Nabu 50212101 User manual

ii-
NaBu
PERSONAL
COMPUTER
USER'S
GUIDE

Proprietary Rights Notice:
All
rights reserved by NABU Manufacturing Corporation. This
material
con-
tains the
valuable
properties and trade secrets
of
NABU
Manufacturing Cor-
poration, embodying substantial
creative
efforts
and
confidential
informa-
tion, ideas and expressions. No part of this NABU
Personal
Computer
User's Guide may be
reproduced,
translated or transmitted in any form or
by
any
means, electronic, mechanical, or otherwise,
including
photocopy-
ing
and
recording, without the permission in writing from NABU
Manufactur-
ing Corporation.
Disclaimer:
NABU
Manufacturing Corporation makes no
representation or
warranty,
express
or
implied
with respect
to this
publication or the programs or infor-
mation
described
in this publication, their quality, merchantability,
or
fitness
for any particular purpose, or their adequacy to produce
any particular
result. In no event shall°NABU
Manufacturing Corporation,
its employees,
contractors,
or
the authors
of
this
publication
be liable
for
specific,
direct,
indirect or
consequential
damages.
Order
Number:
50212101
Edition
History:
First
Edition: November, 1982
Second
Edition: September,
1983
Copyright
©
1983 NABU Manufacturing Corporation.
THE
NABU
NETWORK ®
is a
trade
mark of NABU Manufacturing
Corpora-
tion.

NABU
Personal Computer User's Guide
Contents
TABLE
OF
CONTENTS
Introduction
1
Unpacking Your
NABU
Personal
Computer
4
A
Quick
Tour Of Your Nabu Personal Computer
7
Making
The Right Connections
10
Number
One
17
Number
Two
19
Number
Three
21
Getting To Know Your Keyboard
23
Getting
Started
30
Using Your
NABU
Personal Computer
32
If Something
Goes
Wrong
44
How
Does This Cable
Work,
Anyway?
46
A
Computer
That Grows
With
You
49
Quality Features
In Your
NABU PC
51
NABU PC
Technical
Specifications
53
NABU
Adaptor Technical
Specifications
56
Glossary
57
50212101•E2

NABU Personal Computer User's Guide Introduction
INTRODUCTION
With your purchase
of
a NABU
Personal Computer
you have
just
become
part
of
a unique
system,
so simple that the whole
family can enjoy using
it,
and
so
powerful
that it encourages
all
kinds
of
applications
at home and
in
business. It is unique because
it
combines
your computer with
your local
cable
TV network. In
this way, you
and your family gain
economical
access
to and use
of
a
virtually limitless storehouse of games, business and educa-
tional programs, and
informational
services.
Relax
With
Your
NABU Personal
Computer
50212101•E2
I;
I;1:jlJ

Introduction NABU
Personal
Computer
User's Guide
About
This
Guide
We
have
prepared
this book
to
help
you
get the most
fun
and
full value from
the
system. In it, you
will
find
everything you need to
know about your
com-
puter to get it
working with
the cable
network.
You
will
also
learn
what you
can
do to expand
your
computer's
capabilities, and thus
your own, even
further.
After this
introductory section, we'll tell
you
how
to
identify
things
when
you've
taken them out of
the
box that
they
came
in,
and
how
to
connect
them
properly. (For
those who can't
wait, turn
to
the
section on UNPACK-
ING
YOUR
NABU
PERSONAL COMPUTER and
then
to the
section on
MAKING
THE RIGHT
CONNECTIONS.)
Following that, you
will learn
what
to
look for
and
what
to do
from
the time
you start up
your
NABU PC
until
it
tells
you it's ready to start
work for
you. (The NABU PC is the
short form
used
in this
manual for
the NABU
Personal Computer.)
Then comes
the
part
you've
been waiting
for - how
to use
your computer!
No
prior knowledge
of
computers is needed.
A
keyboard
explanation comes
first.
Then
you
learn how
to find
out
what's
available
on
Cable and
how
to
get it
into
your computer
(load it).
Just
in
case a
connector
comes loose,
or the
TV
cable
system is
disrupted,
there is a
section
in
this
book for diagnosing
problems and
doing something
about them.
After
you have
grown
comfortable
with
your computer,
played
games
to
your heart's content and sampled the
many services offered by
your
cable
company,
we
think you're
going
to become curious
about what makes
this
combination of computer
and Cable
work
the way
that it does, and what
else you
can
do
with it.
So we've included a
brief section on
the
theory of
operation,
and
another on expansion possibilities.
Finally, for the more
technically
minded, there is a
section which
lists the
special
features and
the technical specifications
of
the NABU PC and Adap-
tor,
and
another with a
glossary
of
terms.
Though
we have tried to avoid
unnecessary
computer jargon,
there are some
industry words that are
so
apt
they
are
rapidly becoming .
part
of our normal
language. We
think
you
will want to understand and use
them.
Some
of
these
terms are
explained
in
the
boxed
-in
descriptions that
appear throughout
this guide.
Instant
Help
Sticker
You
should have received a HOTLINE
number sticker when
you subscribed
to
THE NABU
NETWORK.
This
sticker
contains numbers that you
will
need
to set up and use
your
NABU PC
with THE
NABU
NETWORK.
We
suggest
that you
attach
the
sticker
to the side
of your
NABU PC, so
that
the numbers
2
50212101-E2

