Mountain Computer Expansion Chassis User manual

Expansion Chassis
Operating Manual
Copyright (C) 1982
Mountain Computer Inc.
Manual Number 11-00166-03

_ab e of Contents
Introduction .••.••••.•••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••• i
Chapter 1 -- Installation
What You ~1eed ......••.... ,. .•......••..••••••.••.•..... 1-1
Unpa cking .•. "" ..••.•.•..•...• " .•.• " ... G •••••••• e •••••• 1-1
Packing
List .......................................... 1-2
Before Plugging
In ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
1-2
1- 2
1- 3
The
B0 X ••• " ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• " •••••••
The
Mother
Board ..................................... .
The Interface Card .................................... 1-4
Interface C ard Jumper and Switch Posi tioning .. ........ 1- 6
pp1 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
............... 1-6
PP2 ••
PP3 ••
PP4 ••
SW1 ...
. .................. 1-6
. .•.•.......... 1-6
. ..... ........ "1-7
............................. 1-7
The 50
Pin Ribbon
Cable ............................... 1-7
The
Small 16
Installing the
Plugging Into
Pin Ribbon
Interface
Cable •••••••.••••••••••••••••• 1-8
Card ......................... 1-9
the
Apple ............................•.. 1-9
Attaching the Power Transformer ••••
Installing Other Peripheral Cards ••
. .....•.. 1- 11
...•.•••• 1-12
If You Are Using Pascal
•••••••••••••••••••••••••" ••• 1- 12
The Last
Steps .•.•.•••.•.••.••.••..•.•....••••.••.•.. 1-12
Multiple Expansion
Chassis ........................... 1-12
The P P 1
Jumper ....................................... 1-13
Multiple Interface Cards ............................. 1-13
Chapter 2 -- Operating the Expansion Chassis
Select or Deselect .................................... 2-
Swi tching Modes From BASIC or the Moni tor ............. 2-2
Integer BASIC ......................................... 2-2
Applesoft BASIC .................•......•..•....•...... 2-3
The Monitor ........................................... 2-3
Switching Modes From Pascal ........................... 2-4
The Software Com man d s Ta b1e ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 2- 5
Some Helpful Tips ..................................... 2-6
Appendix A -- Installation Considerations
Processors Verses Peripherals ......................... A-1
Video Cards ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••••• A-1
Jumpers to the Mother
Board ........................... A-1
Se 1 e c t a b1 e S1 o t Ba n ks ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• A- 1
System Configuration Examples ••••••••••••••••••••••••• A-2
Some Ideal Chassis Peripherals ........................ A- 6

-
Table of Contents (Continued)
Appendix B -- Trouble Shooting
It Doesn't Work At All ••••• · ~ ••••• • •••••••••••••••••••• B-1
The Hardware Select/Deselect Button Doesn't Work • •• ••• B-1
Replacing the Fuse .................................... B-1
Identifying A Blown Fuse •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• B-2
The Right Fuse For the Job •••••••••••••••••••••••••••• B-2
Installing the New Fuse ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• B-3
If the Fuse Repeatedly Blows •••••••••••••••••••• •••••• B-3
When to Send It Back .................................. B-3
Appendix C -- Installation Summary

CHAPrER 1
Chapter 1
INSTALATION
IN STALL A' HO~
The Expansion Chassis is easy to install, but take care to
install it correctly. The directions for installing your
Expansion Chassis appear in this chapter as step by step
instructions. If you follow all the directions in this chapter
carefully, you should have no trouble installing the Chassis .
If you are familiar with the installation procedure, you may want
to refer to the brief installation summary in Appendix C instead
of rereading this entire chapter. However, if this is your first
time installing an Expansion Chassis, read this chapter
thoroughly and carefully, following all the instructions as you
read.
What You Need
To use your Expansion Chassis you need only an Apple II or II
Plus . All Mountain Computer peripherals and many other well
designed peripheral cards will work in the Expansion Chassis.
For information on installation considerations and limitations
for the Expansion Chassis, see Appendix A in this manual.
An optional item you may find useful is an IC puller, a small
tweezer - like device used to remove IC's. You can probably get
one at your local computer or electronics store. You'll find
that installing the Expansion Chassis is a little easier if you
have
an IC puller, but you don't have to have one.
Unpacking
The Expansion Chassis was packed in a specially designed carton
to insure its safety during shipping. The smaller box in which
you found this manual contains items necessary for installation
of the Expansion Chassis. The Expansion Chassis itself was
packed beneath the smaller box and suspended between styrofoam
supports. As you unpack the Expansion Chassis notice how it was
packed, and save the packing materials. At some time you may
need to repack your Expansion Chassis, for example, if you wish
to ship it for servicing.
1-1

