OS/2 Shareware BBS: 11 Util/11-Util.zip/l40bat.zip/L40BATT.HLP

OS/2 Help File | 1993-07-22 | 7KB | 211 lines

ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 1. Keys Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The list of keys is arranged in groups:

ACCELERATOR KEYS

 Ctrl+N
      Erase the line graph and start over.

 F3
      Exit program

 HELP KEYS

 F1
      Get help

 F2
      Get extended help (from within any help window)

 Alt+F4
      End help

 F9
      Go to a list of keys (from within any help window)

 F11
      Go to the help index (from within any help window)

 Esc
      Previous Help Panel, or End help if only one panel

 Alt+F6
      Go to/from help and programs

 Shift+F10
      Get help for help


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2. Extended Help ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

L40 Battery Monitor is an OS/2 Presentation Manager program for monitoring the
condition of the IBM PS/2 L40 SX battery. The program will function properly
only when run on IBM PS/2 L40 SX laptop machines; on any other machine, L40
Battery Monitor will just show a simulated display.

For more information, select one of the following topics:

 The Display Window
 Voltage Limits
 Starting The Program Minimized
 Getting Rid Of The Logo Window


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.1. The Display Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

The L40 Battery Monitor display window is composed of several elements:

  1. A vertical bar graph shows the battery voltage status.

     The voltage graph value ranges from 15 volts, the maximum voltage that can
     be supplied by the PS/2 L40 AC adapter, down to 9 volts, the minimum
     voltage that the battery can safely supply.

     A freshly charged PS/2 L40 battery will have an initial voltage graph
     value of somewhere between 11.5 volts and 13.5 volts, depending on the age
     of the battery, the battery temperature, etc. This value will decrease as
     the battery is discharged, and the PS/2 L40 will enter suspend mode when
     the voltage value falls to about 9 volts.

     The voltage graph value will increase when the battery is being charged.

     This graph is updated once per second.

  2. A vertical bar graph shows the electrical current (in amperes) being drawn
     from the battery.

     The current graph value ranges from 0 amperes to 4 amperes during normal
     operation on battery power, and this indicates that the battery is being
     discharged. Higher current graph values indicate higher rates of battery
     discharge.

     The current graph value ranges from 0 amperes to -1 amperes when the PS/2
     L40's battery is being charged.

     This graph is updated once per second.

  3. A line graph records the voltage value periodically, thus building a chart
     of battery voltage over the last hour.

     A downward slope indicates that the battery is discharging, and an upward
     slope indicates that the battery is charging. The line graph values range
     from 15 volts down to 9 volts.

     This graph is updated once every 18 seconds.

  4. An indicator above the line graph appears whenever the PS/2 L40 AC adapter
     is attached.

  5. The window's program title area shows the value of the battery voltage.
     This is done so that you can minimize the program and still monitor the
     voltage by looking at the minimized icon's title text.

  6. When the program is minimized, the L40 Battery Monitor program icon shows
     a miniature version of the line graph and a 'dot' that appears whenever
     the PS/2 L40 AC adapter is attached.

     Note:  This feature is available only on OS/2 1.30.x systems.

     This graph is updated once per second.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.2. Voltage Limits ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Voltages of 9 volts and below may cause permanent damage to your PS/2 L40
battery! Normally, your PS/2 L40 will go into suspend mode before the battery
voltage falls this low, but there are ways that this protection can be
overridden or disabled.

L40 Battery Monitor will not prevent your voltage from falling below 9 volts,
but its use may help you detect and avoid these dangerous situations.

If your PS/2 L40 battery voltage falls to 9 volts or less, immediately turn off
your PS/2 L40 and/or connect the PS/2 L40 AC adapter.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.3. Starting The Program Minimized ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

You can force L40 Battery Monitor to start up in the minimized state (that is,
as an icon rather than an open window) by specifying the /M parameter when
starting the program. This is the only command-line parameter that the program
accepts.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 2.4. Getting Rid Of The Logo Window ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

L40 Battery Monitor consults your OS/2 system configuration parameters to
determine how long it should display its initial logo window. After you install
OS/2, the logo window display time is 'indefinite', and you must press ENTER to
dismiss the window. You may change the logo window display time to any desired
value in milliseconds, including 0, in one of the following ways:

 o Under OS/2 PM 1.3, bring up the Desktop Manager menu and select the "Group -
   Utilities" option. Under this menu, select the Control Panel application.
   The logo display time value can be changed via an action bar menu item.

 o Under OS/2 PM 2.0 with the Workplace Shell (WPS), open the "OS/2 System"
   folder on the desktop. Under this folder, open the "System Setup" folder,
   and select the System icon under this folder. The logo display time value
   can be changed via one of the notebook 'tabs'.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 3. Help For 'New' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Selecting this menu option will cause the line graph display to be erased. A
new graph will be started.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 4. Help For 'Exit' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Selecting this menu option will end the program.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 5. Help For 'Volts Graph Color' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option to be given the opportunity to select the color to be used
for drawing the 'Volts' bar graph and the line graph. The default color is red.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 6. Help For 'Amperes Graph Color' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option to be given the opportunity to select the color to be used
for drawing the 'Amps' bar graph. The default color is cyan.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 7. Help For 'Window Title Updates' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option to be given the opportunity to select how frequently the
voltage value displayed in the program window title bar is to be updated. By
default, the window title value is updated each time the line graph is updated.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 8. Help For 'Save Window Position' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option to be given the opportunity to save the current position of
the L40 Battery Monitor window on the screen. The program window will appear at
this saved position each time you start L40 Battery Monitor.

The window position data will be saved in a file named L40BATT.INI, which will
be created in the current directory. You may, if you wish, move L40BATT.INI to
any other directory listed in your DPATH environment variable string, and L40
Battery Monitor will still be able to find it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 9. Help For 'Save Program Options' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Select this option to be given the opportunity to save your current program
option selections, such as your selection of graph colors. These saved options
will be used each time you start L40 Battery Monitor.

The program options data will be saved in a file named L40BATT.INI, which will
be created in the current directory. You may, if you wish, move L40BATT.INI to
any other directory listed in your DPATH environment variable string, and L40
Battery Monitor will still be able to find it.


ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ 10. Help For 'About' ΓòÉΓòÉΓòÉ

Use this choice to see information on the program's author, the program version
number, copyright information, etc.