User manual ZEOS M400

Meridian 400 The ROADSIDE PORTABLE GUIDE TO MOBILE COMPUTING WITH YOUR MERIDIAN 400 SUB-NOTEBOOK User's Guide Limitation of remedies and liabilities The vendor's entire liability and customers' exclusive and sole remedy for damages from any cause whatsoever (including without limitation any nonperformance, misrepresentation, or breach of warranty) shall be limited to returning the products pursuant to the thirty (30) day satisfaction guarantee, or to repair or replace specific products or services that do not comply with the limited warranty given by the vendor. Any products or services repaired or replaced pursuant to this paragraph shall be warranted as of the date of delivery in accordance with the terms and conditions herein for the duration of the one-year term of Limited Warranty given by the vendor. In no event will the vendor be liable for any damages caused, in whole or in part, by customer, or for any economic loss, physical injury, lost revenues, lost profits, lost savings or other indirect, incidental, special or consequential damages incurred by any person, even if the vendor has been advised of the possibility of such damage for claims. Some states do not allow the exclusion or limitation of incidental or consequential damages for consumer products, and some states do not allow limitations on how long an implied warranty lasts, so the above limitations or exclusions may not apply to you. This warranty gives you specific legal rights, and you may also have other rights which vary from state to state. The vendor provides no warranties whatsoever on software. Trademark Notices Microsoft, MS, and MS-DOS, are registered trademarks and Windows is a trademark of Microsoft Corporation. IBM, PS/2 , and OS/2 are registered trademarks and PC/AT, Color Graphics Adapter (CGA), Enhanced Graphics Adapter (EGA), Video Graphics Array (VGA) are trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. i486 is a trademark of the Intel Corporation. Other brand or product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. This document may not, in whole or in part, be copied, photocopied, reproduced, translated or reduced to any electronic medium or machine readable form without prior consent, in writing, from the vendor. With this document the vendor makes no warranties or representations, either expressed, or implied, with respect to the products described herein. The information presented herein is being supplied on an "AS IS" basis and is expressly subject to change without notice. © Copyright 1995 ZEOS International, Ltd. All rights reserved 700-0187-01 Merid400 2 Customer Assurance Program Thirty (30) Day Money-Back Guarantee on Most Products. Any product (except for software, software disks, related documentation and consumables) purchased from our company may be returned within thirty days from the date it was shipped to the customer for a full refund of the purchase price excluding original shipping charges. Returned products must be in as new condition, in original packing, complete with all warranty cards, manuals, cables and other materials as originally shipped; not modified or damaged. Any returned product must be shipped prepaid and insured. Any return must carry a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number, obtained from us, on the outside of each carton. Returns without RMA numbers will not be accepted. After thirty days from shipment, all sales are final and credit or refunds will not be given. 3 Meridian 400 One Year Limited Warranty All new Merdian 400 computer systems come with a One Year Limited Warranty which provides that the products we manufacture or assemble, other than items such as software, disks and related documentation, will remain in good working condition, free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service, for a period of one year from the date of shipment. This warranty is limited to the original purchaser and is not transferable. During this one year period, we will repair or replace, at its option, any defective product or parts at no additional charge to the customer, provided that the defective product or part is returned, shipment prepaid, to us. All replaced products and parts become the property of the vendor. Replacement parts shall be similar new or serviceable used parts. This Limited Warranty does not extend to any products which have been damaged as a result of accident, misuse, abuse (such as incorrect voltages, power surges, improper or insufficient ventilation, failure to follow provided operating instructions, "acts of God" or other situations beyond our control), or as the result of service or modification by anyone other than the vendor. Non-factory installed parts or components are not covered, nor is damage to our components covered as a result of their installation. This warranty does not cover work performed by others, all warranty work must be performed by us. 4 FCC Compliance Statement For U.S. and Canadian Users Warning! Changes or modifications to this unit not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user's authority to operate the equipment. This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15, Subpart B of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide reasonable protection against harmful interference in a residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and used in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However, there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment on and off, the user is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures. · Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna. · Increase the separation between the equipment and receiver. · Connect the equipment into an outlet on a different circuit. · Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help. Connecting a non-shielded equipment interface cable to this equipment will invalidate the FCC Certification of this device and may cause interference levels which exceed the limits established by the FCC for this equipment. This equipment is a Class B digital apparatus which complies with the Radio Interference Regulations, C.R.C., c. 1374. Cet appareil numèrique de la classe B est conformè au Règlement sur le brouillage radioèlèctrique, C.R.C., ch. 1374. 