Commodore Plus/4 User instructions

UNPACKING
AND
SETTING
UP
• Unpacking your
Commodore
Plus/4
• Getting
to
know
the
switches
and
sockets
•
Setting
up
your
Commodore
Plus/4
• Troubleshooting chart
• Peripherals
7

UNPACKING
YOUR
COMMODORE
PLUS/4
Now that you ' ve opened the box containing your new Plus/4
and found this manual, the first thing that you should do is
check to make sure that you have all the items on this list.
You should have :
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1. Your Commodore Plus/4
2. The power supply
One end plugs into a wall outlet, the other plugs into the
right side of the computer.
8
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TV
3.
The
TV
switchbox
This connects to the antenna jack on the
back
of your
TV.
You
don't need the switchbox if you plan to connect your
Plus/4 to a monitor.
4.
The
RF
cable
This connects the
TV
switchbox to the
RF
output jackon
the left side of the Plus/4.
You
don't need this cable to
connect your Plus/4 to a monitor.
5.
The user manual
6.
Other assorted literature
Warranty card
Commodore Magazines subscription card
7.
The Plus/4 Built-in Integrated Software Manual
If you don'tfind all these items
in
the box,
check
with your
dealer immediately for replacements.
Before you connect anything, you should look over these
drawings of your computer. These drawings identify all the
outlets so you can set up your
computer
system
quickly
and easily.
9

GETTING
TO
KNOW
THE
SWITCHES
AND
SOCKETS
The
Right
Side
of
Your
PLUS/4
2 1
1
The
On/Off
Switch
.
Your
Plus/4
should
be
turned
OFF
when
you
install
or
rem
ove
cartridges
or
any
peripheral device
such
as
aprinter
or
d
is
k
drive.
There
is
a
red
power light located below
the
keybo
ard
on
the
left,
so
you
can
be
sure
whether power
is
off.
2
The
Reset
Button
There
are
two
ways
to
use
the
RESET
button
:
1.
You
can
use
the
RESET
button
to
reset
your computer as
if
you
'd just turned
it
on
.Just
press
the
reset
button
once
.
Remember:
when
you
press
the
reset
button
,
you
lose
any
BASIC
program currently
in
memory.*
2.
If
you
want
to
reset
your
Plus
/4
and
keep
your
BASIC
program,
hold
down
the
RUN
/
STOP
key
and
then
press
the
RESET
button.
When
you
do
this
,
your
Plus
/4
goes
to
the
built-in machine language
monitor.
Type
an
X
and
press
the
RETURN
key
to
get back
to
BASIC
.
Your
program
remains
intact
in
the
Plus
/4 memory.Just type
LIST
to
display
the
program
on
your
screen.
*When
you
press
RESET,
the
Plus
/4 automatically
issues
the
NEW
command,
which
clears
the
screen.
This
can
be
reversed
.
See
the
Plus/4
Programmer
's
Reference
Guide
for
information
on
UNNEWing
your
program
if
you
'
ve
pressed
the
reset
button
by
accident.
10

The
Lett
Side
Of
Your
PLUS/4
3
3 4
The socket and the switch on the left side of the Plus/4 are
both used for
TV
connections. Neither is used if you'
re
con-
necting your Plus/4 to a monitor.
The
RF
Jack
This
is
where you plug
in
one end of the
RF
cable
(the thin
black cable).
You
can plug either end into this
jack
and the
other end into the
TV
switchbox.
4
The
High/Low
Switch
This switch controls which channel is used for Plus/4 video
output. Set the H/L switch to Lfor output on channel 3. Set
the H/Lswitch to H for video on channel 4.
You
can use either channel 3 or 4 on your
TV
to displaythe
video picture from your computer. If you have a channel 3
TV
station
in
your area, select channel
4,
and vice versa.
Experiment to see which setting gives you the best picture.
11

The
Back
of
Your
Computer
5 6 7 8 9
10 11
The sockets on the back of your computer connect avariety
of accessories to your Plus/4. Each connector is different. Be
sure you plug each accessory into the correct socket.
5 The Power Socket
The end of the power supply cable fits here. Plug the other
end into astandard wall socket for three-prong plugs.
6 The Serial Bus
You can plug adisk drive or aprinter into this socket. If you
want to plug in both, first plug the disk drive into this open-
ing,
then plug the printer cable into the back of the disk
drive.
7 The Cassette Port
The Commodore 1531 Datassette TM tape recorder plugs
in here.
8 The RS-232 Port
Accessories such as amodem or an RS - 232 adapter plug
in here. An RS-232 adapter makes it possible to hook up
accessories not accommodated by standard Commodore
equipment ports.
g The Memory Expansion Port
Plus/4 software cartridges and the Plus/4 disk drive
plug
in here. Before you install or remove cartridges, make
sure your Plus/4 is OFF .
10 Joy 1 and Joy 2: The Game Ports
You can plug joysticks into these sockets. The Plus/4 uses
specially designed joysticks available from your Commo-
dore dealer.
11 The Video Socket
This is where you plug in the cable that connects amonitor
to your Plus/4. Although this socket is an 8-pin connector,
you can use a5-pin cable in this socket as well. Commo-
dore color monitors come with an 8-pin cable for use with
the Plus/4 .
12