-
CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Packing List
As you unpack your Expansion Chassis, check that the following
items are included:
• Expansion Chassis
A smaller box containing the following:
• Manual
•
Warranty Card
• Power
transformer
•
Expansion Chassis Interface Card
•
Large ribbon cable with a 50 pin connector on each end
• Small
ribbon cable with a 16 pin header on each end
If any of
these items are missing from your package, see your
dealer.
NOTE
As you are unpacking, be careful not to drop
the Expansion Chassis or bump it against a
hard surface. A sharp impact can damage the
components inside the Expansion Chassis.
Before Plugging In
Before you begin installing the Expansion Chassis, lay all the
necessary items within easy reach. This will help make the
installation procedure go smoothly and quickly. In addition,
make sure the Apple's power is turned OFF. This is important!
If you neglect to turn the power off, you may damage the Apple
and/or the Expansion Chassis.
It's a good idea to familiarize yourself with the various parts
of the Expansion Chassis before you actually begin installatiop.
Let's take a look at these parts now.
The Box
The Expansion Chassis itself is housed in a buff-colored metal
box. The front side of the box is black and is called the face
plate. On the back of the Expansion Chassis you will find some
narrow notches. These notches will allow peripheral card cables
to extend from the chassis.
1-2

C HAP'TEJi ~
JH3 T AL LATI ON
As you face the front of the Expansion Chassis you will see on
the right edge of the face plate two LED lights, one green and
one red, and a square shaped black button. The green light
indicates whether the Expansion Chassis is powered up, and the
red light indicates whether the Expa nsion Chassis is selected.
The button is used to sel e ct and deselect the Expansion Chassis.
Remove the top cover of the Expansion Chassis. The Expansion
Chassis' cover is removed in much the same way as the Apple's.
Lift the back edge of the cover at the middle until the rear
fastener pops apart. Then slide the cover backward until it
comes free.
CAUTION
Make sure you are not wearing or holding any
metal, such as a ring or a paper clip, on your
hands during the installation procedure! If
the metal touches parts of the power supply
you could get a shock.
The Mother Board
Because the Expansion Chassis is now empty, you have a perfect
opportunity to examine the mother board in detail. Following is
a labelled diagram of the Expansion Chassis mother board.
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1-3
••

-
CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Notice the twin cylinders near the left edge of the Chassis.
These are capacitors. Directly to the left of the cylinders is a
clear glass fuse. In front and to the right of the cylinders is
a short, round, black transformer with wires extending from it to
the mother board. The components in this area of the mother board
comprise the power supply. Do not touch anything in this area
(unless you are replacing the fuse) even when the power is off,
or you may get an electrical shock.
NOTE
If the Expansion Chassis power supply is over-
loaded, the fuse will blow. Replace it with a
BUSS MDX 1-1/2 amp. fuse, which you can get at
an electronics, hardware or autoparts store.
Detailed instructions on identifying and re-
placing a blown fuse can be found in Appendix
B
-- Trouble Shooting.
Along the back edge of the Expansion Chassis are eight peripheral
card slots, numbered from 0 to 7. These slots behave almost
exactly like peripheral slots in the Apple.
In the left rear corner of the mother board is a 50 pin "male"
connector labelled "J1". Notice the white "1" at the lower right
edge of the connector and the "25" at its upper right edge. This
is where the 50 pin ribbon cable will be attached.
The Interrace Card
The Expansion Chassis Interface Card (Figure 2) plugs into one of the
I/0 slots.
1-4

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Figure 2
The E
The Int
xpans· erface c
periphe 1on Chassi ard
edge ral cards s Interfac
su • There are • Not ice that .e Card is d.
rface of the also severa "~ t has a 50 7 ffe rent fr
~~ ugged in to component s .dl Jumpers" d . p>n co nne c to om most
1 rough "PP4" ~ne of each 1 : of the card1stributed ac r on one
ocated at th 1n additio o the sock • Two pin ju ross the
e top of th n a eight . et sets lab mpers are
e card. un1t switch elled "PP1"
pack (SW1) .
1S
1-5