5 This page intentionally left blank. 6 Contents Contents Welcome! .................................................................................... 10 1. Unpacking Your System ........................................................ Do I Have Everything? ............................................................ What's in the Box? .................................................................. Let Your System Acclimate Itself ............................................. Keep the Box .......................................................................... Where to Work ........................................................................ Beware Heat, Cold, Humidity, and Glare ................................ System Features ..................................................................... 13 13 14 15 15 16 16 17 2. The Big Picture ....................................................................... 17 Top View.................................................................................. 18 Mouse buttons .................................................................................... 18 TruePoint Pointing Device ................................................................... 18 Suspend/Resume Button .................................................................... 18 Side View ................................................................................ 20 Power Button ...................................................................................... 20 Reset Switch ...................................................................................... 20 PCMCIA Card Eject Buttons ............................................................... 20 Back View ............................................................................... Inside View .............................................................................. Indicator Lights ........................................................................ How to Use the Keyboard ....................................................... What the Keys Do............................................................................... How to Use the Embedded Numeric Keypad ....................................... Special Key Combinations .................................................................. How to Set the Speaker Volume ......................................................... 22 24 25 26 27 29 30 30 3. Battery and Power Management ........................................... 31 Installing the Battery for the First Time ................................... 31 How to Install the Battery Pack ........................................................... 32 How to Remove the Battery Pack ....................................................... 33 Turning On Your System ......................................................... 34 Battery Pack Life ..................................................................... 34 Low Battery Conditions ...................................................................... 35 7 Contents How to Charge the Battery ...................................................... 37 Pre-charging a Dead Battery ............................................................... Temperature Control ........................................................................... Faulty Battery ..................................................................................... Don't Unplug the AC Adapter with the Power On ................................. How to Use an External Video Monitor ................................................ 37 37 38 38 38 How to Set Power Management ............................................. 39 Normal Mode ...................................................................................... 39 Power Saving Mode ............................................................................ 39 Suspend Mode ................................................................................... 39 Battery Precautions ................................................................. 40 AC Adapter Precautions .......................................................... 41 4. How to Use Your Meridian 400 .............................................. How to Open the System ........................................................ How to use the TruePoint Pointing Device .............................. How to Use a PS/2 Style Mouse ............................................. How to Use a Serial Mouse..................................................... How to Use Floppy Disks ........................................................ 43 43 44 45 45 46 How to Care for Floppy Disks ............................................................. 47 How to Use a PCMCIA Card Slot ............................................ 48 5. Using SETUP .......................................................................... How to Run SETUP ................................................................ Navigating in SETUP .............................................................. Standard System Parameters ................................................. Time ................................................................................................... Date ................................................................................................... Diskette Drive A .................................................................................. Hard Disk 1......................................................................................... Base Memory ..................................................................................... Extended Memory .............................................................................. Video Card ......................................................................................... Maximum CPU Speed ........................................................................ Numlock on at boot ............................................................................. Quick Boot .......................................................................................... PCMCIA Boot ..................................................................................... 51 52 53 54 54 54 54 54 54 54 55 55 55 55 55 System Configuration Parameters .......................................... 56 Cache ................................................................................................. 56 Serial Port 1........................................................................................ 57 8 Contents Parallel Port ........................................................................................ Parallel Port Mode .............................................................................. Internal Mouse .................................................................................... LCD Brightness .................................................................................. Password ........................................................................................... Power Management ............................................................................ Idle, Standby, and Suspend Options ................................................... System Idle After ................................................................................ System Standby After ......................................................................... System Suspend After ........................................................................ Ring on Resume ................................................................................. Low Battery Suspend .......................................................................... HDD Timeout Value ............................................................................ Remaining Battery Level ..................................................................... 57 57 57 57 57 59 60 60 60 61 62 62 62 62 Power Management Parameters ............................................ 58 System Security ...................................................................... 63 System Password ............................................................................... 63 Removing and Changing a System Password ..................................... 66 Key Lock Password ............................................................................ 66 6. How to Install Options ........................................................... 67 How to Install More RAM Memory .......................................... 68 How to Attach an External Floppy Drive .................................. 70 7. How to Maintain Your System ............................................... Traveling with the System ....................................................... Caring for the System Hardware ............................................. Caring for the AC Adapter ....................................................... Caring for the Battery Power Pack .......................................... System Specifications ............................................................... Environmental Specifications .................................................. Dimensions ............................................................................. Battery Pack Specifications ..................................................... AC Adapter Specifications ....................................................... 73 73 74 75 75 77 77 78 78 78 Handy Cheat Sheet .................................................................... 79 Glossary ...................................................................................... 81 Index ............................................................................................ 83 9 Welcome! Welcome! Welcome to the Meridian User's Guide! This guide is designed to help you get the most out of your system and keep it running trouble free, year after year. The User's Guide is divided into seven chapters. Chapter 1, Unpacking Your System, explains how to safely open and set up your new system. Chapter 2, The Big Picture, gives an overview of a typical system including information about buttons, connectors and LED indicators. Chapter 3, Battery and Power management, gives information about using your system for the first time and instructions for charging the battery pack and connecting the AC adapter. Chapter 4, How to Use Your Meridian 400, shows how to turn on the system and begin working. Chapter 5, Using SETUP, explains how to use the built-in SETUP features to configure your system. Chapter 6, How to Install Options, shows how to add system RAM, or an external floppy drive. Chapter 7, How to Maintain Your System, explains how to care for your hardware. 10 Welcome! System Specifications lists technical details about your system. The Handy Cheat Sheet gives a short summary of some of the most needed or most forgotten commands. The Glossary gives definitions of common computer terms. 11 This page intentionally left blank. 12 Chapter 1 - Unpacking Your System 1. Unpacking Your System Obviously, the first step towards using your new Meridian is getting it safely to your door and unpacked. Do I Have Everything? The packing slip is one of the last items sealed into your system unit box. It lists everything we shipped you. As you unpack the box, check the contents against the packing slip. If an item is listed on your packing slip, but isn't in the box, it may be installed in your system, or shipped inside one of the manuals or accessory bags. If you're sure something is missing, call Customer Service right away. The Customer Service phone number is listed on the inside back cover of this book. 13 Chapter 1 - Unpacking Your System What's in the Box? Your box contains the packing slip, this manual, a plastic bag full of cables and other manuals, a battery pack and AC adapter, and your Windows & DOS manual. This book shows you how to set up your system and keep it running. Your Windows for Workgroups & MS-DOS User's Guide has introductory chapters to help you install and configure DOS and Windows. Since we have already loaded and tested DOS and Windows on your hard drive, you can probably skip those parts for now. Those chapters will be useful if you ever have to start over on your own and reinstall DOS or Windows onto your computer. For now, this book should get you up and running. 