NABU Personal Computer
User's Guide
Introduction
are always available
when
you need them. The numbers
included
on
the
sticker
are:
A HOTLINE number
where you
can call
for assistance if
you
have dif-
ficulty with your
NABU
Personal Computer.
A CHANNEL SWITCH
SETTING which tells you which
channel
to set
your TV to before using the NABU Personal Computer.
A CHANNEL CODE which
you must
enter when
you first
start
up
your
NABU
Personal Computer
and
after any
time you lose
power
to
the
Adaptor.
We
will explain
the use
of
these
numbers again later
in
this
book.
50212101-E2
3

Unpacking
Your NABU PC
NABU
Personal
Computer User's Guide
UNPACKING
YOUR
NABU
PERSONAL
COMPUTER
The
box
and
packing material that
your
NABU PC
comes
in
have
been
designed to give
your computer
maximum protection during shipping
and
handling. Everything
fits
snugly.
DO
NOT TURN THE
BOX UPSIDE DOWN
AND
ATTEMPT
TO SHAKE THE PARTS LOOSE.
Remove the
inner box
before
lifting out
the keyboard.
This
inner box con-
tains a games
controller
and the cables to
connect the
computer.
(You may
have
received
your
games
controller in
a separate package.)
As
you
remove the pieces
from both
boxes,
identify which
is
which
by
comparing
them with
the picture
that
follows.
The NABU PC
Box
Contents
This is
what
you should find
in
the
box
labelled NABU
PERSONAL COM-
PUTER:
NABU
PERSONAL COMPUTER
USER'S GUIDE (You're reading it
now!)
Your
NABU
Personal Computer.
One keyboard.
One short cable,
with
a
circular
single
-prong
plug
at each
end.
One
long
cable,
with
a circular six -pin
plug
at each
end.
- One games
controller
(may have been
provided
separately).
4
50212101-E2

NABU
Personal
Computer User's Guide
Unpacking Your NABU
PC
The
Contents of
the
NABU PC
Box
The Adaptor
Box
Contents
You
will also have
received
a slightly smaller box. It
contains some
other
parts that
will
be needed
for your system.
These are:
One
Adaptor with power
cord.
One cable
approximately
one
meter
(three
feet) long, with a circular
single -prong plug
on each
end.
- One cable
approximately
one
meter
(three
feet) long, with
a
circular
five
-pin
plug
on each end.
Of
course, to
complete
your system
you
will
use
your own TV set
and the
cable that
now
connects
it to the cable TV outlet.
The
Contents
of the Adaptor
Box
50212101-E2
5 f'n?n

Unpacking
Your
NABU PC NABU
Personal Computer User's Guide
Cable
TV
and
Cables
Incidentally, to avoid
confusion
in talking about cable
TV
and
inter-
connecting cables,
from now on
we
will refer
to the "cable"
in cable
TV,
when
used by
itself, with
a
capital
C (Cable); to the
interconnect-
ing
lines as
just
cables
(with
a
small
C);
and to the
power
lines as
power
cords, (instead
of
wires
or
strings
or thingamajigs!).
(fir] 6
50212101-E2

