DOS Kaypros

Change in Focus

"As a major step in achieving our goal, our product line will be significantly enhanced and diversified in 1985 by the addition of several exciting new products which mark our entry into the market for computers which can employ the software and the hardware accessories designed for I.B.M. personal computers. We are already shipping our "Kaypro 16", which has been hailed as a "superb" price/performance value by independent market analysts. We also expect to introduce a computer similar to the powerful IBM-AT computer as well as a fully-functional ten-pound notebook size computer."
(Annual Report, 1984)

Bent Vents

Notice that the "bent" vents on the various PCs that Kaypro makes are intended to represent the K in Kaypro according to David Kay.

DOS Versions used

From CPM to MS-DOS

From MS-DOS to DR-DOS

How to's

Installing 3.5 inch Floppy Drives in Kaypro PCs and 286i machines. Profiles Magazine Dec 1987 Page 92

Models

First true 8088 but not truly PC compatible

Kaypro 16

Early Laptops

Kaypro 2000

Kaypro 2000+

Kaypro 2020

Kaypro's first beige boxes

Kaypro PC/XL/EXP/Expansion Unit

Follow IBM or Compaq

Kaypro 286i

Kaypro 286

Kaypro 386

Kaypro Monitors

Kaypro Monitors

Small Machine

Kaypro Micro 1

KC line

Kaypro KC-1 (AKA MC-10)

Kaypro KC-2

Kaypro KC-3 (?AKA MC-30)

Late Laptop?

Kaypro LC15

__________________

In progress PC BIOS

Cards

Multi-function Cards

Multi-function Card Jumper settings
You will remember that a DIP switch is a break in an elctric circuit; if the switch is ON or CLOSED, the circuit is active; if it is OPEN or OFF, the circuit is inactive. When your Kaypro PC posers up or is reset, it checks the status of these circuits. The pattern of active and inactive circuits tells MS-DOS exactly what hardware is present. Jumpers function in a similar way.

A jumper is a series of two or more metal posts set close together perpendicular to the circuit board. Like a switch, each pair of posts is part of a non-active electric circuit. To make it active, the posts must be connected by slipping a small plastic and copper block, called a jumper block, over them. Jumpers are usually shipped with blocks over them, but if you need blocks, a local computer repair shop should have them.

Jumpers and DIP switches are often used when a single board can have many configurations. The multi-function board inside your Kaypro PC is a perfect example.

Different hats
The multi-function board includes a floppy disk controller and memory system, a parallel port, and a serial port. You must adjust this board when you add memory, a serial port, or a parallel port.

The mulit-function board is in the full-length slot closest to the poser supply. Note that a ribbon cable connects it to the floppy disk drives; remove this cable by gripping the top edge of the board between you thumb and forefinger. Then, while holding the board in place, gently tug on the cable at the point where it is attached to the multi-function board. Pull first on one side of the cable and then the other, until it comes free.

Remove the board from its slot by following the instructions in last month's column. Place it in front of you with the external connectors pointing to the right and the card-edge connector pointing down.

When you install new equipment, you sometimes need to change device names (in MS-DOS, printer ports are designated by the device name LPT1, LPT2, etc., while serial ports are COM1 and COM2).

Let's assume that you have installed an internal modem that insists on using COM1. You can change jumpers and switches so that the port on the multi-function board becomes COM2 instead og COM1. Let's do that.

First, at SW2, set switch 1 ON and for the parallel port (see Figures 2 and switch 2 OFF (see figure 1). Now, at the space between positions U37 and U38 you will see two vertical jumpers of three posts each; the leftmost jumper is for the serial port and the rightmost is 3). On the left jumper, place the jumper block so that the topmost and center posts are covered. This changes COM1 to COM2. You can make a similar change tot he parrallel port if you wish.
(Profiles, September 1987)

PC RAM expansion
Switch 1 should not be touched, but the following chart shows the different settings of the other switches for various RAM configurations.
(Profiles, June 1987)