14 Chapter 1 - Unpacking Your System Let Your System Acclimate Itself Although your computer system can easily stand temperature extremes, it doesn't much like rapid changes in temperature, especially going from a cold front stoop to a warm and comfy office, or from a steamy jungle mail drop to an air-conditioned villa. Rapid changes in temperature can cause condensation inside your case. If it is hot or cold outside when you receive your system, let the computer gradually adjust to room temperature before you plug it in. When you first receive your computer you will certainly be eager to get it going and start putting it to work, but be patient. Take the time to let it grow accustomed to its new environment. Keep the Box It's a good idea to keep your Meridian's box and packing materials. That way, if you ever have to store the system or return it, your components will be well-protected. 15 Chapter 1 - Unpacking Your System Where to Work Your Meridian 400 is a tough, rugged machine. Generally speaking it will be comfortable and run well wherever you are comfortable. Extremes of heat, cold, and humidity can be challenging to your system's parts, but usually if you can take it, so can the computer. There are, however, some things you take very easily that the computer does not like at all. Static electricity is one. Dust, water, steam, and oil are others. Wherever you decide to pull over for roadside computing, choose a clean, comfortable work area for your system. Note: It's best to place your Meridian near a wall socket for easier access. Beware Heat, Cold, Humidity, and Glare Pick a spot for your computer that's not too - not too hot and not too cold, not too dark and not too bright - glare can make it hard to read the screen. Overheating can destroy computer components. Allow plenty of room for air to circulate around the system. 16 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture 2. The Big Picture Your Meridian 400 is designed to give you the speed and power of a desktop system in a lightweight, portable package. System Features Every Meridian 400 includes: · Intel 486SX-33, 486DX2-50 or DX4-100 microprocessor · 8KB internal system cache (486SX & 486DX2), · 16KB internal system cache (DX4) · RAM expandable to 20MB · IDE hard drive upgradable to 350MB · 2 Type II PCMCIA slots · High-speed local bus video with 1MB video RAM · Full 640 x 480 display · 84-key keyboard with embedded numeric keypad and 12 dedicated function keys, inverted "T" · Eraser-shaped integrated TruePointTM pointing device · Replaceable, rechargeable NiMH battery · Serial port, enhanced parallel port, external VGA video port, external keyboard or PS/2 mouse port · Port for optional external floppy drive · Full power management features include Low Power mode, programmable Standby features, and Suspend to memory for fast suspends and resumes · AC-DC adapter · EPA Energy Star compliant 17 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Top View Mouse buttons The two rectangular buttons on the front of the unit work like the two buttons of a mouse. Your right thumb can push the mouse button while another finger moves the cursor with the TruePoint pointing device. TruePoint Pointing Device The TruePointTM pointing device works much like a joystick. The pointer moves the on-screen cursor whichever direction you tilt the red button. The harder you push, the faster the cursor moves. Suspend/Resume Button The Suspend/Resume button sets the system to the power saving mode when you are not using your system. To use the Suspend/Resume button, you must enable Power Management in SETUP. See Chapter 5, Using SETUP, for more details. 18 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Display latch LED Indicators Power Reset Switch TruePoint pointing device Mouse buttons Suspend/Resume button 19 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Side View Power Button To turn the system on or off, press the power button for 1-2 seconds. When you turn the power on, the speaker beeps once (unless you have disabled the speaker by setting the volume 0). The Power Button will not work when the system is in suspend mode or when the computer is being powered by battery only and the display panel is closed. See Chapter 3, Battery and Power Management. Reset Switch The reset switch reboots the system. Insert the tip of a ballpoint pen into the opening to press the switch. When the system is rebooted all information in random access memory (RAM) is lost. PCMCIA Card Eject Buttons These buttons let you insert or remove PCMCIA cards in the PCMCIA slots. Note: PCMCIA cards can be removed and replaced while the system is on. If you remove a PCMCIA card while the system is on, be sure the PCMCIA card eject button returns to its original position. When the PCMICA slot is not being used, the eject button should be flush with the system case. 20 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Right Side View PCMCIA card eject button Type II PCMCIA slot Socket 1 Reset switch Left Side View Power button PCMCIA card eject button Type II PCMCIA slot Socket 0 (SRAM boot socket) 21 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Back View Each connector at the back of the system unit is displayed below. You can configure the parallel or serial ports from the SETUP menu. See Chapter 5, Using SETUP, for detailed instructions. Caution: Whenever you connect or disconnect cables, turn off all power switches. Field ground External floppy connector Parallel port Serial port External video port Keyboard or PS/2 Mouse port DC power connector 22 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Connector Description External floppy Parallel port 26-pin connector for attaching an external 3.5" floppy drive 25-pin parallel port for printers or other devices. Configure the parallel port from the SETUP program , Ctrl+Alt+S at the DOS prompt. 