NABU
Personal Computer User's Guide A Quick Tour
A
QUICK TOUR OF
YOUR
NABU PERSONAL COMPUTER
Take a moment now to examine the major parts of
the
NABU
Personal
Computer system.
The NABU Personal Computer
Let's
call
the large
unit,
labelled NABU
PERSONAL
COMPUTER,
"computer" for
short. It's the
central brain
where
all
the
calculations,
gen-
eration of
pictures and
text, and control of the
other
parts
of
the
system
are
carried
out.
There are some
switches and lights
on
the front
panel that
you
will learn
more
about in the sections
on
GETTING
STARTED
and
IF
SOMETHING GOES WRONG.
The Computer
The
rear of the
computer has:
-
Four
ports
or openings
which will
take
additional circuit
cards
for
expansion of
your
computer.
-
Seven
connector sockets. You
will
be
using the sockets
labelled
ADAPTOR,
KEYBOARD, AUDIO
OUT, VIDEO
OUT,
CABLE OUT,
and
CABLE
IN
to
connect up the basic
computer system as described
in
the
next
section
of
this
book.
- A
CHANNEL 3-4
switch
which
is set to the
output
channel
used by
your
converter, if
you
have a
converter.
50212101-E2
7
1;11:?1I

A
Quick Tour
NABU
Personal
Computer User's Guide
The
Keyboard
The
keyboard has:
A
main
set
of keys that includes
all of
the
standard
typewriter set plus
some
special function keys
which
you
will learn about
in
the
section
on using your NABU PC.
A keypad
containing eight
special
function
keys
which are used to
move the
cursor and the display
on
the
screen, or
to
reply to questions
from the
computer.
A
key legend
across the top above the
main keyset.
This
describes the
special
functions
of
the top
row of
keys
when
they are pressed while
the
SYM
key
is held
down.
Three sockets
on
the
rear
panel.
Two
of these are
for connecting
up
to two games controllers.
The third
socket is
for
the
long
cable
that
connects the keyboard to
the
computer.
The
Keyboard
The
Games
Controllers
In addition
to the games controller
included
with
your
NABU PC,
you
can
purchase
an
additional
games controller
to go
with your
NABU
PC. You
use
games
controllers
mostly
to play the games, but
you
can
also use
the
games
controllers, as
well
as the keyboard, to
tell
the
computer which
pro-
grams you want it to
load
from
the
Cable.
A typical
games controller
has
one
or
two
fire
(or firing)
buttons,
and a
joystick
that
moves
in
eight
direc-
tions.
Either
firing button of
the
two
-button
type can
be used
with
the
instructions
given in
this
book.
8
50212101-E2

NABU Personal
Computer
User's Guide A Quick Tour
A Typical
Games
Controller
The Adaptor
The
Adaptor
is a
rectangular box,
the same size as
your NABU
PC,
with
four
lights
on the front and connections
for
a
power
cord and three cables
on
the
rear. It is a
vital part of your system. It selects
the
right computer
programs
for
you and
constantly
watches
for what
is
being put on
Cable.
For
this
reason, it
should
always be left plugged
in
and
on. BUT DON'T
PLUG
IT IN YET!
50212101-E2
9
i:'.'.n

Making Connections
NABU
Personal
Computer User's Guide
MAKING THE RIGHT
CONNECTIONS
Now
that you've identified everything that
came
with your NABU PC, you
are ready to
connect them all together
into a
working system.
This is
what
you
should
have:
- The NABU PC
with
keyboard, games
controller
and
two cables
(ev-
erything from
the large
box).
-
The
Adaptor with power
cord and two cables
(everything from
the
smaller box).
Your TV
set
(or
video
monitor). Your
NABU PC
will work with any
television set
designed
for North American
use,
including color
and
black
and white.
Of
course, the
later your model,
the
better the
picture
quality. Also, you
will
enjoy the
full
benefits
of
the NABU PC graphics
with
a
color TV.
A converter (only if
you already have one).
A converter
is a device
that
lets you receive
far
more
TV
stations
on
Cable
than the standard 12
VHF channels that you see on your TV set. The
converter
may be
pur-
chased
or
rented as a separate unit,
or
it may have
been built
into
your
TV set.
-
The
cable that now leads from your cable
TV
outlet to
your TV or con-
verter.
Arranging Your System
Before you start to
connect anything,
you should
consider how
you
want
everything
to be arranged
when
you are finished. The
illustration
shows a
typical arrangement. However,
you may choose a
different one, as
long
as
you
observe a
few
precautions.
10
50212101-E2

