    DATE:  11/3/87                                  NUMBER: S-0024
 SUBJECT:  EQUITY I/II PATCH PROGRAMS

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The purpose of this bulletin is to provide information on the
availability of patch programs which have been developed to overcome
some compatibility problems which may occur with a few application
programs on the Equity I and Equity II computers.

These programs are available from the Epson America Inc. Service
Department, Product Support - Systems Group on diskette.
The patch disk files (PATCH.ARC) can also be downloaded from the
Epson Product Support RBBS system and from Compuserve's Epson
Forum. They are compressed and can be uncompressed with ARC.

The Product Support RBBS system can be accessed 24 hours/day -
7 days/week by remote modem at Tel. (310) 782-4531.

Protocol: no parity, 1 stop bit, 8 data bits, 1200/14,400 Baud.

The following is a list of the files which comprise the Patch disk:


                                                             
    AUTOEXEC.BAT       HARDISK .BAS       PATCHES2.TXT     
    COMPOSIT.BAT       HERCDUMP.ASM       PATCHES3.TXT     
    COMPOSIT.MOD       HERCDUMP.COM       PSHERC  .ASM     
    EGAN-PAT.ASM       HGC     .COM       PSHERC  .COM     
    EGAN-PAT.COM       HGC     .DOC       READYPAT.ASM     
    EQRAMDVR.DOC       MATHBLAS.DOC       READYPAT.COM      
    EQRAMDVR.SYS       MODE    .COM       ROMPATCH.COM     
    FIXRPORT.ASM       MODE    .DOC       ROMPATCH.DOC     
    FIXRPORT.COM       MODEHERC.COM       VPHERC  .COM     
    FLOPPY  .BAS       MODEHERC.DOC       VPREAD  .ME      
    GOLDCARD.BAT       MUSTREAD.DOC                        
    GOLDCARD.MOD       PATCHES .TXT                        
                                                               


The disk contains patch programs and documentation (TXT and DOC)
files which are also contained in this Product Support Bulletin.

A detailed explanation of each patch program and their use is
explained on the following pages.


                                                    Page 1 of 9                      
   FOR EQUITY I:

 COMPOSIT.BAT - Modifies DU.EXE, SETUP.EXE, ARCHIVE.EXE and
                HDSIT.EXE to improve the brightness of
                messages when using a composite monitor.

 GOLDCARD.BAT - Modifies DU.EXE, SETUP.EXE, ARCHIVE.EXE,
                SETPRINT.EXE and XTREE.EXE so they will run
                with the QUADRAM Goldcard with the Keysaver
                enabled.

 EQRAMDVR.SYS - For those RAM DISK utilities which need it, an
                "empty" space disk drive is created. (See pages
                6 and 7 for instructions on installing and using
                this file.)

 ROMPATCH.COM - Equity I systems with ROM BIOS versions earlier
                than 2.20 will require this patch to increase the
                stack space in order to run certain application
                programs (Lotus 1-2-3 Version 2, for example).
                (See page 9 for instructions on installing and
                using this file.)

 READYPAT.COM - Allows screen dump to take place while Living
                Videotext's READY! is loaded.

 MATHBLAS.COM - Allows Math Blaster to run correctly. (See page
                5 for instructions on using this file.)

  PSHERC.COM  - Allows Print Shop to run in Hercules graphics
                mode. Run PSHERC.COM before loading Print Shop.

 EGAN-PAT.COM - Allows use of Honeywell's PC VIP terminal
                emulation software.

                                                       Page 2 of 9                   
      FOR EQUITY II

 ROMPATCH.COM - Equity II systems with ROM BIOS versions earlier
                than 1.11 will require this patch to increase the
                stack space in order to run certain application
                programs (Lotus 1-2-3 Version 2, for example).
                (See page 9 for instructions on installing and
                using this file.)

     MODE.COM - The supplied version of MODE did not function
                properly when used to switch from color to
                monochrome display (MODE MONO); this version does.
                MODE.COM is a modified version of the Equity II
                MODE utility. The MODE utility supplied with the
                Equity II will not work properly in the following
                configuration:

                Internal video: Set to monochrome mode with
                                monochrome monitor attached.

                External video: IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter (or
                                equivalent) installed with color
                                monitor attached.

                Using the MODE utility to switch from color to
                monochrome display (MODE MONO) will freeze the
                cursor in one position on the monochrome display,
                or the cursor will disappear completely. The
                modified MODE utility will fix this problem. It
                will work exactly the same as the normal MODE
                utility in all situations, even when the IBM EGA
                adapter (or equivalent) is not installed.

 MODEHERC.COM - RAM-resident utility which allows the use of
                Hercules monochrome graphics. MODEHERC.COM allows
                programs such as Lotus 123 release 1A to use
                Hercules emulation on the Equity II. These programs
                require that you run the Hercules utility HGC.COM
                (usually HGC FULL) to be able to utilize graphics.

