Overview

This section tells how to prepare your system for installation of the POSey
Point of Sale system.__It is very important to understand the principles
presented in this chapter, so consider it to be required reading.__Even
after you have installed several POSey systems, you will still find this
section useful as a reference.

POSey software installation can be broken down into several categories;

____* Computer installation.
____* Operating system installation and configuration.
____* Network software installation and configuration.
____* POS keyboard installation
____* Touchscreen installation.
____* Printer installation.
____* Installation of other peripheral devices.
____* POSey Security block.
____* POSey software installation.

Each major section of this chapter covers one of these installation
categories, except the last step, "POSey Software Installation", which is
covered in the next chapter.

Computer Installation

The POSey Point of Sale system is designed to run on IBM-PC compatible
computers.__The host system could be a standard desktop PC, or a PC
based point of sale terminal, such as the IBM 4655, IBM 4694, IPC,
Kingtron, TEC, Uniwell, Cyberdata, JPC Touch Register, or many others.

In addition to the host PC, you will need a video monitor or display,
and one or more input devices, like a keyboard, touch screen, mouse, or
light pen.__Many point of sale systems will require that more than one
register or terminal be interconnected so that they share the same data.
Such systems will require the installation of network hardware and
software.

The Host Computer

Every POSey Point of Sale system must include at least one PC compatible
host computer with an 80286, 80386, 80486, Pentium, or equivalent processor.
POSey software DOES NOT support machines with the Intel 8088 processor.

For optimum performance, it is recommended that the host computer(s) be
80486DX50 or faster processors.__Single computer systems may do just fine
with a slower machine, but networks of several machines should generally
take advantage of the faster processors and clock speeds.__For best system
performance you should generally use the most powerful machine for the
network file server.

Each POSey Point of Sale system must include at least one hard drive for
installation of the POSey software, and for data stored by the cash register
and other programs.__In networked systems, additional computers may be
floppy-based units or diskless workstations, but the recommended
configuration is a hard disk on each machine.

The__hard drives in the system should be as fast as possible, with an
average seek time of 19ms or less recommended.__Each drive must be large
enough to hold all of the executable programs for the operating system, the
network, and the POSey software, with enough left over for some local data
storage.

The hard drive on single-computer systems, and the network server drive on
network systems, must have enough additional space to hold all of the
required POSey data files . . . a recommended minimum of at least 20Mb of
free disk space.__Point of sale systems using large inventories, a large
number of open accounts, customer tracking, or other features, may require a
much larger hard drive.

Each host PC used to run the POSey cash register, Hotel or Theater
Management, must be equipped with a PC compatible parallel port for
installation of the POSey Security Block.__This port may also be used for a
parallel printer or other device.

Video Display

Each host computer must have some type of video monitor or display.__In most
cases, this will be included with the computer or POS terminal.

The video display is used by the POSey cash register to show transactions as
they are entered, and in the case of touch screen systems, to display the
Register keys.__The back-office programs use the video display for data
entry screens and status displays.

The POSey system requires use of a VGA or SuperVGA video board, however the
video monitor may be color or monochrome.__In some instances, where a POS
terminal does not support VGA video, the POSey software can be provided in a
CGA or MDA compatible format.__Contact our Technical Support staff for more
information about this option.

Computer Keyboard

Each system must have some type of keyboard to allow programming the
computer.__Terminals using a Touchscreen or dedicated POS keyboard require a
separate keyboard port for connection of a standard PC keyboard.

The standard PC keyboard may be used as a POS keyboard by the POSey Cash
Register, however the number of programmable keys will be limited when
compared to standard POS keyboards or touchscreen systems.

The PC keyboard is necessary for programming the system, and for using the
back-office programs in the POSey Point of Sale system.__On networked
systems, one standard PC keyboard attached to the file server may be used
for all programming functions.

Operating System Installation and Configuration

The POSey Point of Sale system is designed to run under the Microsoft MS-DOS
operating system, Windows 95 DOS, or the Windows 95 Graphical Interface.
Other MS-DOS equivalent operating systems, such as Novell or Digital
Research DR-DOS may also work satisfactorily.