SETTING
UP
YOUR
PLUS /4
• To set up your Plus/4, you'll need at least two wall plugs:
one for your Plus/4 and one for your
TV or monitor.
•
If you're installing a disk drive and a printer, you' ll need
additional wall plugs.
• Your Plus/4 should be placed a comfortable distance from
your
TV.
• Make sure that your computer is OFF before you start the
setup. Check that the POWER LIGHT on the front left
is
not lit.
If you are connecting the Plus/4 to a television set,you'll
need a small screwdriverto attach the
TV switchbox.The
way you connect the switchbox
depends on what type of
antenna connection your
TV set has.
You need only connect the switchbox once. When you
want to use your computer, just move the switch to the
COMPUTER position.When you want to watch
TV, move
the switch to
TV. The switchbox will not interfere with
your
TV reception.
If your television is "computer-ready," follow the instructions
for connection
in the television owner's manual.
13

STEP
1. Disconnect
the
antenna
from
your
TV
:
use
a
screwdriver
to
loosen
the
screws
on
the
TV.
Re
-
move
the
two
antenna
leads
.
STEP
2. Connect
the
TV
switchbox
to
the
TV
where
the
antenna
leads
were
:attach
the
leads
on
the
box
to
the
antenna input
on
your
TV.
STEP
3. Connect
the
antenna
to
the
switchbox:attach
the
leads
from
the
antenna
to
the
screws
on
the
side of
the
switchbox.
If
you
have
the
round
coax
type
antenna
connection
on
your
TV:
STEP
1.
Disconnect
the
antenna
from
your
TV
:unscrew
the
antenna
wire
.
You
can
disconnect
it
by
hand
.
STEP
2. Connect
the
switchbox
to
your
TV:
hand
fasten
it
onto
the
antenna
input post
on
the
back
of
your
TV
.
STEP
3.
(For
the
75-ohm
switchbox) Connect
the
an
-
tenna
to
the
switchbox,hand-turning
the
an
-
tenna
cable
into
the
switchbox.
14
RF
Cable

Selecting
A
Channel
On
Your
TV
Connecting
Your
Commodore
PLUS/4
to
a
Monitor
If
an
Adapter
is Necessary
Ba
ck
of
TV
Switchb
ox
To
VHF
Ant
Remove to Connect
Antenna
Lead to
TV
Antenna
Lead
Once the switchbox is
in
place,
get
the
RF
cable (the thin
cable with connectors on both ends) that came with your
Plus/4. Plug one end into the
socket
on the
side
of the
switchbox. Connect the other end into the socket marked
RF
on the left side of your computer.
NOTE: If you'
re
using the 300- to 75-ohm adaptor
and you want to watch
TV
,you must disconnect the
switchbox and plug the antenna lead
back
in
.This
is easily done by hand,and may
be
done
as often
as you like,with no
damage
to your
TV
,computer,
or antenna.
As we explained earlier,your
TV
should be set on either
channel 3 or 4 when you are using your computer. Don't
choose a channel that broadcasts
in
your area.
If
you use
channel
3,
set the H/L switch on the side of the computer
to
L. If you use channel
4,
set this switch to H.
If you're connecting your computer
to
a monitor instead of
a
TV,
follow the instructions
in
the manual that
is
included
with the monitor. Hooking up a monitor,like the Commo-
dore 1702 Color Monitor,
is
simple.
It
requires only one
cable that connects directly from your monitor
to
the
VIDEO socket
in
the
back
of your computer.
15

