QL 3222
Chapter 9 - Hardware Reference

QL 3222 Specifications

Communication Processor

Communications Memory Support

Communications Video Support

Communications Ports

Other Input/Output (per processor)

Network Characteristics

Standards Support and Third Party Applications

Utilities

Communications Processor Characteristics

Power

Environmental

Warranty

QL 3222 I/O Connections

Connection of the I/O on the QL workstations varies with the enclosure in which the board is installed. The headers and connectors on the QL Series board should be connected to the device indicated for the appropriate enclosure in Table 9 - 1.

Table 9 - 1
QL 3222 I/O Connections

Table 9 - 2
QL 3222 Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse Connectors

QL 4222 Specifications

Communication Processor

Communications Memory Support

Communications Video Support

Communications Ports

Other Input/Output (per processor)

Network Characteristics

Standards Support and Third Party Applications

Utilities

Communications Processor Characteristics

Power

Environmental

Warranty

QL 4222 I/O Connections

Connection of the I/O on the QL workstations varies with the enclosure in which the board is installed. The headers and connectors on the QL Series board should be connected to the device indicated for the appropriate enclosure in Table 9 - 3.

Table 9 - 3
QL 4222 I/O Connections

Table 9 - 4
QL 4222 Monitor, Keyboard & Mouse Connectors

Optional Connectors

In addition to the connectors available from the end bracket of the QL board, additional connectors may be installed for the QL workstations.

Because each QL board contains two complete workstations, and due to the limited space on the end bracket of an AT-style board, Cubix makes these optional connectors available by providing the signals required for each connector via a header on the top of the board. Cubix also supplies breakout kits which convert the signals on these headers to standard connectors. Each breakout kit contains an adapter board with the standard connector on one end and a connector on the other end which attaches via a cable to the header on the QL board. Figure 9 - 3 illustrates the concept of adding optional parallel printer port connectors (LPT ports) to both workstations on a QL Series board. The available breakout kits include:

• LPT1 Breakout Kit - Adds one parallel printer connector (DB-25) to a QL workstation. Two kits are required per board to add LPT1 to each QL workstation on the board (refer to Figure 9 - 3).
• Monitor, Keyboard, and Mouse Breakout Kit - A single adapter board contains the standard connectors required to attach a monitor, keyboard, and mouse to a QL workstation. Two kits are required per board to add support for these devices to each QL workstation on the board.
• COM2 Breakout Kit - Adds one serial connector (DB-9) to a QL workstation. Two kits are required per board to add COM2 to each QL workstation on the board.
• 3.5" IDE Adapter and Cable Kit - Enables 3.5" IDE hard drive support (2.5" mini drive support is integrated in the QL products and requires no breakout kit) on a QL workstation. Each kit converts one 2.5" drive header into a 3.5" drive connector. Two kits are required per board to add 3.5" drive support to each QL workstation on the board.

If there are empty slots in the system containing the QL boards, the standard connector on the adapter board may be installed in the end bracket space for this slot. A bracket is provided for this purpose.

If no slots are available and the QL board is installed in a Cubix subsystem, the standard connector on the adapter board may be installed using an auxiliary junction panel as described in the subsystem documentation.

Regardless of where the adapter board will be located, the installation procedures are the same. Refer to Figures 9 - 1 and 9 - 2 to determine the location of the header required to connect any desired optional connectors. Then follow the optional connector installation instructions in the next section.

Installation Instructions

Warning!!
Turn off power to the system before beginning this procedure.

1. Install the Cubix adapter in a panel opening in the system (this may be in an empty slot or in an auxiliary junction panel as previously explained). If the adapter is to be installed in an empty slot, install the bracket provided with the breakout kit next to the QL processor it is to service and tighten the screw firmly. Alternatively, if the adapter is to be installed in an auxiliary junction panel, the bracket provided with the breakout kit is not needed. Unscrew the adapter board from the bracket and install the adapter into the desired panel opening.
2. Connect one end of each cable provided in the breakout kit to the appropriate header on the QL board (refer to Figure 9 - 1 and Figure 9 - 2 for header locations). The pin-one side of each ribbon cable is marked with a colored stripe. Pin one on the QL board is on the left side of the header when the edge connector is down (refer to Figure 9 - 3). Align the pin-one side of the cable with pin one on the header.