POSey software may be run from an MS-DOS prompt window in either Windows 3.1
or Windows 95.__This arrangement is not recommended for Cash Register
stations, but it is possible.__Operation of a back-office computer running
POSey under Windows may be desirable for many tasks.

A POSey Main Menu interface is provided for use with Windows 95.__POSey
Point-Of-Sale may also be installed from Windows 95 by using the SETUP.EXE
program.

Each computer in the system should have MS-DOS installed or Windows 95
installed.__Most of the time, the computer will have DOS Or Windows
pre-loaded when it is purchased.__Any computer purchased from POSitive Systems Inc. will come with MS-DOS pre-installed, along with any POSey
software you may have ordered.

If an operating system has not been installed on your computers, doing so is
your first step in setting up the POSey system.__See your MS-DOS or Windows
95 manual for help with this step.

Once DOS or Windows is installed on each computer, there are several steps
you should take to assure that the POSey Point of Sale system has an
adequate operating environment.__They are outlined in the following
sections.

Many of these options pertain only to operation with the MS-DOS operating
system, since things like memory management are handled automatically by
Windows 95.__If you are unsure about particular steps, consult your MS-DOS
or Windows 95 documentation, or consult with someone who is knowledgable
about DOS and Windows 95 operation.

Running MS-DOS in the High Memory Area

In order to run the POSey system effectively, it is recommended that you
have at least 2 Mb of system memory.__While most of this memory will be used
by a disk caching program such as Smartdrive, a small portion can be
utilized by the operating system itself.

The first 64K of extended memory is referred to as the high memory area
(HMA).__Normally MS-DOS loads itseld into the first 640K of conventional
memory, but it is possible (and recommended) to load it into the HMA.__This
frees up conventional memory for use by programs.

To load MS-DOS into the HMA, you should insert the following commands in
your CONFIG.SYS file;

____DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
____DOS = HIGH

Note: the examples shown here assume you are using drive C, and that your
DOS utilities are in the directory \DOS.

Taking Advantage of the Upper Memory Area

If you are using an 80386 or faster processor, you can free up even more
memory by loading device drivers and other resident utilities in the upper
memory area.__The upper memory area is the portion of the first megabyte of
system memory above 640K.__It can be made accessible to DOS in sections
referred to as Upper Memory Blocks (UMB's).

In order to use the upper memory area, you must load a UMB provider.__Such a
driver is included with MS-DOS called EMM386.EXE.__The following commands
should be inserted in your CONFIG.SYS file;

____DEVICE = C:\DOS\HIMEM.SYS
____DOS = UMB
____DEVICE = C:\DOS\EMM386.EXE

After inserting these commands in your CONFIG.SYS file, you may load device
drivers and resident utilities into the upper memory area.__To load a device
driver into the UMB area, use a command like the following in your
CONFIG.SYS file;

____DEVICEHIGH = 'pathname of device driver'

To load a memory resident utility into the UMB area, use a command like the
following in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file;

____LOADHIGH 'pathname of resident utility'

You may also use the shorthand notation LH in place of the LOADHIGH command.

IMPORTANT NOTE: If you will be using the POSey IRC, or another network
system, you will need to load DOS and/or the network programs in UMB or HMA
memory so the POSey Register will have enough conventional memory to run.
The POSey Cash Register requires about 577K of free memory for proper
operation.

Setting the number of FILES and BUFFERS

The DOS FILES command specifies the number of files that may be open__at one
time.__Since the POSey Register needs to work with a large number of data
files, it is imperative that the CONFIG.SYS file include the following line;

____FILES = 99

The BUFFERS command tells DOS how large of a file buffer area to set aside.
Typically, the larger the number of BUFFERS you specify, the faster disk
accesses will be.__A value of 30 should be adequate in most circumstances;

____BUFFERS = 30

If you will be using a disk cache program like SMARTDRV, it is not necessary
to specify a large number of BUFFERS, since the disk cache serves
essentially the same purpose.

