Acer Extensa 510 Maintenance Manual

							2.5.4Installing External VGA Monitor
The notebook is capable of driving both its internal LCD display and an
external VGA monitor (LCD only, simultaneous, or VGA only). The external
monitor connector pinouts and connector locations are shown in Figure 2-8.
To install an external monitor with the notebook, use the following steps:
1. Ensure that both the notebook and the external monitor are turned 
off.
2.Locate the 15-pin female VGA port on the rear of the notebook.
3.Attach the appropriate end of the monitor cable to the VGA port on
your notebook. If the monitor cable connectors have retaining screws,
tighten them down.
4.If necessary, connect the monitor power cable to the monitor, and
plug the monitor power cable into an electrical outlet.
5.Power on the monitor, as well as any other peripheral devices 
connected to the notebook; then power up the notebook.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11, 12
13
14
15RED VIDEO
GREEN VIDEO
BLUE VIDEO
NOT USED
GROUND
RED RETURN
GREEN RETURN
BLUE RETURN
NOT USED
GROUND
NOT USED
HORIZONTAL SYNC
VERTICAL SYNC
NOT USEDOUTPUT
OUTPUT
OUTPUT
INPUT
INPUT
INPUT
OUTPUT
OUTPUT
PINSIGNAL NAMEDIRECTION
EXTERNAL VGA CONNECTOR PINOUTS
12
3 4
5
789106
11 12 13 14 15
Figure 2-8   External Monitor Port Pinouts
       
Installation 2-9 
						

							2.5.5Installing External Microphone
An external microphone can be attached to the notebook using the leftmost
audio connector (when viewed from the rear of the notebook). When the
external microphone is installed and the unit powered up, the internal
microphone is disabled.
2.5.6 Installing External Audio Input Devices
The middle audio jack on the rear of the notebook allows you to connect an
external sound source (e.g. tape player, radio, etc. ) to the notebook.
2.5.7 Installing External Audio Output Devices
 The rightmost audio jack (when viewed from the rear of the notebook)
provides an audio line output cable of driving external headphones,
speakers or an external amplifier.
2.6Installing the AC Power Adapter
Use the following procedures to connect the AC Adapter to the system:
cCaution: Use only the AC Adapter supplied with the computer; other
adapters can damage the unit.
1.  Remove the AC adapter from the packaging. Connect the round coaxial
connector supplied with the notebook to the power receptacle on the
rear of the notebook as shown in Figure 2-9.
2.Connect the female side of the AC Power cord to the AC Adapter and
connect the male end to a grounded AC outlet
. 
AC Adapter
AC Power 
(120VAC to 230 VAC,
50 to 60 Hz)
Figure 2-9   AC Adapter Installation
     
2-10 
Installation 
						

							2.7Initial System Checkout 
After you’ve installed all internal options and external cabling, you’re ready
for system checkout and software configuration.
To check out the system, set the power switch on the notebook to the On (I
)
position which initiates the notebook self test. During self test execution,
the computer checks the operation of all key hardware including memory
and CPU (and displays copyright and version number data during test
execution).
Upon successful conclusion of self test, the computer automatically loads its
operating system and Windows environment. If self test fails to complete
and an error message is displayed, try powering down the computer for a
couple of minutes and turning power back on to repeat self test. If the error
message persists, refer to Section 6 for troubleshooting information.
2.8 Configuring the System
The first time you power up the notebook, it automatically runs the Setup
Program which prompts you for country name and printer type. You will exit
Windows and the notebook begins unzipping files and preparing the
software for use.
2.9 Making Backups of System Software
The Notebook is preloaded with Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups
operating system software. Prior to extended use of the notebook, create a
backup set of diskettes containing the system software for use in the event
you have to rebuild the software system ( you can restore your system using
the Restore Utility and a set of backup diskettes).
2.10Loading Application Software
For assistance in loading Application Software, refer to Chapter 5 in the
Extensa Series Notebook Computer User’s Reference Manual.
       