Table 9-5
Optional Connector Headers

3. Connect the other end of each cable to the appropriate connector on the adapter board. Pin one on the adapter board is labeled with a triangular arrowhead (_) on the header connector. Align the pin-one side of the cable with pin one of the adapter.
4. Connect the cable of each peripheral device being attached to the QL workstation to the appropriate connector on the adapter board.

Connectors and Cables

Parallel Port Connectors

This header requires a optional I/O adapter from Cubix. Attempting to connect a device directly to this connector will damage the board.

Serial Port Connector

Table 9-8
COM1 and Optional COM2 DB-9 Connectors

Serial Port Cables

Each QL workstation is equipped with a standard PC/AT-type COM1 port accessible via a DB-9 male connector on the end bracket of the board. Typically this port is connected to a DB-9 or DB-25 port on a modem. The cables required for this type of connection are illustrated in Figures 9 - 4 and 9 - 5 and may be acquired from Cubix.

IDE Hard Disk Drive Connector

Figure 9-9
IDE Interface Connector (44 pin header)

Floppy Drive Connector (QL 4222 Only)

Figure 9-10
Floppy Drive Interface Connector (34 pin header)

Line Busy Cable

Optional Hard Disk Drive

An IDE hard drive interface is included on the QL board for applications that require a hard disk drive. IDE drives include an AT compatible disk controller. The hard disk controller uses IRQ 14 for its interrupt. The IDE interface will support one or two 2.5" IDE mini drives, connected via the internal 44-pin ribbon cable. Cubix also provides an optional 44-pin to 40-pin plus power connector kit to enable use of 3.5" IDE drives.

Installing an IDE hard drive requires modifying the BIOS Setup. Refer to the BIOS Setup section later in this chapter.

Note: A QL with a hard disk drive configured but not attached will experience a significant increase in boot time due to disk access timeouts.

Mini Drive (2.5") Installation

Attach one end of the cable to the disk drive(s) and the other end directly to the IDE header on the top of the QL board. In addition to the standard disk data signals, power is also provided to the mini drives via this header. There are two IDE headers (J1 and J2), one for each QL workstation on the board (refer to Figures 9 - 1 and 9 - 2 for header locations).

3.5" Drive Installation

To support 3.5" IDE hard disk drives, a 3.5" Adapter and Cable Kit must be installed as explained in the Optional Connectors section of this chapter. This kit converts the 44-pin header on the QL to a 40-pin connector on the adapter board. The 3.5" IDE drive then attaches to the 40-pin header on the adapter board. Power must be provided to the 3.5" drive from a separate power source. No power is provided via the adapter board connector.

Operating System Installation

The hard drive must be configured with an operating system. Instructions for installing DOS and OS/2 are provided in the following sections.

DOS

Cubix configures DOS formatted disk drives for the QL Series products with all of the files necessary for the QL processor to boot as a NetWare workstation.

Only the QL 4222 member of the QL Series of products supports a floppy disk drive. If it is necessary to install a hard disk drive that has not been configured by Cubix onto a model of QL other than the QL 4222, the lack of a floppy interface necessitates that one of the following methods for configuring the hard drive for local boot be employed. Note that before configuring the drive it must first be formatted as a bootable DOS disk.

• Connect the IDE drive to the QL board as previously explained. Then refer to the Installation chapter to perform a remote boot of the QL workstation. Once the QL workstation is communicating with the network, copy the necessary Cubix files from the designated server to the hard drive. These files are located in the SYS:CUBIX/QLx000/HDDRV directory and should be renamed as they are transferred to the hard drive as indicated in the QL Files chapter. Reboot the QL processor, and verify it functions as a NetWare workstation.
• Attach the IDE drive to a NetWare workstation equipped with an IDE interface. Copy the necessary Cubix files from the designated server to the hard drive. These files are located in the SYS:CUBIX/QLx000/HDDRV directory and should be renamed as they are transferred to the hard drive as indicated in the QL Files chapter. Disconnect the drive, and connect it to the QL board as previously explained. Boot the QL processor, and verify that it functions as a NetWare workstation.

OS/2

Cubix configures OS/2 formatted disk drives for the QL Series products with all of the files necessary for the QL processor to boot as a NetWare workstation. If it is necessary to install a disk drive that has not been configured by Cubix, follow the instructions below..