9-pin connector for a mouse, modem, or other serial devices. Configure the serial port from the SETUP program, Ctrl+Alt+S at the DOS prompt. 15-pin connector for external VGA monitor. The system will automatically detect and use an external monitor at boot. (If LCD panel is closed, you must use the AC adapter to power the system.) 6-pin mini-DIN connector used for connecting a PS/2 style mouse or a 101/102-key external keyboard. Connect the AC adapter cable here. Serial port Video Keyboard/ PS/2 Mouse DC Power 23 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Inside View The indicator lights show the status of the power, battery pack and hard disk drive, CapsLock, NumLock and ScrollLock. Power/Suspend LOWBATT CHARGE HDD CapsLock NumLock ScrollLock 24 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Indicator Lights Indicator Color Description The power is turned on. The system is in suspend mode. Power/Suspend Glowing Blinking LOWBAT Slow blinking The battery power level is low. If enabled in SETUP, the system beeps slowly warning you to recharge or replace the battery, or plug in the AC adapter. Battery power is nearly gone. If enabled in SETUP, the system beeps quickly warning you to connect the AC adapter. The battery is charging. The battery is charged. Fast blinking: CHARGE Orange Green HDD Green The system is using the hard drive. CapsLock NumLock ScrollLock Green Green Green CapsLock is enabled. NumLock is enabled ScrollLock is enabled 25 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture How to Use the Keyboard Escape Function keys Backspace Tab Fn key Alt Ctrl Shift Enter The keyboard is your primary means of telling the computer what to do and giving it the numbers and words to do it. The keyboard works much like the keys on a typewriter, but computer keyboards have several specialty keys. Over time, most software packages have settled on some common uses for the specialty keys. For example, in most software packages, pressing the F1 key gets help. The chart on the next page explains the most important keys on the keyboard. 26 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture What the Keys Do Alternate (Alt) - used with other keys to perform special functions defined by the application you are using. While holding down the Alt key, press the other key. Caps Lock - toggles on and off making the typewriter letter keys appear in uppercase. Control (Ctrl) - used with other keys to perform special functions defined by the application you are using. While holding down the Ctrl key, press the other key. Delete - deletes the character at the cursor. Enter - tells the computer you're done typing and want it to execute your command. Some people call this the Return key. Also used as a paragraph return key when typing. Escape (Esc) - generally allows you to escape a function without completing it. Function Keys (F1 through F12) - the purpose of the function keys depends on the application you are using. Insert - toggles between insert and overtype mode. In insert mode, anything you type is inserted at the cursor position without deleting any existing characters. In overtype mode, new characters simply write over existing characters. Pause - typically suspends the application you are using. Not all applications use the Pause key. Print Screen - typically prints out the current screen on the printer. Sometimes used with the Ctrl key. Some applications disable this function or require special drivers to work properly with this key. Scroll Lock - defined by the application software you are using. Not all applications use the Scroll Lock key. Shift - shifts the typewriter keys from lower to upper case or from the lower symbol to the upper symbol on the key. 27 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture What the Keys Do Cursor Movement Keys Backspace (Bksp) - usually located above the Enter key. It may be labeled as Bksp or as an arrow pointing to the left. The Backspace key moves the cursor to the left one space erasing the characters in its path. Down Arrow - usually moves the cursor down one line. End - usually moves the cursor to the end of the line or screen. Home - usually moves the cursor to the top left side of the current page or screen. Left Arrow - usually moves the cursor to the left one space. Page Down - usually scrolls the screen page down to the next page. Page Up - usually scrolls the screen page up to the previous page. Right Arrow - usually moves the cursor to the right one space. Tab - moves the cursor to the next tab setting or field. Typically, Shift+ Tab moves the cursor back one tab setting or field. Up Arrow - usually moves the cursor up one line. Num LK (Number Lock) - toggles the numeric keypad. When the Num Lock light is on, the keys on the right side of the keyboard work like a ten-key calculator. When the Num Lock light is out, the keys move the cursor. Special Combinations Ctrl-Alt-Del - restarts the computer. Also called a "warm boot" because it clears the memory, resets, and reboots the computer. Ctrl-Alt-S - Run SETUP program. Ctrl-Alt-P - Run Power management program or View remaining battery life. Ctrl-Break or Ctrl-C - Break out of the current program. 28 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture How to Use the Embedded Numeric Keypad Embedded Numeric Keypad A numeric keypad for entering numbers is embedded within the main keyboard. To use the numeric characters, press the NumLock button. Keys with a number in the lower right corner will type numbers whenever NumLock is enabled. To return the keys to normal letters, press NumLock again. If you install an external keyboard or keypad, the keypad function is disabled. 