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Osborne Executive Reference Guide 1983

From RetroTechCollection

The Osborne Executive Reference Guide is Osborne Computer Corporation's reference volume for the Osborne Executive, part number 3F00186-00, copyright 1983, Hayward, California. The scan has 545 PDF pages and no text layer.

Its introduction describes it as a summary that supplements the other Osborne Executive Guides: a command list for each supplied program, the error messages for those programs, and technical information and system specifications for the computer.

Contents

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From the contents pages, with printed page numbers:

  • Introduction, vii
  • WordStar, 1: getting started, block operations, cursor motion, deletions, file manipulation, find functions, print-control characters and DOT commands, MailMerge DOT commands 67, conditional expressions 80, WordStar default values 83
  • SuperCalc: cursor movement, function keys, data entry, commands, built-in functions, worksheets, security, SDI (SuperData Interchange)
  • CP/M Plus: how formats are described, CP/M Plus commands
  • CBASIC and MBASIC: statements, functions, compiler directives
  • System specifications, 423: standard hardware and software 424, main processor board 425, display 425, controls and disk drives 426, diskette capacity, size, weight and power 427, environment, safety, certifications and memory organisation 428, memory layout 429, memory priority 431, character generation and memory-mapped video 435, port selection 440, serial RS-232 pinouts 441, the IEEE-488/Centronics interface 442, the Centronics interface 445, the keyboard 446, console commands 447, direct screen manipulation 452, configurable tables and pointers 453, interrupt processing 457
  • Error messages, 459: ROM informational and error messages 460, CP/M Plus, WordStar, utilities, SuperCalc 503, CBASIC 512, MBASIC 525
  • Appendix A, ASCII and hexadecimal conversions, 533

System specifications

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The specification section (printed pages 425 to 428, PDF pages 433 to 436) is the source for the Executive's published figures: a 4 MHz Z80A; 124K of bank-switched RAM, 4K video RAM, 4K video-attribute RAM, 8K EPROM, 4K character-font RAM and 2K scratchpad RAM; RAM cycle time 200 ns and ROM 300 ns; a Z80A SIO/2 with two DB-25 serial ports at 50 to 9600 baud; a 6821 PIA for IEEE-488, configurable as a Centronics port; a 7-inch amber 80 × 24 display; a 69-key keyboard; two half-height double-density drives; 20.5 × 9 × 13 inches; 28.5 lb (37 lb shipping); and 110/220 V AC, 50/60 Hz, 55 W maximum. The disk controller is given as a 1797; Osborne's main logic board schematic shows a 1793.

The safety list names a cooling fan, a three-wire earthed plug, three primary-circuit protection points, a switchable fuse on the AC panel, a thermal cut-off that opens above 150 °F inside the case, and a supply that shuts off under overload. A machine that switches itself off when warm should have its fan and the thermal cut-off checked before the supply is condemned.

The memory section describes nine banks: 0, 7 and 8 reserved for the system, bank 1 for user programs, and banks 2 to 6 not implemented.

What this guide does not contain

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  • No parts list, component values, designators or schematics. The text refers the reader to an Executive Technical Manual for more hardware detail; that manual is not held here.
  • No disassembly or fault-finding. For those see the Osborne Field Service Manual, chapters 8 and 9.
  • No text layer.

Pages that cite this document

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Download: Osborne ExecutiveRef 1983.pdf

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