To install the Cubix QL OS/2 ODI Workstation Drivers and Cubix OS/2 Mouse Driver on a hard drive, the following is needed:

1. IDE hard disk with the OS/2 operating system v2.0 or higher already installed.
2. Novell NetWare Workstation for OS/2 Installation Utility Diskettes v2.01 or higher (labeled WSOS2_1 and WSOS2_2).
3. Cubix QL Series Installation Diskette v3.0 or higher.
4. If the hard drive is for a QL 4222, connect a floppy drive to the QL as described later in this chapter. Otherwise, a workstation with an IDE controller and a floppy diskette drive is required to perform the hard drive installation.

Procedure

1. Attach the IDE drive being configured to the workstation with the floppy drive, and boot OS/2 from the IDE drive.

Note: If the hard drive is for a QL 4222, this instruction refers to the QL workstation.

2. Open an OS/2 session (Window or Full Screen).
3. Insert the Novell NetWare Workstation for OS/2 Installation Utility Diskette (labeled WSOS2_1) into the floppy drive.
4. From the OS/2 session command line (this usually appears as a "C:\" prompt), type:

A:INSTALL

5. This will start Novell's Workstation for OS/2 Installation utility. When the "NetWare Workstation for OS/2 Installation Utility" window is displayed, select Installation. From the next menu select Requester on workstation.
6. When the "Set Target Directory" window comes up, it should have the following information:

Target: C:\NETWARE

Source: A

If the IDE drive being configured is installed as drive C: and the OS/2 Installation Utility Diskette is in drive A:, select OK. Otherwise, correct the drive information.

7. When the "Requester Installation" window is displayed, select: Edit CONFIG.SYS and Copy All files. Then select OK.
8. When the "Step 1 - Choose the ODI LAN Driver" window is displayed, type:

QL4_OS2.SYS if the drive is to be connected to a QL 4001, or QL3_OS2.SYS if the drive is to be connected to a QL 3222

Then select Continue.

9. Next, when the "Step 2 - Choose NetWare Support for DOS and Windows" window is displayed, select:

IPX Support for DOS and Windows ON

Also select:

Global NetWare Shell Support

Then select Continue.

10. When the "Step 3 - Choose Optional Protocols" window is displayed, select Save.
11. When the "Save Changes to CONFIG.SYS" window is displayed, it should have the following information:

Save file as C:\CONFIG.SYS

If this information is correct, select OK.

12. The "Copy ODI LAN Driver Files" window will appear with the following information:

Default ODI LAN Driver: QL4_OS2.SYS (or QL3_OS2.SYS)

Select Copy only the default driver. Then select OK.

13. The prompt "... the diskette labeled WSDRV_1 or a diskette containing third-party ODI drivers" will be displayed. Place the Cubix QL Series Installation Diskette v3.0 or higher into the floppy drive and select OK.
14. Next, the "Copy Requester Files" window will appear, containing the following information:

Requester will copy files to C:\NETWARE

If this information is correct, select Copy.

15. The prompt "... insert the diskette labeled WSOS2_1 in A" will be displayed. Insert the diskette labeled WSOS2_1 into A: and select OK.
16. The prompt "... insert the diskette labeled WSOS2_2 in A" will be displayed. Insert the diskette labeled WSOS2_2 into A: and select OK.
17. When all the files have been decompressed and copied to the hard drive, the NetWare window titled "NetWare Workstation for OS/2 Installation Utility" will appear. Close this window, the Workstation for OS/2 installation is complete.
18. After closing the Workstation for OS/2 window, the OS/2 session will appear at the command prompt (C:\). Place the Cubix QL Series Installation Diskette v3.0 or higher into the A: drive. If the drive is to be connected to a QL 4001, type

copy a:net.ql4 net.cfg

If the drive is to be connected to a QL 3222, type

copy a:net.ql3 net.cfg

19. Next, the Cubix Mouse driver for OS/2 should be installed. The Cubix QL Series Installation Diskette v3.0 or higher must still be in the floppy drive. From the OS/2 session command line prompt (C:\), type:

copy a:cbxmouse.sys os2

This will copy the file to the C:\OS2\ subdirectory.