29 Chapter 2 - The Big Picture Special Key Combinations The following key combinations let you perform special functions without exiting your application Note: Some applications may conflict with certain special key combinations. If you press key combination without results, exit the application and try again. Fn+F10 Fn+F11 Fn+F12 Decreases LCD display contrast Increases LCD display contrast Sets beep volume How to Set the Speaker Volume Pushing Fn+F12 cycles through the four volume levels for the internal speaker. When you set the volume level, the system records and remembers the level you set for the Power On beep, the Suspend Mode beep, and the normal system beep. This setting is retained in memory even when you turn the system off. Low battery alerts, however, always reset to the maximum volume when you boot the system. To lower the volume of the low battery alert, cycle through the volume settings by pressing Fn+F12 after you power up. Note: Some settings such as BIOS errors and unknown system problems will always beep at maximum volume. 30 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management 3. Battery and Power Management Installing the Battery for the First Time Your system operates on a rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH) battery pack. To prevent possible damage during shipment the battery pack has not been installed in your system. Before turning on the system for the first time, remove the battery pack from its package and install it. Once the battery is installed, allow it to fully charge before using your system with the battery alone. 31 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management How to Install the Battery Pack To install the battery pack: 1. Insert the battery pack into the battery compartment. 2. Push the battery into the compartment until you hear a click. Battery pack release locks 32 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management How to Remove the Battery Pack Battery pack release locks 1. Locate the battery pack and battery pack release locks. 2. Slide the battery pack release locks. Releasing the battery pack locks. The battery pack will be lifted upward. 3. Pull the battery pack out of the compartment. 33 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management Turning On Your System After installing the battery pack, be sure to let the battery fully charge before using your system for the first time. The battery LED will be green when the battery is fully charged. Once the battery is fully charged, go ahead and open your system and push the power button. Hold the button down for one second to turn on the system. Note: Be sure to wait one to two seconds before pressing the power button again. If you don't, the power button may not respond. Battery Pack Life Battery life greatly depends on how you use and configure your system. Battery life can be extended, however, by: · Operating the system at a slower speed · Operating the system on external power whenever possible · Setting the LCD brightness to "Half" level at the SETUP program · Setting Power Management features to a lower time interval · Operate your Meridian in cooler temperatures See Chapter 5, Using SETUP, to learn how to set the power management features. 34 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management Low Battery Conditions There are two warnings when the battery in your system is low and needs charging. At the first warning, the orange battery indicator light blinks slowly, and the system speaker will beep (if enabled). The first battery warning occurs about eight minutes before the second warning. At the first warning, you should quit working and save your data, or connect the AC adapter to the system immediately. Otherwise, your data may be lost. At the second warning the orange battery indicator light blinks rapidly and the system speaker beeps again. After the second warning, the system could shut down at any moment, erasing all your unsaved work. Warning! Systems containing more than the base amount of system memory might have a slightly shorter initial low-battery warning. Note: Even if your low battery warning volumes are set to OFF, the system speaker will still beep to alert you to a low battery problem. If you receive a low battery warning, we recommend that you do one of the following: AC adapter and power outlet available 1. Set in suspend mode by pushing the suspend/resume button. 2. Connect the AC adapter to the system. 3. Resume the system from suspend mode by pushing the suspend/ resume button. 35 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management Extra fully charged battery available 1. Save all necessary files. 2. Exit the application. 3. Turn off the system. 4. Remove the battery pack and replace it with the fully charged battery pack. No AC adapter, power outlet or extra charged battery available 1. Save all necessary files. 2. Exit the application. 3. Turn off the system. 36 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management How to Charge the Battery To charge the battery, plug the AC adapter into the system and an electrical outlet. The AC adapter converts alternating current (AC) into direct current (DC). When the power switch is turned on, the AC adapter supplies power to the system and recharges the battery pack only when the system in the suspend mode. When the power switch is turned off, all the power from the AC adapter is dedicated to recharging the battery pack. When the computer is off or in suspend mode, recharging an empty battery pack takes about 1 hour. While the battery charges, the CHARGE LED is orange. Once the battery is fully charged, the CHARGE LED is green. Pre-charging a Dead Battery If the battery has been completely discharged or placed in prolonged storage, it may need a pre-charge in addition to a normal charge. A pre-charge can take as little as a few seconds or as much as an hour in some extreme cases. While the battery pre-charges, the CHARGE LED slowly flashes orange. Temperature Control The AC adapter will not charge a battery that is too hot or too cold. If the battery is outside the normal operating temperatures, the system unit will wait for the battery to warm up or cool down before charging. While the system unit waits for the battery to return to the normal operating temperature, the CHARGE LED will slowly flash green. 