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▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ╥─╖ ╥╓──┐ ╖ TM ║ ║ ║╖║ ┌─╖╓─╢ ║ ║ ║║║ ╓─╢║ ║ ╨ ╙─╨╨╙──┘╙─╨╙─╨ Battery Monitoring Software for Laptop Computers ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ User's Guide ▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄ █ █ █ ┌─────────────────█ █ │ █ █ ╞═════════════════█ █ │ ┌───────────────█ █ │ │██████████ █ █ │ └────────┴──────█ █ │ E 25% █ █ │ █ █ │ Estimated time u█ ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Version 1.0 Copyright (C) 1991 KJL Software All Rights Reserved ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ NOTICE The information contained in this document is subject to change without notice. KJL Software makes no warranty of any kind with regard to this material, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantibility and fitness for a particular purpose. KJL Software shall not be liable for errors contained herein or for incidental or consequential damages in connection with the furnishing, performance, or use of this material. Copyright ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad is Copyright (C) 1991 KJL Software. All rights reserved. This document is Copyright (C) 1991 KJL Software. All rights reserved. Trademarks ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad is a trademark of KJL Software. All brand and product names referenced within this document are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ TABLE OF CONTENTS LIMITED LICENSE AGREEMENT Registration Information ..................................... iii Site Licenses ................................................. iv Special Requests .............................................. iv What is Shareware? ............................................ iv How to Contact the Author ...................................... v LIMITED DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT .................................... vi WARRANTY DISCLAIMER .............................................. vii ABOUT THIS MANUAL The README File ............................................. viii Symbols and Conventions ..................................... viii INTRODUCTION About NiCad ................................................... ix How it Works ................................................... x CHAPTER 1, GETTING STARTED What You Need .................................................. 1 Included Files ................................................. 2 Installing NiCad ............................................... 2 Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File ................................ 3 Loading NiCad .................................................. 4 Starting NiCad ................................................. 5 NiCad and Other Memory-resident Programs ....................... 6 Using NiCad with Sidekick .................................. 7 Resolving Conflicts ........................................ 7 Quitting NiCad ................................................. 7 Uninstalling NiCad ............................................. 7 CHAPTER 2, THE BASICS The Program Windows ............................................ 9 Choosing Commands .......................................... 9 Dialog Boxes ............................................... 9 Check Boxes and Radio Buttons ............................. 10 Action Keys ............................................... 11 CHAPTER 3, OVERVIEW Initializing NiCad ............................................ 12 Command-line Initialization ............................... 12 Automatic Initialization .................................. 13 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide i The Main Window ............................................... 14 The Tools Menu ................................................ 14 Deep Discharge ................................................ 14 Reset Battery ................................................. 15 Low Battery Alarm ............................................. 16 On-screen Display ............................................. 17 Battery Indicator ......................................... 17 Clock Display ............................................. 18 Location .................................................. 18 Separator ................................................. 18 Power Source .................................................. 18 Battery History ............................................... 19 Write Settings ................................................ 19 Command-line Options .......................................... 20 APPENDIX A, GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR BATTERY The Memory Effect ............................................. 22 Extending the Life of Your Battery ............................ 22 APPENDIX B, ERROR MESSAGES ........................................ 23 INDEX ............................................................. 25 REGISTRATION FORM ................................................. 27 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide ii ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LIMITED LICENSE AGREEMENT NiCad is provided at no charge for evaluation purposes only. It is a copyrighted program and is neither free nor public domain software. KJL Software hereby grants you a limited license to use this software for evaluation purposes only for a period not to exceed thirty (30) days. If you intend to continue using this software and/or its documentation after the 30-day evaluation period, you MUST make a registration payment to KJL Software. Using this software after the evaluation period has ended without registering is a violation of the terms of this limited license. Registration Information ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── You may register NiCad using the form found at the end of this manual (or in the file REGISTER.FRM). Payment of the $25 registration fee licenses one copy of the software for use on one computer. Company purchase orders are welcome and additional sites, or additional computers must be licensed separately unless a site license is ordered. As a registered user of NiCad, you will receive: 1. The registered version of the software which omits all registration reminders and delays, and therefore uses less memory. 2. The most current version of the program. We are always improving our products, and registration ensures that you have the very latest version. 3. Shareware versions of our products absolutely free. 4. Notification of significant upgrades to NiCad. 