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Interface Card Jumper and Switch Positioning
The following paragraphs describe the Expansion Chassis features
that are controlled by Jumper/Socket sets PP1 through PP4 and
switch pack SW1.
PP1
Jumper/Socket Set PP1 (Figure 2) allows the user to select
(or deselect) any of up to four Expansion Chassis, via soft-
ware. It selects the software data pattern that will enable
the Expansion Chassis associated with this interface card.
For example, if the jumper is placed in socket FE then a
write of "FE" to location C020-C02F will activate the Expan-
sion Chassis (writing an unused pattern, or a pattern for
another chassis will turn this chassis off).
NOTE
Jumper/Socket set PP4 can disable this software
select feature.
The setting of the PP1 jumper is important if you will be
using more than one Expansion Chassis in a single system.
PP2
CAUTION
Only one chassis may be accessed (via
software) at a time. If two Expansion Chassis
have the PP1 jumper in the same socket then
the system will try to access two sets of
peripherals in the same I/0 slots.
The PP2 Jumper/Socket set selects whether the Apple or the
Expansion Chassis has access to the C800 through CFFF Apple
memory
locations. The "A" position locks the C800 space to
the Apple. The "M" position dedicates it to the Expansion
Chassis. The "P" position allows the c8oo space to be used
by the software selected user.
PP3
The PP3 Jumper/Socket set determines whether the Apple or the
Expansion Chassis will be selected after the Apple RESET key
has been pressed. The "P" position allows the Apple to be
selected during power-up only, the Expansion Chassis will be
selected if the RESET key is pressed. The "R" jumper
position selects the Apple for power-up and RESET.
1- 6

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
PP4
The PP4 Jumper/Socket set enables or disabes the PP1 fun-
ction. The "E" position allows the user to write to the C020
through C02F space (cassette memory locations) to enable or
disable the Expansion Chassis. The "D" position will disable
all writes to the C020 through C02F locations. Only the
Expansion Chassis switch will change the state of the chassis.
SW1
Switch pack SW1 contains eight switches, one for each I/0
slot in the Expansion Chassis. The slots associated with each
switch are as follows:
1 = Slot 0
3 = Slot 2
5 =
Slot 4
1 = Slot 6
2 =
Slot 1
4 =
Slot 3
6 = Slot 5
8 = Slot 1
If a switch is ON it locks the selected Device Select-I/O
Select slot address ranges to the Apple. For example, if
SW1-2 is placed in the ON position, then I/0 slot 1 in the
Apple is always enabled and the Expansion Chassis slot 1 is
disabled. Regardless of which unit is selected.
The 50 Pin Ribbon Cable
The large 50 pin ribbon cable that came with your Expansion
Chassis is for attaching the Chassis to the Expansion Chassis
Interface Card. This cable has two 50 pin "female" connectors,
one on each end, which will plug into the 50 pin connectors in
the Expansion Chassis and on the Expansion Chassis Interface
Card.
It doesn't matter which end of the 50 pin ribbon cable is plugged
into the Expansion Chassis and which into the Expansion Chassis
Interface Card. However, the connectors -on the cable must be
oriented in a particular way. Each pin and socket in each
connector is assigned a number from 1 to 50. It is important to
plug the connectors in so that pin number 1 is plugged into
socket number 1. If the connectors are plugged in the wrong way,
neither your Apple or the Expansion Chassis will be damaged, but
the Expansion Chas~is will not work.
The
connectors on the ribbon cable each have a white triangle in
one corner, which points to socket 1. The colored stripe along
one edge of the cable is on the same edge as socket number 1.
These
markings will help you orient the cable correctly.
As indicated earlier, labels indicating pins 1 and 25 are located
next to the 50 pin connector inside the Expansion Chassis. The
50 pin connector on the back edge of the Expansion Chassis
Interface Card has no such labels, but pin 1 is in the bottom
corner (next to the gold plated peripheral slot connectors.)
1-7