Installation 2-11 
						

							3
Operating Instructions
3.1Introduction
The first two subsections describe the Extensa 51x Series Notebook
operating controls and indicators. The remainder of this section contains a
summary of computer operations related to notebook maintenance
including how to restore system software.
n
Note: 
 For additional operating instructions, refer to the Extensa Series
Notebook Computer Users Guide.
3.2Notebook Controls and Indicators
The Extensa Series Notebooks are equipped with the following controls and
indicators:
·Group of five LEDs just above the keyboard (Sleep Mode, Hard Drive
Activity, Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock)
·Power, Setup, and Standby/Suspend buttons adjacent to the status
LEDs
·Power LED and Charge LED indicators on the left rear corner of the
notebook
·Touchpad and two select buttons at base of keyboard
·Combination key sequences on keyboard to control brightness, contrast
and volume (refer to Paragraph 3.3.3).
These controls and indicators are shown in Figure 3-1 and described in
greater detail in the following paragraphs.
Operating Instructions 3-1 
						

							3.2.1Button Switches
The notebook contains two button switches above the keyboard including:
·Power On/Off 
Switch - Alternate action, button type switch that
controls power to the unit. Pressing the Power button causes power to
be applied to the notebook and power up self test to be run. The PWR
LED (left rear corner of notebook) glows green and the computer then
loads Windows 95. When the Power button is pressed again, the
Notebook powers down and all data in RAM memory is lost.
·Standby/Suspend 
Button Switch - an alternate action touch switch
that invokes the save to disk feature and places the unit in Standby
Mode (if previously On) or On if previously in Standby Mode.
3.2.2Cover Release Latch
The Notebook contains one Cover Release latch. To open the notebook, slide
the Release Mechanism to the right and lift up on the front edge of the
notebook cover.
Touchpad
Pointing Device
Touchpad 
 Select Buttons
Power On/Off
Button Power
LED Standby/Suspend
Button
Setup Button
Charging
LED
Status
LEDs
Scroll
 Lock
Caps
Lock
Num
Lock
Hard Drive
Activity
Sleep
Mode
Figure 3-1  Extensa Series Controls and Indicators
      
3-2 
Operating Instructions 
						

							3.2.3Touchpad Controls
The Extensa 51x Series Notebook Computers are equipped with a built-in
mouse device called the Touchpad physically located at the bottom of the
keyboard (refer to Figure 3-1).
The cursor is positioned by touching and dragging your finger in the
direction you want the cursor to go. The select functions are performed
either by tapping the touchpad or by pressing the two buttons (switches) at
the bottom of the keyboard.
You can change the operation of the pad by changing values in the mouse
section of the Windows 95 Control Panel. Once your cursor is in the proper
place and you want to select, use the left button to click or double-click just
as you would a mouse.
3.2.4Keyboard Mode LEDs
The Notebook contains three keyboard mode indicators just above the
keyboard on the left side (notebook cover open). These LEDs include: 
·CAP (Caps Lock)
 Indicator - This LED indicates that the keyboard is
locked in the Uppercase mode. To switch to the Lowercase mode, press
the Caps Lock
 key on the keyboard.
·NM (NM Lock) 
Indicator - This LED lights when you press the Fn-F7
(numbly) keys to toggle on the numeric keypad lock function. When the
LED is On, the embedded numeric keyboard keys generate AT-keypad
characters and functions when pressed in conjunction with the Fn
 key.
When the NM indicator is Off, pressing the Fn
 key with the appropriate
keys provides cursor movement, paging and other functions in the
normal mode. When the NM indicator is On, the embedded numeric
keypad becomes a temporary numeric keypad that does not require you
to press any other key.
·SCROLL (Scroll Lock) 
Indicator - This LED lights to indicate that the
keyboard is locked in the scroll mode.
3.3Operating Procedures
Some of the operating features useful for notebook maintenance are
provided in the following paragraphs. For additional operating instructions,
refer to the Extensa Series Notebook Computer User’s Manual.
3.3.1 Floppy Drive Operating Procedures
To avoid damaging the floppy drive drive, and to protect data, take the
following precautions:
·Never turn off or reset the notebook while the floppy activity indicator is
lit.
·Keep the AC adapter at least 6 inches away from your drive.
          
Operating Instructions 3-3 
						

							·Insert the floppy into the floppy drive slot with the label side up and the
metal-shutter end first. Gently push the floppy into the floppy drive slot
until the floppy clicks into place.
·To remove a floppy, press the eject button until the floppy pops out.
·Never force open the access shutter on a floppy.
·Always remove a floppy from the floppy drive before turning off the
computer.
·Never transport the computer with a floppy in the floppy drive. Doing so
can damage the drive head.
·If a floppy appears to be damaged, try to make a copy of it, and
immediately discard it.
·Keep all floppies, when not in use, in a disk storage box to protect them
from damage or loss.
3.3.2 Installing/Removing PCMCIA Options
PCMCIA cards are inserted and ejected in much the same way as diskettes:
·Type I, Type I or Type III PCMCIA options may be installed in the
compartment on the left side of the notebook.
·To insert a PCMCIA card, align the card with the socket and slide the
card into the socket until it locks into place.
·To eject a PCMCIA card, go to the Windows 95 Control Panel, select PC
Card
, and select the card to stop; then press the release button and
remove the PCMCIA option.
3.3.3Computer Hot Keys
The Extensa Series recognizes the following hot key sequences:
·Ctrl-Alt-Del (warm boot)
·Ctrl-Alt-Esc 
(Enter setup screen); to use, power up notebook and press
F8
 at Starting Windows 95 message. Select Command Prompt Only
;
then press Ctrl-Alt-Esc
.
·Fn-F2
 (in combination with Fn
 and left/right arrow
 keys)(Screen
brightness and contrast adjustments); Fn-Esc
 to get out of adjustment
routine.
·Fn-F5
 (in combination with Fn
 and left/right arrow
 keys)(Audio
volume control); Fn-Esc 
to get out of adjustment routine; Fn-F1
 for help.
      