20. Next, the CONFIG.SYS file must be modified. From the OS/2 command line prompt (C:\), type:

e config.sys

This will invoke the OS/2 text editor.

21. In the text editor window containing the CONFIG.SYS file, scroll down to the line:

device=c:\mouse.sys

Replace this line with the following line:

device=c:\os2\cbxmouse.sys

22. Save the modified CONFIG.SYS file. Now specify the file Type. Select OS/2 Command File. After the file has been saved, exit the text editor (by closing it) and return to the OS/2 session command line prompt.
23. The installation of the Cubix QL OS/2 Workstation Driver and Cubix OS/2 Mouse Driver is now complete. The Cubix OS/2 files should appear on the hard drive as follows:

C:\NETWARE\QL4_OS2.SYS (or QL3_OS2.SYS)

C:\OS2\CBXMOUSE.SYS

C:\NET.CFG

Type Exit to close the OS/2 session. Shut down the OS/2 operating system (this can be done by either clicking the right mouse button while pointing to the grey background space and then selecting Shut Down, or, if a mouse is not available, press <CTRL>\ followed by <CTRL> F10 and select Shut Down).

Verification

After installation of the Cubix QL OS/2 driver, the hard drive will only boot when attached to the QL processor. If the hard drive is not already connected to the QL processor, connect it at this time. Note that this requires placing the drive in the NetWare server or router that contains the QL The server or router must have Cubix QL Series Software v5.00 or higher installed to support these OS/2 Workstation drivers.

To verify correct installation of the driver, boot the QL board with the hard disk attached by loading the QL server driver on the device where the board is located. If the OS/2 operating system comes up completely (to the Presentation Manager Desktop) without any errors, the driver is installed correctly.

To verify correct installation of the Cubix OS/2 Mouse Driver, boot the QL board with the OS/2 hard drive attached and no mouse connected. If the QL processors displays a mouse pointer on the screen, the mouse driver is installed correctly.

Optional Floppy Disk Drive

A floppy drive interface is included on the QL 4222 board to support installation of applications from a floppy disk onto the local QL 4222 hard disk drive. The floppy interface will support up to two 3.5" or 5.25" drives, connected via a standard 34-pin ribbon cable. One end of the cable attaches to the disk drive(s) and the other end connects directly to the floppy drive header on the top of the QL 4222 board. There are two floppy drive headers (J16 and J17), one for each QL workstation on the board (refer to Figure 9 - 2 for header locations). The floppy disk controller uses IRQ 6 and DMA channel 2.

Installing a floppy disk drive requires modifying the BIOS Setup. Refer to the BIOS Setup section later in this chapter. Since the QL 4222 has no battery to maintain the CMOS configuration, the BIOS must be reconfigured every time power is cycled to the QL board if floppy drive support is desired.

Notice! The QL4222 may boot from a floppy disk only if a hard disk drive is also connected to the QL workstation.

Floppy disk drive support is not available on the QL 3222.

Note: A QL with a floppy disk drive configured but not attached will experience a significant increase in boot time due to disk access timeouts.

BIOS Setup

The QL products have an American Megatrends, Inc. (AMI) system BIOS setup and hard disk setup embedded in EPROM for each processor on the board. This BIOS has been configured specifically for the QL. It is recommended that no changes be made to the BIOS setup configuration except to add disk drive support.

Changes to the BIOS setup configuration are stored in CMOS memory that is not battery powered. Therefore the QL BIOS will return to its original state upon power failure. However, special support for the optional QL hard disk drive has been incorporated to preserve the hard disk drive configuration through loss of power. No support to maintain the floppy disk drive configuration through a power fail is included.

Modifying the Configuration

A monitor and keyboard must be directly connected to the QL to modify the BIOS configuration. To invoke the BIOS setup utility:

• On a QL 3222, boot the QL and press <DEL> as instructed on the screen.
• On a QL 4222, boot the QL and press <DEL> immediately after the American Megatrends sign-on message is displayed.

Once in setup, select:

STANDARD CMOS SETUP

by pressing <ENTER>.

The disk configuration will be displayed.

 

Hard Drive Configuration

On a QL 3222, use the arrow keys to position the cursor on the Hard disk C: type field. On a QL 4222, select the Master Disk. Use the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys to select the desired disk drive type (Table 9 - 11 lists these options), or automatically configure the disk drive parameters as follows:

• On a QL 3222, select Auto Detect Hard Disk from the main setup screen.
• On a QL 4222, press the <TAB> key and then select Detect Master from the main setup screen.