5. Low-cost upgrades to the latest version of NiCad (typically 20-30% of the registration cost) 6. Special offers on other products from KJL Software. 7. Free technical support. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide iii Site Licenses ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you require multiple copies of NiCad for use within your organization, you must either register each copy or buy a site license which allows you to make a set number of copies. To order a site license, you can use the agreement located in the file SITELICN.DOC or you may provide your own for our evaluation. Use the following table and estimate the number of copies of the program you will require. Additional copies can be added at any time based on the number licensed thus far. ┌────────────────────────┬─────────────────┐ │ Number of copies │ Price per copy │ ╞════════════════════════╪═════════════════╡ │ 1 │ $25 │ │ 2 to 10 │ 21 │ │ 11 to 25 │ 20 │ │ 26 to 50 │ 19 │ │ 51 to 75 │ 18 │ │ 76 to 100 │ 17 │ │ 101 to 125 │ 16 │ │ │ │ │ Unlimited at one site │ $2000 │ │ Additional sites │ 1000 per site │ └────────────────────────┴─────────────────┘ Note that for each site, only one set of materials will be provided. A contact within your organization will be provided with a serial number, the registered version of NiCad, and two years of free upgrades. Special Requests ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Special requirements such as customized versions of NiCad or inclusion with hardware products should be submitted in writing to KJL Software. What is Shareware? ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Shareware is a marketing scheme based on the concept whereby people can have a legal but limited trial period to evaluate software before they purchase. During this period you can try the program on your own ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide iv equipment to see if it suits your needs. If you continue using the program after this period, you must pay for it. Please understand that a shareware program requires just as much effort to produce as a program you buy off the shelf, so please help keep the concept alive by registering the quality software you use. How to Contact the Author ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The most efficient way to contact the author is through the CompuServe Information Service. Type GO IBMSYS or GO IBMHW at the main menu for the IBM Sys/Utilities or IBM Hardware Forums, respectively, and post a message or send a private CompuServe Mail message to the following ID: 71570,1012 If you do not have a CompuServe account or would prefer to write a letter, send it to: KJL Software 2970 Mira Place Burnaby, B.C. V3J-1B6 Canada When requesting support, the following information may be helpful in resolving the problem: ■ Program version number (see disk label or program screens) ■ Computer make, model, and amount of available memory (use the CHKDSK command to determine the amount of free memory) ■ Operating system and version number (type VER at the DOS prompt) ■ Contents of your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files ■ List of any other programs loaded, in order loaded Unregistered users of NiCad will have their questions answered but priority will be given to registered users. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide v ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ LIMITED DISTRIBUTION AGREEMENT Please note that the NiCad package is defined as a complete collection of all the files listed in the PACKLIST.DOC file. If any of the files listed in the file are missing, or the PACKLIST.DOC file itself is missing, then the package is not complete and distribution is forbidden. Please contact us if you would like to obtain a complete package suitable for distribution at nominal cost. KJL Software encourages you to freely copy and distribute the UNREGISTERED version of NiCad subject to the following restrictions: 1. The package, as outlined above, CANNOT be modified in any way and must be distributed as a complete package, without exception. 2. No programs or files can be included which modify or describe how to modify any files in the package, for example to by-pass the shareware notices or delays. 3. You may charge a distribution fee for the package, not to exceed $10 US, but you must not represent in any way that the fee is for the purchase of the software itself. 4. KJL Software reserves the right to withdraw permission from any vendor to distribute our products at any time and for any reason. All rights not expressly granted here are reserved by KJL Software. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide vi ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ WARRANTY DISCLAIMER THIS PRODUCT IS LICENSED "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND/OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. KJL SOFTWARE DOES NOT ASSUME ANY LIABILITY FOR THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE BEYOND THE ORIGINAL PURCHASE PRICE OF THIS SOFTWARE. IN NO EVENT WILL KJL SOFTWARE BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES WHATSOEVER (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF BUSINESS PROFITS, LOST SAVINGS, OR ANY OTHER INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES) ARISING FROM THE USE OF, OR INABILITY TO USE, THIS SOFTWARE AND ITS ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTATION, EVEN IF KJL SOFTWARE HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. BECAUSE SOME STATES DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, THE ABOVE LIMITATION MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad User's Guide vii ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ABOUT THIS MANUAL The README File ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Please examine and/or print the file README included with the NiCad package first, it contains important information regarding the program. Symbols and Conventions ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The symbols used throughout this manual have the following meanings: ■ Square bullets indicate lists of items. <Brackets> indicate keystrokes, for example <Esc>, <Enter>, or <K>. ALL CAPITALS indicate names of files. When you type the names, you can use any combination of upper and lower case. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── About This Manual viii ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ INTRODUCTION This section describes the features and benefits of NiCad, the battery monitoring program for laptop computers. About NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad is a memory-resident program which keeps track of battery use and provides a visual bar graph of the battery charge. With NiCad's battery management facilities, you no longer need to worry about how much charge is left in your laptop's battery. NiCad provides features to help get the most from all laptop computer batteries, including: ■ Battery charge gauge This visual indicator allows you to see at a glance how much charge is left in the battery. ■ Estimated time until empty display Shows how much time is left, in hours and minutes, until the battery runs out of power. ■ Easy-to-use interface ■ Deep discharge of batteries Drains battery COMPLETELY to prevent unwanted "memory" effects. ■ Multiple low-battery alarms Give audible reminders that the battery is nearly empty to avoid any disastrous "surprises." ■ Selectable alarm tone Allows you to tailor alarm sounds to the current environment. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Introduction ix ■ On-screen clock Displays the current time in a corner of the screen while running other programs. International time support is also provided. ■ On-screen battery charge display Shows the amount of time left until the battery runs out of power or the percentage left. ■ Selectable on-screen display position Move the display to any corner of the screen for compatibility with most programs or turn it off completely. ■ Power-on charging support Increments the battery gauge during charging to tell you when the battery is fully charged. ■ Battery charge history Provides an overview of your last 10 battery discharge cycles. ■ Works with ANY battery-powered laptop computer Even if you are using an older or discontinued laptop model, NiCad is fully compatible with it. How it Works ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad works like a timer for your battery, counting down the battery charge left based on past battery behaviour. Every time you recharge the battery, NiCad stores the previous battery life-span value to disk and uses the average of the last 10 charges to calculate a more accurate battery life value. NiCad also stores the battery status to disk every minute so that it can restore the gauge when you turn the computer's power off. It does this unobtrusively in the background while you use other programs. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Introduction x CHAPTER 1 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ GETTING STARTED This chapter will allow you to get NiCad set-up on your system and operating as quickly as possible, you will learn: ■ The equipment necessary to run NiCad ■ How to install and load NiCad ■ Compatibility with other software If you are an experienced user, please feel free to skip to the section "Loading NiCad" on page 4. What You Need ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── To use NiCad, you must have the following: ■ An MS-DOS compatible, battery-powered laptop computer ■ PC-DOS, MS-DOS, or DR-DOS operating system, version 2.0 or later ■ A minimum of 16K bytes of available RAM (you can use the CHKDSK command provided by DOS to see how much memory is free) ■ A 3.5 or 5.25-inch floppy disk drive ■ A hard-disk drive or "silicon disk" is recommended but not required Included Files ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The NiCad software package consists of the following files: README Important information about NiCad INTRO .BAT Introduction, installation, and file printing NICAD .COM The NiCad program PRINTEXT.COM Document printing utility BBS .DOC Distribution of NiCad on a BBS LICENSE .DOC License agreement NICAD .DOC Nicad User's Manual PACKLIST.DOC This list of files PRODUCTS.DOC List of other products available from KJL Software SITELICN.DOC Site license information and agreement VENDOR .DOC Distribution of NiCad by a disk vendor SCRSHOW .EXE Window display utility for INTRO.BAT ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 1 REGISTER.FRM Registration form INTRO .SCN Windows for INTRO.BAT 14 Files Be sure that all of these files are included with your NiCad package. If files are missing, you can contact KJL Software to obtain the full package for a nominal charge. The following files are created by the program: NICAD .BSF Battery status file NICAD .CFG Program configuration file Installing NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The NiCad program can be installed on a hard-drive or diskette using a few simple DOS commands as outlined below. If you are installing NiCad on a floppy disk and do not have a hard drive on your system, it is recommended that you install NiCad on the DOS boot disk that you use to start-up the computer. Follow these steps to install NiCad on a floppy diskette: 1. Insert the NiCad distribution diskette into your computer's diskette drive. This installation procedure will assume that drive A: contains the NiCad distribution diskette and that drive B: is the destination drive where the files will be installed. 2. Type the following command to copy the files from the distribution disk. COPY A:*.* B: and press <Enter> If your system is equipped with one drive, you will be prompted to swap diskettes several times (you may wish to use XCOPY instead to reduce the amount of swapping required). ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 2 █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ HINT █ █ █ █ If you are short of space on your boot diskette, you only require █ █ the following files to run NiCad: █ █ █ █ NICAD.COM, NICAD.BSF, and NICAD.CFG █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ Follow these steps to install NiCad on a hard-drive: 1. Insert the NiCad diskette into your computer's diskette drive. 2. Log onto the hard-disk drive, for example if it is drive C: then type: C: and press <Enter> 3. Create a new directory for the NiCad distribution files by entering the following command: MD \NICAD and press <Enter> 4. Change to the newly created directory by typing: CD \NICAD and press <Enter> 5. Copy the files from the distribution disk to the new directory: COPY A:*.* and press <Enter> Modifying the AUTOEXEC.BAT File ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The AUTOEXEC.BAT file is a special file that is automatically executed by the operating system every time the computer is started or re- booted. By adding one line to this file, NiCad can be loaded automatically each time you turn on the computer. This will keep NiCad's battery gauge accurate by not running down the battery when NiCad isn't loaded. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 3 The following steps will modify the AUTOEXEC.BAT file: 1. First, let's make a back-up of your AUTOEXEC.BAT file as a precaution as follows: COPY AUTOEXEC.BAT AUTOEXEC.OLD and press <Enter> 2. Load your AUTOEXEC.BAT file into a text editor (or a word processor capable of saving ASCII files). 3. Add the following line to the file, preferably at the end: NICAD Numerous options can be included after the program name, but we will defer their discussion until Chapter 3. 4. Save the file to disk. If you are using a word processor, remember to select the "Save as ASCII" option to prevent formatting codes from being saved to the file. 5. Now, every time the computer is started or re-booted NiCad will be automatically loaded into memory. Loading NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── After you have installed NiCad, you must still load it into memory since the installation procedure merely copies the files to your working disk drive. If you have re-booted your computer after changed the AUTOEXEC.BAT file, then just read the following section. To load NiCad into memory, do the following: 1. Make sure you are logged into the same directory as the file NICAD.COM, for example if NiCad is in the directory \NICAD then first type CD \NICAD. This is required so that NiCad can find its own configuration files. 2. Type NICAD and press <Enter> The NiCad installation screen will appear showing the program version number, copyright notice, and a list of command-line entries. The Shareware version of NiCad will also display a registration reminder. Finally, the messages "NiCad installed" and "Press ALT ." tell you that the program is ready to be activated. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 4 █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ HINT FOR ADVANCED USERS █ █ █ █ NiCad uses approximately 16K bytes of RAM when memory-resident. █ █ █ █ You may load NiCad into upper memory (above the 1MB limit) using a █ █ memory manager like QEMM, 386 Max, or DOS 5.0 on a 386 machine. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ Starting NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Once you have loaded NiCad into memory, press <Alt>-<.> (hold down the <Alt> key and press the period key) to display NiCad's main window. The program can be called from within any program, but if a DOS operation is occurring you will hear a beep and the program will not start. Wait for the operation to complete, then try the hot-key again. When NiCad is able to pop-up, the current application will be suspended while NiCad is running. ╓────╖ ╓───╖ ║Ctrl║ + ║ . ║ Program activation key ╚════╝ ╚═══╝ █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ NOTE █ █ █ █ NiCad cannot be started from within a graphics program. █ █ █ █ You will hear a beep if NiCad cannot be "popped-up" from the █ █ current application program. Although NiCad cannot be started from █ █ within a graphics program, it continues to operate in the █ █ background and all audible alarms will still be heard. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 5 When the activation key (or hot-key) is pressed, the main window will be displayed on the screen, it looks like this: ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐ │ NiCad │ ╞═══════════════════════════════════════╡ │ ┌───────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ └────────┴────────┴────────┴────────┘ │ │ E 25% 50% 75% F │ │ │ │ Estimated time until empty : 0:00 │ │ Power source : Battery │ ├───────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Esc∙Exit Tools Ctrl-<,>∙Adjust │ └───────────────────────────────────────┘ NiCad and Other Memory-resident Programs ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you have other memory-resident programs on your system, such as mouse drivers or print spoolers, please load them before NiCad. This will allow NiCad to be uninstalled easily and may prevent possible conflicts with these other memory-resident programs. █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ IMPORTANT █ █ █ █ 1. If you have a disk cache program installed on your system, █ █ caching or delaying of disk writes may need to be turned off to █ █ prevent conflicts when NiCad writes to its Battery Status File. █ █ █ █ 2. When using a disk optimizer it is important that NiCad does not █ █ interfere with its operation by accessing the disk drive. For █ █ this reason the /N OFF command-line switch should be used █ █ before starting the disk optimizer program. It is best to █ █ create a batch file with the same name as the optimizer so that █ █ you won't forget, as below: █ █ █ █ Batch file OPTIMIZE.BAT █ █ █ █ NICAD /N OFF <- Disk updating turned off █ █ OPTIMIZE <- Run the disk optimizer █ █ NICAD /N ON <- Disk updating turned back on █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 6 Using NiCad with Sidekick If you have Sidekick installed on your system, note that NiCad must be loaded BEFORE it. Otherwise, NiCad is fully compatible with Sidekick and most other memory-resident programs. Resolving Conflicts If you should discover a conflict after NiCad is loaded, the order in which your memory-resident programs are loaded into memory may be a contributing factor. It is therefore important to remove all memory- resident programs from your AUTOEXEC.BAT file (by placing a REM statement before each line) and add them one at a time until the conflicting programs are discovered. Quitting NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When NiCad is loaded and the main window is displayed on-screen, the <Esc> key can be pressed to return to the program from which NiCad was called. When you quit, however, remember that NiCad still remains in memory. Uninstalling NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you need to reclaim the memory used by NiCad, the program can be easily removed from memory. The following procedure is used to remove NiCad from memory: 1. Change to the directory containing NICAD.COM 2. Type NICAD /U and press <Enter> 3. The message, "NiCad uninstalled successfully" should be displayed. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 7 █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ NOTE █ █ █ █ NiCad can be removed from memory only if it is the last installed █ █ program. So if you loaded another memory-resident program after █ █ NiCad, it must be uninstalled first. