EXP Computer CD421 User manual

PCMCIA
Portable CD-ROM
Installation Manual
CD-421

EXP COMPUTER, INC.
EXP MEMORY PRODUCTS.
NON-TRANSFERABLE LIMITED WARRANTY
EXP COMPUTER INC., AND EXP MEMORY PRODUCTS("EXP")
warrants that the Quadruple Speed Portable CD-ROM(“products”)
manufactured or distributed by EXP to be free from failures due to
defects in materials or workmanship for full one year from the date of
purchase of the products.
This warranty is void if the product is damaged by abnormal or improper
use or by accident, abuse or if any attempt to repair or modify the
product without authorization from EXP. Your sales receipt or invoice,
showing the date of purchase and the name of the authorized reseller, is
your proof of the date of purchase. During the warranty period, EXP will
at its option, replace or repair, at no charge, the product which in its
opinion is defective.
Before you return the failed products, contact EXP. You must obtain a
Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number by calling EXP
Computer Inc. At [phone]. The RMA number should be displayed
on the outside of the returned package and on the accompanying
packing list. EXP cannot be held responsible for any package returned
without the RMA number. You are responsible for packaging, providing
proof of the date of purchase and the shipping cost of the failed product
to EXP Computer, Inc. You are responsible for mailing the warranty
registration card. The warranty claims may not be honored if there is no
corresponding registration card on file at EXP.
IN NO EVENT WILL EXP BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT,
SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGE, INCLUDING
LOSS OF PROFIT, LOSS OF SAVINGS; OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES
CAUSED BY PRODUCT OR FAILURE OF THE PRODUCT TO
PERFORM.
THIS LIMITATION OF LIABILITY APPLIES EVEN IF EXP HAS BEEN
ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. SOME
SATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION IN
INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES, SO THE ABOVE
EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

FCC COMPLIANCE STATEMENTS
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a
Class B digital device, pursuant to Part 15 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 off and on, 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 Distance between the equipment and receiver.
Connect the equipment into an outlet on a circuit different from that to
which the receiver is connected.
Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
CHANGE OR MODIFICATIONS NOT EXPRESSLY APPROVED BY
PARTY RESPONSIBLE FOR COMPLIANCE COULD VOID THE
USER’S AUTHORITY TO OPERATE THE EQUIPMENT.
CAUTION

TRADEMARKS
SystemSoft is a registered trademark of SystemSoft Corporation.
CardSoft is a trademark of SystemSoft Corporation.
Phoenix is a registered trademark of Phoenix Technologies, Ltd.
Databook is a registered trademark of Databook Inc.
Cardtalk is a trademark of Databook Inc.
PCMCIA is a trademark of Personal Computer Memory Card
International Association.
MS-DOS, Windows, Windows 95, and MSCDEX are trademarks of
Microsoft Corporation.
OS/2 WARP is a trademark of International Business Machines
Corporation.
Photo CD is a trademark of Kodak.

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION............................................................................... 1
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS........................................................ 1
FEATURES ............................................................................... 1
PART NAMES AND FUNCTIONS ..................................................... 2
FRONT PANEL OF THE CD-ROM DRIVE.................................. 2
REAR PANEL OF THE CD-ROM DRIVE..................................... 3
POWER SOURCE ............................................................................ 4
CONNECT THE AC ADAPTER................................................... 4
INSTALLING THE BATTERIES................................................... 5
REMOVING THE BATTERIES.................................................... 6
NOTICE ............................................................................... 6
HARDWARE INSTALLATION ........................................................... 7
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION ........................................................... 8
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR DOS/WINDOWS ................. 8
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION............................................ 8
MANUAL INSTALLATION.................................................. 9
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS 95..................... 11
USING CD-421 UNDER WINDOWS 95............................. 11
USING CD-421 TO INSTALL WINDOWS 95..................... 12
ENABLING 32-BIT CARD SUPPORT OF WINDOWS 95 .. 13
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR OS/2 WARP ........................ 15
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION ........................................... 15
MANUAL INSTALLATION.................................................. 16
ADDING PCMCIA SUPPORT............................................ 17
USING CD-421 TO INSTALL OS/2 WARP ........................ 19
TROUBLE SHOOTING...................................................................... 20
BASIC OPERATING PROCEDURES................................................ 22
PCMCIA(PC Card) SOFTWARE INFORMATION.............................. 23
POWER SAVING.............................................................................. 27