Setting the DOS PATH

MS-DOS uses the PATH environment variable to determine where executable
programs reside in the directory structure.__The PATH should always include
the directory where your POSey programs are installed.__This can be done
with the following line in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file;

____PATH = C:\POSEY

If there are other program directories you want to include in the PATH,
simply separate them by apostrophes, like this;

____PATH = C:\POSEY; C:\DOS

Using a Disk Cacheing Program

You should always use a disk cacheing program like SMARTDRV.EXE to speed
disk access.__Having a disk cache installed will speed up the operation of
your system dramatically, compared to the way it runs without disk cacheing.

NOTE: Disk cacheing with a program like SMARTDRV should not be necessary if
you are using the POSey Windows 95 Main Menu, or running POSey from an
MS-DOS prompt window.

Insert a line like the following in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file;

____LOADHIGH__C:\DOS\SMARTDRV.EXE__'initmem'__'minmem'

____where . . .

________initmem = a decimal integer specifying the desired initial
__________________amount of memory (in kilobytes) to allocate as a
__________________disk cache.
________minmem__= a decimal integer specifying the minimum cache size.

You would generally try to allocate as much of your available extended
memory as possible to the SMARTDRV cache.

When in Doubt . . . See Your MS-DOS or Windows Documentation

The DOS commands and techniques described in this section should give you an
idea of what type of DOS setup is required.__Some of the setup is done
automatically by the POSey INSTALL program.__But, as mentioned in Chapter 1
of this manual, a certain amount of DOS or Windows knowledge will be
required to successfully install the POSey system.

The MS-DOS operating system contains additional utilities and features that
have not been described here.__For example, the DOS MEMMAKER program
(included with version 6.0 or later of MS-DOS) will help you determine how
to load your programs and device drivers into the upper memory area.

Another utility provided with MS-DOS which may help improve your system
performance is FASTOPEN.__This utility enables often used files to be
accessed more quickly.

Be sure to refer to your MS-DOS User's Manual for more information on how to
install and configure the operating system for optimum performance.

Network Software Installation and Configuration

Once you have DOS installed on each machine, the next step will be to
install the network software.__Obviously, systems using only one computer
can skip this step.

Since some systems will not require the use of a network, and since network
installation and configuration is a complex subject, we have devoted an
entire chapter of this manual to the topic.

Please refer to the chapter titled "POSey IRC Network" for complete
information.

POS Keyboard Installation

The POSey Point of Sale system supports the use of many different POS
keyboards.__For a complete list, see the Appendix, "POS Keyboard Types".

If the POS keyboard is an integral part of a POS terminal, no special
configuration may be necessary.__Other keyboards may have configuration DIP
switches, or may require special instructions.__See the keyboard
manufacturer's manual for information.

Listed below are special instructions for some of the keyboards.

IBM 4690 Series Keyboards

The IBM 4690 NANPOS alphanumeric and 133 key POS keyboard require special
device drivers for operation.__If you select one of these keyboards during
installation of the POSey software, the proper commands will be inserted in
your CONFIG.SYS file to load these drivers.

The proper CONFIG.SYS commands to load these device drivers are shown
below.

Every IBM 4690 Series POS computer must have a BASE driver loaded;

____DEVICE = \POSEY\BASE.SYS /NBASE1 /C1

The device driver for any of the 4690 series keyboards is loaded with
the following command;

____DEVICE = \POSEY\NKY-DRVR.SYS /NKYB1 /P1A

The keyboard may include a 3 track magnetic card swiper.__If you plan to
use the magcard reader, insert the following command;

____DEVICE = \POSEY\MS3-DRVR.SYS /NSSPSM /P1A

Other device drivers may need to be loaded to support printers or other
devices.

JPC KB-80 Keyboard

The KB-80 keyboard is an 84 key, full travel keyboard.__It was designed for
use with the POSey system, and can be used by itself or with a
computer-style keyboard.__On the underside of the KB-80 is a three position
switch which tells it what type of computer is being used.__Be sure to set
this switch in the AT position.

The KB-80 is capable of double, triple, and quad wide keys.

