Epson Progression Dimensions

EPSON AMERICA, INC.
EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
SUBJECT:
MS Windows 3.x Stylus 400/800+/Color Printer Driver problems
using the Progression/Progression4/NX-Epson/Endeavor-WG
Date: 11/5/94 PSB No: PSB S-0181
Page(s): 1 of 2 Originator: DS
This bulletin provides additional information to allow printer driver ver 1.03E for the Stylus 400,
800+ and Color printers to complete the installation process when connected to Epson
Progression/Progression4/NX-Epson and Endeavor-WG computers in the MS Windows 3.x
environment.
When attempting to install the 1.03E printer driver the following warning message appears:
“This driver cannot he updated because it is currently being used by windows.
Wait until Windows is finished using the driver, and then try again.”
This is caused by a conflict with the Wingine 256 color video driver and the printer installation
process. The following steps will help complete the installation:
1.
Exit Windows to the DOS prompt, C:\>.
2.
Change directories to Windows (Type CD\Windows ) Hit ENTER
3.
At the C:\Windows prompt type SETUP and Hit ENTER.
4.
After the SETUP screen appears, with the UP and DOWN arrows select the
DISPLAY line. Hit ENTER.
5.
A BOX will appear near the bottom of the screen containing video drivers. With
the DOWN ARROW key, move through the drivers and find either a
WINGINE 32k or 64k color driver or select the Windows VGA driver.
Hit ENTER. Hit ENTER two more times to exit SETUP.
6.
Type WIN to load Windows. In the MAIN program group find
CONTROL PANEL and double click. In CONTROL PANEL find PRINTERS
and double click. Continue with the printer installation from here.
7.
After completing the installation, follow steps 1 through 4 to change back to
the Wingine 256 color driver you wish to use.

*NOTE: The latest version, v1.04, of the Stylus Printer Driver, file name STY104,EXE,
is available on the Epson RBBS, resolves the above issue.

EPSON AMERICA, INC. EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
Subject: Progression/Progression 4 OS/2 2.0 Display Driver
Date: 10/08/93 PSB No: S-0166
Page(s): 1 of 2 Originator: MWT
This bulletin announces the availability of Wingine-enhanced 32-bit display drivers
for the Epson Progression and Progression 4 computers running IBM's OS/2 2.0.
The 32-bit Service Pack from IBM must be installed before installing the new display
drivers. Also, the current system configuration must be VGA or SVGA.
These drivers can be downloaded from the Epson Bulletin Board System (BBS) that
can be reached at [phone]. They are located in one self-extracting file
(WING_OS2.EXE) in file library DRIVERS. Once downloaded, extract the files to a
high-density diskette (1.44MB) by entering the command:
WING_OS2 A: or WING_OS2 B:
depending on which disk drive is being used. The diskette must have the volume
label OS2 DRVS.
To install a driver, place the Display Drivers diskette into drive A:. Open an OS/2
session, either full-screen or window, and enter the following command:
A:INSTALL A: C:
INSTALL.CMD on the driver diskette copies files to the hard drive and starts the
OS/2 Display Driver Install utility DSPINSTL, which prompts the user.
When the Display Driver Install main panel appears, the Primary Display should
indicate Video Graphics Array. If so, click OK and proceed. If VGA is not selected,
select Primary Display and click OK.
Highlight the Driver/Resolution desired and click OK.
When the Source Directory panel appears, choose the floppy drive ( A: ) which
contains the Driver diskette and click on Install.
When the main panel appears again, click on Cancel.
The new driver has been installed. You must shutdown and then re-boot your
system for the changes to take effect.
For any future driver changes, INSTALL.CMD on the driver diskette is not required.

PSB No: S-0166
Page: 2 of 2
To change to a new driver, or return to VGA driver, simply type DSPINSTL on the
command line in an OS/2 full-screen or window session.
If you are selecting a different Wingine resolution, make sure that the Wingine
Display Driver diskette is in the floppy drive.
These drivers are not supported on the Epson NX or Progression NX, due to the use
of a different RAMDAC in those systems. Finally, only the beta version of OS/2 2.1
was tested. According to IBM the 32-bit graphics engine is the same as in the
Service Pack, so these drivers should work correctly.