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1
INTRODUCTION
The CD-421 brings the latest in mobile computing technology to
notebook computer users with portability and convenience. The CD-421
is a 4X(quad-speed) CD-ROM drive compliant with the PCMCIA 2.1(PC
Card) standard. Featuring flexible power options, the CD-421 may
operate on either AC power or batteries. The CD-421 is designed for
both business and entertainment solutions.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
1. Notebook or desktop computer with a PCMCIA 2.1 Type I, II or III
slot.
2. MS-DOS Version 6.0 or higher with MSCDEX.EXE (for
DOS/Windows users only) or Windows 95 or OS/2.
FEATURES
§ Complies with PCMCIA 2.1
Standard
§ MSCDEX compatible
§ Easy-to-install device driver
software
§ Ultra slim PCMCIA Card
85.6 x 54.0 x 3.3 mm (Type I)
§ CD-ROM Drive
Size: 164 x 250 x 50mm
Weight ≤1.35 Kg
§ PCMCIA power consumption:
+5V/300 mA (Standby),
+5V/500 mA (max.)
§ Power source: AC adapter or
batteries (1.5V AA size x 8)
§ Battery life ≥3 hours. (CD-ROM
continuous video play)
§ Windows 95 Ready
§ OS/2 Warp Ready
§ Quad-speed data transfer rate:
600 Kbytes/sec
§ Average access time: 235 ms
(1/3 stroke)
§ 128 Kbytes Memory Buffer
§ Data capacity: 553MB (Mode 1)
635 MB (Mode 2)
§ Motorized front tray loading
§ Supports CD-Audio, CD-XA,
CD-ROM mode 1 and 2,
Multi-session Photo CD
§ Audio function: Headphone
output jack with volume control,
Audio line-in jack

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2
PART NAMES AND FUNCTIONS
FRONT PANEL OF THE CD-ROM DRIVE
•• Disc Tray:
This disc tray is used to insert the compact disc.
‚‚ Load/Stop button:
• Press this button to load the disc tray.
• When playing an Audio CD, pressing this button will put it into the
stop state.
ƒƒ Power Indicator:
• This indicator will light with a green LED when the power is on.
• This LED will blink when battery power is low.
„„ Play/Skip: (for CD Audio operation only)
• If the drive is in the stop state, pressing this button will activate the
drive to start playing.
• If the drive is in play state, pressing this button will skip to the next
track.
…… Headphone Volume Control Knob:
This rotary knob is used to adjust the volume of the headphone jack.
†† Power On/Busy LED:
This LED will light with a green LED when power is on.
This LED will blink when the drive is accessing the disc.
‡‡ Headphone Jack:
3.5mm audio headphone jack.

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3
REAR PANEL OF THE CD-ROM DRIVE
•• Interface Connector:
This interface connector connects to the PCMCIA interface card.
‚‚ DC in Jack:
This jack connects to the AC adapter.
ƒƒ Line out Jack:
This jack outputs audio signal to an amplifier.
„„ DC Source Switch
This switch select DC power source for the CD-ROM drive.
There are two sources to choose from battery or AC adapter.