Floppy Drive Configuration

Floppy drive support is incorporated only on the QL 4222. Use the arrow keys to select Floppy Drive A: or Floppy Drive B:. Use the <PgUp> and <PgDn> keys to select the correct floppy type (i.e. 1.2 Mbyte 5.25", 1.44 Mbyte 3.5", etc.).

Saving the Configuration

After completing the disk drive configuration, press <ESC>. Select:

WRITE TO CMOS AND EXIT

from the menu. The QL will reboot with the new BIOS configuration.

Notice!

When configuring disk drive support on QL workstations, be aware of the following:

• A QL with a hard or floppy drive configured but not attached will experience a significant increase in boot time due to disk access timeouts.
• Although a floppy drive may be configured on a QL 4222 workstaion, the floppy drive support is intended for installation purposes only. The BIOS configuration of a floppy disk drive will not be maintained through a power fail.

Table 9 - 11
Hard Disk Configuration

To configure a disk drive that does not have the settings specified in types 1-46, select type 47. Then enter the appropriate values for the number of Cylinders, Heads, WPcom, LZone, and Sectors.

Local Boot Process

The QL interfaces with the IDE drive at system boot as follows:

1. The QL checks for the existence of a C: drive. If one is found, the QL checks for a D: drive. If no C: drive is found, the QL will not attempt to locate a D: drive.

2. The CMOS disk drive configuration is verified. If it is not correct, the QL updates the CMOS configuration and reboots.

3. The user is given the option to boot from a network drive. If the user does not respond after two seconds, the QL boots from the local drive. If an A: drive is present and a floppy disk is installed, the QL will attempt to boot from the floppy disk. Otherwise, the QL will attempt to boot from a B: drive if a disk is present. If neither an A: nor a B: drive is configured with a floppy disk installed, the QL will boot from the C: drive.

Messages

Do you want to boot from the network? (Y/N)

This message is displayed when at least one hard drive exists and all hard drives have already been set up correctly. The user has 2 seconds to respond to the question. If the user does not respond, "NO" is assumed. Answering "NO" will cause the QL to boot from a local drive. Answering "YES" will cause the QL to boot from an image file on the network.

setting up xxxx

This message occurs when the QL finds a drive that has not been configured. The "xxxx" refers to the model number string found and generally provides the manufacturer and model number of the drive. The message informs the user that a drive was found and that it is being initialized.

rebooting. . .

This message occurs after the drive(s) have been configured by the QL. The QL must be rebooted to allow the new drive parameters to take effect. This message informs the user that the QL is about to reboot. The message is displayed for 2 seconds.

no C: drive present

This message occurs when the QL does not detect any attached IDE hard drives. The QL will attempt to perform a remote boot from an image file on a file server.

Notes

• Since landing zone information is not known, the CMOS landing zone parameter for type 47 (user-defined) drives is set to 1 less than the maximum number of cylinders.
• Since write pre-compensation information is not known, the CMOS write pre-compensation parameter for type 47 (user-defined) drives is always FFFFh, which disables write-precompensation.

Line Busy

The purpose of the line busy feature is to force a phone line connected to a QL workstation to appear busy until the QL is ready to answer a call. This prevents an incoming call from ringing a line that will not answer. The line busy feature should be used in conjunction with the feature to reset a QL processor on loss of DCD/DSR described in Chapter 2. When a dial-in session terminates (i.e. the user hangs up), DCD and/or DSR will drop and the QL will reset. The line busy feature is invoked as the workstation reboots, keeping the line busy until the communication application on the QL initializes.

Rotary PBX Systems

Typically a rotary system is connected to multiple QL workstations so that an incoming call will rotate through the lines searching for the first line not in use. This line will then ring. If the modem connected to this line is initializing, or if the QL workstation connected to this modem is booting, the line might never be answered. The line busy feature eliminates this condition by forcing the line to appear busy until the modem and the QL workstation are ready to answer an incoming call. Since the line is busy, the rotary system continues on to the next available line.

