

interface, such as a modem, another computer, or a printer.

Option card access slots. The Equity III+ has nine slots to hold up to

nine option cards. Option cards allow your computer to control your

peripherals or enhance your computer’s performance. One option card

slot holds the hard disk controller card and another contains the parallel

and serial interfaces as well as the floppy disk controller. You also need to

use one or more slots for the video card(s) you purchased for your moni-

tor. You can use the other slots to install additional options, such as a

memory expansion card.

4

Connecting the Power Cord

Insert the power cord into the AC power inlet on the left side of the

back panel, as shown in Figure 1-4. To avoid an electric shock, be sure to plug

this end into the main unit before plugging the other end into the wall socket.

For now, do not plug the power cord into an electrical outlet.

1-6

Figure 1-4. Connecting the power cord

Connecting a Video Monitor

The procedure you use to connect your monitor to the main unit

depends on the type of monitor you have. Refer to your monitor manual for

detailed instructions or follow the general guidelines below.

Note: Your dealer may have installed a video card in your main unit to control

your monitor. If not, you need to install it before you can connect your

monitor. See Chapter 4 for instructions on how to remove the main

unit’s cover and install an option card.

1.

2.

3.

Place your monitor on top of or near the Equity III+ main unit. It is

easiest to connect the monitor cable if the backs of the monitor and

main unit face you.

If necessary, connect the monitor cable to the monitor. (Some monitors

come with permanently attached cables.)

Connect the appropriate end of the monitor cable to your monochrome

or color/graphics card connector at the back of the main unit, as shown

in Figure 1-5. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them with a screw-

driver.

1-7

Figure 1-5. Connecting

the monitor

The monitor type must match the video card in the main unit. If you

have a color card, you can use one of two connectors: a nine-pin, female

D-connector for RGB monitors or an RCA connector for composite

video monitors. Consult Table 1-1 to make sure your card and monitor

match.

Table 1-1. Monitor/video card compatibility

Monitor Video card

Output type

Monochrome

Monochrome or graphics or

One 9-pin output (TTL

enhanced graphics

compatible)

Color or enhanced Graphics or color graphics or One 9-pin RGB output, or

color enhanced graphics

one RCA-type jack for

composite video

Note: Be sure to set the switches on the video card to match your monitor.

4.

Plug the monitor’s power cable first into the power inlet on the monitor

and then into an electrical outlet.

1-8

Note: If a monochrome monitor has the proper type of plug, you can

plug it into the auxiliary outlet next to the power inlet at the back

of the Equity III+ main unit.

5.

Set the monitor switch on the front panel of the main unit for the type of

monitor you are using. (See Figure 1-2.) Slide the switch to the left for a

monochrome monitor or to the right for a color monitor.

Connecting the Keyboard

Follow these steps to connect the keyboard:

1.

Connect the cable to the keyboard as shown in Figure 1-6. If there is a

plastic band around the connector, remove it first.

Figure 1-6. Connecting the cable to the keyboard

2.

Open the cover on the lower left corner on the front panel of the main

unit, as shown in Figure 1-7.

Figure 1-7. Opening the keyboard connector cover

1-9

3. Plug the other end of the cable into the keyboard socket, as shown in Figure

1-8. Do not force the connector, but be sure to insert it all the way.

Figure

1-8. Plugging the keyboard cable into the main unit

You can tilt the angle of the keyboard by adjusting the legs on the bot-

tom. To adjust the legs, turn the keyboard over and lift each leg upward until

it locks into place, as shown in Figure 1-9. You can adjust the legs to two

different positions, or leave them flat.

Figure 1-9. Adjusting the keyboard legs

1-10

Connecting a Printer

The Equity III+ has both parallel and serial interfaces. You can easily

connect a printer or plotter that has either type of interface-just follow the

instructions below. Epson offers a full range of printer products. Consult

your dealer for more information.

Parallel interface

The Equity III+ parallel interface is Centronics®-compatible and uses a

DB-25S connector. Most Epson printers have parallel interfaces.

To connect a printer to the main unit, you need an IBM-compatible

printer cable. If you are not sure which one you need, consult your Epson

dealer. Once you have a printer cable, follow these steps to connect your

printer to the parallel interface on the main unit:

1.

Place the printer next to your system.

2.

Before you connect the printer, be sure the power switches on both the

main unit and the monitor are off.

3.

One end of the printer cable has a 25-pin male D-connector. (Refer to

your printer manual to determine which end this is.) Connect this end

to the parallel port on the back panel of the main unit, as shown in

Figure 1-10. If the plug has retaining screws, tighten them with a small

screwdriver.

Figure 1-10. Connecting the printer cable to the parallel port

1-11

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