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4
POWER SOURCE
The CD-421 can be either powered by the AC adapter or by the batteries
as a flexible option. However, the AC adapter has a priority over the
battery in powering the CD-ROM. That means if you connect the AC
adapter, the CD-421 will operate on it regardless if the batteries are
installed.
The CD-421 will be turned on automatically when your computer is
powered on and the PCMCIA interface card is connected to the
computer and initialized. On the other hand, when you turn off your
computer or disconnect the PCMCIA interface card from your computer,
the CD-421 will be powered off automatically. Such convenient design
ensures that users will not waste the battery power if the CD-ROM is not
in use.
The POWER LED indicates the power state, it will always light up when
the power supply is in the normal condition. The LED will flash if the
power is insufficient caused by a malfunctioning AC adapter or if the
batteries are reaching the end their service life. In this case, remove
the old batteries and replace with new batteries, or check your AC
adapter to see if it is defective or improperly connected.
CONNECT THE AC ADAPTER
1. Connect the AC adapter plug to the DC IN jack at the rear panel of
the CD-ROM.
2. Attach the AC adapter to the AC power outlet.
CAUTION
Use only the AC adapter provided with this unit. Using the
incorrect AC adapter will result in permanent and unpredictable
damage to the CD-421.

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5
INSTALLING THE BATTERIES
The CD-421 requires eight AA size batteries (not included) for operation.
When using alkaline batteries, the battery life may last for more than 3
hours if the CD-421 is used in CD-ROM mode, it can be even longer
when the CD-421 is used in CD-Audio mode. You can also use NiCad
rechargeable battery’s which have a shorter service life. Both the
rechargeable battery and the re-charger are NOT provided with this unit.
To install the batteries, follow the instruction below:
1. Remove the disc from the CD-ROM.
2. Power off the CD-ROM by disconnecting the PCMCIA interface card
from your computer.
3. Turn over the CD-ROM drive and place horizontally.
4. Press and slide the battery lid in the direction of the arrow to remove
it. (As shown in Figure 3)
Figure 3
5. Install eight fresh AA batteries in the order as illustrated in Figure 4,
and make sure polarities are aligned properly. It is recommended that
you follow the order in the illustration to install the batteries with ease.
6. Please note that the battery ribbon must be arranged as shown in
Figure 4. Otherwise, it will be difficult to remove the batteries.
7. Replace the battery lid.

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6
Figure 4
REMOVING THE BATTERIES
1. Remove the battery lid by sliding the cover in the direction of the
arrow as shown in Figure 3.
2. Lift up the battery ribbon to eject the batteries from the battery
compartment.
NOTICE
• Use only the AC adapter provided with this unit.
• If you will not use the unit with the AC adapter for a long period of
time, disconnect it from the AC power outlet.
• Do not mix old and new batteries, or different type of batteries
(carbon and alkaline, etc.)
• Always remove old, weak or worn-out batteries promptly and dispose
of them properly.
• If you will not use this unit for a long period of time, remove the
batteries and store them in a cool, dry place.
• Thoroughly clean the battery compartment before inserting new
batteries.

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7
HARDWARE INSTALLATION
Make sure you turn OFF all power to your system before connecting the
CD-421 to your computer.
1. Connect the PCMCIA interface card to the CD-ROM drive. Press
firmly until the CD-ROM connector is seated, and tighten the two
screws on the cable connector.
2. Place the CD-ROM drive in the horizontal position. The CD-ROM is
designed to operate only in the horizontal position. Operating the CD-
ROM drive in any abnormal position is not recommended.
3. Make sure that the cable of the PCMCIA interface card is firmly
connected to the interface connector at the back panel of the CD-
ROM drive.
4. Locate the PCMCIA slot of your computer or consult your computer
user’s manual for its location.
5. Align the PCMCIA interface card with
the arrow sign pointing toward the
computer’s slot. (Please note that the
card is keyed to guide for proper
insertion.) Figure 5
6. Slowly insert the PCMCIA interface card into the slot and press firmly
until the connector is seated.
7. Turn the system ON to install the CD-421 device driver. Please follow
the Software Installation procedures.
CAUTION
You should connect the PCMCIA interface card to CD-ROM drive
first before inserting the PCMCIA interface card into your
computer. DO NOT connect/disconnect the CD-ROM PCMCIA
interface card to/from the CD-ROM drive when the system is in
the power-on state.