Operation

If the reset on loss of DCD/DSR option is enabled, the QL will experience a hardware reset when a dial-in session terminates. The QL workstations assert DTR false on a hardware reset operation. The line busy circuit uses the DTR signal from the QL workstation's COM1 port to determine whether or not the workstation is ready for a call. If DTR is false, the line busy circuit creates an off-hook condition on the telephone line. When DTR is asserted true, the line busy circuit will terminate the off-hook condition, and the QL workstation will respond to an incoming call. It is the responsibility of the communications application running on the workstation to assert the DTR signal true.

Installation Instructions

Note: Before enabling the line busy feature, verify that the reset on loss of DCD/DSR feature is configured as explained in the Installation chapter.

1. Connect the PBX modular telephone cable to the "Line" input of the modem.
2. To enable the line busy feature on Processor A, connect a modular telephone cable from the modem's "Phone" jack to the top RJ-11 connector on the QL (J11) as illustrated in Figure 9 - 7. If the modem phone jack is not available, a "T" modular jack may be used as shown in Figure 9 - 8. When viewing the QL board from the front with the edge connector down, the top RJ-11 connector is for Processor A and the bottom RJ-11 connector is for Processor B (refer to Figures 9 - 7 and 9 - 8).
3. Using an additional modem and cable, repeat step 2 to enable the line busy feature on Processor B, this time connecting the cable from the modem's "Phone" jack to the bottom connector of J11.

Troubleshooting

If the line busy circuit does not cause the line to appear busy when the QL workstation is ready to accept an incoming call, check the cable connections.

The center two pins of the RJ-11, tip and ring, should measure approximately 48 volts DC under on-hook conditions. When the line busy circuit has asserted an off-hook condition, the tip-ring voltage should be approximately 8 volts DC. Refer to Figure 9 - 6 in the Connectors and Cables section of this chapter to locate tip and ring.

If the line busy circuit is not asserting off-hook, check the state of the DTR signal. DTR is false when it is -6 volts with respect to ground. DTR is true when it is +6 volts with respect to ground. DTR can be measured on either end of the cable connecting COM1 to the modem. On a DB-9 connector, DTR is on pin 4 and ground is on pin 5; on a DB-25 connector, DTR is on pin 20 and ground is on pin 7.

If DTR is not changing as expected, check the Cubix processor's COM1 port hardware. Verify the COM1 port configuration in the communication application software.

If DTR is changing properly and the telephone line is not changing from 48 volts to 8 volts, contact Cubix Customer Service for assistance.

Memory

The QL Series boards are equipped with a minimum of 4 Mbytes per processor. The memory is provided in one 72-pin by 36-bit standard 70ns SIMM module per processor. These SIMMs are defined in Table 9 - 12. Refer to Figures 9 - 1 and 9 - 2 to determine SIMM locations.

Table 9-12
SIMM Definitions

Memory Map

The default QL memory configuration is 640 Kbytes of conventional memory and 256 Kbytes of Expanded (EMS) Memory, with all memory above 1 Mbyte configured as extended (XMS) memory. All memory above 1 Mbyte can be configured as Expanded or Extended memory.

The areas of memory labeled as "Available" may be used by a memory manager to increase the amount of conventional memory available for applications.

The maps illustrated assumes a VGA or EGA configuration. If the application software to be run on the QL processor does not require VGA/EGA, additional memory becomes available as follows:

CGA: Uses B8000 to BFFFF.

A0000 to B7FFF is available.

Mono: Uses B0000 to B7FFF.

A0000 to AFFFF and B8000 to BFFFF are available.

Note: Be careful in assigning video memory for use by memory managers. If a VGA application is run on a QL processor which has reassigned video memory, that processor will fail.

QL I/O Map

Interrupt Channels

DMA Channels

QL 3222

No DMA channels are used by the QL 3222.

QL 4222

DMA channel 2 is used by the floppy disk controller on the QL 4222.

Diagnostic LEDs

Two green LEDs are located on the end bracket of the QL board above the Line Busy connectors (when the edge connector is pointing down). The top LED indicates the status of Processor A and the bottom LED indicates the status of Processor B.

Each LED is illuminated while the corresponding processor is in reset. After the processor boots, the LED will be turned on during data transfers between the QL workstation and the server or router in which the board is installed.

This document, and all Web contents, Copyright © 1997 by Cubix Corp., Carson City, NV, USA.