NABU
Personal Computer User's
Guide Making Connections
A Typical
Arrangement
1.
Place
the
parts close
enough
to suit the
length of
the interconnecting
cables
you
must
use.
If it
helps
your particular
arrangement,
you
can
interchange the cables that
have
identical
plugs.
For
example,
the
cables that are used
between
the Adaptor and the converter
and
betw-
een CABLE OUT on the NABU
PC and the
TV
set have
identical
plugs.
2. Avoid
putting heavy
objects,
such
as your TV set, on
top
of
the
com-
puter or Adaptor. The
Adaptor
may be placed
on
top
of
the
computer,
but do not place the
computer on
top
of
the
Adaptor.
3. Leave
enough room
around the NABU
Adaptor
and the NABU PC to
let
air flow freely under, in front of,
beside and behind
both
units.
50212101-E2
11
FT

Making
Connections NABU Personal Computer User's Guide
One other precaution!
If any of
the components such as the
screen
become smudged
or
dusty, they may be
wiped
gently with
a
damp (NOT WET)
cloth.
Never
use solvents
or
waxes. Never
use a
wet cloth, as
water drip-
ping
inside a unit
could
severely
damage
it.
Your
NABU
Personal Computer
is rugged, but like
any
sophisticated
electronic device,
it can break down if
handled
carelessly.
Please
don't drop it, step
on
it, get it wet
or
otherwise abuse it. It depends
on
you
for protection!
Which
Connections
to Use
There are three
different
ways to connect the parts
of your
computer
sys-
tem. Which
you
must use
depends
on
your
present
TV
set.
If
you have a standard
TV without
a
converter,
refer
to
the
illustration
and
directions
under
the
heading NUMBER ONE to connect the right cables to
the right sockets.
If
you
have a "cable -ready"
TV (with
the
converter
built into the
TV
set),
refer
to the same
illustration
and directions
under
the
heading
NUMBER
ONE.
If
you have a standard
TV which
uses a separate
converter with or without
a separate Pay
-TV descrambler, refer
to the
illustration and directions
under
the
heading NUMBER
TWO. (The
converter
and Pay
-TV
units may
be
physically
separate
or
they may be combined
in
one
unit.)
If
you
have component
or
modular TV (with a separate
"TV tuner"), refer
to the
illustration
and directions
under
the
heading NUMBER THREE.
Be
careful
that you
match
the correct
plug
with the correct socket. Checking
the shape
and matching the number of
pins and holes should
help
decide
which
goes
with which.
There are
four types
of
sockets and plugs: type
-F,
5
-pin DIN,
6
-pin DIN,
and
type
-D.
(Refer
to
Connector
Types.)
You
shouldn't
have to use more
than
a
firm push
to get the right plug
and
socket together. After
the type
-F
connectors
are
joined,
turn
the threaded
nut
clockwise
until
they are pulled
snugly together.
12
50212101-E2

NABU
Personal
Computer User's
Guide
Making
Connections
Type
-F
5 -pin
DIN
6 -pin DIN
Type
-D
Connector
Types
Refer to
the large illustrations
of
the
rear
panels
of
the NABU PC, the Adap-
tor and
the keyboard
for
the
location of
the sockets
labelled
in
the
intercon-
nection instructions.
Also
shown
are
typical
connections found on the
backs
of
most
TV
sets. The circled number on each
cable
in
the connection
dia-
grams refers to the
number of
the step in
the instructions.
You may also connect a video
monitor
to the
configurations
in NUMBER
ONE
and
NUMBER
TWO.
If
you have
both
a
monitor
and a
TV
set
connec-
ted to
your
NABU PC, you
will
be able to
watch TV
and
work
with the com-
puter.
50212101-E2
13

Making
Connections
NABU
Personal
Computer
User's Guide
~L
PERSONAL
COMPUTER
C
2
Connections
on
Rear
Panels
14
'1
50212101-E2

NABU Personal
Computer User's Guide
Making Connections
u~r~F
E
Keyboard
Rear
Panel
CABLE
f
VHF O
UHF
TRANSFORMER
CONNECT CABLE
HERE
Typical
TV
Connections
r
50212101-E2
15

Making Connections NABU
Personal Computer User's Guide
ADAPTOR
I
41+
D
COMPUTER
r
Connections
for Standard
TV With
No
Converter or for
Cable -Ready TV With Built
-In
Converter (Number One)
16
50217101-E2