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 1, Getting Started 8 CHAPTER 2 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ THE BASICS This chapter covers the basics of command selection and using the interface in NiCad. If you have not yet installed and loaded NiCad into memory, please follow the instructions in Chapter 1, Getting Started first. The Program Windows ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The NiCad interface uses the concept of layered, pop-up windows and buttons. This interface is very similar to those of many existing applications programs, so learning it should pose little difficulty. Choosing Commands In the menus you will notice that some of the characters are highlighted (or differently colored), for example "Esc" and "T" are highlighted in the main window. These items indicate functions that can be selected by pressing the key associated with each. For example, if you press the <Esc> key in the main window, the window will be closed and you will be returned to the interrupted program. If you instead press <T> then the "Tools" menu will be displayed over the main window. Feel free to give it a try. Dialog Boxes Dialog boxes are central to NiCad's user interface, they can contain two different kinds of selectors or buttons. Each of these button types will be discussed in turn. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 2, The Basics 9 Here is an example of a dialog box: ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Warning Alarm <───┼── Title ╞══════════════════════════════════════╡ │ [ ] Pop-up battery gauge │ Check boxes ───┼>[ ] On-screen display │ │ [X] Audible alarm │ │ │ │ Time: 1. [ ] 20 min. before empty │ │ 2. [ ] 15 min. before empty │ │ 3. [ ] 10 min. before empty │ │ 4. [X] 5 min. before empty │ │ 5. [ ] 3 min. before empty │ │ 6. [ ] 2 min. before empty │ │ 7. [X] 1 min. before empty │ │ │ Radio buttons ─┼>Tone: ( ) Low (*) Medium ( ) High │ ├──────────────────────────────────────┤ │ <─┘∙Accept Esc∙Cancel <───┼── Action keys └──────────────────────────────────────┘ Check Boxes and Radio Buttons Check Boxes are similar to their paper-form equivalent, on which you may check off as many items as you wish. An "X" in a Check Box indicates that the item is active. For example, assume that the numbers 1, 2, and 3 are highlighted in the following Dialog Box. So that if you were to press the <3> key, an "X" would appear in Check Box 3 without affecting Check 1 and 2 and all three items would be selected if the dialog box were accepted. ┌──────────────┐ │ [X] Check 1 │ │ [X] Check 2 │ Check boxes │ [ ] Check 3 │ └──────────────┘ Radio Buttons are different from Check Boxes in that the buttons are not independent, in a group of buttons only one may be selected at a time. They are analogous to the preset-station buttons on an old car radio, on which only one button (station) can be selected at a time. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 2, The Basics 10 In the following example, assume that the "S" in "Selection" is highlighted. So if you press the <S> key, Radio 1 would be turned off and Radio 2 would be turned on. Another press of the <S> key would restore the buttons to their initial state. ┌─────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Selection: (*) Radio 1 ( ) Radio 2 │ Radio buttons └─────────────────────────────────────┘ Action Keys At the bottom of each dialog box you will notice that a few additional selections are available, these are called "Action Keys." Action keys are generally used to accept or reject the button selections made within a dialog box. For example, the <Esc> key is used in most cases to cancel the current selections and close the current dialog box. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 2, The Basics 11 CHAPTER 3 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ OVERVIEW This chapter describes the features of NiCad and how each is used. You will also learn how to configure the program to your own tastes. Initializing NiCad ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Before NiCad can be put to use it must be initialized, in other words you need to tell it roughly how long each charge of your laptop's battery lasts. There are two methods for initializing NiCad, either explicitly with a command-line switch or the program can calculate the battery life value automatically. Command-line Initialization If you have a good idea how long the battery in your laptop computer can be used between recharges, you can just enter the value on the command-line as follows: NICAD /L 155 and press <Enter> This command would load NiCad and set the battery charge life-span to 2 hours and 35 minutes (60 minutes times 2 plus 35 minutes equals 155 minutes). You may use this switch every time you load the program (ie. in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file) but it will only be recognized the first time NiCad is started or if you delete the Battery Status File, NICAD.BSF. █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ NOTE █ █ █ █ All times entered on the command-line must be specified in █ █ MINUTES. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 12 Automatic Initialization The following procedure will allow NiCad to calculate the battery charge life-span automically: 1. If you have loaded NiCad before, the Battery Status File NICAD.BSF has already been created and may contain inaccurate values. To prevent inaccuracies it is best to delete this file before initialization (with NiCad not resident). 2. Recharge the laptop's battery FULLY. 3. Load NiCad into memory without a battery life-span value (omit command-line switch /L). 4. The battery gauge will show "EMPTY" and the timer will count down into negative values. 5. Let the battery run-down until it is COMPLETELY empty. Preferably by just using the machine as you normally do to allow NiCad to deduce an accurate value. If you are doing this with the computer unattended, turn off the power saving features of your machine. Once the battery charge is used up, the last value written to the Battery Status File will be the initial battery charge length. 6. Recharge the battery FULLY. 7. Select the RESET BATTERY function from the Tools menu and press the <Enter> key to accept the battery life value. This will save the the calculated number to disk and the gauge will be set to FULL and NiCad is ready to use. █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ NOTE █ █ █ █ For NiCad to operate accurately, the laptop battery must be FULLY █ █ recharged each time. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 13 The Main Window ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad's main window is accessable from within most programs and provides an instant overview of your laptop's battery status. The most noticeable element is the battery gauge, it acts much like a digital "gas gauge" for you battery. If you feel that the gauge is slightly off track, you can manually adjust it up or down by holding down the <Ctrl> key a pressing the left or right arrow key. The Tools Menu ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Tools menu allows access to all of NiCad's many functions including deep discharge, reset, alarms, on-screen display, and battery history. It can be accessed from the main window by pressing the <T> key. Each menu item will be discussed in turn below. Deep Discharge ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Deep Discharge function of NiCad allows the battery in your laptop computer to be completely discharged, and it does it faster than if you just allowed the computer to run down on its own. Deep discharge works by spinning the diskette drive continuously until the battery is discharged. █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ IMPORTANT █ █ █ █ Some laptop disk drives will not operate without a diskette █ █ present. In these cases the disk operation light may remain lit █ █ even though the drive is not spinning. If you cannot actually hear █ █ the drive spinning, then insert a "scrap" diskette into the drive. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ It is important to note that the current battery life will not be written to disk so it is not a good idea to use this function when initializing NiCad for the first time. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 14 Reset Battery ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Once you have used up a battery charge and the gauge is "empty" it is time to recharge the battery. The reset function is used AFTER the battery is again fully recharged to reset the gauge to "full" and write the previous battery life to disk. █▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀█ █ NOTES █ █ █ █ 1. Do not reset the battery timer after completing a power-on █ █ charge cycle. NiCad updates the Battery Status File when you █ █ switch the power source from battery to charger. █ █ █ █ 2. Recharge and discharge the battery FULLY to prevent NiCad from █ █ writing inaccurate values to disk. █ █▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄█ The Reset window looks like this: ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Reset Battery │ ╞══════════════════════════════════════════════╡ │ The battery timer will be reset to : 1:21 │ │ The average battery-life is : 1:17 │ │ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ NOTE: FULLY recharge the battery first │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ You may want to ignore the last charge if: │ │ │ │ 1. The battery was not totally empty when │ │ it was recharged. │ │ 2. A non-continuous charge or discharge │ │ cycle occurred. │ │ 3. The reset value deviates significantly │ │ from the average battery-life value. │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ <─┘∙Reset Ignore last charge Esc∙Cancel │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ The two time indicators allow you to check that the battery life is within acceptable limits before it is written to the Battery Status File. If you would like to ignore the value but still set the gauge to "Full", then just press the <I> key. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 15 You may want to ignore the battery life if: ■ When you recharged the battery, it was not totally empty and NiCad determined that the amount used was the total life-span of the battery. ■ A non-continuous charge or discharge cycle occurred. For example, you may have used only part of a battery charge, then recharged the battery. ■ The charge time entered on the command-line was inaccurate and you just want to set the gauge to "full" after completing a power-on charge cycle. Low Battery Alarm ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Multiple alarms can be set to remind you when the battery charge is getting low. You can also allow the battery gauge to "pop-up" and the on-screen display to turn-on when the alarm sounds. The alarm window allows you to select up to 7 separate alarms in any combination as indicated by the buttons below: ┌──────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Low Battery Alarm │ ╞══════════════════════════════════════╡ │ [ ] Pop-up battery gauge │ │ [ ] On-screen display │ │ [X] Audible alarm │ │ │ │ Time: 1. [ ] 20 min. before empty │ │ 2. [ ] 15 min. before empty │ │ 3. [ ] 10 min. before empty │ │ 4. [ ] 5 min. before empty │ │ 5. [ ] 3 min. before empty │ │ 6. [ ] 2 min. before empty │ │ 7. [ ] 1 min. before empty │ │ │ │ Tone: (*) Low ( ) Medium ( ) High │ ├──────────────────────────────────────┤ │ <─┘∙Accept Esc∙Cancel │ └──────────────────────────────────────┘ The tone selector can be set to sound the alarm at a different tone based on your individual preference or environment. If you are using ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 16 your computer on an airplane, for example, you may not want the alarm disturbing other passengers. On-screen Display ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── If you would like to keep an even closer eye on your battery charge, a timer display can be turned on which remains on the screen. You may also select to have a clock displayed in addition to the timer. ┌──────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ On-screen Display │ ╞══════════════════════════════════════════════╡ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ [X] Battery indicator active │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Type: (*) Time left ( ) Percentage │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ [X] Clock display active [X] sEconds │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ Format: (*) AM/PM ( ) 24-hour │ │ │ └──────────────────────────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ Location: ( ) Upper-left (*) Upper-right │ │ ( ) Lower-left ( ) Lower-right │ │ │ │ Separator: (*) ':' ( ) '.' │ ├──────────────────────────────────────────────┤ │ <─┘∙Accept Esc∙Cancel │ └──────────────────────────────────────────────┘ As the above figure shows, you can select options to turn on the displays, select types, and change their location. Battery Indicator There are two different battery charge indicators available to choose from, the time left until the battery runs out of power or the percentage of charge left. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 17 Clock Display For the clock display, you can select whether seconds will be displayed and 12-hour or 24-hour formats. Location The on-screen timer and clock can be placed in any corner of the screen. For compatibility with many programs, the location can also be charnged from the command-line. Separator The separator option selects the character used to separate hours, minutes, and seconds for both the timer and the clock. Power Source ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── NiCad supports three power sources, battery, charger, and wall outlet. In battery mode, the battery timer is counted down much like the gas gauge in your car. The charger mode on the other hand increments the gauge according to the time it takes to charge the battery. The wall outlet mode should be used if running without a battery installed, if you are using the computer and it is running from A/C power and if the computer doesn't support power-on charging. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 18 Battery History ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── The Battery History function of NiCad provides an overview of the last 10 battery charges. ┌───────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Battery History │ ╞═══════════════════════════════════════╡ │ │ │ 100%│ ▄▄ ▄▄ ██ │ │ │ ▄▄ ██ ██ ██ ▄▄ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ▄▄ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ 50%│ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ │ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ ██ │ │ 0%└─────────────────────────────── │ │ 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 │ │ │ │ Avg: 1:21 Min: 1:03 Max: 1:34 │ ├───────────────────────────────────────┤ │ Esc∙Done │ └───────────────────────────────────────┘ The graph shows the percentage of the maximum charge value versus the charge number. Also displayed are the average, minimum, and maximum battery life values. Write Settings ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When you have decided on-screen display and alarm settings, you can save the values to NiCad's configuration file so that they will be used the next time you start the program. You can restore the default settings at any time just by deleting the NICAD.CFG file as follows: DEL NICAD.CFG and press <Enter> ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 19 Command-line Options ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── This section describes all of the command-line options available when you initially load NiCad and after it is resident in memory. The command-line format is: NICAD [/switches] Command-line Switches: /? Displays a help screen showing all of the available command line options. Note that NiCad is not loaded into memory when this switch is used. /B [ON | OFF] Selects whether the on-screen battery indicator will be displayed. /Cn Tells NiCad the time required (in minutes) to recharge the battery with the computer running. Please refer to your computer's manual for this value. Note that some machines are not able to recharge the battery while the system is running, so this switch should not be used in those cases. /G [ON | OFF] Selects whether you would like NiCad to use 16 gray-scales when displaying windows. Normally NiCad uses a black and white color scheme which is easier to see on most LCD displays. /Hn Change the hot-key from the default <Alt>-<.>. You may specify nearly every keystroke in conjunction with either <Alt> or <Ctrl>, for example /H Alt D or /H Ctrl - /Ln Tells NiCad the battery life-span (in minutes) of your laptop computer. NiCad will calculate the battery life-span automatically the first time you use it if you do not use this switch. This option is recognized only the first time the program is loaded. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 20 /N [ON | OFF] Selects whether the Battery Status File will be updated every minute. /O [ON | OFF] Selects whether you would like the on-screen clock displayed. /Pn Select the position of the on-screen display. A number between 0 and 3 specifies the position: 0=upper-left corner of the screen 1=upper-right corner 2=lower-left corner 3=lower-right corner /S [ON | OFF] Selects whether snow checking for CGA adapters should be active. This option is not needed except when testing NiCad on a CGA-equipped desktop system which shows "snow" on the screen when NiCad directly accesses video memory. /U Uninstalls NiCad from memory. The switches can be used in any combination and the switch character itself does not have to be capitalized. Also, note that switches that allow ON/OFF selection default to ON if neither ON nor OFF is specified (except /N which defaults to OFF). Here are some sample command-line entries: NICAD /L 120 /C180 Sets battery life to 2 hours and power-on charge time to 3 hours. nicad /h ctrl N /p 0 Changes the hot-key to <Ctrl>-<N> and moves the on-screen display to the upper-left corner of the screen. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Chapter 3, Overview 21 APPENDIX A ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR BATTERY Although the Nickel Cadmium battery in a laptop computer seems simple enough, it is important to remember that a chemical reaction occurs each time it charged or discharged. This section will help you get the maximum number of recharges from your battery. The Memory Effect ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When a nickel cadmium battery battery is often partially charged or discharged, the battery can develop what is known as a "memory." A battery memory can develop if you only use half of a 2-hour battery, eventually you will only be able to get a maximum of one hour from it. This phenomenon can be avoided by TOTALLY charging and discharging the battery each time. You should also be aware that the quick recharger used by many laptop computers only charges the battery to about 90% of its maximum charge. So it is important to "top off" the battery by charging overnight, at least occasionally. Also, if your computer allows "trickle-charging," then this method is preferred to reduce the stress placed on the batter. Extending the Life of Your Battery ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── When a battery is charged or used, you may have noticed that it feels warm to the touch, this heat damages the battery. Every time you use the battery a large strain is put on it, so it is recommended that you wait about 30 minutes before charging or discharging the battery. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Appendix A, Getting the Most from your Battery 22 APPENDIX B ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ ERROR MESSAGES This section details the possible error messages you may encounter while using this program. ■ Can't uninstall, not last program NiCad couldn't be removed from memory with the /U command line option because other programs were loaded after it. Programs can only be unloaded in the reverse order that they were loaded. NiCad also cannot be uninstalled from a DOS shell or application program. ■ Change to the directory containing NICAD.COM before running You must be in NiCad's directory so it can find its data and configuration files. For example, if NICAD.COM is in the \UTIL directory, then type CD \UTIL and press <Enter> to change to the proper directory. NiCad may now be installed. ■ DOS Critical Error Flag not found, can't install The program could not be installed. Make sure that you are using an operating system that is compatible with NiCad. ■ Invalid command-line option specified You have entered a command which is not recognized by NiCad. Refer to the COMMAND-LINE OPTIONS section of the manual for proper syntax. ■ Memory allocation error This is a critical error, please re-start your system and try installed NiCad again. ■ NiCad already installed NiCad is already installed as a memory-resident program. Only one copy can be resident at a time. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Appendix B, Error Messages 23 ■ NiCad not installed The /U command-line option cannot be used until NiCad is installed in memory. ■ Not enough memory to install NiCad There is insufficient memory left over to install NiCad as a memory- resident program. You need at least 16K bytes of available RAM to install NiCad. ■ SideKick must be loaded last. Uninstall SideKick and then install NiCad" SideKick requires that it is the last installed memory-resident program. To remove SideKick 1.x from memory, pop-up SideKick with <Ctrl>-<Alt> and press <Ctrl>-<Home>-<End> to unload it. Now, install NiCad followed by SideKick. Please refer to Chapter 1 for more information. ■ This program needs DOS 2.0 or later You have tried to install NiCad while running an incompatible or outdated operating system. ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Appendix B, Error Messages 24 ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ INDEX /? 20 Graphics 5 /B 20 Hard-disk drive 1 /C 20 Hot-key 6 /G 20 Initialization 12 /H 20 automatic 13 /L 20 command-line 12 /N 21 Installation 2 /O 21 floppy disk 2 /P 21 hard-drive 3 /S 21 Installation screen 4 /U 21 Insufficient memory 24 Action keys 11 Interface 9 Activation key 5 Loading 4 Alarms 16 Mailing address v AUTOEXEC.BAT v, 3, 7 Main window 6, 14 Batch file 6 Memory 22 Battery History 19 Memory manager 5 Buttons 9 Memory-resident programs 6, 7 Charger 18 Operating system 1 Check Boxes 10 Package vi Command-line 23 PACKLIST.DOC vi Command-line options 20 Power sources 18 CompuServe v Quitting 7 Configuration file 19 Radio Buttons 10 Conflicts 6 README viii Contacting the author v Registration fee iii Critical Error 23 Registration form 27 Deep Discharge 14 Removing from memory 7 incompatibity 14 Required equipment 1 Default settings 19 Reset 15 Dialog boxes 9 Reset window 15 Directory 23 Serial number v Disk cache 6 Shareware iv Disk optimizer 6 Shareware version 5 Display 17 Sidekick 7, 24 battery 17 Site license iii, iv clock 18 SITELICN.DOC iv Distribution vi Special requirements iv fee vi Starting NiCad 5 restrictions vi Support v Error messages 23 Switches 20 Evaluation iii Symbols viii Gas gauge 14 Technical support iii ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Index 25 Tone selector 16 Tools 14 Uninstall failure 23 Uninstalling 7 Upgrades iii Version number v Wall outlet 18 Warranty disclaimer vii What You Need 1 ────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── Index 26 NICAD 1.0 REGISTRATION FORM ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Send to: KJL Software 2970 Mira Place Burnaby, B.C. V3J-1B6 Canada NiCad Registered Version Qty ____ @ $25 $_________ NiCad Site License Qty ____ @ $________ ea. $_________ British Columbia residents add 6% sales tax $_________ Shipping and handling USA/Canada: $4 All other countries: $10 $_________ TOTAL $_________ Note: All payments must be in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank Payment method: ( ) Check/money order ( ) PO # ____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Name Last First Middle Initial ______________________________________________________________________ Title Company Name ______________________________________________________________________ Street Address ______________________________________________________________________ City State/Province ______________________________________________________________________ ZIP/Postal Code Country [ ] 5.25", 360K diskette requested (3.5", 720K diskette is standard) Where did you get your copy of NiCad? ________________________________ What brand and model of laptop do you use? ___________________________ Please write any comments, suggestions, or bug reports on the back of this form or on a separate sheet of paper. [FORM: NC10-0991-RF] NICAD 1.0 REGISTRATION FORM ▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀▀ Send to: KJL Software 2970 Mira Place Burnaby, B.C. V3J-1B6 Canada NiCad Registered Version Qty ____ @ $25 $_________ NiCad Site License Qty ____ @ $________ ea. $_________ British Columbia residents add 6% sales tax $_________ Shipping and handling USA/Canada: $4 All other countries: $10 $_________ TOTAL $_________ Note: All payments must be in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank Payment method: ( ) Check/money order ( ) PO # ____________________ ______________________________________________________________________ Name Last First Middle Initial ______________________________________________________________________ Title Company Name ______________________________________________________________________ Street Address ______________________________________________________________________ City State/Province ______________________________________________________________________ ZIP/Postal Code Country [ ] 5.25", 360K diskette requested (3.5", 720K diskette is standard) Where did you get your copy of NiCad? ________________________________ What brand and model of laptop do you use? ___________________________ Please write any comments, suggestions, or bug reports on the back of this form or on a separate sheet of paper. [FORM: NC10-0991-RF]