                SuperCalc 3 exhibits a different problem. It will
                display one graph successfully, then subsequent
                graphic displays will be garbled.  MODEHERC.COM
                will also fix this problem.

                Since MODEHERC.COM remains resident in memory, it
                only needs to be run once.  It is recommended that
                MODEHERC.COM be the last memory resident program
                loaded on the system.  For example, if you will be
                using Sidekick, run MODEHERC after Sidekick has
                been loaded into memory.
                                                       Page 3 of 9

                         EQUITY II PATCHES (continued)

   PSHERC.COM - Allows Print Shop to run in Hercules graphics
                mode. Run PSHERC.COM before loading Print Shop.

 EGAN-PAT.COM - Allows use of Honeywell's PC VIP terminal
                emulation software.

 HERCDUMP.COM - Allows screen dump in Hercules Graphics mode. It
                is a memory resident program used in conjunction
                with GRAPHICS. The GRAPHICS program must be run
                first.

   VPHERC.COM - Allows VP Planner to work in Hercules mode.


 READYPAT.COM - Allows screen dump to take place while Living
                Videotext's READY! is loaded.

     HGC.COM  - Epson utility which allows the use of
                Hercules monochrome graphics. (See page 8 for
                instructions on installing and using HGC.COM.)

FIXRPORT.COM  - Program to let Lotus Report Writer use Equity II
                Color mode. Report Writer apparently forces the
                Equity II into monochrome video mode even when a
                color video adapter is attached.



                                                  Page 4 of 9

                   MATHBLAS.COM INSTALLATION

Math  Blaster  is  an educational game produced by  Davidson  and
Associates  in  Torrance Calif.   It works well with  the  entire
Equity series except the Equity I running color mode.   The large
numbers  that  Math  Blaster places on the  screen  are  done  in
graphics  mode.   These numbers appear as square blocks of garble
on the Equity I color screen. Unlike the GWBASIC used on the Equity
II and III, GWBASIC for the Equity   I  does  not  initialize
certain  memory   areas.    In particular, area 510 of segment 0 is
not initialized (this area is used by BASIC to hold the default data
segment value).

Tests  have been run on ROM BIOS versions 2.1i, 2.20  and 2.21.
The  following  programs have proved to be an effective  fix  for
cases tested so far:

HARDISK.BAS - For hard disk versions:

10 PRINT " This patch will not work with config.sys files"
20 DEF SEG =0
30 POKE &H510,&HC9
40 POKE &H511,&H14
50 RUN "color


FLOPPY.BAS - For Floppy disk versions.

10 DEF SEG =0
20 PRINT "this is a fix for the floppy disk system"
30 PRINT "make sure no CONFIG.sys file is active"
40 PRINT "try this version on floppy systems"
50 POKE &H510,&HC3
60 POKE &H511,&H14
70 RUN "color

CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT move things around in memory.   These
patch  programs will not work if either of these two programs are
activated on boot up.

Please copy the appropriate program  to the disk that contains your
Math Blaster program.   Run these programs and they will run the Math
Blaster program for you.




                                                       Page 5 of 9
                 WHY AND HOW TO USE EQRAMDVR.SYS

Many RAM disk programs supplied with expansion boards do not
work with an Equity I with dual floppy disks.  The Equity I
supports only two floppy disk drives, and these programs
expect the operating system to treat it as a floppy disk.
RAM disk utilities that are in device driver form (must be
specified in CONFIG.SYS) should have no problems.  Any RAM disk
utility that is executed from the system prompt will have problems
on a dual floppy Equity.  These are the programs EQRAMDVR.SYS
was designed to support. The device driver EQRAMDVR.SYS provides the
support needed for these utilities by creating an 'empty' disk drive
that a RAM disk program can use when it is executed.

                     HOW TO USE EQRAMDVR.SYS

Since EQRAMDVR.SYS is a device driver, it must be specified in
the CONFIG.SYS file on your boot disk.  See pages 3-1 to 3-4 in
"MS-DOS for the Equity I" for a description of the CONFIG.SYS
file.  The boot disk can either be a floppy disk or a hard disk.
The file EQRAMDVR.SYS must also be copied to your boot disk.
In the following instructions, [ENTER] means press the ENTER key,
and [F6] means press the F6 key.

1. Boot your system with your working copy of MS-DOS.
   If you have a hard disk that is set to autoboot, boot
   from the hard disk.

