************************************************ PhoenixBIOS Version 4.04.1 P1000 Series Plug and Play BIOS v1.2 10 Aug 1995 README.TXT file ************************************************ README.TXT File's Table of Contents: ==================================== -Warning Notice -Viewing of this File -Information Prior to Upgrade Process -Installation Instructions WARNING NOTICE: =============== PLEASE DO NOT LOAD THIS BIOS UNLESS YOU HAVE BEEN INSTRUCTED TO DO SO BY A REPRESENTATIVE OF TADPOLE TECHNOLOGY OR AN AUTHORIZED RESELLER FOR TADPOLE TECHNOLOGY. VIEWING OF THIS FILE: ===================== To provide better viewing of this file, use Windows Notepad with Word Wrap. To do this go to the Edit menu, select (or checkmark) the Word Wrap option. INFORMATION PRIOR TO UPGRADE PROCESS: ===================================== 1) The scan code generated by the |\ key on the internal keyboard is changed for ompatability with non-Microsoft OSes. This allows useful characters such as, a pipe symbol, to be typed under Solaris. 2) There is a new BIOS setting which when enabled causes the Cirrus PCMCIA controller to be configured to look as much like an Intel PCIC as possible. In the BIOS Setup, there is a new option under menu item 'Advanced', then submenu 'PCI Devices'. The option is titled 'PCMCIA PCIC compatibility'. When enabled, the PCMCIA controller will be preconfigured to appear at I/O address 3E0, and various timing registers initialized. Under OS/2, enabling PCIC compatibility allows PCMCIA to work as long as the cards are present at boot time. If a card is removed, it disappears for good and will not be re-enabled if re-inserted. The only way to get it back is to reboot. IBM Modem and Ethernet cards have been successfully tried in this way. The other way in which this feature can be used is to allow "point enabler" PCMCIA drivers to work under DOS. A point enabler is a driver which is used in place of running Socket and Card Services and configures the PCMCIA controller to a known state for use by a particular card driver. There are a couple of known instances where customers have wanted to do this, but have been unable because the Cirrus Logic 6729 PCMCIA controller chip is not strictly PCIC compatible. 3) The BIOS should report all non-shareable system resources used by the motherboard, so that they cannot be assigned to add-in devices and thereby cause a resource conflict. The Super I/O device's configuration ports are currently not reported by the BIOS - these are ports 0x398 and 0x399. If a device were to be added to the system that used these ports, a conflict would occur, possibly leading to system malfunction. The type of device most likely to cause the problem is an ISA Super I/O card. Video cards, soundblasters, network cards, etc, should not generally cause any problem. If this device conflict occurs, do the following: DOS/Windows 3.x: -Use Intel's ISA Configuration Utility (ICU) to add an card that uses ports 0398 and 0399. This (non-existent) card will effectively lock these ports. Windows 95: -Use device manager to reserve I/O ports 0398 and 0399. Other OSes: -Users need to be aware that ports 398/399 are not available for use by add-in cards. As far as I know, all other PC OS require a manual approach to ISA card configuration. 4) If using DOS' or Windows' EMM386.EXE, make sure to remove any inclusion (I=...)statments that include the following range: E000-F4FF. This statement is found in your CONFIG.SYS file and must be removed before the BIOS upgrade. 5) The Status of the case-closed microswitch is now ignored when the system is docked. If you set the unit to power off when lid is shut, it would not boot correctly when docked. 6) A new option has been added in the BIOS setup which changes the way the Scroll Lock/Num Lock key functions. It allows you to switch the action between Scroll Lock, with Shift for Num Lock, and just Num Lock. This was added because NextStep uses the Num Lock key in its reboot hotkey sequence, and it doesn't work if you have to hold down Shift to get Num Lock. 7) The PCMC configuration has been changed to match that of BIOS 1.1. This eliminateds one of the differences between the two BIOSes. INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS: ========================== A) Take a floppy disk and make it bootable (system disk). To do this, from a DOS prompt type: FORMAT /S A: B) Download the contents of this directory to the bootable floppy disk. C) Use PKUNZIP to uncompress the 121upq.zip file. The syntax for PKUNZIP is generally: PKUNZIP A:\121upq.zip A:\ Answer 'Y' or 'Yes' to any questions regarding existing files being overwritten on the floppy disk, including COMMAND.COM. D) Ensure the P1000 Series notebook is connected to a DC power source. E) Boot the P1000 Series notebook from this floppy. F) Make sure to select the correct display type. Your system display type should be listed on the logo just to the left of the Internal TFT screen (i.e. P1000, P1000G, P1300, etc.) G) The rest of the upgrade will happen automatically and takes approximately a minute or so. H) Completely power off the system and then power on again. A "BIOS Checksum mismatch" (or similiar) error message might appear, this is not a problem. I) Press to go into the BIOS Setup. *WINDOWS 95 USERS: Choose the 'Advanced' menu, and then 'PCI Devices'. Set the 'PCMCIA PCIC compatibility' to 'Enabled'. Press . Set 'Plug and Play' to 'YES'. Set 'Reset Configuration Data' to 'YES'. *WINDOWS NT & OS/2 WARP USERS: Choose the 'Advanced' menu, and then 'PCI Devices'. Set the 'PCMCIA PCIC compatibility' to 'Enabled'. Set 'Reset Configuration Data' to 'YES'. If your system has more than 64MB of RAM, set the 'BIOS Memory Size Reporting' to 'Extended'. *DOS & ALL OTHER OPERATING SYSTEM USERS: Choose the 'Exit' menu and select 'Get Deafult Values' J) If not already there, then go to the 'Exit' menu, and select 'Save Changes & Exit'. J) The P1000 will continue to boot with the new BIOS. K) To avoid possible operating system difficulties with Windows 95 and Windows NT 3.51, please reinstall the operating system after the 1.2 BIOS has been installed on the system. Applications are not affected and do not need to reinstalled. Please contact Tadpole Technical Support if any difficulties arise from this procedure.