Final
Steps
1. Attach the power supply cable from the power box to
your Plus/4 . Plug the square end of the cable into the
POWER socket on the back of the computer; plug the
power supply into the wall socket.
2.
If you are using a TV , make sure that the setting on
the H/L modulator and the channel on your TV are in
agreement. (If your computer is set at L, the TV must
be on channel 3; the TV should be tuned to channel 4
with your computer at H.) Make sure that the switchbox
is set to the COMPUTER setting.
If you are using a Commodore color monitor, use the
rear jacks, and check that the back/front switch is set
to back.
3. Turn on your computer. (The switch is on the right side
as you face the Plus/4.)
If all is well, this message appears on your screen:
COMMODORE BASIC 3.5 60671 BYTES FREE
READY.
I
The flashing cursor under the READY message tells you
that the Plus/4 is waiting for you to start typing. The back-
ground color
is white, while the letters are printed in black,
with a light purple border around the screen.
4. Check
the troubleshooting chart if you have problems.
You may need to adjust your TV set to get asharper
picture.
16

TROUBLESHOOTING
Symptom Cause Remedy
CHART
Make sure power
Indicator light Computer not
not 'ON' turned
ON
switch is in ON
position
Power cable Check power socket
not plugged
in
for loose or discon-
nected power cable
Power supply Check connection
not plugged
in
with wall outlet
Bad fuse
in
Take system to au -
computer thorized dealer for
replacement of fuse
No picture
TV on wrong Check other channel
channel for picture (3 or 4)
Incorrect Computer hooks up
hookup to VHF antenna
terminals
Video cable Check
TV output
not plugged
in
cable connection
Computer set for Set computer for
wrong channel same channel as TV
Switchbox not Checkthat switch-
set to computer box
is in 'computer'
position
TV is not on Turn
TV on
Random pattern Cartridge not Reinsert cartridge
on
TV with properly inserted after turning OFF
cartridge
in place power
Picture without Poorly tuned
TV
Retune TV
color
TV not connected Check connections
properly
Picture OK,
TV volume Adjust volume
but no sound too low
ofTV
Poorly tuned TV
Retune TV
Auxiliary output Check connection
not properly
as shown on diagram
connected on page
14 - 15
17

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the
PIMl/4
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d!f
Pl
.
"O
l
dffferenfTV
sat
or
a
monitor
dore
1702
or
1802/i
803
color
monit
If
this
is
not
possible,
you
can
deal
with
the
problem
by
press-
ing
the
ESCape
key
,followed
by
the
'R
'
key
.
This
reduces
the
computer screen display
size
so
the
entire
picture
can
fit
onscreen.
You
must
repeat
this
each
time
you
power
up
or
reset
your
Plus/4
.
18

PERIPHERALS
Peripherals are the accessories that you can add to your
Plus/4 system.These
accessories are available at your
Commodore dealer, and allow you to use the Plus/4 to the
fullest. Peripherals give your Plus/4 system the
capability to
store and save
data , print hard copy (in black and white or
color), use
disk and cassette-based software, and access
the information and services available through telecom-
munications.
To save or recall programs, you'll need a device that stores
data . Data can be stored on and retrieved from both disk-
ettes and cassette tapes. To use diskettes, you' ll need a DISK
DRIVE. Disk drives are typically fast and efficient to use. Disk
drives that are compatible with your Plus/4 are the Commo-
dore models 1541 and 1551. For cassette-based storage
and retrieval, the Commodore 1531 DATASSETTE tape re-
corder fills the bill.
19

When using a wordprocessing program or a graphics pack-
age
on the Plus/4, a printer will reproduce what
is
on
the
screen on
paper
.There are several models of Commodore
printers available that work with the Plus/4. These include
the MPS-801, MPS-802, MPS-803 (with optional tractor-
feed) and
DPS-1101
(letter quality). Different printers special-
ize in different
types
of print-outs. Ask your dealerwhich
best suits your needs.
Your television may not give you
as
clear a picture
as
you'd
like for your computer.Commodore color monitors are spe-
cially designed to give you the sharpest, brightest picture
for your Plus/4 screen output.There are several Commo-
dore monitor models available, including the 1702, and
1802/1803.
20

There are networks that you can reach over the phone
whose purpose
is
to provide information, programs, news,
stock market reports, entertainment, and almost anything
else you could think ofto computerists by using the phone
lines.
To
gain access to the tremendous range of services,
software, and information available, you must be equipped
with a MODEM.
The Commodore Plus/4MODEM connects your Plus/4 to
these information services over telephone lines. With one of
these modems, you can have access to computer services
such as CompuServe and The Source. Commodore sup-
ports its own service called the Commodore Information
Network, which is available through CompuServe. The
Commodore Information Network (CIN) specializes in infor-
mation for the Commodore owner, including current dealer
lists, Commodore hardware and software tips, and a direct
line to Commodore Customer Support. A wide assortment
of programs
is
available on the Commodore User Database
segment of CIN, including graphics, music, educational
programs, utilities and games.
21