EPSON AMERICA, INC. EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
Subject: Progression/Progression 4 Display Driver Upgrade Version 1.20
Date: 10/08/93 PSB No: S-0163
Page(s): 1 of 2 Originator: MWT
This bulletin announces the availability of Wingine-enhanced display drivers for the
Epson Progression and Progression 4 computers. These drivers replace the VGA
Utilities 1 and 2diskettes that originally shipped with these computers.
The changes from the previous release are:
-Removed support for Windows 3.0
-Added Wingine support for AutoCAD Release 12
-Added support for the TI RAMDAC (used in the NX models) for Windows 3.1
-Added support for 1024 x 768 x 32K colors and 1280 x 1024 x 256 colors,
interlaced
These drivers can be downloaded from the Epson Bulletin Board System (BBS) that
can be reached at [phone]. They are located in two self-extracting files
(WINGINE1.EXE and WINGINE2.EXE) in file library DRIVERS. These contain VGA
Utilities 1 and 2, respectively. Once downloaded, extract the files to a high-density
diskette (1.44MB) by entering the command:
WINGINE1 -d A: or WINGINE1 -d B:
and
WINGINE2 -d A: or WINGINE2 -d B:
depending on which disk drive is being used. Then, follow the instructions in the
VGA Utilities Guide to correctly upgrade any existing drivers or install new ones. For
AutoCAD Release 12, please refer to PSB S-0156, Progression/Progression 4
AutoCAD Release 12 Display Driver Upgrade.
DESCRIPTION
WINGINE1.EXE contains the Chips and Technologies SETUP utility, RAMDAC.COM
(which determines whether the Brooktree or TI RAMDAC is installed) and a batch file
(SETUP.BAT) that calls RAMDAC, copies the correct OEMSETUP.INF file for the
installed RAMDAC and then calls the C&T SETUP program. It also contains all of
the Windows drivers. This diskette should not be write-protected, and is all that is
needed to install (or upgrade) Windows drivers.

PSB No: S-0163
Page: 2 of 2
A directory of this diskette should look like:
WINDOWS <DIR> 06-10-93 3:33p
CSETUP EXE 35801 03-15-92 8:08a
SETUP SCP 14398 06-15-93 10:52a
SETUP BAT 211 06-15-93 11:03a
RAMDAC COM 143 06-10-93 4:35p
WINGINE2.EXE contains all of the non-Windows Wingine drivers. The directory for
this diskette should look like:
ACAD <DIR> 06-08-93 9:04a
CADKEY <DIR> 06-08-93 9:05a
CADVANCE <DIR> 06-08-93 9:05a
FW3 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:05a
GEM3 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:05a
LEVEL3 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:06a
LOTUS <DIR> 06-08-93 9:06a
VCAD <DIR> 06-08-93 9:06a
VESA <DIR> 06-08-93 9:06a
WORD5 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a
WORD55 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a
WP50 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a
WP51 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a
UTIL <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a
ACAD12 <DIR> 06-08-93 9:07a

EPSON AMERICA, NC.
EPSON
Product Support Bulletin
Subject:
Epson Progression 4 - Questions and Answers
Date: 06/04/93
PSB No: S-0160
Page(s): 1 of 7
Originator: DS
Q1.
What is the Epson Progression 4?
A.
The Epson Progression 4 is a small footprint, ISA compatible, desktop
computer that incorporates the CHIPS & Technologies ‘Wingine Graphics”
acceleration architecture. This technology greatly enhances performance
in the Microsoft Windows graphical environment running Windows
applications. Additionally, this system uses a proprietary memory access
technology called VirtualCache, which allows the computer to use all of
the system memory like a cache buffer. This dramatically increases overall
system and video performance.
Q2.
What is Wingine, and how does it differ from other ‘local bus” video
implementations already on the market?
A.
Wingine is derived from the term “windows engine”, and is a graphics
acceleration technology developed by CHIPS & Technologies specifically
to speed up graphics processing and improve video performance in the
Windows environment. Epson is the first company to use this new
technology which can improve performance up to 10 times over standard
VGA.
Traditional ISA systems require the CPU to access the VGA controller
over the ISA bus. Data is sent by the VGA controller to video memory,
back to the VGA controller, and then to the display. Because the ISA bus
has only a 16-bit wide data path and operates at 8MHz, the performance
is slow.
‘Local bus” solutions eliminate the ISA bus bottleneck but retain other
bottlenecks. For example, data traveling from the CPU over an extension
to the system’s local bus, the data moves at system speed to the VGA
controller. Data is then sent to the DRAM video memory and then back to
the VGA controller before moving to the display. The data moves much
faster than in the ISA bus architecture, but this method still results in
bottlenecks as data moves through the intervening components, such as
the VGA controller.