3-4 
Operating Instructions 
						

							3.3.4 Responding to Low Battery Conditions
The computer generally will notify you when you are reaching a low battery
condition by the following actions:
·Four short beeps per minute (unless battery warning is disabled)
·The battery low warning is automatically disabled when the AC Adapter
is installed on the notebook, regardless of the charge condition of the
battery pack.
·If the AC adapter is not plugged in within three minutes of a detected
battery low condition, the notebook enters Suspend mode (if low battery
suspend is specified in setup). When the notebook enters Suspend
mode, it issues one beep, saves contents of RAM to disk and powers
down the unit.
·The Notebook returns to the normal operating mode when the power
switch is activated. The unit then recovers RAM information from the
hard drive and restores the unit to its previous On condition.
3.3.5Minimizing Power Usage
The following actions can minimize power usage and protect your work
during the critical minutes before you shut the system down or replace on
the battery packs with a fully charged pack:
·Press Ctrl-Standby
 to shut off the alarm (if its enabled)
·Save RAM Disk
 (if using RAM Disk feature)
·Press Standby/ Suspend 
button to put the computer in
Standby/Suspend mode whenever you are not actively using the
computer. This will save all your work and remember the application
and file you were previously using when you return to the On condition.
·Power down the system if you do not need the computer
3.3.6Recharging the Battery Packs
The battery pack may also be charged in the notebook as follows: 
1.Install the battery pack in your computer (if not already installed).
2.Connect the AC Adapter as described in Section 2.
3.To fully charge the battery pack, leave it charging in the Notebook 
until the Charge LED extinguishes (approximately 90 minutes).
          
Operating Instructions 3-5 
						

							3.3.7 Restoring Missing System Files
When you power up the Notebook, it automatically checks for certain key
files that must be present for normal system operation. If any of these files
are accidentally erased as indicated by error message, insert the Windows
95 Startup diskette and reboot the system. This will allow you to boot up
and troubleshoot your system.
3.3.8 Rebuilding the System Software
In the event of a hard drive replacement or system board replacement which
resulted in loss of system software, you may need to rebuild the entire
system software structure.
 The following items are required to rebuild the system software:
·Set of backup diskettes of the system software or Windows 95 Startup
diskette
·Operational Notebook
Insert the Windows 95 Startup diskette in the Notebook floppy drive and
power up the system.
n
Note:
 For additional operating procedures, refer to the Extensa Series Note-
book Computer User’s Manual.
      
3-6 
Operating Instructions 
						

							4
Theory of Operation
4.1Introduction
This section describes the notebook theory of operation.
4.2Notebook Functional Description
Functionally, the notebook computer consists of the following major
subsystems:
·Processor and Memory Subsystem
·I/O Subsystem
·Video Subsystem
·Hard Disk Subsystem
·Floppy Disk Subsystem
·PCMCIA Subsystem
·Power Subsystem
A functional block diagram of the Extensa Notebook is shown in Figure 4-1.
4.2.1Processor/Memory Subsystems
The Processor function, housed on the Main Board, is implemented with a
100 MHz Intel Pentium Processor. The processor operates in conjunction
with RAM and ROM Memory on the Memory Board and other control logic
on the Main Board to process software instructions (BIOS, Windows 95, and
Applications).
The memory subsystem, implemented on the Main Board and optional Dual
Inline Memory Modules, provides 8 MB (expandable to 40 MB) of fast DRAM
memory, 128 bytes of CMOS RAM (battery backed up) and 256 KB of Flash
ROM for system and video BIOS storage. Tables 4-1 through 4-3 contain the
Notebook I/O address map, DMA channel assignments and IRQ interrupt
level assignments respectively.
 Theory of Operation    4-1