Video Cards

Full-length multi-video board
This board can provide IBM-standard monochrome (MDA) and color (CGA) video. The jumper at position J3 determines which video mode is selected upon power-up; see Diagram 1. The setting of this jumper should agree with the settings of switches 2 and 3 on the processor board (see "On The Practical Side" in the August 1987 Profiles). The jumper at position J2 determines whether software is allowed to change the video mode (using VSWITCH 1.0 or MODE). Diagram 2 has these settings.
(Profiles, October 1987)

Half-length multi-video board
This board can use IBM-compatible monochrome, CGA color, Hercules monochrome graphics, and color emulation mode. Emulation mode allows you to use color graphics software on a monochrome monitor by displaying varying shades of one color. When using color emulation mode, set up DIP switches on the processor board for 80 by 25 color video, so the computer thinks you are using a color graphics adapter.

The three modes available to you on power-up are monochrome, color, and emulation. The defualt video mode is determined by the upper right corner of the board.

There are two different versions of the HLMV, each with different sets of switch settings. The early HLMVs have the words "Graphics Solution" stenciled on them (see Diagram 3 for switch settings), while later ones say "Graphics Solution Plus" (switch settings in Diagram 4).

The HLMV also offers two 132-column modes for monochrome video: 132 by 25 and 132 by 40. These modes are accessed using the program MS.COM.

Kaypro Corporation makes no promises concerning either 132-column mode. This doesn't mean they don't work, just that Kaypro hasn't tested them and won't guarentee their operation. (These modes have worked on every HLMV/monochrome monitor combination I've used.) To access these modes, your software must allow for 132-column operation.
(Profiles, October 1987)

Half-Length EGA Board
The HLEB is a specially licensed version of the EGA Wonder board by Array Technologies Incoporated. The HLEB is an IBM EGA-compatible graphics adapter. It supports all EGA video modes and comes with 256 kilobytes of memroy on the board. When the computer is powered up or reset, the HLEB displays a sign-on message that reads "ATI EGA Wonder BIOS, Version XXX." XXX is the BIOS version number for that particular card.

The HLEB can provide any standard type of video on any standard monitor. It will do EGA or CGA graphics on a monochrome monitor, for example, or EGA graphics on a CGA monitor.

HLEB has eight DIP switches that designate what type of video is used on power-up (see the charts below for the complete setting). Unlike earlier ATI boards, therre is no emulation mode per so. Rather, the first four switches tell the HLEB what type of video is desired, and the next three tell it what type of monitor you have. If the video type/monitor combination requires an emulation mode, the HLEB supplies it.

The combination of a monochrome monitor and EGA video produces stunning monochrome graphics; the resolution and gray scale provided by the HLEB create sharp, clear graphs and charts.

The HLEB can also switch video modes on the fly. If you have it configured to imitate a monochrome board, for example, and your software transmits signals for CGA or EGA, the HLEB will automatically switch into a color emulation mode. You never see the switch; you just see your computer running every program you throw at it.

The eighth DIP switch toggles this auto-switch mode. If switch 8 is ON, the HLEB provides any type of video to any type of monitor at any given time; if it's OFF, the HLEB performs like an IBM EGA board and nothing more.

Provided with the HLEB is the program SMS.COM, which allows you to switch video modes after the computer boots. You can switch from CGA to monochrome, or from monochrome to EGA -- every mode the provides is available. Additionally, SMS lets you enable the HLEB's auto-switching abilities.

This comes in handy because some computers, notably the 10 Mhz 286i and the Kaypro 386, have trouble booting when auto-switch mode is enabled. With these machines it is best to set switch 8 OFF, disabling auto-switch mode. Then, once the computer boots, you can enable auto-switching by typing SMS ENAB and pressing Enter. Put this command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file and SMS will run automatically when the computer boots.

The latest HLEBs produced by Kaypro provide a video mode for use with multiple frequency monitors such as the NEC MultiSync or the Sony Multiscan. In this mode the monitor has a resolution of 800 by 560 pixels, rather than the EGA standard 640 by 350. Check your HLEB BIOS version number; if it's 4.0 or higher, you have access to the high-resolution mode.
(Profiles, November 1987)

Notes

"The Torrington Manager Mouse distributed by Kaypro, ..."
(Profiles, November 1987)