2. When the MS-DOS prompt appears, place the disk with
   EQRAMDVR.SYS in drive B: (A: for hard disk systems).
   For a floppy disk system, type:COPY B:EQRAMDVR.SYS [ENTER]
   For a hard disk system, type: COPY A:EQRAMDVR.SYS [ENTER]

3. Check if CONFIG.SYS already exists on your boot disk by
   typing: DIR CONFIG.SYS [ENTER]
   If the message "File not found" appears, follow step 4a,
   otherwise follow 4b.

4a. Type: COPY CON: CONFIG.SYS [ENTER]
          DEVICE=EQRAMDVR.SYS /2 [ENTER]
          [F6] [ENTER]

4b. Type: COPY CONFIG.SYS + CON: CONFIG.SYS [ENTER]
          DEVICE=EQRAMDVR.SYS /2 [ENTER]
          [F6] [ENTER]

Note: The /2 above is optional.  It will be explained in the
      following section.

5. Reset the system, and your Equity I is now ready to use
   a RAM disk program.


                                                       Page 6 of 9
                EQRAMDVR.SYS OPTIONS AND OPERATION

There is one option for EQRAMDVR.SYS.  Typing a /n (where n is a
number from 1 to 4) after DEVICE=EQRAMDVR.SYS sets the number of
RAM disks that can be supported.  In the instructions above, the
/2 will allow the Equity I to support two RAM disks.  If the /n
option is omitted, EQRAMDVR.SYS sets up support for one RAM disk.

When the system boots, EQRAMDVR.SYS will display a sign on
message similar to this:

RAM disk emulator support installed at drive(s) C:, D:

There will from one to four drive letters shown, depending on the
/n option.  When you execute your RAM disk program, be sure to
use the drive letter shown in the sign on message.  For example,
using Tecmar's MEMDISK program, you would type this command at
the MS-DOS prompt:

MEMDISK D: -BUF160

This would set up a 160K RAM disk at drive D:.

If you attempt to use one of the EQRAMDVR.SYS drives before
running your RAM disk program, you will get one of the following
error messages:

Not ready error reading drive x
Abort, Retry, Ignore?

or

Bad command  error reading drive x
Abort, Retry, Ignore?

The x would actually be the letter of the drive you tried to
access.  Press A to abort, then run your RAM disk program.


                                                       Page 7 of 9
                           HGC.COM INSTALLATION

The Equity II offers Hercules compatible graphics.  In order to
use Hercules modes with certain applications, for example Lotus 123
release 1A, you must select "HGC FULL" and for Enable V2.0 you must
select "HGC HALF" with the program HGC.

The program HGC.COM is designed to act like the Hercules Graphics
utility of the same name.  It supports three commands, which must
be on the command line after program name:

DIAG  -  Enter diagnostic mode (IBM monochrome mode 7
         compatible). Type: HGC DIAG

HALF  -  Enter half-memory mode.  This enables Hercules graphics
         for page 0 at b0000-b8000. Type: HGC HALF

FULL  -  Enter full-memory mode.  This enables Hercules graphics
         for both pages 0 at b0000-b8000 and 1 at b8000-c0000.
         Type: HGC FULL

Note: 1.  Commands may be upper or lowercase.
      2.  This version does not support the SAVE command.


                        VP PLANNER PATCH

SYSTEM: EQUITY II HERCULES MODE

VPHERC.COM is a TSR (MEMORY RESIDENT) program which enables VP
PLANNER to function properly when running on the Equity II configured
for HERCULES video support.  Run VPHERC before running VP PLANNER.
It is suggested that you make a batch file in order to accomplish
this.


                                                       Page 8 of 9
               ROMPATCH INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS

Some Equity I and Equity II computers have trouble running
certain application programs (Lotus 1-2-3 Version 2, for example)
because they have an early version of ROM BIOS. This diskette
contains a patch named ROMPATCH.COM which either corrects the
problem (by patching the ROM) or tells you that your computer
does not need it.

Follow the instructions below to install the patch if you have an
Equity I or an Equity II.


Installing the Patch

    At the MS-DOS system prompt, type:  ROMPATCH and press Enter.
    One of the following messages appears:

    Resident portion of ROMPATCH version 1.0 loaded

    This indicates that the patch was necessary and has been
    properly installed in the lowest available memory. If you
    see this message, you need to install this patch every
    time you load MS-DOS. You may want to include ROMPATCH in
    your AUTOEXEC.BAT file, so it is installed automatically
    every time you boot your Equity. (See your MS-DOS manual
    for instructions on creating an AUTOEXEC.BAT file.)

    ROMPATCH version 1.0 already installed

    This indicates that ROMPATCH.COM has already been properly
    installed since you last booted your Equity.

    No need to install ROMPATCH version 1.0

       This indicates that your Equity's ROM BIOS does not need
       the patch and you can disregard this patch and these
       instructions.

If your system does need the patch, remember to install it each
time you boot your Equity or include it in your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file.




                                                       Page 9 of 9
