Morrow Micro Decision User manual

MIORO DEOISION
User's Guide
I
MDRROW DESIGNSt1l,~ .

Mioro Deoision User's Guide
by Dr. Lawrenoe J. Magid, Ph.D.
Morrow Designs, Inc., 600 McCormick St., San Leandro, CA 94577

Copyright
O 1982 by Morrow
Designs
All rights reserved.
No part of this publication may be reproduced,
transmitted, stored in a retrieval system, or tran-
slated into any language or computer language, in
any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
magnetic, optical, chemical, manual or otherwise,
without prior written permission of Morrow Designs,
Inc.
DISCLAIMER
No representations or warranties, express or im-
plied, are made with respect to the contents
hereof, including, but not limited to, the implied
warra~ty of merchantibility or fitness for a
particular purpose. Further, Morrow Designs, Inc.,
reserves the right to revise this publication and
to make changes from time to time in the content
hereof without obligation to notify any person of
such revision.
WordStar· is a product of MicroPro Corporation.
LogiCalc· is a product of Software Products, Int'l.
BASIC-80· is a BASIC programming
language
developed by Microsoft, Inc.
BaZic· is a NorthStar compatible BASIC language
developed by Micro Mike's, Inc.
CP/M 2.2· and 86· are operating systems developed
by Digital Research, Inc.
Correct-It, Pilot and Micro Menus are products of
Morrow Designs.
All references to these products should be so
noted.

Foreword
This manual is designed to get you started in
your use of the Micro Decision computer. Although
it will familiarize you with the supplied software,
it is not a substitute for the manuals that
accompany the software and the operating system.
We urge you to read the manual completely,
performing the simple operations it outlines.
Before long, you and your new Micro Decision, (to
use a little, computer jargon) will be "up and
running."
This preliminary version of the manual is
subject to revisions. As you use it, please take a
few minutes to note the sections that are confusing
or particularly helpful. If you send us your com-
ments, we'll return the favor by sending you a
free, revised manual.
iv

CHAPTER
MICRO DECISION
USER'S GUIDE
Preliminary Edition
Table Of Contents
INTRODUCTION
PAGE
Foreword. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • i v
1. INTRODUCTION............................................. 1
2. ABOUT YOUR SySTEM........................................ 7
INSTALLATION
3. SETTING UP YOUR SYSTEM •.•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• o. 17
4. TURNING ON YOUR SYSTEM - THE FIRST TIME •••••••••••••••••• 21
OPERATION
5. CREATING WORKING SYSTEM DISKETTES ••••••••••••••••••••••• 23
6. GETTING STARTED FOREVER AFTER •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 27
7. USING DISKETTES FROM OTHER SySTEMS ••••••••••••••••••••••• 33
SPECIAL FEATURES
8. THE MICRO DECISION VIRTUAL DRIVE ••••••••••••••••••••••••• 35
9. THE AUTO PROGRAM ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 37
10. ERROR MESSAGES........................................... 41
Conclusion...... •• •••••• •••• •••••• •••••• ••••• ••• •• ••• •• •• 46
APPENDICES
A. SYSTEM SPECIFICATIONS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 47
B. TROUBLESHOOTING CHART.................................... 51
C. THE CP/M COMMANDS •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 53
D. CONNECTING DEVICES TO THE MICRO DECISION ••••••.•••••••••• 57
E. GLOSSARy................................................. 66
F. RECOMMENDED READING •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 70
INDEX

List of Fisures
1-1: Morrow Designs Terminal and Dual Drive Micro Decision.. 1
2-1: Floppy Diskette Features............................... 10
2-2: Inserting the Diskette .••••.••••.••••.•.••.•.•..•••.••• 11
2-3: Write Protecting the Diskette ••••••.•••••••••••••..•••• 12
2-4: Morrow Design Terminal Keyboard •••••••••••••••.••••.••• 13
2-5: Morrow Designs Terminal - Function Keys •••••••••••••••. 14
2-6: Morrow Designs Terminal -Numeric Keypad ••••••••••••••• 16
2-7: Morrow Designs Terminal - Special Symbol Keys •••••••••• 16
3-1: Typical System Set-Up.................................. 17
3-2: Micro Decision Rear Panel ............................... 18
3-3: Micro Decision System - Front Panel Orientation •••••••• 19
6-1: THE MICRO DECISION MICRO-MENU Main Menu ••••••••••.••• 27
6-2: CREATE A WORKING OR SYSTEM DISKETTE Menu Option •••••••• 30
D-1: Accessing the Switches and Jumpers ••••••••••••••••••••• 59
D-2:
Micro Decision Switch and Jumper Locations ••••••••••••• 59
D-3: SW1 - Factory Set Terminal Baud Rate ••••••••••••••••••• 60
D-4:
SW2 - Factory Set Printer Baud Rate •••••••••••••••••••• 61
List Of Tables
2-1: Special Keyboard Symbols ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16
D-1: RS-232 Serial Port Pin Arrangement - Rear View ••• i ••••• 62
D-2: RS-232 Signal Descriptions ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 62
D-3: Micro Decision Serial Port •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 63
D-4: J1 - Terminal Configuration ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• e 64
D-5:
J2 - Printer Configuration •••.••••••••••••••••••••••••• 64
D-6: J2 - Modem Configuration ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 64