.-
CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION '
First plug the ribbon cable into the Expansion Chassis Interface
Card (refer to Figure 3) so that socket 1 on the cable corres-
ponds to pin 1 on the Expansion Chassis Interface Card. The red
stripe and the white triangle should be at the bottom edge of the
card. Now plug the other end of the ribbon cable to the connec-
tor inside the Expansion Chassis so that pin 1 in the Chassis is
plugged into socket 1 on the cable. The white triangle should be
lined up with the pin 1 label next to the connector. Check that
the red stripe is toward you as you face the front of the Chassis.
Check the connections on both the Expansion Chassis Interface
Card and the Expansion Chassis to make sure the connectors are
firmly attached. The following illustration shows the correct
arrangement of the Expansion Chassis, 50 pin ribbon cable, and
Expansion Chassis Interface Card.
39731
Figure 3 50
Pin Ribbon Cable Installed
The Small 16 Pin Ribbon Cable
One end of the 16 pin ribbon cable will plug into the IC socket
labelled "J2" on the Expansion Chassis Interface Card, and the
other end of the cable will plug into an IC socket in the Apple's
mother board. As with the 50 pin ribbon cable, it is important
that pin 1 on the cable correspond to pin 1 on the IC socket.
1-8

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
The connectors on each end of the 16 pin ribbon cable are marked
at pin 1 to make installation easier. The particular mark on the
c onnectors will vary, depending on the cable you have.
Connectors will be marked with either a dot, arrow, or a small
notch.
To locate pin 1 on the J2 socket, lay the Interface Card so that
the component side is facing up and the Mountain Computer label
is right side up. When the Interface Card is oriented this way,
pin 1 on the J2 socket is in the lower left corner.
Now plug the 16 pin connector into the J2 socket so that the mark
indicating pin 1 corresponds to pin 1 on the J2 socket. Check
that the connector is firmly seated in the socket and that none
of the pins are bent. The next section will tell you how to plug
the 16 pin connector into the Apple.
Installing the Inter~ace Card
The Expansion Chassis Interface Card can be plugged into any
Apple slot including slot #0 if you are not using the Apple
Language System. If you are using the Apple Language System, the
Language Card must be plugged into the Apple's slot #0, and the
Expansion Chassis Interface Card plugged into another Apple slot.
Because Pascal is a slot-dependant language there are limitations
on its use in conjunction with the Expansion Chassis. For now,
use slot #7 for your Expansion Chassis Interface Card if you are
using Pascal. (The Pascal slot issue will be discussed in detail
in the section called "If You Are Using Pascal ••• " later in this
chapter.) If you are not using Pascal, any Apple peripheral
slot, including slot #0, will work equa l ly well.
Plugging Into the Apple
It is easier to install the Expansion Chassis Interface Card if
you temporarily remove all other peripheral cards from the Apple.
CAUTION
Make sure your Apple is turned OFF before you
remove
or insert anything! Or you may damage the
the Apple and/or the Interface card.
1- 9

-
CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Plug the Expansion Chassis Interface Card into the slot you have
chosen. Arrange the large 50-pin ribbon cable so that it passes
through the opening with the built-in strain relief on the rear
of the Apple's case. Make sure the card is seated firmly and is
plugged all the way in the slot. If the card is not properly
plugged in, your Apple may be damaged when you turn the power on.
To complete installation of the Expansion Chassis Interface Card
you
must remove an IC from the Apple's mother board and plug the
Expansion Chassis Interface Card's small ribbon cable into the
empty socket. The IC you must remove is the third one from the
right in row F, immediately to the right of the large IC labelled
"ROM D0
11
• (Look along the left edge of the Apple's mother board
for the letter labels for each row.) This IC is number F12. The
following photographs (Figure 4) show the IC's position in the
Apple.
Figure 5 IC Removal
Notice the small notch on the edge of the IC that is closest to
the keyboard. If you ever wish to replace this IC, you must plug
it in so that the notch is toward the keyboard.
Gently remove the IC by sliding the edges of the IC puller (or
your fingernails) under it, as shown in the photograph above, and
slowly pulling straight up. Be careful not to bend the pins on
the IC. When the IC has been removed, label it, and store it
away in a safe place. If you ever wish reconfigure your system
without the Expansion Chassis, you will need to replace this IC.
One
edge of the 16 pin connector on the free end of the small
ribbon cable is marked with a notch or a dot. Carefully plug the
connector into the vacant socket so that, as you face the Apple
keyboard, the marked edge is toward the front. If there are
other peripheral cards plugged into your Apple, thread the ribbon
cable under them.
1-10

