Specifications

3 - 6

3.4 USING A PARALLEL PRINTER

No special configuration is required when using the system with a Centronics type parallel printer.

Simply refer to the parallel printer as the DOS "LPT1" or "LPT2" device (depending on how the

port is jumpered -- see note below), and be sure the parallel printer port is enabled, using SETUP.

Most application software uses LPT1 as the default printer port, so printing to the parallel printer

interface is automatic if the port is jumpered that way.

For example, the following DOS commands will result in printing to the parallel printer:

A>COPY CONFIG.SYS LPT1<Enter> . . . prints contents of CONFIG.SYS

A>DIR >LPT1<Enter> . . . prints the directory

In addition, the <PrtSc> ("Print Screen") key will print the contents of the video screen to the

LPT1 device. Also, the "Printer Echo" function can be used to cause all characters written to the

console to also be written to the LPT1 device. The Printer Echo function is enabled with <Ctrl-P>.

Printer Echo remains enabled until another <Ctrl-P> is entered.

Note

The "LPTn" (n=1,2) designation is a "logical" value, not a

"physical" value. During the system boot sequence, the ROM-

BIOS scans both parallel printer addresses, and installs the

first parallel printer it locates as the LPT1 device, and the

second, if found, as LPT2. Therefore, simply changing the

port's address and interrupt jumpers on the Little Board/286

will not change it from LPT1 to LPT2; there must be an LPT1

device elsewhere in the system to be able to change the

onboard printer port to LPT2

3.5 USING THE SERIAL PORTS

This section discusses several uses of the board's two RS232C serial ports, and provides some

examples of typical installations.

3.5.1 Serial Port Initialization

In general, before the board's serial ports can be used, they must be properly enabled and

initialized. This is sometimes done directly by the application program which will access the

port's hardware, but is usually done as part of the system configuration and boot process.

Each serial port must be enabled, for their hardware functions to be available. The board's ROM-

BIOS enables or disables each of the two ports based on a parameter within the board's

Configuration Memory. You can enable or disable either serial port using the SETUP utility. Note

that the effect of changing a port's enable/disable function using SETUP does not take effect until

you reboot the system.