MICRO DECISION
User's Guide
,
Introduction
MDRRDW DESIGNS rl

CHAPTER
1•
2.
INTRODUCTION
SECTION
INTRODUCTION. ............................................
1•1•
1 .2.
System Hardware. . .................................. .
System Software.
System
1.3.1.
1.3.2.
Requirements.
Terminal ••
Diskettes ••••
................................
1.4. Optional Hardware Equipment ••
1.4.1. Printer ••••••••••••••
1 .4.2. Modem ••••••••••••••••••••••
1.4.3. Additional Disk Drives ••
. ...
1.5.
Optional Software.
1 .6.
The Micro-Menus •••
·.................................
ABOUT YOUR
SySTEM ••••••
·.................................
2. 1 • Types
of Software.
·.................................
2.2.
Computer Hardware.
2.3. Diskettes and Disk Drives ••••••••••••••••
2.3.1. Allocation of Disk Space ••
2.4.
2.3.2. Care of Diske~tes •••••••••
2.3.3. Rules for Handling Diskettes •••••••••
2.3.4. Inserting Diskettes ••••••••••
2.3.5. Write Protecting Diskettes ••
2.3.6. Backing-Up Your Diskettes ••
The Terminal Keyboard ••
2.4.1.
2.4.2.
2.4.3.
ESC •••••••
CAP LOCK ••
SHIFT
••••••
2.4.4. CTRL ••••••
2.4.5.
2.4.6.
2.4.7.
2.4.8.
2.4.9.
BACK SPACE ••
DELETE •••••
RETURN ••••••
NUMERIC. KEYPAD ••
SPECIAL SYMBOLS ••.
.....
PAGE
1
2
2
2
2
3
3
3
3
4
4
5
7
7
8
9
9
10
10
11
12
12
13
13
13
13
14
14
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CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION
The Morrow Designs Micro Decision is an economical
computer system, as advanced and sophisticated as those
costing several times the price. With the optional
Morrow Designs Terminal, and a printer, you have all the
hardware and software you need for word processing,
proof reading, financial modeling, and programming.
c
o o
c
Fig. 1-1: Morrow Designs Terminal and Dual Drive Micro Decision Computer
Because your system comes with the CP/M operating
system (Control Program for Microcomputers), you are
able to choose from the world's largest library of
professionally written business application programs.
Your MicrQ Decision includes the BASIC·, BaZic· and Morrow
Designs' Pilot· programming languages, Morrow Design's
exclusive Micro Menus and many specialized programs for
such tasks as diskette copying, program editing, and
other "utility functions."
1

1.1. System Hardware
o 64K bytes of internal Random Access Memory (RAM)
o Z80A (8-bit) Central Processing Unit (CPU)
o 2 RS-232 serial ports (one for your terminal and the
other for a printer or modem)
o Floppy disk drive controller for up to 4 drives
o 1 or 2 disk drives
1.2. System Software
o WordS tar- Word Processing System
o Correct-It
m Checks
and corrects spelling
o LogiCalc
m
Financial modeling and Forecasting program
o CP/M 2.2m Operating System
o BASIC-80m Microsoft- BASIC programming language
o BaZic
m
NorthStar~ compatible BASIC language
o Pilot
m Morrow
Designs' programming language designed
for learning
o Micro Menus Your road map through CP/M.
1.3. System Requirements
-Your Micro Decision comes with all the basics
(computer hardware and software) needed to get started,
but to complete your system, you will need the
following:
1.3.1. Terminal
A computer terminal is required for communicating
with your computer. Although the Micro Decision works
with most computer terminals, the Morrow Designs
Terminal is recommended for those wishing to take full
advantage of the software included with the Micro
Decision.
2