37 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management Faulty Battery The orange charge light indicator may flash when a faulty battery pack is installed. If the CHARGE LED flashes orange rapidly, remove the faulty battery pack immediately. Warning! Powering the system with the AC adapter and a faulty battery pack installed can damage both the AC adapter and your system. Don't Unplug the AC Adapter with the Power On You can operate your system with external power at any time by plugging the AC adapter into the system and a power outlet. It is not necessary to turn off the system power before connecting the AC adapter. However, do not unplug the AC adapter when the system power is turned on. The system may operate in an unexpected manner. When the AC adapter is connected, it powers the system and recharges the battery. How to Use an External Video Monitor You may wish to use an external keyboard, mouse, or monitor with the LCD panel on the Meridian closed. If you wish to use the Meridian with the LCD panel closed, you must run the system with the AC adapter plugged in. 38 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management How to Set Power Management Your system can operate in normal mode, power saving mode or suspend mode. Normal Mode The system runs at the speed specified in SETUP (Full, Slow). Power Saving Mode Power saving mode reduces power to the hard drive after several minutes of inactivity. You can set the amount of time the system should wait before powering down the hard drive. If no activity is detected during the period of time specified in SETUP, the system switches to the power saving mode. See Chapter 5, Using SETUP, for more information about setting the power saving configuration. Suspend Mode In suspend mode the system clock speed is lowered to 0 MHz, and the green power/suspend light blinks continuously. Push and hold the suspend/resume button for about one second to enter or cancel suspend mode. Warning! While in Suspend Mode, the system still draws a small amount of power. If you leave your system in Suspend Mode for long periods of time, the battery will eventually drain. 39 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management Battery Precautions 1. Do not expose the battery to fire, which can cause explosion, or allow it to become dented or deformed. 2. Do not run your system on battery power for a long time at temperatures over 95°F (35°C). Also, do not store the battery at high temperatures. This can significantly reduce the life of the battery. 3. Temperature extremes can greatly affect the life of the battery. It should be kept in a low-humidity area and temperature range of between 14 and 104° F (10 and 40° C) when being stored for less than one month and between 14 and 86° F (-10 and 30° C) when being stored for over one month. 4. The battery may be damaged if it is used in any other device than your computer. Also, do not attempt to use with any other make of adapter or battery charger. 5. Do not force the battery into the system unit. Do not drop it. 6. Do not short-circuit the electrode of the battery. 7. Do not be alarmed if the battery feels warm to the touch when installed in your system. This is normal. 8. If the CHARGE LED on the computer blinks green while charging, remove the battery pack and allow it to return to normal operating temperatures before recharging. 9. After recharging, if the battery power quickly becomes weak, or if the charge LED on the computer blinks rapidly during recharging, the battery power pack's service life has probably come to an end. Promptly replace it with a new battery pack, or remove the battery pack and use the AC adapter for a power source. Do not leave a dead battery pack in the computer. 10. Do not to open the pack. It which contains harmful materials that can catch fire when exposed to the air or chemically burn your skin. Dispose of batteries according to local regulations. 11. The battery may not charge if the contacts become dirty. You can clean the contacts with a cloth. 40 Chapter 3 - Battery and Power Management AC Adapter Precautions 1. Do not subject the adapter to strong vibration or shocks. Be careful not to drop it. 2. Do not expose the adapter to direct sunlight for prolonged periods. 3. Do not use or store the adapter near chemicals or in an environment containing corrosive gases. 4. Do not use or store the adapter in places subject to extreme temperatures or near a heat-producing source. Avoid using it where it is extremely humid or dusty. 5. Using the adapter while wet is extremely dangerous. If it should become wet or damaged, immediately unplug the adapter from the power socket and the computer. 6. Do not unplug the AC power cord or DC connector by pulling on the cord. Instead, grasp the plug firmly and pull it out. Also, do not hold the adapter by its AC cord or DC input connector. 7. After unplugging the DC input connector from the computer or AC power cord from the adapter, wait at least 5 seconds before attempting to reconnect it, otherwise the CHARGE LED indicator may flash at random. If this happens, turn the system power off, remove the battery and AC adapter and reinstall. 8. Do not attempt to open the adapter, which has no user-serviceable parts. Failure to comply can result in electrical shock or adapter malfunction. 9. When the adapter is not being used, unplug its AC power cord. While attached to a wall outlet, the adapter continues to supply DC voltage to the plug connector even when it is unplugged from the computer. If the loose plug comes into contact with metal, a short circuit could occur, causing damage to the adapter. 