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8
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR DOS/WINDOWS 3.1
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION
The INSTALL program helps you install the device driver into the
computer easily. Please follow the instructions below to proceed with
automatic installation.
1. Insert the device driver diskette into a floppy disk drive on your
computer.
2. Change the working directory to the floppy drive containing the
device driver diskette by typing “A:”or “B:” then press ENTER.
3. At the DOS prompt (A:\> or B:\>), type “INSTALL” followed by the
ENTER key.
4. Press ENTER or click on the OK button to continue. When the
opening screen appears, a dialog box will be displayed for you to
specify the 1), directory to install the device driver; 2), the DOS
directory to specify the location of the MSCDEX driver, 3), the
I/O port and 4),the IRQ desired for the CD-421. Enter the
directory you select to install the driver and press the TAB key to
forward to the next field to indicate the DOS Directory. Press the
TAB key again to set the I/O port and then the IRQ. The default
setting of the I/O ports are (170-177, 376-377), and the default
IRQ is 15. After completing the selection, click on the Install
button to continue.
Figure 6

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9
MANUAL INSTALLATION
You may also manually install the CD-421 device driver if the default
setting conflicts with your system. Perform the following procedure to
complete the manual installation.
1. Copy the files EXPCDI.EXE from the CD-421 device driver disk to
your hard disk.
2. Add “LASTDRIVE=Z”to the TOP of your CONFIG.SYS file. If you
already have a LASTDRIVE line with a letter other than Z, change it
to Z.
3. Add the following lines to the BOTTOM of your CONFIG.SYS file:
DEVICE=drive:\path\EXPCDI.EXE /P:1 /I:15 /D:MSCD001
where drive:\path specifies the directory containing the file
EXPCDI.EXE.
Note: If your CONFIG.SYS file is already loaded with PCMCIA software,
such as Cardsoft of SystemSoft or Cardtalk of Databook, it is necessary
to add the above line AFTER the PCMCIA software. Otherwise, the
PCMCIA interface card will not be initialized properly. To make sure if
any PCMCIA software has been loaded in your system and to know
more about PCMCIA(PC Card), please refer to the section titled
“PCMCIA Software Information”.
EXPCDI.EXE is the device driver for the CD-421. The parameters of
EXPCDI.EXE are described as below:
/P is used to set the I/O ports, and the valid numbers are 1, 2, and 3.
Each number represents the I/O port pairs of (170-177, 376-377);
(1E8-1EF, 3EE-3EF), and (168-16F, 36E-36F) respectively. The
default setting is /P:1.
/I is used to set the IRQ number. The valid IRQs are 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10,
11, 12 and 15, and the default setting is /I:15.
/D is used to set the device name. It can be any name up to 8
characters. This name must be the same as the name you will
specify in the MSCDEX.EXE option /D: name in the next step.

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10
4. Add the following line at the TOP of your AUTOEXEC.BAT:
drive:\path\MSCDEX.EXE /D:MSCD001 /M:4
where drive:\path specifies the DOS directory or the directory containing
the file MSCDEX.EXE.
Note: If your AUTOEXEC.BAT file loads a menu program such as
DOSSHELL or Windows, you have to add the above line to start your
menu program. Otherwise, MSCDEX will not have a chance to load
before your menu program begins.
The example above shows the default setting. The /D: switch indicates
the device name. It MUST be the same name as you specified by the
/D: switch of EXPCDI.EXE in your CONFIG.SYS file. The /M: switch
indicates how much memory to allocate for caching information on the
CD-ROM. The default /M:4 caches 8KB.
For more information about the switches of MSCDEX, please type “help
MSCDEX” at the DOS prompt.
5. Now, reboot your computer to activate the CD-ROM drive.