PSB No: S-0160
Page: 2 of 7
In the Wingine implementation, video data is sent from the CPU via the
existing memory bus directly into VRAM and the CPU accesses VRAM
like system memory, at CPU speed. Video data then travels to the
Wingine graphics accelerator and on to the display. This simplified method
processes the data in fewer steps, resulting in greater video performance
and avoiding the bottlenecks and timing problems associated with ISA bus
and local bus technologies. Moreover, video performance is further
enhanced because VRAM is capable of sending and receiving data at the
same time. And when the CPU is upgraded with either an OverDrive
processor or a faster CPU card, Wingine performance also increases,
since the CPU sends video data directly into the VRAM, without any
intervening component bottlenecks
Q3. Does Wingine support MS-DOS applications?
A.
Yes. To support MS-DOS applications, Epson has included a variety of
VGA device drivers and special utilities on the VGA diskettes included
with the Progression 4. Super VGA support is available for these popular
applications:
l Autodesk Autocad and AutoCad/386, versions 10 and 11
l CADKEY, version 3.51
l CADVANCE, version 3.50
l Framework Ill and IV
l GEM, version 3.0
l Generic CADD, Level 3, version 1.1
l Lotus 1-2-3, version 2.0 and Lotus Symphony, versions 1.0 and 1.1
l Microsoft Word, versions 5.0 and 5.5
l Ventura Publisher, version 2.0
l VersaCad Design and VersaCAD 386, version 5.4
l VESA Driver, version 1.0
l WordPerfect, versions 5.0 and 5.1
l WordStar, versions 4.0 and 5.0

PSB No: S-0160
Page: 3 of 7
Q4.
A.
Q5.
A.
Q6.
A.
Q7.
A.
Does Epson update these drivers? How does the user obtain an
updated version?
Yes. Epson is constantly working with application vendors and the VGA
manufacturer to provide customers with the most current device drivers
available.
Resellers have access to these device drivers through the
Epson Product Support BBS (310-782-4531). This electronic bulletin
board provides new information about Epson products 24 hours a day, 7
days a week.
Do the VGA drivers take advantage of the Wingine video graphics
acceleration architecture?
No. When using MS-DOS applications, the Epson Progression 4 operates
in standard VGA mode. The true advantage of the Wingine architecture is
realized within the Windows 3.0 and 3.1 environments. Drivers are
provided for both versions of Windows. In the future, Epson will make
Wingine drivers available for MS-DOS applications such as AutoCAD and
for operating systems like OS/2.
Does the Epson Progression 4 include hardware cursor support and
what are its benefits?
Yes. The SETUP program in Windows 3.1 lists several drivers marked
*Wingine Hardware Cursor. These options add hardware-based cursor
control which frees the CPU from handling mouse movements and
redraws. This speeds up overall system performance. In addition, the
cursor will not blink when it’s moved over areas on the screen that are not
being changed.
What is VirtualCache and why is it beneficial?
Epson’s VirtualCache memory architecture produces cache-like
performance without the cache subsystem. Here’s a summary of how it
works: the Progression 4 uses its standard, dynamic RAM to communicate
directly with the CPU. Using VirtualCache architecture, the system works
at the burst speed of the 486 processor (the fastest speed possible),
delivering the fastest performance possible without the need for a
secondary cache buffer. This makes the “Virtual” buffer as large as the
total system memory which is a minimum of 4MB.
In addition, the VirtualCache feature acts with the Wingine accelerator to
boost video performance by allowing large quantities of data to move from
memory to the screen at processor speed rather than at system I/O
speed.

PSB No: S-0160
Page: 4 of 7
Q8.
What configurations are available?
A.
The Epson Progression 4 is available with a choice of one of three
different processors:
- 486SX/33 (ODP processor upgrade available for this model only)
- 486DX2/50
486DX2/66
Each model processor comes with either of the following:
3.5” 1.44 FDD
- 3.5” 1.44 FDD and 120MB HDD
3.5” 1.44 FDD and 240MB HDD with MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows 3.1
pre-installed
Q9. What are the differences between the 486SX/33, 486DX2/50, and the
486DX2/66?
A.
The 486SX/33 microprocessor is a 32-bit processor which runs at 33MHz
internally and externally, and incorporates an 8KB internal cache. The
internal math-coprocessor is disabled.
The 486DX2/50 microprocessor is also a 32-bit processor which
runs at 50MHz internally and 25MHz externally, and incorporates 8KB of
internal cache. The internal math-coprocessor is active.
The 486DX2/66 microprocessor is also a 32-bit processor which
runs at 66MHz internally and 33MHz externally, and incorporates 8KB of
internal cache. The internal math-coprocessor is active.