Some revisions of the keyboard require that a driver program be loaded
before the keyboard will operate properly.__If your keyboard does not work
with the POSey Register, add the following command to your AUTOEXEC.BAT
file;

____\POSEY\KB80

This will cause the KB80.COM driver program to be loaded at boot time.

JPC KB-105 Keyboard

The KB-105 keyboard is a 105 key, full-travel keyboard.__It was designed for
use with the POSey system.__This keyboard can be used with a computer-style
keyboard or by itself.__The keyboard has 10 configuration switches, as
follows;

____1___ON*_____IBM keyboard operating mode, connected to keyboard port.
________OFF_____RS-232 operating mode on port 1, (used for programming).
____2___ON*_____All single wide keytops.
________OFF_____Mix of single, double, and quad keytops.
____3___ON*_____Full travel key switch keyboard.
________OFF_____Flat membrane keyboard.
____4___ON*_____Single POS keyboard.
________OFF_____Multiple POS keyboard.
____5___ON*_____No optional device present at port 3.
________OFF_____OPtional RS-232 device present on port 3.
____6___ON*_____No optional device present at port 4.
________OFF_____Bar code reader is present on port 4.
____7___ON*_____No optional device present at internal port.
________OFF_____Magnetic card reader present on internal port.
____8___ON______Program mode.
________OFF*____Standard operating mode.
____9___ON______Not used.
________OFF*____Not used.
___10___ON______Not used.
________OFF*____Not used.

* An asterisk indicates the default setting for normal operation.

Touchscreen Installation

The POSey Point of Sale system supports the use of a Touchscreen as the POS
input device.__The following Touchscreen systems are supported;

____POSeyTouch Register.
____MicroTouch and compatibles (all models)
____Elographics and compatibles (resistive and surface acoustic wave).
____CarolTouch
____IBM 4695 Touch Register

Following are specific installation notes for the different TouchScreen
systems.

POSeyTouch Register and MicroTouch

Plug the video monitor into the video port of the computer.__Connect the
serial cable from the TouchScreen to one of the unused COM ports.__The
CONFIG.SYS file must be modified to include the following two lines;

____DEVICE = C:\POSEY\MTSAPDI.SYS /COMx /IRQy
____DEVICE = C:\POSEY\MTSTOUCH.SYS PAD 0

____where . . .

________COMx = the COM port number.
________IRQy = the IRQ used by the COM port.

You must reboot the computer for the TouchScreen driver to be active.__After
installation, the TouchScreen may be calibrated using the CALIB.EXE program.
See the MicroTouch manual for calibration instructions.

Elographics Touch Screen

To install the Elographics TouchScreen, plug the monitor cable into the
video port of the computer, and connect the cable from the TouchScreen to
the Elographics interface card installed in the PC.

Switches SW1 to SW4 on the interface card should be set as follows;

______________________SW1_____SW2_____SW3_____SW4
______________________---_____---_____---_____---
______________________OFF_____ON______OFF_____ON

W2 and W3 are jumpers on the interface card which set the port I/O address.
The default settings to set the port address to 280H are shown below;

____W2______Jumper 5th position from the right.
____W3______Jumper 3rd position from the top.

If this port address conflicts with another device in the computer, refer to
the Elographics manual for other port address configurations.

After the interface card has been configured and installed, a line__must be
added to the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to load the TouchScreen driver.

If you are using the Elographics version 141 controller;

____C:\POSEY\ELODEV 141, 280, 3

If you are using the Elographics version 2201 controller;

____C:\POSEY\ELODEV 2201, 280, 3

If you are using the Elographics Surface Acoustic Wave TouchScreen with
a bus interface;

____C:\POSEY\ELODEV 401, 280, 5 -w90

A serial interface version of the Elographics Surface Acoustic Wave
TouchScreen is also available.__If this is the model you have, plug the
cable from the TouchScreen into the COM1 or COM2 port of the PC.__Then
include the following line in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file;

____C:\POSEY\ELODEV 400, x, 9600

____where . . .

________x = 1 or 2, denoting the COM port.

After installing your Elographics TouchScreen, you may callibrate it using
the ELOCALIB.EXE program.__See the Elographics manual for configuration
information.