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11
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR WINDOWS 95
If your computer does not have Windows 95 installed yet, please refer to
the section titled “Using CD-421 to Install Windows 95”.
USING CD-421 UNDER WINDOWS 95
The following dialog box will appear when you are using the CD-421
under Windows 95 for the very first time.
If the dialog box does not appear and the CD-ROM folder can not be
found in My Computer, please refer to the section titled “Enabling 32-Bit
Card Support”.
Figure 7
Select “Driver from disk provided by hardware manufacturer” and click
on OK button, Windows 95 will then prompt you to insert the
manufacturer’s installation disk. Insert the CD-421 device driver disk
into your floppy drive. Specify the directory as A:\WIN95 (or B:\WIN95
whichever containing the diskette) and select OK.

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12
When the following dialog box appear, select CD-421 (I) card and click
on the OK bottom.
Figure 8
Follow the on-screen instruction to continue. After finishing, remember
to shutdown Windows and restart your computer if you are using the CD-
421 to install Windows 95.
Note that it is not necessary to connect the CD-421 every time you
reboot your computer; plug it just when you need to use it.
USING CD-421 TO INSTALL WINDOWS 95
If you are about to upgrade your operating system from DOS/Windows
to Windows 95 using the CD-421, the CD-421 DOS device driver as
described in the “Software Installation for DOS/Windows” section should
be properly installed first before proceeding further. Then, perform the
following steps to install Windows 95.
1. Start Windows 3.1.
2. Insert the Windows 95 CD into the CD-421.
3. Run File Manager and select the CD-421 drive.
4. Find and double-click the file setup.exe.
5. Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation of
Windows 95.

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13
6. After the installation is completed, please refer to the next section
titled “Enabling 32-BIT CARD SUPPORT”.
ENABLING 32-BIT CARD SUPPORT OF WINDOWS 95
Your system should be ready for PCMCIA socket support prior to
operating the CD-421. To check whether your computer is PCMCIA
Socket supported, first, double-click on the “System” icon from “Control
Panel” folder (you can select the “Control Panel” under “Settings” from
the “Start” menu to open the “Control Panel” folder).
Click on the Device Manager Tab. If “PCMCIA Socket” is found with a
cross (x) sign next to the PCMCIA Controller as Figure 9, it means the
PCMCIA device driver is not using 32-Bit Card Support.
Figure 9

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14
In this case, double click on the PCMCIA Controller, and a dialog box
will be displayed as below. Please place a check mark next to the
current configuration of Device usage box, then select OK.
Figure 10
After the PCMCIA 32-Bit Card support is installed, Windows will ask you
to reboot your computer. Then you should refer to the first section titled
“Using CD-ROM Under Windows 95” to configure the CD-421.
If the PCMCIA Socket is not found, then you must add a PCMCIA socket
to your system. Please click on the “Add New Hardware” icon in the
Control Panel folder and select “PCMCIA socket”. Select the
appropriate type of PCMCIA Controller that matches with yours and
follow the on-screen instructions.

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15
SOFTWARE INSTALLATION FOR OS/2 WARP
Before installing CD-421 device driver for OS/2 WARP, make sure your
computer is PCMCIA supported. If you are not sure about this, please
refer to the last part of this section for “Adding PCMCIA Support”.
AUTOMATIC INSTALLATION
To perform the automatic installation of CD-421 for OS/2 WARP, follow
the below steps,
1. Insert the device driver disk into a floppy disk drive on your
computer.
2. Open OS/2 System.
3. Open Drives.
4. Select Drive A or B depending on which floppy drive is containing
the device driver diskette.
5. Open “OS/2 WARP” folder.
6. Double-click on “INSTALL2.EXE” file.
7. A dialog box will be displayed for you to specify the OS/2 directory,
the I/O address for the CD-421 and the IRQ number. After
specifying the OS/2 directory, press TAB to set the I/O port and then
the IRQ. The default setting of the I/O ports are (170-177, 376-377),
and the default IRQ is 15. After completing the selection, click on
Install button to continue.
Figure 11