DECpc 320P General Maintenance
Routine care, memory and configuration for the DECpc 320P. No DEC manual for the 320P is online; the procedures below are from GRiD's user guide for the GRiD 1755, the same design, whose number appears on the 320P's rating label.[1][2] The battery pack has its own page: DECpc 320P Battery Replacement.
Care
editGRiD's care advice for the 1755:[3]
- Keep the computer and diskettes dry; wipe off any liquid at once.
- Avoid drops, which can damage the circuit boards, display and case.
- Use and store it at normal temperatures. GRiD specifies 4–38 °C (40–100 °F) operating and −40 to 66 °C storage, up to 80% humidity.[4]
- Keep dust and dirt out.
- Clean the case with a damp cloth. Do not use harsh chemicals, solvents or strong detergents.
Display
editAdjust the screen with the CONTRAST control on the right of the display and the three-position BRIGHTNESS switch.[5] Backlight brightness affects battery life.[6] Fn+F7 turns the display off and on, and Fn+F2 switches between the built-in panel and an external VGA monitor.[7]
Adding memory
editThe 1755 takes 2 MB on the board and a RAM module in a compartment under the computer, for 4 MB or 8 MB in total.[4] GRiD's procedure:[8]
- Turn off Resume in Setup, then switch the computer off.
- Remove the cover from the bottom of the computer and the two screws in the compartment.
- Fit the module with the letter B facing up, pushing it into the slot until it snaps in, with its oval slot over the pin. Refit the two screws.
- Refit the cover and switch on, then press RESET.
- Run the Set1755 setup program so that the computer recognises the memory.
GRiD warns to use only the specified modules and not to let objects such as paper clips fall into the compartment, where they can short the board.[8]
Setup and power management
editThe Set1755 setup program sets the drives, video, Max Contrast, colour map, Resume and the power-saving timeouts.[9]
| Setting | Effect |
|---|---|
| Management | Runs the processor slower when there is no keyboard or disk activity. Turn it off to run at a fixed 10 MHz or 20 MHz |
| Resume | Turns the Resume feature on or off |
| Suspend Mode | Minutes of inactivity before the machine enters Resume; needs Resume on |
| Standby Mode | Minutes of inactivity before the display and hard disk turn off; any key wakes it |
| Display | Minutes of keyboard inactivity before the display turns off |
| Hard Drive | Minutes of disk inactivity before the disk spins down: 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16, or 00 to stay on |
[9] The Management, Suspend, Standby, Display and Hard Drive settings have no effect while the machine runs on AC power.[9]
Related pages
editReferences
edit- ↑ GRiD Systems Corporation, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, 1991 (File:GRiD 1755 User Guide.pdf). Catalogued on archive.org as covering the GRiD 1755, DECpc 320p and Tandy 3820HD.
- ↑ Maynard Historical Society Archives, "DECpc 320p Notebook Portable Computer", item 2023.52, rating label photograph, collection.maynardhistory.org.
- ↑ GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, p. 133, "Computer Care".
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, p. 135, "Specifications".
- ↑ GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, p. 13, "Starting Your Computer". Contrast control and brightness switch.
- ↑ GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, p. 12. Battery life and backlight.
- ↑ GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, pp. 36 to 37, "Special Key Combinations".
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, pp. 27 to 28, "Adding an Internal RAM Module".
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 GRiD, GRiD 1755 Users Guide, pp. 30 to 34, "Parameter Defaults and Descriptions".