10. Do not use the adapter with any other devices other than this computer. Also, do not attach any other make of AC adapter other than the one supplied with the computer. Even momentarily attempting to use a different adapter can cause serious or fatal damage to your computer. 11. Always set the AC adapter so its top vents are upward. Also, do not cover the adapter with cloth, paper or other materials that can interfere with heat release. An overheated AC adapter may become damaged. 41 This page intentionally left blank. 42 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 4. How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to Open the System To open the display, push the latch at the front of the system backward to release the lock and lift the display carefully. Display latch LED Indicators TruePoint pointing device Mouse buttons Suspend/Resume button 43 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to use the TruePoint Pointing Device The red button, called the True Point embedded pointing device, works like a joystick. Simply put a finger on it and tilt it the direction you want the cursor on the screen to go. The harder you tilt, the faster it moves. When you need to click on something, use the rectangular mouse buttons on the front of the unit exactly as you would use the two buttons on a mouse. Note: If the cursor moves too quickly for you, change its sensitivity. In Windows, select the mouse icon from the Control Panel and click on Sensitivity. In DOS, run the MOUSE program with the /S flag. See your Windows & MS-DOS User's Guide for more details. 44 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to Use a PS/2 Style Mouse Before you can use an external mouse, you must first install its device driver. This software enables your mouse to communicate with the system. See your mouse documentation for instructions how to install the mouse and mouse driver. Your system automatically switches to a PS/2 mouse if one is connected to the Keyboard/PS/2 Mouse port. You cannot use both the embedded pointing device and the external mouse at the same time. Note: A PS/2 style mouse may not work correctly if you connect it after bootup. Always turn the power off before connecting a PS/2 style mouse. How to Use a Serial Mouse To use a serial mouse, you must first disable the TruePoint pointing device in SETUP. On the SETUP menu (Ctrl-Alt-S at boot) Set Pointing Device to "Disabled". Once the TruePoint device is disabled, you can connect a serial mouse to the serial port at the back of the system unit. Do not try to connect a PS/2 style mouse to the serial port. Remember also that before you can use any external mouse, you must first install its device driver. This software enables your mouse to communicate with the system. See your mouse documentation for instructions how to install the mouse and mouse driver. 45 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to Use Floppy Disks Floppy disks are used to: · transfer information from one computer to another · install software on your system's hard drive · make back-up copies of your software and data When you insert a floppy disk into the system's floppy disk drive, you can read the information stored on the disk and write information to the disk. Your can attach a 3.5-inch 1.44MB an external floppy drive. You can use either high-density (1.44 MB storage capacity) or double-sided/double-density (720 KB storage capacity) floppy disks in this drive. The 1.44 MB disk has the advantage of storing more data than a 720 KB disk. You can tell the disks apart by looking at the edge of the disk opposite the sliding metal panel. · 1.44 MB disks have a write-protected tab on one side and a sensing hole on the other side · 720 KB disks have only a write-protect tab. To write-protect either kind of disk, slide the plastic writeprotect tab to uncover the hole. As you push the disk into the drive you will hear a faint click as the disk slides into place. To release the disk, slide the disk release button on the right side of the disk opening. 46 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to Care for Floppy Disks · Handle disks carefully. · Don't remove a disk from a drive while the drive is in use. · Don't touch or scratch any exposed portion of the disk's shiny surface, or allow dust or moisture to collect on the disk. · Store disks at a temperature range between 10°C (50°F) and 49°C · Keep disks away from magnetic fields. · Format a new disk before you use it for storing data. Before you begin the format, make sure the disk doesn't contain anything you want to save. Formatting a disk will erase all data stored on it. (120°F). Write protect notch Sensing hole 3.5" 1.44MB High Density Floppy Disk 47 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 How to Use a PCMCIA Card Slot Caution: Don't install another vendor's card and socket services over the preinstalled Phoenix services. Your Card & Socket Services will accomodate SRAM cards and a modem on COM2. Your system comes with dual PCMCIA Type-II expansion slots. One slot on each side of the computer. To insert a PCMCIA card, align the card so the label is up and the connector is toward the computer. Carefully slide the card into the slot. To remove a card, pull the PC card eject button out and then push in. Your system comes with software that allows most PCMCIA cards to be recognized. Some third-party cards may require their own software. See your PCM+ user's guide for detailed instructions. Note: Your system is installed and configured with Phoenix Card & Socket Services. For more information, double-click on the Readme icon in Windows or on the Readme file in the C:\UTILS directory. 48 Chapter 4 - How to Use Your Meridian 400 PCMCIA cards (Type II) can provide your computer with: · Flash Memory · LAN · Fax/Modem · SRAM Memory · SCSI · Sound system Before you can use certain PCMCIA cards, you need to install a client driver first. See your card's user manual for more details. 49 This page intentionally left blank. 50