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
When the cable has been plugged in, inspect the socket to make
sure no pins a re sticking out. (That's what happens if you try
to force bent pins!) If pins are sticking out, remove the
connector, carefully straighten the pins, and repeat the plugging
in procedure. Following is an illustration of a correctly
installed Expansion Chassis Interface Card.
Figure 5 Correctly Installed Interface Card
Attaching the Power Transformer
The black box with two cords extending from its opposite ends is
a power transformer. One of the cords has a socket that will
plug into the Expansion Chassis. The other cord plugs into an
ordinary wall outlet.
NOTE
DO NOT plug the power transformer into the
wall yet! Plugging the power transformer into
the wall is one of the very last steps, and
for good reason.
On the back edge of the Expansion Chassis is a plug that the
power transformer socket will attach to. Plug the power
transformer connector cord into the E-xpansion Chassis. If you
have trouble plugging it in, it may be backwards. If so, turn it
around and try again.
1- 11

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
Installing Other Peripheral Cards
Now you are ready to install your other peripheral cards. With
15 slots available, you can configure your system in a variety of
ways. You will find that you have the same slot freedom in the
Expansion Chassis that you have with the Apple. That is, you can
plug peripheral cards into any slot you wish except slot #0,
which has limitations. Slot #0 in the Expansion Chassis has the
same limitations as Apple's slot #0.
If You Are Using Pascal ••••
Pascal, as implemented on the Apple II, is a slot-dependant
language. This means that Pascal expects certain peripheral
slots to contain only certain types of peripherals. For example,
with the Pascal System slot #1 can only contain a printer or
other similar output device.
The Last Steps
If you have followed all the directions in this chapter so far,
you are now ready to complete the last installation steps. These
steps are the same no matter what system configuration you are
using.
Replace the Expansion Chassis top cover •. Slide the cover into
place and press on the rear corners until the fasteners snap
together. The remaining step is to plug the Expansion Chassis
power transformer into a grounded electrical outlet. If you are
using more than one Expansion Chassis make sure each power
transformer is plugged in.
Multiple Expansion Chassis
Each Expansion Chassis must be connected to an Expansion Chassis
Interface Card, which must be plugged into an Apple. You can't
use one Expansion Chassis Interface Card for more than one
Expansion Chassis. You cannot plug an Expansion Chassis Inter-
face Card into an Expansion Chassis, the Chassis will not work.
If you are using more than one Expansion Chassis with one Apple,
you will need to reset the PP1 jumpers on the Expansion Chassis
Interface Cards for every additional Chassis you install. By
setting the PP1 jumpers you can determine exactly which data bit
will select which Chassis.
1-1 2

CHAPTER 1
INSTALLATION
The PP1 Jumper
If you examine the PP1 jumper socket closely (Figure 2), you will
see that it is divided into four possible jumper positions. Each
position represents a different setting, and each setting is
labelled with a silk screened hexadecimal number at the bottom
of the socket.
You must change the PP1 jumper settings so that each Expansion
Chassis uses a different one. We recommend that you use the
following settings for your Chassis.
o first Chassis FE
o second Chassis FD
o third Chassis FB
o fourth Chassis F7
The PP1 jumpers are all set at position F7 at the factory. One
Expansion Chassis can be left at this setting, but the others
must be changed.
To change the PP1 jumper setting, you must move the 2 pin jumper
to a different position. Carefully remove the jumper by pul ling
it straight out of the connector (DON'T BEND THE PINS). Plug it
into the position you have chosen. Change the PP 1 jumper set-
tings for each additional Expansion Chassis, using a different
setting each time.
Multiple Interface Cards
Now you are ready to plug the Expansion Chassis Interface Cards
into the Apple. One Expansion Chassis Interface Card should be
installed exactly as described in the section that appears
earlier in this chapter, called "Plugging In". The other
Expansion Chassis Interface Cards are a little simpler to
install.
Additional Expansion Chassis Interface Cards don't require the 16
pin ribbon cable. (When installing them, omit the steps in which
you attach the ribbon cable to the Expansion Chassis Interface
Card and plug the ribbon cable into the Apple's mother board.)
Simply plug these Interface Cards into the peripheral slot you
have chosen.
1- 13