Printer Installation

The POSey Point of Sale system can be used with any standard serial or
parallel printer.__Special applications, such as receipt printers, kitchen
printers, and slip printers, will require that particular types of printers
be used.

In general, it is easier to configure parallel printers, so their use is
recommended for any printer local to the computer.__For kitchen printers, or
in other cases where the printer must be located more than 20 feet from the
computer, serial printers must be used.

Parallel printers should be connected to the LPT1 or LPT2 port of the
computer with a standard IBM compatible parallel cable.

Serial printers connected directly to the printer, or connected through a
redirectional controller may require that special cables be made up.__A
three or four wire cable is all that is needed, as shown by the following
diagrams;

__________________+---------------------------------+
__________________| Direct to Printer from Computer |
__________________|---------------------------------|
__________________|_________________________________|
__________________|____Computer__________Printer____|
__________________|__Female DB-25_______Male DB-25__|
__________________|__------------_______----------__|
__________________|________2 -------------- 3_______|
__________________|________3 -------------- 2_______|
__________________|________7 -------------- 7_______|
__________________|_____________________+-- 6_______|
__________________|_____________________|-- 11______|
__________________|_____________________+-- 20______|
__________________|_________________________________|
__________________+---------------------------------+

+---------------------------------++---------------------------------+
|___From Computer to Buffer Box___||___From Buffer Box to Printer____|
|---------------------------------||---------------------------------|
|_________________________________||_________________________________|
|____Computer________Buffer Box___||___Buffer Box_________Printer____|
|__Female DB-25_____Female DB-25__||__Female DB-25_______Male DB-25__|
|__------------_____------------__||__------------_______----------__|
|________2 -------------- 3_______||________2 -------------- 3_______|
|________3 -------------- 2_______||________3 -------------- 2_______|
|________4 --+____________________||_____________________+-- 4_______|
|________5 --+____________________||_____________________+-- 6_______|
|________7 -------------- 7_______||________5 -------------- 20______|
|________6 --+____________________||________7 -------------- 7_______|
|________8 --|____________________||_________________________________|
|_______20 --+____________________||_________________________________|
|_________________________________||_________________________________|
+---------------------------------++---------------------------------+

IBM 4690 Series Printers

The IBM 4690 Series POS computer uses installable device drivers to
communicate with its printers.__A line must be inserted in your CONFIG.SYS
file, as follows;

For the IBM Model 2 printer;

____DEVICE = \POSEY\PRT-DRVR.SYS /NBPRT /P1A

For the IBM Model 3 or Model 4 printer;

____DEVICE = \POSEY\BPR-DRVR.SYS /NBPRT /P1A

Once the installation is complete, you should run the Register Configuration
Program and set the receipt printer for location 8, type 2 (35 column live
receipt printer).

Use the following init strings in the receipt printer configuration.

Open Drawer: 27 6

Full Cut: 27 94 88

Validate Open: 27 94 79

Validate Close: 27  94 67

    Validate Eject: 27 94 69

Installation of Other Peripheral Devices

Your POSey Point of Sale system may require additional peripheral devices,
depending on the application, and on the desires of the customer.__Examples
are pole displays, cash drawers, bar code scanners, magnetic card readers,
etc.

Please refer to documentation provided with each device for information
about installation and configuration.

POSey Security Block

The POSey Security Block is a device which plugs into the computer's LPT1
parallel port.__Another parallel device may be plugged onto the POSey
Security Block . . . the Block does not interfere in any way with the normal
operation of the parallel port.

The POSey Cash Register, and other features of the software, will not run if
the Security Block is not installed.__This allows us to freely distribute
the software without any kind of cumbersome copy protection.__However, your
POSey Security Block must be programmed to permit you to use the Register,
and any special POSey applications you may be using.

You may determine which applications are enabled in the POSey Security Block
by running the READBLK.EXE program on the computer where the Security Block
is connected.__Each computer in the system must have its own POSey Security
Block.