1.3.2. Diskettes
The Micro Decision uses single sided, 5 1/4 inch
soft sectored floppy diskettes, available from most
computer and office supply dealers. You need at least
seven diskettes to get started. We recommend that you
have a box of ten diskettes on hand.
CAUTION: Diskettes are vulnerable to accidental
erasure or damage. Before handling diskettes,
please refer to Chapter 2 for important information
on their care and handling.
1.4. Optional Hardware Equipment
The Micro Decision comes with two RS-232 serial
ports. Both are accessed from the back panel of your
system unit. One is marked "TERMINAL" and the other
"PRINTER/MODEM." These are industry standard interfaces
which support a wide variety of printers, modems and
other serial communications devices. One RS-232 port
must be used for your terminal. The other can be used
for a printer, a modem, or any other serial device that
is compatible with your system. See Appendix D for
information on setting up these ports.
1.4.1. Printer
The Micro Decision works with most letter quality
and dot matrix printers that can be connected to a
serial interface. The printer plugs into the the back
panel RS-232 port labelled "PRINTER/MODEM." In some
cases the printer serial port may need to be recon-
figured. This procedure is described in Appendix D.
1.4.2. Modem
A modem (short for MOdulator-DEModulator) connects
your Micro Decision to a telephone line, and allows you
to exchange programs and data with other microcomputers
or with larger computers. You can also access
computerized information services such as The Source and
CompuServe with a modem.
The
modem connects to the RS-232 interface on the
back of the system unit labelled npRINTER/MODEM." Your
dealer can provide you with information about modems
that can be used with your Micro Decision. Again, see
Appendix D for information on connecting these devices.
(Note: Connecting your Micro Decision to a modem
requires special communication software not supplied
with your system.) .
3

1.4.3. Additional Disk Drives
Your Micro Decision comes from the factory with one
or two disk drives. Because the CP/M system supplied
with the Micro Decision is specially enhanced with a
Virtual Drive feature, (see Chapter B), single drive
users have some of the conveniences previously available
only to those with two or more drives. All of the
software supplied with the Micro Decision work on a
single drive system.
Although the Virtual Drive feature makes a single
drive system functional, there are good reasons to
consider additional drives. Single drive systems can
access a maximum of 200K (200,000 characters) of
programs and data at anyone time Users with dual drive
systems have twice the "on-line" storage space, and are
not required to "swap" diskettes when copying files,
programs or entire diskettes. See Chapter 2 for a full
discussion of disk drives and allocation of diskette
space.
Your Micro Decision can accommodate up to four
disk drives. Single drive systems can be upgraded by
adding another internal drive. Dual drive systems can be
upgraded by adding one or two external drives. A four
drive system supplies BOOk of storage. Contact Morrow
Designs or an authorized dealer for information about
additional internal or external disk drives.
1.5. Optional Software
The Micro Decision was shipped with several useful
and popular application programs. In addition, your
Micro Decision is capable of using more than 2,000
additional programs that run using CP/M
m•
This opens the
door for communications programs, data base management
systems, games and much more. Some of the CP/M
m
users
groups distribute free software. See your dealer for
information on available software.
You also need to know that there are several CP/M
m
diskette formats. By format, we mean the structure of a
diskette th-at the operating system expects before it can
read or write information on it.
The Micro DeCision uses standard 5 1/4" soft sector
diskettes, but for the Micro Decision to read a program
or data diskette, the diskette must have a compatible
format~ In addition to diskettes specially formatted for
the Micro Decision, your system can run program
diskettes, and read and write data diskettes that have
been formatted for the Osborne Ie and the Xerox 820e
computers.
4

Additionally, it can read and write to CP/M-86~ data
diskettes formatted by an IBM Personal Computers.
Software publishers and distributors are generally able
to provide CP/M~ programs in the format required by the
customer. If your dealer or any software publishers are
not able to help you, have them contact our customer
service department. .
1.6. The Micro Menus
The
CP/M~ operating system has many powerful com-
mands. Although they can be learned with a little
practice, they tend to be somewhat intimidating for the
novice user. To make your Micro Decision easier to use,
we have implemented the Micro Menus - a series of
"menus" which allow you to enter CP/M
m
and program com-
mands. Using the menus reduces many complex commands to
a single keystroke - a feature that even experienced
computer users will appreciate.
All of the commands executed from your Micro Menus
can also be exectiteddirectly from CP/M~. If you study
the screen as you use the menus, you will see what the
operating system is actually doing. It is as if you have
a CP/M~ expert standing over your shoulder pressing the
keys as you watch.
5

Notes